Angela Turney has a raw passion and a talent for turning thoughts into works of art; every stroke of her paint brush brings an idea to life.
Turney, who has been president of the Searcy Arts Council since October 2015, said she cannot see herself without art.
“I used to draw murals on my grandmother’s walls growing up. I’d get in trouble for it,” Turney said, laughing.
“Art was always a gateway to me as a teenager,” she said. “It’s therapy, as I like to call it.”
Turney said that while she has always drawn, she didn’t actually pick up a paint brush until she was 16 years old.
“My art teacher at the time was my mentor. She bought my first painting, and she still has it hanging on the wall. She told me that if I kept my style, I’d be big one day. Those words just stuck with me,” Turney said.
Some of Turney’s responsibilities as president of the Searcy Arts Council include running meetings and setting up art shows for the community.
“I recently put together a show for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, where the mother or father would paint a picture; then the child would paint the same picture, and we’d put them side by side,” she said.
Turney said her goal is to bring more art to the community, and she hopes to bring art walks to Searcy at some point.
“That would be the most satisfying thing to me — to see an actual art walk come to Searcy. We do have arts and crafts shows, but they’re normally enclosed in the community center,” she said.
“Terri Brannon, vice president of the Searcy Arts Council, set up free painting sessions at the community center in Searcy. They don’t cost anything and are fun to do,” she said.
Turney said the arts council keeps the art gallery open late around the holidays and allows people to bring their crafts in to hang up and sell.
“We want to bring in a newer crowd and bring art back into the community,” she said. “A lot of people don’t even realize that the Searcy Art Gallery, The Black House, is antique and has been there since the 1800s.”
Turney said she keeps art on display at the Ellen Hobgood Gallery in Heber Springs and frequently has art on display at the Searcy Art Gallery.
She said she has also participated in art shows in Little Rock and has shown at the Arkansas state Capitol in the past.
Turney said Ben and Kaytlin Robinson of B+K Custom Framing and Gifts in Judsonia are good friends of hers and amazing people.
“They have helped me on this journey of developing my art business,” Turney said.
She periodically donates artwork to charities and people, she said.
“If it’s a good cause, I’ll donate art,” Turney said.
She donated one such painting to Carl Carter, the son of Beverly Carter, in 2015. The painting was of his mother, a real estate agent who was murdered in 2014.
“My heart just went out to him and his family,” Turney said.
Turney said she grew up in Sherwood and currently lives in Judsonia.
She graduated from North Pulaski High School in Jacksonville and did not attend college.
“I realized that college wasn’t for me. I knew what I wanted to do, and there wasn’t anyone in the world who would teach me. I had my mind set on my style,” Turney said.
Turney said she attends St. James Catholic Church in Searcy and will be painting inside the church as a donation soon.
Religion plays a big part in her art at times, she said.
She has three children: Emily Smith, 17, Audrey-Mae Smith, 13, and Autumn Turney, 8.
“My family and my girls are my rock,” Turney said. “My kids are definitely what keep me going every day. When we’re together, it’s a force. We have paint nights, and they’re all very talented.”
Turney’s hobbies include painting, gardening, cooking and spending time outdoors.
“We love animals in our house. We have a lot of pets, and most of them are rescue pets,” she said.
Turney said her sister, Wendy Nierstheimer, is Turney’s biggest supporter.
Nierstheimer said people have always been drawn to Turney, and she connects well with people.
“People who don’t know her want to know her. She’s extremely creative in everything she does; she has fabulous ideas for everything. She’s definitely the life of the party, very funny, yet very humble and down to earth,” Nierstheimer said.
She said that when she was growing up, Turney was her idol.
“She wrote poetry, wore vintage clothes from thrift stores, listened to strange music and was an amazing artist,” Nierstheimer said. “She was the best. She made my childhood so much fun, coming up with creative games and projects.”
Art sets Turney apart from everyone else, Nierstheimer said, and you actually feel something when you look at Turney’s work.
Nierstheimer said the sisters’ aunt was a landscape artist and told Turney that painting portraits was too difficult.
“After that, I think that was all she painted for a while. I think now that’s one of her most amazing talents; she can make a photo into a painting. As a kid, she never let anyone tell her that she couldn’t do something. She still doesn’t,” Nierstheimer said.
“Angela has had a lot of what others would call misfortune, yet she is always happy. She battles a deadly disease, has literally been a ‘starving artist,’ and raises three children. The strength within her is unimaginable, and I’ve never seen her crumble,” Nierstheimer said.
Turney said she has suffered from Lyme disease since she got a tick bite on a fishing trip in March 2016.
“It about killed me. I couldn’t work; I couldn’t do anything. I went through doctor after doctor before my sister told me I needed to be tested for Lyme,” Turney said.
Her results came back positive for Lyme disease, and Turney said she hopes doctors in Arkansas will eventually have the ability to treat Lyme disease.
“I do have flare-ups, but for the most part, I can function. There’s no actual cure for it, but it can be manageable,” she said.
Turney said she hopes to raise awareness about Lyme disease and the lack of treatment options in Arkansas.
“I’m helping people who are in the position I was in last year,” she said. “For help, we turn to each other. There is a huge support group in Little Rock.”
Turney said art comes to her more easily now since she took a long break as a result of being sick.
Terri Brannon, director of the Searcy Art Gallery, said Turney is passionate about her family and her art.
“I bought one of her paintings called Courage, and it is still one of my favorite pieces that I have collected,” Brannon said.
Brannon said Turney has donated a lot of time and energy to the free art classes at the Carmichael Community Center.
“She is very encouraging. I know that I can’t draw a stick figure, but she has always encouraged me to keep going,” Brannon said.
Brannon said Turney has also brought a diverse group of artists to the gallery through individual and group exhibits.
“Being involved in the Arkansas art community for so long, she knows a lot of artistic people,” Brannon said.
Brannon said she and Turney share thoughts on how important it is to bring art to the community, especially to young people.
Turney’s determination and confidence are admirable, Brannon said.
“I have seen her work through even the most adverse situations, only to overcome. She is a wonderful mother, a great role model and a true friend,” Brannon said.
Staff writer Kayla Baugh can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or kbaugh@arkansasonline.com.