LITTLE ROCK — Works by two artists from the River Valley & Ozark Edition readership area have been selected for the 2020 Small Works on Paper touring exhibition sponsored by the Arkansas Arts Council.
Charlotte Bailey Rierson of Fairfield Bay has been selected for her watercolor Reflections of Winter Series 1, Winter’s Kiss, and Sigrid Lorfing of Russellville has been selected for Morgan, which was created with graphite, acrylic paint and collage paper. Rierson’s work also received a purchase award, which is a cash prize equivalent to the value of the artwork, which will become part of the SWOP permanent collection.
The exhibit will open with a free reception from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Jan. 9 at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, 501 W. Ninth St. in Little Rock. Free tickets are available at arkansasarts.org; search under “news and events/what’s new.”
Charlotte Bailey Rierson
This is the sixth time for Rierson to be included in the SWOP exhibition and the second time for her to receive a purchase award.
Discussing her winning piece of art, Rierson said, “It is the beginning of winter’s first snow with all its mystery. The red birds in the foreground are enjoying flirting with each other. I painted them red because when the viewer sees a red bird, it is supposed to bring good luck. I am the lucky one to have my painting selected to be in this prestigious exhibit.
“Receiving a purchase award was especially exciting. I have been on my ‘Art Spirit Journey’ for many years. My journey began at an early age, working with a local art teacher, and then I started my own dance-arts school. At the same time I was teaching dance, I continued with my art.”
Rierson received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway with an emphasis in art. She is a Diamond Signature Member of the Mid-Southern Watercolorists and a Signature Member of the Arkansas League of Artists.
“It is also a real pleasure to be the coordinator of the North Central Arkansas Art Gallery in the Fairfield Bay Conference Center,” she said. “I founded that gallery 25 years ago.”
Sigrid Lorfing
This is the first time Lorfing has been juried into the SWOP.
“I made the piece that was selected for the 2020 Small Works on Paper exhibition as a gift for a friend’s birthday,” Lorfing said. “Morgan is a mixed-media portrait that combines charcoal, acrylic and floral collage paper. I love combining elements of realism with color blocking in my artwork. The real-life Morgan has an unapologetic brand of self-confidence, humor and honesty that I find very inspiring. I wanted to pay homage to those qualities when I began her portrait.
“In the past, the SWOP exhibit has introduced me to artists’ work I admire. I am honored to have been selected for this year’s touring exhibit. This is my first time being invited to participate. Morgan’s portrait was a work of love, and it means a lot to me that I get to share this experience with a close friend.”
Lorfing graduated with a bachelor’s degree in art education from Arkansas Tech University in Russellville. Her work has been featured in juried competitions in Russellville, El Dorado, Fayetteville and Batesville, where she was awarded second place in the Batesville Area Arts Council National Juried Exhibition in 2017. Most recently, the Batesville Area Arts Council hosted Lorfing’s first exhibition, In & Out of Body.
Lorfing teaches art at the middle school and junior high levels for the Pottsville School District and spends her time creating artwork in her home studio.
This year’s entries in the Small Works on Paper touring exhibition were juried by Jamie Adams, associate professor of art at the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Adams reviewed approximately 300 submitted artworks to select the 39 pieces that are part of this year’s show.
The 2020 SWOP touring exhibit will remain on display at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center through Jan. 25.
Following is the remainder of the touring schedule:
• Feb. 1-28, Harding University, Elizabeth Mason Gallery, 915 E. Market Ave., Searcy.
• March 6-27, Henderson State University Hot Springs Academic Initiatives, Landmark Building, 201 Market St., Hot Springs.
• April 1-28, University of Arkansas Rich Mountain, Ouachita Center, 1100 College Drive, Mena.
• May 1 to June 15, University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, Smith Pendergraft Campus Center Gallery, 5210 Grand Ave., Fort Smith.
• June 19 to July 29, Arkansas Northeastern College, Adams/Vines Gallery, 2501 S. Division St., Blytheville, with the Arts Council of Mississippi County as host sponsor.
• Aug. 1 to Sept. 11, Arkansas River Valley Arts Center, 1001 E. B St., Russellville.
• Sept. 24 to Oct. 24, Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, International Paper Gallery, 701 S. Main St., Pine Bluff.
• Nov. 3-23, South Arkansas Arts Center, Merkle and Price Galleries, 110 E. Fifth St., El Dorado.
For more information on the 2020 Small Works on Paper touring exhibition, contact Cheri Leffew, special events-projects manager, at (501) 324-9767 or cheri.leffew@arkansas.gov. Information is also available at arkansasarts.org.