Aaron Calvert's colorful, whimsical stoneware, underglaze and gold ceramic enamel sculpture took top honors and a $2,500 prize Thursday at the 62nd annual Delta Exhibition sponsored by the Arkansas Arts Center.
The Russellville-based artist's work, titled "Rocket Rabbit," was chosen for the Grand Award by guest juror Stefanie Fedor, executive director of the Visual Arts Center of Richmond, Va. She presented the exhibition honors during an online gathering for Arts Center members and the artists. Little Rock mayor Frank Scott Jr. and Arts Center executive director Victoria Ramirez also spoke during the hourlong event.
Fedor also selected two Delta Award winners — Leah Grant of Fayetteville for "Notice," a cyanotype and screenprint, and Anton Hoeger of Canton, Texas, for the oil-on-canvas "Woman with Red Shoes." Each will receive a $750 prize. No honorable mentions were awarded.
Little Rock's Chris Hynes was named winner of the Contemporaries Delta Award, which is given by the Contemporaries, an arts center auxiliary. Hynes' work "Spirit" is a sculpture of found objects and clay. He won a $250 prize.
The exhibition opens for public viewing at 10 a.m. Friday on the museum's website, delta.arkansasartscenter.org.
Fedor and Brian Lang, chief curator and Windgate Foundation curator of contemporary craft at the Arts Center, discussed several of the works and creative processes before Fedor named the prize winners.
As Lang pointed out, this Delta Exhibition is like no other. The museum's new building is under construction, and the original plan was to hold the Delta at four venues — Historic Arkansas Museum in Little Rock; the Argenta Branch of the William F. Laman Library; the Thea Foundation; and the Acansa Gallery in North Little Rock. The coronavirus pandemic necessitated a new plan, and the exhibition was moved online.
Ramirez says artists help people to make sense of the world.
"We live in a complex world, one that is getting more complex with the clashes of ideas and inequality," Ramirez said. "This can make us question our own views. I ask that you turn to art … to see beauty, challenges, struggles and the complexities of being human."
In her juror statement, Fedor wrote: “While some of these themes may seem somber, I believe they also present the opportunity for hope. The chance to look at an artwork and see a reflection of ourselves, our emotional state of being, and our collective concerns says we are connected.”
Ramirez thanked all the artists who submitted work, saying, "We need you now more than ever."
Calvert, who teaches at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, says "Rocket Rabbit" is one of the works that emerged when he decided several years ago to "pursue my own happiness as an artist. I wanted to get back to things that excited me in the studio."
He has been in the Delta Exhibition previously and has won honorable mentions.
Hynes, who works in medical sales, is a part-time artist making his first Delta Exhibition appearance.
"I had a little beginner's luck," he said, laughing. "In the past year, I started trying to sell my work."
Hynes is represented by M2 Gallery in Little Rock and The Red Door Gallery in North Little Rock.
The winners were chosen from 63 works in the exhibition, which were selected by Fedor from 772 artworks submitted by 348 artists.
The annual Delta Exhibition was founded in 1958 and is open to artists born in or living in Arkansas and its border states. This year's exhibition is organized by the Arts Center in collaboration with Historic Arkansas Museum, Thea Foundation, Acansa Gallery and the Argenta Branch of the William F. Laman Library.
Each partner organization has also curated a selection of works from the exhibition exploring a theme related to their institution’s mission, all of which are included in the exhibition's website.
More information is available at arkansasartscenter.org or at (501) 372-4000.