Saline County Library to feature works of young Arkansas artists

A representation of the creative efforts of Arkansas artists in grades K-12 will be on display March 26-April 20 at Herzfeld Library in Benton. The works are award winners from the 50th annual Young Arkansas Artists Competition and Exhibition conducted at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock and organized in coordination with the Arkansas Department of Education. Local artists included in this exhibit are Amy Ward and Kate Ross of Benton High School and Heather Hinson and Sarah Cowell of Bryant Middle School. The display is open to the public during normal library hours.

Arvest Bank, Justice and Mrs. Robert H. Dudley, JPMS Cox, PLLC and Entergy Arkansas, Inc. sponsored the exhibition and Arkansas Children’s Hospital sponsored cash awards presented to the “Best of Class” winners. Of the 654 entries submitted from 182 schools throughout the state, state art instructors chose a total of 131 paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, textiles and mixed media works for the annual exhibition, which were exhibited in the Arkansas Arts Center galleries March 15-April 17, 2011. Guest juror Blaine Caldwell, professor of art at the University of the Ozarks, made the award selections.

“The quality of this year’s works by young Arkansas artists reflects their commitment and understanding of visual expression, as well as the excellent training and encouragement they

are receiving from teachers and parents,” said Joe Lampo, Interim Director of the Arkansas Arts Center. “The students’ art is exciting, full of imagination and quite impressive. We are very proud to exhibit their works.”

The curatorial staff of the Arkansas Arts Center selected 90 works from the exhibition for special recognition, and these works were arranged into five travelling exhibitions for statewide circulation during the 2011-2012 school year. The Young Arkansas Artists touring exhibitions are supported by the following season sponsors: Bank of America; Horace C. Cabe Foundation; The Brown Foundation, Inc. of Houston; the Stella Boyle Smith Trust; Centennial Bank; Union Pacific Foundation; and Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas. Grant support is received from the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, and the National Endowment for the Arts. The Saline County Library is a local sponsor of the travelling exhibition. For more information regarding the display, call 778-4766. For general library information, call 778-4766 or 847-2166, or visit www.saline.lib.ar.us.