Made it to three galleries last night, two on the 2nd Friday Art Night art troll (by trolley) — Arkansas Studies Institute and Hearne Fine Art — and another reception in the Heights, at Boswell-Mourot. Lots of fun, lots of people and lots of fine art.
The ASI’s “The Art of Living” exhibit of art made at the Rohwer Relocation Camp during World War II was packed with art lovers and historians; the son of internee Sam Yada, Richard Yada, was there with his wife. He was thrilled to see the work framed and on the walls. I spent a lot of time with the carved and painted wooden birds, made into pins, and other woodwork, and looking at the wonderful drawings, which hadn’t been lit when I visited pre-show. There’s much to learn about human nature from this study collection. It’s in Concordia Hall.
Hearne artist Charly Palmer was on hand to talk about his work, which must be seen in person to be appreciated. The paints are luminous and his stained-glass approach adds a nice angularity — a sharpness — to the subject matter. Hearne arranged for Palmer to spend Friday going around to schools to talk to kids about art — great move — and he said a middle school student asked him, “What is art?” It was a question that he loved, and he talked about the creative process and that art can’t be boxed in or fully defined. Palmer’s subject matter included the Little Rock Nine, religion and love; one of my favorites was of a little African American girl (Palmer’s granddaughter, he said) clutching a doll with a white face.
Samuel Gray’s large work at Boswell-Mourot was a hit with the crowd; the young artist is in love with surface and the way charcoal softens an image. One piece, of a woman falling amid balloons, was quite fetching.
Next Friday night: Argenta ArtWalk.
