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Arkansas Arts Center Delta Exhibition Goes Digital

In a creative reimagining, the Arkansas Arts Center’s 62nd Annual Delta Exhibition will be hosted in a digital format during this time of ongoing social distancing. The exhibition, organized in collaboration with Historic Arkansas Museum, Thea Foundation, ACANSA Gallery and the Argenta Branch of the William F. Laman Library, will be open for online viewing beginning June 19.

Leah Grant, Notice, 2019, cyanotype and screenprint, 30 x 22 inches
Leah Grant, Notice, 2019, cyanotype and screenprint, 30 x 22 inches

The Delta Exhibition is now part of the Arts Center’s new digital engagement initiative “Arkansas Arts Center Amplified’ through which the center is bringing engaging art experiences where many people are now spending much of their time – online. In addition to the center’s popular Young Arkansas Artists digital exhibition, the new digital format for Delta also offers increased accessibility to an exhibition that represents the entire Mississippi Delta region.

Elizabeth Weber, Social Distancing, 2019, leaf skeletons, honey locust thorns, wool roving, and dandelion wishes, 9 ½ x 12 x 12 inches
Elizabeth Weber, Social Distancing, 2019, leaf skeletons, honey locust thorns, wool roving, and dandelion wishes, 9 ½ x 12 x 12 inches

As one of the longest-running and most prestigious juried art exhibitions in the region, the Annual Delta Exhibition represents the Arts Center’s commitment to artists living and working in our community today – and to continuing to grow artistic talent in the region. Ensuring the exhibition’s continuity is part of the Arts Center’s mission to remain vibrant, accessible and community-oriented while the MacArthur Park building is under construction.

“The Delta Exhibition is an integral piece of the Arkansas Arts Center’s legacy. We are proud to present an innovative solution to continue the exhibition during this time,” Executive Director Victoria Ramirez said. “Along with our creative arts partners, we look forward to showcasing art that will educate and inspire, especially amid challenging circumstances.”

With the Arts Center’s galleries under construction, the center partnered with Historic Arkansas Museum, Thea Foundation, ACANSA Gallery and the Argenta Branch of the William F. Laman Library to host the exhibition across the community. While the exhibition moves online, these community partners remain integral to continued community outreach and engagement with the exhibition.

Stephanie Williams, The Woodsman and the Crane, 2019, pen and sharpie on newspaper, 11 x 22 ½ inches
Stephanie Williams, The Woodsman and the Crane, 2019, pen and sharpie on newspaper, 11 x 22 ½ inches

“Historic Arkansas Museum is delighted to partner with the Arkansas Arts Center for the 62nd Annual Delta Exhibition,” said Swannee Bennett, Historic Arkansas Museum Director and Chief Curator. “This collaboration is a marvelous example of what the Arkansas arts community can accomplish by working together to elevate the work of the most talented artists working in the region today.”

“Enriching our community with thought-provoking, contemporary art is a top priority for Thea Foundation, and we’re deeply honored to be a part of this team offering what we know will be an impactful showcase of Southern talent,” Thea Foundation Executive Director Nick Leopoulos said.

Aaron Bleidt, Drawn to the Moon, 2019, freehand digital drawing and archival pigment ink print on paper, 36 x 24 inches
Aaron Bleidt, Drawn to the Moon, 2019, freehand digital drawing and archival pigment ink print on paper, 36 x 24 inches

“The Argenta Arts District is thrilled to be a partner for the Arkansas Arts Center’s signature event, the Delta Exhibition,” arts promoter John Gaudin said. “The creative and community-oriented team that has come together around this exhibition is uniquely suited to build a valuable exhibition experience during this time.”

Showcasing artists born in or living in Arkansas and its border states, the Annual Delta Exhibition presents a vision of contemporary art in the American South. Founded in 1958, the exhibition provides a unique snapshot of the Delta region and features work in all media. The exhibition reflects the region’s strong traditions of craftsmanship and observation, combined with an innovative use of materials and an experimental approach to subject matter.

Stefanie Fedor, Executive Director of the Visual Arts Center of Richmond, served as juror for the Arkansas Arts Center’s 62nd Annual Delta Exhibition. Fedor selected 63 works to be featured in the exhibition from 772 entries by 348 artists. Fedor will also name a Grand Award winner and two Delta Award winners. The Contemporaries, an auxiliary membership group of the Arkansas Arts Center, will also select a Contemporaries Award winner. Fedor will announce the award winners in a virtual event on June 18. Additional online programming around the exhibition will be announced in the coming weeks.

Artists featured in the 62nd Annual Delta Exhibition include:

  • Oluwatobi Adewumi of McNeil, Ark.
  • John Allison of Little Rock, Ark.
  • Joe Barnett of Little Rock, Ark.
  • James P. Bell of Fayetteville, Ark.
  • Deitra Blackwell of Little Rock, Ark.
  • Scott Blair of Kansas City, Mo.
  • Aaron Bleidt of Fayetteville, Ark.
  • Joel Boyd of Little Rock Ark.
  • Robbie Brindley of Hot Springs, Ark.
  • Brian Bundren of Henderson, Tenn.
  • Cynthia Buob of Columbus, Miss.
  • Aaron Calvert of Russellville, Ark.
  • Dean Dablow of Ruston, La.
  • Anais Dasse of Little Rock, Ark.
  • Tessa Davidson of Cabot, Ark.
  • Britynn Davis of Roland, Ark.
  • Don DuMont of Memphis, Tenn.
  • Margo Duvall of Little Rock, Ark.
  • Robert Fairchild of Memphis, Tenn.
  • Thomas Faulkner of Ruston, La.
  • Johnny Ferrell of Benton, Ark.
  • David Foss of Bella Vista, Ark.
  • William Goodman of Jackson, Miss.
  • Leah Grant of Fayetteville, Ark.
  • Wade Hampton of Las Vegas, Nev.
  • Sharon Havelka of Memphis, Tenn.
  • Robin Hazard of Rockport, Texas
  • Reece Henderson of Little Rock, Ark.
  • Anton Hoeger of Canton, Texas
  • Dawn Holder of Clarksville, Ark.
  • Jeanie Hursley of Little Rock, Ark.
  • Tim Hursley of Little Rock, Ark.
  • Chris Hynes of Little Rock, Ark.
  • Jed Jackson of Memphis, Tenn.
  • Ajamu Kojo of Brooklyn, N.Y.
  • Cynthia Kresse of Eureka Springs, Ark.
  • John Lasater of Siloam Springs, Ark.
  • Deborah Lillie of Thibodaux, La.
  • Jeff Mickey of Hammond, La.
  • Joe Morzuch of Starkville, Miss.
  • David Mudrinich of Russellville, Ark.
  • Greely Myatt of West Memphis, Ark.
  • Dale Newkirk of Covington, La.
  • Liz Noble of Columbus, Ohio
  • Kayla O’Neal of Shongaloo, La.
  • Ray Allen Parker of Fayetteville, Ark.
  • Ed Pennebaker of Clinton, Ark.
  • Lee Robertson of Batesville, Ark.
  • David Rose of Hot Springs, Ark.
  • Euphus Ruth of Greenville, Miss.
  • Barbara Satterfield of Conway, Ark.
  • Justin Shaw of Warrensburg, Mo.
  • Chassidy Siratt of Donaldson, Ark.
  • Derek Slagle of Little Rock, Ark.
  • Steve Spencer of Little Rock, Ark.
  • Marilyn Avery Turner of Knoxville, Tenn.
  • Anna Wagner of Cabot, Ark.
  • Louis Watts of Burlington, N.C.
  • Elizabeth Weber of Little Rock, Ark.
  • Mildred West of Oxford, Miss.
  • Stephanie Williams of North Little Rock, Ark.
  • Steven Wise of Rogers, Ark.
  • Anna Zusman of Magnolia, Ark.

The 62nd Annual Delta Exhibition is organized by the Arkansas Arts Center in collaboration with Historic Arkansas Museum, Thea Foundation, ACANSA Gallery and the Argenta Branch of the William F. Laman Library.

Anton Hoeger, Woman with Red Shoes, 2019, oil on canvas, 43 1/3 x 43 1/3 inches
Anton Hoeger, Woman with Red Shoes, 2019, oil on canvas, 43 1/3 x 43 1/3 inches

The exhibition is supported by Mrs. Lisenne Rockefeller; Terri and Chuck Erwin; Judy Fletcher, In Memory of John R. Fletcher; Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP; JC Thompson Trust; Dianne and Bobby Tucker; AAC Contemporaries; Bank OZK; Phyllis and Michael Barrier; East Harding Construction; Marion W. Fulk; Barbara House; Don Tilton; and the Andre Simon Memorial Trust in memory of everyone who has died of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The Grand Award is supported by The John William Linn Endowment Fund.

Arkansas Arts Center programs are also supported in part by: Arkansas Arts Center Foundation; Arkansas Arts Center Board of Trustees; City of Little Rock; City of North Little Rock; Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau; and the Arkansas Arts Council, a division of Arkansas Heritage, and the National Endowment for the Arts.