Virginia Arts Center Director Named Guest Juror for Arkansas Arts Center Delta Exhibition

Call for Entries opens January 13, new location added to venues

Stefanie Fedor, Executive Director of the Visual Arts Center of Richmond, will serve as juror for the Arkansas Arts Center’s 62^nd Annual Delta Exhibition, on view June 19 – August 23, 2020 at four locations in Little Rock and North Little Rock.

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. Expanding the Delta Exhibition into the community is part of the Arts Center’s mission to remain vibrant, accessible and community-oriented while the MacArthur Park building is under construction.

The call for entries for the 62^nd Annual Delta Exhibition opens January 13. The deadline to enter is March 22, 2020. The call for entries is open to all artists who live in or were born in Arkansas and its border states: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee or Texas.

“The legacy of the Delta Exhibition is an integral part of the Arkansas Arts Center’s past,” Executive Director Victoria Ramirez said. “As the Arts Center looks toward its future, we’re proud to work with partners across our community to continue to showcase art from the region that will educate and inspire.”

The exhibition will be displayed across four locations in downtown Little Rock and North Little Rock. The Argenta Branch of North Little Rock’s Laman Public Library joins the roster of previously announced host venues in North Little Rock. The 62^nd Annual Delta Exhibition will open with a lecture by Fedor on June 18 at the Central Arkansas Library System’s Ron Robinson Theater.

“As an expert in contemporary art from outside our region, Ms. Fedor brings a keen and experienced eye to the Delta Exhibition,” Chief Curator Brian J. Lang said. “Undoubtedly, the works she selects for the exhibition will help us see our communities – and our region – in a new light.”

With more than 25 years of experience in visual arts programming, Fedor has helped the Visual Arts Center achieve its mission to celebrate and support the creative life of all people through art-making, exhibitions and community programs. Before joining VisArts, she served as the executive director of the Arlington Arts Center where she directed an artist residency, exhibitions and arts education program supporting emerging artists. During her tenure, Arlington Arts Center expanded its classroom and student capacity, produce an ongoing series of public art projects, and launched a curatorial incubator for emerging curators.

Fedor previously served as assistant director of the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center where she presented over 80 exhibitions of contemporary art featuring the work of both emerging and internationally renowned artists. While at AU, Fedor partnered with national and international arts and culture organizations to create a wide range of free public programs focused on contemporary arts and ideas. She has additionally managed and directed exhibitions programs at the Maryland Institute College of Art and New York University. Fedor served on the Board of Directors for ArtTable as the VP of Membership, and has curated and juried multiple exhibitions in Washington D.C., Baltimore and New York. Fedor earned a Bachelor’s degree in studio art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a Master’s in visual arts administration from New York University.

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.

“The Argenta Arts District is thrilled to have been chosen as a partner in the Arkansas Arts Center’s signature event, their Delta Exhibition for 2020,” arts promoter John Gaudin said. “As one of three locations in Argenta, the Laman Library’s Argenta Branch Gallery is a state-of-the-art exhibition space that was designed for just such an occasion.”

Artworks from the exhibition will also appear at the Historic Arkansas Museum in Little Rock and the Thea Foundation and ACANSA Gallery in the Argenta Arts District in downtown North Little Rock.

“Historic Arkansas Museum is delighted to serve as a co-host for the Arkansas Arts Center’s 62nd Annual Delta Exhibition,” said Swannee Bennett, Historic Arkansas Museum Director and Chief Curator. “This is a marvelous example of the Arkansas arts community working together to bring together important works by many of the most talented artists working today.”

“Enriching our community with thought-provoking, contemporary art is a top priority for Thea Foundation, and we’re deeply honored to expand our 2020 exhibition offerings by serving as co-host of what we know will be an impactful showcase of Southern talent,” Thea Foundation Executive Director Nick Leopoulos said.

To be eligible for entry, work must be completed during the last two years and must not have been exhibited previously at the Arkansas Arts Center, Historic Arkansas Museum, ACANSA Gallery, Thea Foundation or Argenta Branch Library. Fedor will select the works to be featured in the exhibition as well as 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.

The 62nd Annual Delta Exhibition is organized by the Arkansas Arts Center in collaboration with Historic Arkansas Museum, Thea Foundation, ACANSA Gallery and the Art Gallery, Argenta Branch of the William F. Laman Library. The exhibition is sponsored by Mrs. Lisenne Rockefeller; Terri and Chuck Erwin; Judy Fletcher, In Memory of John R. Fletcher; Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP; JC Thompson Trust; AAC Contemporaries; Bank OZK; Phyllis and Michael Barrier; East Harding Construction; Marion W. Fulk; and Barbara House. The Grand Award is supported by The John William Linn Endowment Fund. The exhibition is supported by the Andre Simon Memorial Trust in memory of everyone who has died of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).