Poetic Ecology: Inez Whitfield and Michael Sherrill

Inez Harrington Whitfield (1867 – 1951) is beloved for her watercolor portraits of native Arkansas wildflowers. She brought her expertise as a poet and educator from New York to Hot Springs at the turn of the century. Initially seeking treatment for her rheumatoid arthritis in the therapeutic waters, she remained and left her mark on the city, becoming one of its most notable artists. In the 1920s and 1930s, she also helped establish the Little Theater, university and business organizations for women, the Hot Springs Garden Club, and she edited the local visitor’s bulletin.

Whitfield was also a prolific writer and citizen scientist. She published short stories and articles in newspapers, bulletins, and magazines that celebrated the region’s national park and natural beauty. An avid birder and outdoorswoman, she devoted her artistic practice to documenting native wildflowers one by one. On black or white paper, she created faithful portraits of actual specimens—ideally with roots attached so they could be replanted—and recorded bloom seasons, as well as both Latin and common names. She attributed distinct characteristics to each plant, describing some as “strongly aggressive, bold or daring, others modest and retiring, or stubborn, hard-working creators of beauty for the world…” Her understanding of ecology extended beyond plants alone. She worked with the Wildlife Preservation Society and advocated for conservation of native plants, concerns that remain urgent today.

Collaboratively curated, the exhibition is a fitting tribute to Whitfield’s devotion to Arkansas’s landscape and native wildflowers. Dr. Catherine Walworth, AMFA’s Jackye and Curtis Finch, Jr., Curator of Drawings, brings fresh archival research aimed at rediscovering the artist’s own poetic voice. Lifting this love of nature out of the frame and into three dimensions, Stefanie Kirkland, AMFA’s Windgate Foundation Curator of Contemporary Craft, introduces the botanical sculptures of North Carolina craft artist Michael Sherrill.

Sherrill uses porcelain, glass, and metal to forge works inspired by the native flora surrounding his Appalachian studio. As a self-taught artist, he initially drew from North Carolina folk pottery and Appalachian craft traditions. With a career spanning more than 40 years, he has perfected his techniques and, in the 1990s, began creating a series of delicate plant forms. Highlighting the beauty in both new growth and decay, these botanical works are familiar yet wondrous.