LARA JO HIGHTOWER
lhightower@nwadg.com
The Downtown Rogers’ celebration of local artists known as Art on the Bricks has persevered despite the threat of covid-19 by re-imagining the event online: Art lovers can now view the featured artists’ work via the organization’s Facebook page. This month, the theme is “Celebrate Diversity” in partnership with Hispanic Heritage Month.
“Art plays an important role in reflecting and influencing the culture of our community,” reads a press release about the event. “As Northwest Arkansas experiences rapid demographic changes, we are privileged to become acquainted with new friends and neighbors who bring with them a wide variety of cultures, influences, experiences and heritage from across the globe. The Celebrate Diversity virtual exhibit seeks to serve as a reflection of the artists’ cultures and their contributions to the creative economy in Northwest Arkansas.”
The exhibit will feature the work of 25 artists, including David Gomez. Gomez moved to the Northwest Arkansas area from Mexico in 1997, when, he says, art became a vital means of communication.
“I have ADHD and dyslexia, so I gravitated towards this form of language,” explains Gomez.
Gomez answered some questions about his work and the exhibit for The Free Weekly.
Q. The theme for this month’s Art on the Bricks is “Celebrate Diversity.” Can you tell us a little bit about the art that you submitted and how it aligns with this theme?
Art by Susan Blackwood.
(Courtesy Photo)
A. The pieces that I submitted use a lot of symbology abstraction. I look for symbols from the native cultures of Mexico and add it to my work. They are subtle so as to not overtake the composition. For example, in the “Solo De Guitarra Purpura” — also known as “The Guitar Player” — I created a composition with the goals of a visual representation of music. In the front of the painting I added numbers in Mayan format. I added these numbers because it speaks to rhythm and counting tempos. I use these symbols for different reasons, but this is just one of the examples of what you see in my artwork.
Q. The Northwest Arkansas area area grows more and more diverse with each passing year. From an artist’s perspective, can you talk a little bit about why events like this one are beneficial/necessary/important to celebrating that diversity?
A. Many people in my culture struggle with a feeling of not belonging to the mainstream culture. In many cases, we struggle feeling unwelcome. Events like this one help remind us that we are part of the culture. We are now contributors on many aspects of the economy and consumer demand. We have had a lot of doors open. My extended family is a constant reminder that I am welcome in this culture, and this is my new homeland. These events are that additional reminder that we are welcome to contribute to the arts and that we want to be heard; not only at home, with our families and friends.
Q. You’ve been in the Northwest Arkansas area for a while now. Can you talk a little bit about the changes that have happened over the last couple of decades, especially to the arts culture, and how that has that affected you as an artist?
A. I have seen an increase in interest for my artwork, and I have noticed a change in my artwork as well. I have grown from my experiences in Arkansas. The subcultures in Arkansas have influenced my artwork and have changed my way of expressing my thoughts. I have noticed that I am not the only case. Many Hispanic artists are also getting influenced by our adoptive culture. We are not replacing the culture of our ancestors, but we are carrying with us to the next generation and letting our artwork mesh together. The result is a revival of artistic expression that pulls from a rich set of cultures and influences.
Q. What do you hope people get out of events like the Arts on the Bricks?
Artist David Gomez has lived in the Northwest Arkansas area since 1997, but he’s been an artist for as long as he can remember. “I hope people have an opportunity to meet artists and cultures that they may have not been familiar with in the past,” he says of the Art on the Bricks exhibit, Celebrate Diversity. “What I love about sharing my artwork is how universal the art language is.”
(Courtesy Images)
A. I hope people have an opportunity to meet artists and cultures that they may have not been familiar with in the past. What I love about sharing my artwork is how universal the art language is. Sometimes pieces where I created from what I brought from my culture and I added from my life experiences in Arkansas capture the attention of non-Hispanic [people]. It bridges both cultures. One of those pieces is “Leña cortada” (Cut Wood). In this piece I added symbols in the background. They resemble Aztec details from “petate” (bed) engravings, and then I added a strong line drawing of a log of wood being struck by a hatchet. The image is part of my experiences in Arkansas and working outdoors. The last part of the painting is pouring paint in the style of Jackson Pollock, one of my main art influences. Art on the Bricks provides the highlight that lets people know of this new movement of Hispanic artists who contribute to the arts in the United States as part of the American culture.
Go Online!
Art on the Bricks:
Celebrate Diversity
See the artwork at facebook.com/ArtOnTheBricks through Oct. 15.
Art by Kinya Christian.
(Courtesy photo)
FYI
Celebrate Diversity:
The Artists
Twenty-five artists are participating in Art on the Bricks this month. Learn a little bit more about four of them here and see the work of all at facebook.com/ArtOnTheBricks.
Artist Adriana Patrucco’s paintings examine everyday scenes using light and shadows to create puzzling settings which lead the observer to ask, “What is behind those settings?” or “Where do these characters come from?” Born and raised in Perú, Patrucco is strongly influenced by the Peruvian indigenous paintings from the first four decades of the 20th century. In particular, she is inspired by the work of José Sabogal and Carlota Carvallo. Adriana’s attraction to these artists is reflected in the innovative use of exaggerated facial features and the use of particular colors, reminiscent of those used in Andean folklore.
Earlier this year, artist Kinya Christian worked with the Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce to curate an art collection reflective of the African diaspora to the modern-day black experience in America. “Reflections of the Black Experience” debuted during the February Art on the Bricks Art Walk at the Rogers Experimental House and then migrated to the Rogers Historical Museum. The exhibit took inspiration from The 1619 Project, a group of essays, photos and art published by The New York Times. Christian and a small team of motivated artists put together an exhibit with local and regional artists worked with the publishers to share this impactful exhibit with the community.
Rogers artist Chuck Stout and his sister were raised by a single mom on welfare in the 1950s and 60s. They had playmates of diverse ethnicities all around in their Toledo, Ohio, neighborhood. Stout was accustomed to seeing diverse families of mixed races with a frequently changing population in his community. “I embrace all people and accept them based on how they treat other people,” he explains.
Years later, he enjoys painting and sharing images of portraits he has created of his grandchildren. His daughter, who is white, and her partner, who is Black, have been friends since high school and together as a couple for 10 years. They are raising their three children. Stout enjoys painting portraits of his family and has also created portraits of two same sex couples which he has given as wedding gifts. His work can currently be seen at Java Dudes Coffee Company and the DTR Market, where he displays and takes orders for custom pet portraits.
Artist David Gomez has lived in the Northwest Arkansas area since 1997, but he’s been an artist for as long as he can remember. “I hope people have an opportunity to meet artists and cultures that they may have not been familiar with in the past,” he says of the Art on the Bricks exhibit, Celebrate Diversity. “What I love about sharing my artwork is how universal the art language is.”
(Courtesy Images)
Bella Vista artist Susan Blackwood loves to paint portraits and landscapes. Her work has been exhibited in hundreds of galleries and museums, published in magazines and earned her signature status and many awards from national and international painting societies. Classically trained, her typical works reflects impressionistic-realism and contemporary styles. She has traveled nationally and internationally teaching art classes and workshops in countries including Croatia, Mexico, Venezuela, India, China, Portugal and Spain.
Blackwood is part Cherokee, and her art was influenced by her heritage while she was in her mid-20s. Her first portraits were of Native Americans. Now, almost 50 years later, the emotions of each person she paints filters through. “Regardless of skin tone or ethnicity, I love to reflect the beautiful souls as I capture the faces of the people I paint,” Blackwood explains.
Art by Adrian Patrucco.
(Courtesy photo)
Art by Chuck Stout.
(Courtesy photo)
