BECCA MARTIN-BROWN
bmartin@nwaonline.com
This time, 63 artists applied, and 40 were selected for the 2023-2025 Juried Artist Registry. And juror Matthew Bailey, Ph.D., gallery director and assistant professor of art and design at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, says making the choices was both “an honor and a challenge.”
All of those who entered “demonstrate the tremendous skill and creativity among self-identifying female artists in Arkansas, whether by artists with established records of creativity or emerging artists with exciting promise,” he says. “Those selected represent a variety of backgrounds, from the self-taught to the professional. They also work with diverse media and explore a range of experiences, from nature and everyday life to history, memory, culture and identity. And each, in powerful, inspiring and productive ways, expands concepts about the world around us, signaling the importance and promise of art and culture in Arkansas.”
“The Juried Artist Registry [which can be viewed online at acnmwa.org] shines a light on the remarkable talents of women artists in the state,” says MaryRoss Taylor, ACNMWA president, featured last Sunday in the NWADG Profiles section. “Through presenting a biennial exhibition online, we hope to foster greater appreciation for the achievements of Arkansas women artists.”
According to the ACNMWA website, Helen Walton and Ed Dell Wortz established the Arkansas Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in 1989 to carry out the NMWA’s mission: boosting awareness and appreciation of women artists, who are still underrepresented in museums and undervalued in the market.
Some of those from Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley included in the 2023-2025 registry are featured here.
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FYI
2023-2025
Juried Artist Registry
View the 2023-2025 registry at acnmwa.org/juried-artist-registry.
The registry also includes these artists from Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley:
Brit Borcher, Fayetteville
Shelby Fleming, Fayetteville
Katie Harper, Fort Smith
Suzanne King, Fort Smith
Kellie Lehr, Bentonville
Stephanie Lewis, Bella Vista
