BECCA MARTIN-BROWN
bmartin@nwaonline.com
It’s the epitome of last-minute Christmas shopping opportunities — artworks by 80-90 Northwest Arkansas artists, in a perfect gift-giving size of 6 by 6 inches, and the buyers get the fun of the party while bidding on their canvases of choice.
It’s the third annual Artists of Northwest Arkansas 6×6 Silent Auction; it’s Dec. 14; the party comes complete with heavy hors d’oeuvres, drinks and music; and it’s even for a good cause. The money raised goes toward ANA’s education programs, events and program expenses, giving new and experienced artists “the chance to become part of a community of artists who support one another while growing the visual arts in Northwest Arkansas.”
“For over 30 years, Artists of Northwest Arkansas has offered a welcoming and inclusive environment for artists to showcase their work, learn new skills, and be part of the growing art landscape in Northwest Arkansas,” says ANA spokesman Stan Dark. “The pandemic left us with a very small core of a dozen people. [But] in 2021, we opened the ANA Gallery in the Rogers Experimental House and established a permanent home for the ANA for the first time.
“This allowed the expansion of programs and services for all ANA members and the community at large,” Dark says proudly. “Our membership is now at over 175 members and growing. We provide monthly artists’ presentations, social paint nights, and have started educational classes that are all open to the public. New professional workshops are going on the calendar for next year, and we hope to bring back our regional juried show in the very near future.”
In the meantime, “membership is open to the public, and there are no qualifications required other than to love art and want to have fun,” Dark says. “Membership is only $35 a year, and members can exhibit in four month-long shows a year, have a profile page on the website and participate in the programs and events of the organization.”
Anyone, however, can submit work for the 6×6 event, and Dark says more than 240 canvases were handed out to interested artists. Shoppers are invited to view the entries from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Dec. 14 at the Rogers Experimental House at 121 W. Walnut St. Bidding opens at 4:30 p.m. and closes at 6:30 p.m. Opening bid on each artwork is $20.
The ANA December Membership Show is also on view with 211 works included.
“It’s the largest show we’ve had so far, and the artwork just keeps getting better with every exhibit,” Dark says. “It’s going to be a big night.”
Meet The Artists
Three of the participating artists shared their thoughts with The Free Weekly.
Pat Sweeden
Bentonville
Oils
My 6×6’s this year are floral paintings in oil. My daughter and I decorate our home each week with fresh flowers, so I have plenty of subjects to choose from. I enjoy the detail work.
I got involved with ANA in 2018 when we moved from Holiday Island. It has been a wonderful way to connect with other artists, make new friends, take workshops, display my art and develop my artistic confidence. It’s a bit intimidating to put yourself out there to be critiqued by the world.
I fell in love with creating art when I took a tole painting class many years ago. I started painting Christmas gifts for my family. I would start in June and hang the art in my home and enjoy them until gift-giving time. I became truly serious with my art about 15 years ago.
My next personal project is to paint a series of whimsical paintings to enhance creativity and inspiration. In January, we will have a new show in the ANA gallery.
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Rosie Floyd
Bella Vista
Impasto Acrylics, pastel, pen & inks
Floyd has two 6×6 pieces in the show. “Bison & Calf,” she says, [was] inspired by the opportunity to meet Carol Klein and read her book about raising bison on their ranch in Missouri. The impressionistic style [of “Fall Impressions”] gives focus on the brilliance of fall colors just outside our back deck. The colors this year were spectacular!
My husband and I are both artists, and we recently moved from active art groups in Texas, so were on the lookout for active organizations here. ANA fit the bill! After the jury process, we were delighted to be included with these exceptional artists.
In the coming months, I plan to focus again on 1920s era cowgirl/western/rodeo themes. I have painted a couple of Rodeo Queen Hall of Famers of that era. I enjoy the research about their true life stories as it reminds me of my grandmothers in a way; that was their era, and I know little about their youth. My grandmothers lived and worked on farms, toiling just as hard as the men with the farm livestock, [and] I can imagine them being their own “rodeo queens.”
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Kathleen Siegfried
Bella Vista
Acrylic, watercolor and mixed media painting
Many of my pieces include the moon, which is abstracted in [my 6×6].
When I moved in 2012 to Bella Vista from New Jersey after retiring from educational administration, I was eager to find an art community to improve my skills in painting, begun as a hobby 20 years earlier. ANA was a welcoming and invigorating resource. Delighted to be invited to become one of 14 artists in our cooperative gallery, I now serve on the ANA board.
I have always loved art and began early in my career to integrate art into my teaching of literature and creative writing. Midway through my career, I could no longer resist the urge to pick up a paintbrush. I managed to take class from some excellent artists, developing my skills as a watercolor painter. Once I moved to Arkansas, I began to paint in acrylics and experimented with mixed media. My current work reflects my passion for the abstract and the joy I feel experimenting with color and texture.
I have just completed a series of abstract sea paintings and look forward to a new series of abstract landscapes.
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FAQ
Artists of Northwest Arkansas:
6×6 Silent Auction
WHEN — Viewing at 1-4:30 p.m. Dec. 14; silent auction 4:30-6:30 p.m. Dec. 14
WHERE — Rogers Experimental House, 121 W. Walnut St. in Rogers
COST — Admission free; bids start at $20
INFO — artistsnwarkansas.com
FYI — Regular gallery hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and noon-4 p.m. Sunday.
