Art News, Local Events, & Member Highlights
THE ARKANSAS LEAGUE OF ARTISTS' ANNUAL FUNDRAISING EVENT WAS COMPLETED ON SEPTEMBER 29TH
THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO ATTENDED AND A SPECIAL THANKS TO THOSE WHO MADE A MONETARY DONATION IN SUPPORT OF THE ARTS AND TOOK HOME A BEAUTIFUL WORK OF ART.
Here are just a few photos of the event including some of our member volunteers; shoppers on the prowl; some samples illustrating the quality of the artwork on display; and a few little whimsies thrown in just for fun.
Review photos Left to Right; Top to Bottom:
1) Members Georgia Chastain, Cathy France, and Sharon Franke helping to set up before the fray;
2) Artists reviewing their options; "Do I want this one? Or, that one? How about both?";
3) A few samples of beautiful artworks donated to the sale by Clarence Cash, an alumnus member who is prolific, skilled and always generous in his offerings to the ALA for the organization's fundraising efforts. We thank him;
4) We think it's safe to say that ISN'T actress Raquel Welch behind those Foster Grants; and,
5) This one is titled "This Little Piggy Went on Vacation". Who wouldn't want this on the wall of their Le Toilett for inspiration as they contemplate their own vacation escape to the nearest coconut tree-rimmed beachfront? We think they just might.
This extended fundraising event was held at our September ALA meeting in lieu of a guest Demo Artist for the month.
September 2026 ALA Meeting
Ribbon Award Winners
Here are our ribbon award winners for the September, 2026 ALA meeting held on the 29th (L-R): Laura Powers - 1st Place; Irina Fernandez - 2nd; Louise Carlisle - 3rd; Cathy France - 4th; Kathy Kemp - 5th; and, Diane Huston - 6th Place.
Laura Powers - 1st Place September, 2026
"Martin-Tunnah-Fulk House"
Watercolor on Paper
Laura's winning artwork will be on display at the prestigious Art Group Gallery from October 1st thru October 31, 2026.
Irina Fernandez - 2nd Place September, 2026
"Morning Light" - Oil on Board
Irina's painting will be on display at the Red Door Gallery and Framing Studio in NLR's Historic Park Hill District from October 1st thru October 31st, 2026. Check it out.
Louise Carlisle - 3rd Place September, 2026
"Pastoral Serenity" - Oil on Canvas
You can check out Louise's winning artwork from October 1 thru October 31st, 2026 at The LR Visitors Center, also known as "Curran Hall", located in the historic Quapaw Qtr of downtown Little Rock.
Cathy France - 4th Place September, 2026
"Mer Ciel et Terre" - Oil on Canvas
Translates to Sea, Sky and Earth
You can view Cathy's winning piece from October 1st thru October 31st, 2026 at the prestigious Draft and Table restaurant at the corner of Broadway and N Main in NLR'S Argenta District.
Kathy Kemp - 5th Place September, 2026
"Bloom" - Watercolor on Paper
Coming up, Kathy's winning entry can be found on display at the Argentinean restaurant, "Buenos Aires", in Little Rock's River Market from October 1st - October 31st, 2026.
Diane Huston - 6th Place September, 2026
"Whispers of the Dawn" - Acrylic on Canvas
Visit the historic Lindsey's BBQ & Hospitality House in NLR where Diane's winning work will be on display from October 1st thru October 31st, 2026.
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Making The Rounds
"Evening at Vinos"
Pastel by Georgia Chastain
Who wouldn't want to drop in at Vino's on a cool early evening for a touch of tonic to take the edge off a hard day, or a cup of hot marshmallowy cocoa with just a touch of "The Recipe" to top off a wee toddy before bed?
Prior to winning 3rd place in the Cityscape/Landscape category in our ALA Members' Show on August 14th, this work in pastels won 2nd place in The People's Choice category at the Arkansas Pastel Society's exhibit at the Argenta District's Thea Foundation Gallery in July. Congrats to Georgia. Her worthy belief in her work certainly continues to pay off. Good job.
Future Dates for Making The Rounds
November 1, 2026 thru November 30, 2026
CATHY FRANCE, one of the Arkansas League of Artists' most prolific artists, is scheduled to have a solo show at the historic Curran Hall from November 1st thru November 30th this year. Coming up, please make it a point to visit her solo presentation and offer your support. Thanks.
Below is your special invitation to join her at the reception and, while the selection of pieces for her show has not been decided at this writing, we've also included a sampling of her work below to illustrate the breadth, depth and range of her artwork.
Curran Hall is a residential building built in 1842 and added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1976. It now serves as the home of the Little Rock Visitor Information Center. It is located at 615 East Capitol Avenue in Little Rock and serves the community in many ways by offering a location to serve civic meetings, weddings and as a welcome mat for tourists visiting our capitol. It also serves as the Mayor's Reception Hall. High traffic for visibility ?? You bet !!
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A Very Special Benefactor
Whenever we get the chance, let's give NLR's Laman Library Gallery and its staff a heartfelt shout out of Thanks for their unrelenting support of the Arts.
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On The Social Media Front
You can search YouTube under ALA Member, "Barbara Rhodes", for various tutorials she has produced which demonstrate her techniques for teaching kids in various artistic disciplines. Check 'em out!
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The Batesville Area Arts Council (BAAC) is Looking Ahead For Art
ALA Member, Myra Eley, will be a participant in the upcoming Batesville Area Arts Council Gallery showing beginning on October 6 and running through November 20, 2026.
This adventure for Myra is also hosted by Gallery 246, a local non-profit, where the event will be hosted.
Myra is an artist AND a storyteller. In this exhibit, she'll show us how she uses a cyanotype as a base in addition to paint, thread & paper to add interest and depth. (Look up "Cyanotype"; it's a fascinating camera-less "photo" process for creating art discovered in the 1800's)
In this exhibit, Myra uses her art to convey the story of life, itself, from its beginning to its final release beyond the stars. Here, she'll be presenting 10 art pieces labeled from "Creation" to "I'll Fly Away" along with 8 of her own interpretive works of art showing aspects of life in between. The following pictures are just a few of her art pieces in the show.
These elements are just a sample of the ten pieces illustrating Myra's dedication, inspiration and expertise in her craft.
Our hope is that these will pique your interest in finding out what the other six artworks might mean to you and encourage you to make a trip to Batesville on November 20, 2026 to support Myra and to hear, in her own words, what verses and songs inspired her on the spiritual journey she took while producing these creative art pieces.
The Brush vs Written Word - Both are Artistic Expressions
Myra keeps her artistic fingers in many expressive genres as noted below. This work of Myra's will be on the cover of the Magazine highlighting the Hot Springs Poetry Festival scheduled for November 1st thru November 8th, 2026.
The 1996 poem Myra has interpreted is named "The Dash" by Linda Ellis and reflects on mortality and the true value of life.
While visual arts can be a soothing tonic for the eyes, the written word, in its own right, can be an equally expressive work of art for the mind to consider.
If you can, come to Hot Springs on November 1st when Myra will give a short presentation on how she arrived at the artwork chosen for the cover.
Her presentation will be on Sunday, November 1st during the opening kickoff of the Poetry Festival from 6 to 9 pm at The Kollective, an artisanal coffee & tea house located at 110 Central Avenue in downtown Hot Springs, AR.
Her process from mental discovery to physical expression on canvas (or paper) will, we believe, be worth the trip. Please put it on your calendars to attend if you can.
ALSO IN BATESVILLE
Batesville recently hosted a series of Plein Air events beginning on October 6 and extending thru October 10, 2026.
If any ALA members experienced any of these plein air events, we'd love to see your resultant artwork pieces. Bring them to an ALA meeting and share your experience with the group or you can send pics to the ALA's e-mail and we'll download them to the website.
Fabulous Finds Antique Mall
Another Opportunity for ALA Members to display their artwork.
We can thank Marilyn Porter, an avid patron and collector of visual art, who has generously allowed the ALA to use her booth at the Fabulous Finds Antique Mall in Little Rock to display members' originals and prints which are now available to patrons at all price points.
Fabulous Finds is a premier venue frequented by design professionals and collectors of fine art and antiques who are on the lookout for that "just perfect" piece to complement their design visions. It is a high-traffic location and, yet again, another opportunity for ALA Members to get their work out there to the public for review and, hopefully, for purchase.
This venue is located at 2906 Cantrell Blvd. in Little Rock's Riverdale area.
Again, our thanks to Ms. Porter for this wonderful opportunity.
"Venues and Vendors"
One of our most prolific Team Leaders, Cathy France, has been an enthusiastic participant in many faire and vendor markets in Arkansas.
Just take a look at the Wall Space below dedicated to Cathy's artwork at one of her latest vendor venues located within The Shoppes at Bowman Vendor Mall in LR (301 S. Bowman). Talk about visibility! Check it out.
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"Our Common Ground"
A Juried Exhibit now showing at Fort Smith's Regional Arts Museum (RAM) and running thru October 25th.
Another ALA Team Leader, Myra Eley, has been selected as a participant in RAM's Annual Juried Invitational Art Show currently being held in Fort Smith. The show began on June 27th and will enjoy a lengthy run thru October 25th.
"High Pollen Count"
"High Pollen Count" is Myra's work on display at the RAM Exhibit. So, plan a trip if you can to Fort Smith's Regional Arts Museum this Fall as this exhibit comes to a close and offer your support for Myra and her creative endeavors.
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ODDS & ENDS
Inspiration Awaits
This photo above is of ALA Member Gary Owen's "studio" where he creates his wonderful watercolors.
It's his response to a challenge extended by one of our members to submit photos of their workplaces; i.e., where do you create your artwork?
We think Gary is BRAVE to share this. How about you? Are you brave?
Clink on the E-mail below to submit photos of your studios to ALA and we'll see just how brave you are.
"Evening at Bluebonnet Chapel"
The above rendering of a nighttime scene in watercolor and gouache was created by ALA member Gary Owen in his studio.
We now know Gary has gladly picked up the gauntlet (brush thrown above) and shows us, once again, that inspiration and artistic accomplishment can come from anywhere and be brushed into creation by the determined and driven artist regardless of their surroundings.
We do, however, know of an excellent "de-clutterer" if you're interested, Gary.
Another Studio "Throw-Down"
A few ALA members have taken up the previous challenge to "throw-down" and share a photo of where they produce their art. Cathy France is another brave soul to share this as shown in her photo above.
What's neat to see is the interesting graphic on the wall of the essential color wheel. While we all likely have these color relationships embedded deep within us, it never hurts to get a little nudge of remembrance now and then.