What have I learned after 90 interviews? A LOT!

First and foremost, I learned that Arkansas has so many wonderful artists. Since my last summary a year ago when I finished my 40th interview, I have posted 50 more – 46 with artists and 4 with contributors to the art scene.

“I believe the future of art is cross disciplinary. I do not think artists have to be pinned down to one medium or one body of work for their entire life.” – Shelby Fleming

One thing I did not fully appreciate until this year’s interviews, is that artists, by their nature, are multi-talented. Many are also teachers, musicians, writers, and performers. They are compelled to create – and to problem solve. I mentioned that quality in my summary of the first 40 interviews last year and it still holds true. I really admire that. I also learned that inspiration most often comes from an artist’s surroundings. A number of the artists came to the Natural State because they love the outdoors and are inspired by the state’s beauty.

“I feel refreshed and grounded after being in nature, simply walking through and appreciating a place. That openness allows me to find unusual connections; it’s about sharing a sense of wonder and appreciation for the beauty and complexity of life.” – Jessica Mongeon

“…it’s good to feel like I’m still learning and improving and that the excitement of that will last for the rest of my life.” – Kae Barron

Not being an artist myself, I have learned so much about art and the creation of art. Really, that was the hope of this blog originally. I wanted to learn more, and I thought readers would too, even if they are not artists. Of course, artists of all levels continue to learn and learn from each other. This comes back to the compulsion to create and the need to problem solve. These last 50 interviews have also confirmed what I learned after the first 40 – artists are really nice people, and they care about each other. That may sound corny, but I believe it to be true, at least from my experience with these artists. And as before, they have been very cooperative and very appreciative of being asked to tell their story and talk about their art. Since I publish an interview every Monday I must keep to a very rigid timeline. In last year’s 40th interview post I wrote about the process of making these interviews happen, so I won’t go over that again. You can read about it at that posting. Everyone has made this so easy and FUN and I am grateful for that.

“I’ve always viewed the surfaces of my pieces as a documentation of myself. The images represent both the mundane and important things in my life.” – Aaron Calvert

The artists interviewed in 2021 were more varied than the ones interviewed in 2020, both in the types of art they create and where they work. Twelve were 3D artists (primarily) and 29 were from outside the greater Little Rock area. This ‘diversity’ made for some fascinating insights into the creative process. For example, paper artists. I had not appreciated before how paper could be manipulated in so many ways to create so many unique works. The ceramic artists talked about their labor of love and uncertainty in their creations. The stone and wood carvers bringing life to rocks and stumps – I found it all so fascinating. The 2D artists were also quite varied in style and use of media. I even learned about egg tempera! And the muralists really work to engage the public.

My goal continues to be introducing you to a mix of up-and-coming artists and more established artists. A lot can be learned from both, and their stories have all been so interesting. Many of the artists I interviewed have earned special recognition by the Arkansas Arts Council, but I didn’t always know that at the time I invited them for an interview. I think it is worth acknowledging those achievements again. Arkansas Living Treasure Award recipients were Michael Warrick (2020), Longhua Xu (2019), Winston Taylor (2011), Robyn Horn (2008), and Leon Niehues (2005). Arkansas Governor’s Individual Artist Award recipients were Gary Simmons (2001), Bryan Massey Sr. (2006), Kevin Kresse (2015), Richard Stephens (2018), and Marjorie Williams-Smith (2019). Evan Lindquist received the Governor’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004.
The 2022 Governor’s Arts Awards were just announced, and congratulations go to Perrion Hurd for receiving the Individual Artist Award and to Linda Williams Palmer for receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award! Also, Sheila Cotton is now in the Encyclopedia of Arkansas joining Robyn Horn, Evan Lindquist, and Leon Niehues. What great honors for these wonderful artists!

“The biggest success I’ve had, has been the blending of my artistic life with my family life.”– Kevin Kresse

The AAS blog readership and Instagram followers are increasing and it makes me really happy that the number of hits on older interviews continue to grow. Four interviews have been viewed over 1,100 times! The addition of the List of Interviews has made it easier to search for a particular artist I might have interviewed – and it is getting a lot of use.

Galleries have been opening up to the public more regularly, but I as am writing this Covid cases are again on the rise so the future of group interaction with artists is again uncertain. There is a lot to look forward to, though. The Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in Little Rock is scheduled to open in 2022 and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville will begin construction on a 50% expansion. It is my hope that we will all be able to see each other in person sooner rather than later. Art is best viewed in person!

It continues to be great fun introducing you to artists you may not have heard of or seen yet. I certainly enjoy it. As I did last year, I will be taking a short break for the Holidays. My next interview will be posted Monday, January 10, 2022. I already have some terrific artists lined up for next year! Meanwhile, support your favorite galleries and artists this holiday season and be safe!