Area artists noted in Delta Exhibition

by The City Wire staff ([email protected]) 146 views 

A select group of artists from Northwest Arkansas and the Fort Smith metropolitan area were lauded Jan. 26 for their inclusion in the 54th annual Delta Exhibition at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock.

The Delta exhibition, one of the Mid-South’s most prestigious shows, showcases works by artists who live in or were born in Arkansas or one of its six bordering states: Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana.

The show takes in all types of media and has been said to offer a snapshot of the best the region has to offer. The exhibit runs Jan. 27 through March 28 in the Townson-Wolfe Gallery of the Little Rock arts center.

Artists Zeek Taylor and John Willer of Eureka Springs, Kat Wilson of Fayetteville and Marian Doville of Fort Smith each received an honorable mention for works they entered.

Taylor called show “the Academy Awards of arts in region.” Artists, their families and members of the Arkansas Arts Center celebrated with a reception at the center.

Other northwest and western Arkansas artists whose works were chosen for inclusion in the exhibit included Cynthia Kresse of Eureka Springs, Ed Pennebaker of Green Forest, Steven Jones of Fort Smith and Laura Terry of West Fork.

From 900 submissions, 54 pieces by 50 artists were selected for the exhibit, four awards were given and 10 artists received honorable mentions.

The juror for the 54th Annual Delta is Tom Butler, executive director of the Columbus Museum in Columbus, Ga.