Texarkana Entertainment Blog

The Regional Arts Center at 4th Street and Texas Boulevard in Texarkana has two new exhibits up to satisfy an urge for artistry from Arkansas. “Small Works on Paper” from the Arkansas Arts Council features artists from across the state whose works are placed on a paper base. These works of a smaller size show that much subtlety can be portrayed in a limited space. A wide range of mediums are represented, and the works show both creative vision and commitment to craft.

In “Young Arkansas Artists,” Texarkana is represented very well. In fact, six local student artists have work included in this touring exhibit and that’s the most ever for Texarkana in the Southwest Arkansas region’s group of works selected for the show. This exhibit comes to us from the Arkansas Arts Center. These works—colorful, creative, and fun—show once again that Texarkana’s arts education seems to be doing right by our kids and inspiring them.

See tomorrow’s Gazette for the full story on these exhibits.

- Aaron Brand

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Kimberly Boyd Vickrey's "Concerto in the Sun" is one piece featured in "Small Works on Paper," an exhibit now at the Regional Arts Center.

If you see artists setting up easels Saturday in downtown Texarkana, they’ll be doing what comes naturally to artists: finding a good location to create.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. members of the Four States Regional Art Club will be downtown near the future Main Street Texarkana office building on State Line Avenue across the street from the Post Office.

Art club member Lena Hall said the public is welcome to come check it out. “It’s just a pretty place and there’s a lot of buildings that are historical buildings that are really fun to paint,” said Hall.

Downtown is a great place to both inspire art and show art. The Four States Regional Art Club now has some of its members’ work hanging in the window storefronts at that Main Street building and the former Collins and Williams building on East Broad Street.

- Aaron Brand

Punk rock and Magnolia. Poster art for bands like Nirvana. That’s what happening through November at Southern Arkansas University’s Brinson Fine Arts Gallery for an exhibit (by the name of “Don’t Call Me Pretty”) of artist Art Chantry’s work. Chantry, a Pacific Northwest-based graphic designer, has made posters for a number of punk (or, more specifically, punk-like and grunge) bands like The Cramps, Nirvana, Hole, Pearl Jam, and Mudhoney. He also worked for The Rocket, an influential Seattle music newspaper. I lived in Seattle and Portland and remember the kind of wild, innovative posters he put out. You’d see them plastered all over utility poles and at music stores. He has a unique style, to put it mildly. Now his work will be at SAU with 52 posters collected, subjects ranging all over the map from rock to AIDS. Honestly, it’s kind of amazing and great that his work has found it’s way to South Arkansas. The Brinson is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

- Aaron Brand

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The Regional Arts Center has two new exhibits on tap for Texarkana.

In the main, secure gallery is “Watercolor Views of WWII,” a series of beautiful and evocative watercolor works by artist Robert Andrew Parker. Here he is inspired by the poems of British soldier Keith Douglas, a writer who died from injuries sustained during the D-Day invasion of Normandy. His poems (and Parker’s watercolors) depict life on the battlefield in North Africa. Parker’s approach is fascinating because they’re pretty watercolors, on the one hand, and depict events that are gruesome in their nature, on the other hand. But there’s a subtlety here that seems to deepen the emotional impact. This exhibit runs through Dec. 5.

The 4 States Art Club/Decorative Artists also have new work up in the open gallery space at the RAC through Nov. 7. Local artists have considered the topic “My Favorite Subject.” In addition to landscapes and other works with a generally naturalistic approach, there are some fascinating and fun decorative and functional pieces on display, showing the diversity of artistic approaches in this area. You can meet some of the artists and see their work tomorrow, Thursday, during a reception at the Arts Center starting at 6:30 p.m. Both exhibits are free to see, of course, and the RAC is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and a 7 p.m. close on Thursdays. More info: 903-792-4992.

- Aaron Brand

Staff photo by Tanner Spendley:

Bryan Phillips, TRAHC's director of community programs, directs spotlights to paintings in preparation for the "Watercolor VIews of WWII" exhibit by Robert Andrew Parker. The exhibit runs through Dec. 5.

Tomorrow a special exhibit called “Main Street in Black and White” opens at the Arkansas Studies Institute gallery space at 401 President Clinton Ave. in Little Rock, Ark. Texarkana, one of three cities with downtowns honored in this traveling photographic exhibit, figures prominently with 15 photos from local citizens as part of the show. Historic photos give a sense of the intriguing, unusual, and fascinating architecture in downtown Texarkana. Other places chosen (with photos generally ranging from the 1880s to 1940s) are Blytheville and Batesville. The show is scheduled to appear in Texarkansa at a yet-to-be-announced location in early December. Main Street Arkansas organized the show. The exhibit is free and the public is invited to see it between tomorrow and Nov. 13, after which it closes. Hours: Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. More info: 501-320-5790. Find out more in tomorrow’s Texarkana Gazette on the Accent page.

- Aaron Brand

The headlining musical acts for Red River Revel have been announced by organizers. Shreveport’s eight-day arts extravaganza has a pretty diverse group of musicians to help you shake your groove thang from Oct. 3-10. Mississippians Saving Abel, best known for their 2008 hit “Addicted,” kick it off on Saturday, Oct. 3. Also that day Tower of Power, the urban soul groovesters who’ve been at it for more than four decades, take the stage. Indie rock band Caroline’s Spine plays Oct. 8; their top tune, “Sullivan,” made it to the Billboard/R&R Top40 chart. The next day, Oct. 9, sees Little River Band and Chubby Carrier play. Carrier will be playing some zydeco, and that’s music guaranteed to make you swampaliciously happy with its accordion greatness. Saturday, Oct. 10, then has three headlining acts on tap: Pat Green, The Terms, and Ian Neville’s Dumpstaphunk. Along with some great arts action and fine, fun foods, the music will be rolling along.

More info: RedRiverRevel.com.

- Aaron Brand

This fall the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council is trying something new—namely, holding an extensive series of arts education classes and workshops for both children and adults. To be held at TRAHC’s  Arts on Main at Stewart Title building right across from the Perot Theatre at 218 Main St., classes are taught by local artists. Fall registration begins Tuesday, and you can find registration materials and more detailed information at TRAHC’s Website, Trahc.org. Once there, click on”Click here for details.” You can also call 903-792-8681. Classes will be held Oct. 10 through Nov. 21. Prices vary. 

Here are the adult classes being offered: “Calligraphy,” “Illustrators/Writers Workshop,” “Pastel Workshop,” “The Art of Drawing 1,” “Figure Drawing Workshop,” “Watercolor: You Can Do It,” “The Serious Watercolorist,” “Ceramics—Hand Building,” “Press Mold Ceramics,” “Introduction to SLR Photography,” “Beginning Mosaics,” “Book Making,” “Metalsmithing,” “A Nest in Hand,” and “A Story of Home.” 

And classes for the kiddos: “Exploration Class,” “Art of Drawing & Painting for Kids,” “Art of Drawing & Painting for Families,” and “Turk-a-Rama!”

Sign up!

- Aaron Brand

I got a chance to hang out with Bryan Phillips, the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council’s community programs director, and talk art this morning—always a worthwhile experience but then again I’m pretty much of an art nerd. TRAHC has two new exhibits up at the Regional Arts Center, one of which is the Gary Bacher solo show in the open gallery. The other is “Dichos: Words to Live, Love, and Laugh By,” and it explores a colorful folk art whereby Latin American truck and bus drivers add a saying and art to their vehicle. These sayings are painted onto the bumpers. Elsewhere on the bus or truck are paintings and decorative art to accompany the saying. According to Phllips, this tradition started in Panama after World War II with a religious theme to it, and from there it spread geographically and was enlarged thematically to include witty sayings or declarations of love. The exhibit shows different photos of these fascinating vehicles. It’s a colorful and lively exhibit and runs through Oct. 3. I’ll have a story on it in Friday’s Accent page of the Gazette. Down below is an example of this art.

- Aaron Brand

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The world of Ancient Egypt will be brought to life soon at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock. Covering about 3,000 years and 200 pieces of art and artifacts, “World of the Pharaohs: Treasures of Egypt Revealed” depicts a world long gone but one that still stirs the imagination; Ancient Egypt was a fascinating and accomplished civilization. Opening Sept. 25 and running through July 10 of next year, it will be the largest exhibition ever to be shown in Arkansas. For more information on the exhibit, check out the Arkansas Arts Center’s Website: Arkarts.com. We usually don’t cover exhibits this far out of town, but it’s such a huge and important exhibit that we think it’s worthy of some attention. So, we’ll have a story in the Gazette’s Accent page in the upcoming weeks when it comes closer to the opening date. But until then the Website gives a sneak peek of this incredible collection that should interest those who value the arts and history. 

- Aaron Brand

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I’ve long been a fan of Gary Bachers. The New Boston artist is pretty well established here in Texarkana with his art, which features such neat motifs as circles, moons, trees, children, and lizards presented in a calming, somewhat mystical and musing manner. He’ll have his third exhibition at the Regional Arts Center coming up in September. It’s interesting work—to my eyes even more so when you look at how his art works through these themes with subtle changes from one piece to the next. His latest work focuses on vegetation and sometimes subtle, sometimes more overt, mandala-like imagery. His exhibition will include these newer pieces. I had the good fortune of interviewing his wife, who was able to discuss his work perceptively; he suffers from expressive aphasia so can’t talk about the great work he does, but both he and Gabrielle were very hospitable. This Sunday’s Accent page includes this interview.

Also on tap for the Sunday arts and entertainment page in the Gazette is a look at some youthful rockers who recently learned about the real band experience at Texarkana Rock School, a series of music lessons offered by Michael Lee and Mark Meadows at Mic’d Music. Young musicians as young as 8 years old took part in two four-day session of “music camp” there at the store on Richmond Road, and after sitting in on a couple hours of this I can say it looked like a fun way to learn. One group pretty much nailed “Back in the U.S.S.R.” on their first run through and it was impressive. Both guitarists and drummers learned how to properly play with a group and tune their ears to how their sound can merge with other musicians during a performance. They really rocked out and learned quickly. So, more about that in Sunday Accent this weekend. Be sure to check it out. 

- Aaron Brand 

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