RAC hosts forward-thinking exhibit

Eclectic collection features work of local African-American artists

Local artist Cedric Watson shows great skill at portraiture in his art, which is included in the "16th Annual Regional African-American Artists Exhibit: Our Paths Forward," now up at the Regional Arts Center through March 10.
Local artist Cedric Watson shows great skill at portraiture in his art, which is included in the "16th Annual Regional African-American Artists Exhibit: Our Paths Forward," now up at the Regional Arts Center through March 10.

An eclectic, inclusive and forward-thinking new exhibit now up at the Regional Arts Center through March 10 follows the subtitle's theme of "Our Paths Forward."

It's the "16th Annual Regional African-American Artists Exhibit," each year presented by the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council and its African-American Committee.

This year, the exhibit features the work of Cedric Watson and others whose work exemplifies various important, guiding ideas: justice, freedom, peace, dignity, love and more, according to a statement of purpose by TAAC. Watson is the featured local artist, while Treva West is the featured guest artist.

The exhibit includes artwork by others with local ties, including quilts by Betty Huntley and Anita Pickett, oil paintings by J.R. Fort and LaErma White, a 3-D diorama by Marvin Williams, African-themed paintings by Li'a Petrone, multi-media works by Dr. Teretha Harper and more.

The foundation to view this art is through the lenses of African-American history, culture and heritage, Harper explained.

"What we're trying to do is to grow this small community of local and regional visual artists," she said. It's a purpose that connects to the exhibit's subtitle of going forward.

"It means that our community of artists is small, but as we continue to practice, as we continue to gain skills, we move our paths forward," Harper said.

photo

Police work the scene of a robbery at the Bank of America branch at 200 W. Capitol Ave. in downtown Little Rock on Friday, April 18, 2014.

That theme of honing one's skills is seen right off the bat in one of the first pieces you encounter as you enter the RAC with a large quilt greeting you on the first floor. The striking Betty Huntley quilt, dominated by reds and blues, shows that same sense of moving forward from previous work.

"After she exhibited her quilt last year, she said, 'I'm going to work on an idea that I've had in my head for a long time,'" Harper said.

Thus, over this past year the quilter worked on a piece with an Underground Railroad theme, different squares symbolically representing a stop on the path to safety. An accompanying explanatory panel describes what each symbol in the quilt represents on this path.

"She deliberately chose something that was related to our principles," Harper said about Huntley, a longtime quilter.

Another work is made by a descendent of Scott Joplin, a native to this area and considered to be the "King of Ragtime." The LaErma White piece, an oil painting, is about learning-in this case, a personal sense of the term.

"She's now 96 years old. She painted this a number of years ago. She started painting following the death of her husband. She took classes at Texarkana College," Harper said. Visually, its elements connect to the schoolroom, but Harper said the artist told her she was learning to get past the death of her husband.

"It's connected to her learning to get past a struggle," Harper said.

Cedric Watson's work shows great versatility, precision and skillful shading. His work has won the FaEllen and Jim Yates Collection Purchase Award at the arts center's annual juried show. The entire second floor is filled with his work, including graphite and charcoal works and paintings.

The eye for detail is amazing, as is Watson's felicity with capturing a subject's eyes, whether it's a horse, Malcolm X or Bob Marley.

Standing before Watson's portrait of a horse, Amy Donohoe, director of visual arts and community programs at TRAHC, said, "He didn't draw every strand of hair. He just left impressions further down, but then you have that pure white area there and have this dark color next to it that makes it pop out."

The work is striking and the subject, a horse, difficult to get right. "Beautiful blending techniques," Donohoe said of Watson's skill. Another atmospheric, western-themed work shows horses galloping, their silhouettes standing starkly against storm clouds in the background.

On the third floor, a part of the exhibit titled "Telling Our Story" focuses on the TAAC Book Club and books chosen to be read, accompanied by artwork inspired by themes found there. Harper said they sought for ways to give people an opportunity to be part of the exhibit even if they're not professional artists but show artistic talent and interest.

"Art is everywhere and everyone can do it," Harper said.

TAAC's Special Afternoon will be held Saturday, Feb. 10, from noon to 3 p.m. with activities to celebrate this exhibit and another exhibit at the RAC, "Through Darkness to Light: Photographs Along the Underground Railroad."

(Admission is free. The RAC is open at 321 W. Fourth St. in Texarkana, Texas, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. More info: TRAHC.org or 903-792-8681.)

Upcoming Events