The public is invited to opening receptions from 5-8 p. m. July 12 and Aug. 10 at both locations, coinciding with 2nd Friday Art walks; many of the local artists plan to attend.
Rachel Trusty of Russellville and staff members of the Central Arkansas Library System, which operates both the Butler and Cox centers, coordinated the exhibition.
“The Delta des Refusés was started in 2015 and is scheduled to coincide with the Delta Exhibition, ” said Trusty, who teaches art at the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton. “The 2018 Delta des Refusés is the largest show in the exhibition’s history, with 105 artists from three states participating.
“Conceived in the spirit of the original Paris Salon des Refusés from 1863, the Delta des Refusés hopes to challenge the traditional authority of juried taste by allowing any artist who was rejected from the Delta Exhibition to exhibit in the show, ” Trusty said.
The 60th Annual Delta Exhibition is on display at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock through Aug. 26.
Following is a look at the local artists with works in the 2018 Delta des Refusés:
JUDITH BEALE “The main reason for wanting to be in this exhibit is to be involved in centralArkansas art events that encourage artists of all backgrounds to participate, ” said Judith Beale, who lives in Jacksonville. “It is wonderful to see the level of creativity we have in this region.
“I was in the ‘big’ Delta in the 1990s and received an honorable mention, ” she said, smiling.
Beale’s work in the Delta des Refusés is titled Expectations.
“Expectations is an acrylic work on watercolor paper, ” Beale said. “It is about the human need to nurture and the potential in all things that we, as humans, have to this point expected to go through in our lives. Another aspect of the piece has to do with the speed of change in technological capabilities related to medical procedures, as in methods — lots of optimism but also trepidation regarding concerns in the biomedical ethics arena. ”
Beale holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Memphis.
LISA FLORYSHAK Lisa Floryshak recently made Bald Knob her home and teaches at Arkansas State University-Beebe. She was born and raised in New York state and has spent most of her teaching career in Connecticut. She holds an undergraduate degree from the State University of New York at New Paltz and a graduate degree from Manhattanville College in Harrison, New York.
“I just learned about the Delta show this year, ” she said. “I decided on exhibiting in the Refusés show because I have not exhibited much in Arkansas and thought it would be a good chance to get my feet wet. ”
She said her studio practice is primarily ceramics. However, her formal training is in the art of silversmithing.
She said her current work is less about function and more about the tactile nature of clay and the abstraction of perceptions it allows.
“I have been working paper thin, ” she said, “pushing the limits of the material from the start — pinching forms, using molds lined with paper or cloth, rolling slabs as thin as the substrates they are supported by will allow, all while exploring texture, color and depth. My focus is a loose translation of functional form rather than the permanency. “I find this aspect liberating. ” Floryshak’s ceramic piece in the show is titled Fractured Earth, Tornadoes and Earthquakes.
KARLYN HOLLOWAY “I entered this exhibit because it follows in the historical footsteps of the Salon des Refusés show of 1863 in France, ” said Karlyn Holloway, who lives in Austin. “This is the first des Refusés that I have been in, and I am so excited. This show is full of wonderful work. I have never been in the ‘big’ Delta but feel that this show is just as important. ”
Her painting in the current exhibit is titled Southern Gold.
Holloway graduated from Arkansas State University with an associate degree in art and furthered her education at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. She is trained in multiple art mediums, including pencil, watercolor and oil. She said she likes to “let the subject, mood and message dictate the medium. ”
MELISSA LASHBROOK “Rejection should not stop you from doing what you love, ” said Melissa Lashbrook, who lives in Cabot. “I entered the Delta des Refusés exhibition as an example to my kids that sometimes you are going to fail, sometimes others are not going to like your work, but you can find other paths to your goal.
“This will be my third year participating in the Delta des Refusés, ” she said. “The growth of the exhibition and continued support of the community over the past few years is exciting to see. Rachel Trusty has done a phenomenal job creating opportunities that support local artists.
Family Voodoo
“The Delta des Refusés is an exhibition that belongs to the artists, and it is refreshing to see the personal choices of so many different artists all within one exhibition, ” said Lashbrook, who teaches art in the Cabot School District. “Although I am disappointed my art was not selected for the Delta Exhibition, I am grateful to have a wonderful venue to still share my art. I look forward to seeing the artwork at both exhibitions (the Delta Exhibition and Delta des Refusés) and trying again next year with the confidence that either way, I will be able to share my work.
“My work in the show,
Family Voodoo, is a mixed media piece consisting of a purse, bubble wrap, voodoo dolls, a lid and flag remnants on canvas, ” she said.
SANDRA MARSON
“I entered the Delta [Exhibition], which is always a challenge to be selected in such a great regional show, ” said Sandra Marson, who lives in Jacksonville. “You never know what kind of works the jurors are looking for. Once again, my works were rejected. ”
Marson’s piece in this year’s Delta des Refusés is an acrylic painting titled Symphony in Hue #7.
“The primary colors are shades of red juxtaposed with its complementary color of green, ” Marson said. “The angles of red lines provide a lyrical movement to suggest music. For interest, textures are created using dots and random lines. With the vivid colors and directional lines, I have tried to provoke an emotional response.
“I entered a series of three paintings in the Delta Exhibition called Symphony in Hue. All three were rejected. One of the paintings sold at the Arkansas Repertory Theater auction, and the third will be shown at the Matt McLeod Fine Art Gallery in July and August. ”
Marson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She has always been interested in the arts but did not actively start creating art until she retired several years ago.
RICK VANHOOK Rick VanHook is a lifelong resident of Searcy and a selftaught abstract artist. His work in the exhibit is titled Unravel.
He worked for 25 years in the family business, Van-Atkins Department Store, in Searcy. He then went into outside sales for 15 years until retiring to paint full time in 2015. He does acrylic abstracts.
“I am happy to be in the show with such a great group of fellow artists, ” VanHook said.
Trusty said she plans to coordinate the Delta des Refusés again in 2019.
“Right now, I am confirming a location for it, ” she said.
“Beginning next fall, I will move to teaching online at UACCM, ” she said. “This fall I will begin a graduate program at the University of Kansas in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies. My Master of Fine Arts degree focused on feminist art, and this program will allow me to continue my research.
“I still plan to organize my three annual shows here in Arkansas, ” she said. “Along with the Delta des Refusés, I also organize a fiber-arts exhibition for Arkansas artists. That will occur this fall at the main branch of the Laman Library in North Little Rock. I also organize a political show, which occurs yearly on the anniversary of the inauguration. This year’s show will be called Two Years Down and will be at the New Deal Gallery in Little Rock in January 2019. ”
For more information on the 2018 Delta des Refusés, visit the website www. delta desrefuses. com.