Longhua Xu New Sculpture
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Gallery History....
In the late 1980's, as Hot Springs began to see a resurgence of the arts, local artists found there was no outlet for their work. These artists had a minimum of experience in marketing their work, had a lifetime of training in their field, or had come here from other locations where they enjoyed an outlet for their work.
The goal of the fledgling group, led by Beth Boone, and established in 1990, was to provide a place to work, grow and exhibit, as well as have the support of other artists. We started with thirteen members and now have over thirty regional members. We maintain the original concept of the workshop—to be an artists' cooperative, which means we manage all the day-to-day activities of the gallery.
Through the efforts of Mike (Ralph) Michaelis and his association with the owner and manager of Spencers' Corner, and their generosity, the Artists Workshop Gallery opened at Spencer's Corner on the second floor. Without the space they made available to us, we might not even exist today. In 1992 the Artists Workshop Gallery moved across the street to 810 Central Avenue.
Our artists had varying backgrounds and experience:
Our work was largely representational (realistic), with some impressionistic works and a few abstracts. Many of our artists had won regional and national awards and some of them participated in art fairs and exhibits throughout the United States. The work of many could be found in permanent collections all over the world. Many people from other locations had visited our Workshop Gallery and found it unique. Several had expressed intent to return to their state and start their own workshop and gallery. A Little Rock group sent a delegation that came to ask for instructions on how to begin and our secret for success. They began, and soon had, a thriving workshop and gallery. The American Artist magazine has written and published an article on our facility and the quality of artistic talent we have attracted.
We think we were successful because we filled a real need for local art to be exhibited and sold. There was a sense of pride and camaraderie, and a desire to constantly improve our craft. We were fortunate that people of recognized talent had joined us and were eager to share with each member their abilities to expand our horizons. Many of our member artists offered workshops to help others hone their craft. For several years the gallery closed on Mondays so that members and non-members could conduct classes and workshops.
In October, 2013, the gallery had to find a new location because our landlords of 21 years needed their space at 810 Central Avenue. We moved two blocks north on Central to 610A. Our new gallery is twice the size of the old one. We are enjoying more space and have been able to add jewelry, pottery, fused glass, fabric art, miniature paintings, and prints to our large selection of paintings, drawings, sculpture and note cards. Today, the original concept of the gallery remains the same. When you come to Artists Workshop Gallery, you will be greeted by artists on duty who also double as managers, salespersons, bookkeepers, curators, secretaries and janitors. In other words, the artists are the gallery. The original history of Artists Workshop Gallery was written in about 2000 by Beth Boone and updated by Nan Merchant on January 2, 2014.
The goal of the fledgling group, led by Beth Boone, and established in 1990, was to provide a place to work, grow and exhibit, as well as have the support of other artists. We started with thirteen members and now have over thirty regional members. We maintain the original concept of the workshop—to be an artists' cooperative, which means we manage all the day-to-day activities of the gallery.
Through the efforts of Mike (Ralph) Michaelis and his association with the owner and manager of Spencers' Corner, and their generosity, the Artists Workshop Gallery opened at Spencer's Corner on the second floor. Without the space they made available to us, we might not even exist today. In 1992 the Artists Workshop Gallery moved across the street to 810 Central Avenue.
Our artists had varying backgrounds and experience:
- some were fairly new artists
- some held college degrees in Art
- some had studied (and continued to study) in Europe, Australia, South Africa, and elsewhere
- some had had professional careers in art: teaching, advertising, illustrating, etc. One well- known artist instructor at Tulane University, Stanley Rames, was a member of our gallery.
Our work was largely representational (realistic), with some impressionistic works and a few abstracts. Many of our artists had won regional and national awards and some of them participated in art fairs and exhibits throughout the United States. The work of many could be found in permanent collections all over the world. Many people from other locations had visited our Workshop Gallery and found it unique. Several had expressed intent to return to their state and start their own workshop and gallery. A Little Rock group sent a delegation that came to ask for instructions on how to begin and our secret for success. They began, and soon had, a thriving workshop and gallery. The American Artist magazine has written and published an article on our facility and the quality of artistic talent we have attracted.
We think we were successful because we filled a real need for local art to be exhibited and sold. There was a sense of pride and camaraderie, and a desire to constantly improve our craft. We were fortunate that people of recognized talent had joined us and were eager to share with each member their abilities to expand our horizons. Many of our member artists offered workshops to help others hone their craft. For several years the gallery closed on Mondays so that members and non-members could conduct classes and workshops.
In October, 2013, the gallery had to find a new location because our landlords of 21 years needed their space at 810 Central Avenue. We moved two blocks north on Central to 610A. Our new gallery is twice the size of the old one. We are enjoying more space and have been able to add jewelry, pottery, fused glass, fabric art, miniature paintings, and prints to our large selection of paintings, drawings, sculpture and note cards. Today, the original concept of the gallery remains the same. When you come to Artists Workshop Gallery, you will be greeted by artists on duty who also double as managers, salespersons, bookkeepers, curators, secretaries and janitors. In other words, the artists are the gallery. The original history of Artists Workshop Gallery was written in about 2000 by Beth Boone and updated by Nan Merchant on January 2, 2014.