On the evening of March 23, 2013, The Fine Arts Center of Hot Springs hosted an extraordinary art exhibition featuring many Hot Springs artists. It was also a mystery, The Great Art Caper, in which guests sought to identify which of the artworks on display was actually a forgery, made by someone other than the credited artist. The event took place in the fictitious The Grand Art Museum where Director Davis Tillman and Detective Bonaparte Baguette (Michelle Crandell) interacted with guests trying to solve the mystery. The guests also played scavenger hunt games finding clues and images throughout the exhibit.

By the conclusion of the evening it was discovered that a Gary Simmons ink drawing, Pride Goeth Before The Fall, was the forged artwork, copied by artist Hugh Dunnahoe.

A mock arrest was made by Crandell and Tillman, and the original Simmons drawing was recovered. Carol Scholp won the forged artwork along with two passes to the 2013 Hot Springs Music Festival. The Great Art Caper received positive response from guests and displaying artists. The Fine Arts Center of Hot Springs plans to continue hosting unique exhibit events that encourage guests to become more aware of our local art.

Proceeds from The Great Art Caper benefitted the art education programs of The Fine Arts Center of Hot Springs, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Erin Holliday is celebrating her one year anniversary as Executive Director of Artchurch Studio with the announcement of significant growth plans. Artchurch Studio has outgrown their current location at 301 Whittington Ave. and will relocate into 4,000 square feet of the historic Dryden Potteries at 341 Whittington Ave. In addition to the physical move, Artchurch Studio will be changing its name to Emergent Arts, effective September 2013.

Artchurch Studio was formed in 2008 in the converted turn of the century church in Historic Downtown Hot Springs.

Over the past five years, the organization has grown and now outgrown the current location. Programming will continue as scheduled through June 2013 at which time the organization will vacate the church.

The final events in the historic Cathedral Room will be a dance recital by Miss Andrea’s After School Dance classes and a performance by the students in C.A.S.T. (Children’s Authentic Shakespearean Theater) class.

Artchurch Studio will suspend programming throughout the summer in order to focus on renovations at the Dryden Pottery location. In September the organization will reopen to the public and launch programming as *Emergent Arts*. Emergent Arts will continue to offer programming in the areas of visual and performing arts via classes, workshops, exhibits, and performances and will maintain 501c-3 status.

Emergent Arts fosters creativity among emerging artists of all ages in Garland County and surrounding communities.

The new location at Dryden Pottery is only one block away from the Church and will afford many opportunities for physical and programmatic growth. It will feature dedicated spaces for a gallery, performing arts studio, and visual arts studios. It will have ADA accessible restrooms and has ground level entry for further accessibility. With this move, it will be possible to host multiple classes at one time as well as invite the public to view exhibits and access information about the organization without concern for class disruptions. Additionally, Artchurch Studios/Emergent Arts is preparing exciting new programs for the community, including ceramics classes in partnership with Dryden Pottery.

In order to facilitate the transition, Artchurch Studio has launched a capital campaign, the Square Foot Fund, to raise financial support and community awareness for the project. The Square Foot Fund is set up to enable our community to support the project by sponsoring single square feet of the renovation for $10 each. This sponsorship can be a one time gift and is within the means of most community members. The Square Foot Fund underscores the organization’s beliefs that a community arts organization truly belongs to the community and that no effort is too small to make a difference.

A sneak peek party at the new 341 Whittington Avenue location is being planned for April. Sponsors will be invited to tour the space and hear details about the renovations and sponsorships will be available at the event. Details to be announced soon. Finally, Artchurch Studio offers their most sincere gratitude to all of those in the community who have supported them over the years and invites the whole of our great community to join them in celebration as they grow and move into the future.

For more information about Artchurch Studio, Emergent Arts, the Square Foot Fund, or to support this effort, please contact Erin Holliday at artchurchorg@gmail.com or 501-655-0836.

The deadline for the Hot Springs Regional Art Competition is Feb 5, 2013. The finalists will be exhibited at the FAC of Hot Springs from March 1-30. The competition is open to all artists, 16 years of age or older, who are native or residents of Arkansas. Artists are invited to submit two-dimensional and three-dimensional works of art. All mediums are accepted. Artwork must have been completed within the past three years and not previously exhibited at The FAC of Hot Springs Gallery.

Entry fee is $35 ($25 for FAC members) for one to three artworks. The FAC retains a 30% commission of the retail value of all sales. Submitted artwork does not have to be for sale. Thirty to forty works will be selected to be included in the finalist exhibition where the following prizes will be awarded:

One $300 Best of Show
Two $100 Merit Awards
Two $50 Honorable Mention Awards

The jurors are Husny Dahlan (assistant professor of art, UA Pine Bluff) and Raouf Halaby (professor of art history and English, Ouachita Baptist Univ.). Submit artwork by sending the following items by Feb. 5, 2013:

jpg photo file of artwork
completed and signed entry form
$35 entry fee ($25 for members)

Email submission to donna@hsfac.org or mail to 626 Central Avenue, Hot Springs, AR 71901. Call (501) 624-0489 for more information. Prospectus can be downloaded at
http://hsfac.org/pdfs/Regional-Prospectus-2013.pdf

Low Key Arts, a 501c3 community arts organization, is accepting entries for the 6th annual Arkansas Shorts – a night of short film. The event, which features short films under 10 minutes directed by current residents or natives of Arkansas will be held on Saturday, January 5, 2013 at The Central Theater in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Deadline to submit your short film is December 1st and should be mailed to Low Key Arts, 118 Arbor, Hot Springs, Arkansas 71901. Entries can be any format including; narrative, documentary, experimental, music video, etc. and should be submitted on DVD.

THE RULES: 10 minute max running length, including credits. Aspect ratio must be 16:9 DVD Format. Submit two (2) DVD copies. Include a short description of film, name of director, city of residence, length of film, date of film. Films must be directed by a native of Arkansas or current resident of Arkansas. Submissions must be received no later than December 1, 2012.

There is no entry fee and selected films will be announced on December 20th. For more information, contact Jim Miller at jim.hsdfi@gmail.com

For the month of November, The Fine Arts Center of Hot Springs will host Nature Transformed, an art exhibit featuring work by Patricia Collins, Donna Dunnahoe, and Martha Maples. Their artworks are created from natural materials and transformed into new creations. The exhibit will be on display through Dec. 1, 2012.

Patricia Collins, a glass artists and multi-medium artist, creates whimsical pieces that reflect the insect word. Her fused-glass butterflies and bugs shimmer with light reflections. The featured piece is a multi-media piece called Tree of Life, a tree created from television antenna and fused-glass television sets and leaves.

“This represents what we as humans choose to feed our souls and glean wisdom,” Collins said. “The television antenna is growing out of the earth to bring forth all the wisdom of the network programmers. Nature provides the vine to stabilize the antenna, which also brings forth the leaves of healing.”

Donna Dunnahoe is a fiber artist that mainly uses the coil weaving technique. She creates baskets and forms with natural fibers; some of them woven through fused glass or ceramic forms. Old Tree at Sunset and Old Tree at Sunrise are weavings through fused glass and were inspired by a hike up to Goat Rock in Hot Springs National Park.

Maples, a traditional quilt maker for twenty-six years, has made and restored over one hundred quilts. She donates the quilts to charitable causes, family members, and friends. While living in Texas, Martha was a member of Baytown Quilt Guild and had been a member of the Hot Springs Quilt Guild before her night driving was restricted. She is currently a teacher for the Diamondhead Quilt Guild. Her passion is to teach new beginners about the art and the importance of keeping quilt history alive.

All three artists will be at the Nov. 16, 3rd Fridays at FAC to discuss their history, inspirations, and processes. The Fine Arts Center is located on 626 Central Avenue in Hot Springs and is open from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm, Tuesday – Saturday, and till 9:00 pm on 1st and 3rd Fridays. The Fine Arts Center of Hot Springs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and its support is provided in part by the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage and the National Endowment for the Arts.

In his hunt for the world’s finest crystals and minerals, Hot Springs resident and longtime mineral dealer Thomas Nagin discovered an entirely new passion – one for documentary filmmaking. He partnered with Jonathan Kudabeck, also of Hot Springs, to produce “Mineral Explorers,” a docu-style reality series that spotlights some of the richest and most remote mines around the world.

Their newly-completed episode, “Mineral Explorers – Bolivia,” is an official selection of the 21st annual Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival. It will be screened at 4:55 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012 at the Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa, 239 Central Ave., Hot Springs, Arkansas. Both Nagin and Kudabeck will be available for a question-and-answer session following the screening.

“We’re excited to present ‘Mineral Explorers – Bolivia’ at this year’s festival. It’s entertaining and smart, and it’s locally produced,” said Courtney Pledger, director of the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival. “Given the long history of the festival, Hot Springs plays an important role in the world of documentary film, and we’re especially thrilled when we can showcase films that are actually produced here.”

“Mineral Explorers – Bolivia” is the second in a series of episodes that Nagin and Kudabeck plan to produce. The pilot episode, shot in Colombia in November 2010, received the Best Reality Show award at the 2011 International Television Festival in Los Angeles, Calif., and was an official selection of the 20th Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival.

“We appreciate all the support from the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival and the local community,” said Kudabeck, who directed and edited both episodes.

The second episode, filmed in eastern Bolivia in May, follows Nagin and a small crew as they travel by boat through the Pantanal wetlands to the Anahi Mine, renowned for its production of amethyst and the unique gem mineral, ametrine.

“The Anahi Mine is truly one of the most amazing places on earth,” said Nagin, who has bought minerals from the company that operates it for over 20 years. “We had total access to their operation, and were given special permission to take our cameras underground into what is believed to be the world’s largest gem pocket. We’re really proud of the film and happy to have this opportunity to present it to the community.”

For more information and to view the series promo, visit www.mineralexplorers.com on the Web.

]]> http://hotspringsartscene.com/film/local-production-featured-at-the-doc-fest/feed/ 0 http://hotspringsartscene.com/art/call-to-artists/ http://hotspringsartscene.com/art/call-to-artists/#comments Tue, 16 Oct 2012 16:48:39 +0000 http://hotspringsartscene.com/?p=1093 The Fine Arts Center of Hot Springs has issued an open call to artists for its upcoming  exhibit “WinterTide.” This  juried exhibit of artwork is about the coldest season of the year – a season of short days, and long … Continue reading →]]>

The Fine Arts Center of Hot Springs has issued an open call to artists for its upcoming  exhibit “WinterTide.” This  juried exhibit of artwork is about the coldest season of the year – a season of short days, and long nights.

Winter has symbolized death, isolation, hibernation, rest and reflection. The winter holidays symbolize hope, peace, selfless giving and relationships. The Fine Arts Center is looking for artwork that reflects contemporary artists interpretation of the winter season.

This exhibit is open to all artists in the USA; there is no entry fee, but a $10 hanging fee to those selected by the jury, paid on delivery of artwork. A commission of 30% of each sale is donated to FAC, 15% commission if the artist is a FAC member. Artwork does not have to be for sale to be accepted into the exhibit. All forms of medium including 2-D and 3-D are acceptable entries. The deadline for the entries is Nov. 17, 2012.

Artists are to submit a JPEG file by email to info@hsfac.org.  This file should include photos for up to 3 works, last name of the artist and title of the piece. Also include the completed and signed entry form found on their website, www.hsfac.org.  For further information, please call 501-624-0489.

Oktoberfest is coming to the Historic Downtown Farmers Market 5-8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct.16, 2012. This family festival includes dance music with the Itinerant Locals and polka lessons with Michele Crandall. German sausages on a bun, sauerkraut, and potato salad will be available for purchase as well as Vapor Valley root beer to wash down this delicious dinner. Admission and dance lessons are free.  

The Itinerant Locals, an unlikely combination of tuba and accordion, play a mix of traditional European, circus, and classic rock music. Somehow they mix it all into a polka beat that is irresistible to dance to. Michele Crandall will demonstrate the polka steps and will teach novices how to polka with the best.

Zac Smith and Cheryl Roorda began playing music together in Toronto and have been living and touring in Arkansas and surrounding areas since 2003. “You should never put a tuba beside an accordion,” states Roorda, one of the masters of the two musical misfits, “When you do, outrageous sparks fly.”

The Itinerant Locals have an energetic stage presence and groovy acoustic musicality that conveys well to their audience. This is a unique musical experience from another time and place and the Itinerant Locals will take you to where the indescribable meets the unforgettable for an evening.

The German Dinner Plate is a fundraiser for the market and is prepared by market vendor, Nell Sloan. The bratwurst is from local grown pork and Rays Farm provides the potatoes. Rose Schwekhart Cranson owner of Superior Bathhouse Brewery and Distillery makes the root beer with local ingredients.

Farmers will be at the Oktoberfest with their wares that include fresh produce and handmade items. Autumn crops will be available including turnips, greens, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and red potatoes. Fresh eggs, dried lentils, and grains are also available. Artisans will have jewelry, handmade papers, tie-dye shirts, and other craft items. Ten minute messages and knife sharpening are some of the services that are provided. The blog site for the Farmers Market will be updated reflecting the items to be brought by the farmers and artists.

The market is located on 121 Orange Street in Hot Springs. For more information visit the web site www.hotspingsfarmersmarket.com or call The Fine Arts Center of Hot Springs a 501(3)(c) not for profit organization at (501) 624-0489. Activities and music sponsored in part by The Fine Arts Center of Hot Springs and with an Arts on Tour grant from the Arkansas Arts Council and the Department of Arkansas Heritage.

Though its future was, at one point, uncertain, the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival will live on as the only solely documentary film festival in the U.S. when it celebrates its 21st year Friday, Oct. 12 through Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012.

This year’s festival will feature over 100 documentary films from around the world, which will be screened at the historic Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa in the heart of downtown Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Traditionally held in the Malco Theatre, the festival was forced to change venues after a storm swept through Hot Springs earlier this year causing damage to the Malco.

“The Arlington Hotel understands the importance of keeping one of Arkansas’ greatest cultural events alive and well in downtown Hot Springs,” said Festival Director Courtney Pledger in a press release on the Hot Springs Documentary Film Institute’s Web site. “Without the donation of space from The Arlington to host the festival there is a good chance that the festival might not have happened this year. We are incredibly grateful that The Arlington was generous enough to help the festival in a time of need.”

Pledger, an Arkansas native and film producer, was hired as Festival Director in March after having moved back to central Arkansas from the Los Angeles area. She is also the Executive Director of the new Arkansas Motion Picture Institute.

In addition to a wide variety of documentaries, the 21st Film Festival will feature workshops and panel discussions, plus Q&A sessions with visiting filmmakers. Film passes and tickets for the 21st Annual Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival can be purchased in advance HERE.

For more information and a festival schedule visit their Web site, http:www.hsdfi.org on the Web.

Taylor’s Contemporanea Salon of Fine Arts presents The Photography Show with work by Fernand Fonssagrives, Thomas Petillo, Chuck Dodson and Marcus Menefee. There will be an opening reception from 5-9 p.m. during Gallery Walk, Friday Oct. 5, 2012. The gallery is located at 204 Exchange St, Hot Springs, Arkansas 71901.

FERNAND FONSSAGRIVES was one of the great fashion and art photographers of the mid-20th century. He, Irving Penn and Richard Avedon were the holy trinity of photographers in New York during the post-war years. This show features his artistic nude photographs, personal memorabilia, and a rare showing of his bronze sculptures.