“There is a difference between what happens in the studio and what is shown. What happens in the studio is living, breathing and vital; what’s shown is history.”
Interview with artist Oluwatobi Adewumi
“I always like to use realism and a portrait style to draw my viewers in.”
Interview with artist John Sykes, Jr.
“Life and art share attributes. Some of my favorite shared attributes are surrealism and absurdism.”
Interview with artist Zeek Taylor
“I not only want to make art, but I also want to talk about art, share ideas, and be inspired by other artists.”
What have I learned after 90 interviews?
“One thing I did not fully appreciate until this year’s interviews, is that artists, by their nature, are multi-talented.”
Interview with artist Kae Barron
“One thing I like to include in my work is a tension between nature’s activity and human activity.”
Interview with artist Longhua Xu
“My dedication to my art is my way of thanking the community for all they have done to welcome my family.”
Interview with artist Jody Travis Thompson
“We limit ourselves when we think inspiration must come from some lofty, higher ideas. Inspiration is always around us.”
Interview with artist Jessica Mongeon
“I’m hoping that through my art people make the connection that they are a part of nature even at the microscopic level. It is in those unseen parts of ourselves where we can find the networks and connections that are in sync with nature.”
Interview with artist Tanya Hollifield
“When I get to work with people it energizes me and feeds my soul. Working with the public to create public art is special in that the art belongs to the community.”
Interview with artist Kirk Montgomery
“As a southern artist, in recent years I have realized the need to be more socially conscious. At times my work is surreal, at other times, it is direct.”
Interview with Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas Director Rachel Miller
“I love ‘being on the ground’ and working individually with community groups, especially when it involves creating awareness and enthusiasm for a community’s cultural assets.”
Interview with artist Eloa Jane
“When I arrived in the US, with little money to buy art supplies, I was open to embracing a new way of creating art by re-using the piles of paper stuffed in my mailbox daily.”
Interview with artist Taylor Dolan
“I think of illustration as flattened theatre. I am the director, choreographer, and technical designer all in one stroke.”
Interview with artist Jessica Jones
“I love sharing other artists work and seeing the way they contribute to the urban landscape. We’re all in this together and we have to work together and support each other to keep the creative movement alive.”
Interview with artist Bryan Frazier
“My work is elemental and a direct visual record of the process. I also hope it inspires someone else to create, or starts a conversation about art, music or film.”
Interview with artist Shelby Fleming
“I believe the future of art is cross disciplinary. I do not think artists have to be pinned down to one medium or one body of work for their entire life.”
Interview with artist Steven Wise
“I consider myself an abstract artist even if my work is representational. When looking at nature, I find abstract shapes and forms that I could have never invented on my own.”
Interview with artist Shelley Buonaiuto
"I love to dance, I love to watch others dance, and if others watch me, I ask them to join. I watch everything….if I look at you strangely, I’m analyzing the structure of your face.”
Interview with artist Charles Henry James
“My hope is to entertain and amuse while still expressing something of the human condition.”