Eight artists with ties to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Department of Art represent more than a quarter of the 30 artists selected for one of the region’s most prestigious art exhibitions.

The 58th Annual Delta Exhibition at the Arkansas Arts Center includes 52 artistic works selected by the show’s juror, Liz Garvey, co-founder and owner of Garvey-Simon Art Access, Inc. Nearly 460 artists applied, and more than 1,000 entries were submitted.

The Delta Exhibition is on display at the Arkansas Arts Center Jeannette Edris Rockefeller and Townsend Wolfe Galleries until Aug. 28. The center is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.

The exhibition began in 1958 to feature contemporary artists from Arkansas and bordering states. It has grown to encompass works in all media, showcasing the dynamic vision and traditions of artists of the Mississippi Delta region.

David Bailin, a former adjunct professor of drawing and painting in the UALR art department was the winner of the Delta Award and a $750 prize for his charcoal, pastel, and coffee piece, “Lamp.”

Other art department faculty members in the show include Mia Hall, an associate professor of furniture design, Win Bruhl, a professor emeritus of drawing and printmaking, Heidi Hogden, a visiting professor of painting, and Joli Livaudais, an assistant professor of photography.

Livaudais, who has two pieces in the exhibition, said it was an honor for her work to be displayed in the prestigious show.

“The series of work that these two pieces come from is inspired by cycles and patterns in nature, and my personal meditations on science, spirituality, and human limitations,” Livaudais said. “I enjoy the Delta Exhibition because it’s a wonderful opportunity to see the strong artwork being made by the artists in our region, and it’s great to have my pieces seen in such a beautiful venue.”

In addition to UALR professors, Anne Greenwood, a UALR art student from Hot Springs, Arkansas, also has two pieces in the show. Two alumni – Laura Raborn, a 2014 graduate with a master’s degree in art, and Nathaniel Roe, a 2015 graduate with a master’s degree in art — also are featured.

“I was thrilled to have so many of our faculty and students chosen to participate in the exhibition,” said Tom Clifton, chair of the art department. “Considering the standing of the Delta Exhibition and its reach, it’s an honor to be so well represented. I believe it speaks to the quality of education available to our students and the positive impact that our presence has on the region.”

These talented UALR faculty members and students are looking forward to teaching and learning in the new visual arts building, which is scheduled to open in early 2018. The state-of-the-art building will be funded by a $20.3 million grant, the second largest gift in UALR’s history, from the Trustees of the Windgate Charitable Foundation.

The new facility, located at 28th Street and East Campus Drive, will integrate UALR’s Applied Design, Art History, Art Education, and Studio Art classes into a facility that promotes collaboration and creativity between students, faculty, and guests under one roof.

In order to attract and retain the region’s best and brightest art students, a scholarship campaign is underway to help art students who will benefit from learning and collaborating at the new visual arts building.

“The new visual arts building will give our faculty, who have helped design it, the best possible spaces for instruction in all media,” said Joseph Lampo, director of development and external relations for the UALR College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences. “Our focus is the students who will be taught in these spaces by our award-winning faculty, and this scholarship campaign is critical to bringing the best art students here.”

For more information on the exhibition, visit Delta Exhibition’s website.

In the upper right photo, UALR artist Mia Hall stands next to her artwork with her daughter, Fiona Clemmons.