art gallery — Blog — Walton Arts Center

We are celebrating our 20th anniversary here in Northwest Arkansas, and the old saying "time flies when you're having fun" seems to ring true to us during this time. It hardly seems that its been 20 years since we opened our doors to the community, let alone that some of our employees have been here for just as many years (be sure to tell them how youthful they look. :) )!

To commemorate and preserve our history, Walton Arts Center commissioned local artist, Kathy Thompson to create an original project.

Kathy Thompson's work in progress for WAC. Taken at Thompson's studio in Fayetteville.Kathy Thompson has become known for her H Boxes, mixed-media boxes that arrange treasured artifacts into dynamic and resonant compositions. These richly textured and inventive works explore the intersection of objects, history, memory, and the formal language of assemblage.

Without much direction from Walton Arts Center, Ms. Thompson undertook the task of rummaging through our archived materials, as well as conducting interviews with staff, patrons and others in the local arts community.

"Broadway" photo by Ironside PhotographyWhat came out of Thompson's hours and hours of research were 20 beautiful boxes that encompass not on Walton Arts Center's history, but also some history (and nods to the future) of Northwest Arkansas.

Our staff and Ms. Thompson are hard at work installing this exhibition, titled "20 Years," in our gallery for an event we're hosting this Thursday, October 4; "Treasures & History: A Gallery Open House" from 5:30pm - 8pm. Please join us as we unveil this project that has been "20 Years" in the making!

Moving day! Kathy's boxes getting prepped for installation

This year marks the 100th birthday of Woody Guthrie. An article in The New York Times a few weeks back offers an interesting perspective on the celebrations surrounding the 100th birthday of Woody Guthrie.

Do you know much about Woody? I have to admit that I knew his name, that he was a singer and he wrote "This Land Is Your Land," and that was about the depth of my Woody Guthrie knowledge.

Guthrie is best known for being a singer/songwriter who chronicled the hardships of the American people, his people. Married at a young age, and with three small children to support, Woody Guthrie made the trek across the United States from Texas to California looking for work after the Dust Bowl made it nearly impossible for him to find a job. Leaving his family behind, and enduring a grueling journey looking for work, only added fuel to Guthrie's musical career.

Did you know he was also an artist? He began drawing cartoons and caricatures, and then moved on to painting, drawing, sculpting and more. His passion for visual arts continued on throughout his life, and even provided an income for him at times. Guthrie often made a living as an advertising designer, portrait artist, sign painter and other visual arts marketing trying to provide for his family throughout his journey.

Walton Arts Center is proud to host a new archival exhibit titled Woody at One Hundred: The Woody Guthrie Centennial Celebration 1912-2012 . The exhibition was unveiled Friday, August 24 in partnership with the Fayetteville Roots Festival and Woody Guthrie Archives, and will remain in the Joy Pratt Markham Gallery through September 20. Admission to the gallery is free and open to the public.

This exhibit consists of a collection of Woody Guthrie's lyrics, diaries, notebooks, correspondence, photographs, artworks, and includes reproduction items, featuring Woody's original handwritten lyric "This Land Is Your Land", providing a broad overview of Woody's creative legacy dated from 1932-1955.

We hope you'll stop by our gallery, and discover a side of Woody Guthrie you may or may not have known about!