art gallery

A Wonderful Evening at the 2025 OPS Member’s Exhibition

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What a beautiful night at the 2025 Ozark Pastel Society Members’ Exhibition, hosted at ACHE in Fort Smith! The staff did a phenomenal job with every detail—hanging the artwork, arranging delicious hors d’oeuvres and refreshments, setting the mood with music, and welcoming guests with the sparkle of Sissy’s Log Cabin Fine Jewelry.

The exhibition showcases 98 paintings by 26 talented OPS members, and I was honored to have four of my own pieces included.

It was also a wonderful surprise and a true honor to see paintings created during the Rust Workshop I taught for OPS artists now hanging in the exhibition. Watching those works come to life in class and then take their place in the gallery was deeply rewarding.

Throughout the evening, guests enjoyed watching live demos by Diana Harshbarger, Burneta Venosdel, and Susan Hurst, each creating beautiful pastel works while chatting with visitors. The hands-on pastel table, hosted by Jeanette Foreman and Julie Mayser, was a constant hub of creativity and fun. A big congratulations goes to our own Anne Parat, who won the $1,400 jewelry bracket from Sissy’s Log Cabin!

Special recognition also goes to our award winners:

  • People’s Choice Award: Randall Kronblad for On the Way to Evening
  • Julie Mayser’s Painting: Field of Dreams

If you haven’t seen the show yet, there’s still time! The exhibition will be open to the public through November 18 in the West Gallery at ACHE, 1000 Fianna Way, Fort Smith, AR (479-434-4400).

A heartfelt thank you to all the OPS members who worked so hard to make this event such a success.

  • Hands on Table
  • One of the paintings created in the workshop I taught.

“Generations” A Mother and Daughter Exhibition – Take 2!

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If you missed the “Generations 2” opening, you still have another chance to “meet the artists” at the

2nd Reception on Thursday, June 20, 2024 from 4pm to 7pm

Rialto Community Arts Center Gallery

215 E. Broadway Street

Morrilton, Arkansas

Some highlights from the May 16th Opening:

Evelyn, Bearrett and I would like to thank everyone who came out to the first opening night. We had a lovely time meeting all the guests and discussing our work. We appreciate the time you took to view our work and we hope it brought you joy, sparked a memory, or brought you to a place you might not have seen otherwise. Bearrett did a fabulous job describing the pieces he created.

People’s Choice Award for each artist:

Evelyn Laurence – Blue House

Caprise Cooper – Memories of the Past

Thank you again for the great community support and to the Rialto Community Arts Center/Arts Council of Conway County for hosting us. As well as, Main Street Morrilton and Morrilton Chamber of Commerce.

“Generations” A Mother and Daughter Exhibition – Take 2!

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Evelyn and I are excited to announce that “Generations” will be on display at the newly renovated Rialto Community Arts Center in Morrilton, AR. We are thrilled to be a part of bringing art back to the community where we live. We will be adding a few new pieces to the exhibit.

Opening Reception on Thursday, May 16, 2024, from 4 pm to 7 pm

2nd Reception on Thursday, June 20, 2024 from 4pm to 7pm

Rialto Community Arts Center Gallery

215 E. Broadway Street

Morrilton, Arkansas

Generations is an exhibition that celebrates art and the special bond between mother and daughter through their love of art.  Generations is about sharing the love of art, imagination, and creativity and how this passion has been passed down through the generations of our family. 

The exhibition is a collection of old structures that have stood for generations, some of which belonged to our family.  A series of old rusty vehicles which began with a 1951 Mercury converted truck bed we found on our homestead. The other pieces demonstrate a variety of art mediums and genres, such as oil, pastel, pencil, ink, and printing, reflecting the diversity and versatility of our art.

Photos of three murals we did together at the Museum of Automobiles on Petit Jean Mountain are included in the exhibition.  It was an honor to be asked to use our creative talents to create these pieces at such a special place.

At four years old, Bearrett, the third-generation descendant of the Cooper family, is stepping up to the easel with his first painting “The Black Hole”. 

We hope the artwork in this exhibit, and the generations that brought it to life, find you inspired, moved, and deeply touched. 

The exhibit will be on display from May 16, 2024 – July 12, 2024.

The Gallery is open Saturday’s from 10 am to 2 pm.

Contact the Gallery for hours during the week.