Guided tours of galleries by people who know whereof they speak is a great way to get to know art and artists, like Kevin Cole. Cole, who uses neckties (and abstracted neckties) in his brilliantly-colored sculptures and prints because of their role in lynchings, has work in the Corcoran in Washington, D.C., the Tampa Museum in Tampa, Fla., the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans and a multitude of other institutions. He is also exhibiting in three galleries in Arkansas: including Hearne Fine Art, where his 25 year retrospective “Straight from the Soul” is up until Jan. 7; the Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas in Pine Bluff, and the Leedell Moorehead-Graham Fine Arts Gallery at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
Hearne, whose expertise is in African-American art, will give a tour of all three exhibits from 9:30-2:30 p.m. Nov. 28 and 30. The tours wrap up with lunch at RJs’ Diner (on the recommendation of the artist, a Pine Bluff native). The cost is $30 and includes lunch. Call 501-372-6822 to reserve. The Encyclopedia of Arkansas has a good entry on Cole.