Influential Arkansans
We highlight more than 50 who shape our state.
Page 8 of 24
When Irma Gail Hatcher moved to Conway in 1981, shortly after her husband accepted a position as president of Hendrix College, she began quilting. After a few years, she started exhibiting her quilts, and in 1999, her quilt "Conway Album (I'm not from Baltimore)" was chosen by a panel of expert quilters as one of the "100 Best American Quilts of the 20th Century." Hatcher estimates that she's made 100 quilts. She has never sold a quilt, although she's donated a few to museums. One day her six grandchildren will inherit the rest of them. Hatcher has taught quilting in 36 states, and she's authored eight books on the subject. "Ozark Oaks," a brown-and-blue piece quilt that she made decades ago, is still her favorite. "It took me a year to make it, and I think I was just thrilled to finish it. It became a part of me, like a child," she said.
GARBO HEARNE
African-American art
At Hearne Fine Art, owner Garbo Hearne says, the art sells itself. "I'm not a salesperson," the somewhat reserved operator of the only gallery to focus on African-American in Arkansas says. "You have to want it."
But Hearne wants you to want it, and since 1988 has worked to introduce names previously little known in Little Rock's collecting circles both black and white, though the artists are famous elsewhere. Her gallery represents painters and printmakers and sculptors of national reputation, like Benny Andrews, John Biggers, Samella Lewis, Dean Mitchell and Faith Ringgold, and highlights major Arkansas talents as well, like Aj Smith, Marjorie Williams-Smith, Ariston Jacks, Larry Hampton and others. These are fine artists whose work you're unlikely to find anywhere else in Arkansas.
The El Dorado native was herself encouraged to learn about African-American art by her husband, Dr. Archie Hearne, who is a collector. Her first gallery, Pyramid Art, was on Main Street, and she sold posters at first. As she moved more deeply into fine art (she sells books and does framing as well), she moved the gallery to the Museum Center in the River Market. There, Hearne Fine Art was a destination; "I couldn't have survived the River Market [district] otherwise," she said laughing, because of the lack of parking. (Though, she added, some of her visitors came in thinking she was part of the Museum of Discovery, got a confused look on their faces and exited.)
To have a gallery devoted to artists who are African-American "sounds so crazy," Hearne said. "A whites-only gallery wouldn't be acceptable." But there is a commonality in much of the work, narratives of a life of exclusion and struggle.
Now, Hearne says, she is starting a young collectors group, and will pair its members with mentors who already know something about art and the market. "I feel like I've been able to change a lot of people's understanding" of African-American art, Hearne said. She makes buying fine art affordable, too, allowing people to buy on monthly installments.
JOHN GAUDIN
Argenta restoration
Speaking of...
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Won't shoot
May 30, 2013This state would be in awful shape if the people who run the colleges and universities were as goofy as the ones who run the legislative branch of state government. They are not, though, and all across Arkansas, boards of trustees of public colleges and universities are opting out of a new state law that would allow faculty and staff to carry concealed handguns on campus. Amazingly, the law permits the institutions to opt out. The NRA must have nodded off. /more/
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The heart(less) of the Arkansas Republican Party
May 27, 2013Stephens Media's John Lyon gathered some good quotes in the course of an article on the future for those seeking General Equivalency Diplomas. /more/
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Beebe to announce treasurer pick Wednesday
May 24, 2013When I went to Conway this morning to film a segment of "Arkansas Week," I asked Matt DeCample of the governor's office whether a decision was coming today on Gov. Mike Beebe's appointment of someone to serve out Martha Shoffner's term as treasurer. /more/
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A downtown dream realized for Little Rock Film Festival
May 16, 2013Screens straddle the river. /more/
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Diamonds in the manure of the Arkansas legislature
May 9, 2013Some legislators and legislation shone. /more/
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Keith Haring sculpture debuts at Crystal Bridges
April 24, 2013The graffiti artist's depiction of a two-headed creature is installed on the grounds. /more/
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Photo essay: A hog farm for the Buffalo River watershed
April 17, 2013Don Nelms, a former Fayetteville auto dealer, political candidate, environmentalist and photographer, has taken up a roost near Jasper overlooking the Buffalo River. /more/
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Koch lobby has new leader in Arkansas
April 15, 2013The Arkansas chapter of Americans for Prosperity, the Koch billionaires' anti-tax, anti-regulation political arm that spent a million bucks to produce a Republican legislative majority in Arkansas, has a new state executive director. /more/
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Ethics update: Amending the amendment
April 14, 2013I've done some emoting on the blog and in my column about the proposed constitutional amendment, SJR 9, crafted by Rep. Warwick Sabin and others to incorporate some of the Regnat Populus ethics initiative into a multi-pronged proposal with some benefits for legislators. /more/
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Greed rules
April 11, 2013The Arkansas legislature earns its low regard daily, last Friday with committee approval of a constitutional amendment labeled "ethics reform." /more/
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