Jonesboro, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – Northeast Arkansas is home to a community of artistic talent, and one group is working to bring those creators to the forefront in the months ahead.

The Northeast Arkansas Visual Art League (NEAVAL) is gearing up for a busy season, beginning with a judged exhibition hosted at the Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library throughout the month of August, followed by an interactive Art Show and Sale on Sept. 12 at the Harlin Henry Senior Center next to the Earl Bell Community Center.

Founded in June 1997, NEAVAL was created to help local artists formalize their network and collaborate.

“Basically, [we] believe our mission is to bring artists together and to help us [communicate] our art to the community, to help one another with our art goals,” said NEAVAL President Trisha Gooch.

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Though the league faced significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, the group has seen a major resurgence recently, rebuilding its membership from just six people to more than 30 over the past year.

“The league was rather large before COVID, and then it affected the league, just like it affected everything else around here,” said member Sherry Caldwell Ellis. “It’s like anything, it takes a while to build up.”

Driven by this mission to connect creators, the league also gives back locally, recently sponsoring a scholarship for a child to attend an art camp.

The August Library Exhibition

The library exhibition offers a traditional gallery experience with a competitive edge. The event features a formal judge who provides every participating artist with a written critique based on a detailed point system. Pieces are evaluated on design and composition, technique, construction, presentation, and originality.

The exhibition will be judged by Lydia Dildilian, an associate professor at Arkansas State University who leads the university’s painting program. Ellis said this feedback from an accomplished educator and working artist is invaluable.

“Our artists like to be patted on the back just like everybody else,” Ellis said. “When you get a pat on the back from somebody who doesn’t know you, it means a lot more than somebody you know.”

While the library provides an excellent space for this month’s show, Gooch noted that the league is already looking toward future expansion to accommodate their growth.

“Right now it’s more local… but eventually I’d like to open it up to a wider audience,” Gooch said. “The library limits how many people that we can put in this room, so we’re on the lookout for somewhere where we can hang up to around 75 pieces at one time.”

The winners of the judged show will be announced during a special presentation on Sunday, August 9, at 2 p.m. at the Harlin Henry Senior Center, where artists will receive awards alongside a showcase of their work.

The September Show and Sale

The league will transition from offering a quiet space for appreciation to a bustling indoor marketplace at its Art and Show on Sept. 12. Marking the league’s seventh Art Show & Sale since launching the current bi-monthly format last November, the event is designed to maximize foot traffic and community interaction.

Artists will set up individual booths to sell a wide variety of original pieces. Attendees can expect much more than just canvas paintings.

“People get to buy original art, they get to talk to the artists,” Ellis said. “It’s not just paintings. We have a couple of people who do ceramics, and then we have handcrafted jewelry. We have a girl who absolutely is a master gardener who grows her own flowers and then picks and presses those and arranges them in floral art in frames.”

Visitors will also be able to speak face-to-face with the artists, browse booths featuring homemade baked goods like sourdough bread and fudge, and enjoy live music provided by Gooch’s husband on the piano.

If you are interested in joining NEAVAL, the league typically meets on the first Sunday of each month at 2 p.m. at the Harlin Henry Senior Center, with the exception of August, when the meeting shifts to Aug. 9 for the awards presentation. You can also email neavalart@gmail.com or visit the group’s Facebook page for more information.

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