Throughout the month of February the Arkadelphia Arts Center is hosting an exhibit on Black History Month featuring local black artists, celebrities and authors.
According to its brochure, the exhibit features “musicians through the ages,” antique items used throughout the last century, photographs, books and posters of early Arkadelphia, an Underground Railroad quilt pattern exhibit, a DVD presentation of sorghum making and a taste sampling of the sorghum. There are also books and book signings of local authors and art by local artists. A few professional collections will be on display, one of which features memorabilia of former Los Angeles Rams tight end, Terry Nelson.
“What we wanted to do is to promote Black History Month by bringing actual history into the Arts Center — histories about the people who lived here and helped build Arkadelphia,” said Farrell Ford, the vice president of the Clark County Arts and Humanities Council. “This is all being done for our community.”
Ford was heavily involved in bringing this exhibit together. She applied to the Ross Foundation to receive a grant so the Arts Center might be able to conduct the events throughout the month.
“You can write a grant for whatever you might need as long as it falls within the criteria, and there is a significant emphasis on education,” she said “So this is an educational event and is a huge teaching-learning process. It also aids the diversity of the community.”
Because of Ford’s efforts, the Ross Foundation funded $4,000 to the Arts Center to pay for this month’s events. Ford has been an artist all her life, she paints with acrylics, watercolors and oils. She has also done fiber art and was formerly a potter.
“There is a spirit of art in everyone,” she said. “And art has been alive since the first cave man took a rock and scratched it on a wall. That spirit permeates everybody. They may just be someone who wants to look at [art] or someone who wants to be an artist, but [it] moves people. Whenever people see art, an emotion is evoked within them. It may be good or bad or something else but it will always evoke an emotional response.”
In working with the Clark County Arts and Humanities Council, Ford helps to promote local arts and humanities organizations, including the Arkadelphia Poets and Writers Guild, the Caddo River Art Guild, the Clark County Historical Association, Clark County Public Schools and both the Ouachita Baptist and Henderson State Universities art departments.
“We serve as an umbrella for all the art schools and organizations in the county,” she said “We first brought these organizations together because they wanted to have a part with what we do. What we do is promote these organizations. This specific exhibit is a historical one, so we cooperated with the Historical Association. And of course, anytime we have fine art, we have the Caddo River Art Guild that helps with us. So whatever we have in here, it’s in relation to these art societies. We’ll have meetings, workshops, sanctions and exhibits in here in cooperation with them.”
Other activities and events during the month of February that are open to the community include an “Authentic Soul Food Supper” on Saturday, Feb. 18, from 5-8 p.m. at the Arkadelphia Senior Adult Center CADC at 1311 N. 10th St. Prices for the meal are $12.50 for adults and $9 for children. There will also be an “Evening of Negro Spirituals” on Sunday, Feb. 26, at 5:30 p.m. at Greater Pleasant Hills Baptist Church at 1600 Caddo St.
For more detailed descriptions, visit www.arkadelphiaalliance.com.
Picture by Nicole McPhate.
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