Art in the Park Artist Interview: Brianna Mann

How do you describe the subject matter of your work?

Youthful and in tune with modern pop culture to an extent.

What mediums do you work with?

I try and vary my mediums, but pen and ink are my favorite.

What are you presently inspired by – are there particular things you are reading, listening to or looking at to fuel your work?

I’m inspired by everything around me – from conversations I have with my peers to something I watched on TV.

What do you hope your work will accomplish? How do you want people to be affected?

I hope my work conveys deeper social and political meaning than the sheer aesthetic of it all.

Besides your art practice, are you involved in any other kind of work? What are your hopes for life after Art Connection?

I hope to attend Savannah College of Art and Design and get a degree in Art and Business.

How has working with Art Connection affected your art?

It has made me a stronger and more creative artist.

How would you describe a “successful artist”?

All art is successful in its own way, and therefore so are all artists. One doesn’t need fame to achieve that.

Are there any artists you look to for inspiration?

I am inspired by artists in passing, but none in particular.

Do you have a motto you live by?

Try everything once. Better to live with an open mind than a closed one.BriannaMannPoppyMcCoy_2

Wildwood Park Announces New Trail and Dedication Ceremony on June 27

Wildwood Park for the Arts will dedicate a new trail on Saturday, June 27 at 10 am. The trail, named the Wild 40 Trail, is the product of a collaborative effort between the Central Arkansas Master Naturalists (CAMN), Central Arkansas Trail Alliance (CATA), and AmeriCorps NCCC team Earth 7. The 1.9-mile trail spans areas east of the Park’s Swan Lake. The hiking trail connects to Wildwood’s existing trail system, with its primary entrances marked with free-standing kiosks containing maps and ecological information. The interconnected trail system at Wildwood allows visitors to hop on or off trails at numerous points in order to get the length, scenery, and experience that they want.

The trail’s dedication ceremony will begin at 10 am on June 27 at the trailhead with remarks by Wildwood’s Executive Director Leslie Golden and by CAMN’s Bill Toland. A ribbon cutting and guided trail hike will follow.

The trail is the continuation of a multi-year collaboration between Wildwood Park and CAMN, that has included Wildwood’s annual Jr. Naturalist Spring Break Camp and Master Naturalist-led field trips that are available to school groups.

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Father’s Day Fishing – Sunday, June 21

Wildwood’s Swan Lake will be open for catch and release fishing on Sunday, June 21 from noon until 5pm.

This is the only day the lake is open for fishing. Guests are invited to bring their own fishing poles and bait. Drinks, snacks, and bait will be available for purchase.

Wildwood Hosts Annual Quad-School Poetry Slam

Wildwood hosts its annual quad-shool poetry slam on May 15 at 10:30am. The slam is the culmination of four individual slams that were held at Baker, Chenal, Roberts and Robinson elementary schools. Poet Chris James has spent a week in residence at each school through Wildwood’s Arts in Education program. He mentored students as they wrote, edited, and performed their own poetry. 25 students will compete at the final event in Wildwood’s Cabe Festival Theatre.

The poems of all finalists have been collected into a book that can be downloaded via the link below.

Quad-School Poetry Slam Anthology

 

Wildwood Hosts a Public Performance of “The Bremen Town Musicians” on May 17

Wildwood’s touring production of The Bremen Town Musicians will have a public performance on May 17 at 2pm in Wildwood’s Cabe Festival Theatre.

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The Bremen Town Musicians is a children’s musical theatre performance based on the Grimm folktale of the same name. The performance is ideal for children in Pre-K through 5th grade. It will visit elementary schools on a state-wide tour as a part of Wildwood’s Art to Go! program. Bremen_13

The May 17 performance is open to all members of the public with a suggested donation of $5.

You can learn more about the tour and the Art to Go! program here. Bremen_40

Art in the Park: An Interview with Sofia V. Gonzalez

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See more of Sofia’s work at sofiavgonzalez.com

How do you describe your subject matter or the content of your work?

The subject matter of my work always seems to return to exploring my sense of place and how others define and relate to their own sense of place. By using traditional textile techniques and mixed media, my practice creates a space of meditation and reflection for myself when I make.

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What mediums do you work with?

I work primarily with textiles, using traditional processes like crochet, embroidery, and natural dyes. I have strong feelings about collecting my own plant and vegetable materials to be used in dye. I want to have an emotional connection with the colors and materials I use. The process is important to me: observatory walks around my neighborhood, collecting materials like hulls or leaves, and subsequently making the dye.

Besides your art practice, are you involved in any other kind of work?

I spend my days at Wildwood Park for the Arts as our Educational Programs Coordinator. I also facilitate and curate our Art in the Park exhibition program. I have taught a few workshops in natural dye techniques, but would love to get more into teaching. I am passionate about creating community events and arts education opportunities for all ages that relate art to our environment.

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What are you presently inspired by— are there particular things you are reading, listening to or looking at to fuel your work? 

Since moving to Little Rock from San Francisco last year, I have become completely enamored with the variety of birds and their differing songs. Recently I’ve used this obsession as a means for inspiration. I have started a new practice where I wake up early each morning and spend 30 minutes to an hour recording the bird sounds outside my house with quick markings in charcoal on watercolor paper. I am interested in how I can translate the songs and patterns into marks on a page. I’m calling these new sketches “soundscapes.” I am interested to see where they will go.

What do you hope your work will accomplish? How do you want people to be affected?

My biggest hope for my work is that it will cause pause or reflection in the viewer. By using natural dyes to create the colors I use, I hope to encourage a more observant and respectful way to look at the environments we live in. It’s important to me that in my work the connection between the artist and the materials is able to tell a story.

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How do you navigate the art world? Do you have a motto you live by?

I try to navigate the art world by creating genuine connections and conversations with other artists. I am always excited to hear about other artists’ processes, and I think collaborations and opportunities are born out of this mutual relationship.  Recently, I realized that if you build opportunities for others, opportunities will come back to you. I live by the words on the necklace I wear every day which was given to me by my grandmother before she passed away last year. It reads, “Dar mas y pedir menos,” or “Give more and ask for less.”

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