Kavanaugh Blvd.

April Smith

Furry Friends

Artist Bio: April Smith is an art teacher at Maumelle High School. She teaches kids every day to appreciate art and take time to stop and see the world around them. She wants her students to understand the color, line, and form of things in their everyday lives. With an interior design and fine arts degree, April has transferred her technical knowledge and love for the arts to countless students over the years.
 
Design Concept: I wanted to bring attention that all wildlife can be affected by pollution in the river. Arkansas is home to such diverse wildlife, and they all depend on water sources to survive. I want people to know that the candy wrapper or water bottle they leave on the ground can end up in the environment of mammals, reptiles, birds, and more.

Artist Bio: I want to make a difference and help wildlife. I’ve seen many deer in my neighborhood. It disappoints me to see trash on the side of the road or in lakes. The wildlife that live around us don’t deserve to be negatively affected by us.
 
Design Concept: I want the viewer to see the outcome of trash being left in the street and washing downstream to the places where animals live. This work shows what could be if we do not stop the litter from washing downstream.

Brynn Nasello

Don't Hurt Bambi

Episcopal Collegiate
Art Students
& Sarah Higgins

The City at Night

Artist Bio: Sarah Higgins has called Little Rock for the past 8 years and is fascinated with the history, art, and architecture of the area. Her undergraduate degree is in Fine Arts from the University of Central Arkansas and my master’s degree is in Education from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She has been teaching art for the past 6 years in the central Arkansas area. I currently teach a talented group of Jr. and Sr. High Students who inspire me daily to push myself to create. The Episcopal Collegiate Art Students in addition to Sarah are the artists for this piece. The art students are dynamic and are a multi-talented group. Together with student involvement the hope is to reach a larger audience about art, conservation, and community.

Design Concept: This piece is based on the city of Little Rock at night and references “Starry Night” by Van Gogh in the sky. The state of Arkansas shape is the location of the storm drain cover and states, “Drains to Fourche Creek”. The storm drain cover is located in the state of Arkansas on the painting. The composition will shift slightly depending on the drain location and shape to accommodate the space. I wanted to portray the city, river, and pedestrian bridge in Little Rock to tie the space, art, and conservation together for this project.

Maya Griffin

Put In Positivity

Artist Bio: My name is Maya Griffin. I am 17 years old and a junior at Little Rock Christian Academy. I have always been interested in art but it has just recently become a true passion of mine. I have been a figure skater for 15 years and I am ranked as a senior level figure skater. My art has won 2nd place in the Fine Arts competition at my school. Along with participating in the Art Club’s Memory Project, drawing portraits of children in Columbia. I also have experience in graphic design through my internship this January at Boulton Creative in North Carolina.
 
Design Concept: In this piece, we blended realism and surrealism by connecting Arkansas rivers to the world. In order to make a positive impact on the health of the world it starts here at home. Showing the beautiful wildlife that inhabits these waters to give viewers a real view of what their trash and pollutants effects. These drains flow directly to Arkansas Rivers so painted in this drain is a peek into these rivers. To make a change in the world you must take small steps that will have a great impact on the world.

Sofia Gonzalez

Kavanaugh to the Creek

Artist Bio: Sofia V. Gonzalez is a visual artist and educator living and working in Little Rock, Arkansas. Gonzalez graduated summa cumma laude from the University of San Francisco with a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts and Graphic Design in 2012. Gonzalez received a Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art at California College of the Arts in San Francisco, California in 2014 where she focused on furthering her skills in textiles and natural dye techniques. For the past two years, her studio practice has focused on learning about the environment of Central Arkansas. Working with the land, Gonzalez creates a richly local color palette to visualize her sense of place through textile, sculpture, and mixed media works. Gonzalez is currently an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Art at the University of Central Arkansas. Courses include Two-Dimensional Design, Three-Dimensional Design, Contemporary Craft, and Introduction to Visual Art. Her work has been exhibited throughout the United State including San Francisco, CA, Chicago, IL, Arkansas, Texas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
 
Design Concept: Cities are often defined by their ease of accessibility, infrastructure, architectural landmarks, and housing. Living within this city grid, the birds, waterways, and native plants coexist amongst the cement and cars whether we notice or not. “Kavanaugh to the Creek” changes the focus of the city grid from concrete to greenery. Kavanaugh Blvd. becomes the flowing life force through the heart of Hillcrest and the Heights as city blocks are turned from greys to a field of greens and Blues.

Artist Bio: Nicole Stewart is a natural born artist originally from El Paso, Texas who now currently resides outside of Little Rock, Arkansas. She began showing artistic skill at a young age which continued throughout her grade school years and after. In 2014, she picked up art again after a 15-year hiatus and she has quickly snowballed as a commission artist and also regularly donates to various local fund raisers. Her works span across various media but she primarily paints in acrylics. She enjoys creating art referring to pop and mass culture and also creating heartwarming one-of-a-kind commissions for clients. Her style is abstract and exists in a world where light heartedness rules in wildly bright colors. Her commissioned work is made up of anything and everything, from funky and vibrant portraits to personalized wall murals. Her ability to communicate and build partnerships with clients enables her to connect with them on a personal level and take their visions and ideas and bring them to life. She enjoys the challenges that come from commissions, being forced outside of her comfort zone, and striking an emotional chord provided by the clients’ inspiration. Some of her style and inspiration come from exposure to Mexican Indian art in her home town and the pop art of Andy Warhol. She is one of the organizers for the public art meet-up Creative Connection. She hopes to use the group and the art they create as a tool to help local artist meet and network with each other, improve the community through group art projects, raise awareness for non-profits, and provide support to local businesses and attractions around the state.
 
Design Concept: My name is Nicole Stewart and this is my concept for a painted drain. For me I was thinking about how all the rivers and creeks flow into each other and they provide a source needed for human life, wild life, and plant life. I thought that the Arkansas River, Fourche Creek, and the smaller creeks running off it could be represented in the form of veins that run through the "heart" of the city as well as the heart of our state and the surrounding natural areas. I was trying to show the connection of all the things that are affected from pollution by demonstrating the existing connection that is already there as Fourche Creek. Thanks for looking!

Nicole Stewart

Water is Life

Grace Cassie

A Day in the Creek

Artist Bio: My name is Grace Cassie and I am currently a junior at Mount St. Mary's Academy. I have grown up attending various art classes and have continued to attend art class for the past three years at my high school. The thing I most enjoy drawing is nature, whether that is a landscape or animals, and I thought this project was a perfect fit for my style. I love spending time outdoors and would have all the pets in the world if I was able to. Art has always played a major role in my life and I hope to attend a college oriented around the arts in the future.
 
Design Concept: In this work, I wanted to display the small and beautiful things about Fourche Creek. After seeing pictures of the creek and visiting it, I fell in love with the lily pads throughout the creek and wanted to make sure to include a kayak. The lily pads on the water's surface often go unnoticed but add to the beauty of the creek. By including a kayak, I wanted to show that the creek is utilized by many people and should be kept clean for everyone to use. Since this project represents my school, Mount St. Mary's, I included our crest on the kayak.

Callie Matthews

Delta at Dawn

Artist Bio: Callie Matthews is an artist, teacher, and small business owner in the Historic Park Hill Community in North Little Rock. Post high school at NLRHS, she studied at Savannah College of Art and Design. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Minors in Art History and Printmaking. After returning to her hometown in 2007, she achieved her Master of Secondary Education and taught in the Pulaski County School District. Since the opening of Matthews Studios in 2013, she has had the pleasure of assisting in the art education of her students and being a mentor to the studio kids in a small group setting.
 
Design Concept: The content of my design seeks to connect on a personal level with the individuals of our community especially those that hunt and fish. By viewing this landscape, I hope for reflection on time spent in nature. These memories strengthen our awareness of our local environment and our pride in our Natural State. Before taking actions that may harm our creeks, streams, rivers and lakes, as Arkansans we will choose to Drain Smart.