Following the May 26 closure of “Action/Abstraction Redefined: Modern Native Art, 1940s to 1970s,” the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts will premiere its inaugural “Delta Triennial” exhibition in June, showcasing work from Mid-South artists throughout Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.
Among the 39 artists chosen for the exhibition, 19 have a connection to Arkansas and six — including Tim Hursley, Ajamu Kojo, Lisa Krannichfeld, Megan Mattax, Clark Valentine and Louis Watts — either currently live in or were born in Little Rock.
“This year, AMFA received over 1,200 applications — a record-breaking number for AMFA’s ‘Delta’ exhibition,” Brian J. Lang, the museum’s chief curator, said in a press release. “The sheer volume of applicants allowed jurors to select a truly exceptional showcase of art from the Mid-South. The 2024 ‘Delta Triennial’ will be a display of unparalleled creativity and talent, making it a must-see exhibition for art enthusiasts and museumgoers alike.”
Exempting those already mentioned, here’s a full list of the selected artists: Maryam Amirvaghefi, Vic Barquin, Jamie Bates Slone, Heidi Carlsen-Rogers, Kate Clements, Colette Copeland, Brian Ellison, Caroline Hatfield, Robyn Horn, Morgan Hill, Risa Hricovsky, Mark Jackson, Linda Jurkiewicz, Molly Kaderka, Amelia Key, Paula Kovarik, Michael LeBlanc, Kellie Lehr, Mark Lewis, Andrew Lyman, Hallie McNeill, Leigh Merrill, Cora Nimtz, Philana Oliphant, Lindsay Peyton, Lauren Phillips, Jocelyn Reid, John Roberts, David Robinson, Rachel Trusty, Aaron Turner, Tim Walker and Erica Westenberger.
Also on display will be seven invited artists: Kevin Demery, Christian Dinh, Anita Fields, Coulter Fussell, Letitia Huckaby, Andrew Scott Ross and Jerry Phillips, who is Little Rock-based.
“Delta Triennial” will run from June 28 through August 25 in the Harriet and Warren Stephens Gallery, and all seven invited artists will give an artist talk on July 25. Additionally, a series of workshops and demonstrations led by artists from the exhibition will be offered during the weekend of July 27.
Though the triennial (once every three years) model debuts this year, “Delta” programming has been a long-standing annual tradition at AMFA, with its first exhibition starting in 1958. While the museum was in limbo during renovation, the exhibition pivoted to “Delta Voices: Artists of the Mid-South,” a series done in collaboration with other regional institutions.