From Rust to Dust, an exhibit from contemporary folk artist Cheryl McMickle of Marianna, Arkansas, is currently being featured at  The East Arkansas Community College (EACC) Gallery in Forrest City. The exhibit will run through Friday, Oct. 7, and the public is invited to meet the artist in the gallery on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 6:30 p.m. 

 

A west Arkansas native, McMickle is primarily a landscape painter, but she enjoys experimenting with different media and subjects. She has been living, teaching, and creating art in eastern Arkansas for the past 25 years. Having received a bachelor’s in Art Design and teacher certification from the University of Arkansas and a Master of Education degree in Administration, Curriculum, and Supervision from the University of Oklahoma, McMickle has also taught art in the Lee and the Forrest City school districts.

 

Her exhibit From Rust to Dust explores the narratives of McMickles surroundings, especially the “nostalgia of scenes and objects that have lived a useful, purposeful existence, but are now entering a different stage of their existence,” according to the EACC’s announcement. To suit that theme, charcoal features prominently, but is mixed with acrylic and other mediums to introduce color into many of the pieces. 

 

“Rust and decay hold a special nostalgic beauty for me.  Maybe it’s because I have been married to a restorer of old cars and trucks for nearly twenty years,” said McMickle.  “The textures, colors, and the stories told by well-used objects have been an interest of mine for several years,” she added.

 

McMickle is a member of the Arkansas Artist Registry through the Arkansas Arts Council, and her work has been displayed in numerous exhibits throughout the state. To learn more about her and see, buy, or commission her artwork, you can visit her website.

 

The EACC Gallery is located at 1700 Newcastle Rd. in Forrest City, and daily hours are 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on weekdays, and there is no charge for admission. For more information, you can visit the EACC website.

 

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