30 Jun 2025 Artist of the Month: The Central Arkansas Collective

By Rita Halter Thomas

Visual artists see things differently. In their hands, the visions in their heads are transformed into masterpieces to be discovered, seen and treasured by others.

The Central Arkansas Collective, founded by local artists Faye Hedera, Barbara Satterfield and James “Jim” Volkert, is seeing its vision transformed into something beautiful and beneficial for the city of Conway, Central Arkansas, and area artists.

When Hedera moved from Florida to Conway a few years ago, she recognized a need in the art community she hoped to help fill. A quick internet search led her to Satterfield and Volkert. “We met for coffee and realized we had the same vision,” Hedera said. That vision included collaborating with area artists, art groups and organizations to elevate, educate and showcase area arts and artists.

Leaving that meeting, the group noticed a vacant storefront and turned talk into action. They pitched an idea to the owner. “We said we’d do art installations and change them out every month and take care of the space. So, rather than it being an empty space downtown, it will look lived in,” Volkert said. “He was completely agreeable and supportive and that’s how it all started.”

Volkert is not only a local artist but has an extensive professional history in museum exhibitions, including the Smithsonian. Satterfield, Volkert’s wife, is a clay artist who taught art museum studies at the University of Central Arkansas and is a former director of UCA’s Baum Gallery of Fine Arts. Hedera may be recognized locally for her “100 Faces of Conway” project, her children’s book, “The Lovely Fruit Fairies,” or her television series on Conway Corp’s Channel 5, “Meet the Conwegians.”

These three accomplished artists shared their vision with others in the art community and received overwhelming support. A permanent, professional art gallery was a big part of that vision. While professional artists’ work had been on display in various shows within the city and elsewhere, they felt a permanent home gallery was ideal. In the summer of 2023, the Central Arkansas Collective, the newly formed membership organization for professional artists, opened its first gallery in that vacant storefront.

In March 2025, about two years after its inception, the collective opened the Central Arkansas Collective Gallery in The Studio Downtown, at 1100 Oak St. in Conway. “The Adcock Foundation made it possible because they gifted us the funds. They believed in [our vision]. So, to crystallize that vision, to communicate that, and to have people excited about it has been really sweet,” said Hedera, who serves as president of the collective.

Besides the support from the Adcock Foundation, she credits the collaborative efforts of H+N Architects, Blackbird Arts Collective, The Studio Downtown and the design of the gallery by Joanna Nabholz and Nabholz Construction for making the gallery a reality.

For the artist, Satterfield says the gallery creates a conversation and provides a way for the public to become familiar with an artist’s work, to connect with them, and provides an opportunity to follow their work. “When an artist wants to enter a competitive exhibition, they will have an exhibition record, because that’s part of it,” she said. “[As an artist,] when you send in that resume, you want to say where you have shown, how much you’ve shown, and if you’ve been in a competition, if there are any awards, etc. So having the gallery gives the artist not only name recognition but also gives them a professional reputation of being active in the art community for their art form.”

“Before this, I was just a transient artist, going from show to show,” said artist and collective member Jeanetta Darley, who has been selling her work full-time since 2017. “The gallery takes a little of that pressure off. I still enjoy doing shows, but it’s nice to have a permanent place to display my work.”

For visitors to Conway, the gallery gives them another place to stop, increasing their time in the city. This bolsters business by attracting visitors and giving them another reason to explore or rediscover the charm of Historic Downtown Conway.

“If you travel around the state and you go to any city, like Bentonville or Little Rock, you’ll see galleries of artists working in that area,” said Jeff Young, recently retired UCA art professor and collective member. “So, it’s kind of exciting for Conway to have a place like that here. I think it just shows that the city’s alive, and there are people here making and displaying art. I think it helps with tourism, and being downtown is huge.” He touted the city’s commitment to the aesthetics of Conway, and downtown in particular.

The gallery itself is art, from the lighting to the selection and arrangement of the displays. “It’s very intentional so when somebody walks into the gallery, there’s a repetition of color, there’s a repetition form, and yet it looks different because … the type of work is different, but it’s coordinated,” Satterfield said. “When you come in, you see 12 different types of art, different approaches, different mediums, all arranged to be visually interesting. There’s something for everyone,” Hedera said. 

Hedera and Satterfield were quick to credit the community and named several organizations that laid a firm foundation to build upon. “We’ve received a lot of support because of their presence in our community, and the art departments at the colleges and universities really set the stage for us,” Satterfield said.

For the near future, the collective will continue to host monthly artists’ talks where guest artists are brought in to share tips, expertise, answer questions and engage with the local community. Members of the collective also rotate time on Saturdays to be available during gallery hours to greet the public, engage in conversation and offer encouragement to artists and aspiring artists alike.

One doesn’t need to understand chromatics, composition or contrast to appreciate the art on display at the gallery. Take some time. Enjoy a moment to reset and reflect walking through the gallery. Perhaps you’ll find yourself inspired to pursue your own abilities, an artist hiding within, or find the inspiration you need to push yourself to the next level. Perhaps your next masterpiece will be discovered and become someone’s admired treasure.

For more information, including gallery hours, a calendar of events, or membership requirements, visit centralarcollective.com.