New exhibit opens at Historic Arkansas Museum

Little Rock — The Arkansas Arts Council and Historic Arkansas Museum are collaborating to present Small Works on Paper: From the Permanent Collection. This retrospective exhibition features selected artwork from the Arkansas Arts Council’s 2006-2023 annual Small Works on Paper touring exhibitions.

The exhibition opens on Friday, June 13, 2025, and runs through Sunday, September 21, 2025. The artwork will be on display in the Trinity Gallery at the Historic Arkansas Museum located at 200 E. 3rd Street, Little Rock, Arkansas. 

Small Works on Paper is a popular annual juried art exhibition sponsored by the Arkansas Arts Council. The Small Works on Paper exhibition was developed in 1986 to highlight the talent of Arkansas artists, and it began touring the state in 1988. It was coordinated by the UALR College of Fine Arts until 1995 when it became a program of the Arkansas Arts Council. This year marks the 39th year for the program. The Small Works on Paper exhibit travels up to 10 different venues across the state annually, introducing artwork made by Arkansans to patrons all over the state.

“We’re really excited to share this collection of artwork from past Small Works on Paper exhibitions,” said Arkansas Arts Council Director Patrick Ralston. “There’s so much energy and talent packed into these pieces, and our permanent collection is full of visual surprises. It’s a real treat to team up with our friends at the Historic Arkansas Museum to bring some of these works out of the vault and into the spotlight.”

Each year, an esteemed out-of-state juror selects a maximum of 40 pieces of artwork for display and also chooses a limited number of works for purchase awards. Since 2006, nearly 150 pieces of artwork designated as purchase awards have been added to the Arkansas Arts Council’s permanent collection.

“Small Works on Paper is well-known across the state and has stood the test of time,” said Historic Arkansas Museum Director Stephanie Wade. “This upcoming collaborative exhibit with the Arkansas Arts Council will give visitors a glimpse into the history of the program and the quality work of Arkansas artists over the past four decades.”

This special exhibition features 40 pieces chosen as a limited-retrospective to represent the history of the program in quality of work, diversity of media and range of subject matter over the years.