Page 17 - Explore White County 2020

EXPLORE WHITE COUNTY • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE THREE RIVERS EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
SUNDAY, JULY 26, 2020 17SS
MEET
YOUR NEIGHBOR
Jeff Orvis
WELDER/FABRICATOR AT SEARCY SHEET METAL & PRESIDENT OF THE WHITE COUNTY BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION
WHAT CITY DO YOU LIVE IN? The Floyd community
HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN YOUR CITY? My whole life
WHAT MAKES YOUR CITY A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE? A quiet country atmosphere and a great community of people
HOW DID YOU GET INTO BEEKEEPING? I was working in my garden and noticed a lack of bees for pollination, and I told my wife, Jackie, that I was going to get some bees.
WHY ARE BEES IMPORTANT TO THE AREA? Bees play a very important role in pollination. Many fruits, vegetables and flowers depend on pollination from honeybees.
HOW MANY BEEHIVES DO YOU KEEP?
I currently have 19 hives.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES OF KEEPING BEES? Aside from diseases and pests that attack honeybees, humans present quite a challenge for the bee population. The use of pesticides, weed killers and many other chemical treatments greatly affect honeybees and other pollinators.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE PLACES TO VISIT IN WHITE COUNTY? My wife and I enjoy shopping at flea markets — the Do Drop In Flea Market in Beebe is our favorite. We also enjoy driving the less- traveled places — dirt roads that lead to old barns and beautiful scenery.
CREATIVE
COMMUNITIES
Cities offer ways for residents
to express themselves through art
BY CODY GRAVES / CREATIVE SERVICES WRITER
Whether it’s simple finger-painting by a child or a large mural on a wall, art is a way to express emotions and see the world through a different point of view.
e citizens of White County have em- braced the arts throughout the county’s histo- ry, and there are still many great ways to learn about and experience art in the area. For those interested in learning more about the arts, the following places in White County are great places to start.
SEARCY ART GALLERY
Housed in the historic Black House on Race Avenue, the Searcy Art Gallery allows visitors to experience a wide variety of art styles. Each year, the gallery hosts six exhibits and also regularly showcases works by artists from across Arkansas. e Black House has a history that dates back to 1858, when the dwelling was a two-room log cabin. rough expansions and remodels under the supervision of the Arkansas Historic Preservation program, the Black House has become a vital part of the downtown-Searcy experience.
For more information, call (501) 279-1094.
HARDING UNIVERSITY
Students looking to further their art experi- ence and knowledge are in luck, due to the vast programs at Harding University in Searcy. e university has two degree programs through its Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees. e Department of Art and Design at Harding offers more than 60 art courses, four majors and teacher licensure.
Harding also hosts a variety of exhibits at the Mildred Taylor Stevens Art Center. is facility has two painting studios, pottery and printmaking studios, two-dimensional design studios and much more.
For more information, visit harding.edu.
ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY-BEEBE
For convenient classes that cover a variety of art topics, Arkansas State University-Beebe provides a diverse range of programming. e school’s catalog offers painting, graphic design, color theory, photography, drawing and much more. ASUB also has courses on art history, ce- ramics and other topics. e school’s Creative Arts Enterprise Associate of Fine Arts program helps students combine their artistic spirit with entrepreneurship. e program helps pro- vide students with a solid business education, along with art instruction.
For more information, visit asub.edu. WHITE COUNTY
LIBRARY SYSTEM
Patrons of the White County Library Sys- tem have a world of art at their fingertips. Guests can find a variety of art-related books at the library. e system has locations in Searcy, Judsonia, Bald Knob, Beebe, Bradford, El Paso, Rose Bud and Pangburn. e library’s interlibrary-loan system can also get books that might not be available at one location to patrons without them having to drive to the other library.
e White County Library System also offers e-books through applications such as Libby. is allows art lovers to check out art books on their phones or tablets and enjoy the books instantly.
In addition to books and e-books, the library system offers Universal Class, an online learning platform. Universal Class has more than 500 online courses that are self-paced and instructor-led. e site has a variety of art-related classes such as digital photography, face-painting, fashion design, interior design, watercolor painting and more.
For more information, visit whitecounty libraries.org.
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Sarah Griffith, a student at Harding University in Searcy, works on a pottery wheel during a class.
DOWNTOWN SEARCY
It’s easy to see the impact art has had on downtown Searcy. e area has come alive over the past few years with several murals being painted on downtown build- ings, along with the installation of Art Al- ley, which runs from Race Avenue to Arch Avenue. Mat Faulkner, owner of ink Idea Studios in Searcy, said the mural program has made downtown Searcy a tourist desti- nation, with many people coming to see the murals and take photographs. Faulkner said that since the murals were installed, many local businesses have reported getting more foot traffic than before.
“More local businesses started moving in [downtown] and in other communities because they heard about what we were do- ing,” he said.
BALD KNOB ART ALLEY
Taking inspiration from Searcy’s Art Al- ley, the city of Bald Knob had planned to launch its own Art Alley project, but be- cause of the COVID-19 pandemic and the retirement of Bald Knob High School’s EAST Project teacher, the Art Alley has been put on hold, said Barth Grayson, mayor. He said that once the pandemic is over, he hopes the new EAST teacher will pick up where the former teacher left off.
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