The University of Central Arkansas Artists in Residence (AiR) program is a dynamic initiative that brings nationally and internationally recognized artists to campus each year. Funded by the Fine and Performing Arts Fee paid by all students, the program is rooted in a vision established by the UCA Board of Trustees on February 18, 2000: to “expand artistic opportunities and supplement and enhance university life and academic programs.”
Since its founding, the AiR program has hosted more than 700 artists—including actors, choreographers, composers, creative writers, dancers, designers, filmmakers, musicians, visual artists, and others. These residencies have offered thousands of enriching experiences such as public exhibits, master classes, performances, readings, film screenings, workshops, and other student-centered learning opportunities.
Artist residencies have become an essential and vibrant component of the curriculum at UCA, contributing meaningfully to both academic and cultural life on campus and to the Central Arkansas community.
The program is supported by the UCA Arts Fee, with additional sponsorship from Engage Management and Pyramid Art, Books & Custom Framing. Unless otherwise noted, all events take place on the UCA campus at 201 Donaghey Ave., Conway, AR 72035.
All events are free and open to the public (no ticket required unless specified).
For general information, contact Dr. Gayle Seymour, Associate Dean, College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, 501-450-3293, gayles@uca.edu.
SPRING 2026 SCHEDULE
PARADISE WINDS | Reed Quintet Music
Paradise Winds is a reed quintet based in Phoenix, Arizona, which was formed in 2005 while its members pursued advanced degrees in music at Arizona State University. In recent years, Paradise Winds was featured in the Phoenix-based award-winning Downtown Chamber Series, has collaborated with the Grammy-winning Phoenix Chorale, and has appeared with Classical Revolution PHX. The quintet appeared to over a million weekly listeners on American Public Media’s Performance Today in 2011 and 2013. Individual members have appeared with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, New World Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, AIMS Festival Orchestra (Graz, Austria), Wintergreen Summer Music Festival Orchestra (Virginia, USA), and in Arizona with the Phoenix Symphony, Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Arizona Opera, and Ballet Arizona. Members of Paradise Winds hold teaching positions at Arizona State University, the Maricopa Community Colleges (Phoenix-area), and have served in positions and been given residencies abroad in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Ecuador, and Qatar. For more information about the residency, contact Dr. Kelly Johnson, Dept. of Music, kjohnson@uca.edu.
January 20
1:40- 2:40 p.m.
Student Event: Class with Composition/Music students
Concert Hall, Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts
7:30 p.m.
Public Event: Paradise Winds in Concert
Concert Hall, Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts
January 21
7:55 a.m.
Student Event: Paradise Winds Performance at Conway High School
CHS Auditorium, 2300 Prince St., Conway, 72034
11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Student Event: Master Class with Woodwind Students
Concert Hall, Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts
AIDA AYERS | Visual Art
Alice Aida Ayres is a multidisciplinary artist from Albuquerque, New Mexico, who has lived across the U.S. and in several African countries. Since 2018, she has been based in El Paso, Texas, where she serves on the board of the El Paso Art Association. She is also an adjunct professor at Henderson State University and Director of Therapeutic Arts for the Central City Development Corporation in Iowa. Ayres holds degrees in Fine Art, Design, and Art Education, and has exhibited her work throughout the U.S., Europe, Mexico, and Africa. Her artistic practice spans collage quilts, oil painting, performance art, and mural creation. Through her collage quilts, she weaves stories of community, resilience, and connection, drawing inspiration from ethnic textiles, particularly African fabrics, and her passion for recycled and repurposed materials. The resulting works are rich in texture and meaning, celebrating the interwoven nature of human experience. During her residency, Ayres will guide students in creating a small fabric collage quilt using hand sewing, appliqué, and experimental techniques. For more information about the residency, contact Dr. Rachel Trusty, Baum Gallery director, rtrusty1@uca.edu.
January 21
9-10:40 a.m.
Student Event: Mixed-Media Workshop with Alice Aida Ayers
Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts 219
January 22
6-7 p.m.
Public Event: Artist Talk with Alice Aida Ayers
Art Lecture Hall 143, McCastlain
January 26
9-10:40 a.m.
Student Event: Mixed-Media Workshop with Alice Aida Ayers
Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts 219
January 29
4-7 p.m.
Public Event: Opening Reception for Alice Aida Ayers Exhibit
Baum Gallery, McCastlain Hall
KAT WILSON | Visual Art
Kat Wilson is an experimental artist and photographer based in Northwest Arkansas. She holds an MFA from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and a BFA from the University of Central Arkansas. Her work has been featured in major exhibitions at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the Momentary in Bentonville. Blending photography, sculpture, found objects, and new media, Wilson creates immersive environments that invite audience participation. Her acclaimed #SelfieThrone installations transform everyday spaces into interactive art experiences centered around a “throne” where viewers are encouraged to pose, photograph themselves, and share images using the hashtag #SelfieThrone. In her presentation, Wilson will explore how her celebrated Habitats series evolved into #SelfieThrone and ultimately into Party Art, a collaborative platform merging art and community. Through images and stories, she traces the creative connections among these projects and reflects on how collaboration with artists and craftspeople skilled in neon, sculpture, and beyond expanded the scope of what one artist can build alone. For more information about this residency, contact Dr. Rachel Trusty, Baum Gallery director, rtrusty1@uca.edu.
January 29
1:40-2:30 p.m.
Public Event: Gallery Talk with Kat Wilson
Baum Gallery, McCastlain Hall
March 4
2-3:40 p.m.
Student Event: #SelfieThrone Workshop 1 with Kat Wilson
Baum Gallery, McCastlain Hall
March 5
9 am-4 p.m.
Student Event: #SelfieThrone Workshop 2 with Kat Wilson
Baum Gallery, McCastlain Hall
March 6
5-8 p.m.
Public Event: America 250 #SelfieThrone on view at Conway Art Walk
The Studio Downtown, 1100 Oak Street, Conway.
RENÉE ELISE GOLDSBERRY | Musical Theatre
Renée Elise Goldsberry is a multi-hyphenate actress and singer who has delivered award winning performances both on Broadway and on the screen. She is perhaps best known for her role as Angelica Schuyler in the musical phenomenon Hamilton, which has become a cultural touchstone for the ages. Renée’s performance earned her a Tony Award, Grammy Award, and a Drama Desk Award. She was also nominated for an Emmy Award for best supporting actress in the Disney+ film adaptation, and accepted the Emmy for Best Variety Special on behalf of her company in 2021. Renee currently stars in Marvel Studios newest television hit She Hulk, and in Tina Fey’s Emmy nominated series, Girls5eva, which moved to Netflix in 2023. Other highlights from her film and television career include co-starring in A24’s critical darling Waves, opposite Sterling K. Brown; the Netflix series Altered Carbon; Documentary Now’s cult favorite “Original Cast Album: Co-Op;” The Good Wife; The House With a Clock in its Walls; The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks; and her creation of the beloved character Evangeline Williamson on ABC’S One Life to Live, for which she received two Daytime Emmy nominations and two NAACP Image Award nominations. For more information about this residency, contact Amanda Horton, Executive Director of UCA Public Appearances, ahorton@uca.edu.
February 9
6-9 p.m
Public Event: Hamilton Screening Featuring Renée Elise Goldsberry, Reynolds Performance Hall. Tickets are $25 each for the general public, https://uca.edu/publicappearances/. UCA students can receive up to two free tickets by visiting the box office at Reynolds Performance Hall or the Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts. A UCA Bear Card is required.
This Residency is in collaboration with UCA Public Appearances.
SHOUTHOUSE | Instrumental Solos, Hip-Hop, and Vocals
ShoutHouse, according to their website, is a genre-defying collective that fuses “poetic hip-hop, intricate grooves, high-energy vocals, and powerful instrumental solos” into a sound entirely their own. Founded by composer and multi-instrumentalist Will Healy, the group was born from his vision to unite some of New York’s most creative musicians, whether from Afrobeat bands, jazz ensembles, or orchestras, into one bold musical force. Comprising emcees, a vocalist, and a jazz soloist, as well as composer Healy, ShoutHouse delivers cutting-edge performances that blur the lines between concert, club, and contemporary art. Their debut album, Cityscapes (New Amsterdam Records, 2019), was praised by New York Music Daily as “a lavishly orchestrated, absolutely unique blend of post-rock, art-rock, and indie classical.” You won’t want to miss their immersive, genre-redefining performance that celebrates collaboration, experimentation, and the vibrant energy of New York’s music scene. For more information about this residency, contact Dominic Talanca, Dept. of Music, dtalanca@uca.edu.
February 6
12-2 p.m.
Student Event: UCA Wind Ensemble Open Rehearsal with SoundHouse
Concert Hall, Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts
February 8
3-4:30 p.m.
Student Event: “Entrepreneurship in Music, a Conversation with ShoutHouse”
Recital Hall, Snow Fine Arts Center
February 9
12-2 p.m.
Public Event: UCA Wind Ensemble Open Rehearsal with SoundHouse
Concert Hall, Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts
2:30-3:30 p.m.
Student Event: Pop-up Concerts around Campus
Various campus venues
February 10
7:30-9 p.m.
Public Event: UCA Wind Ensemble Concert Featuring SoundHouse
Concert Hall, Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts.
For general public tickets, see https://uca.edu/publicappearances/. UCA students can receive up to two free tickets by visiting the box office at Reynolds Performance Hall or the Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts. A UCA Bear Card is required.
MELISSA FEBOS | Creative Writing
Melissa Febos is the national bestselling author of five books, including Girlhood — winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award in Criticism, Body Work: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative, and the forthcoming memoir The Dry Season. She is the recipient of awards and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, MacDowell, LAMBDA Literary, the Black Mountain Institute, the British Library, the Bogliasco Foundation, and others. Her work has appeared in The Paris Review, The New Yorker, The Best American Essays, Vogue, and The New York Times Magazine. She is a professor at the University of Iowa. For more information about the residency, contact Dept. of Film, Theatre, and Creative Writing professors Dr. Stephanie Vanderslice, stephv@uca.edu and Professor Acie Clark, kclark27@uca.edu.
February 17
7:30 p.m.
Public Event: Reading and Book Signing with Melissa Febos and Donika Kelly
Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts 167
February 18
10:50 a.m.–12:05 p.m.
Student Event: Craft Talk with Melissa Febos
Win Thompson Hall 331
DONIKA KELLY | Creative Writing
Donika Kelly is the author of The Natural Order of Things, The Renunciations, winner of the Anisfield-Wolf book award in poetry, and Bestiary, the winner of the 2015 Cave Canem Poetry Prize, a Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, and a Kate Tufts Discovery Award. A recipient of a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, she is a Cave Canem graduate fellow and Pushcart Prize winner. Her poems have been published in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Paris Review, and elsewhere. She is an associate professor in the English Department at the University of Iowa, where she teaches creative writing. For more information about the residency, contact Dept. of Film, Theatre, and Creative Writing professors Dr. Stephanie Vanderslice, stephv@uca.edu and Professor Acie Clark, kclark27@uca.edu.
February 17
4:00 p.m.
Student Event: Master Class with Donika Kelly
Win Thompson Hall 331
7:30 p.m.
Public Event: Reading & Book Signing with Donika Kelly and Melissa Febos
Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts 167
BEN GRIMES | Acting
Ben Grimes, a native of Little Rock, Arkansas, received a BFA in Regional Theatre from The Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University and has appeared in stage productions in regional theaters across the country. He was a founding member of Moment to Moment Productions in Little Rock and also served as the co-artistic director of Drove Theater Company in New York City. After more than a decade working professionally on stage, he joined the U.S. Army in 2006. As an Airborne Ranger in the 82nd Airborne Division, he deployed to Baghdad, Iraq. In 2017, he again deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. After his last deployment, he began to reintegrate back into theatre to heal from the stress of combat. He later enrolled in the Clinton School of Public Service where he received his Master’s in Public Service, and his research and studies in theatre practiced as a public service inspired him to launch Riverside Actors Theatre, a theatre company that uses the vehicle of theatre and storytelling to address trauma and the struggles that veterans and other at-risk populations commonly face. For more information about the residency, contact Dr. Paige Reynolds, School of Language and Literature, preynolds@uca.edu.
March 10
7-8 p.m.
Public Event: Death of Kings, Performance #1
Baum Gallery, McCastlain Hall
8:30–9:30 p.m.
Public Event: Death of Kings, Performance #2
Baum Gallery, McCastlain Hall
9:30-10 p.m.
Public Event: Death of Kings Post-Performance Talkback with Ben Grimes
Baum Gallery, McCastlain Hall
March 11
10–10:50 a.m.
Student Event: Visit with “Theatre for Community Change” class
Jefferson Farris Hall 114
11 a.m.
Student Event: Visit with “Theatre History II” class
venue TBD
2 p.m.
Student Event: The Breach Mini-Workshop with Ben Grimes
UCA Veterans and Military Resource Center (this is a closed event limited to veterans)
March 12
9:25 am
Student Event: Visit with “Intro to Drama: Making Meaning on Stage” class
Irby Hall 313
10:50 am
Student Event: Visit with “Intro to Drama: Making Meaning on Stage” class
Irby Hall 313
12:15 p.m.
Student Event: Visit with “Shakespeare in Action” class
Irby Hall 313
JERRY W. MITCHELL | Investigative Journalism
Jerry W. Mitchell is the founder of the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting. Prior to its establishment, he worked for the Mississippi daily newspaper the Clarion-Ledger for 30 years. Stories by the investigative reporter helped lead to the convictions of Klansmen in the 1963 assassination of Mississippi NAACP official Medgar Evers, the 1963 bombing of a Birmingham church that killed four Black girls, and the 1964 slayings of civil rights workers James Chaney, Andy Goodman, and Mickey Schwerner. His work also led to the 2016 conviction of Felix Vail, the oldest conviction in a serial killer case in U.S. history. For more than 30 years, his stories have exposed injustices, corruption, and abuse of power. He won a $500,000 MacArthur “genius” grant and more than 30 other national awards. He was also a Pulitzer Prize finalist. His memoir about his pursuit of civil rights cold cases, Race Against Time, was released in 2020. For more information about the residency, contact Dr. Donna Lampkin Stephens, School of Communication, donnals@uca.edu.
HERRON HORTON ARCHITECTS | Architecture and Interior Design
Herron Horton Architects is led by principals Jennifer Herron, AIA, and Jeff Horton, AIA, LEED AP, whose complementary passions for people, place, craft, and creativity shape the firm’s thoughtful, human-centered work, based in Little Rock, AR.
Jennifer Herron, AIA
A Little Rock native, Jennifer earned her architecture degree from the University of Kansas, where she also studied fine art photography. Her early career in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Little Rock ultimately led her to co-found Herron Horton Architects with a belief that architecture begins with people. Herron’s background in photography enriches her sensitivity to light, environment, and the emotional qualities of space.
Jeff Horton, AIA, LEED AP
Originally from the Kansas City area, Horton earned his architecture degree from the University of Kansas and expanded his studies at the University of Dortmund in Germany. His curiosity about how buildings are made informs his detail-driven approach to design, as well as his commitment to staying current with materials and technology. Horton is also a painter, exploring space, color, and line through his art. For more information about the residency, contact Toni Gocke Wyre, Dept. of Art and Design, awyre@uca.edu.
April 10 and 13–17
10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Public Exhibit On View: Herron Horton Design, Carmen Thompson Gallery
Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts
April 15
6:30–8:30 p.m.
Public Event: Panel Discussion with Herron Horton Architects in conjunction with A&D Network
Concert Hall, Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts
April 16
1:40–2:30 p.m
Public Event: Keystone Conversation “Learning by Design: Inside the Herron Horton Residency Experience,”
Keystone Steps, Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts
SŌ PERCUSSION | Percussion Quartet
For 25 years, Grammy-winning percussion quartet Sō Percussion has redefined chamber music for the 21st century through an “exhilarating blend of precision and anarchy, rigor and bedlam” (The New Yorker). They are celebrated by audiences and presenters for a dazzling range of work: for live performances in which “telepathic powers of communication” (The New York Times) bring to life the vibrant percussion repertoire; for an extravagant array of collaborations in classical music, pop, indie rock, contemporary dance, and theater; and for their work in education and community, creating opportunities and platforms for music and artists that explore the immense possibility of art in our time. Sō Percussion is Jason Treuting, Adam Sliwinski, Josh Quillen, and Eric Cha-Beach. For more information about the residency, contact Dept. of Music Professor Blake Tyson, btyson@uca.edu, and UCA Public Appearances Executive Director Amanda Horton, ahorton@uca.edu.
April 10
11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Public Event: Sō Percussion Masterclass for Members of the UCA Percussion Ensemble
Katherine Scott Percussion Suite, Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts
6:30–9:30 p.m.
Student Event: Amid the Noise Open Rehearsal with Sō Percussion and UCA Students
Concert Hall, Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts
April 11
2:30–3:30 p.m.
Public Event: Sō Percussion Clinic for UCA Percussion Festival Attendees
Concert Hall, Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts
4:30–5:30 p.m.
Student Event: Dress Rehearsal for Amid the Noise
Concert Hall, Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts
7–8:30 p.m.
Public Event: Sō Percussion in Concert, Concert Hall, Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts. General public tickets are available at https://uca.edu/publicappearances/. UCA students can receive up to two free tickets by visiting the box office at Reynolds Performance Hall or the Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts. A UCA Bear Card is required. All of the other students attending the festival can get a deeply discounted $10 ticket by visiting the box offices.
This residency is in collaboration with UCA Public Appearances.
NITA MENDOZA | Lighting Design
Nita Mendoza is a proud Chicana lighting designer based in Southern California. Originally from El Paso, Texas, she brings warmth, energy, and a deep love of storytelling to every project.
Mendoza holds an MFA in Lighting Design from UC Irvine and a BA in Technical Theatre from UT El Paso, with a concentration in lighting and a minor in graphic design. Her work blends strong technical foundations with creative expression, shaped by her cultural roots and commitment to collaboration. Whether illuminating a stage or crafting visual elements as a graphic designer, she thrives in creative spaces where artists come together to make meaningful work. Her designs reflect her belief in light as a powerful storytelling tool—one that can evoke emotion, shift perspective, and deepen connection. Grounded in family, community, and culture,
Mendoza is dedicated to creating bold, beautiful work that resonates with audiences and collaborators alike. For more information, contact Professor Shauna Meador, Dept. of Film, Theatre, and Creative Writing, smeador@uca.edu.
June 1-5, 8-12, and 15-19
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Nita Mendoza In Residence: Lighting Designer for UCA Summer Theatre
James Bridges Black Box Theatre, Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts
June 19
7 p.m.
Public Event: Opening Night for UCA Summer Theatre with Nita Mendoza in Attendance
James Bridges Black Box Theatre | Windgate Center
General public tickets are available at https://uca.edu/theatre/uca-summer-theatre/. UCA students can receive up to two free tickets by visiting the box office at Reynolds Performance Hall or the Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts. A UCA Bear Card is required.