Viewpoint; View from the Field »
By Gayle Seymour, Associate Dean CFAC | Associate Professor of Art, Art History »
Members of Students for the Arts Pose with State Legislators: Back row (L-R) Sidney McCoy, Nick Palmer, Senator Joyce Elliott, Representative Tippi MCullough, Monika Cunningham; Front row (L-R) Louise Mandumbwa, Associate Dean Gayle Seymour, Madison Conklin, Nakeya Palmer, Representative Jamie Scott.
Five members of UCA Students for the Arts and one alum attended the Art$ Town Hall meeting on Oct. 27, 2019 at the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub in North Little Rock. The event was sponsored by Arkansas for the Arts (ARftA), the state-wide parent organization for the RSO. “I really have enjoyed being a part of SftA because I have enjoyed meeting and making connections with other local artists,” said graphic design major Madison Conklin, “and I have felt empowered that I can change the way the community views the creative economy.”
Students for the Arts President Nakeya Palmer Poses with Senator Joyce Elliott.
Students were able to discuss the state of the arts in Arkansas with several members of the Arts Legislative Caucus, including Senator Joyce Elliott (District 31), Representative Tippi McCullough (District 33), and Representative Jamie Scott (District 37). “As a student and a minority, it was empowering to speak with Senator Elliot about my concerns and hope for our creative economy,” said art history major Nakeya Palmer. “I was able to learn and network with leaders in Arkansas!”
UCA Students for the Arts welcomes new members throughout the year. Meetings take place at McCastlain 143 or the Black Box Gallery in Schichtl Hall, 1:40-2:30 pm (“X-period”) on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. For more information, contact Nakeya Palmer, president, at nethredge1@cub.uca.edu.