Ouachita Stories

Ouachita Baptist University’s School of Fine Arts will host the senior art exhibit of Emily Grigsby, a senior studio art and mass communications double major from Austin, Ark., from April 1-15 in the Verser Theatre Gallery. The exhibit will be free and open to the public, and a reception will be held on April 8 at 6:30 p.m.

Grigsby’s exhibit, titled “Acrylic,” will feature more than 100 different pieces. The largest series that the exhibit will host includes individual paintings of the 50 states.

“My show will have a lot of diversity, but one common factor is that all my pieces are acrylic-based,” Grigsby said.

She said her artwork is inspired by other artists and the personal relationships she’s built during her time as an OBU swimmer.

“My influences come from different artists that I follow on social media like Chelsea Baugh, Katie Rodgers and Alexander Mijares. They have influenced my evolution as an artist over the past year or so,” Grigsby said. “I also get a lot of influence from the swim team here at Ouachita. They are all so different and wonderful.”

Grigsby said she has experienced a range of emotions in preparing her senior exhibit, and she is thrilled about the opportunity to share her hard work with her OBU family. “It’s exciting to be a senior getting ready to present what I’ve been working on for four years,” she noted. “I’m excited about the exhibit as a whole. There will be so many fun pieces for people to see.”

She added that her desire is for her art to make people feel at home, saying, “I want people to be able to visualize them having these pieces in their space and it inviting them in.”

The Hammons Gallery hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, contact the School of Fine Arts at (870) 245-5129.

 

By Caitlyn Barker // Photo above: "Turtles" in acrylic by Emily Grigsby