The Benton County Library promotes cultural awareness through a myriad of activities including the art show, which has been an annual event since 2002. Promoting local and other area artists, the art show provides amateur, as well as professional level artists the opportunity to showcase their talents in a variety of artistic media.
The annual show has seen the spin-off of monthly one man shows which have met with much success and enjoyment by the artists whose work is exhibited, and the community members that visit each show.
Each year in September a theme is chosen and work is displayed over a weekend of the month with the main show occurring on Thursday evening, which includes a reception hosted by the library to allow artists and art enthusiasts to mingle and enjoy the display. Books on art and artists are featured to provide visitors the chance to learn more at home. The show is free and open to the public, and community attendance is encouraged. The library is very grateful to the Benton County Arts Council for their support of this program.
Artist's Participation Requirements
- Please bring your art pieces to the library during the first two weeks of September ready to hang for the annual art show. Pieces should be picked up no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Monday after the art show.
- The library has a limited number of easels. If you prefer easel displays, please bring your easels with you for the annual or one man art shows.
- All pieces must have a tag on the back that lists the artist's name, the name of the piece, a short 1-2 sentence blurb about the inspiration for or other information about the piece, and if the piece is for sale a price should be listed for the annual or monthly art shows.
- All pieces sold by the library during the yearly or monthly shows will be on a 10% commission for the library, with the balance of the sale price going to the artist at the end of the show.
- A walk-through program is provided during the annual art show with pieces numbered by the library. A one page program is provided for one man monthly shows. It features the artist name, a brief statement, and a list of the titles of the pieces in the display.
- The library utilizes The Gallery System for hanging pieces. There are 30 hangars on which pieces can be hung for display, and each one will support 90 pounds. We cannot be responsible for pieces that fall after placement.
- All artists are asked to plan to attend the reception for the annual show in September.
- One man monthly show artists may plan and conduct a reception or other similar meet and greet for the public upon approval by the library and in coordination with the library calendar, but the library does not plan or incur expense for individual show receptions or activities. Typically individual show receptions/activities are scheduled on a Tuesday evening when the library is open late, so library staff is available.
- Art work of all types, in all mediums, by any age artist, and at all artistic capability levels are accepted. Any issues or concerns of an exceptional nature will be addressed with the individual artist.
- These are not refereed or prize awarded shows, but rather an opportunity for the library to provide artists a place and time to share their talents with the community and to provide for the community an opportunity to attend a program that might not typically be available locally.
- Anyone interested in being featured in a one man monthly show can contact the library to choose and schedule a month. Art work for monthly shows should be delivered to the library for set-up during the last week of the month before the show is to begin. The artist should have at least 10 pieces of art work with the name of each piece provided for the program and all pieces should be picked up by the 1st of the month following the completion of the show.
If you have questions or need further information please contact the library. The upcoming calendar for one man monthly shows and the annual art show is listed below.
2008 One Man Shows
January-Watercolor/Oil paintings of Landon Hedges
February-CHS Art Class with instructor Jennifer Wright
March-West Tennessee Basket Guild Weavers
April-
May-
June-
July-
August-Ellen Ordonez Graphic Art
September-Annual Art Show
October-Powers Sisters Broach Collection
November-Gene Broucki, hand painted military figurines
December-
Annual Art Show
September 23rd
Tuesday
6:00 p.m.
