The Arkansas Capital Corporation Group (ACCG) is dedicated to helping small businesses and entrepreneurs throughout Arkansas succeed. Arkansas artists are certainly entrepreneurs. In 2013, ACCG began showcasing the work of Arkansas artists in our offices and began hosting open houses open to the public to help support the artists, as well as provide our community of staff, clients and visitors with a chance to be inspired by the art and be able to network at our offices as part of downtown Little Rock’s 2nd Friday Art Night. We are continuing that successful public-artist venture with the February 13th Friday Art Night with works by Ashley Saer, Dan Thornhill, and Elizabeth Weber in a show titled “Life by Design”. Robert Bean is the show curator. Whether you are interested in learning more about the many lending products or just need a little visual inspiration, please stop by our offices Friday, February 13 from 5-8 p.m. Light hors d’oeuvres and drinks will be served. The artists will all be at the event to discuss their work, and all work is for sale with proceeds directly benefiting the artist. Our offices are located at 200 River Market, Avenue, Suite 400, Little Rock, AR 72201. Two nearby parking decks, as well as street parking are available. We are at Trolley Stop 10. Additional details about the trolley are available here.

About the Artists 

Ashley Saer

Artist Statement

My art is a reflection of what I observe and experience in my everyday life. Color, brushstroke and composition become my language to convey story and emotion. I work primarily in oils and watercolors.

Artist Bio

Ashley Saer was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas. After graduating from Mt. St. Mary Academy, she earned a BSBA in Marketing from Georgetown University in Washington, DC. In the spring of 2001, she received an MFA in Painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. In 2005 she spent a few months studying in France with the SCAD- Lacoste program. Her most important and exciting works to date are her twin boys, George and Henry. Ashley has shown in Little Rock, Hot Springs, AR, Jonesboro, AR, Memphis, Dallas, Savannah, Atlanta, Greenwich, CT, Washington, DC and Lacoste, France in group and solo exhibits. In 2000, she was a finalist for the Artlink International Young Artists Competition, which led to a place in an online auction on Sothebys.com. In 2001, her work was included in the juried art book New American Paintings: MFA edition. In 2002, 2004 and 2005, she was chosen by the readers of the Arkansas Times as one of the best artists in Arkansas. The January 2003 issue of Little Rock Monthly named her one of the “Twenty-five people to watch in 2003”. And in the summer of 2003 she was named the “Best Artist in Arkansas” by the readers of the Arkansas Times. Currently, her work can be seen at Bear Hill Interiors (Little Rock), The Bottle Tree Gallery (Heber Springs), and Harper Howey Interiors (Springdale).

Dan Thornhill

Dan is represented by M2 Gallery

Artist Statement

Ever searching for knowledge and truth, Dan Thornhill is an artist to admire and watch. He has a friendly personality and it is obvious by meeting Dan – he enjoys life. Underneath his friendly exterior is a very serious artistic talent. Since 2001, this multi-faceted person began studying art. He takes inspiration from people and nature oftentimes his paintings contain people in a meditative state of mind. At times he will incorporate symbols in his artwork but they are normally understated to not offend anyone. Dan paints in order to satisfy his own hunger, his own desire to express himself in an emotional and creative way. He does not like art that looks too commercial or too perfect or too pretty; he likes art that has an edge to it. He loves the abstract expressionists of the 1940s, such as Jackson Pollock, Arshile Gorky, Willem de Kooning and others; there was an edge or a roughness to their work. There was a rawness that was real and alive; their emotions exploded upon their canvasses. Dan’s favorite artist is Pablo Picasso. Picasso was always growing as an artist even in his 80s and 90s. His ability as a painter inspires Dan more than anyone else. Picasso was always on the edge creating new things for the art world. Dan also loves those avant-garde artists that push the frontiers of the modern art world.

Artist Bio

Dan Thornhill has been interested in art from an early age. In school, he would oftentimes spend his time doodling instead of listening to his teachers. Born in Dallas, Texas, he graduated from Dallas Baptist College (now Dallas Baptist University) with a degree in biology. After a hiatus of many years from art, he began studying art seriously in 2001. In December 2013, Dan graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock(UALR) with his MA in Art (with an emphasis in painting). Ever searching for knowledge and truth, Thornhill is an artist continually emerging and growing. He has a friendly personality and it is obvious by meeting Dan – he enjoys life. Dan’s paintings reflect this joy of life. Currently, he is painting abstract landscapes and floral, utilizing colors as his means to expressing emotion. He teaches art at the Arkansas Arts Center, Museum School and UALR.

Elizabeth Weber

Elizabeth is represented by Boswell Mourot Fine Art, 5815 Kavanaugh Boulevard (501) 664-0030

Artist Statement

“…Colour is a power which directly influences the soul. Colour is the keyboard, the eyes are the hammers, the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand which plays, touching one key to another, to cause vibrations in the soul.” Wassily Kandisnsky

Starting from a black canvas, I acknowledge that one must experience darkness in order to truly see light. I seek out the light in every aspect of my life, searching for that sliver of illumination in the midst of even the darkest of moments. Manifesting as a desire for connection, with those around me and to the life force within myself, this ever present longing for light drives and transforms the spark of inspiration to the fire of creation. Sometimes there may be only embers glowing from behind, threatening to fully ignite. Other times, the spark catches and flares, burning across the canvas. Through it all, I strive to create a vibrancy through my use of color. I truly feel that I did not choose to be an artist. Art is the thread weaving the fabric of my life, without which there is no sense of peace, fulfillment, or the ability to deeply breath. It is a dance through which I experience that infinite place where ‘I’ disappear and time stops. I believe that when people are drawn to my art it’s because they sense the pulse of that dance. It is the experience of life’s dance, its ecstatic lights and depths of darkness, that shape and influence my work. I paint from my heart hoping to touch the soul of the viewer and fill them with lush colors, rich textures, and thought provoking imagery. Colors, bright and kinetic, urge the viewer to interact with the work, beckoning them to soak in the vibrant pools of colors and bask in the rays of light. I paint echoes of my life, giving the viewer a glimpse of my mind and soul, and a window to look within themselves. The intersecting of the work and the viewer’s perception transforms each painting into a living mirror. It grows and changes, reflecting the dynamic movement of our own inner landscapes. Consumed “I surrender to the breath, filling my lungs with the flames of desire. Burning from within, no longer holding on to darkness, the past. i surrender fully to Your light, consumption making me whole.” – eweber

About the Curator

Robert Bean

Robert Bean grew up in central Arkansas admiring the pulpy pages of comic books, learning to draw from the inspiration he found in those yellowing narratives. Taking that early inspiration, Bean honed his skills as an artist in the wonderfully grungy studios of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. It was there that he found a way to combine his love of the story with his love of painting and drawing. Having spent the past 15 years telling his brand of visual stories, Bean has built a career of exhibitions that range from regional to national in scope. He still resides in Little Rock with his wife Maria, keeping his pencil to the drawing board and telling his brand of visual narratives.     2nd Friday Art Night is a time once-a-month when galleries, museums and businesses in downtown Little Rock are open from 5-8 p.m. for an after-hours gallery walk.