The Fort Smith Regional Art Museum (RAM) debuts two exhibitions at an opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, July 14—a new exhibition featuring beloved John Bell, Jr. images, and Patsy Lane’s animals captured in bronze.
The Fort Smith Regional Art Museum is excited to partner with CanvasHQ of Fort Smith to present the highly anticipated exhibition John Bell, Jr.: A Painted Legacy. Using state-of-the-art, commercial-grade UV resistant inks, CanvasHQ has been able to recreate Bell’s images as beautiful canvas prints with the rich colors and soft lighting effects for which his paintings are renowned. This exhibition features 30 of the most beloved John Bell, Jr. images that are housed in public and private collections. Included in the exhibition are the famous U.S. Marshals Series as well as Bell’s captivating images of beautiful churches and historically accurate buildings set against the Old West.
John Bell, Jr. (1937–2013) was an acclaimed American painter and sculptor whose career spanned nearly 50 years. Born in 1937 with cerebral palsy, Bell spent his life in wheelchairs and had limited use of his upper extremities. Bell spent his time developing his skills as an artist and also overcoming the perceptual bias that faced people with physical challenges. Through his life-long advocacy, Bell helped raise awareness of accessibility issues across the country.
“Bell’s activism for people with disabilities was part of who he was and what made living in this region better. His art though, would enhance all our lives and create his lasting legacy,” said Bill Kropp, III.
After A Painted Legacy closes at RAM, it will be made available for exhibition at museums, libraries and public venues across the country for the years 2024-2026. If you are interested in hosting John Bell, Jr.: A Painted Legacy at your business or municipal office, please email info@fsram.org for rates and availability.
Also debuting the same evening is the exhibition Patsy Lane: Cast in Bronze. Lane’s bronze sculptures of bears, horses, elk, and dogs are moments captured—a mother bear, fish in her mouth, with her cubs following behind; a curious bobcat investigating a leaping frog; a horse chase; a Texas Longhorn twisting to scratch an itch.
Lane describes her work well, saying, “My work is a story brought to life in bronze. The story lives forever and is hopefully shared with others. A piece of art, whether a painting or a sculpture, is a joy in the home or workspace, something to instill emotion each time you look at it. I hope this is what my work does.”
A painter for many years, Patsy Lane discovered sculpting later in life after attending the Prix de West exhibition at the Cowboy Hall of Fame, now known as the Western Heritage and Cowboy Museum in Oklahoma City. What Lane saw at that exhibition, plus her exposure to cattle and horses on a ranch in Oklahoma growing up, planted the seeds. After befriending Mehl Lawson, bronze sculptor and member of Cowboy Artists of America in 1982 and attending a workshop in Texas, Lane’s career in bronze sculpture took root and blossomed.
Lane is a member of the Oklahoma Sculpture Society and the Holdenville Society of Painters and Sculptors. The Fort Smith Regional Art Museum is proud to not only own one of her bronzes in its collection, but to host this exhibition of her works.
Both exhibitions will be on view at RAM from July 15 through October 15, 2023. Also on view: the RAM Annual Invitational until July 30, and Student Exhibitor Ayree Maner.
Located at 1601 Rogers Avenue in downtown Fort Smith, the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum offers fine art exhibitions from world-class artists, important traveling exhibitions, permanent collection exhibitions, as well as art by emerging artists in its modern, 16,000-square-foot facility. From professional art workshops and juried art contests to online art classes and free Saturday art-making programs, RAM connects with schools, visitors, and community members of all ages and backgrounds to support the cultural needs of the region. The museum’s summer hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 to 6, and Sunday, 1 to 5. Visit the website for more information (fsram.org) or call: 479-784-2787.
