Come Imagine with the Imaginator Extraordinaire!

Jane F. Hankins: The Imaginator Extraordinaire
Underground Gallery
CALS Roberts Library of Arkansas History & Art
On view through February 26, 2022 

Witty, whimsical, wonderful. These words describe the creative world of Little Rock artist Jane F. Hankins. The Jonesboro native has been a strong presence in the Arkansas art community for over twenty years.

Specializing in sculpture in porcelain and stoneware as well as drawing and painting, Hankins is a designer for nationally marketed sculpture reproductions. She studied at the Memphis Art Academy, Arkansas State University, and what is now the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, and was chosen to exhibit in the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington DC.

In 2018, The Imaginary Garden of Jane F. Hankins fine art coloring book was awarded the Independent Press Award for Best Adult Coloring Book. In 2019, The Imaginary Forest fine art coloring book won the New York City Big Book Award.

Hankins’s work shows us that art does not have to be serious to be important.

She says, “I like art that is approachable, and I believe that there is room for all kinds of art. A feminine theme is often present in my work—when I use that term, feminine, I’m referring to the divine aspects of the word, not just bein’ pretty and actin’ nice! Sometimes, I build entire stories around the characters I make and I get to know them better.”

The body of work on display includes sculptures and paintings spanning at least two decades. Some larger sculptures from her private collection will be publicly exhibited for the first time.

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The Underground Gallery is located in the CALS Roberts Library of Arkansas History & Art in the River Market District of downtown Little Rock.

Visit the CALS website (opens in new window) for Roberts Library visiting information (opens in new window).