One-of-a-Kind Gifts from the Galleries at Library Square, Each Made with Love and Artistry

Every Second Friday Art Night (2FAN), hundreds of people discover or revisit the beauty and immense variety of the gifts in our retail art and craft gallery.

If you haven’t seen the gallery yet, you will love this curated treasure trove of perfect gifts, from paintings and sculptures to cutting boards, scarves, wooden utensils, jewelry, and pottery. All are from Arkansas artisans, so your purchase supports our state’s finest creatives. And even if you visit frequently, you’ll always be surprised by something new we’ve added.

It’s fun just to wander around looking at all the originality and master craftsmanship, but if you need a gift for any special occasion, this gallery will become one of your favorite go-to sources. There’s an artwork or crafted item for every price point and taste, and you can be sure your loved one doesn’t have anything like these gifts yet!

Andrea Guidry’s pottery is both lovely and whimsical, whether you want a dish, a mug, or a work of art. She enjoys both cats and fish, and creates the perfect fusion of the two in the sculpted “catfish,” featuring a cat’s head and fish’s tail. And it’s hard not to chuckle at the birdhouse featuring a cat’s face and mouth, inviting the birds to shelter inside. Guidry says her inspiration comes from nature—through her garden, hikes in the woods, or float trips down the Buffalo River. The nature-buffs and animal-lovers in your life will be delighted by her works. (Guidry pottery here priced from $35 to $125)

Similarly nature-inspired are the wood creations of Roger Buchanan. He tells a fascinating story about how he first began to make them: “I began building wood boxes after a severe ice storm destroyed hundreds of trees on our property in Jonesboro. As I was cleaning up the mess, I realized that some of the downed trees had been invaded by fungi and insects. This combination produced unique woods that were much too beautiful to burn, but too small and twisted to be sawn into lumber at mill.” After using his own process to redeem the wood and stop the decaying process, Buchanan added other native Arkansas woods to strengthen each box and support the filigree-patterned wood that he had reclaimed. He sees his boxes as a testament to the destructive power of nature as well as to the natural beauty that surrounds us, so often unnoticed. (Boxes $80 to $120)

Elizabeth Rogers uses different media to create natural beauty in her brass acorn necklaces, which are luminous with color and texture. She often works in brass and with semi-precious stones, and even her more abstract jewelry has an earthy, deeply personal appeal as if just plucked from the ground or harvested from an old box of heirloom treasures. (Necklaces $35 to $52)

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Stop by and see the thousands of works in our retail gallery! Whether someone you love likes natural landscapes or urban paintings, bug sculptures or catfish, pottery, cool t-shirts, or jewelry, an Arkansas artist or craftsperson has made a gift that will surprise and delight with its uniqueness.

 

By Rosslyn Elliott, Creative Writer, Central Arkansas Library System

 

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