BAM to Host Monthly Artist Talks Coinciding with Exhibitions this Fall

09/19/2025

JONESBORO - Bradbury Art Museum (BAM) will continue to host artist talks on campus over the next three months in conjunction with its fall semester exhibitions, "Stil/Leven, Still/Even," "Echoes of Silent Migration," and the upcoming exhibition "Inspired 11."

"Stil/Leven, Still/Even" artist Shelby Shadwell will be at Arkansas State University at 4:15 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 29, for an artist talk in the Grand hall of Fowler Center. The event will be preceded by a live drawing demonstration from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. and from 2 until 4 p.m. in the atrium of the Humanities and Social Sciences Building.

"The demonstration will allow viewers to see Shadwell create one of his intricately detailed charcoal and pastel drawings from start to finish, allowing rare insight into the process behind the artwork," said Madeline Jennings McMahan, interim museum director and assistant director and curator at BAM.

Born and raised in Springfield, Mo., Shadwell holds a bachelor's degree in fine arts from Washington University in St. Louis and a master's degree in fine arts from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.

He is currently a professor of drawing at the University of Wyoming. A two-time recipient of the Visual Arts Fellowship from the Wyoming Arts Council, he actively exhibits across the nation.

Printmaker Chenxi Gao will speak about her practice from 4:15 until 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 31. Gao is based in Roanoke, Va., where she serves as an assistant professor in printmaking at Hollins University.

She holds a bachelor's degree in fine arts from Baylor University and a master's degree in fine arts from the University of North Texas. She was born in rural China before moving to a highly urbanized Chinese city and then to the United States during her upbringing.

"By pondering my relationship with multiple living spaces since childhood, I explore my sense of self in the shifting of cultural and social environments," said Chenxi Gao.

Gao's interdisciplinary practice combines various printmaking processes, bookbinding, and fiber arts. An artist book and quilt by Gao are on view at Bradbury Art Museum alongside Shadwell's work through Wednesday, Nov. 5, in "Stil/Leven, Still/Even."

Somayeh Faal will join the BAM staff in celebrating the opening of "Inspired 11" from 5 until 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 13, immediately following a 4 -5 p.m. talk from the artist in the Grand Hall of Fowler Center.

Faal is the artist whose multidisciplinary explorations in printmaking, ceramics, and digital video projection are on display in "Echoes of Silent Migration." Faal will also serve as the juror for "Inspired 11," carefully selecting the accepted artwork. She will be present to meet the "Inspired" students at the opening reception.

Faal was born and raised in southern Iran. She holds both a master's in fine arts in painting from Islamic Azad University in Tehran and a master's in fine arts in studio art with an emphasis in printmaking from the University of Mississippi in Oxford. Her work bridges art and science, exploring the connections shared by human beings with one another and with the world around us.

"Echoes of Silent Migration" is on view through Wednesday, Dec. 17, with a brief intermission Nov. 6-13, while "Inspired 11" is being installed.

BAM is in Fowler Center, located at 201 Olympic Dr. Hours of operation are noon to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is free. Viewers may also schedule a tour of the exhibitions by contacting McMahan, [email protected] or (870) 972-3434.

For details about the talks or the upcoming "Inspired" exhibition, one may contact education coordinator Paden DeVita at [email protected]. More details about these shows are available online at BradburyArtMuseum.org.