School of Art to Host Open Studio With Renowned Artist June 23

The School of Art in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the U of A will host internationally acclaimed artist Carla Edwards for a monthlong residency this June as part of Handwork: Celebrating American Craft 2026, a nationwide semiquincentennial initiative to showcase the importance of the handmade both throughout our history and in contemporary life.

The residency will culminate in a public open house from 5-7 p.m. June 23 at the Studio + Design Center. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet Edwards, view works in progress and engage directly with her artistic practice. Parking is available in the lot behind the Sculpture building.

Selected as one of the initiative’s grant recipients, the School of Art residency brings nationally recognized contemporary craft practice into direct dialogue with students, faculty and the broader Arkansas community.

Edwards’ work is held in the permanent collections of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, the Institute of Contemporary Art Miami and JPMorgan Chase. She has shown internationally at venues including the Studio Museum in Harlem and Volta5 in Basel, Switzerland.

During her residency at the U of A, Edwards will create new work using the School of Art’s professional-grade facilities, including a large-scale bronze pour in the school’s foundry.

“Artists of Carla’s caliber complete summer residencies from Miami to New York to Switzerland,” said Rachel Debuque, director of the School of Art, “and Fayetteville is very much a part of that conversation by offering this residency. We’re grateful for Handwork 2026 for making this possible, and the Windgate Foundation, which is supporting the initiative.”

The partnership began earlier this year with Edwards’ public lecture on campus in February. It continues this summer through a residency designed to expand access to contemporary craft practice and position the School of Art as a site for nationally significant creative work.

“Carla’s work demonstrates how handmade objects can speak powerfully to questions of identity, labor and culture,” said Jeannie Hulen, professor of art and head of ceramics. “Arkansas has a deep history of craft traditions, so this residency – timed with the country’s 250th anniversary – creates an important opportunity to connect those traditions with Carla Edwards, who is one of the leading voices in contemporary craft today.”

Handwork 2026’s robust education programming features 10 university-level artist residencies and is supported through a grant from the Windgate Foundation. Debuque noted the School of Art was selected based on the strength of its research, facilities and programs focused on American craft.

The residency is a collaboration between the School of Art’s studio art and art history programs, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of Edwards’ work and the school’s commitment to craft as both artistic practice and historical inquiry.

Edwards is a sculptor, installation artist and public artist whose practice examines material, labor and systems of meaning through a conceptual and socially engaged lens. A graduate of the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture and a former studio fellow in the Whitney Independent Study Program, she has presented public sculpture at Socrates Sculpture Park in Queens and exhibited at venues including the Paula Cooper Gallery in New York, Night Gallery in Los Angeles, FOR-SITE in San Francisco and the Louisiana State University Museum of Art. She lives and works in Brooklyn.

The School of Art invites the community to explore Edwards’ work at the open studio June 23. Parking at the center is available in the back lot behind the Sculpture building. A campus map can be found online here. For more information about the School of Art, visit art.uark.edu.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to Arkansas’ economy  through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.

About the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences: The Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences is the academic heart and soul of the University of Arkansas — where discovery, creativity, and curiosity meet to create transformational educational experiences. Encompassing three schools, 16 departments, and numerous programs and research centers, Fulbright College connects the arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences to advance knowledge, discovery, and serve Arkansas and the world. Discover more at fulbright.uark.edu.

About the School of Art: Housed in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, the University of Arkansas School of Art offers undergraduate degrees and tuition-free graduate programs in art education, art history, graphic design and studio art, including ceramics, drawing, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture. Formerly the Department of Art, the School of Art was established in 2017 following a transformative $120 million gift from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation. With additional support from the Windgate Foundation, the School of Art developed the Windgate Art and Design District, providing state-of-the-art facilities and strong partnerships with regional arts institutions. Learn more at art.uark.edu.

About Handwork 2026
Craft in America is pleased to present Handwork: Celebrating American Craft 2026 (Handwork 2026), a nationwide Semiquincentennial initiative to showcase the importance of the handmade both throughout our history and in contemporary life. Handwork 2026 is a year-long collaboration among organizations, educators, and makers to celebrate the diversity of the crafts that define America, bringing compelling stories and underrepresented art and artists into the spotlight through exhibitions and events presented by more than 300 cultural organizations, the Craft in America series on PBS, robust educational programming, digital content, and this publication.