The ARTx3 Campus will host a panel discussion in conjunction with the exhibition “Parking Lot Space: Artworks by Kenneth Reams,” touching on topics dealing with the arts, activism, and community outreach.
The panel is at 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1, at the Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas (ASC), 701 S. Main St. It features panelists from across Arkansas, as well as from New York and Colorado.
The exhibition, also opening Feb. 1, includes a collection of artwork created by incarcerated artist and Pine Bluff native Kenneth Reams, and developed and designed by ASC curator Kevin Haynie. A reception for the exhibition will follow at 5:30 p.m. There is no cost to attend and the events are open to the public.
“The ASC is extremely excited to have been able to develop this exhibition alongside the artist, as well as to be able to provide a platform for so many experienced professionals who deal with many of these issues daily and who can provide valuable insight to those interested in learning more,” Haynie said. “Kenneth’s work and commitment toward spreading the positive impacts of art, introspection, and critical lessons to others is both touching and enlightening for those who have the opportunity to experience it. We look forward to seeing our community engage with the art and join the conversation early next year.”
The panelists are:
● Tavante Calhoun, chief executive officer of the Boys and Girls Club of Jefferson County in Pine Bluff. Calhoun will moderate the panel.
● Nick Brown, program advisor for the Arkansas State Personnel Development Grant at the Office of Innovation. Brown previously taught high school communications, speech and debate, and science in both Arkansas and Louisiana.
● Saskia Keeley, an award-winning photojournalist, documentarian, peace activist, speaker, and creator of photography workshops that aim to bridge divides. She lives in New York.
● Kathy McGregor, founder and national project director of Prison Story Project, a storytelling project that benefits incarcerated women and men. She has been giving a voice to those silenced by prison through the healing art of story. She lives in Fayetteville.
● Ndume Olatushani, a Colorado man who spent 28 years incarcerated — 20 of which were on death row — for a crime he did not commit. It took him, his wife Anne-Marie, and his lawyer David Herrington 20 years to set him free. He’s been a free man since June 2012.
● Patrice Williams, theater instructor at Little Rock Central High School. She also led a 2024 summer camp at the ARTx3 Campus, focusing on the children’s book “Kenneth’s Big Choice,” written by Reams and his wife, Isabelle Reams.
Those planning to attend the panel are asked to RSVP. Reservations may be made at artx3.org/all-events/kenneth-reams-panel-reception or by calling 870-536-3375.
“Parking Lot Space” is on view from Feb. 1 to July 26, 2025, in ASC’s William H. Kennedy Jr. Gallery. The exhibition and panel are made possible by a Kenneth Reams Arts for Justice grant.
For more information, contact Haynie at khaynie@artx3.org or call 870-536-3375.
