2025 Rosenzweig Exhibition Artists Announced

A long-running biennial exhibition showcasing established and emerging artists in the mid-South returns this September. 

The Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas (ASC) has announced the selections for its 2025 Irene Rosenzweig Biennial Juried Exhibition. The show opens Thursday, Sept. 18, with an awards reception from 5–7 p.m. Awards will be presented at 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

The long-running exhibition welcomes submissions from artists in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. Artwork in traditional and digital forms are accepted, including paintings, drawings, original prints, fiber art, ceramics, sculpture, photography, video and digital work.

The artists with works selected are:

• Oluwatobi Adewumi of McNeil, Arkansas, “I See It Coming,” charcoal, acrylic paint, collage on paper
• Marilyn Artus of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, “We Can All Agree That A Vacation By The Water Is Awesome,” mixed media with hand machine
• Beth Atkins of New Orleans, Louisiana, “Horse Hair Pot,” coil pot with horse hair
• Peter Barnitz of Kenner, Louisiana, “Unity,” hand-cut paper, mixed media, wire, duct tape
• Darrell Berry of Little Rock, Arkansas, “American Relic,” oil on linen
• Dagon Blank of Nacogdoches, Texas, “The Protectors,” oil on canvas
• Sally Brogden of Knoxville, Tennessee, “Untitled,” porcelain
• Critz Campbell of West Point, Mississippi, “Bearer,” ash veneer marquetry, acrylic paint
• Jennifer Casey of Tulsa, Oklahoma, “Tire Growths,” inkjet photography print
• Susan Chambers of Little Rock, Arkansas, “My Garden View,” acrylic on canvas
• Cassandra Christ of Little Rock, Arkansas, “The Twins,” stoneware, ribbon
• Marika Christofides of Stillwater, Oklahoma, “Cyborg Daughter,” photolithography and silkscreen
• Sarah Clark of Springfield, Missouri, “Bits and Pieces,” glazed ceramic tiles, jump rings
• Claire Cochran of Dallas, Texas, “2 P.M.,” oil and graphite on cotton muslin dyed with dohwood leaves 
• Deby Gilley of Dadeville, Missouri, “The Wilderness of My Lament,” 10-color reduction lincut
• Nabil Gonzalez of El Paso, Texas, “Trains of Forgotten Dreams #1,” monotype with laser engraving 
• Kara Gunter of Hot Springs, Arkansas, “Excrescence Exquisitus,” flocking, paper, foam, found textiles, pins, kiln-formed glass
• Annie Hutchins of Johnson City, Tennessee, “The House That Raised Us,” screenprint on fabric quilt with repurposed fabrics
• Alex Lee of Conway, Arkansas, “Hong Sh o Niu Rou Mian,” colored ink on Arches watercolor paper
• Dennis McCann of Maumelle, Arkansas, “Looks Like Rain,” pastel
• Glenda McCune of Little Rock, Arkansas, “Mrs. Lucy’s Wash #3,” oil
• Andrew McIntyre of Waco, Texas, “Shattered Rosette,” porcelain
• Mable Ni of Knoxville, Tennessee, “We Will Make It,” screenprint
• Joy Okokon of Springfield, Missouri, “Shuku III,” terracotta clay, gold leaf
• David Orr of Amity, Arkansas, “A Tornado, a Turnip, and a Minotaur Walk Into a Bar — Covers,” objects
• Rashawn Penister of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, “Three Boys,” acrylic paint and playing cards on panel
• Daniel Plummer of Lake Charles, Louisiana, “Four American Landscapes,” digital photo composite, photolithographic print
• Brendan Ritter of Natchitoches, Louisiana, “Bead Crochet Head Piece,” 17,802 glass seed beads, Egyptian cotton 
• Kathy Rodriguez of Metairie, Louisiana, “It’s Always Something (What She Said Series),” embroidery
• Mark Schmidt of Springfield, Missouri, “American Illusion #3,” cyanotype, natural dye, thread, fabric
• Sabine Schmidt of Fayetteville, Arkansas, “Green House,” medium-format color film photography
• H. Jennings Sheffield of McGregor, Texas, “Familiar Strangers,” cyanotype on Arches Platine
• Rebecca Talbot of Nacogdoches, Texas, “The Very Act of Recalling Distorts,” quilted fabric and discarded household items
• Michelle Vo of Houston, Texas, “Resilience,” stained glass, 2024
• Anna Zusman of Magnolia, Arkansas, “Those Who Stay,” digital drawing on archival paper

The awards are Best in Show ($1,000), First Place ($500), Second Place ($200), and three Merit Awards ($100 each). Purchase awards are also available, allowing ASC to add works from the exhibition to its permanent collection.

The biennial exhibition began with a gift from the Irene Rosenzweig Foundation to ASC in 1992. Born in Pine Bluff in 1903, Rosenzweig was a noted scholar and teacher. She earned a doctoral degree from Bryn Mawr College, studied in Rome, and was fluent in six languages. Rosenzweig tutored President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s family members during their time in the White House. She died in 1997.

For the 2025 exhibition, ASC received 535 submissions by 293 artists, from which juror Eepi Chaad chose 35.

“This year’s Rosenzweig submissions were outstanding in both quality and vision, making the selection process an inspiring and difficult task,” Chaad said. “I looked closely at technical excellence, the clarity of each artist’s voice, and how each work challenged or expanded the boundaries of its medium. I was especially drawn to how artists engaged with the idea of legacy, whether through storytelling, the preservation of technique, or the transformation of tradition. The selected works reflect a thoughtful balance of innovation and continuity, and speak to the depth of talent among creative communities within the region.”

A multidisciplinary artist, cultural worker and naturalist, Eepi Chaad (she/her) tells stories using textiles, fibers, metals, places and people. Chaad’s work ranges from tiny adornments to large-scale installations to the art of making space and convening people. She has presented and exhibited work internationally and has received numerous grants and awards, including residencies with the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston and the City of Houston. She lives in Houston, and is artist services program officer with Mid-America Arts Alliance. 

The exhibition will be on view in ASC’s International Paper Gallery through Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. Admission to the galleries is always free. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.

The exhibition is supported in part by The Arts & Science Center Endowment Fund and the Irene Rosenzweig Endowment Fund.

For more information, contact Shakeelah Rahmaan, interim curator and programs director, at srahmaan@artx3.org or call 870-536-3375.