ArtLinks Conference
ArtLinks is a statewide arts conference presented by the Arkansas Arts Council every two years.
The conference provides educational opportunities for arts administrators, artists, community leaders and educators.It’s an opportunity to learn about innovative arts initiatives and arts programs from skilled national and local speakers.
Details for the October 2025 conference will be announced in the summer of 2025.
Conference Schedule
Click on the date below to see the schedule for each day.
Conference Registration Check-In
8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Robinson Center, Ballroom A
Local & Regional Resources
Learn about available grants, fellowships, learning opportunities, programs and advocacy efforts available to Arkansas artists and arts organizations.
9:00 - 9:30 a.m. Arkansas Arts Council
Speakers: Patrick Ralston, director; Brazier Watts, grants program manager; Scarlet Sims, artist services manager, Matt Boyce, arts in education program manager, Tanja Enoch, community development program manager and Cheri Leffew, special projects
& events manager.
9:30-9:50 a.m. Arkansas Humanities Council
Speaker: Asya P. Webster, program officer for grants and public programs
9:50-10:15
a.m. Arkansans for
the Arts
Speakers: Mariah
Hatta, executive director and Erin Holliday, AFTA member
10:15-10:45 a.m. Mid-America Arts Alliance
Speaker: Margaret Keough, director of advocacy
Break
10:45-11:00 a.m.
The Economic Impact of the Arts
11:00 a.m. - Noon
Speaker: Dr. Genna Styles-Lyas, director of AEP6 Community Engagement & Equity, Americans for the Arts
The Arts & Economic Prosperity Survey (AEP6) is the sixth economic impact study conducted by Americans for the Arts, the national advocacy organization for the arts. This study is conducted about every five years to gauge the economic
impact of nonprofit arts and culture organizations in the U.S. The results of the survey and the implementation of the study’s equity and inclusion initiatives will be discussed
Lunch Break
Noon - 1:30 p.m.
Lunch will be held in Ballroom C.
Artist Spotlight: African American Visual Artists of Arkansas
1:30 - 2:30 p.m.
Speaker: Rex Deloney
Rex Deloney, artist and educator, leads a presentation on significant African American visual artists from Arkansas and their successes locally and nationally.
Break
2:30 - 2:45 p.m.
What is Art Therapy?
2:45 - 4:30 p.m.
Speakers:
- Jo Ann Kaminsky, licensed professional counselor and registered board-certified art therapist, Fayetteville
- Elizabeth Weber, artist-in-residence at Methodist Family Health and Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Little Rock
- Michael Eubanks, licensed social worker and musician who specializes in working with veterans and their support staff, Little Rock
A panel of professional art therapists discuss the difference between art therapy and therapeutic art making. Both can provide alleviation to the adverse effects of stress and trauma by giving individuals a new medium of expression. Learn how the goals,
processes and the relationship between the artist and the professional involved may differ. Session concludes with a hands-on therapeutic art activity for participants.
ArtLinks 2023: Individual Artist Fellowship Awards Reception
5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Old State House Museum, 300 W. Markham, Little Rock
Come celebrate the Individual Artist Fellowship awardees and their artworks during a special reception at the Old State House Museum. Just a short walk from Robinson Center, ArtLinks attendees are invited to mingle and enjoy refreshments with the 18 Arkansas creatives who will be awarded $5,000 grants that recognize their talents and achievements. Fellows will exhibit artwork or perform in the categories of Literary Arts: theatre monologue; Performance Arts: original stand-up comedy; Visual Arts: oil or acrylic on canvas; Contemporary Craft with a metal component, Community Engagement Art, and Multisensory Art with a tactile component. The Fellowships are awarded annually to creatives who live and work in Arkansas and show excellence in the arts. The Old State House was built in 1836. The museum features permanent and changing artifacts and exhibitions from throughout Arkansas’s history.
Bringing the Arts to Local Schools
9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
Speakers:
- Chad Dike, director of education for TheatreSquared, Fayetteville
- Jessica Sudduth, outreach manager, Trike Theatre, Bentonville
Artist residencies can enhance existing art programs in schools or community organizations. Staff from two exemplary arts organizations will share successful strategies and tips for reaching out to your local school or nonprofit organization. Learn about developing tailored programs and activities linked to your artistic discipline and how to connect it to the educational curriculum in the schools.
Creating Meaningful Community Connections10:45 - 11:30 a.m.
Speakers:
- Larry S. Bryant, Mayor of Forrest City, Arkansas
- Zipporah Mondy, radio broadcaster at KJIW 94.5 FM, Helena/West Helena
- Maximiliano Dominguez, founder and creative director at La Rosa Collective, Little Rock
Connecting with current and emerging artists and arts leaders is an essential part of outreach and community
engagement. Panelists will discuss the importance of taking the time to talk to residents and community leaders to
better understand the needs of the population. Learn about effective efforts to build sustained relationships with
different and diverse communities, how to identify the challenges and imagine new solutions.
Featured Speaker
Dr. Genna Styles-Lyas will report on the results of the AEP6 study. Monday, Oct. 16, 11:00 a.m. - noon.
What is Art Therapy?
Learn the difference between art therapy and therapeutic art making. Oct. 16, 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
2023 Individual Artist Fellowship Awards Reception
Celebrate 18 artist Fellows at the Old State House Museum. Free event. Oct. 16, 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Creating Meaningful Community Connections
Efforts for relationship-building and community engagement with diverse populations. Oct. 17, 10:45 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Featured Speakers
Aysa P. Webster is a program officer for Grants and Public Programs for the Arkansas Humanities Council. Webster is an Arkansan who
was raised in rural Wrightsville but considers it close enough to call herself a Little Rock city native. She has always been involved in humanities even from a young age, performing in dance at the Tidwell Centre for the Dansarts for 7 years and student
theater for 4 years. Webster completed her undergraduate experience with a B.A. in English Literature at Philander Smith College. She also served as the President of the Creatives, an organization for students interested in the visual and performing arts.
Webster’s play, Waiting on Sunrise, is a three-act play consisting of seven individual 10-minute plays. The last segment of Waiting on Sunrise was selected to be a part of ACANSA’s Third Annual 10-Minute Play Showcase. She also taught high
school English at a rural underserved school. Webster’s passion is making more space for and having the arts be more accessible for disadvantaged/overlooked populations in Arkansas. She is excited to expand programming opportunities at the Council.
Mariah Hatta is the executive director of Arkansans for the Arts, the arts advocacy group. The group's mission is to advance the arts, arts education and the creative economy in Arkansas. Mariah has worked as a freelance consultant for over two decades. Her services have ranged from strategic communications, press relations, general campaign management, fundraising and advocacy. Her past clients include elected officials, professional associations,
small businesses and nonprofit organizations. She moved to Little Rock twenty years ago. She served on the Arkansas Arts Council advisory council from 2014 to 2019. Her passions are the arts, arts education and gun safety policy.
Erin Holliday is the executive director of Emergent Arts, a local art center in Hot Springs serving emerging artists of all ages and abilities through arts education, gallery exhibits, residency studios, and community collaborations. She is also past executive director and current member of Arkansans for the Arts. She currently serves as the District 1 Director for the City of Hot Springs and on the Hot Springs Advertising and Promotion Commission. Erin is a certified Professional Community and Economic Developer through the Community Development Institute at the University of Central Arkansas. She is a native of Hot Springs, an experience which fostered an early love of the arts and community. After graduating Erin relocated to Kansas City, Missouri where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in sculpture from the Kansas City Art Institute.
Margaret Keough is the director of advocacy at the Mid-America Arts Alliance. She previously served as its director of
marketing and communications. Through her role, she seeks to boost funding, support, and recognition for the arts and
creative economy, as well as for artists and creatives by empowering arts advocates across M-AAA’s region and across
the U.S. She is an active member of the Creative States Coalition, Americans for the Arts, and the Cultural Arts Group.
Her professional background also includes more than twenty years of museum marketing experience at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, both in Kansas City, Missouri. Margaret has spoken
at conferences and events across the country, including the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, National Arts
Action Summit, and National Arts Marketing Project. Margaret holds an MBA from Rockhurst University
and undergraduate degrees in art history and journalism, with a concentration in advertising, from the University of
Kansas.
Dr. Genna Styles-Lyas is the director of Community Engagement & Equity for the sixth arts and economic prosperity survey (AEP6) organized by Americans for the Arts. Genna works as a liaison between community partners and national consultants. Her work focuses on developing and implementing resources that connect the research study with cultural and arts organizations, especially those serving and centering on BIPOC communities. Genna has most recently served as the Education & Engagement Program Manager at Everyman Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland. Genna earned her Doctorate in Education, with a focus on teaching artists in marginalized communities, from the University of Pittsburgh's Out-of-School Learning program. She completed her Master of Education degree in Early Childhood Education, with a concentration on arts education, from Northcentral University. For over twelve years, Genna worked as a teaching artist for arts organizations locally and nationally. 
Rex Deloney is the chair of the Fine Arts Department at historic Central High School in Little Rock. Rex has been teaching art to middle and high school students
for over 30 years. Deloney is also an abstract realism painter who uses bold colors, storytelling, symbolism, and spirituality in his artwork. He employs words, phrases and quotes to create imagery symbolizing the hopes, dreams, and struggles of the African
American Culture. His artistic career began as a sports illustrator and a commercial artist in the Pacific Northwest. He earned a Bachelor of Art degree in Commercial Art from the University of Central Arkansas and a Master of Art in Education from Central
Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington. His work can be found at Hearne Fine Art in Little Rock and at his website rexdeloney.com.
Jo Ann Kaminsky is a licensed professional counselor, registered board-certified art therapist, registered play therapist, visual artist, art teacher and puppeteer. Jo Ann holds
a Master in Counselor Education degree from the University of Arkansas. Since 1993 she has maintained her private practice and studio at The Art Experience in Fayetteville. She works with people of all ages individually and in groups using art and play
as a medium for change. She has worked leading groups and seeing individual clients at Youth Bridge, Charter Behavioral Health, and Ozark Guidance Center. She has worked as an Artist-In-Education in three elementary schools and in an alternative high
school in the Fayetteville School District.
Elizabeth Weber is an artist-in-residence at Arkansas Children's Hospital since 2007 and at Methodist Family Health since 2010. As a working
artist, she is primarily a painter and sculptor, but has worked in many different visual art forms, including ceramics, sculpture, hand-made paper, mask making, jewelry, enameling and other small metal works. Her artist residency programs help students
unlock and access their own personal source of creativity and inspiration. She provides a safe and supportive environment for students to find the courage and strength to be themselves and build self-esteem. Weber's background includes teaching elementary
age students in the Los Angeles Unified public school system for almost 10 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Fine and Visual Arts from SUNY New Paltz in New York. Her artwork has been exhibited in galleries locally and nationally. She is
represented by Justus Fine Art in Hot Springs and Gallery 26 in Little Rock.
Michael Eubanks is a licensed master social worker. He provides direct and community-impact counseling services to veterans, the aging population,
school-based and faith-based groups, youth, the incarcerated and for substance abuse. He has earned honors and recognitions for his work in mental health from UA Little Rock and the Department of Veterans Affairs. He served for twelve years in the military,
with 10 years as active duty in the U.S. Army. Michael's interest in music and helping others continued while in the military. He performed for high-ranking military audiences and assisted with disaster relief efforts and outreach to an orphanage while
in Korea. After returning home, he earned a Bachelor of Social Work and a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Arkansas in Little Rock. He continues to perform as a saxophonist and vocalist. He has produced two CDs: Christmas at Michael’s
and On a Day Like This. Michael utilizes his clinical and musical platforms to gain ground as a public presenter, educator, and interventionist in our communities.
Chad Dike is the director of education at TheatreSquared (T2) in Fayetteville. Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, he has
spent the last 15 years working as a director, educator, and art administrator at theatre programs for youth. From 2011
to 2018, he worked in Austin, Texas at ZACH Theatre as the director of education. At ZACH he cultivated programs to
amplify youth voices, such as Young Playwrights for Change, a playwriting program dedicated to providing middle
schoolers a platform to speak out against injustice. Chad is passionate about theatre education as a tool to not only train
the next generation of actors, artists, and appreciators, but also as a vital space for youth to develop skills to become
caring, compassionate and creative people. In his spare time, Chad produces theatre experiences such as 14/48, a 48-hour play festival and Go! A Theatre for the Very Young micro-play festival.
Jessica Sudduth is the Senior Manager of Education for Trike Theatre in Bentonville. Before coming to Trike, Jessica taught music, choir,
and voice in Northwest Arkansas for over a decade. In addition to teaching in the public schools and for community groups, Jessica also worked with the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas’ educational outreach program and operated Jubilee Music, a music
studio specializing in the needs of young learners. Jessica now uses her creative arts and teaching experience to support programs that bring the arts to students through classes, school programs, teacher training, and special events. She holds a Master
of Music degree in music education from Boston University and a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Arkansas. .tmb-medium.png?sfvrsn=c317c99b_0 "Larry S. Bryant")
Larry S. Bryant is the mayor of Forrest City, AR, currently serving his fifth term. Bryant holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science in Mass Communications degree
from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. After college, he worked as a videographer, lighting director, and weekend news producer at Arkansas Education Television Network and KAIT-TV8. Bryant served on the city council in Forrest City from 1982 to
1986, and 1992 to 1996. He was president of the NAACP in St. Francis County from 1987 – 1992, 1992 – 1998, and 2007 – 2010. He was the first African American elected to serve as mayor of Forrest City. Bryant is a community activist and
organizer, whose goal is to make Forrest City and the world a better place “One Step” at a time.
Zipporah Mondy is the assistant general manager at KJIW-FM 94.5 radio broadcasting company in Helena. The radio station is owned and managed by her parents, Elijah and Belinda Mondy. Zipporah received radio training from her dad, a former program traffic coordinator and engineer of 29 years at NBC WMAQ-TV in Chicago. She has over 20 years of radio broadcast experience in a variety of areas including on-air talent, production, sales, marketing, promotions, and digital media. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Creative Media Production from Arkansas State University. She was selected by the National Association of Broadcasters for the Radio Show Student Scholars Program for four consecutive years. She has over 15 years of experience in youth outreach, summer youth camps, and youth leadership training. 
Maximiliano Dominguez is an Argentinian-American fashion designer, interdisciplinary artist, and community advocate. Inspired by his culture and his upbringing in Little Rock, he is the founder and
creative director of La Rosa Collective. The goal of the collective is to provide reliable space, resources, and tailored services for creative entrepreneurs and community members. Dominguez found his passion for creation through a sewing project that
manifested into his own fashion label, RAIZ. Next, he launched Wicked Rose Printing Company, a screen printing and design studio. He currently runs a secondhand retail store and fashion brand, La Rosa Antigua, as well as the monthly Forever Thrifted markets
in downtown Little Rock. Maximiliano’s creative and community work is centered on sustainability in fashion and advocating for a thriving and equitable future for Little Rock and its creative community.