The Founding of the Conway League of Artists
By Virginia Potter-Vredeveld
A rare occurrence happened at the CLA meeting last night—one I didn’t immediately notice. All three remaining founding members were in the room together. Seeing them set me to thinking about those early years, before the CLA even existed.
In December 1973, five women artists formed the Conway League of Artists. Though they hadn’t known each other long, they shared a deep love of painting and a belief that they could sharpen their skills by gathering regularly to share knowledge and work for the common good. Everything seemed to align—the right people, the right time, and the right place—to bring the League to life.
The Early Connections
The spark began with two neighbors, Ginger Potter and Becky Oswalt, who lived across from Hendrix Village. They became friends during Becky’s daily walks with her baby stroller and through Becky’s son, Glenn, who delivered the Log Cabin Democrat to Ginger’s door. Ginger, a past president of the Flint Art Guild in Michigan, missed the opportunity to show her work. Soon, the two neighbors were bemoaning the lack of art venues in Conway, where shows were rarely held outside of the local colleges. They knew then that Conway needed an art club.
Becky’s own work was inspired by the cotton fields and worker shacks of her hometown, Earle, Arkansas. She felt a calling to record these scenes before they were forgotten, yet her beautiful paintings languished at home with no place to be seen.
At the time, other options were limited. Jerry Poole, chairman of the UCA art department, told us about the Mid Southern Watercolorists in Little Rock, but we were all oil painters. The Arkansas League of Artists had recently formed in North Little Rock, but it was simply too far for busy young mothers in Conway to attend.
A Growing Circle
The group continued to expand through local connections. Jackie Guerin had recently moved from California, where she’d been active in an art group. She was already becoming a respected local artist, holding sidewalk shows outside her husband’s office and teaching classes. One of her students was Ann Cullum, an accomplished oil painter.
Meanwhile, Dorris Curtis—a songwriter, poet, folk painter, and beloved kindergarten teacher—was preparing to retire from the Conway Public Schools. Dorris often said she had lived “a dozen lives” in her 65 years, including a stint as a telegraph operator. Fresh off a one-woman show in Memphis, she was ready to embark on yet another career as a full-time artist.
Saving the Depot
The catalyst that brought these women together was a community movement to save Conway’s historic train depot. To draw attention to the cause, a committee organized an art show at the depot, placing a notice in the paper that caught everyone’s eye.
Ginger and Becky joined the “Save the Depot” effort and met Dorris, Jackie, and Ann. All five participated in the show early that year, where they also met Sheila Parsons, who would join the League a few years later. While the battle to save the depot was ultimately lost, the “Brush and Palette Club”—our original name—was born in December 1973.
Building the League
We soon grew, welcoming Marie List and Lois Kehoe from Ginger’s studio, followed by many others. We learned from each other and from dedicated educators like Gene Hatfield, Jerry Poole, Bob Thompson, and Pat Larson from UCA, who gave generously of their time. We eventually changed our name to the Conway League of Artists to reflect our broader interest in all fine arts.
In those early days, we met twice a week. We held demonstrations, attended workshops, and even traveled together to the Arkansas Art Center or to see shows in Searcy. We were a tight-knit group, once even holding an art show inside an old theater on Front Street during a heavy rainstorm in a failed—but hilarious—attempt to save the building. We painted, laughed like kids, and grew stronger as a group.
Lessons and Growth
Our first statewide show was held on the locker doors of the old Middle School. We had to beg local businesses for prize money, and the show was a huge success. However, as “inexperienced newbies,” we were swamped by professional artists from Little Rock and Stuttgart. We realized we had more to learn, and we shifted our focus to hosting shows for local artists from Faulkner, Perry, and Conway counties. These Tri-County exhibits, often held at the First National Bank, were better supported by our community and the Rockefeller Foundation.
A Lasting Legacy
Five women, ranging in age from 31 to 65, came together with one common interest and served their community for over 40 years. Each brought something essential:
- Dorris provided wisdom and social etiquette.
- Ann served as the first Correspondence Secretary, keeping our records and by-laws safe.
- Becky was our first Chairman, always full of energy for new ideas.
- Ginger was our first Treasurer and hosted our first meetings in her studio.
- Jackie kept our spirits high with her sunny disposition and kind words.
What started as a small club blossomed into a vital part of the Conway community. Just five women gave birth to the League, but it took the nurturing of every member who followed to grow it into the respected statewide force it is today.
