SAAC is hosting a series of jubilee celebration events in honor of M. Douglas Walton’s 80 years of life and his 50 years of teaching.
An Open House will be held for artist Doug Walton in honor of his new exhibition “Jubilee: 50 Years of Teaching, 80 Years of Life with M Douglas Walton” on Saturday, September 10 from 5:30pm-7:30pm. The exhibit will be on display in the Merkle, Price, and Lobby Galleries September 3-30.
“This exhibition is a collection of the most important paintings of my career, from semi-realistic to conceptual, spiritual pieces, that represent the major changes I have experienced in my lifetime,” said Walton. The exhibition will be based on color, light, and circles. It is a retrospect of his 80 years of life and his 50 years of teaching and includes 16 pieces illustrating the pivotal moments of his life.
Included in the exhibition are three pieces that he refers to as “reveals.” Each “reveal” is one large canvas of art covered by 100’s of smaller canvases of art. Patrons can purchase and take these smaller pieces on the spot, thus “revealing” part of the larger art piece underneath. Once all of the smaller canvases have been purchased, then the entire artwork underneath will be “revealed.”
The exhibit is free and open to the public Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm.
Silent Auction: Artist Doug Walton has graciously donated the exhibit’s featured painting to SAAC. The painting, “Fleeting Splendor”, is a night-blooming cereus, 60×48, water media. Silent auction bids will be accepted during the exhibition with all proceeds being used for the “Reaching Higher” building renovation. What better way could there be to donate to SAAC’s Capital Campaign than placing the winning the bid on a painting by M. Douglas Walton?
Celebration Luncheon and Lecture: Join us for an intimate luncheon reception with the artist on Sunday, September 11 in the Merkle and Price Galleries between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Enjoy a light buffet lunch with Doug and soak in the sights of his exhibition entitled “Jubilee: 50 Years of Teaching, 80 Years of Life.” Afterwards, Doug will present a retrospective lecture on his life and work, “Journey to Find My Voice.” Guests will each receive a special gift from the artist and have the opportunity to bid on a Doug Walton original. Seating limited to 88 guests. Reservations are requested via phone, 870-862-5474, or use the reservation form below to register.
Creative Jubilee Encounter Art Workshop: Paint with artist Doug Walton for a 5 day workshop at the South Arkansas Arts Center. Each day the workshop opens with a lecture by artist M. Douglas Walton and closes with a discussion and critique of students work. Bring your own canvases and enjoy using an array of 72 Benjamin Moore latex paint colors that will be available for your use. For more information visit the Workshop Page.
About the artist M Douglas Walton
M Douglas Walton, born in June of 1942, was raised in Carmen, Oklahoma where he developed a sensitivity to nature which is reflected in his art today. As a young and sensitive child, Walton spent his formative years sheltered from normal development of human interaction due to his inability to speak. However, this allowed him to internally explore the world and discover and nurture a keen spiritual realm of existence. By the time he was sixteen, he had overcome his speech problem and began his adventures in life by becoming an architect and an artist as well as embracing his special talent to communicate through the teaching of water-media painting.
Walton received his Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1965 from Oklahoma State University. In his early career days, Walton worked as an architect at Haas and Massey and Associates in Shreveport, Louisiana and then as an Associate Professor of Architecture at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana where he taught architectural and watercolor classes. He has studied with noted watercolorists Edgar Whitney, Robert E. Wood, and Milford Zones.
Walton has taught over 350 workshops in 22 states. Additionally, he has conducted a multitude of “Encounter Art Workshops” all over the world, including such places as Italy, Mexico, Bali, India, South Africa, Great Britain, Morocco, China, Indonesia, and The Netherlands.
Walton believes that “Within each of us lies a talent of greatness. One must begin the process of becoming an artist without fear. We must let go of the doubt and truly believe in our ultimate capacity of great achievement. If we embrace discipline, there is no limit to our success.”
