What makes a community special? What do the people who live there value, celebrate and love about the place they call home?
Those questions are at the heart of “The What’s Good Project,” an exhibit by Iowa artist Jennifer Drinkwater opening in the Merkle Gallery at the South Arkansas Arts Center (SAAC) on Monday, November 2. An opening reception will be held Tuesday, November 3, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The exhibit will remain on view through Sunday, December 20.
“The What’s Good Project” celebrates the meaningful stories, people and places that make communities unique. Inspired by conversations with residents across the country, Drinkwater creates original paintings based on what people say is good about their communities. A portion of the proceeds from each artwork sold is donated back to the community that inspired it.
Drinkwater’s connection to El Dorado began well before the opening of her SAAC exhibit. In preparation for bringing “The What’s Good Project” to El Dorado, she traveled to the community during the summer of 2025 and spent several days getting to know the people and places that make it unique. She talked with local residents, listened to their stories and learned what they believe makes El Dorado a good place to live.
Through her paintings, Drinkwater captures what El Dorado residents shared with her, while also reflecting what she may have discovered herself as an outsider taking a closer look at the community.
Drinkwater is an artist, associate professor of art and visual culture, and community arts specialist for extension and outreach at Iowa State University. Her work explores how art can move beyond the studio and into the world, and how the process of making art can help build and shape communities.
Over the years, Drinkwater has created installations in restored Nebraska prairies, collaborated on public art projects in vacant sites along Iowa main streets, spearheaded a community knit-bombing project, painted murals with middle school students on a juke joint in the Mississippi Delta and in Perry, Iowa, and created free toolkits to help other communities undertake similar projects.
A Mississippi native, Drinkwater has spent a year of her life living in tents and currently lives and works in Ames, Iowa. She plans to relocate to Tacoma, Washington, in early 2027.
To learn more about Jennifer Drinkwater and “The What’s Good Project,” visit whatsgoodproject.com.
For more information about the exhibit, visit SAAC’s website or call 870-862-5474. The SAAC galleries are free and open to the public Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The South Arkansas Arts Center is located at 110 E. 5th St. in El Dorado.