The ASU–Beebe Art Department is proud to present the artworks of Dr. Gary Simmons during the month of March.
An artist reception will be held Thursday, March 5, from noon to 2 p.m. in the England Center Art Gallery, located at 201 North Orange St., in Beebe.
Simmons is an internationally recognized artist and owner of Gary Simmons Studio in Hot Springs.
With an academic background spanning graphic design, zoology, scientific illustration, literature and education, the artist’s career reflects a lifelong blend of science and creativity.
“As one might expect, the diversity of my background is integral to my subject matter,” Simmons said. “I walk a fine line between compulsiveness about detail and romanticism about the subjects.”
Although he had no formal art education, he officially embraced his identity as an artist in 1976. At age 35, he began freelancing full time. In 1992, he joined the art faculty at Henderson State University, where he taught for 22 years.
His artistic journey began during his freshman year at Southern Illinois University, where a work-study job in the zoology department introduced him to pen and ink. He created detailed illustrations for faculty research publications, sparking a fascination with the medium that has endured for more than six decades.
While conducting national pen-and-ink workshops for Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph technical pens, he authored The Technical Pen: Techniques for Artists, published in 1992 by Watson-Guptill Publishers. The book was later translated into Chinese and Russian and republished in 2005 by Echo Point Books.
Recurring themes in Simmons’ work reveal both intellectual curiosity and artistic challenge. He has frequently explored the Greek myth of Leda and the Swan, a subject that has tested artists for centuries. Birds are another enduring focus — particularly the intricate beauty of feathers, the grandeur of raptors, and the crow as both totem and mythic figure.
“Details speak to me,” Simmons said. “They are small things that hold together the viability of any subject. It is in detail that keeps the viewer most engaged and often holds the most mystery. I never tire of the challenge to find something in the drawing that speaks beyond the surface.”
The England Center Art Gallery is located at 201 North Orange Street in Beebe. The gallery presents works of art by students and featured artists throughout the academic year. Admission is free, and the gallery is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
For more information, contact Thomas Fernandez at (501) 882-8913 or the England Center Art Gallery reception office at (501) 882-4495.
ASU-Beebe is the only two-year college in central Arkansas that offers an Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) degree. The AFA degree has an emphasis in vocal music or instrumental music, theater, graphic design, or creative arts enterprise. This degree is a comprehensive two-year curriculum designed specifically for transfer toward a bachelor’s degree in fine arts.
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