Cantrell Gallery, Where a Lot of Great Artists Hang Around

For almost three decades, hundreds of artists in Arkansas and the Mid-South have benefited from their association with Cantrell Gallery, the spacious gallery at 8206 Cantrell Road.

Almost any time you visit, you'll find the works of about 40 artists exhibited there - oils, watercolors, sculpture, photography, pottery, stained glass, scratch board, hand-blown and fused glass, and jewelry. It's an impressive eclectic collection. In an adjacent room of the gallery, one-person and group shows are held on average eight times a year.

It all began in 1970 when Helen Scott, owner of Cantrell Gallery, opened Art Fair with her husband, Norman, on West 7th Street downtown.

"We both worked other jobs. Within a year, we started doing custom framing, and Norman resigned from his position with the state. I quit teaching and joined the business full time," Mrs. Scott said.

Art Fair moved to a second location on 7th Street, but soon Helen and Norman learned they they would have to move again.

"We got up one morning and learned in the paper that the city had bought the block," she said. It was to become the site for the new Central Fire Station. Facing what might have been considered a setback, the Scotts used this as an opportunity to grow and opened two locations, at 3408 South University and 1118 West 3rd Street.

In 1976 they added their location on Cantrell Road, becoming one of the first tenants buy signing up for space soon after ground was broken for the Cantrell Heights Shopping Center, and also kept open the 3rd Street site.

"We kept the location on 3rd Street for a long time. But we decided we'd like to both be together at the same location."

So they closed it, and together, they remodeled the new space to look more like a gallery and renamed it Cantrell Gallery. There, in 1980, they held their first one-person show. It featured famed Arkansas artist Warren Criswell.

In 1990, their daughter, Cindy Scott-Huisman, and son-in-law, Clarke Huisman, joined the team. This enabled them to expand into the space next door, which more than doubled their gallery space.

The Scotts had hoped the two would join the business, but they had to wait until the young people had a go at the theater. Mrs. Scott-Huisman was graduated from Hendrix College after majoring in humanities and theater.

"She took a job at The Rep, and that's where she met Clarke," Helen said. "After that year was over, she told us, 'I'm ready to join the business.' We said, 'Yea!"

Meanwhile, Mr. Huisman went to California to work with the Berkeley Reperatory Theater. When he returned to Arkansas, he and Cindy were married, and Clarke joined the business too.

"It's just been a wonderful family business," Helen said. "When they joined the business, we were able to take over the next space. (That meant) we could really concentrate on art shows.

"Our first one-person show when we remodeled in 1980 featured Warren Criswell. In 1990, when we expanded into the new space, Warren did our first one-person show. He's just extremely talented. We have enjoyed a long relationship with him."

A large part of Cantrell Gallery's business is made up of their custom framing, which they do for artists and for the public. Acid-free materials, UV protection glass, and other quality framing methods are employed. "We've tried to keep up with the newest and best ways to frame," Helen said.

Cantrell Gallery has enjoyed a long relationship with the Arkansas Arts Center, which can make for some thrilling experiences.

"It's exciting when you realize, oh, this is a Chagall watercolor I hold in my hands. We have framed a lot of art in their permanent collection."

That is the work of Clarke and Cindy. Clarke does the framing, and Cindy handles the finishing details. She is also director of exhibits for the gallery.

"Clark is just fantastic. He is so mediculous in all things. Perfection is in everthing he does. Cindy does what we call 'fitting,' and that's the last thing. She finishes it out. They are really a great team."

Having a family business and spending each day with the folks you love best has been a wonderful experience, Helen said.

"Even with being together all the time like we are, they are just my most favorite people to go out and eat with, to spend time with. We really enjoy one another. I think having that business and doing that every day is the most fun thing in the world."

And the gallery is a place of peace and beauty.

"There's beautiful art work. Classical music is playing. (There are) wonderful clients. What more could you want?"

Since 1980, a lot of great artists have "hung around." Recent works include those by painter/sculptor/ cartoonist John Deering, watercolorist Barry Lindley, impressionist Sandy Hubler, scratch board artist Sally Maxwell, Patricia Wilkes, who does oils, pastels, and commissioned portraits, and Ovita Goolsby, who works in oils, mixed media, and does commissioned portraits.

The gallery has had its share of whimsical exhibits, including art by Mary the elephant. When folks at an elephant sanctuary in Greenbrier first called about their elephant who could paint, Helen said she thought it was a joke.

But the cause was good - to raise money for the sanctuary - so Helen said yes, and one Sunday afternoon Mary was stationed on the sidewalk outside the gallery in one of Little Rock's posher neighborhoods where she did indeed "paint" for onlookers and startled passersby on Cantrell Road.

"She sat on the sidewalk and painted. Willie Oates (Little Rock's legendary 'hat lady') brought her a beret. It was a Sunday afternoon. People were driving by on Cantrell. They were saying, 'That's an elephant!'"

You may enjoy the wonderful art at Cantrell Gallery 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.

This story was written by Bobbi Nesbitt and first appeared in the August 2005 edition of Shoppe Talk.