The ASUMH Art Gallery, on the second floor, opened in March of 2014. it is made possible by a partnership between ASUMH and the Ozark Regional Arts Council. Exhibits of student work and ORAC work rotate monthly.
Guests to the Vada Sheid Community Development Center at ASUMH can also enjoy artwork that is part of the college’s permanent collection. On the first floor, 13 etchings by Dutch master Rembrandt van Rijn created in the 17th century are featured. The selected works, on long-term loan to ASUMH from an anonymous collector, are of a Biblical theme and are located on the north end of the Dale Bumpers Great Hall. The exhibit will be located at ASUMH indefinitely.
Also on the first floor, is a display of photographs of the Ozark region by Jim Gaston. As owner of Gaston’s White River Resort in Lakeview, Arkansas, Jim Gaston was a dedicated and dynamic force in the Arkansas travel and tourism industry, including his role in environmental education. Gaston operated Arkansas’s renowned Gaston’s White River Resort in Lakeview for 50 years.
An exhibit of woodblock prints and other Asian art and antiques from the Warren Haley Collection at ASUMH has been installed in the new art gallery space on the second floor. Additionally, a collection of Haley’s cloisonne art is on permanent display in the Haley Family Conference Room, also located on the second floor. The collection includes Sumida vases from the mid-1800s, brilliant red pigeon-blood vases from the 1920’s, porcelain figurines and kimonos, to name a few.
The Vada Sheid Community Development Center is open Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and for special events. There is no charge to visit The Sheid and view the collections and Art Gallery displays. For more information, call (870) 508-6280.