Laura Raborn’s Museum Meditations featured at Justus Fine Art Gallery in February

Justus Fine Art Gallery will feature Museum Meditations, an exhibition of paintings by Laura Raborn, during the month of February. The series of work focuses on the interaction between the viewer and art displayed in museum or public art settings. Throughout the paintings, Raborn also reflects on the value of shared experiences in helping people feel more connected.

“In creating the paintings, I am the unseen observer watching people look at art,” says Raborn, regarding the museum series. “With diverse life experiences, unique individual histories, and extreme cultural variety, historical and contemporary art can provide us with a glimpse of the common threads that define being human. Most importantly, art offers perspectives beyond our own.”

Sculpture by Robyn Horn and Sandra Sell will also be on display, along with woodturned vessels by Gene Sparling, ceramics by Michael Ashley, and more. The show will open with a reception from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 5, in conjunction with the monthly Gallery Walk in downtown Hot Springs. The exhibit will be on display Feb. 5-28.

Laura Raborn graduated in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rollins College and went on to earn a Masters in Art with a focus on painting from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2014. Her paintings have been included in numerous collections including the CARTI Collection, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Collection, the private collection of Bill and Hillary Clinton, and more. She is also a respected portrait artist and art instructor. She has conducted lectures and workshops at a diverse range of art institutions, galleries, and public spaces, including the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in Little Rock, AR; the Ah Haa School for the Arts in Telluride, CO; the Argenta Library Gallery in Little Rock; the University of Central Arkansas in Conway; Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia; and many others. Raborn’s work has also been included in notable curated solo and group exhibitions, and is represented by galleries in the U.S. and in the Bahamas.

Owned by artist Dolores Justus, Justus Fine Art Gallery offers a wide range of original art including sculpture, paintings, ceramics, photography, and more by recognized artists. Opening receptions are held in conjunction with the Hot Springs Gallery Walk held from 5 to 9 p.m. the first Friday of every month in downtown Hot Springs. Hours are 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday and by appointment. Justus Fine Art Gallery is located at 827 A Central Avenue in Hot Springs. For more information, call 501-321-2335 or visit online at justusfineart.com.