Hendrix Alumnus Details Quest for Racial Justice in ‘Markham Street’

HENDRIX ART PROF. FEATURED IN SPRING EXHIBITION IN LITTLE ROCK

CONWAY, Ark. – The work of Hendrix College art professor Matthew Lopas is being in “Structures: Inside/ Outside,” an exhibition with fellow artist Jason McCann at Boswell Mourot Fine Art, 1501 South Main Street Suite H in Little Rock.

The opening reception took place Saturday, April 2, from 6 to 9 p.m. There will be an artist conversation on Friday, April 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. The show runs through Saturday, April 23.

Boswell Mourot is open Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and by appointment.

For more information, call 501-454-6969 or visit boswellmourot.com.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Matthew Lopas graduated from the University of Michigan in 1988 with a B.A. in Chinese Studies. He had a longstanding interest in Chinese philosophy and culture, plus had studied karate and tai chi, so the discipline felt like a natural fit. He spent his junior year in China studying Mandarin at Nanjing University with the Council for International Education Exchange. At the University of Michigan Residential College, Lopas took several drawing and sculpture classes. After graduation, he wanted to continue taking art courses, so he enrolled in the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He graduated with a B.F.A. in Painting and Drawing in 1991 and then enrolled at Yale University, where he earned an MFA in Painting and Printmaking in 1995.

Lopas joined the art faculty at Hendrix College in 2000, where he continues to teach in small class sizes that let him work closely with students in a non-competitive atmosphere. His favorite courses to teach include Digital Drawing and History of Materials and Techniques of Painting. The latter course introduces students to art making through historic materials; they begin the semester harvesting pigment from creeks in Petit Jean State Park and making paint from scratch, then use processes like egg tempera and fresco before ending the semester with Renaissance oil glazes.

Lopas is a professional exhibiting artist, even given the time constraints of being a full-time professor. He is in numerous collections, shows work nationally, and is represented locally at Boswell Mourot Fine Art in Little Rock.

HENDRIX ALUMNUS DETAILS QUEST FOR RACIAL JUSTICE IN ‘MARKHAM STREET’

Hendrix College alumnus Ronnie Williams ’76 recently published Markham Street, which shares his family’s quest for justice following the death of his brother Marvin Leonard Williams, a 20-year-old Black paratrooper, who died in police custody in 1960. More than two decades later, his parents received an eyewitness letter confirming Marvin’s brutal murder at the Faulkner County Jail. The book also offers a glimpse into the struggles Black families in the South dealt with and continue to face.

“Our family’s experience is not an exception,” said Williams, a Menifee native. “I am speaking on behalf of the thousands of Marvin Williams whose stories will never be told with the hope of inspiring others to address systemic racism in America.”

Williams was a featured speaker at the virtual Hendrix College Alumni Weekend 2022 on Saturday, April 2. He was interviewed by his spouse, Connie Williams, a longtime Hendrix librarian.

Williams participated in a local book signing on Thursday, March 31, at the William J. Clinton Presidential Center. The event included a panel discussion, followed by a meet and greet with Williams. Fully vaccinated individuals are invited to attend free of charge. Markham Street is available at Amazon, Book Baby, and Walmart.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Williams recently retired as vice president for Student Services and Institutional Diversity at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA). During his more than three decades at UCA, he served as assistant dean of students, director of Minority Affairs, assistant to the president and chief diversity officer. He was the first person of color to chair the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce and Conway Development Corporation board. He is the former chair of the Arkansas Educational Television Commission. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Hendrix College and an M.S.E. from Arkansas State University. For more information, visit ronniewilliamsauthor.com.

UPCOMING BOOK SIGNING AT HENDRIX COLLEGE: