Sylvia Inzarella, a self-taught artist from Lafayette, La., has been studying religious icon painting for 16 years. Tonight (Friday), an exhibition of her works, “Sacred Images: Icons of Sylvia Inzerella,” opens with a reception from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Argenta Gallery, 413 Main St. in North Little Rock.

Religious iconography is apparently a family interest: Inzarella is the sister of gallery founder John Gaudin, also a painter of icons.

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A press release describes Inzarella’s works:

Inzerella’s images, with her use of bas-relief carvings, lace, stones and other techniques, deviate from traditional iconography. However, her unique style still employs time-honored materials and methods, including homemade gesso made with rabbit skin glue and calcium carbonate, water gilding on bole and burnishing 23k gold leaf with an agate stone.

Quote of the artist: “The goal of the iconographer is to convey the awe-inspiring qualities of the invisible and the divine. The figures in icons cast no shadows, the light comes from within. It is not the artist’s intention to force an emotional response. There is a conscious effort to avoid movement. The icon is silent, no mouths are open nor are there any other details which suggest sound. The faces rarely express feelings; rather they suggest virtues such as purity, serenity, patience in suffering, mercy, compassion and love.”

 
The exhibit will run through Dec. 23. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 

Also tonight: 

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The 36th annual Arkansas Craft Guild Annual Christmas Showcase is going on at the Statehouse Convention Center. The showcase, which features more than 250 artists, hosts a new event tonight: Art After Hours, live music and beer sampling, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Vendors will sell until 8 p.m. tonight, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. There’s a $5 entry fee, but you can slip in for free from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Saturday morning.
 
And: 

Art Group Arkansas, a collaborative gallery at 11525 Cantrell Road, is holding customer appreciation night tonight from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. 
 

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