by Emily Merrell, photos submitted

What started as a single collaboration between Jonesboro High School’s art department and Bradbury Art Museum has flourished into “Inspired,” a decade-strong exhibition that now draws students from 11 surrounding counties and marks its 10th year with record-breaking participation. 

In October 2015, “Inspired” began as a partnership between Jonesboro High School’s art department and Bradbury Art Museum (BAM), a contemporary art museum on the campus of Arkansas State University. Originally established by JHS teachers David Leggett, Wes Miller, Shawn Wright and Natalie Yauger, the program was then called “Open Response: Work by JHS Students.” That first juried exhibition had more than 50 student submissions, with 18 being selected for the show.   

Ten years later, “Inspired” is now open to students in grades 9-12 in Clay, Craighead, Cross, Greene, Independence, Jackson, Lawrence, Mississippi, Poinsett, Randolph and Sharp counties. This year, 14 schools are participating – more than ever before.  

Each year, local high schools are offered the opportunity to participate in “Inspired.” Schools schedule a visit to Bradbury Art Museum for an interactive tour of a fall show where students are encouraged to draw inspiration from the artwork seen during their visit. Students respond by creating a work of their own using the medium of their choice. Along with the artwork, each submission requires a written statement clarifying the concept of the work they created. A juror will select the artwork to be included in “Inspired” based on both written and visual submissions. Awards are offered and announced during the opening reception of the exhibition. The entire program, including tours and submissions, is free of charge. 

Morgan Callahan, an art teacher at Jonesboro High School, loves watching her students gain new perspectives from “Inspired.” 

“The program exposes high school art students to contemporary artwork,” said Callahan. “This means that the work that they are interacting with on a visit to BAM is by current working artists. The artwork is relevant and inspiring. Students love being able to take part in this program, and it always grows students’ ideation and risk-taking abilities.” 

Bradbury Art Museum’s Interim Museum Director and Curator, Madeline McMahan, sees students participating in “Inspired” each year learn more about many facets of the art world, from art history to the responsibilities of a professional artist. 

“‘Inspired’ gives the students an opportunity to leave school and engage with museum spaces and see contemporary art in person,” said McMahan. “Many of them have never been to a contemporary art space before they participate. It gives them a chance to engage with art beyond the people they already know, like Vincent Van Gogh or Pablo Picasso, and to see what artists are doing now. 

“It also gives many of them their first opportunities to engage with the professional practices necessary to be a working artist. Making work, writing an artist statement, applying to an exhibition, making decisions about display and hanging – all of those are components to being a professional exhibiting artist.” 

Growing “Inspired” into a more expansive and inclusive experience has been a team effort through the years, with many dedicated artists and art educators working on various ways to imbue young artists with all things art. Besides expanding the program to be open to more schools in Northeast Arkansas, “Inspired” now offers stipends to help supply materials and has added more opportunities for students to get involved and learn more about A-State’s Art + Design department.  

“When Haley Voges was hired as education coordinator (at BAM) in 2018, it was a major passion project for her, and she worked really hard to grow it,” said McMahan. “She increased the number of schools and eligible counties, she introduced supply stipends in an attempt to hopefully address some of the inequity in funding between schools, and it was her decision to begin using artists from the inspiring exhibition to jury the show. 

“Education Coordinator Paden DeVita took over ‘Inspired’ in 2024, and he’s also been working to increase the number of participating schools. We have a record number this year with 14 participant schools. Paden, alongside Dr. Katherine Baker, department chair of Art + Design and associate professor of art history, has also been a major advocate for bringing all the ‘Inspired’ schools into the Art Immersion program on campus and giving them some art programming and some insight into art degrees alongside their tour.” 

Morgan Callahan has seen this partnership encourage students to stay involved in art and even join the Arkansas State Art + Design department after graduating high school. 

“Students not only get to view artwork at BAM, but now they have the opportunity to create work in the BAM gallery with Paden DeVita and with art professors and college art students in the Art Department at A-State,” said Callahan. “This growing partnership has fostered relationships that are invaluable to me, my colleagues and our art students at JHS. 

“Getting students on campus and engaged in such a meaningful way has no doubt drawn many of our students to attend Arkansas State for their post-secondary education. One former JHS art graduate is now working for BAM, and that is a full circle moment to celebrate.” 

This longstanding partnership is not only rewarding for the students, organizers say it is also gratifying for the BAM staff and A-State’s art students. 

“My favorite part personally are the tours,” said McMahan. “Getting to interact with and talk to the students about art and see them make art in BAM Studio is incredibly rewarding. I also get a chance to introduce them to art history in a way that maybe they find unexpectedly interesting when it has those connections to contemporary art or pop culture.” 

Both Callahan and McMahan agree that they would love to see “Inspired” continue to grow in the future by expanding to include students from more schools and younger grade levels. They also hope to create lifelong artists and learners through the program. 

“Another hope I have is that the art community is more involved in celebrating young, aspiring artists,” said Callahan. “One way to do this is to just show up to the opening reception at BAM and view the amazing artwork created by art students in our area. 

“In doing so, young artists can meet and network with artists. Seeing that art can go beyond high school and become a lifelong pursuit is something that I am always trying to show my students. Engaging with local artists and getting to talk to them about their work would be invaluable.” 

The opening reception of “Inspired 11,” this year’s exhibition, will be held on Nov. 13 from 5-7 p.m. and will remain on display until Dec. 17. Submissions are still being received. For more information on “Inspired,” please email visitBAM@astate.edu or visit Bradbury Art Museum, located in the Fowler Center at 201 Olympic Drive. BAM is open Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m.