One of the winners in the 2010 Sculpture Competition. Maritza Cornejo and Terry R. Bean’s sculpture Le Espirit Du Arkansas is no longer at the Bernice Garden.

Maritza Cornejo & Terry R. Bean from Royal Arkansas
Le Espirit Du Arkansas
Clay, Paint, & Steel
96 in. x 43 in. x 32 in.
2010 Temporary Location in Garden: West Corner

Sculpture Concept:
The United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803 and Arkansas became the twenty-fifth state with its capital in Little Rock, (originally called La Petit Roche by the french) in 1836. This 337 year connection between Arkansas and France inspired the sculpture Le Espirit Du Arkansas.

L’espirit du Arkansas is an original one of a kind sculpture that was built from the ground up with a maquette for reference. The sculpture celebrates the Louisiana Purchase from France. The female figure represents the land with a skin tone is that is terracotta. This terracotta color representing the diverse blend of American Indians, Europeans, Africans, Hispanics and Asians that created the bold innate spirit of Arkansas. The star in the female figure’s hand has the year of statehood “1836″ and the head garment forms a banner reading “Le Esprit du Arkansas!” The colors are red, white, and blue for the French, American, and Arkansas flags. The lines represent the rivers that separate the regions and boundaries of the state. The Arkansas Spirit has been with us for 174 years!
Terry R. Bean
Contact: terrybean@comcast.net
Website: www.terrybeanart.com

Artist Bio:
Terry R. Bean was born in St. Louis and moved to Arkansas when he was nine years old. He graduated from Benton Senior High School and the University of Arkansas with a BSIE and MBA. He then served in the US Army during the Vietnam era as a First Lieutenant. Afterward, he took a job with Alcoa for 28 years as International Technical Marketing Manager. His job took him to Europe, Asia and the Americas where he was able to visit the world’s finest museums and appreciate art from the masters. This experience inspired him to become a studio art major and take formal art instruction and become a professional artist.

Terry attended UALR and the school of art and design as a studio art major and became a full time professional artist. Terry’s work has been shown in Asia, Europe, and North America and his drawings, paintings and sculptures are in numerous public and private collections.

“My artwork is a striking reflection of my internal bio-energy and severe life experiences.
I express my spiritual feelings though art… time literally stands still while creating! It is the endless ideas, the sixth sense of presence, and the visual kinesis stretching my mind that I relish. This ebullient creative strength comes out in so many surprising ways; emotive, moody, or sensuous. I never know the final out-come; an ageless intuitive force takes over and moves through my eyes and finger tips to the artwork!”

Maritza Cornejo
Website: www.maritzacornejobean.com
Artist Bio:

Maritza Cornejo is an experienced sculptor and teacher with more than 25 years of experience and a contributing creative artist from an early age. She received a BFA from the School of Arts, University of Chile, and is a recipient of the coveted Friend of Art Scholarships in Santiago, Chile. Afterward, she worked as a teacher at the Experimental Artistic Lyceum in Santiago, Chile for 5 years.

In Venezuela she lived for 6 years, working at the Federico Brandt Institute and Taller Escuela Arte y Fuego. Later she opened her own sculpture studio “Taller Uno” dividing her time between sculpting and giving classes.

She has resided in the US several times from an early age including when her father studied and received an engineering and economic degree from Cornell University. She is a permanent resident of the U.S. and has given classes at the Armory Art Center in West Palm Beach, FL and the Lighthouse Art Center in Jupiter, FL since 200.3 She married and moved to Little Rock in 2009 and teaches at the LifeQuest art program in Little Rock and is a member of the Arkansas Sculpture Guild. She has freely given her time to teach underprivileged children the magic of sculpting in several countries. Maritza Cornejo’s work is held in public and private collections and is represented by the Carolyn Taylor Gallery in Hot Springs, AR.