LOCAL ABSTRACT ARTIST V.L. COX PRODUCES WORK of such striking force that it’s a pleasant surprise to learn she’s a woman—Lynnette began using her initials after learning that female artists have a harder time garnering recognition in larger cities than male artists. “I read once that less than five percent of the artists in the Modern Arts section of the Metropolitan Museum of Art are women, but 85 percent of the nudes are female,” explains Lynnette. She hasn’t noticed much difference in Central Arkansas since she began using her initials, but Lynnette says she has noticed a difference in the large, out-of-state competitions she enters. “I just don’t want my work to carry a ‘feminine’ label simply because of my name or my gender,” says Lynnette.
   Energetic and passionate, Lynnette is one of those unique artists who knew early on what she wanted to do. She began expressing herself artistically around age three and her grandmother enrolled her in art classes at her hometown’s Henderson State University when Lynnette was only 10 years old. It’s an understatement to say that Lynnette’s family has played an important role in her life—both personal and professional. “My father’s an artist, my aunt is an artist and my great-grandmother was an artist, so it kind of runs in the family,” says Lynnette. “My grandmother and my father are the two biggest influences in my life. They really pushed and encouraged me.”
   Joe Scott, the art teacher that instructed 10-year-old Lynnette later

of cooperation—if an art buyer is interested in Lynnette, Gallery Central will send them to her website or private studio, and in turn Lynnette still pays them commission and refers interested customers to the gallery.
   Lynnette says its important for local artists to use every advantage they can to get their work seen and the easiest way to do that now is through the global reach of the internet, and the art world is just now beginning to utilize the benefits of this technology. “This is the 21st century and we’re playing catch-up with the digital age. It’s changed everything completely. The whole world can now see your portfolio online when they couldn’t have ten years ago.” Lynnette jumped on the website bandwagon about six years ago after seeing an art presence on the web. “I saw that other artists had gradually started putting little blurbs up. I actually worked with a friend from college who did my website and then I locked myself in my room with a bunch of books and learned to do it myself,” says Lynnette. “You constantly have to change out the artwork and if you’re relying on someone else to change it for you, you’re going to loose time and fall behind because it changes so quickly.” Lynnette says the more she read, the more she learned and her very professional looking website (www.greatfineart.com) has made a huge difference in her career. “ I’ve gotten picked up in galleries in California in the past just by my website.” What’s almost as striking as her art is Lynnette’s

and I loved the people; it’s just that the ‘cube’ life wasn’t for me.”
   Lynnette opted to pursue her art whole-heartedly and has been a successful, full-time artist in Little Rock  for seven years, active in an art market that’s slowly taking off. “There is a much warmer art environment in Little Rock now than when I first moved here,” says Lynnette. In fact, when she first relocated to Little Rock, Lynnette told someone she was an artist wanting to do some shows and had even thought of having her own show at her private studio. The person responded by informing her she’d never sell a thing if she didn’t go through the proper local channels. “I thought, ‘Well, that’s not right. That can’t be true.’ And it wasn’t true,” says Lynnette.  “I don’t know where that came from, but it scared me a little bit.” However, she wasn’t too scared to keep plugging and her persistence has paid off.
   Perhaps it’s her background in marketing, or simply her passion, that motivates Lynnette to take a personal interest in selling her art. “When I jumped into art full-force, I realized the sky’s the limit and it’s what you make it. It doesn’t matter where you live,” says Lynnette. “You can do anything if you just don’t set limitations on yourself.” One way many local artists limit themselves is by relying too heavily on the galleries that carry their work. “Galleries are a great tool, they’re wonderful,” says Lynnette, “but you can’t put all your eggs in one basket. Gallery owners are busy and they have limited traffic flow.” Lynnette says artists should take a personal interest to place their work elsewhere—anything that can provide additional exposure— and help the galleries that carry their work. “Gallery Central in Hot Springs has worked out really well for me,” says Lynnette. “I’ve had a great working relationship with them for a long time.”   Lynnette   says   it’s   a   shared     two-way     street

  was thrilled by an invitation from Onebanc to be their first featured artist in a quarterly art installation designed to promote the arts. “I think it’s a wonderful opportunity,” says Lynnette, whose work hangs in two of the bank’s locations as a part of its permanent collection. “I like to think outside the box,” she says. “Anything different that supports the art scene, I’m more than willing to try.” The Onebanc location on West Markham each quarter will display (and hopefully sell) a large body of work by a different featured artist.
   Lynnette says that her success has come from the ability to distinguish the business side of the arts from the creative aspect. “You have to think like a business person and not an artist,” she says. “Its hard to separate the two at times when an artist is all you’ve been taught to be in school or by your surroundings. People think to be an artist you’re supposed to go hungry, do without and not be famous until you die. I just don’t think that applies anymore. You have to think like a car dealer and put your art where it’s going to sell. Marketing is huge and presentation is the key— that’s worked for me,” she says with a smile.
   After getting to know her a little better, it’s a safe assumption that Lynnette would triumph at just about anything she decided to do—she’s just got that kind of personality. Not just satisfied with her own level of accomplishment, Lynnette’s also interested in supporting fellow artists and helping the arts scene as a whole. She’s often hosted art shows at her own studio, inviting other artists to participate and she’s also a big supporter of a new arts-oriented monthly event called Argenta Adventure, centered in North Little Rock’s historic Argenta District. (See page 4 for information.) “We’re all working toward the same goal,” says Lynnette, “and we can all help each other succeed.”

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