Lyon College Announces ScotsFest Artist Katie Lockhart
BATESVILLE, Arkansas—Lyon College recently announced the selection of mixed-media artist Katie Lockhart of Cave City as the featured artist for ScotsFest, the 44th annual Arkansas Scottish Festival and Lyon College Homecoming. This highly anticipated event will be Oct. 18-20 on the campus of Lyon College, 2300 Highland Rd., Batesville.
Lockhart, an Arkansas-based artist and Lyon College alumna, draws inspiration from the tranquil, slow-paced life of small-town living. Her recent move back to her childhood home has sparked a profound exploration of simpler times and cherished memories, which she vividly captures in her latest body of work. Lockhart’s evolution as an artist is marked by personal growth, leading to a unique mixed-media approach that combines expressive mark-making with the tactile beauty of hand embroidery.
Professor of Art Dustyn Bork, who taught Lockhart during her time at Lyon College, expressed his enthusiasm for her selection as the featured artist.
“Katie’s work is a beautiful blend of personal history and artistic expression,” said Bork. “Her ability to weave together memories with innovative techniques reflects her growth as an artist and the deep connection she has to her roots. We’re thrilled to showcase her work at ScotsFest this year.”
Executive Director of Alumni Engagement Cindy Barber highlighted the significance of having an alumna featured at such an important event.
“ScotsFest is a celebration of our community and heritage, and having Katie return as the featured artist adds a special layer of meaning,” said Barber. “Her journey, both personal and artistic, resonates with so many of our alumni who cherish their time at Lyon College and the impact it continues to have on their lives.”
Attendees of ScotsFest will have the exclusive opportunity to experience Lockhart’s latest collection, which she describes as a deeply personal reflection of her journey back to her roots.
“The older I get, the more I appreciate my peace,” Lockhart shared. “Moving back to my childhood home and raising my kids on the same land where I grew up has brought back a flood of memories. This body of work explores those memories and all the things I hold dear about this place.”
Lockhart’s artistic journey has been deeply influenced by significant life events, including the loss of her father and the return to her childhood home. These experiences have led her to embrace a more liberated approach to her art, as she explains: “The journey I have been on has taught me to loosen the reins on my own life. This is reflected in my artwork as I embrace looser mark-making and unleash the potential I had in the death grip on my tiny paintbrush. For this collection, I picked up my palette knife, my ‘fancy crayons,’ and my sewing basket to create pieces that authentically reflect the many parts of myself and the place that made me who I am.”
Katie Lockhart’s work can be explored further at www.katielockhartfineart.com.
Lockhart will be honored at the 2024 Alumni Awards Banquet on Friday, Oct. 18, at 6 p.m. in the Garner Recreation Center in the Becknell Gymnasium. For tickets, visithttps://shorturl.at/23Ld9.
Lyon College invites everyone to join the celebration at ScotsFest 2024, where tradition meets innovation in a weekend filled with Scottish heritage, art and community spirit.
For more information, please visit ARScottishFest.com.
Cathy Drew is a lifelong resident of the region that she loves to promote. She was born in downtown Batesville in the late ’60s, located in one of the eight counties she now enjoys encouraging people to visit.
Drew became associated with the Ozark Gateway Region in 1990 while working at the ad agency (The Media Market Inc.). The agency handled marketing for the regional association, where she and her co-workers produced an annual tabloid publication. She began working as the Ozark Gateway Region director in June 2000.
After Drew became director, she took the region to the next level by helping the tourism organization create a new website and moved it from the old newspaper paper tabloid publication to a color magazine format. She helped open a visitor center for the Ozark Gateway, allowing visitors to pick up information from the entire state 24/7. Over the years, Drew has helped the organization meet new marketing goals, such as in- and out-of-state marketing, assuring that all 100,000 copies of their magazines are distributed each year.
In 2016, she assisted in creating the first Ozark Gateway Region Golf Classic. The tournament continues to grow each year, allowing the organization to expand its co-op program and helping each county have dedicated promotion. Drew stays busy at Ozark Gateway as the ad sales manager, magazine editor, day-to-day office operations, trade show representative, and magazine distribution representative, all while ensuring that the region is represented all over Arkansas and southern Missouri.
Drew was featured in several local and statewide publications over the years, as well as the 1997 cover of the Ozark Gateway Region tabloid, along with her then 4-year-old son, Jon. She has received several awards, such as the Batesville Rotarian of the Year in 2010 and a three-time Paul Harris Fellow.
She also has served as an Independence County election commissioner for several years. She now serves as their co-election coordinator, helping with behind-the-scenes management of voting equipment, day-to-day election deadlines, and poll worker training.
Drew is Batesville Rotary Club Past President, and is the Rotary Clubs’ current membership chair.
In March of 2018, Drew was honored with induction into the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame for her many years of dedicated service to the tourism industry.