Chamber Now Displaying a Collection from Local Artist Deb Manley

Each quarter, the Chamber of Commerce displays a new collection from a local artist represented by?Art Ventures. This quarter, the Chamber is displaying the artwork of Deb Manley.

Manley was born in Little Rock and raised in California. She moved to Fayetteville in 1984 and considers it home. As a first-generation college graduate from the University of Arkansas, she studied studio art and creative writing. She primarily uses graphite and ink in her artwork but also enjoys charcoal, watercolor, pastels, acrylics, freehand embroidered portraits, mixed media, and digital art. She has enjoyed sketching people, her favorite subject since she was a young girl.

About her artwork, she writes, "Figure drawing is what interests me. I would rather draw or paint someone with unusual physical qualities, interesting body language, rather than the normally accepted concept of beauty. I'm attracted to an averted gaze, a defiant stance, slumped shoulders, a tilt of the head - faces and body language that reveal a truth, sexuality, or emotions either dark or light. I am drawn to muses who evoke a sense of connection to my own and others' experiences and feelings. Most importantly I look for heart...I want a resemblance to my subject matter, but also something deeper, something that evokes a relatable feeling in me and the viewer."

17 pieces of Manley's artwork are currently available for public view at the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce.?Click here?to learn more about the artist and to view or purchase pieces from the collection.