Sandra Sell

A native of New Hampshire, Sandra Sell grew up with a passion for visually emulating nature and constructing objects. Upon completing a career in the military, Sell relocated to Arkansas where she earned a M.A. in Art from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. With experience in drawing, painting, and sculpture, she strives to convey the observations of her emotional responses to life in her work. Sell’s commitment to her profession as an artist spurs her to continually seek new and creative opportunities. In continuing her development as an artist, Sell served as studio assistant for Stoney Lamar and Brent Skidmore at the Penland School of Crafts, N.C. and as an apprentice to artist Robyn Horn in Little Rock, AR. Sell is also enthusiastic about sharing her creative process through artist residencies, teaching, demonstrations, and by speaking to arts organizations and groups such as the Friends of Contemporary Craft (FOCC), an affiliate group of the Arkansas Arts Center. Since 2007, Sell’s work has been included in over 35 exhibits in the U.S. Recent exhibitions include: Meredith Sculpture Walk, Greater Meredith Program, Meredith, NH (2020 2021); Part to Whole: The Making of Art, the Artist and the Artist Group (2019), Galleries Library Square, Little Rock, AR; 61st Annual Delta Exhibition, (2019) Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock, AR; Craft Forms 2018, Wayne Art Center, Wayne PA; A participating artist of, Wake by Mel Chin, (2018) Times Square New York, NY, Materials: Hard + Soft International Contemporary Craft Competition and Exhibition (2017, 2018), Greater Denton Arts Council, Denton, TX; Women’s Works 30th , 31st & 32nd Anniversary, (2017, 2018) The Old Court House Art Center, Woodstock, IL; Small Works (2015, 2018, 2019), The National Association of Women Artists, Inc. (NAWA), New York, NY; Curiosity Revealed (2016), Thea Foundation, North Little Rock, AR; Merging Form and Surface (2016), Pulaski Technical College Center for Humanities and Arts, North Little Rock, AR;  Longevity (2015), Arkansas Capital Corporation Group, Little Rock, AR; Solo Show (2015), River Valley Arts Center, Russellville, AR;  Edges & Lines, National Juried Exhibition (2015), Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts, Fredericksburg, VA;  Annual Juried Art National Exhibition (2015, 2019), South Arkansas Arts Center (SAAC), El Dorado, AR;  The Penland Experience (2015), University of Arkansas at Little Rock, AR; Salvage: Reclaiming Recycling (2009), National Juried Exhibition, The Phillips Museum of Art, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA; and others. Sell’s work is also included in the permanent collections of the Arkansas Arts Center, the University of Arkansas in Little Rock, and the Historic Arkansas Museum, along with many private collections.

What are the things that inspire you the most and why?

I am inspired by observation of relatable shapes that can be found all around. Also relationships between plant growth and human learning. Then expressing those observations and stages in my work.

In one sentence, describe your studio.

Eclectic collection of tools and art supplies and works of art in multiple stages of completion.

What are things that MUST be in your studio?

The items in my studio range greatly for different mediums, there is always a sketchpad around to capture a thought, or to make a list of things to do. It wouldn’t be my space if there weren’t components and parts of some broken item that has been taken apart to better understand how it worked. Coffee is a must.