Playing Around: Toys Designed by Artists is curated by Alan DuBois, Curator of Decorative Arts at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock. The exhibition features fifty inventive, uniquely designed, and skillfully handcrafted toys. The works embrace the tradition ofhandmade toys before the advent ofplastic materials and mass production. Selected from the permanent collection at the Arkansas Arts Center, thesetoys stimulate the imagination and engage visitors with objects that are whimsical, amusing, and thought provoking. Also traveling with the exhibition are hands-on toys, allowing visitors the enjoyment of actually playing with toys that are similar to the ones in the exhibition. Two artists, Jim Bartz and Meg Whitney, have contributed toys for this activity. The remaining toys are commercially made and have moveable or mechanical parts for visitors to manipulate.

The toys vary in theme, materials, and utility. Some toys in this exhibition are not meant to “work.” relving more on improvisation and cleverness. Some are inspired by traditional toy making ofpast generations, while others are constructedfrom the creative problem-solving process that is fundamental to artists. Some toys are made from found objects, while others are meticulously crafted from fiber, glass, metal, and wood. These toys are unconstrained by the current manufacturing standards that are prevalent in the mass-produced and marketed toys of today. Instead, there is a strong sense of the artist’s personality and identity in these works.

The artists in this exhibition are mostly teachers of art, students, active and retired art professionals, amateurs, and hobbyists. They come from al over theUnited States. They like to set challenges for themselves, delight in what they make, and like to see joy in the eyes of the beholder. Many like to share an infectious sense of humor and a touch of make-believe.

The Arkansas Arts Center began the annual Toys Designed by Artists Exhibition in 1973 as an initiative of the center’s education department to offer a hands-on gallery experience for visiting families. In response to a national expansion of the museum educator’s role, the handmade toys created by Arkansas artists were used to educate the museum’s audience about the principles of art and design and to promote creativity outside the museum walls. The annual event quickly expanded beyond the boundaries of Arkansas and is now a national juried competition. It may be the only exhibition of its kind in the United States with such a long, continuous history.

Photos courtesy of Adam Willis.

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