Historic Arkansas Museum announces the latest exhibit in the Trinity Gallery for Arkansas Artists to debut during February's 2nd Friday Art Night.

Mismatch brings together the work of husband-and-wife artists Eliseo Casiano and Abigail Smithson in a celebration of everything that doesn’t quite fit. In many ways, Eliseo and Abigail are an unlikely pair, themselves: in culture and upbringing, personal preferences, and modes of expression, they diverge. But in a culture that often rewards similarity, Mismatch serves as a reminder that the adage, “opposites attract,” delivers metaphorical and objective wisdom – in relationships and magnetism the strongest bonds form between things that are different. On a basketball court, on a paint palette, and even in an investment portfolio, diversity can be advantageous.

Eliseo and Abigail ‘record lived experiences as they visualize them’ through paintings, drawings, and alternative photography methods. They use personal and historical archives as a source of inspiration, and the art objects they create become documents that contribute to those collections. Casiano and Smithson share a deep reverence for the importance of friends, family, and ancestors, and how those relationships become enmeshed over time. Though they sometimes explore similar concepts, the contributions that emerge through their artistic practices are unique to each person.

Eliseo Casiano and Abigail Smithson each earned an MFA at Louisiana State University in 2018 and 2017, respectively. Eliseo is Gallery Manager at the Batesville Area Arts Council, and he teaches part-time in the Fine Arts program at Lyon College. Abigail is Visiting Assistant Professor of Art at Lyon College in Batesville. Both artists exhibit widely in the United States.

This exhibit will be on display Friday, Feb. 10 through Sunday, May 21.