First things first, thanks to your contributions to the Artifact & Memorabilia Fund, we were able to frame another Brewer Painting! The largest one yet.

Recently, the Friends of Dreamland was lucky enough to receive another donated work of art from local artist John Goodwin. The donated painting, Dreamland, depicts what can best be described as the ‘feeling’ of the Dreamland Ballroom, especially if you know anything about its legacy and/or have seen it all dressed up for a party. The painting is an excellent example of Goodwins artistic focus on wonder and whimsy. This painting is featured in the 50th issue of Artistonish, a monthly art magazine. We are so grateful to John for loving Dreamland and trusting us with his work. Another fabulous piece for our collection of Arkansan art!

John Goodwin earned a BFA in Graphic Design from Louisiana Tech University and lives in Little Rock. Most of his career was spent working in sales for the photography, pre-press and printing industries, where he specialized in fine art reproductions, but he is now working as a full-time artist himself.

His art is meant to convey a sense of wonder and whimsy, and his influences come mostly from music and pop culture. He is a collector of Silver Age comic books, and that graphic sensibility shows in his paintings as well. He uses strong, pure colors that pop and it’s not uncommon for him to use musical notes, impact marks, star shapes, swirls, and other graphic elements commonly found in comics. They add a touch of fantasy to an image that might be considered somewhat realistically rendered to create a fantasy realism.

John was the official artist for the world renown King Biscuit Blues Festival for three years in a row and has also produced poster art for other music festivals. His work has been featured in the Hot Springs Area Cultural Alliance's Arts & The Park outdoor exhibit, in the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum’s “Inclusive” exhibit, and in multiple online group exhibitions by Gallerium and HMVC Gallery New York. His artwork has been published in the international art magazine Artistonish, and he has paintings in the permanent collection of the Delta Cultural Center Museum.