Miller Branch Library Artist of the Month – Leslie Stewart

Leslie Stewart is an artist and painter who lives and works in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Her passion for recycling and repurposing can be seen in her use of materials. She purchases canvases at garage sales to repurpose and adds newspaper, fingernail polish, and anything else she finds inspiring.

Flowers are a favorite subject matter, as it links her to her mother’s love of gardening. Her ideas are inspired by life and allow her to show the world through her eyes. As the artist explains, “We all have a story, and my art is an opportunity to tell my life’s story. It's not political but meant to inspire and bring joy to the viewer."

As a child, Stewart could be found creating her own style of art through imagination and repurposing items. As an adult, Stewart has shared her creativity with thousands of children through her career as an elementary educator. She has worked as a classroom teacher and now as an art teacher for the last 25 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education and a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Art education fell into her lap and as she describes, “Teaching art is a prayer I never knew I had.”