Steve Chism: Selected Works
Many students and alumni will remember the helpful assistance that Steve Chism provided at the main desk in Mullins Library, even if they never knew his name. Others may have discovered his paintings on magnolia leaves, or found art creations of wire, bark, CD-ROM discs, photocopies. and other ephemera in Wilson Park, on the Fayetteville Square, or scattered around campus. This online exhibit features some of Steve's works on permanent display in Mullins Library, as well as pieces cherished by his colleagues.
Steve Chism was a member of the library faculty at the University of Arkansas for twenty six years. He published journal articles and three books, his favorite a dictionary of palindromes, From A to Zotamorf. Students, faculty, and community members enjoyed Steve's friendly and patient help at the Reference Desk. Frequently in coffee shops, restaurants, and stores, former students approached to thank Steve for how much he had helped them. He especially took time with new students, showing them how to find information in the "stacks" and in databases.
Art was one of Steve's hobbies--he had two solo shows in University galleries. Pieces of his art can be found in the University Libraries and in the homes of many friends. Some of his imaginative works were fashioned from found objects.
We invite you to submit images of your own Steve Chism works to be added to this online collection. Contact us at libweb@uark.edu to submit images.
Find more information at https://libraries.uark.edu/info/exhibitgallery.asp?ExhibitID=105.
(Click thumbnail image to enlarge.)
Sally Long Stepping Out into the World
Steve admired how his mother and other women of her generation moved forward from their rural domestic upbringing to pursue careers (in his mother's case to become a teacher and his aunt who became a nurse). Notice in the background the young woman with a wind-up key on her back, what Sally was moving away from becoming -- a domestic automata.
High Tech Balance Bars for High Tech Gymnasts
Steve enjoyed creating a new look for recycled digital storage media (like CDs, laser disks, and their replacement DVDs). He made many of these and gave them to friends. He made others that looked like digital stained glass. Courtesy of Andrea Cantrell