Arden Carlson is an artist primarily working with wood, drawing, and farming. They currently live in the Northwest Arkansas region with roots tied firmly to the Kentucky pennyrile.  

Alongside their current participation with the Center for Arkansas Farms and Food, Carlson recently earned their MFA in Sculpture, graduating in early 2024. While attending the University of Arkansas, Carlson produced their thesis work, Passages, under the guidance of faculty advisors Bethany Springer, Renata Cassiano Alvarez, and Kes Efstathiou. In Passages, a blend of traditional craftsmanship & modern technique weaves the intricate narratives of queer-southern living.

Additionally, while working towards their thesis, Carlson was also a key figure in the 2023 Banner Project, a series of tender quilted banners that responded to Arkansas SB43, a bill that threatened to limit the public expression of queer and trans individuals within the state of Arkansas.

Across their work at-large, Arden’s creative work draws upon the entangled fields that grow as a result of endured connection with place. Whilst the rural-accented subjects speak specifically to the pastoral and domestic, underpinnings of belief, grief, and love span a wider reach than the boundaries of geography. 

This summer (alongside a lot of fishing off the bank) Arden is a resident at the Eureka Springs School of the Arts. They are also exhibiting in Chosen Families at the Medium, a group show with five other esteemed artists: Sandrine Schaefer, Yvette Cummings, Jim Arendt, Anthony Sonnenberg, and Amber Imrie.

CV

arricarlson@gmail.com