Feminine Nature

Women of the Ozarks is a collaborative show at Ozark Beer Company featuring female artists from the Ozark Mountain region of Arkansas. Our mission is to spotlight local, female-identifying artists, to bring Northwest Arkansas meaningful art in various media, and to provide an opportunity for our community to engage with local artists, and one another. Women of the Ozarks was founded by Tram Colwin and Claire Pongonis, who are visual artists, art educators, and advocates for sharing art with Northwest Arkansas.

Our 2024 inaugural exhibition will present a collection of art from 6 incredibly talented artists working in various media, as they express their unique interpretation of the show’s theme, “Feminine Nature”.
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Tram Colwin is a Vietnamese-American watercolor artist, educator, and small business owner. Her art highlights her love of nature and the beauty found there. Tram grew up in Northwest Arkansas when her family immigrated here in 1996. She is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University with a BA in Fine Arts, where she
was named Outstanding Senior Artist. Recently awarded the Community Activator Grant through Mid-America Art Alliance Artists 360. Her work has been featured in magazines including FLUX Hawaii and At Home Arkansas. As an advocate of the creativity community, Tram helped co-found the Creative Social Retreat and Women of the Ozarks. In her free time she enjoyed spending time with her husband, family, and friends, exploring the outdoors and the foodie spots in Northwest Arkansas.
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As a visual artist, I am deeply inspired by the beauty and complexity of the natural world around us, and the deep meaning held in simple, everyday objects. Using watercolor, I create works that explore the intricacies of my subjects to find beauty and truth. Focusing on details and symbolism, my aim is to tell a story as it ties to my personal belief of Divine design, its mystery, our connection to it, and to one another.

In exploring the theme of ‘Feminine Nature’ in my paintings, I sought to capture the essence of womanhood through portraits of women embodying qualities I deeply admire: Resilience, Kindness, Wisdom, and Sisterhood. Drawing inspiration from the rich symbolism of botanicals native to Arkansas and the Ozarks, each portrait is adorned with carefully chosen flowers and foliage, symbolizing these attributes across cultures and folklore. Through this synthesis of character and natural elements, I aim to celebrate the profound beauty and strength inherent in feminine identity.