Sheila Cotton Art

Following studies in France and Mexico, and living in Canada and Florida, artist Sheila Cotton returned to her native Arkansas and began painting her vision of the Southern landscape in all its color, mystery and eccentricities.

This vibrant body of work – “almost surreal in intensity, infused with spirit” (Ellis Widner, ArtBeat, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette) – is represented in many significant art collections and is acclaimed by Cotton’s inclusion in the Encyclopedia of Arkansas.

Read Cotton’s entry in the Encyclopedia of Arkansas here and her interview with the Arkansas Arts Scene Blog here.

The Arkansas Arts Council has awarded the 2026 esteemed Governor's Art Award to Sheila Cotton celebrating her "evocative works that honor Arkansas' natural beauty, cultural memory and enduring sense of place."

September - October, 2026, Cotton’s “Southern Scenes” will be featured in a solo museum exhibition at the South Arkansas Arts Center in El Dorado, Arkansas