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Cody Norton

Somewhere, Inbetween

 

The Batesville Area Arts Council is pleased to present Somewhere, Inbetween, an exhibition by Cody Norton, from October 6 to November 20, 2026. Join us Friday, November 20 from 5-7 p.m. for the closing reception, and 6 p.m. for a brief artist talk. 

Artist Statement

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As an interdisciplinary artist, my work examines the ways humans intervene in and disrupt ecosystems across North America, with particular focus on the hunting industry in the United States. I am interested in how marginalized groups, such as queer individuals, challenge and reshape heteronormative, white male-dominated spaces. Drawing on my own experiences within the hunting community and my queer identity, I aim to amplify the visibility of the “queer hunter,” exploring how these pockets of community create space for underrepresented voices. My practice seeks to elevate and honor this specific intersection of identity and environment.

At the same time, my work investigates the intersections of rural identity and queerness, exploring how these elements coexist, conflict, and shape a sense of self and place. Growing up on a rural farm in Texas, I engage with materials and techniques tied to agrarian life—leatherworking, taxidermy, and woodworking—as both medium and metaphor. Through these materials, I question traditional notions of rural craftsmanship and its relationship to identity, memory, and survival.

My installations often weave personal narratives with broader historical and cultural contexts, creating dialogues between past and present, folklore and hidden histories, and contemporary concerns. By doing so, I encourage viewers to reconsider preconceived notions of rural life, queerness, and the tensions that emerge at their intersection, highlighting how identity, place, and practice are deeply intertwined.

Biography

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Cody Norton is an Elgin, Texas-born artist and Assistant Professor of Art at Lyon College in Batesville, Arkansas. He earned his BFA in Painting and Drawing from the University of North Texas and his MFA in Sculpture and Post-Studio Practice from the University of Colorado Boulder. Norton's work explores rural queer experience, environmental concerns, and the intersections of field-based research and contemporary art practice.

He has exhibited nationally and internationally in cities including London, New York, Toronto, Glasgow, São Paulo, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Denver, and Boulder. Notable exhibitions include RUINS: Performing Queer History (Union Hall, Denver, and East Window Gallery, Boulder), the Mountain Plains Contemporary Arts Biennale (Selina Arts Center), and Reel Queer Film Festival (Little Rock – selected Best Arkansas Short Film). His work has been published in Art X Climate, the U.S. Global Change Research Program (Fifth National Climate Assessment), with the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Norton has participated in residencies and fellowships such as the Brakhage Center for Media Arts Residency, the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve Artist Residency, M.T. Ligget Artist in Residence, and the Nature, Environment, Science, and Technology (NEST) Fellowship. He has also worked as an artist and research assistant with Anna Tsouhlarakis, M12 Studio, and Alicia Eggert, contributing to projects that combine environmental research with contemporary art practice.

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Batesville Area Arts Council

226 E Main Street, Batesville, AR 72501
info@batesvilleareaartscouncil.org

870-793-3382

Sunday – Monday

Tuesday – Friday

Saturday

Closed

10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

© 2026 Batesville Area Arts Council

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