In 2004, Lynn Reagan convinced her sister Elizabeth “Sissy” Bingham to accompany her to an art class at the Creative Arts Center in East Dallas. They created their first piece together, an endeavor that seemed unusual in a field driven predominantly by individual vision and creativity. Luckily, the sisters were driven by an equally formidable motivator — their mother. By giving her their first mosaic, “Flowers for Mom,” Reagan and Bingham claim to have earned a lifetime supply of brownie points.
Turns out, the women received more than just maternal pride. They found a common passion and a new adventure.
Their mirrored sculpture “Timeless” stands in the 2011 State Fair “Friends of Lottie Sculpture Garden,” illustrating the artistic growth and personal transformation of the self-proclaimed “sisters in art.” It speaks of the AB Rockin’ Artists studio they opened in Little Forest Hills and Bingham’s mastery of the glass medium. It speaks of the students they’ve taught and the progress they’ve made. Standing 7 feet tall, the sculpture is their first modern piece.
When asked why they continue to place their creations, year after year, under the watchful eye of Big Tex, Bingham speaks, quite naturally, of relationships and art.
“We just love the fact that people are coming to this part of the fair,” says Bingham, but this is her secondary explanation. Her first reason?
“We love Lottie.”
Lottie Minick, local artist and the garden’s namesake, is a good friend of Reagan and Bingham. Their support of her is indicative of their general mindset. For the sisters in art, the end result seems to be only as strong as the relationships that shaped it.
