Salty Artists: Taya Covey
By Cody Berry
Taya Covey grew up in Paron, Arkansas in Saline County. Covey earned a Bachelor of Social Work from UA-Little Rock in 2022. After having her daughter, Covey returned to school to complete her Master of Social work degree. Covey is now a licensed mental health therapist at Chenal Family Therapy in West Little Rock.1
Covey said that she took every art class she could and found the process to be cathartic. In her words, “I’ve always been drawn to creating, and art has provided me with a meaningful outlet for both self-expression and stress relief.”2 Covey also learned about art from her “Nanny Kay,” who taught her painting techniques and encouraged her to create.
Now, Covey uses art to cope with the demands of everyday life. In her own words, “As a mental health therapist, I spend much of my time helping others process difficult emotions, and painting allows me to slow down, recharge, and reconnect with my own creativity. I hope the pieces I create bring the same sense of peace and joy to others that the process brings to me.”3
Covey contributed three of her paintings to our “Salty Art” exhibit. They depict a Chihuahua dog, a Mack truck with a trailer, and a group of brightly colored flowers. Covey’s paintings have been very popular. We’ve placed her two larger pieces together, along with some bauxite samples found at the museum. Her smaller painting of flowers sits with some pottery made by Kara Redman of Haskell. Our “Salty Art” display closes on August 21st.
Citations:
1 Conversation with Taya Covey, 6/30/2026; “Taya Covey, Therapist,” Chenal Family Therapy, https://chenaltherapy.com/taya-covey/, Date Accessed 6/30/2026.
2 Conversation with Taya Covey, 6/30/2026.
3 Conversation with Taya Covey, 6/30/2026.