Monthly Archives: October 2011

Arts & Humanities Month: Rowher Art Exhibit at Arkansas Studies Institute

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The Arkansas Studies Institute (ASI) is a collaboration between the Central Arkansas Library System’s Butler Center for Arkansas Studies and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Rohwer Camp #23 artist unknown

In addition to being a repository for historical collections, the ASI houses four art galleries, , featuring the work of Arkansas artists and art related to the state. The exhibit galleries feature rotating exhibits including works from the CALS permanent collection.

Currently on display is the multi-media exhibit entitled “The Art of Living: Japanese American Creative Experience at Rowher.”  Curated by Butler Center staff from the Mabel Rose Jamison Vogel/Rosalie Santine Gould Collection, it showcases art created by internees at the Rohwer Relocation Center in Desha County and tells the story of creativity in the face of dire circumstances. It is on display through November 26.

 

Also on display at the ASI are the following exhibits:

  • Thomas Harding, Pinhole Photography – October 14 – December 31
  • Arkansas Pastel Society’s National Exhibition – October 14 – January 14
  • Leon Niehues: 21st Century Basketmaker – October 14 – January 28

Designed by the architectural firm of Polk Stanley Wilcox, the ASI campus is comprised of three buildings from three different centuries which were combined seamlessly.  In recognition of this effort, the Arkansas Studies Institute (ASI) received the 2011 AIA/ALA Library Building Award—one of only five awards given worldwide. The award, presented every two years by the national American Institute of Architects and the American Library Association, honors excellence in the architectural design and planning of libraries.

“We worked diligently to design a facility that would both connect the public with Arkansas’s rich history and enliven the streetscape, drawing people in,” said Reese Rowland, project design principal with Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects. “This national recognition is a testament to the public’s trust and continued investment in one of our community’s most critical assets, the public library. Our firm takes great pride in contributing to that trust. It’s always an honor to work with the visionary leadership at CALS.”

Arts & Humanities Month: Clinton Presidential Center

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The William J. Clinton Presidential Center offers visitors a variety of permanent and temporary exhibits, lectures, the official archives of the Clinton presidency, special events and a restaurant.

The facility consists of 20,000 square feet of exhibit space, including a White House Cabinet Room reconstruction and a full-scale replica of the Oval Office. The permanent exhibits are divided into the following areas: the Campaign, Inauguration, the Vice President, White House at Work, Life in the White House, and the Work Continues.  There is also a film produced by award-winning filmmaker Harry Thomason which introduces visitors to Clinton and the Clinton Library.  (As hard as it is to believe, there are now voters who were born during the Clinton White House years.)

LEGO Clinton Library

Currently the temporary exhibit “Nathan Sawaya’s Art of the Brick” features a variety of structures that this lawyer-turned-artist has created out of LEGOs.

LEGO Clinton portrait

The Clinton President Center is open for exhibits from 9am to 5pm on Monday through Saturday and from 1pm to 5pm on Sunday.  Prices range from $3 to $7 with active US military and children under 6 admitted for free.

Forty-Two is the restaurant at the Clinton Presidential Center.  It is open from 11am to 2pm seven days a week.  Lunch is served Mondays through Saturdays with a brunch served on Sunday.  Forty-Two also offers special events such as cooking demonstrations, kids chef camps, and Around the World Thursdays one night each month.

LEGO Clinton Museum Store

The Clinton Museum Store is located down the street from the Clinton Presidential Center. It is open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 5:30pm, and Sunday from 2pm to 5:30pm. It is the official gift shop of the Clinton Presidential Center.  (Federal law prohibits the sale of merchandise on National Archives property.)  It features a variety of merchandise celebrating not only the Clinton presidency, but also politics, political parties (Democrat and Republican), and issues which are important to Bill Clinton.

Arts & Humanities Month: Historic Arkansas Museum

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Arkansas’ frontier history is on display at Historic Arkansas Museum in downtown Little Rock.  A museum of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, Historic Arkansas Museum (or HAM as it affectionately known) works as both a history and a historic site musem to preserve and interpret the early history of Arkansas.  Bill Worthen, whose roots in Arkansas go back to the 18th century, serves as Executive Director of HAM.

A centerpiece for HAM is the tours of four restored early 19th century structures.  Guided tours are offered daily on the hour, except noon.  The structures are the Hinderliter Grog Shop, the Brownlee House, the Woodruff Print Shop and the McVicar House.  Across the street from the original block, there are also the Plum Bayou Farm House and the 1850s Farmstead.  The newest structure is the Blacksmith Forge.

While perhaps best known for its historic houses, HAM is home to a variety of galleries with exhibits. Among its galleries are exhibits of Arkansas Art (in the Trinity Gallery for Arkansas Artists), the Sturgis Children’s Gallery, the Knife Gallery and the Horace C. Cabe Gallery.  Currently the Cabe Gallery is host to Reel to Real: Gone with the Wind & The Civil War in Arkansas which examines not only artifacts from the Academy Award winning film, but juxtaposes them with artifacts from Arkansas life during the Civil War.  The exhibit We Walk in Two Worlds tells the story of the first Native Arkansans, the Caddo, Osage and Quapaw Indian tribes from early times to today.

On Saturdays in October, HAM is playing host to “Step Back Saturdays: At the Forge.” The Step Back Saturdays program takes place each Saturday from March through October.  This month’s theme is “At the Forge.”  Programs are at 10:45, 11:45, 1:45, 2:45 and 3:45.

On Sunday, October 23, HAM will offer its members a Pie Party from 2pm to 3:30pm.  For more information on becoming a member and supporting all of HAM’s endeavors, call 501-324-9351.

Historic Arkansas Museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 5pm and Sunday from 1pm to 5pm.  There is no cost to tour the galleries, but tours of the historic structures range from $1 to $2.50.

Arts & Humanities Month: AAC Children’s Theatre presents CINDERELLA

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The Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre continues its 2011-2012 season with the new original musical Cinderella: A Rockin’ New Musical in 3D.

Under the direction of Artistic Director Bradley Anderson, the Children’s Theatre (founded in 1979) continues its mission of entertaining children and adults with new takes on old tales.  Written by the Children’s Theatre resident playwright Keith Smith, the show opens today and runs through November 6.  It was inspired by the classic tale of Cinderella as told by Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm.  This production is sponsored by Metropolitan National Bank.

Cinderella is the second of six shows in the Children’s Theatre 2011-2012 season.  In addition, the Children’s Theatre presents the Summer Theatre Academy, Summer Arts Academy, Children’s Theatre on Tour and a variety of workshops throughout the state throughout the year.  This is one of the many artistic and educational programs of the Arkansas Arts Center under the leadership of Todd Herman.

Arts & Humanities Month: Museum of Discovery

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The Museum of Discovery, which has its roots as Little Rock’s oldest museum, is currently closed for renovations.  First founded in the 1920s by Bernie Babcock in a streetfront store, it later was housed in Little Rock City Hall and for many years called the old Arsenal building in MacArthur Park its home. In the 1990s, it moved to the burgeoning River Market district as an anchor tenant in the Museum Center building.

In April 2011, the museum closed for a reimagination of its space in the building.  Once it reopens to the public in early 2012, the Museum of Discovery will, for the first time in 85 years have a streetfront entrance.  Once inside, visitors will experience Arkansas’ premier science center with exhibits geared to all ages from pre-school up to adulthood.  This expansion and renovation was made possible through the support of the hundreds of donors, the tireless efforts of a Board of Directors, the generosity of the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, support of the City of Little Rock and the vision and leadership of Nan Selz, the museum’s executive director.

While the museum is closed, its camps, traveling exhibits and participation in the Arkansas Discovery Network has continued.  Special events such as Dino Dash and Uncorked have continued as well.  Tonight, the 2011 edition of Uncorked takes place.  With the theme “Mad Scientist Mash” it takes place at the Clinton Presidential Center, just down the street from the Museum’s location.

Arts & Humanities Month: Central Arkansas Library System

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Just over 100 years ago, a Carnegie library was founded in Little Rock as the first Public Library. After ebbing and flowing in two different locations on Louisiana Street in downtown, it has now blossomed into the Central Arkansas Library System.

In addition to the Main Library, which was a catalyst for the redevelopment of the River Market District, there are currently eleven other branches in Little Rock, other parts of Pulaski County, and one in neighboring Perry County.

Not content with merely being a place for people to check out books, CALS also houses the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture, the Cox Creative Center, the Darragh Center, the Arkansas Studies Institute, Butler Center Books and the Arkansas Literary Festival. Among the annual programs presented by CALS are the Rabbi Ira Sanders Lecture, and the Booker Worthen Literary Prize.

Under the leadership of Dr. Bobby Roberts, CALS has become a living, breathing entity with dynamic programming for patrons from pre-school to well-seasoned. A perfect example is that on October 27 at the Main Library there is a Halloween costume contest for kids as well as a lecture entitled “Was There Really a Female Pope?”

Arts & Humanities Month: Governor’s Arts Awards

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Governor Mike Beebe and the Arkansas Arts Council are presenting the Governor’s Arts Awards at a ceremony and luncheon today in Little Rock. The recipients include:

  • LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Vincent Insalaco – North Little Rock
  • ARTS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AWARD: John Gaudin – North Little Rock
  • ARTS IN EDUCATION AWARD: Nicole Capri – Little Rock
  • CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP OF THE ARTS AWARD: Thoma Thoma – Little Rock
  • FOLKLIFE AWARD: Mike Shirkey – Fayetteville
  • INDIVIDUAL ARTIST AWARD: Larry Foley – Fayetteville
  • PATRON AWARD: Hershey and Denise Garner – Fayetteville
  • JUDGES’ SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD: Claire Haun – North Little Rock

The awards are sponsored by the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage.  The Governor’s Arts Awards recognize individuals and corporations for their outstanding contributions to the arts in Arkansas. The recipients were nominated by the public and then selected by an independent panel of arts professionals from around the state. Each recipient will receive an original work of art created by Arkansas artist Winston Taylor of Russellville, recipient of the 2011 Arkansas Living Treasure award.

Also at the luncheon, the recipients of the Individual Artist Fellowships will be recognized.  This year’s recipients are:

MUSIC COMPOSITION

  • Richard Salonen – Farmington
  • Rena Wren – Hot Springs
  • Shannon Wurst – Fayetteville

POETRY

  • Mary Angelino – Fayetteville
  • J. Camp Brown – Fort Smith
  • Cynthia King – Fayetteville

SCULPTURE/INSTALLATION ART

  • Ty Brunson – Russellville
  • John Rankine – Eureka Springs
  • Cary Voss – Conway