Monthly Archives: September 2012

Sculpture Vulture: Michael Warrick’s VISIONARY

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Today’s Sculpture Vulture features Michael Warrick’s Visionary. This bronze cast sculpture depicts a head with eyes closed. The sculpture is a permanent installation in the Bernice Garden on South Main Street.

The sculpture was created by Michael Warrick. It is a replica of a much larger piece he created for a sculpture garden in Changchun, China. That city is one of Little Rock’s Sister Cities.

Warrick is a professor in the UALR Art Department. His sculptures are in display throughout the US and in foreign countries.

This Thursday, September 20, the Bernice Garden will host an event which will feature the unveiling of the 2012 sculptures. (The garden features both permanent and temporary installations.). Six new sculptures will be unveiled. The chosen artists are : Mia Hall, Bryan Winfred Massey Sr., David O’brien, Tod “Switch” Swiecichowski, Steph Shinabetzy, and Jon M Van Horn.

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Museum of Discovery Hosts a Homecoming

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Museum of Discovery - Little Rock, ARThe Museum of Discovery will host a homecoming reception Saturday, September 15 at 2:00 pm in honor of a restored Japanese friendship doll, Miss Kyoto-shi, originally gifted to the Museum 85 years ago. Only a few such dolls remain in their original locations today.

Guests will have the opportunity to view Miss Kyoto-shi in the Museum’s Great Hall. A Hot Springs Village Japanese-American folk dancing troupe will perform in authentic dress. Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola will welcome everyone. Alan Scott Pate, the foremost authority on antique Japanese dolls in the country, will speak about the history and significance of Japanese Friendship Dolls.

As a way to ease cultural tensions in the 1920s, Japanese Viscount Eiichi Shi-busawa initiated a program to send 58 Japanese Friendship Dolls to American museums and libraries. The best doll makers in Japan were commissioned to produce the dolls. Each doll was 32-33 inches tall and they were dressed in beautiful silk kimonos. Each doll also came with unique accessories. These Japanese friendship dolls represented specific Japanese prefectures, cities or regions. The dolls were sent to libraries and museums throughout the United States.

Miss Kyoto-shi Homecoming ReceptionMiss Kyoto-shi arrived at the Arkansas Museum of Natural History and Antiquities (now the Museum of Discovery) shortly after the museum was founded in 1927. Over the years, a few dolls were lost, but Miss Kyoto-shi remained in Little Rock although she left the museum briefly for an unexplained visit to a private home for several years. In 2011 she was returned to Japan to be restored. The grandson of the original artist lineage that created her agreed to restore her completely free of charge.

The Miss Kyoto-shi homecoming event is funded by the Arkansas Humanities Council, Louisiana-based Acadiana Babes Doll Club, and other private donations.

The Donald W. Reynolds Science Center at the Museum of Discovery’s mission is to ignite a passion for science, technology and math in a dynamic, interactive environment. The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation awarded the Museum a $9.2 million grant solely dedicated to the renovation. The money paid for the renovation of 44,000 square feet of existing space, a 6,000 square-foot addition and new exhibits throughout the facility.

September 2nd Friday Art Night

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It is time once again for 2nd Friday Art Night.  Tonight from 5pm to 8pm at various downtown museums and galleries, guests can view art and enjoy live entertainment.  Admission is free.

Here are just a few of the highlights.

Historic Arkansas Museum will feature live music by Arkopolis as visitors view the current exhibits. Included at HAM are:

  • Recent Acquisitions: A Collection Vision, 2008 – 2012
  • The Civil War in Arkansas
  • Barbie: The 11 1/2 –inch American Icon
  • The Knife Gallery
  • Arkansas Contemporary: Selected Fellows from the Arkansas Arts Council
  • We Walk in Two Worlds: The Caddo, Osage and Quapaw in Arkansas

The Butler Center Galleries are located within the Arkansas Studies Institute building.  The galleries this month feature:

  • Pattern in Perspective: Recent Work by Carly Dahl and Dustyn Bork
  • Invasion or Liberation? The Civil War in Arkansas
  • Hope and Despair: FSA Photography in Arkansas during the Great Depression
  • Art of Living: More Artwork from the Rosalie Santine Gould Rohwer Collection

At the Old State House Museum, the galleries will be open.  In addition, music by The Morange Trio with Dave Williams II will be featured.

Learn about local preservation efforts tonight

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This evening at Curran Hall, the Quapaw Quarter Association and Historic Preservation Alliance of Arkansas will be hosting Preservation Libations.  It will take place from 5pm to 6:30pm.

The purpose of this evening is to learn more about the organizations and to celebrate their work saving places.   The evening is free and open to the public.

While enjoying liquid refreshments, guests can learn about upcoming programs of both the QQA and HPAA and buy tickets to their upcoming events.  Special joint memberships of the two organizations will also be available.

QQA: The Quapaw Quarter Association is a non-profit historic preservation advocacy organization whose mission is to promote the preservation of the historic buildings and neighborhoods of Greater Little Rock. The QQA grew out of an effort to identify and protect significant historic structures in Little Rock during the “urban renewal” days of the early 1960s, making it one of the oldest preservation organizations in the nation.

Throughout its existence, the QQA has been a driving force behind historic preservation in Greater Little Rock, which now boasts over 250 individually-listed National Register properties as well as 15 National Register Historic Districts. In addition to advocacy on local preservation issues, the QQA’s programs include its online newsletter, the Chronicle; an annual Spring Tour of Historic Homes; public workshops; and an historic house marker program.

HPAA: The Historic Preservation Alliance of Arkansas is the only statewide nonprofit organization focused on preserving Arkansas’s architectural and cultural resources. Founded in 1981, the Alliance’s mission is to educate, advocate and assist preservation efforts across the state. Through educational programs centered on architectural heritage, advocating for preservation legislation in the halls of the State Capitol and at the local level, and assisting owners of historic properties with the means and expertise to preserve and restore historic structures, the Alliance has been a statewide voice for preservation in Arkansas for three decades.

Ballet Arkansas Master Class by Christopher Ruud

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FBLOGO 2Ballet West Principal Artist Christopher Ruud will teach an open master class for intermediate and advanced dancers this evening, September 12th. The class begins at 7:00pm and will conclude at 9:00pm. This is the second class in Ballet Arkansas’ Master Class series. Son of respected dancer and choreographer Tomm Ruud, Christopher is proud to be responsible for his father’s works. Christopher has set and performed his fathers ballet’s, such as Mobile, for companies including Stuttgart Ballet, Ballet West, Joffrey Ballet Co. and now Ballet Arkansas.

During his time in Arkansas, Mr. Ruud will be setting Mobile on the company to be performed in Ballet Arkansas’ spring concert, Spring into Motion, at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre in April 2013.

The master class will be offered at the Ballet Arkansas Studio at Shuffles and Ballet II.  There is a $25 class fee or a $15 observer fee. Space is limited, please email us at info@balletarkansas.org to reserve your spot.

A native of San Francisco, Christopher began his training at the San Francisco Ballet School. There he studied for seven years before training at the University of Utah Ballet Department. Christopher joined Ballet West in 1998, was promoted to Soloist in 2001 and Principal in 2004. Since joining the company Christopher has toured throughout the United States and abroad including multi-city tours in China and in Scotland at the Edinburgh International Festival.

Some of his notable roles include Petruchio in John Cranko’s The Taming of the Shrew, the Second Pas de Deux in Antony Tudor’s The Leaves Are Fading, Prince Seigfried in Swan Lake, Christopher Bruce’s Ghost Dances, William Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet .  Christopher has performed the principal roles in multiple versions of such classics as Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Cinderella , Don Quixote and Le Corsaire Pas de Deux.  He has also danced leading roles in works by Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, Jiri Kylian, Antony Tudor, Val Caniparoli, Hans van Manen and Nicolo Fonte.

Christopher’s favorite Balanchine credits include Liza in Who Cares?, Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream,  Serenade, Melancholic and Sanguinic in The Four Temperaments, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, El Capitan in Stars and Stripesand the principal in Theme and Variations. Recently he has had works created on him by Nicolo Fonte in The Immeasurable Cadences Within, Helen Picket in But Never Doubt I Love and Charlotte Boye-Christensen in Row.

Little Rock Responds to September 11

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The Little Rock arts and culture community responded to September 11 as all sectors did.

Two of the groups in particular come to mind. When airspace was closed on September 11, several flights were grounded in Little Rock. The passengers on those planes became unexpected visitors to Little Rock.   The Arkansas Rep had opened its production of You Can’t Take It with You on Friday, September 7. The show was already scheduled tonbe dark on September 11, but on Wednesday, September 12, 2001, the performances resumed. That night the Rep offered these unexpected Little Rock guests free tickets to the performance.  Seeing a play which was both heartwarming, comic and full of Americana was the perfect balm for audiences who were weary, confused and nervous in the wake of the terrorist attacks.

Also on September 12, 2001, the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra presented a previously scheduled concert with Michael Bolton.  He had been traveling by bus so was able to get to Little Rock.  His concert was cathartic for the 2000 plus attendees at Robinson Center Music Hall. It offered not only a communal experience but also a welcome break from 24 hour coverage.  Three days later, on September 15, the ASO kicked off its MasterWorks series.  As has been tradition since the days of Francis McBeth as conductor, that first concert of the season began with the National Anthem.  The audience and musicians gathered and sang and played with unprecedented gusto that night.

REEL CLASSICS WITH THE REP: HENRY V

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On the heels of the opening of Henry V, the Reel Classics with the Rep series returns tonight.

The monthly series showcases films which share connections with productions currently on stage at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre. Tonight’s film is the 1989 version of Henry V.  Directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh, the movie also boasts an acclaimed cast of British stage actors including Sir Derek Jacobi, Alec McCowen, Ian Holm, Richard Briers, Robert Stephens, Robbie Coltrane, Christian Bale, Geraldine McEwan, Judi Dench, Paul Scofield, Michael Maloney, Richard Easton and Emma Thompson.

The program begins tonight at 6pm with a discussion of the Rep’s production led by members of the Rep’s staff.  Following that, at 6:30, the film will be screened.  It takes place at Laman Library.

The Rep’s production, directed by Robert Hupp and starring Avery Clark in the title role, continues through Sunday, September 23.