Yearly Archives: 2012

Rep Receiving Recognition

Posted on by

Arkansas Business Publishing Group has announced the nominees for the 2012 Arkansas Business of the Year Awards.  Most years, cultural organizations and leaders appear in the non-profit categories.  2012 is no exception.

This year the Arkansas Repertory Theatre is nominated as Non-Profit Organization of the Year.  Also nominated this year is Robert Hupp, the Rep’s Producing Artistic Director in the category of Non-Profit Executive of the Year.

Many of the businesses nominated in the categories are also supporters of cultural organizations in the metropolitan Little Rock area.  At the risk of an omission, this entry won’t try to enumerate the nominees and the cultural institutions they support.  But without the support of the business community and business leaders, non-profit cultural institutions could not survive.

The awards will take place on Tuesday, February 21.  To purchase tickets, visit here.

 

Hupp to be honored by PR professionals

Earlier this month, the Arkansas Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) announced that Hupp will received the Diamond Award on March 16 at the Little Rock Club.

The Diamond Award is Arkansas PRSA’s highest honor for contributions made during a career to enhance the image of Arkansas through work consistent with the principles of public relations.

The awards ceremony will be at 11:30 a.m., Friday, March 16, at the Little Rock Club. The event will be free to PRSA members, $40 for nonmembers and $20 for students. Reservations should be submitted by March 14.   Visit the PRSA website here.

Read a Book

Posted on by

It’s a Monday.

Snow is starting to blanket Central Arkansas, most museums are closed on Mondays, most theatres are dark this day as well.

This is a good evening to read a book either as God intended (holding paper, cloth and cardboard in your hands) or electronically.  Thanks to Central Arkansas Library System participating in Inter-Library Loan, I am currently reading the plays My Three Angels and Scapino!

I also have a stack of books I’ve purchased over the year that haven’t been read.  Before this year’s Arkansas Literary Festival I must make headway on this stack or I’ll be on a self-imposed book-purchase ban.

Sculpture Vulture: Harriet Tubman

Posted on by

In preparation for the opening of the Clinton Library in 2004, a series of sculptures were placed which linked a walkway between the River Market and the Clinton Presidential Park.

One of these sculptures is entitled Harriet Tubman.  Since she was from the era of President Lincoln, it seems fitting to feature this sculpture on this, Lincoln’s birthday.

The bronze sculpture, by Jane DeDecker, depicts Miss Tubman grasping the hand of a young boy and leading him on a walk.  DeDecker captures both compassion and a steely determination in the features of Miss Tubman’s face.  The folds of their clothes indicate that they are on a journey.

Whether their walk is a part of the Underground Railroad or simply a walk along the path in post-war times is immaterial. Miss Tubman understood that there is always some form of oppression one must struggle against.

Etched into the base of the statue (and repeated on plaque on the pedestal) is a quote attributed to Miss Tubman.  “Children, if you are tired, keep going; if you’re hungry, keep going; if you’re scared, keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going.”

The statue was originally located in Riverfront Park near the site of the current Game and Fish Nature Center.  It was relocated during the construction of that facility and now anchors the entrance to Clinton Presidential Park.  Harriet Tubman was a gift of Haskell and Peggy Dickinson to the City of Little Rock.

Fall in Love with New York City at Arkansas Symphony Orchestra concert

Posted on by

Music from the Big Apple dominates the “Valentines in New York” Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Pops performance. Hear beloved hits from the stage with featured soloists Tony nominated Melissa Errico (My Fair Lady, Amour, High Society, Finian’s Rainbow) and Ryan Silverman (The Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story, Cry-Baby, Music in the Air). The orchestra will be under the baton of associate conductor Geoffrey Robson.

Saturday is the the 281st birthday of the City that Never Sleeps.  What better way to celebrate it Gotham than by hearing tunes by Frank Loesser, Jerry Herman, Burton Lane & Yip Harburg, George and Ira Gershwin, John Kander and Fred Ebb, Stephen Sondheim, Charles Strouse & Lee Adams among others? Joining these great songs and talented singers will be the talented musicians of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.

The concert is at 8pm tonight and 3pm tomorrow afternoon at Robinson Center Music Hall.

Errico

Silverman

Poets and Publishing – A casual, informative discussion

Posted on by

Borland

Poets Roundtable
Saturday, February 11
10:00 AM – 12:00
Main Library
100 Rock Street
Little Rock, AR 72201
West Room
Little Rock, AR

Featuring a discussion led by Bryan Borland, publisher of Sibling Rivalry Press, on the publishing business (getting published, self-publishing, eBooks, marketing). It’s casual, fun, free, and all are welcome.

Bryan Borland is a multi-time Pushcart-nominated poet from Little Rock, Arkansas, and the owner of Sibling Rivalry Press, LLC, a young publishing house whose goal is to develop, promote, and market underground artistic talent – those who don’t quite fit into the mainstream. As a poet, Bryan writes primarily narrative poems that create portraits of moments through words. Whether chronicling old friends and lovers in his “Book of” series (“The Book of David,” The Book of Cody,” “The Book of Dmitri,” etc.) or inviting us into his family through poems like “Sons of Abraham” and “Supper,” Bryan seeks to poetically etch tally marks into the walls of life; to, in essence, prove he’s been here.

His first collection of poetry, My Life as Adam, is a potent cocktail of family life, religion, and sexuality, the three pillars of Southern life. It was one of only five books of poetry selected by the American Library Association for their first annual “Over the Rainbow” list of noteworthy LGBT-themed publications.

Through Sibling Rivalry Press, Borland has also worn the editor’s hat, putting together Ganymede Unfinished, a tribute to the late John Stahle and his beautiful journal Ganymede that features the work of poets Jee Leong Koh, Jeff Mann, Matthew Hittinger, writers Charlie Vázquez, Perry Brass, and Scott Hess, artist Seth Ruggles Hiler, and photographer Eric Davis, among others. The success of Ganymede Unfinished led Bryan to create Assaracus, the world’s only quarterly print journal dedicated exclusively to gay male poets. Assaracus has exploded onto the poetry scene and has featured the work of Antler, Gavin Dillard, Raymond Luczak, and Emanuel Xavier.

February Frieze Frame Friday, Part Deux

Posted on by

Today’s February Frieze Frame Friday is the entrance to the old Little Rock City Jail.  This building, which sits behind City Hall, was the jail from the 1930s through the early 1960s.  It now serves as a parking garage, Parks & Recreation maintenance area, and city employee fitness facility.

Though the entrance below the frieze has long been bricked in, the jail bars are still detectable above the frieze.

This building was constructed by the WPA. The classical meets deco style of the frieze is typical of the works from that era.

For decades a metal awning bisected the frieze making it undetectable to people who walked by it.  But in 2007, as part of some renovations to the building (spearheaded by city employee Susan K. Langley), the awning was removed and the frieze became more prominent.  (As prominent as can be when the frieze is right at Broadway street level and is blocked from Broadway traffic by balustrades.

2nd Friday Art Night – At the Heart of Art in Little Rock

Posted on by

For art lovers, 2nd Friday Art Night is a great way to explore the visual arts in Little Rock.  This month there are twelve stops the free trolley will be making between the hours of 5pm and 8pm.  Some highlights of this month’s offerings include:

Christ Episcopal Church (500 Scott Street) is highlighting its new exhibit: “The Cross” which features interpretations of the cross in a variety of mediums by several artists including Wes McHan, Melverue Abraham, Sister Maria Liebeck, Janet Copeland, Susan Peterson, Lynn Frost, Betsy Woodyard, Jai Ross and Mark Alderfer.

Hearne Fine Art (1001 Wright Avenue) is featuring “Southern Spirit: An Exhibition of Southern Folk Art” through March 3.  This gallery has consistently championed African American artists for two decades in downtown Little Rock.

Historic Arkansas Museum (200 East Third Street) will be featuring the opening of new exhibits by Bryan Massey, Tom Richard and Doug Stowe.  Serenading visitors will be award-winning musician Bonnie Montgomery.

Mosaic Templars Cultural Center (501 West Ninth Street) will be a first time participant in 2nd Friday Art Night. The featured exhibit is Daufe 1 by LaToya Hobbs.  Visitors can also explore the many other galleries and exhibits in Little Rock’s newest history museum.

studioMAIN (1423 South Main Street) will have its grand opening.  This design collective focused on encouraging collaboration in the creative fields  including architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, urban design, furniture design and public art will have exhibitions during each 2nd Friday Art Night. This month is an exhibit of Pettaway Park designs.

Other locations include Old State House, Butler Center Galleries, Canvas Community, Courtyard by Marriott, The Green Corner Store, Dizzy’s Gypsy Grill and Copper Grill.