Monthly Archives: March 2013

Free ASO concert today at UAMS

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The Ruth Allen UAMS Series takes place from time to time at UAMS and is free. This afternoon at 4:30pm the concert will feature DDG Trio, a double reed trio. DDG Trio is composed of Leanna Booze, Lorraine Duso Kitts and Beth Wheeler.

20130325-192514.jpgThe program includes:

Steinmetz – Common Ground
I. Mending Dance
II. Lament
III. Song (after Landini)
IV. All Together Now

Quayle – A News Cycle
I. Impending Doom
II. Mass Hysteria
III. Class Warfare
Iv. A Heartwarmer

Boury – Flight of the Monarch
I. Out of the Cocoon
II. At the Flower
III. On the Path

Oeste – Variations on Variations on a Theme by Paganini

Directions

From Markham, turn south onto Hooper St.
Follow signs to Parking Lot 1.
Enter the lot, which goes underground.
Take the elevator to the “top” of the parking Lot 1, which immediately adjoins the back side of the lobby.
The Music Room is at the west end of the lobby, behind the grand piano.

Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre for 2013-14

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AACCT1314The Arkansas Arts Center has announced the 2013-2014 Children’s Theatre season lineup.

The season will open with Pinkalicious the Musical, running from September 20 through October 6.  Based on the popular children’s book about a girl who turns pink, it is written by Elizabeth and Victoria Kann (based on their book).  The songs are written by John Gregor.

Next up will be The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, just in time for Halloween.  It will run from October 25 through November 10.  Alan Keith Smith has adapted Johann Wolfgang van Goethe’s poem of magic and imagination.  In this version, a modern young girl is taken on a mystical journey where she meets a medieval sorcerer’s apprentice.

The holiday show at the Children’s Theatre will involve a train filled with toys.  From November 29 through December 15, The Engine That Thought It Could will take the stage.  Alan Keith Smith has adapted Rev. Charles S. Wing’s 1906 story to create this tale of hope and determination — with plenty of holiday fun thrown in.

The winter blues will melt like butter with Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type. From January 24 through February 7, this comical romp through the barnyard will be on stage.  It involves Farmer Brown, typing cows, striking foul, and learning about compromise.  It is adapted from Doreen Cronin’s book with illustrations by Betsey Lewin.

The familiar tale The Boy Who Cried Wolf will premiere at the Children’s Theatre from March 7 through 23.  Based on Aesop’s story, Alan Keith Smith has adapted this timeless classic about honesty.

The 2013-14 season will conclude with Sleeping Beauty.  Based on the Brothers Grimm folk tale, it will be on stage from April 25 through May 11, 2014.  This classic tale of love, courage and the triumph of good over evil is sure to delight audiences of all ages.

Bradley Anderson is the artistic director of the Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre, and Dr. Todd Herman is the executive director of the Arkansas Arts Center.

 

Fireflies and Shooting Stars at Wildwood

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firefliesandshootingstars_coverFireflies and Shooting Stars, a children’s book written by Ed Raarup, will have a special presentation at Wildwood with selected readings and song performances from the book featuring Michael Rice, Raarup, Scott Eck and Little Rock’s own Vivian Norman.

There will also be an inspiring presentation by Scott Eck, singer/actor and original designer of Firefly Field, an all-accessible playground for children.

The event will take place today at 2pm at Wildwood Park for the Arts.  There is no admission charge.

The book and songs were written by Raarup and illustrated by Lindsay D. Nery.  This story book has ten chapters, over 80 colorful illustrations and an original soundtrack CD with 12 Songs.  It has been described as “a starlit, magical ride of courage, truth and hope for children of all ages!”

The book was inspired by the song “Fireflies and Shoooting Stars” by Little Rock native Michael Rice.

The book/CD will be available for purchase. A portion of sales will be donated to help fund the development of Firefly Field – an all-accessible playground in Little Rock for kids of all abilities.

Arts Center names Young Arkansas Artists

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arkartsctrlogoThe Arkansas Arts Center, the state’s premiere center for visual and performing arts, will host the 52nd Young Arkansas Artists Exhibition Awards Reception and Family Festival on April 7 from noon – 3 p.m. The awards ceremony will take place at 2:30 p.m. in the Children’s Theatre.

“The arts provide children with the opportunity for self-expression and develop a platform for creativity,” said Arkansas Arts Center executive director Todd Herman. “We are excited to share with the community the vast array of creations from our young artists and celebrate their achievements.”

Artists awarded in the 52nd Young Arkansas Artists Exhibition include:

Kindergarten

  • Best of Class – Michaela Gramsch, Pulaski Academy
  • Honorable Mentions – Kylie Byrne, Christ the King School,Andrew Daniel, Carver Magnet

First Grade

  • Best of Class – Blakely Rochelle, Pine Forest Elementary
  • Honorable Mentions – Chris Jones, McGehee Elementary School, Miss Selma’s School (group project)

Second Grade

  • Best of Class – Aimee Bae, Miss Selma’s School
  • Honorable Mentions – Yvon Munoz, Jonesboro Visual and Performing Arts Magnet, Ty’Won Ware, Seventh Street Elementary School

Third Grade

  • Best of Class – Dustin Cook, Landmark Elementary School
  • Honorable Mentions – Ricardo Alvarez, Wakefield Elementary School, Taylor Watkins, Hugh Goodwin Elementary School

Fourth Grade

  • Best of Class – Jalesa Humphrey, Washington Elementary School
  • Honorable Mentions – Bethany Long, Jasper Elementary School, Jashunti Clifton, Theodore Jones Elementary School

Fifth Grade

  • Best of Class – Chloe Lawhead, Flippin Middle School Schools
  • Honorable Mentions  – Taylor Zhang, Emily Wood Drawing Workshop, Lillian Phillips, Washington Middle School

Sixth Grade

  • Best of Class – Klorissa Hamilton, Highland Middle School
  • Honorable Mentions – Callie Donley, Home School, Trinity Caver, Washington Middle School

Seventh Grade

  • Best of Class  – Mandea McDaniel, Cabot Junior High South
  • Honorable Mentions  – Lauren Lawhun, Alma Middle School, Tom Hopkins, Episcopal Collegiate Middle School

Eighth Grade

  • Best of Class  – Alondra Paredos, Washington Junior High School
  • Honorable Mentions  – Jocelyn Belsma, Caddo Hills School, Drake Omar, Pulaski Academy

Ninth Grade

  • Best of Class  – Jodie Kelso, Forrest City High School
  • Honorable Mentions  – Will Valdary, Annie Camp Junior High School, Emily Brians, Pottsville Junior High School
  • Best in Show Watercolor (MSW award) – Will Valdary, Annie Camp Junior High School

Tenth Grade

  • Best of Class – Olivia Fredricks, Cabot High School
  • Honorable Mentions  – Will Gloster, Arkansas High School, Lulu Wang, Pulaski Academy

Eleventh Grade

  • Best of Class  – Zach Blair, Little Rock Central High School
  • Honorable Mentions – Bryant Carter, Jacksonville High School, Kate Hutchison, Mountain Home High School

Twelfth Grade

  • Best of Class – Halen Parnell, Norfork High School
  • Honorable Mentions  – Hayden Thomas Ellis, Arkansas High School, Paige Goodale, Vilonia High School
  • Ray Smenner Award (Best in Show Painting) – Lauren Johnson, DeWitt High School

Members of the Arkansas Art Educators Association juried the entries, selecting approximately 100 works out of the more than 500 submissions for the exhibition. Each winner’s school will receive a monetary prize to help fund the arts program in his/her school. Selections from the 52nd Young Arkansas Artists Exhibition travel to schools and other venues in Arkansas as part of the Arts Center’s State Services traveling exhibition program.

Guest juror, Dr. Jeff Young, selected one Best of Class and two Honorable Mentions from each grade. Dr. Young earned his doctorate and Master of Arts degree from the University of North Texas and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Texas Tech University with a specialty in art education. He is currently an associate professor and chair of the art department at the University of Central Arkansas.

Activities at the family festival will include mural painting, storytelling, and exciting opportunities for adults and children to create action art. Tickets are $5 per person or $20 per family and may be purchased online at www.arkarts.com. Arkansas Arts Center members, 52nd Young Arkansas Artists Exhibition artists and their families will receive free admission.

The 52nd Young Arkansas Artists Exhibition is sponsored by Barbara and Steve Bova, Belinda Shults and U.S. Bancorp Foundation. Awards are funded by Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

Little Rock Look Back: Mayor Robert Francis Catterson

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R_F_Catterson_BGen_ACWOn this date in 1835, future Little Rock Mayor Robert Francis Catterson was born in Indiana, the son of Irish immigrants.  He studied medicine in Ohio and established a medical practice in Indiana upon completion of his studies.

With the outbreak of the Civil War, he enlisted as a private in the Union Army.  Throughout the war, he was promoted and was eventually mustered out as a brigadier general in 1866.  During his service, he participated in the siege of Vicksburg, the Battle of Chattanooga, the Atlanta Campaign and Sherman’s March to the Sea.

Following his departure from the military, Catterson decided not to return to medical practice.  He moved to Arkansas and worked for a brief time in the cotton commodities field.  He later returned to military service commanding a militia fighting the Ku Klux Klan.  Catterson was appointed US Marshal and would also command the Brooks troops during the Brooks-Baxter War in Little Rock.

In November 1871, he was elected Mayor of Little Rock. His election ended a tumultuous two-year period where the Little Rock City Council tried unsuccessfully to remove Mayor A. K. Hartman.  Mayor Catterson served a relatively quiet two year term in office until November 1873.

Following the completion of his term, Mayor Catterson moved to Minnesota. He later moved to Texas where he died on March 30, 1914 at the age of 79.  He is buried in the San Antonio National Cemetery.

MacArthur Museum hosts Cissy Rucker, Veterans Affairs Director

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macmusAlicia (Cissy) RuckerAlicia “Cissy” Rucker, the director of the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs, will speak Saturday, March 23, at 1pm about the current state of women in the United States military.  Rucker spent thirty-three years in the Arkansas National Guard, retiring with the rank of colonel. Her assigned duties included Airfield Commander, Surface Maintenance Manager, Maintenance Manager and State Public Affairs Officer.

Rucker is a member of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Committee, as well the Women’s International Helicopter Pilots Association.   Prior to her appointment to Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs, Rucker served as the administrator of the Arkansas Career Training Institute.

The program will commemorate “National Women’s History Month,” celebrated each March in the United States.  The 2013 theme,Women Inspiring Innovation through Imagination, honors generations of women who throughout American history have used their intelligence, imagination, sense of wonder, and tenacity to make extraordinary contributions.

Only a few weeks ago, the Pentagon officially lifted the ban on women in combat, but women have served this country in combat roles for years.  During the American Revolution, Mary Corbin worked a cannon in combat and was awarded a soldiers pension by the Continental Congress for her service – although she only received half pension because of her gender.  In every war this country has fought, women have been exposed to the same hardships and risk for personal injury or death as male soldiers, but it is only now that women can officially serve in combat.

Colonel Rucker will speak about her experiences as a female soldier, and on her current duties as the Director for the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs.  Last year, Rucker became the first woman inducted into the Arkansas Military Academy Hall of Fame.  The event begins at 1:00 p.m. and is free to the public.

 

The MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History relates the military heritage of Arkansas and its citizens to a diverse and widespread audience. Located in the historic Arsenal Building in MacArthur Park–one of Central Arkansas’s oldest surviving structures and the birthplace of one of this country’s foremost military heroes–the museum collects, preserves, and interprets our state’s rich military past from its territorial period to the present.

Toure at Bless the Mic

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e1363269264.57As part of the Philander Smith College “Bless the Mic” lecture series, the Clinton School of Public Service will co-sponsor a lecture by Touré, co-host of “The Cycle” on MSNBC and author of Who’s Afraid of Post-Blackness? What It Means To Be Black Now.

Toure’s book was named one of the Most Notable Books of 2011 by The New York Times and the Washington Post. It was also nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work of Non-Fiction. He has published three previous books and is currently at work on a book about Prince that will be published in 2013.

The event will take place at 7pm at the ML Harris auditorium on the Philander Smith campus.