Monthly Archives: November 2013

Sculpture Vulture: Patronus

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Today’s sculpture is passed by tens of thousands of persons each day – and they have no idea.  It is Greer Farris’ 1983 sculpture Patronus which sits on the grounds of the John L. McClellan Memorial Veteran’s Hospital.  Though it faces I-630, it is hidden by highway berm, chain link fencing and the fact that cars on I-630 are driving at high speeds.

Patronus consists of five identical forms which are placed aside each other equidistantly in a slight curve.  It was fabricated at the Arkansas Valley Steel Company and each section was trucked down separately on the back of a flatbed truck.

The simplicity of the design and the clean lines make this a powerful piece of abstract art.  Its design was inspired by battlements used in World War I, very appropriate for a veteran’s hospital.

It was installed in 1984. Since then, there has rarely been a time when the VA and/or UAMS or some other nearby entity has not been in construction mode.  The sculpture was never on a huge plot of land (which would have been more appropriate given its scale) but is now reduced to a small peninsula next to a few picnic tables in the parking lot.

It has been featured on this website before, but in keeping with Veteran’s Day later this month (and the fact that it is a personal favorite), it is being revisited.  Luckily the construction fencing that once surrounded it has been removed so it is easier to see.

5 Time Tony Winner Audra McDonald in Concert Tonight at UCA

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audraTony winning actor and singer Audra McDonald will be in performance tonight at 7:30 at the UCA Reynolds Performance Hall.

Audra Ann McDonald didn’t waste any time starting her career. She made her Broadway debut as a replacement in The Secret Garden while she was still in school at Juilliard, won three Tony awards in five years, and, at age 27, became the first person to win three before the age of 30.

She has appeared on the stage in both musicals and dramas, including leading roles in Ragtime, A Raisin in the Sun, Master Class and Carousel. Her first starring role on Broadway was in Marie Christine, written specifically for her by Michael John LaChiusa after he saw her audition for Carousel. In 2007 she starred in 110 in the Shade on Broadway and joined the cast of Private Practice as Dr. Naomi Bennett, and spent the first 9 months of 2012 singing Bess in Porgy and Bess on Broadway. She has won five Tony Awards, sharing the record for most Tonys won by an actor with Julie Harris and Angela Lansbury.

McDonald has released five solo albums and appeared as a vocalist on many others.  In October her TV appearances ranged from Great Performances to “The Colbert Report.”  This December she will play the Mother Abbess in the live TV production of The Sound of Music.

Dia De Los Muertos at the Zoo Tonight

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DiadelosMuertosThe passage of Halloween did not mean the end of Boo at the Zoo.  For the first time ever it extends into November by continuing tonight.  The Little Rock Zoo has partnered with the Mexican Consulate and Hola! Arkansas to present the first ever Boo at the Zoo Dia de los Muertos.

Boo at the Zoo is Arkansas’s largest Halloween festival featuring trick-or-treating in a safe environment along with dozens of Halloween themed activities.  For the first time this year, the Zoo is partnering with Hola! Arkansas for a special Dia de los Muertos Boo at the Zoo night on Friday, November 1, that will include all the fun of Boo at the Zoo along with special Dia de los Muertos activities including and altar decorating competition, costume competition, Hispanic dancers, Dia de los Muertos decorations, and much more.

General admission to Dia de los Muertos Boo at the Zoo is $10 for General Admission and $20 for an all-inclusive wristband that includes admission and all rides and attractions at Boo at the Zoo.  Zoo members receive a $5 discount. You can learn more at www.LittleRockZoo.com or by calling (501) 666-2406.