Arkansas Arts Center presents the 45th Collectors Show and Sale

Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, (French, Paris, France, 1796 – 1875, Paris, France), Vue de Paris prise d’Arcueil (View of Paris from the North-East), circa 1830-1835, graphite, watercolor and gouache, pencil on paper, Arkansas Arts Center Foundation Collection: Purchase, Tabriz Fund and Collectors Group Fund. 2013.003

“Art enthusiasts, new collectors, and seasoned buyers will be delighted to see what we have in store for this year’s sale that features a range of unique works,” said Arkansas Arts Center executive director Todd Herman. “This is an excellent opportunity for new and veteran collectors to add a treasure that was hand-selected with great consideration by the Arkansas Arts Center curators and myself.”

The annual Collectors Show and Sale is an Arkansas Arts Center tradition that brings the New York gallery scene to Little Rock. Arkansas Arts Center Executive Director Todd Herman and curators select the best in drawings and contemporary craft from New York galleries. All works are for sale and vary in price from $400 to in excess of $80,000. The exhibition includes works-on-paper such as drawings, prints, and photographs, as well as examples of contemporary craft in wood and ceramic.

Celebrating its forty-fifth year, the Collectors Show and Sale remains one of the longest running and most popular exhibitions organized by the Arkansas Arts Center. This past September, Arts Center curators and members of the Collectors Group ventured to New York City to select the work for the exhibition. Over the course of three days, the group visited over a dozen galleries and viewed about 1,000 works of art – ultimately narrowing the selection to the 150 or so works in the exhibition.

The Collectors Group, an auxiliary membership of the Arkansas Arts Center, offers its members exclusive programs and events to increase their appreciation of art and the field of collecting. Equally important, the group supports the collecting activities of the Arts Center. At their “Sneak Peek” reception before the exhibition opening, members of the Collectors Group will be able to cast their vote for a work to be acquired in their name for the Arts Center’s collection.

Through the Collectors Show and Sale, the Arkansas Arts Center affords veteran collectors the opportunity to add new works to their collections while inspiring new collectors to enter the field. For more information about the Collectors Group or to join, please visit www.arkansasartscenter.org or call Sharon Howell at (501) 396-0303.

December Rock Town Slam! Tonight

rocktown micThe monthly Rock Town Slam takes place tonight at the Arkansas Arts Center.  Who knows, there might even be a holiday themed poem?

Get your poetry on at the Rock Town Slam! Slam artists will perform during this friendly competition. You can too!
Sign up at the door to perform or come and hear the most exciting poets around. Poets are judged on the delivery of written poetry.
The event takes place in the Arts Center Lecture Hall from 7pm to 9pm.
The cost is free for Arts Center members and $5 for non-members.  Participating poets pay $10.
Can’t make it this month?  This takes place the second Wednesday of the month twelve times a year.

Architecture and Design Network presents HIGHLIGHTING HILLCREST: History, Architecture and a Sense of Community

HillcrestThe monthly Architecture and Design Network lecture takes place tonight. This month’s topic is “HIGHLIGHTING HILLCREST: History, Architecture and a Sense of Community.”  The program begins at 6pm at the Arkansas Arts Center following a 5:30pm reception.

In 1891 two young  Michigan attorneys purchased 800 acres of land northwest of the city of Little Rock. Within a year, ten blocks were platted on a section of that acreage by the Pulaski Heights Land Company. Other suburban developments, including Hillcrest, followed.

A diversity of housing styles prevailed in those turn-of-the-century neighborhoods. A generous sampling of the area’s homes, including Colonial Revival and Craftsman style dwellings as well as vernacular  “pyramid cottages”, survive. Hillcrest’s historic housing stock includes  a variety of architecturally significant structures, built between 1893-1940. All are part of the Historic Hillcrest District, an area of the city listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The story of Hillcrest, a popular Little Rock neighborhood, distinguished by its history, its architecture and its unrivaled  community spirit, will be explored by Rachel Silva, Preservation Outreach Coordinator for the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, Tommy Jameson, an architect whose firm focuses on the restoration, rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of historic buildings, and Jim McKenzie, executive director of Metroplan and a  founder of the Hillcrest Residents  Association.

While demographics may provide information about an area’s population and its proclivities, it is the mindset of people who live in a particular section of town that determines the parameters, both social and physical, of a neighborhood.

Supporters of the Architecture and Design Network include the Arkansas Arts Center, the University of Arkansas Fay Jones School of Architecture and the Central Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

Festivus 2013

QQAAn organization dedicated to historic preservation continues to make history by hosting the third ever official Festivus party in Little Rock.

Festivus is a festival for the best of us.

Festivus attendees will not be required to perform feats of strength, air grievances or decorate the pole.  All they will be required to do is have a fun time and enjoy the opportunity to bid on great auction items.

When: Tuesday, December 10 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Where: Arkansas Governor’s Mansion

Tickets are $50 at the door.  QQA memberships are also available at the door.  The price includes food and open bar.

Proceeds benefit the preservation programs of the Quapaw Quarter Association.

Ark Rep presents World Premiere of BECAUSE OF WINN DIXIE

From the lyricist of Legally Blonde and the composer of Spring Awakening comes a new musical based on the award-winning novel by Kate DiCamillo.

A World Premiere musical brings a Tony Award-winning creative team to Little Rock this holiday season. Because of Winn Dixie is a new musical based on the heartwarming and award-winning novel by Kate DiCamillo about a young girl and a dog she finds at a Winn Dixie supermarket.

Berloni and Tartaglia with two of the dogs

This unique production will include music by Duncan Sheik (Tony and Grammy Award Winner for Spring Awakening), lyrics and book by Nell Benjamin (Tony Nominee for Legally Blonde), direction by John Tartaglia (Tony nominee for Avenue Q) and animal direction by Bill Berloni (a 2011 Tony Honor recipient).

This original production will also be the first pre-Broadway musical starring a live dog in a leading role. Taran (and understudy Cally), both Irish Wolfhounds, have been cast in the title role of “Winn-Dixie,” trained by Broadway’s foremost animal trainer, Bill Berloni.

“It has always amazed me the reaction animals have on an audience,” says Berloni, “When a dog or cat comes onstage, our collective reality is ‘Wait a minute, you can’t get an animal to act, what is it going to do?’ And it brings the audience closer into the piece.”

“This story will melt your heart,” says Bob Hupp. “We are honored that the creative team of Winn Dixie approached us for this world premiere, and I think this project has tremendous potential to introduce a significant new work into the American musical theatre canon, and it all begins right here on our stage, for Arkansas audiences.”

The cast is led by Jonathan Rayson, Julia Nightingale Landfair, Gabe Bowling, Riley Costello, Aisha de Haas, Imari Hardon, Crystal Kellogg, Tari Kelly, Shannon Lamb, Nic Rowe, Douglas Storm and Sydni Whitfield.  Others in the cast include Danny Phillips, Cayla Christina Christian, Reagan Hodson, Dalton Johnson, Molly Russ, and Sam Shaughessy.

The music director is Jason Hart. Duncan Sheik is the orchestrator and vocal arranger.  The creative team included Mike Nichols (scenery), Marianne Custer (costumes), Michael J. Eddy (lighting), Allan Branson (sound), and Lynda J. Kwallek (props).

UPDATED: Christmas with the Wind Symphony now on December 10

DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER THREAT, THIS CONCERT IS NOW SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10.

The Little Rock Wind Symphony will present its annual Christmas concert on Tuesday, December 10 at 7:30 pm.

To celebrate the season, the concert features an extravaganza of favorite Christmas carols performed by the Little Rock Wind Symphony and fabulous guest artists. Join the fun as Cindy Shaw Henry, the winner of the Christmas baton, takes the podium to lead the LRWC in Leroy Anderson’s classic “Sleigh Ride.”  And of course, don’t miss your chance to sing-along with the LRWS!

The concert features Suzanne Bannister, mezzo soprano as well as the Don Roberts Elementary School Children’s Choir led by Sharon Burrall.

The Little Rock Wind Symphony is under the baton of Karen Fannin.  The concert will take place at Second Presbyterian Church.

Ark Rep’s “Because of Winn Dixie” at Clinton School

The Arkansas Repertory Theatre works in partnership with the Clinton School of Public Service to participate in the UACS’s Distinguished Speaker Series, hosting educational panel discussions on various Rep productions. The latest in these takes place today, Thursday, December 5 at 12 noon at Sturgis Hall in Clinton Presidential Park.

The panel will feature the cast of the Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s production of Because of Winn Dixie. A World Premiere musical brings a Tony Award-winning creative team to Little Rock this holiday season. Because of Winn Dixie is a new musical based on the heartwarming and award-winning novel by Kate DiCamillo about a young girl and a dog she finds at a Winn Dixie supermarket.

This unique production will include music by Duncan Sheik (Tony and Grammy Award Winner for Spring Awakening), lyrics and book by Nell Benjamin (Tony nominee for Legally Blonde), direction by John Tartaglia (Tony nominee for Avenue Q) and animal direction by Bill Berloni (a 2011 Tony Honor recipient).

Because of Winn Dixie opens tomorrow night (with previews last night and tonight). It runs through Sunday, December 29. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evening performances are at 7 p.m., Friday, Saturday evening performances are at 8 p.m. Sunday Matinees performances are at 2 p.m.

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