Yearly Archives: 2013

Little Rock Look Back: Mayor Charles Bertrand

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Bertra1Two hundred and five years ago today, on November 23, 1808, future Mayor Charles P. Bertrand was born in New York.  He was the son of Pierre and Eliza Wilson Bertrand; his father died in 1809 in an uprising in Haiti and his mother eventually remarried.  With her new husband, Dr. Matthew Cunningham, she and the family moved to Little Rock in 1820.

After apprenticing with family friend William Woodruff at the Arkansas Gazette, Bertrand opened the Arkansas Advocate newspaper.  He later studied law under Robert Crittenden and entered the legal profession.

In 1835-1836, he served as State Treasurer for the Arkansas Territory, and in 1836 as secretary for the first constitutional convention. He was a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1840-1841 and 1844-1849.

Bertrand followed in his stepfather’s footsteps and became Mayor of Little Rock.  (Dr. Cunningham had been the first Little Rock Mayor in 1831.)  He was in office from January 1855 through January 1857, serving two one-year terms.  He later served on the City Council and filled in as acting mayor. (Another influence on his upbringing was studying under future Mayor Jesse Brown who taught at the first school in Little Rock.)

Bertrand, as acting mayor, was involved in the negotiations of the surrender of Little Rock to federal troops in 1863.  He also later corresponded with President Lincoln on behalf of Little Rock citizens.  Though a staunch Confederate, his good will toward the Union soldiers and federal officials is credited with helping to save Little Rock from the destruction which befell many other Southern cities.  He is also credited with delaying the start of the Civil War.  Prior to the attack on Fort Sumner, members of the Arkansas Militia were planning to attack the Federal Arsenal at Little Rock during the absence of Governor Rector.  This would have been viewed as an act of war.  Bertrand was able to dissuade them from the attack.  Had he been unsuccessful, the Civil War would have likely started in Arkansas instead of South Carolina.

He had put his considerable fortune into Confederate money during the war. At the Civil War’s conclusion, the family was financially ruined. Though they had vast land holdings, those would be sold off in parcels to pay for taxes.

Bertrand died August 27, 1865, shortly after the conclusion of the Civil War.  He, like his mother, step-father, and several other relatives is buried in Mt. Holly Cemetery.

Steven Lin at Chamber Music Society of LR tonight

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steven linSteven Lin will be the featured artist tonight at the Chamber Music Society of Little Rock concert.  The event will take place at 7:30 tonight at Trinity United Methodist Church.  Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at the Chamber Music Society website.

A victory at the 2012 CAG Victor Elmaleh Competition is the latest in a growing list of awards for Steven Lin, an immediately engaging and imaginative young Taiwanese American pianist.  The Baltimore Sun declared his recent performance “elegantly refined,” listening to Lin as soloist in Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with the Baltimore Symphony.  His vibrant playing at the 2013 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition was recognized both by the critics (“…thoroughly enjoyable both as music and as a performance”–Ft. Worth Star-Telegram) and the judges, who selected him for the John Giordano Jury Chairman Discretionary Award.

Highlights of his 2013-14 season include debut recitals at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall (CAG New York Series) and Merkin Concert Hall, the Gilmore Rising Stars series (Kalamazoo, MI), Pepperdine University Center for the Arts (Malibu, CA), Chamber Music Society of Little Rock (AR), and the Ferst Center for the Arts at Georgia Tech University.  Featured concerto engagements include the Tulare County Symphony (CA), where he plays Michael Daugherty’s Le Tombeau de Liberace.  The season began with summer festival performances at the Aspen Chamber Music Workshop, under the mentorship of David Finckel and Wu Han, and the La Jolla Summerfest, curated by violinist Cho-Liang Lin.

Steven Lin’s artistry was clear from an early age when he was accepted into the Juilliard Pre-College Division on a full scholarship at the age of ten to study with Yoheved Kaplinsky.  A two-time winner of the Juilliard Pre-College Piano Competition, he made his debut with the New York Philharmonic in Avery Fisher Hall at the age of 13.  Additional concerto engagements include the New Jersey Symphony, Tulsa Symphony, Orlando Philharmonic, Hilton Head Symphony and Sendai Symphony Orchestra in addition to the Baltimore and New York appearances.

The pianist’s broad musical interests allow him to move with ease between concertos, recitals and chamber music, enjoying appearances around the world at important venues including the Louvre and Salle Cortot in France, National Dublin Hall in Ireland, Seoul Arts Center in Korea, Sendai Cultural Center in Japan, and Avery Fisher Hall in the United States.  Recent recitals debuts include the National Chopin Foundation in Miami and the International Piano Series in Charleston.  Steven Lin has appeared on radio broadcasts including NPR’s From The Top and WQXR’s McGraw Hill Young Artist Showcase.

During the CAG Competition, Mr. Lin’s compelling artistry was further recognized with a special piano prize.  Also in 2012, he was a prizewinner at the William Kapell International Competition, The Juilliard School’s Gina Bachauer Piano Competition and he claimed an unprecedented three honors at the 2012 International Hilton Head Piano Competition, cited for his excellence in baroque and contemporary music as well as his overall pianism.

Steven Lin earned both Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees at The Juilliard School, studying with Robert McDonald and Matti Raekallio.  In fall 2013 he will pursue a Performance Diploma from the Curtis Institute of Music, under the guidance of Robert McDonald.  When not making music, Steven Lin describes himself as an “NBA basketball fanatic,” a source of great pride and commitment which began when he was eight years old.

RAIN – A Tribute to the Beatles at Robinson Center tonight

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Rain Tour - A Tribute to the beatlesThough there is only one Fab Four — a quartet of singing musicians will be on stage of Robinson Center Music Hall tonight to pay tribute to John, Paul, George and Ringo.

RAIN – A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES is a live multi-media spectacular that takes you on a musical journey through the life and times of the world’s most celebrated band. Going further than before, this new RAIN adds even more hits that you know and love from the vast anthology of Beatles classics such as “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” “Hard Day’s Night,” “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” “Let It Be,” “Come Together” and “Hey Jude.”

This stunning concert event takes you back in time with the legendary foursome delivering a note-for-note theatrical event that is the next best thing to the Beatles. Don’t miss the Broadway smash that’s taking the world by storm…RAIN – A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES.

Ticketing phone: 501-244-8800

Group Sales phone: 501-492-3311

Box Office (where to buy in person):

To purchase tickets in person for RAIN – A Tribute to the Beatles at the Robinson Center Music Hall

Little Rock Ticket Office
300 S. Spring Street, Suite 100
Little Rock, AR 72201

Robotics focus of exhibit at Museum of Discovery

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In science fiction, robots look like R2D2. In stores, they look like vacuum cleaners and robotic pets. On Saturday, October 12, visitors at the Museum of Discovery will see what robots look like in real life when the brand-new Robots and Us exhibit makes its debut. The exhibit will give visitors a lighthearted look at modeling artificial life after humans.

“Robotics is a growing field of research and an activity increasingly being undertaken by high school and college students around the world, including right here in Arkansas,” said Kelley Bass, CEO of the Museum of Discovery. “The museum is happy to have this very engaging, relevant exhibit for our visitors to explore and enjoy. We are glad to give our loyal fans another very compelling reason to visit us.”

Robots and Us encourages museum visitors of all ages to compare sci-fi fantasies of robots with today’s technical realities and to explore why it’s so hard to build robots to be like humans. Enjoy directing light-sensitive robots through mazes in the Robot Arena; experimenting with walking machines in the Leg Lab to learn how simple changes in anatomy can affect how they walk and handle obstacles; interacting with Lena, a computer-generated character and learning to race and outwit the Robot Arm.

Robots and Us will remain at the Museum of Discovery through January 26.

Museum of Discovery’s mission is to ignite a passion for science, technology and math in a dynamic, interactive environment.

Museum Information
Hours of Operation: Tuesday – Saturday: 9 am – 5 pm; Sunday: 1-5 pm; Closed Mondays except major holidays and in summer.
Admission: $10 adults; $8 ages 1-12; free under 1; members free
Phone Number: 501.396.7050
Website: www.museumofdiscovery.org

Artists’ Self Portraits the Focus of Exhibit at Arkansas Arts Center

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Ian Ingram, (American, Atlanta, Georgia, 1974 – ), Easter Island, 2011, charcoal, pastel, silver leaf on paper, 82 1/2 in. x 51 in., Arkansas Arts Center Foundation Collection: Purchased with a gift from Jackye and Curtis Finch, Jr., in honor of Helen Porter and James T. Dyke

This exhibition is organized by the Arkansas Arts Center and sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Merritt Dyke and Metropolitan National Bank. The surface quirks and deeper truths of the self emerge in the self-portrait, these are the subjects of the exhibition Face to Face. The artist invites the viewer to share what he or she has discovered in the mirror, and far more.

Long-time Arkansas Arts Center supporters Jackye and Curtis Finch, Jr., are fascinated by these visual exposes. They are engaged in assembling one of America’s great collections of graphic self-portraiture, which they are gradually transferring to the Arkansas Arts Center. Their keen portrait collecting eyes search for works from across America and Europe, and throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. From the walls of New York galleries to the back alleys of Budapest, the Finches find amazing revelations of individuals.

Guest Curator Brad Cushman of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock has assembled these striking self-images into pairs, encouraging contemplation of what unites and divides each pairing. In bringing the works together, he allows us to explore both what is universally human and what is utterly individual.

This exhibition is sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Merritt Dyke and Metropolitan National Bank.

It runs through February 9, 2014 at the Arkansas Arts Center.

EXPECTATIONS on Tuesday night at “Tales from the South”

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talesfromsouthThe Tuesday, November 19 edition of  ”Tales from the South” is Expectations. It will feature stories by Bill Worthen, Jennifer Winningham, and Roger Poole. Music is by Brad Williams and blues guitarist Mark Simpson

“Tales From the South” is a radio show created and produced by 2013 Governor’s Arts Award recipient Paula Martin Morell, who is also the show’s host. The show is taped live on Tuesday. The night is a cross between a house concert and a reading/show, with incredible food and great company. Tickets must be purchased before the show, as shows are usually standing-room only.

“Tales from the South” is a showcase of writers reading their own true stories. While the show itself is unrehearsed, the literary memoirs have been worked on for weeks leading up to the readings. Stories range from funny to touching, from everyday occurrences to life-altering tragedies.

The program takes place at Starving Artist Café.  Dinner is served from 5pm to 6:30pm, the show starts at 7pm.  Admission is $7.50, not including dinner.

You MUST purchase your ticket before the show

Previous episodes of “Tales from the South” air on KUAR Public Radio on Thursdays at 7pm.  Tonight’s episode will air on December 5.

Sculpture Vulture: Korean War Memorial Plaza

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In honor of Veteran’s Day taking place this month, the Sculpture Vulture today features the Korean War Monument in MacArthur Park.

The Arkansas Korean War Veterans Memorial was dedicated on June 25, 2007, the 57th anniversary date of the beginning of the Korean War.  Located in MacArthur Park, the Memorial Plaza features a 3′ tall black granite pentagon bearing the emblems of the five military branches; a nearly 12′ by 12′ frosted gray granite entryway; and three larger than life-size bronze statues stand in the center of the plaza.

Three larger than life-size bronze statues are the central focus of the Arkansas Korean War Veterans Memorial Plaza.  One statue is a combat soldier representing the fighting that took place in South Korea.  The second statue honors the brave sacrifices that Combat Medics and Navy Corpsmen made to save the lives of others during this conflict.  The third statue features two Korean children representing the suffering of the Korean people during the war and the future generations of Koreans that have rebuilt that nation. The statues were designed and constructed by Light and Time Design Studio and Art Foundry located in Royal, Arkansas.

Encircling the statues are eight 3′ wide x 6′ tall black granite tablets. The tablets, weighing in excess of 3,000 pounds each, are engraved with the names of the 461 Arkansas servicemen and women killed in action, a description of Korean War events and a map of Korea.

The memorial plaza stands to the east of the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History in MacArthur Park.  Though not affiliated with the museum directly, they share a common connection to both Douglas MacArthur and the role Arkansans played in the Korean conflict.