Monthly Archives: March 2014

Little Rock Look Back: Police Chief George Counts

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Little_Rock_PatchThis afternoon at 2pm, a ceremony will be held at Mount Holly Cemetery to commemorate the installation of a grave marker for former Little Rock Police Chief George A. Counts.

Chief Counts died in 1884 at the age of 35 years old.  For 130 years his grave has been unmarked.  Thanks to his Great-Grandson, Jim Counts, LR Chief of Police, Stuart Thomas and the Little Rock Police Department, his grave is now marked.

According to Police Department records, Chief Counts was the first chief of a full-time paid police force in 1874. He only served briefly at that time.  Then, in 1878, he was again elected Police Chief by the City Council.  His name was placed in nomination by City Councilman Isaac Gillam, who was one of Republican African Americans serving on the City Council at the time.  There were three candidates. In addition to Counts, the other two candidates were then-current Chief Joseph Plunkett and a gentleman named Tom Scott.

The first vote was five for Counts, five for Plunkett and one for Scott. This vote total continued for each of the 103 ballots that took place. Finally, on the 104th ballot, Alderman Dick Lewis (who had been the sole vote for Mr. Scott) changed his vote to former Chief Counts. This made Chief Counts again the Police Chief.  He served from 1878 until 1883 when he resigned due to health reasons.

Final Weekend of FOOL FOR LOVE

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foolforloveJust in time to get prepared for April Fool’s Day, Precipice Theater is presenting Sam Shepard’s FOOL FOR LOVE.  The final three performances are tonight and tomorrow at 7:30pm and Sunday at 2pm.

A dark comedy, the “fools” in the play are battling lovers at a Mojave Desert motel. May is hiding out at said motel when an old childhood friend and old flame, Eddie, shows up. Eddie tries to convince May to come back home with him and live in the trailer on the farm they always wanted to buy. May refuses because she has started a new life and knows that if she goes back to Eddie their relationship will repeat the same destructive cycle it has before. The play, and the characters, unravel as old battles are waged again, and dark secrets are brought to light.

Presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Services, Inc.

A portion of all proceeds to benefit The Wolfe Street Foundation

Cast:
Eddie: Ricco Ardemagni
May: Heather D. Smith
Martin: Cory Cotham
Old Man: Mark Troillett
Old Man: Paul Seminara
Live Music: Charlotte Taylor & The Music Factory: Wythe Walker, Ray Wittenberg, Bill McCumbe.

Reservations: LRPrecipiceTheatre@gmail.com
Adults: $ 14.00
Students/Seniors – $11.00
The Public Theater – 616 Center Street, Little Rock

Spring Break Activities continue in LR

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For those who stayed in town over Spring Break and may now be hearing “I’M BORED!” or “There’s Nothing to Do,” Little Rock’s cultural institutions offer plenty of activities.

CPC42 SpringbreakThe Clinton Presidential Center is partnering with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra on an Instrumental Petting Zoo for kids Pre-K through 5th grade. For those in 6th through 12th grades, there is a “Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII” video game free play with a tournament on Saturday.  The hours of the Petting Zoo and the Blazing Angels are from 10am to 2pm through Friday.  While at the Clinton Presidential Center, visitors can take in the Presidential Pets exhibit as well as the “Spies, Traitors and Saboteurs: Fear and Freedom in America” exhibit which is in on loan from the International Spy Museum in Washington DC.

BoyWolfThe Arkansas Arts Center galleries are open featuring the exhibits “The Crossroads of Memory: Carroll Cloar and The American South,” “Woodworking Instructors Exhibition,” “Paul Signac Watercolors and Drawings: The James T. Dyke Collection,” “Earthly Delights: Modern and Contemporary Highlights from The Permanent Collection,” “Ties That Bind: Southern Art from the Collection” and “Art In Context.”  In addition, the Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre is presenting The Boy Who Cried Wolf for its final performances today and tomorrow at 2pm.

sid scienceThe Museum of Discovery has partnered with Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN) to bring Sid the Science kid to the museum on Thursday, March 27, and Friday, March 28. Visitors can meet and have their photo taken with Sid and participate in science experiments seen on the popular science show. Sid will meet visitors both days from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Museum of Discovery is offering spring break visitors the chance to enjoy science demonstrations and animal programs on the museum floor in addition to the 90 hands-on exhibits and the current temporary exhibit, Tech City.

 

MARCH 26, 1979 (artwork in collection of Arkansas Arts Center)

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March 26, 1979 - Evelyn Ellwood, Collection of Arkansas Arts Center

March 26, 1979 – Evelyn Ellwood, Collection of Arkansas Arts Center

Today is March 26, 2014, so it seems an appropriate day to feature a painting from the Arkansas Arts Center entitled March 26, 1979. The painting is by Evelyn Ellwood.

Painted in 1979, it measures 9 7/8 by 13 7/8.  It was acquired by the Arts Center in 1995 as a gift of Louis K. and Susan Pear Meisel of New York.

No artist’s statement could be obtained, so the significance of this date remains a mystery.

Final March announcement of Riverfest acts

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logoRiverfest_bigThroughout March, Riverfest has announced three acts for 2014 on each Tuesday.  Though many more musical acts will be announced closer to the actual festival, today is the final announcement for Riverfest Tuesdays in March.

CeeLo Green, hip-hop solo star, five-time Grammy Award winner and half of the Gnarls Barkley duo well known for “Crazy”; country crooner Jamey Johnson, who won the CMA Song of the Year for “In Color”; and bluesy pedal steel guitar virtuoso Robert Randolph & the Family Band, who first wowed local crowds when they opened for Eric Clapton at Verizon Arena.

Earlier this month, Riverfest announced Lee Brice, Buckcherry, Chicago, Easton Corbin, The Fray, Salt-n-Pepa, Three Days Grace and The Wallflowers with Jakob Dylan.

Riverfest will be May 23-25 in Riverfront Park and Clinton Park along the Arkansas River. Half-price passes ($20) go on sale April 1 at Walgreens nationwide; $35 passes and VIP packages also available now at http://www.riverfestarkansas.com/buy/tickets

 

ACANSA Arts Festival Receives $10,000 Planning & Implementation Grant

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acansa

 

The newly founded ACANSA Arts Festival accepted a $10,000 check from the Central Arkansas Planning and Development District (CAPDD) on Monday, February 24th. The distribution comes from CAPDD’s General Improvement Fund and is awarded through a grant process to qualifying organizations for the planning and implementation of economic and community development projects. The ACANSA application had the endorsement of Arkansas State Representative Warwick Sabin.

The CAPDD award adds to growing level of interest and support for the new arts festival to be held over 5 days in September. “Cultural enrichment opportunities that bring people together in Little Rock and North Little Rock both address the “quality of life” issues our board endeavors to support and generate viable economic opportunities in our community over their duration,” remarked CAPDD Executive Director Rodney Larsen.

Warwick Sabin and Rodney Larsen presented the check to Charlotte Gadberry, founder of the ACANSA Arts Festival and ACANSA Executive Director Renay Dean.

ACANSA Arts Festival is a southern celebration of visual and performing arts, premiering its inaugural event September 24-28, 2014, in Central Arkansas.

Chris Olsen at QQA Preservation Conversation tonight

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ChrisHOlsenThe Quapaw Quarter Association’s award-winning Preservation Conversation series continues tonight.

The program takes place this evening at Curran Hall, 615 East Capitol Avenue. From 5:30 to 6:00 a reception will take place. The program will run from 6:00 to 7:00.

This evening’s speaker will be Chris H. Olsen, a nationally known home and garden guru, designer, author, TV personality and public speaker. Chris will be speaking on landscaping for historic homes.   Learn more about Chris at http://www.chrisholsen.com/.

Landscape Designer Chris H. Olsen attended Oxford University in England, studying landscape architecture, landscape principals, and philosophy and also graduated from the University of San Diego with a degree in business. Chris has over 25 years of landscape architecture and interior design experience. In partnership with his father, Chris obtained a landscape maintenance company called Doramus and established the Horticare Landscape Company. After only ten years, the company grew into five divisions: chemical, maintenance, landscape, nursery, and irrigation. In 2003, Chris opened his second home and garden store called Botanica Gardens on Rebsamen Park Road. In September of 2005, Chris chose to pursue other endeavors in his life and sold Horticare.  His new book called “Five Seasons with Chris Olsen” was released in December of 2011.

QQA

The Quapaw Quarter Association’s mission is to promote the preservation of Little Rock’s architectural heritage through advocacy, marketing and education. Incorporated in 1968, the QQA grew out of an effort to identify and protect significant historic structures in Little Rock during the urban renewal projects of the early 1960s. Throughout its existence, the QQA has been a driving force behind historic preservation in Greater Little Rock.