Monthly Archives: November 2015

As part of Oxford American Jazz Series, Aaron Diehl headlines at South on Main tonight

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som diehlJazz returns to Main Street tonight at 8:00 PM!  The Oxford American magazine welcomes Aaron Diehl to Little Rock as the second show in its 2015 – 2016 Jazz Series!

Doors open at 6:00 PM, with dinner and drinks available for purchase at that time. This series is made possible by presenting sponsor, the UCA College of Fine Arts & Communication. Additional partners include The Summer Foundation, Arkansas Arts Council, Capital Hotel, Piano Kraft, Rosen Music Company, and FM-89.1 KUAR.

Tickets are $20 (General Admission), $30 (Reserved), and $32 (Premium Reserved).

In an era revolving around celebrity hype and mediocre entertainment, Columbus, Ohio native Aaron Diehl seeks to stand out as an artist in his generation that exemplifies excellence, sophistication, and a fluency in the American musical vernacular. The 2011 Cole Porter Fellow of the American Pianists Association, Diehl has been hailed by the New York Times as “a smart young pianist with a fastidious grasp of Jazz traditions.” He is committed to unearthing the treasures of a musical aesthetic through collaborative efforts with musicians across generations.

Born in 1985, Diehl grew up in a nurturing musical environment with his grandfather, Arthur Baskerville, who often played piano at local establishments in Columbus and sang in the church choir. Aaron began studying classically at age seven, and he discovered his passion for jazz music when attending the Interlochen Summer Camp. There he met piano prodigy Eldar Djangirov, who made a lasting impression on Diehl through his enthusiasm for Oscar Peterson and Art Tatum.

Diehl is the Artistic Director of the Catskill Jazz Factory, an organization dedicated to enhancing community development by means of America’s original art form.

Jeane Hamilton discusses founding of Arkansas Arts Center today at noon at Clinton School

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Photo taken for SOIREE

Photo taken for SOIREE

Jeane Hamilton, who has been actively involved with the Arkansas Arts Center since its beginning in 1957 and has an extensive collection of history and memorabilia, will join Dean Skip Rutherford to talk about the Arts Center, the founding leadership roles played by both the Junior League of Little Rock and Governor Winthrop Rockefeller, its development for almost 60 years, and her vision for its future in light of an ongoing community dialogue. Mrs. Hamilton’s commitment began when she was named Junior League Arts Chairman by then President Carrie Dickinson.

The conversation will take place at noon today at the Clinton School.

 

 

Support Arkansas Foodbank and get tickets from Arkansas Symphony

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Turkey Drive ASO AFBThe Arkansas Symphony Orchestra is holding their popular “Beethoven and Blue Jeans” concert on November 7th and 8th at the Maumelle Performing Arts Center.

Attendees can support the Arkansas Foodbank during the much needed holiday season by dropping off a frozen turkey or other bird  before either concert and as a thank you, turkey donors will receive a pair of free tickets to any future concert from the ASO’s 2015-2016 Season.

The times for the concert are Saturday, November 7, at 7:30pm and Sunday, November 8, at 3pm.  A frozen turkey will help provide a healthy holiday meal to the ONE in FIVE Arkansans struggling with hunger and more importantly help bring families together during this time of year.

Tickets for the “Beethoven & Blue Jeans” concert are available online at www.ArkansasSymphony.org and via phone at 501-666-1761 or at the door. Tickets start at $19.

The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 50th season in 2015-2016, under the leadership of Music Director Philip Mann. ASO is the resident orchestra of Robinson Center Music Hall, and performs more than sixty concerts each year for more than 165,000 people through its Stella Boyle Smith Masterworks Series, ACXIOM Pops LIVE! Series, River Rhapsodies Chamber Music Series, and numerous concerts performed around the state of Arkansas, in addition to serving central Arkansas through numerous community outreach programs and bringing live symphonic music education to over 26,000 school children and over 200 schools.

The Arkansas Foodbank, the largest food bank in Arkansas, is a member of Feeding America and the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance. Its warehouse in Little Rock and Warren serve approximately 300 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, schools, colleges, and other agencies that provide aid directly to hungry Arkansans. Last year, the Foodbank distributed more than 22 million pounds of food to agencies that help feed the hungry. For more information on how you can fight hunger, visit the Foodbank website at www.arkansasfoodbank.org

The Oxford American Local Live tonight at South on Main celebrates Tulsa Music Showcase with Horton Records

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llsom hortonTonight at 7:30 PM join the Oxford American magazine for this week’s Local Live concert at South on Main. On tap for November 4 is a special Tulsa Music Showcase with Horton Records! As always, Local Live is free and open to the public. To guarantee a table/seat for this popular series, call ahead at (501) 244-9660.

This showcase is presented by Horton Records, a non-profit 501c-3 organization based in Tulsa, Oklahoma that is dedicated to the cultivation and development of Tulsa area artists and building on the area’s great tradition, while fostering and strengthening community through musical endeavors. Featuring:

Paul BenjamanPAUL BENJAMAN – Paul Benjaman builds his style from Tulsa Sound hero J.J. Cale and expands the form to include most genres of American music. Signature guitar licks are at the forefront of his groove-based songs, playing a wide vocabulary that also scored him a spot as touring sideman for The Secret Sisters and an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Stellar musicianship and mature song craft makes for a red-hot live show that fits equally well on a large festival stage or smoky dive bar.

Jacob TovarJACOB TOVAR – Jacob Tovar, leader of The Saddle Tramps, is a man from a different era, a different time. With a gentleman’s handshake, booming voice, contagious smile, and quick wit, this performer effortlessly connects with all walks of life through his sincere songs of country, western, and old-fashioned honky tonk. His live performances are immediately engaging and a real hoot for any audience.

Beau RobersonBEAU ROBERSON – Beau Roberson, leader of the band Pilgrim, is a powerhouse vocalist with great range and a rhythmic style of playing that always gets the crowd moving. Down-home lyrics join with swampy grooves to create a gritty soul sound that makes you want to kick off your shoes and grab a drink. Just as powerful are the slower moments, when introspective lyrics reach deep down and stir your spirit.

Kyle ReidKYLE REID – Kyle Reid, leader of The Low Swinging Chariots, serves up a mixed drink of Americana with New Orleans flavor and a twist of Gypsy Swing.  Reid’s original tunes sound at once familiar yet new and exciting, blending elements of these classic American forms with contemporary attitude. It’s a rambunctious romp that drags one through the mire of everyday drudgery into a tent revival of glorious swinging sound that is guaranteed to get toes tapping and tail feathers shaking.

Life of longtime CALS trustee Ira Sanders topic of today’s Legacies & Lunch

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SandersIraE_fToday at noon at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater, the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies and Clinton School for Public Service collaborate on a special Legacies & Lunch.

James Moses, professor of History at Arkansas Tech University, will discuss the life of Ira E. Sanders, who served as rabbi at Congregation B’nai Israel in Little Rock for 38 years and was a legendary champion of social justice in Arkansas and throughout the nation.

Rabbi Sanders was a founder of Arkansas Lighthouse for the Blind, the Arkansas Eugenics Association, and the Urban League of Greater Little Rock. He also served for 40 years on the Central Arkansas Library System’s Board of Trustees. James Moses is writing a book about Rabbi Sanders, to be titled “Life Fire Shut Up in My Bones.”

Legacies & Lunch is free, open to the public, and supported in part by the Arkansas Humanities Council. Programs are held from noon-1 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month. Attendees are invited to bring a sack lunch; drinks and dessert are provided.

 

SOCIALIGHT, a lecture by Mark Manack, AIA and Frank Jacobus AIA tonight at 6pm.

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Marc Manack (L)  and  Frank Jacobus (R)

ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN NETWORK presents

 
SOCIALIGHT
a lecture by
 
Marc Manack, AIA, NCARB, Assistant Professor, Fay Jones School of Architecture & Design 
Frank Jacobus, AIA, Associate Professor, Fay Jones School of Architecture & Design
          Principals, SILO AR+D, Fayetteville, AR and Cleveland, OH 
 
Date: Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Place: Arkansas Arts Center lecture hall
Time: 6:00 p.m. preceded by a reception at 5:30 p.m.  
 
Marc Manack and Frank Jacobus, the former a founding principal and the latter a principal of  SILO AR+D, an award winning architectural, research and design collaborative, will share their insights into the evolving role of the architect in relation to contemporary design, technology and changing perceptions of the built environment. 
 
While they, like other architects, still deal with bricks and  mortar, glass, steel and other traditional building elements, the two men have sought out and  experimented in unexpected ways with new, non-traditional  materials and techniques, employing them in the design and making of  temporary as well as permanent  structures, installations and objects. 
 
The work of the two architects has been published widely and has been  featured in ARCHITECTURE, Dwell, Slate, Fast Company and the Wall Street Journal.   
 
Architecture and Design Network (ADN) lectures are free and open to the public. For additional information about this and other ADN programs contact ardenetwork@icloud.com. Supporters of ADN include the Central Section of the Arkansas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the UA Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, the Arkansas Arts Center and friends in the community.

Dr. Clea Hupp of UALR Dept. of History discusses ‘Tribalism, Sectarianism, and Political Islam’ tonight as part of Evenings with History

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Clea 2015Dr. Clea Hupp, Chair in the UALR Department of History will give a lecture on “‘Tribalism, Sectarianism, and Political Islam” at the 2015-16 Evenings with History Series at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, in the Ottenheimer Auditorium in the at the Historic Arkansas Museum in downtown Little Rock.

Current events in the Middle East are rooted in the politics of the 20th century. Communism, nationalism and imperialism left a footprint on the region and shaped the recent conflicts of the area. To what extent do cultural factors like tribalism and sectarianism influence the people of the Middle East, and how do they intersect with politics?

Dr. Hupp will look at the struggle between secularism and political Islam, and how the philosophical trends of the
region have influenced political movements.

The Evenings with History series is sponsored by the University History Institute and features presentations by UALR faculty members who share their current research.

Unknown-6An individual subscription to the series, at $50 annually, includes these benefits: Admission to all six lectures.

A joint subscription to the series, at $90 annually, offers couples and friends a savings of $10.

A Fellow of the Institute, at $250 annually, receives admission to the six lectures plus an invitation to special presentations for Fellows only. This often includes a private evening with a noted author.

The Institute also offers a Life Membership at $1,000.

Subscribers to the series help support historical research.  The presenters donate their time, and the University History Institute uses all proceeds from the series to encourage research at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.  In recent years annual Institute grants, made possible by the Evenings with History series, have made major purchases of historical research materials for UALR.  Subscriptions and donations to the Institute are tax deductible as allowed by law.

For more information about the University History Institute and the full list of lectures and presenters for the 2015-16 series, go to Evenings with History.