Monthly Archives: June 2018

SIXTEEN CANDLES tonight at Movies in the Park

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The 2018 season of Movies in the Park continues with SIXTEEN CANDLES.  The 1984 film starts tonight at sundown at the First Security Amphitheatre in Riverfront Park.

In this seminal movie from John Hughes, a girl’s “sweet” sixteenth birthday becomes anything but special, as she suffers from every embarrassment possible. The film stars Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Michael Schoeffling, Haviland Morris, Gedde Watanabe, Paul Dooley, Carlin Glynn, Edward Andrews, Billie Bird, Carole Cook, Max Showalter, and John Cusack.

Little Rock’s Movies in the Park is sponsored by the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau and the City of Little Rock.  Movies are shown every Wednesday during the season and begin at sundown.

Families, picnics and pets are invited to the park to enjoy movies under the stars, no glass containers please. A parent or adult guardian must accompany all children and youth under the age of 18 and an ID is required. The amphitheater will open an hour before film showings and movies will start at sundown each week. For more information please visit http://moviesintheparklr.net.

Little Rock Look Back: Groundbreaking of Vogel Schwartz Sculpture Garden

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Wayne Salge’s SIZZLING SISTERS, one of the original sculptures installed in the Vogel Schwartz Sculpture Garden

On June 25, 2009, members of the Sculpture at the River Market committee and City leaders broke ground on the Vogel Schwartz Sculpture Garden in Riverfront Park.

The groundbreaking followed an unveiling of the design plans for the new sculpture garden, which will be located east of the Peabody Hotel near the Forever a Rose garden and the Jack Fleischauer Garden.

“As part of the continuing improvements to Riverfront Park, we wanted to put more sculpture into the park to complement the new gardens, Peabody Park, and the upcoming La Petite Roche plaza,” said City Director Dean Kumpuris. “At the 2008 Sculpture at the River Market, six pieces were bought through proceeds from the show and sale to be placed in the park in 2009.”

According to Kumpuris, seven new pieces will join a dozen other sculptures in the park and along President Clinton Avenue that have been installed since 2004.

The sculpture garden features natural terraces and walkways. The design creates a space to host receptions, weddings or other events as well as to allow visitors to enjoy the sculptures in solitude.

The seven pieces which will be installed are “Full of Himself” by Jan Woods, “Cascade” by Chapel, “Bateleur Eagle” by Pete Zaluzec, “Sizzling Sister” by Wayne Salge, “Conversation with Myself” by Lorri Acott,  “First Glance” by Denny Haskew, and “Straight and Narrow” by Lisa Gordon.

“This is only the start,” said Sculpture at the River Market Chair Jane Rogers. “In addition to continuing to place sculpture in Riverfront Park, the committee is discussing ways to place public art throughout the city. In the months to come, we hope to be able to make some more announcements about sculpture and public art in Little Rock.”

The sculpture garden is made possible through the support of the Vogel Schwartz Foundation. Robert Vogel represented the family during the ground-breaking ceremony commending the city of Little Rock on their efforts to support the art community.

Little Rock Look Back: Birth of Jane Russell

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Actress Jane Russell was born on June 21, 1921.

One of her best known film roles was as Dorothy Shaw in the 1953 film version of GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES.  In that movie duetted with Marilyn Monroe on the song “Little Girls from Little Rock.” (It was a revised version of the song “(I’m Just a) Little Girl from Little Rock” which was written for the original stage version.)

She also had the chance to spoof Monroe in the film by imitating her and hamming it up singing a snippet of “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” in a courtroom scene.  But it is the opening sequence of the movie which is one of Russell’s iconic moments on screen.

Here is a clip.

After a multi-decade career in film and humanitarian causes, Russell died in February 2011 at the age of 89.

SCHOOL OF ROCK in the Rock tonight with Movies in the Park

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The 2018 season of Movies in the Park continues with SCHOOL OF ROCK.  The 2003 film starts tonight at sundown at the First Security Amphitheatre in Riverfront Park.  (It will be shown adjacent to the Little Rock from which the City takes its name.)

After being kicked out of a rock band, Dewey Finn becomes a substitute teacher of a strict elementary private school, only to try and turn it into a rock band. The film stars Jack Black, Adam Pascal, Lucas Papaelias, Sarah Silverman, Joan Cusack and Miranda Cosgrove.

Little Rock’s Movies in the Park is sponsored by the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau and the City of Little Rock.  Movies are shown every Wednesday during the season and begin at sundown.

Families, picnics and pets are invited to the park to enjoy movies under the stars, no glass containers please. A parent or adult guardian must accompany all children and youth under the age of 18 and an ID is required. The amphitheater will open an hour before film showings and movies will start at sundown each week. For more information please visit http://moviesintheparklr.net.

Services announced for Dr David O. Belcher

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Western Carolina University has announced the services for Dr David O. Belcher.

The memorial will be Saturday, June 23, 2018, at 1:00pm EDT. It will be at the Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center on the WCU campus, where Dr. Belcher often performed.

A dessert reception will follow the service in the Bardo Arts Center Star Lobby.

It will be livestreamed on the WCU website here. (12 noon for those from the Missouri State University and University of Arkansas at Little Rock communities who might want to watch it.)

Terror Tuesdays Film Series at CALS Ron Robinson Theater – DEAD MEN WALK

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The Central Arkansas Library System’s (CALS) Ron Robinson Theater continues the $2 horror movies tonight with the 1943 film DEAD MEN WALK as part of the Terror Tuesday Summer Series. All showings are open to the public and start at 6:00 p.m.

Tickets are available at ronrobinsontheater.org.  They cost $2.00.

Shot in only six days, DEAD MEN WALK tells the story of twin brothers.  One a kindly physician, the other a sinister, Satanic-worshiper.  Concerned about his brother’s impact on society, the physician kills him.  But the dead brother returns from the dead to avenge his death and terrorize the town.

Little Rock Parks Master Plan

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The Little Rock Parks and Recreation Department is updating its master plan.  As part of this, it is conducting a survey.

SInce the arts and culture are part of the programming focus of LR Parks, the link to the survey is provided here to help spread the word.

Please consider filling out the survey.