The Arkansas Arts Center received a $7,500 grant from Kum & Go to support the Artmobile’s 2019–2020 touring season. 

The Artmobile – the Arkansas Arts Center’s “gallery on wheels” – is one of very few mobile museums in the country, and the only program of its kind in Arkansas. This unique gallery space features themed exhibitions of works from the Arkansas Arts Center Foundation Collection.

The Artmobile’s current exhibition, The Spirit of Independence, takes its name from Kent Bicentennial Portfolio: Spirit of Independence, commissioned in 1976. The exhibition presents a selection of works from the Arkansas Arts Center Foundation Collection that reflect on American history and ideals. The featured works explore movements and moments in American history, from the Great Migration to the Civil Rights and Women’s Rights movements. Other works explore the American experience through the symbols most often associated with the country. Through these works, Artmobile visitors are invited to reflect on their ideas of freedom, democracy and equality.

The Artmobile travels with an onboard educator will help visitors engage with the art and invite discussion in the context of visual arts, geography, economics, English language arts, environmental science, and technology. A curriculum guide offers a wide range of activities that fulfill Arkansas State Standards and frameworks – from quick-start activities to comprehensive lesson plans designed for K-12 audiences. Community Nights provide schools with an opportunity to invite the greater community into the gallery outside of normal school hours.

The Artmobile will be visiting libraries, community centers, fairs, and festivals throughout the state during the 2019-2020 season. When the Artmobile isn’t touring throughout the state, it will also be available for scheduled tours at the Arkansas Arts Center’s Riverdale location.

For more information, follow the Artmobile’s journey online at arkansasartscenter.org/community or on Twitter at twitter.com/ArkArtmobile.