Author Archives: Scott

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About Scott

A cultural thinker with a life long interest in the arts and humanities: theatre, music, architecture, photography, history, urban planning, etc.

Oxford American hosts an evening with Nathaniel Rich

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odds-against-tomorrow-250x300The Oxford American magazine is pleased to welcome novelist Nathaniel Rich to Little Rock tonight.

Rich will read from his novel ODDS AGAINST TOMORROW.

Local writer Jay Jennings will emcee the event, and music will be provided by the John Burnette Duo. WordsWorth Books & Co. will have copies of the novel for sale.

The event is free and open to the public.  It starts at 7pm. The event will take place at the Oxford American headquarters at 1300 South Main Street

Nathaniel Rich is the author of The Mayor’s Tongue. His essays and short fiction have appeared in the Oxford American, Harper’s, The New York Review of Books, McSweeney’s, and The New York Times Magazine.

Born in New York City, he now lives in New Orleans. Visit his website at www.nathanielrich.com.

LRFF 2013 – Day 2

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lrff_mp_hdr_logoDocumentaries about Arkansan Levon Helm and Richard Nixon, films made in Arkansas and features and shorts from all over the world are on the roster for the second day of Little Rock Film Festival.

The second day of the 2013 Little Rock Film Festival kicks off with LRFFYouth! at 9am.  This is a two day workshop sponsored by AETN which is for aspiring filmmakers.

Throughout the day at a variety of venues, shorts and features of both the narrative and documentary variety will be screened in downtown Little Rock and North Little Rock.

In contention for the Golden Rock Narrative Award are Wajma-an Afghan Love Story by Barmak Akram, Good Night by Sean Gallagher and Hide Your Smiling Faces by Daniel Patrick Carbone.

Films screening today in contention for the Golden Rock Documentary Award are William and The Windmill by Ben Nabors; Village at the End of the World by Sarah Gavron and David Katznelson; Our Nixon by Penny Lane; Blood Brother by Steve Hoover; Gideon’s Army by Dawn Porter; After Tiller by Lana Wilson and Martha Shane; We Always Lie to Strangers by A.J. Schnack and David Wilson; The Kill Team by Dan Krauss; and Ain’t in It for My Health by Jacob Hatley.  The latter is the documentary about Levon Helm.

Four films shown today are part of the Made in Arkansas competition.  They are Larry Foley’s Up Among the Hills, Pamela Uzzell’s Unearthing the Dream, Juli Jackson’s 45RPM and Mark Thiedeman’s Last Summer.

Arkansas Shorts: “Futures” features “Foot Trackers” by Brandon Bogard, “Lasting the After” by Blake Elder, “Death of a Superhero” by Brandon Bristol and “Bad Water” by Amman Abbasi.  “Heartbeats” includes Joe York’s “Bump,” Zach Turner’s “Mary,” Nolan Dean’s “Last Shot Love,” and Daniel Campbell’s “The Discontentment of Ed Telfair.” “

World Shorts: “The Beginning, The Middle, The End” consists of “Hatch,” “Un mundo para Raul,” “Sahasi Chori,” “Movies Made from Home #6 and #16,” “Divine Rite,” and “Passio.”  “Quirks” includes “The Associate,” “The Audition,” “The Places Where We Lived,” “Die Like an Egyptian,” “Catnip: Egress to Oblivion?” “boy.girl.drum” and “Mousse.”  “American Dreams” includes “The Commitment,” “Sweet, Sweet Country,” “Kalifornija,” “The Acting Lesson,” and “An American Mosque.” “The Edge” consists of “Bo,” “Root,” “Grasshopper!,” “#PostModern,” “The Giant,” and “Organ Grinder.”  “The World Outside,” features “The Children Next Door,” “Eddie Adams: Saigon ’68,” “A Cidade,” and “Another Corner.”

LR Look Back: 50th Anniversary of Arkansas Arts Center opening

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IMG_5262Fifty years ago today, the Arkansas Arts Center officially opened in Little Rock’s MacArthur Park.  The project, which dates back to the early days of the Fine Arts Club, was formally authorized by the Little Rock City Board of Directors in September 1960 following a successful fundraising drive by supporters.  Future Governor Winthrop Rockefeller was a vital force in raising money and establishing the vision which transformed a small municipal art museum (the Museum of Fine Arts) into a comprehensive art center serving the entire state.

Since that day in May 1963, the physical plant of the Arkansas Arts Center has expanded several times. The programming has also grown. Though the degree-granting graduate school was abandoned in the late 1960s (because it nearly bankrupted the AAC), the Arkansas Arts Center now boasts an extensive and expansive Museum School offering classes in a variety of art forms to students of all ages.

Likewise the cutting-edge theatre company which was once in residence at the AAC is long-gone. After a few other programming attempts, the theatre space has been home to the Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre since 1975.

The changes mentioned above and the expansions were shepherded by longtime Director and Chief Curator Townsend Wolfe.  Pictured above is a look at the main entrance to the facility, which has served in this capacity since an expansion which opened in February 2000.

Dr. Todd Herman is the current Executive Director of the Arkansas Arts Center. He joined the museum in the summer of 2011.

 

May 16 Architeaser: Mosaic Templars Cultural Center

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IMG_5421As part of Arkansas Heritage Month, today’s Architeaser focuses on the cornice over the entrance to the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center.

The Mosaic Templars Cultural Center began as a dream by community leaders who had grown up attending events at the Mosaic Templars of American National Grand Temple. This had been a centerpiece of African American life not just for Little Rock but for the mid-south.

In 1992, the building was slated for demolition so that a fast-food restaurant could be built on the lot. In late 1993, the City of Little Rock purchased the building for $110,000  to save it from demolition as organizers were raising funds for the restoration.  In 2001, the City transferred ownership to the State of Arkansas for the establishment of the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center.

Originally, the Center planned to restore the 1913 Mosaic Templars of America National Grand Temple, but the original building was destroyed by fire in March 2005. The new 35,000 square feet interior is a state-of-the-art museum complex with exhibits, classroom, staff offices, and an Auditorium that seats 400 people. The façade of the new structure is a facsimile of the 1913 building complete with the Annex building façade, which burned in 1984.

The cornice which is featured today is a copy of the original cornice.  The original cornice, as well as the cornerstone, are some of the few things which survived the 2005 fire.  The original cornice is on display.

A museum of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center is dedicated to collecting, preserving, interpreting, and celebrating African American history, culture and community in Arkansas from 1870 to the present, and informs and educates the public about black achievements – especially in business, politics and the arts.

Through special events, education programs, ongoing research and exhibits such as the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame, the museum celebrates Arkansas’s African American heritage. Tours of the museum provide a detailed look at the history of African Americans in Little Rock and Arkansas.

 

CALS to Participate in Big Library Read

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calsReaders are encouraged to be part of a worldwide eBook club with Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) during the inaugural Big Library Read, May 15-June 1, 2013. Through the Big Library Read, libraries worldwide unite readers around a single eBook. This year’s book is The Four Corners of the Sky by Michael Malone.

The Four Corners of the Sky is a novel of love, secrets, and the mysterious bonds of families. Malone brings characters to life by exploring the questions that defy easy answers. Malone is the author of ten novels, a collection of short stories, and two works of nonfiction.

To download a copy of The Four Corners of the Sky, visit www.cals.org and click the eBook and Audio Book Catalog quick link. The Big Library Read selection will be available for all major devices, including Kindle and iPad, as well as through a web browser. During the Big Library Read, any patron may download a copy of The Four Corners of the Sky from May 15-June 1.  Following regular eBook check out procedures, at the conclusion of the Big Library Read, copies of The Four Corners of the Sky will be deleted from devices.  CALS will have a copy of The Four Corners of the Sky for check out after June 1.

The Big Library Read is a pilot project of OverDrive, a full-service digital distributor of eBooks, audio books, music, and video worldwide; and Sourcebooks, a leading independent publisher.

CALS’s downloadable library service, OverDrive, has been offered to patrons since October 2009. The downloadable collection has 16,644 titles. CALS’s thirteen branches serve patrons in Pulaski and Perry counties. For more information, visit www.cals.org.

LRFF 2013 – Day 1

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Slide-523x350The 2013 Little Rock Film Festival kicks off tonight and runs through Sunday, May 19.

Tonight’s opening movie, Short Term 12, plays twice. It starts at 6:30pm at the Argenta Community Theatre and 7:30pm at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre.  Following each showing, members of the cast and crew will be present.

Short Term 12 is told through the eyes of Grace (Brie Larson), a twenty-something supervisor at a foster-care facility for at-risk teenagers. Passionate and tough, Grace is a formidable caretaker of the kids in her charge – and in love with her long-term boyfriend and co-worker, Mason (Tony Award winner John Gallagher Jr). But Grace’s own difficult past – and the surprising future that suddenly presents itself – throw her into unforeseen confusion, made all the sharper with the arrival of a new intake at the facility: a gifted but troubled teenage girl with whom Grace has a charged connection. While the subject matter is complex, this lovingly realized film finds truth – and humor – in unexpected places.

The film is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. It is in contention for the Golden Rock Narrative Award, which will be presented the final evening.

Following the film, at 9:30pm, the Kick Off party will commence in the lobby of the Arkansas Repertory Theatre.  In addition to an opportunity to mingle with filmmakers and other film patrons, the evening features music by Little Rock’s own world-wide acclaimed Bonnie Montgomery.  Food is provided by The Fold Botanas Bar. This event is open to Gold, Silver, Sponsor and Filmmaker Badges, as well as Ticket holders for Short Term 12.

 

May 14 Architeaser

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towerNot only is the Catlett-Prien Tower Building a great example of the International school of architecture, it is also home to the Department of Arkansas Heritage and several of its agencies, including the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program.  Because of this, it is today’s Architeaser feature (as part of Arkansas Heritage Month).  It is also home to the non-profit Historic Preservation Alliance of Arkansas.

The Tower Building was designed by Dallas architect Harold A. Berry in collaboration with Little Rock architect Frank Eugene Withrow. The Tower Building was Withrow’s first big project.  The building was the brainchild of future Arkansas Governor Winthrop Rockefeller.

Construction of the Tower Building began in 1958 and finished in 1960 for a cost of $4 million.  At 18 stories, it would be Little Rock’s tallest building from 1960 until 1968 when the Union Bank Building was completed.