Author Archives: Scott

Unknown's avatar

About Scott

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

Arkansas Arts Center features Wendy Maruyama’s Executive Order 9066

Posted on by
Watchtower

Wendy Maruyama
Watchtower, 2008

Exhibits look at Japanese-American internment camps during WWII

This exhibition combines two projects of Wendy Maruyama, a studio furniture maker and head of the studio furniture program at San Diego State University. These projects, the Tag Project and Executive Order 9066, together tell the story of the Japanese-American internment camps during World War II.

In the Tag Project, Maruyama replicated 120,000 individual identification tags worn by the internees in the ten relocation camps, including two in Arkansas. Maruyama assembled the re-created paper tags in ten groups, each group representing all the internees at a specific camp. Each of these groupings hangs from the gallery ceiling and is about 11 feet tall. Maruyama has folded the Tag Project into a parallel project of hers titled Executive Order 9066 to show them together in this exhibition.

Executive Order 9066 was the directive signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordering the incarceration of all people of Japanese ancestry then resident in the United States. For the parallel project, Maruyama created work that explores ethnicity and identity through suitcases, footlockers and steamer trunks, artifacts from their owners’ forced relocation journey in 1942.

The exhibits were organized by The Society of Arts and Crafts in Boston.

The Arts Center has collaborated with the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies and the Arkansas Center for History and Culture to organize Relics of Rohwer: Gaman and the Art of Perseverance, a related exhibition documenting the experiences and artwork of Japanese Americans at Rohwer, one of two internment camps located in Arkansas.The artwork is on loan from the Mabel Rose Jamison Vogel/Rosalie Santine Gould Collection, Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, Central Arkansas Library System.

See Washington’s Family Bible on the Washington Birthday Holiday

Posted on by

George Washington’s Family Bible

On exhibit through July 12, 2013

1presToday is the George Washington Birthday Holiday.  George Washington’s Family Bible is currently on display in Little Rock at Historic Arkansas Museum.  It is part of the museum’s exhibit, Treasures of Arkansas Freemasons, 1838 – 2013, on exhibit  through July 12, 2013, in the museum’s Study Gallery. The exhibit correlates with the 175th anniversary of the Grand Lodge of Arkansas, Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Arkansas, in downtown Little Rock and also features which will be on display for the entire length of the exhibit. Admission to the exhibit is free.

The George Washington Family Bible is on loan from the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, VA. It contains Washington’s signature and notes written in his hand. George Washington was a life-long Mason, having joined as a young man. He was later asked to be Charter Master of Alexandria Lodge No. 2. renamed after his death Alexandria-Washington Lodge. The Lodge was the recipient of many of Washington’s personal possessions, including this family bible. The George Washington Masonic Memorial is now the repository of many of the Alexandria-Washington Lodge’s artifacts.

“Freemasonry has been described as a system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols, the goal of which is to take good men and make them better men,” guest curator Dick Browning wrote for the Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Along with the George Washington bibles, Arkansas treasures often imbued with the symbolism of freemasonry will be on exhibit, including masonic aprons and jewels, ceremonial trowels, gavels, a ballot box and the chair of Arkansas’s most famous Freemason, Albert Pike.

Museum of Discovery Earns National Recognition

Posted on by

20120814-171022.jpgThe Institute of Museum and Library Services announced last week that the Museum of Discovery was a National Medal for Museum and Library Service finalist. The National Medal is the nation’s highest honor conferred on museums and libraries for service to the community and celebrates institutions that make a difference for individuals, families, and communities.

“On behalf of the dedicated staff at the Museum of Discovery,” we’d like to thank IMLS for recognizing the impact our newly refurbished museum has had on the 170,000 people who visited us in the first year after our grand reopening,” said Kelley Bass, museum CEO. “Among the 33 institutions named as finalists, the Museum of Discovery is one of only six science and technology centers that target children, which makes this honor even more notable for us.”

Medal finalists are selected from nationwide nominations of institutions that demonstrate innovative approaches to public service, exceeding the expected levels of community outreach. This year’s finalists exemplify the nation’s great diversity of libraries and museums and include an aquarium and marine science center, conservatory and botanical gardens, county library systems, individual libraries, children’s museums, an art museum, science centers, and more, hailing from across the country.

“Museums and libraries serve as community gathering places and centers for lifelong learning, and we are very proud to announce Museum of Discovery as a finalist for the 2013 National Medal,” said Susan Hildreth, director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. “This year’s finalists exemplify the many wonderful ways museums and libraries can respond to the needs and wants of the communities they serve.”

Finalists are chosen because of their significant and exceptional contributions to their communities. IMLS is encouraging community members who have visited Museum of Discovery to share their story on the IMLS Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/USIMLS. Visit the IMLS Facebook page to learn more about how these institutions make an impact. National Medal for Museum and Library Service winners will be announced this spring.

To learn more about the 2013 National Medal finalists, visit http://www.imls.gov/medals.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums.  Our mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. Our grant making, policy development, and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive.  To learn more, visit http://www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About the Museum of Discovery 

Located in Little Rock’s historic River Market District, the Donald W. Reynolds Science Center at the Museum of Discovery is central Arkansas’s premier science, technology and math center. With nearly 90 state-of-the-art interactive exhibits in three galleries focused on health, physical and earth sciences, and a highly trained staff, it is a leading resource for informal science-related education. The Donald W. Reynolds Science Center at the Museum of Discovery’s mission is to ignite a passion for science, technology and math in a dynamic, interactive environment.

The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation awarded the Museum a $9.2 million grant solely dedicated to the renovation. The money paid for the renovation of 44,000 square feet of existing space, a 6,000 square-foot addition and new exhibits throughout the facility.

AIN’T NOTHING BUT A THANG continues at the Weekend Theater

Posted on by

2262749picThe Weekend Theatre’s latest production is Marlin T. Tazewell’s Ain’t NothingBut a Thang.  The production opened last weekend and continues this weekend and next.  Performances are at 7:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

Tickets are $16 for general admission, and $12 for students and seniors age 65 and older. Tickets can be purchased at www.weekendtheater.org or, based on availability, at the door. For information only, call 501-374-3761.

Director Liz Clarke was searching for a modern play to submit for Black History Month when she found Tazewell’s script last year and was intrigued by the story line. And once she read it, she was convinced it was something she wanted to direct.

Winner of the 1999 National AIDS Fund/CFDA-Vogue Initiative Playwriting Award, this gripping drama is the story of one black family struggling to survive, and remembering that each new curve life throws them “ain’t nothing but a thang” with which all of them must deal.

“The main theme of the play revolves around the decisions we make and the end result of these decisions. There is no ‘bad guy’ in this play,” Clarke says.

Rachel (Kelani Campbell), the mother of the family, struggles with drug use and thoughts that she isn’t good enough, hasn’t done enough, and isn’t loved by her kids. Oldest son Matt (Marquis Bullock) left home to pursue a college degree and better himself; he loves his family, but can’t allow himself to be drawn back in to their drama, no matter how guilty he feels about leaving. Middle son Kintai (Micheal Lowe), styles himself as a “dealer in higher plains of existence” – that is, a dope dealer. The youngest, 14-year-old Amber (Jess Carson), has been promiscuous and because of that, has contracted HIV, and just wants to know if someone cares if she lives or dies.

Also in the Fazes family orbit are Sara (Wendy Darr) Amber’s best friend, and Caveman (Justin Pike), a pal to Matt and Kintai.

And as the drama unfolds, the choices are … not so easy, really. “This play is not black or white – it is muddied shades of gray,” Clarke says. “Everyone in ‘Ain’t Nothing But a Thang’ is presented with a fork in the road and it’s their choice as to which road to take. “

LR Look Back: Mayor John Wassell

Posted on by

JWassellFuture Little Rock Mayor John Wassell was born on February 15, 1813 in Kidderminster, England.

In 1829, he came to the United States.  He learned carpentry and construction in Ohio and ended up in Little Rock.  One of his jobs was as the finishing contractor on the State Capitol building, now known as the Old State House.  He later gave up carpentry and became an attorney.  (It is said that he did so after becoming embroiled in a legal dispute arising from one of his construction jobs.) Wassell also served as a judge.

In 1868, he was appointed Mayor of Little Rock by President Andrew Johnson.  He is Little Rock’s only Mayor to have served through a military appointment.  Mayor Wassell died in January 1881 and is buried at Mt. Holly Cemetery along with his wife and other family members.  One of his grandsons, Samuel M. Wassell also served as Mayor of Little Rock.

Bradley Hunter Welch Organ Recital This Evening

Posted on by

The Central Arkansas Chapter of the American Guild of Organists presents a recital by Bradley Hunter Welch tonight.  The recital begins at 8pm tonight at Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church.

Hailed as “a world-class virtuoso” and “an expert at defining darks, lights, shadows and colors,” Bradley Hunter Welch is increasingly in demand as a recitalist, concerto soloist, and collaborative artist. A native of Knoxville, TN,  Dr. Welch holds the Doctor of Musical Arts, Master of Musical Arts, Master of Music degrees, and the Artist Diploma from Yale University where he studied with Thomas Murray and Martin Jean.

He also holds the Bachelor of Music degree magna cum laude from Baylor University where he studied with Joyce Jones. Dr. Welch has also continued his study of organ and piano technique with Sheila Paige.

Dr. Welch is the 2003 First Place winner of the Dallas International Organ Competition and was also awarded the Audience Prize for the second time, having previously won it in 2000. In 2005, he was a featured artist at three regional conventions of The American Guild of Organists, and he made his European debut in France performing in the Chartres Festival.

He has appeared as soloist with the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. With the DSO, he gave the world premier of Stephen Paulus’ Grand Concerto for Organ and Orchestra, the piece written for Bradley as the winner of the Dallas International Organ Competition.

Additionally, he has taught at Southern Methodist University and Baylor University. He is Director of Music & Arts/Organist at Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas, TX. In addition to these duties, he performs approximately 20 concerts annually under the exclusive artistic management of Phillip Truckenbrod Concert Artists, Hartford, CT.

Chamber Music Society of LR presents Rachel Barton Pine

Posted on by

The Chamber Music Society of Little Rock presents Rachel Barton Pine in recital tonight at the Clinton Presidential Center.

Rachel Barton Pine’s classical music biography leads with the cities whose orchestras she’s soloed with, including Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta, St. Louis, Dallas, Montreal, Vienna, New Zealand and Budapest, among others. She was a child prodigy who made her solo debut at age seven and has worked with numerous famous conductors — Zubin Mehta, Erich Leinsdorf, Placido Domingo and Charles Dutoit to name a few.

Hailed as “the most charismatic, the most virtuosic, and the most compelling American violinist of her generation,” her instrument is one of the most important in the world, the “ex-Soldat” violin made in 1742 by Guarneri del Gesu.

Yet like any young woman who came of age in the Nineties, violinist Rachel Barton Pine is equally inclined to talk about the musical loves of her life far from the sonatas and concertos she practices and which constitute her current professional life. She may have intensely researched the musical relationship between Johannes Brahms and violinist Joseph Joachim for her GRAMMY-nominated 2003 Cedille recording “Brahms and Joachim Violin Concertos,” but when she says, “They jammed together all the time,” we can see her rock sensibility shine through. She can reel off a list of her favorite rock bands — AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Anthrax, Metallica, Pantera, Van Halen, Slayer and Megadeth — as readily as she can talk about these 19th-century composers.

Support for Chamber Music Society of Little Rock is provided, in part, by the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

To purchase tickets, visit the Chamber Music Society of Little Rock’s website.