George Washington’s Inaugural Bible will be on exhibit at the museum during 2nd Friday Art Night on Friday, February 8, 5 – 8 pm; and on Saturday, February 9, 9 am to 5 pm. The bible is part of the museum’s upcoming exhibit, Treasures of Arkansas Freemasons, 1838 – 2013, on exhibit February 8 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 George Washington’s Family Bible which will be on display for the entire length of the exhibit. Admission to the exhibit is free.
“The museum is delighted to have the opportunity to exhibit two rare bibles closely associated with America’s preeminent Mason of the colonial era, and our nation’s first president—George Washington,” said Historic Arkansas Museum Deputy Director and Chief Curator Swannee Bennett.
George Washington’s Inaugural Bible is on loan from St. John’s Lodge, No. 1. In New York on April 30, 1789, George Washington took the oath of office as the first president of the United States. When it was discovered that a bible had not been arranged for, one was provided by a Mason in attendance. The bible Washington used came from nearby St. John’s Lodge No. 1, Ancient York Masons—and they have preserved it ever since. George Washington’s Inaugural Bible has been used in the inaugural ceremonies of Warren G. Harding, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Jimmy Carter and George H. W. Bush.
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.
Three on Three, Arkansas Literary Festival’s fast-paced sneak peek at a trio of authors on the 2013 Festival roster, tips off at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 7, in the Main Library’s Darragh Center.
The Baltimore Consort has delighted audiences on both sides of the Atlantic and earned their CDs a place on the Billboard Magazine Top-Ten list. The Baltimore Consort’s arrangements of early music from England, Scotland, France, Italy, and Spain speak to the heart as well as the mind, and their love for the early music of English/Scottish heritage has led them to delve into the rich trove of traditional balladry and dance tunes preserved in the Appalachian mountains and Nova Scotia. More recently, the group has explored the extraordinary repertory from the Iberian peninsula awill in a program entitled “Cancionero: Early Music from Spain.”
The UALR Opera Theatre will host “Songs From the Heart,” a gala in support of the university’s vocal arts program, at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5, at the Governor’s Mansion at 1800 Center Street in Little Rock.
UALR’s Artspree series kicks off the 2013 calendar year with the Ridge Piano Trio. They will play at UALR’s Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall this afternoon at 3pm.
