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.

LR Look Back: Mayor Martin Borchert

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Martin John BorchertOn this date in 1916, future Little Rock Mayor Martin Borchert was born in Stuttgart.  After graduating high school he moved to Little Rock.  He started work at ACME Brick and spent 21 years there before engaging in other business interests.  Among these businesses were Martin Borchert Co., ASCO Hardware, Dtection Systems Inc. and Component Systems Inc.  In 2005 he was inducted into the Arkansas Construction Hall of Fame.

Mayor Borchert was elected to the Little Rock City Board of Directors in 1964 and served from January 1965 through December 1968. He chose not to seek a second term.  In 1967 and 1968 he served as Mayor of Little Rock. During this time, he laid out the vision for what has become Riverfront Park along the Arkansas River.

Other civic achievements included being a member of the Board of the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce, being on the Governor’s Citizens Advisory Committee, a member of the Pulaski County Quorum Court, vice chairman of the Arkansas Planning Commission, and being on the Little Rock Air Force Base Community Council. In 1967 he served on the President’s National Advisory Council to the Small Business Administration. Mayor Borchert served on the Little Rock Water Commission, including a tenure as chairman. In 1985, he was chairman of the Metropolitan Transit Policy Board and as chairman oversaw the transfer of the Central Arkansas Transit system to the Central Arkansas Transit Authority. One of the achievements of which he was very proud of was that he was one of the very first in Arkansas to receive an Adopt the Highway road.

Mayor Borchert was married for 57 years to Rosemary “Biddy” Branch Borchert.  They had two children, a son, John “Topper” Borchert and a daughter, Leslie Borchert Wilson.

Little Rock Look Back: First Council Meeting in Little Rock

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TowncouncilplaqueOn this date, January 16, 1832, the very first Town Council meeting took place in Little Rock.  It was held at the home of Dr. Matthew Cunningham, Little Rock’s first Mayor. (Prior to the establishment of a City Hall, the Mayor was responsible for hosting the Council meetings.)

Dr. Cunningham owned several properties in Little Rock.  His home was situated on a block at  the southwest intersection of Markham and what is now 3rd Street.  Currently Bennett’s Military Supply anchors that corner in the Fulk building.  The block also includes the Mann on Main project, which is comprised of the buildings originally constructed for the Gus Blass Department store.

Little Rock was chartered as a town in 1831 and elections were subsequently held.  Dr. Cunningham outpolled Rev. W. W. Stevenson to become the first Mayor.

Joining Mayor Cunningham at the first meeting were the original four Town Council members – Charles Caldwell, Benjamin Clemens, David Holt and John McLain.

In 1931 a plaque, as part of Little Rock’s Centennial, a plaque was erected to note the first meeting.  The plaque erroneously implies that the first meeting was in 1831. This mistake is understandable since the first election was in 1831.  The plaque also refers to the body as the City Council.  It was, in fact, the Town Council.  There would not be a City Council until 1835 when Little Rock was elevated to City status.

(Incidentally, the plaque is not the only incorrect date regarding City meeting places.  The date stone above the entrance to City Hall reads 1907. Though construction of the building was largely finished in 1907, City offices did not move in until 1908. The building was not officially dedicated until April 1908.  When the plaque was installed it was probably due to wishful thinking.)

Two new exhibits at UALR galleries

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Two new exhibits opened yesterday in the UALR Art Galleries.

“Collecting Prints” features fine art prints from the UALR Permanent Collection that have been acquired over the past 15 years. The majority of the permanent collection is made up of late 20th century and contemporary drawings, prints, paintings, sculptural objects and ceramics by professional artists and UALR students. This exhibition will be open in Gallery I through March 11. A reception will take place Jan. 25.

This exhibition celebrates art Professor Win Bruhl’s love of the diverse media found in the print studio and to honor his tenure on the eve of his retirement in June 2013. Bruhl became chair of the art department in 1998 and counts printmaking among his studio passions.

“Surface Space (Sundial Face)” features recent paintings by UALR Artist in Residence Taimur Cleary. Cleary’s work centers around connections to and perception of the landscape, with influences that  include landscape paintings, the quality of sunlight and reflected light, the seasons, meteorology, clouds, satellite imagery, memory, reading, and traveling. This exhibition will be open in Gallery II from Jan. 14  through Feb. 8.   An artist talk will be held Jan. 31.

Cleary is the fourth person to hold the artist-in-residence position in representational painting within the art department at UALR. He began his residency in August 2011. He has taught at The Columbus College of Art and Design in Ohio. Prior to that, he taught art as an assistant professor in Lahore, Pakistan.

Reel Classics with Rep: The Quilts of Gee’s Bend

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quiltsofgeesbendIn conjunction with the upcoming play Gee’s Bend, the Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s monthly film series tonight will feature The Quilts of Gee’s Bend.  Reel Classics with the Rep starts at 6:00pm.

Set in the quiltmaker’s homes and yard, and told through the women’s voices, this music-filled, documentary takes viewers inside the art and fascinating living history of a uniquely American community and art form.

Prior to the film, members of The Rep’s creative team will discuss Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder’s play Gee’s Bend.  Reel Classics with the Rep takes place at the Laman Library in North Little Rock.

Gee’s Bend runs from Janury 23 through February 10.  Opening night if January 25.

The story of the women of Gee’s Bend has already touched millions who viewed their stunning work through a national exhibition tour and features on National Public Radio, Newsweek  and O Magazine.  “The Quilts of Gee’s Bend” have been exhibited at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art, among others.

The Arkansas Rep’s production is made possible in part by a grant from the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame Foundation, a component fund of the Arkansas Community Fund.

Arkansas Arts Center exhibit – Museum School Faculty Exhibition: Past and Present

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David Bailin’s Anticipated Exile, 1988
charcoal and oil on canvas
Arkansas Arts Center Foundation Collection:Purchase, Grand Award, 31st Annual Delta Art Exhibition

In conjunction with the Arkansas Arts Center 50th Anniversary celebration, a new exhibit has just been installed.

The Museum School Faculty Exhibition: Past and Present pays tribute to the Museum School faculty. The Arkansas Arts Center first began offering art classes for children and adults during the spring of 1960, prior to the construction of the new facility.

When the new Arts Center was completed in May of 1963, it included studios that comprise the Museum School in which a full schedule of art classes was offered.

The Museum School Faculty Exhibition: Past and Present highlights work created by current Museum School Faculty along with work from the permanent collection by former faculty members. Works in a variety of media are featured. This exhibition is the final installment in the series.

The exhibit runs through March 10.

The Arkansas Arts Center galleries are open:

Tuesday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Ballet Arkansas: Open Master Class with Peter Zweifel

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FBLOGO 2Former Texas Ballet Theater artist, Peter Zweifel, will teach a master class for dancers in the Ballet Arkansas studio at Shuffles & Ballet II, 1521 Merrill Drive, in Little Rock on Sunday, January 13.  The class begins at 3 pm and will conclude at 5 pm.
This class is the third in a series of Master Classes to be taught by Ballet Arkansas’ guest choreographers and guest dancers throughout the 2012-2013 Season.  Mr. Zweifel is choreographing a new work for Ballet Arkansas’ spring concert, Spring into Motion, which premieres at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre April 5-7, 2013.
It will take place at the Ballet Arkansas Studio at Shuffles & Ballet II (1521 Merrill Drive).  Please arrive early to register.  The class fee is $25 and the observer fee is $15.  Both participants and observer numbers are limited; advance reservations are required. Email info@balletarkansas.org to reserve your spot. Female dancers should bring pointe shoes. 

PETEROriginally from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Peter Zweifel began his ballet training at the Jean Wolfmeyer School of Dance. After continuing his studies at the Virginia School of the Arts and Houston Ballet Academy, Mr. Zweifel joined Texas Ballet Theater where he danced for eight seasons under artistic director Ben Stevenson.

While at Texas Ballet Theater, Mr. Zweifel enjoyed dancing principal roles in Ben Stevenson’s Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Dracula, Cleopatra, Giselle, Mozart’s Requiem, Endangered Species, and Four Last Songs. He also performed principal roles in Val Caniparoli’s Lamborena and Dominic Walsh’s Flames of Eros, as well as a soloist role in George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations. In 2011, he was awarded the Ben Stevenson Award for Excellence.

Mr. Zweifel first began choreographing as a student at the Virginia School of the Arts and has since choreographed for various national and international ballet schools. He has multiple ballets in Texas Ballet Theater’s repertoire including “Absence,” “Sweet and Tangy,” “Glimpse,” “Love Always Remains,” and “The Finding.”

In December of 2010, he was named by Dallas Modern Luxury Magazine as one of the top ten artists to watch, and in 2006 he received a New York Choreographic Institute Fellowship Initiative Grant. In the summer of 2012, Mr. Zweifel moved to New York City to attend Parsons The New School for Design.

2013’s first 2nd Friday Art Night!

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Start the New Year off right by visiting the various sites participating in 2nd Friday Art Night.  Downtown from 5pm to 8pm tonight, there are museums and galleries staying open later with great art, music and refreshments.

Here are a few highlights:

Christ Church (509 Scott Street) features an exhibit entitled “Beating Hooves.”  Featuring pen and ink drawings by Mary Shelton, this exhibit focuses on horses and jockeys in the horse racing milieu.  It is a perfect way to get in the mood for racing season at Oaklawn.  The exhibit runs through March 3.

Old State House (300 West Markham) will offer live music by Geoffrey Robson and David Gerstein.  These two master musicians will perform duos for violin and cello, featuring works by Beethoven, Schubert, and Zoltan Kodaly. Robson is violinist and associate conductor of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. Gerstein is principal cellist of the ASO.

Historic Arkansas Museum (200 East Third Street) opens a new exhibit entitled “Marty Smith: Perfect Balance.”  It will be in the second floor gallery.  Continuing exhibits include “Beyond the Expected: Norwood Creech, Paulette Palmer and Edward Wade, Jr.,” “Recent Acquisitions: A Collection Vision, 2008 – 2012,” and “We Walk in Two Worlds.

The Butler Center for Arkansas Studies of the Central Arkansas Library System is also opening a new exhibit tonight.  In the Clinton for Arkansas exhibition, selected materials from the Bill Clinton State Government Project depict Clinton’s political career in Arkansas and its impact on the state. Items representing both politics and policy are featured, including materials from his run for Congress in 1974 and his term as attorney general, as well as from his twelve years as governor. In addition, the exhibition highlights campaign memorabilia from 1974 through his second presidential bid in 1996.