Category Archives: Design

SOCIALIGHT, a lecture by Mark Manack, AIA and Frank Jacobus AIA tonight at 6pm.

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Marc Manack (L)  and  Frank Jacobus (R)

ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN NETWORK presents

 
SOCIALIGHT
a lecture by
 
Marc Manack, AIA, NCARB, Assistant Professor, Fay Jones School of Architecture & Design 
Frank Jacobus, AIA, Associate Professor, Fay Jones School of Architecture & Design
          Principals, SILO AR+D, Fayetteville, AR and Cleveland, OH 
 
Date: Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Place: Arkansas Arts Center lecture hall
Time: 6:00 p.m. preceded by a reception at 5:30 p.m.  
 
Marc Manack and Frank Jacobus, the former a founding principal and the latter a principal of  SILO AR+D, an award winning architectural, research and design collaborative, will share their insights into the evolving role of the architect in relation to contemporary design, technology and changing perceptions of the built environment. 
 
While they, like other architects, still deal with bricks and  mortar, glass, steel and other traditional building elements, the two men have sought out and  experimented in unexpected ways with new, non-traditional  materials and techniques, employing them in the design and making of  temporary as well as permanent  structures, installations and objects. 
 
The work of the two architects has been published widely and has been  featured in ARCHITECTURE, Dwell, Slate, Fast Company and the Wall Street Journal.   
 
Architecture and Design Network (ADN) lectures are free and open to the public. For additional information about this and other ADN programs contact ardenetwork@icloud.com. Supporters of ADN include the Central Section of the Arkansas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the UA Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, the Arkansas Arts Center and friends in the community.

Little Rock Look Back: J. N. Heiskell

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At the age of 87, J. N. Heiskell in 1960.

At the age of 87, J. N. Heiskell in 1960.

John Netherland (J. N.) Heiskell served as editor of the Arkansas Gazette for more than seventy years.

He was born on November 2, 1872, in Rogersville, Tennessee, to Carrick White Heiskell and Eliza Ayre Netherland Heiskell. He entered the University of Tennessee at Knoxville before his eighteenth birthday and graduated in three years at the head of his class on June 7, 1893.

His early journalism career included jobs with newspapers in Knoxville and Memphis and with the Associated Press in Chicago and Louisville. On June 17, 1902, Heiskell’s family bought controlling interest in the Arkansas Gazette. Heiskell became the editor, and his brother, Fred, became managing editor.

Governor George Donaghey appointed Heiskell to succeed Jeff Davis in the United States Senate after Davis’s death in office. Heiskell served from January 6, 1913, until January 29, 1913, when a successor was elected.

On June 28, 1910, Heiskell married Wilhelmina Mann, daughter of the nationally prominent architect, George R. Mann. The couple had four children: Elizabeth, Louise, John N. Jr., and Carrick.

In 1907, he joined a successful effort to build the city’s first public library. He served on the library board from that year until his death and was issued the first library card.  He also served on the City’s Planning Commission for decades.

In 1912, he was instrumental in bringing John Nolen to Little Rock to devise a park plan. Heiskell was also largely responsible for the location of Robinson Auditorium. When City Council members had competing locations, he advocated for the corner of Markham and Broadway. And kept at it until the site was selected.

In the paper and in his own personal opinions, he crusaded on a variety of progressive causes.  Perhaps the most famous was the Gazette’s stance in the 1957 Central High desegregation crisis.  It was for this effort that the paper received two Pulitzer Prizes.

Although Heiskell stopped going to the office at age ninety-nine, he continued to take an active interest in the newspaper. He began by having a copy of the newspaper delivered to his home by messenger as soon as it came off the press each night. Eventually, he switched to having his secretary call him daily at his home and read the entire newspaper to him. He operated on the premise that “anyone who runs a newspaper needs to know what’s in it, even to the classified ads.”

A few weeks after turning 100, Heiskell died of congestive heart failure brought on by arteriosclerosis on December 28, 1972. He is buried in Little Rock’s Mount Holly Cemetery.  Interestingly, he is buried in the same cemetery as two of his most notable adversaries: Governor Jeff Davis, and segregationist Congressman Dale Alford.

Creative Class of 2015: Scott Walters

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scottwaltersOctober may have ended yesterday. But since this is about Creativity, the Creative Class stretches into November for one day this year.  Scott Walters uses his position as Rector of Christ Church to build connections and raise awareness of a variety of art forms and creative disciplines.

Through his leadership and encouragement, two different public gallery spaces have been created at Christ Church, an Arts at Christ Church series has been launched (featuring all types of music from Grammy winning soul to Renaissance chamber), the basement has been turned into The Undercroft music venue with regular performances, and a partnership with the Arkansas Literary Festival has been undertaken.

Concerned with the built environment, he has led walking tours of downtown which have focused not only on the history of the neighborhood but also looking at its present and envisioning its future possibilities.  Because Christ Church is at a hub of development in the River Market, Creative Corridor, SoMa, MacArthur Park and Hanger Hill, he is exploring ways to more actively integrate the church into its greater community.

Interested in historic preservation, he is currently shepherding an effort to restore the historic stained glass windows at the church. A student of poetry, philosophy and urban planning, he can often be found engaged in discussions about those topics.  But he is just as likely to discuss comedians, YouTube videos, and the local music scene.

QQA celebrates Annual Meeting & Greater LR Preservation Awards tonight!

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QQAThe Quapaw Quarter Association will present the Greater Little Rock Preservation Awards at its 2015 Annual Membership Meeting on Tuesday, October 27 at the Ron Robinson Theater.

This year’s Award of Merit recipients include

  • Matt Foster for the rehabilitation of the Leo Treadway House
  • CJRW, Jameson Architects, Kinco Constructors, and Terraforma LLC for the rehabilitation of the Fulk Building
  • Darrell Brown and the Sherwood History and Heritage Committee for the rehabilitation of the Roundtop Filling Station
  • Tom and Ellen Fennell for their Forgotten Little Rock Facebook page

Laura Sergeant will receive the Peg Smith Award to recognize her exemplary volunteer work.  The Group will be presented with the Jimmy Strawn Award, the QQA’s most prestigious award, for their long time efforts to revitalize South Gaines Street and stabilize the Governor’s Mansion Historic District, as well as their contributions to downtown Little Rock.

The meeting will begin at 5:00 p.m. with a 30 minute reception, followed by the annual meeting and award presentation at the Ron Robinson Theater at 100 River Market Avenue in Little Rock.  The QQA’s annual membership meeting is free and open to the public.  Nonmembers are encouraged to support Little Rock preservation efforts at the door.

The QQA is pleased to welcome Donovan Rypkema as this year’s guest speaker.  Mr. Rypkema is principal of Place Economics, a Washington, DC-based real estate and economic development consulting firm.  The firm is currently working on a ReLocal study for the City of Little Rock.  This project has surveyed 8,000 parcels in the study area, and will look at over seventy five metrics to make specific recommendations to the City of Little Rock for how to stabilize and revitalize its historic neighborhoods.

The QQA’s mission is to promote the preservation of Little Rock’s architectural heritage through advocacy, marketing and education.  Visit Quapaw.com for more information and to become a member.

Monday Musings: Rhea Roberts

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rheaSince becoming Executive Director of the Quapaw Quarter Association, Rhea Roberts has led that organization through a planning and rebranding process, expanded programming and outreach efforts, overseen the 50th QQA Spring Tour, and launched a new historic property marker program (new signs are starting to pop up throughout Little Rock).  Tomorrow evening (Tuesday, October 27), the QQA will have its annual meeting and presentation of the Greater Little Rock Preservation Awards. For more information on the awards and other QQA programming, visit their website.

My earliest memory was (age and incident)

I have tons of early memories of playing in the woods and hide and seek at my grandparents’ 1890s farm house.  

When I was in high school and imagined my adulthood, I thought I would be…

Some kind of architect or designer 

Star Wars, Star Trek, Battle of the Network Stars, or Dancing with the Stars?

Star Wars   

 I most identify with the Winnie the Pooh character of…

Rabbit 

The performer I’d drop everything to see is…

Beyonce 

My first paying job was…

After school for the Bandera County Treasurer  

A book I think everyone should read is….

I think everyone should read as much as they can.  I’m a big fan of Letters to My Daughter by Maya Angelou 

My favorite season is…

Summer  

-We are all geeks (or experts) about something. My field is….

Historic Preservation  

Creative Class of 2015: Stephanie S. Streett

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StreettStephanie S. Streett is the executive director of the Clinton Foundation. In this role she oversees the day-to-day operations of the Clinton Presidential Center, including the development and implementation of its educational programs, special events, exhibits, and services as well as staff management. She establishes and cultivates strategic partnerships and cooperative arrangements with state and local governments, the non-profit and private sector, community groups and other organizations. Stephanie also serves as the corporate secretary for the Clinton Foundation Board of Directors.

Stephanie has used her position to broaden culture in Little Rock through the wide variety of exhibits which the Clinton Center has hosted. A wide variety of styles of visual arts, design, contemporary craft, sports, science and history have been showcased in exhibits at the Clinton Center.  She also was instrumental in planning the special events in conjunction with the Clinton Center 10th Anniversary in 2014.  In addition, she has been active in promoting partnerships with the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Together with Kaki Hockersmith, she has facilitated several seminars which have brought key Kennedy Center leaders to Little Rock.

She is the president of the University of Arkansas Alumni Association National Board of Directors and is co-chair of the Board of Directors for City Year Little Rock. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Downtown Partnership of Little Rock and is a member of the International Women’s Forum Arkansas.

Pop Up in the Rock today from 11am to 5pm along West 9th from Broadway

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Create Little Rock, the young professionals organization of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, and studioMAIN, a collective of design professionals, developers, and contractors, are excited to share developments in the 2015 PopUp in the Rock planning.

This year, PopUp West Ninth will take place Saturday, October 24 from 11am until 5pm. It will span from the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center (MTCC) at Ninth and Broadway to the Dreamland Ballroom at Ninth and State and across the State Street overpass to the campus of Philander Smith. The project will feature a meandering street with the intention of slowing traffic creating a more pedestrian friendly environment, a children’s corner, street musicians and performers, Dreamland Ballroom tours and a PopUp Goodfellas barber shop.

Local food trucks, vendors and entertainment have also been secured including Solfood Catering and Brown Sugar Bake Shop, local food trucks Loblolly, The Beast, Southern Gourmasian, Banana Leaf, Blackhound BBQ, Katmandu Momo as well as the Lost Forty beer garden.  There will be PopUp shopping featuring Mimi Mwafrika designs and Tribal Collections. Great local musicians such as Lucious Spiller and the Arkansas Baptist Choir among several others will perform throughout the day.

PopUp in the Rock began generating community feedback for PopUp West Ninth at the 2014 Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom hosted by Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, Arkansas’s museum of African American history and culture.  Once known as “The Line,” Ninth Street was a bustling east-west thoroughfare with a trolley line. It was a bustling community with a thriving urban fabric of mixed-use development that was largely black-owned.

Booker T. Washington spoke at Ninth and Broadway in 1913. Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and others performed at the Dreamland Ballroom and other jazz clubs along Ninth. Daisy and L.C. Bates operated their Arkansas State Press there, and, from the present location of MTCC, the Mosaic Templars operated a politically and financially influential headquarters. The campus of Philander Smith once spanned north to West Ninth before Interstate 630 divided the district. One goal of PopUp West Ninth is to encourage pedestrian and bicycle traffic between Philander Smith and West Ninth Street via the South State Street overpass, thereby bridging the gap that originally tore apart the neighborhood. Utilizing community feedback and knowledge of the deep historical roots of West Ninth, PopUp in the Rock hopes to demonstrate the district’s potential for an equally vibrant future.