Category Archives: Design

June 27 Architeaser: Stephens Game & Fish Nature Center

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IMG_6042Last week featured a pair of friezes from the original Arkansas Game & Fish Commission building on the State Capitol grounds.  Today’s Architeaser is the Game & Fish Commission’s Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center in downtown Little Rock.

The Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center opened December 17, 2008. The 16,232 square foot building on 3.4 acres in Little Rock, overlooks the Arkansas River and is within the Julius Breckling Riverfront Park.

The Center is located at park level which is, at that point, approximately one story below the President Clinton Avenue street level.  The photo depicts the walkway and the stairs which lead down to the Center’s exhibit space. The sharp angles of the stairs and rooflines are reminiscent of cabins and lodges which are often found in nature.  Just like with this building, such facilities in the wild often are built to span ravines or to take advantage of unique landscapes.  The exposed beams are associated with the Arts and Crafts movement which espoused an appreciation of nature and natural surroundings in architecture.

The center focuses on the wide variety of outdoor recreational opportunities that our state’s fish and wildlife resources provide. Exhibits highlight the role of fish and wildlife management and many of the projects conducted throughout the history of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. The location along the Arkansas River allows many watchable wildlife activities within an urban area. Basking water turtles, butterflies and migrating pelicans are common sights. A portion of the Arkansas River Trail crosses the site, offering more options for exploration. The grounds of the center include beds of native plants found throughout the state, while the main building includes an exhibit hall, aquariums, gift shop, theater and special educational programs.

CALS offers Puppet Making Workshop

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Puppets come in all shapes and sizes – from finger puppets to over-sized puppets requiring several people to manipulate.  On Friday June 28 and Saturday, June 29, the Central Arkansas Library System is offering a two-day workshop.  Participants will learn how to build a large-scale puppet in at the Central Arkansas Library System’s (CALS) Children’s Library and Learning Center, 4800 W. 10th Street, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. each day.

Participants will build puppets spanning up to 40 feet which require 3-20 people to operate and can be used in parades and theatre. Workshop attendees will learn how to make puppets with materials such as PVC pipe, wire, paper mache, fabric, clay, cardboard, recycled materials, and more. A variety of puppets will be constructed, involving moveable parts, wings, and long, undulating bodies. The workshop will be conducted by Jo Ann Kaminsky, an Arkansas native who is a licensed professional counselor, board-certified art therapist, and registered play therapist.

The workshop is free, open to the public, and limited to 30 participants ages 8 and up. Attendees are expected to participate in both days of the workshop. Registration is required; to register, call 918-3879.

The CALS Children’s Library and Learning Center is one of fourteen CALS branches serving Pulaski and Perry counties. For more information, call 918-3086 or visit www.cals.org.

(Please note, based on information received, this entry originally had different dates for the workshop.)

Father’s Day Sculpture Vulture: Rabbit Reach

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Today is Father’s Day.  In honor of that, today’s Sculpture Vulture revisits Tim Cherry’s Rabbit Reach.  The sculpture was given in memory of two fathers.

The sculpture is a gift from Whitlow Wyatt and the Carey Cox Wyatt Charitable Foundation. It was given in memory of George Wyatt and Frank Kumpuris.  Those two gentlemen were the fathers of Whitlow Wyatt and Dean & Drew Kumpuris.

The sculpture is located at the corner of Sherman Street and President Clinton Avenue across from the Museum of Discovery.

Cherry’s sculpture was selected for this spot because of its proximity to children at the Museum and in the River Market district.  The design and size of the sculpture encourages children to climb on it and to play around the rabbit.

While some public art is situated so it cannot be touched, this one is situated to be touched as part of the appreciation experience.

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June 2nd Friday Art Night is busting with Fun

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2nd Friday Art NightJune is Busting Out All Over with great art and music downtown on 2nd Friday Art Night.  Visual art, music, refreshments, a trolley for transportation can all be yours for the low price of FREE.  The festivities run from 5pm to 8pm, unless otherwise noted.

Among the highlights:

  • Old State House Museum (300 West Markham) will feature Geoff Robson and David Gerstein performing duets for violin and cello.
  • Historic Arkansas Museum (200 East Third) will celebrate the opening of its new Arkansas Made Gallery; in addition there will be live music by Parkstone.
  • Edge Gallery (301B President Clinton Ave) will be featuring contemporary art.
  • Butler Center Galleries (401 President Clinton Ave) is showing Creative Expressions; Arkansas Arts Educators; From the Vault: Works from the CALS Permanent Collection; and Old School: Remembering the Brinkley Academy
  • Courtyard Marriott Downtown (521 President Clinton Ave) is teaming up with Spirited Art Little Rock and hosting a painting class in its cafe beginning at 6:30pm.
  • Hearne Fine Art (1001 Wright Ave, Suite C) will host an opening reception for Reflections In Silver: Silverpoint Drawings by Aj Smith & Marjorie Williams-Smith.
  • studioMain (1423 South Main Street) they are featuring a UALR Student Furniture Showcase.  This has become an annual exhibit of furniture pieces created by students of the UALR Applied Design program.

June 13 Architeaser: Capitol Hill Apartments

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IMG_5779Today’s Architeaser features the unique lights on the west side of the Capitol Hill building.

In the 1960s the state purchased a building known as “The Rackensack Apartments,” north of the Capitol building, backing up to 3rd Street. Built in the 1920s, the structure, now called Capitol Hill, continues to provide legislators’ housing and overflow office space.  The lobby is a popular place for receptions and meals for legislators.

 

 

Sculpture Vulture: Playing Ball

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IMG_4042The Sculpture Vulture returns as a regular Sunday feature this summer.  Summertime is a great time for running, biking and playing golf.  Today’s sculpture is ”Playing Ball” which is located in the Rebsamen Road Roundabout near bike trails, running trails and the Rebsamen Golf Course.

Sculpted by Kevin Robb, it is 16 feet high and fabricated in stainless steel.  Landscape designer Chris Olsen donated the design and maintenance of the landscaping for the roundabout.  The project was made possible by the City of Little Rock, Sculpture at the River Market and Keep Little Rock Beautiful.

Kevin Robb forms stainless steel into contemporary sculptures, creating works of art that bring a feeling of life and quiet energy to both indoor and outdoor spaces. A wonderful sense of intimacy is created for viewers as they observe the large, flowing shapes held firmly into positions that defy gravity.

These large scale stainless steel sculptures are distinguished by their smooth, graceful edges and seamless metal intersections, revealing the high caliber welding involved. The swirl patters on the stainless steel are distinct of Kevin Robb.

HPAA Announces Seven to Save

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seventosaveThe Historic Preservation Alliance of Arkansas’s 2013 list of Arkansas’s Endangered Places is comprised of two antebellum houses, a neighborhood school, a grand orphanage with pastoral grounds, a service station shaped like an oil can, a turn of the century commercial building that housed an opera house and two Mid-Century Modern gems.

The Historic Preservation Alliance of Arkansas announced the list in front of the historic William E. Woodruff House in Little Rock on May 23.

“The 2013 list of endangered places highlights distinctive sites throughout Arkansas that represent important aspects of Arkansas’s culture and history. Though each circumstance is difference, each of these places is important to the community where it is located and each is worth saving,” said Vanessa McKuin, executive director of the Historic Preservation Alliance of Arkansas, a statewide non-profit organization.

“By calling attention to these sites now, we want to encourage local action to rehabilitate and maintain these important places.” said McKuin. “By listing these properties, we hope to bring attention to the places and to encourage local support and involvement in these preservation efforts throughout the state.”

Named to the list were:

  • Hantz & Durst Houses, 1950 & 1951, 855 & 857 Fairview St., Fayetteville, Washington County
  • Ferguson House, 1861, 416 North 3th Street, Augusta, Woodruff County
  • Frith-Plunkett House, c. 1858, 801 Main Street, Des Arc, Prairie County
  • Park Hill Elementary School, 1924, 3801 JFK Boulevard, North Little Rock, Pulaski County
  • Roundtop Filling Station (Happy’s Service Station), 1936, Old Highway 67, Sherwood, Pulaski Co.
  • St. Joseph’s Home, 1910, 6800 Camp Robinson Rd., North Little Rock, Pulaski County
  • Wynne Opera House, c. 1900, 218 S. Front Street, Wynne, Cross County

The Arkansas’s Most Endangered Historic Places list highlights historically and architecturally significant properties throughout the state that are facing threats such as deterioration, neglect, insufficient funds, insensitive public policy, and inappropriate development. The Alliance solicited nominations from residents and organizations across Arkansas.

The Alliance launched Arkansas’s Most Endangered Historic Places in 1999 to raise awareness of the importance of Arkansas’s historic properties to our state’s heritage. Previously-listed places listed include the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home in Dyess, the Donaghey Building in Little Rock, Bluff Shelter Archaeological Sites in Northwest Arkansas, the Westside Junior High in Little Rock, the Woodmen on Union Building in Hot Springs, the Packet House in Little Rock, the Stephen H. Chism House in Booneville, and the John H. Johnson House in Arkansas City.

The Historic Preservation Alliance is the statewide non-profit organization dedicated to preserving Arkansas’s architectural and cultural heritage. For more information about the Alliance and becoming a member, contact Vanessa at 501-372-4757, vmckuin@preservearkansas.org, or visit preservearkansas.org.