February Frieze Frame Friday, Part Deux

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Scott

Today’s February Frieze Frame Friday is the entrance to the old Little Rock City Jail. This building, which sits behind City Hall, was the jail from the 1930s through the early 1960s. It now serves as a parking garage, Parks & Recreation maintenance area, and city employee fitness facility.

Though the entrance below the frieze has long been bricked in, the jail bars are still detectable above the frieze.

This building was constructed by the WPA. The classical meets deco style of the frieze is typical of the works from that era.

For decades a metal awning bisected the frieze making it undetectable to people who walked by it. But in 2007, as part of some renovations to the building (spearheaded by city employee Susan K. Langley), the awning was removed and the frieze became more prominent. (As prominent as can be when the frieze is right at Broadway street level and is blocked from Broadway traffic by balustrades.

2nd Friday Art Night – At the Heart of Art in Little Rock

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Scott

For art lovers, 2^nd Friday Art Night is a great way to explore the visual arts in Little Rock. This month there are twelve stops the free trolley will be making between the hours of 5pm and 8pm. Some highlights of this month’s offerings include:

Christ Episcopal Church (500 Scott Street) is highlighting its new exhibit: “The Cross” which features interpretations of the cross in a variety of mediums by several artists including Wes McHan, Melverue Abraham, Sister Maria Liebeck, Janet Copeland, Susan Peterson, Lynn Frost, Betsy Woodyard, Jai Ross and Mark Alderfer.

Hearne Fine Art (1001 Wright Avenue) is featuring “Southern Spirit: An Exhibition of Southern Folk Art” through March 3. This gallery has consistently championed African American artists for two decades in downtown Little Rock.

Historic Arkansas Museum (200 East Third Street) will be featuring the opening of new exhibits by Bryan Massey, Tom Richard and Doug Stowe. Serenading visitors will be award-winning musician Bonnie Montgomery.

Mosaic Templars Cultural Center (501 West Ninth Street) will be a first time participant in 2^nd Friday Art Night. The featured exhibit is Daufe 1 by LaToya Hobbs. Visitors can also explore the many other galleries and exhibits in Little Rock’s newest history museum.

studioMAIN (1423 South Main Street) will have its grand opening. This design collective focused on encouraging collaboration in the creative fields including architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, urban design, furniture design and public art will have exhibitions during each 2^nd Friday Art Night. This month is an exhibit of Pettaway Park designs.

Other locations include Old State House, Butler Center Galleries, Canvas Community, Courtyard by Marriott, The Green Corner Store, Dizzy’s Gypsy Grill and Copper Grill.

Vote for LR Main Street!

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Scott

dwell believes that designing for the modern world begins with honoring the precedents of the past. So it joined forces with Sub-Zero to conceive a contest dedicated to rethinking preservation! Little Rock was nominated and now it is time to vote! A panel of judges selects the winner from the top ten that receive the most votes. dwell donates $10,000 to a worthy preservation organization. To get in the preservation spirit read the special digital issue Rethinking Preservation presented by Sub-Zero.

This is what they say about Little Rock:

Main Street Little Rock, Arkansas represents a well-known story. In its heyday, it was filled with department stores, restaurants and offices. It was the center of commerce, close to government, and had architecturally renowned buildings. Arkansas’s history can be connected to Main Street for generations. Today, there are a handful of businesses along the street supported by loyal locals, but most former department store and office buildings are now vacant or have been demolished for surface parking. Main Street has struggled for the past few decades, but is now poised to be a leader in downtown redevelopment in the South.

Little Rock has seen significant success with the development of areas surrounding Main Street, and there are new tax incentives in place for historic rehabilitation projects. Sadly, several historic buildings have been lost unnecessarily, but many significant buildings remain. Main Street is worthy of preservation because it represents the heart of Arkansas and it presents a rare opportunity to make Little Rock a leader in sustainable development.

Imagine: well designed, environmentally sensitive infill buildings working in conjunction with LEED certified rehabilitated historic buildings.

February Frieze Frame Friday

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Scott

Each Friday in February, the Little Rock Culture Vulture will feature a frieze which can be found in Little Rock.

Today’s frieze is inspired by friezes from ancient cultures showing a laborer at work. The shirtless and muscular nature of the man is evocative of friezes that can be seen today in Greek or Roman ruins. His hair, breeches and shoes are more in keeping with the late 1700s/early 1800s as is the style of the printing press.

It is found, fittingly, on an annex to the Arkansas Gazette building, which now houses the lower grades of the eStem Public Charter School.

LEGO artist back at Clinton Center tonight

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Scott

LEGO portrait of President Clinton

Back by popular demand, the Clinton Presidential Center hosts a second appearance by lawyer-turned-artist Nathan Sawaya. In his remarks, he will relay how his childhood love of LEGOs has transformed into his artistic expression.

Sawaya’s works on display at the Center include buildings, furniture, animals and even “paintings.”

The exhibit “Art of the Brick” continues until February 12.

After the program, guests are invited to tour the exhibit. Sawaya will be signing copies of his book, The Art of the Brick Pictorial, which is available for purchase at the Clinton Museum Store.

Admission is free. Children are welcome. To reserve your seats e-mailing Joy Secuban at jsecuban@clintonfoundation.org or call (501) 370-8000.

Art of Architecture: William E. Massie – “Physical Delineations”

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Scott

This month brings two editions of the “Art of Architecture” lecture series. Tonight is the second as William E. Massie discusses Physical Delineations. The program begins at 6:00pm in the lecture hall of the Arkansas Arts Center.

William E. Massie received a Bachelor of Fine Art in Architectural Studies from Parsons School of Design, New York, NY. He subsequently received a Master of Architecture from Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture. Upon graduation he worked for Robertson + McAnulty Architects and James Stewart Polshek and Partners. In 1993 he started his own company while simultaneously accepting a teaching position in the Graduate School of Architecture at Columbia University where he was appointed as the Coordinator for Building Technologies Research.

Massie is currently the Architect-in Residence / Head of Architecture Department at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and a Tenured Professor of Architecture at Rensselear Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. He has taught at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana and Parsons School of Design in New York City.

He has participated as a visiting critic at many institutions nationally including, Harvard, Yale, California Polytechnic Institute and Lawrence Technological University. In 2005 he participated as the Keynote Speaker and appointed Bruce Goff Chair at the University of Oklahoma on the future of technology and digital processes in architecture and architectural education.

The 2011-2012 Art of Architecture lecture series is sponsored by the Architecture and Design Network, with support from the Central Arkansas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the Arkansas Arts Center and the Fay Jones School of Architecture.