Category Archives: Holidays

Toys Designed by Artists at Ark Arts Center

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William Price – “Sheriff Rubber Ducky” (2010)
Cherry, steel, brass; 5 x 2 ½ x 5”

The Toys Designed By Artists exhibition engages museum visitors, delighting young and old alike.

In 1973, the Arkansas Arts Center initiated an exhibition of toys designed by artists. Inspired by Alexander Calder’s circus figures of the late 1920s and early 1930s, this exhibition was launched to stimulate the imagination of both children and adults and to engage them with toys of whimsy, delight and good craftsmanship.

The tradition continues this season with the 38th Toys Designed by Artists. This international juried exhibition challenges artists to take the concept of “toy” and make a personal expression – a piece of art. The wildly inventive toys selected often hearken back to the days before plastic and mass production, when all toys were handmade and, whether simple or elaborate, engaged the imagination of both maker and user.

The exhibit opened on Wednesday, November 21 and runs through January 6.

 

Giving Thanks for a Baby Penguin

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Today the Culture VULTURE may be eating a turkey — but the entry is on another kind of bird.

Just in time for the holidays, the Little Rock Zoo is proud to announce the hatching of its first penguin chick on October 30, 2012. 
Penguin parents Skipper and Easy are taking good care of the chick, according to Zoo staff, who says both parents are helping to keep the chick warm and feed it regurgitated fish.
The chick will be off exhibit until it is weaned when it is around 70 days old or if the parents allow it to wonder out of the nest box.
Zoo staff say the chick is growing fast and is of normal weight for its age.  On the second day after the chick hatched it weighed in at only 54 grams.  As of yesterday, only three weeks later, the chick now weighs 943 grams.  The chick will continue to gain weight until it is full grown at around 3.4 kilograms.
The chick is healthy and eating well according to Zoo staff who regularly monitor the chick and its parents.
The sex of the chick has yet to be determined and the chick has yet to be named.
The hatching of this chick was at the recommendation of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP) for the African penguin to ensure the long-term survival of endangered and threatened animals.
           
The Little Rock Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).  Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you and a better future for all living things.  With its more than 200 accredited members, AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation and your link to helping animals in their native habitats. 

Veteran’s Day Sculpture Vulture: Korean War Memorial Plaza

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In honor of Veteran’s Day, the Sculpture Vulture today features the Korean War Monument in MacArthur Park.

The Arkansas Korean War Veterans Memorial was dedicated on June 25, 2007, the 57th anniversary date of the beginning of the Korean War.  Located in MacArthur Park, the Memorial Plaza features a 3′ tall black granite pentagon bearing the emblems of the five military branches; a nearly 12′ by 12′ frosted gray granite entryway; and three larger than life-size bronze statues stand in the center of the plaza.

Three larger than life-size bronze statues are the central focus of the Arkansas Korean War Veterans Memorial Plaza.  One statue is a combat soldier representing the fighting that took place in South Korea.  The second statue honors the brave sacrifices that Combat Medics and Navy Corpsmen made to save the lives of others during this conflict.  The third statue features two Korean children representing the suffering of the Korean people during the war and the future generations of Koreans that have rebuilt that nation. The statues were designed and constructed by Light and Time Design Studio and Art Foundry located in Royal, Arkansas.

Encircling the statues are eight 3′ wide x 6′ tall black granite tablets. The tablets, weighing in excess of 3,000 pounds each, are engraved with the names of the 461 Arkansas servicemen and women killed in action, a description of Korean War events and a map of Korea.

The memorial plaza stands to the east of the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History in MacArthur Park.  Though not affiliated with the museum directly, they share a common connection to both Douglas MacArthur and the role Arkansans played in the Korean conflict.

Fright Night Movies in the Park tonight

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In the spirit of Halloween, Movies in the Park will host a special “Fright Night,” screening two spook-tacular films for a howling good time on Halloween night. It will take place in Riverfront Park by the Riverfest Amphitheatre.

The evening will kick off at 6:30pm with Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 classic The Birds. This classic about an unexplained visit from thousands of avians stars Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor, Suzanne Pleshette and Jessica Tandy.  It is based on a short-story by Daphne DuMaurier.

Following an intermission, the 2002 film The Ring will be shown.  It stars Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, David Dorfman, Brian Cox, Jane Alexander and Amber Tamblyn.

Families, picnics and pets are invited to the park to enjoy movies under the harvest moon. The amphitheater will open an hour before film showings and movies will start at sundown. Alcohol is allowed, but no glass is allowed for any beverages or foods.

Movies in the Park is sponsored by the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Big Boo!-seum Bash

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Have a HOWLING GHOUL TIME at the 17th Annual Big BOO-seum Bash.

Visitors can start at any of the eight participating museums:

  • Central High School National Historic Site
  • Clinton Presidential Center
  • Curran Hall Visitors Center
  • Historic Arkansas Museum
  • MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History
  • Mosaic Templars Cultural Center
  • Museum of Discovery
  • Old State House

This FREE Safe and Kid Friendly event promises Story Telling, Trick or Treating, Fun & Games and more! 6-8:30 pm

This year, trick-or-treaters are encouraged to hit as many of the above locations as possible, so that they can enter our free giveaway/drawing for a special gift basket and a flat-screen TV.  Game cards will be provided at all locations, and in order to be entered into these drawings, trick-or-treaters must have their game cards stamped at each location they visit.  To qualify for these drawings, participants will need to visit at least six of the above participating member locations for the special gift basket drawing, and all eight for the grand prize drawing for the flat-screen TV. Winners will be notified at a later date.

Boo at the Zoo – October 19 – 21; 26-31

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Boo at the Zoo is the largest family Halloween festival in Arkansas.

Now in its 21st year, Boo at the Zoo has become a family tradition.  Boo at the Zoo features trick-or-treating in a safe environment along with several amenities and attractions including: a hay maze, carnival rides, fair-style food & other concessions, the haunted train, a haunted house for older kids, a costume contest, Ghost Roast s’mores area, Frankenstein’s Dance Party, and much, much more.

Freaky fun and spooky animals are lurking at every term all over the park. Live music and food on the weekend will keep the parents entertained. Kids will be fascinated by all the animals and the keepers’ extensive knowledge. Live musical groups will keep things lively on the Elephant Stage and free magic shows for the kids start around 6:30pm.

On Thursday, October 18, the Zoo will host an Adults-only preview party.  Enjoy some fun libations as you preview Arkansas’ largest Halloween festival, Boo at the Zoo! Guests to this special adults-only preview night will “trick-or-treat” for some special concoctions and get a chance to experience all the fun of Boo at the Zoo including the haunted train, haunted house, Frankenstein’s Dance Party, and a costume contest!  Food truck vendors will be available for you to purchase some delicious snacks, too.

Culture Vulture tending the nest

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The Little Rock Culture Vulture is on vacation until Labor Day.