Category Archives: Lecture

Ben Piazza focus of Old State House Brown Bag program

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piazza“Ben Piazza: Becoming the American Dream” is the title of a discussion at the Old State House today at 12 noon.

Piazza was a Little Rock native who starred on Broadway as well as appeared in movies and TV from the 1950s through the 1990s. Throughout his career he acted with Gary Cooper, Tom Hanks, Jane Fonda, Robert DeNiro, Cher, Dan Akroyd, John Belushi and Walter Matthau among others.   Ben was also a friend of playwright Edward Albee and appeared in many of his plays throughout the 1960s, including The American Dream and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

During his career Ben saw seismic shifts in the acting profession.  He experienced the theatrical, TV and movie industries turned on their heads because of radical changes which few could have foreseen.

This discussion looks at Ben Piazza’s life and career as Broadway and Hollywood underwent drastic changes in the second half of the 20th Century.  It also discusses his career as a writer – most notably the novel The Exact and Very Strange Truth and the Off Broadway play Lime Green/Khaki Blue.

The program is being held in conjunction with the Old State House Museum’s exhibit Lights! Camera! ARKANSAS!

 

 

Tales from the South: Games Children Play

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talesfromsouthTonight’s edition of  ”Tales from the South” is Games Children Play. It will feature stories by Brooke Burger, Newton Jones and Bill Scott. Music is by Amy Garland Angel and blues guitarist Mark Simpson

“Tales From the South” is a radio show created and produced by Paula Martin Morell, who is also the show’s host. The show is taped live on Tuesday. The night is a cross between a house concert and a reading/show, with incredible food and great company. Tickets must be purchased before the show, as shows are usually standing-room only.

“Tales from the South” is a showcase of writers reading their own true stories. While the show itself is unrehearsed, the literary memoirs have been worked on for weeks leading up to the readings. Stories range from funny to touching, from everyday occurrences to life-altering tragedies.

The program takes place at Starving Artist Café.  Dinner is served from 5pm to 6:30pm, the show starts at 7pm.  Admission is $7.50, not including dinner.

You MUST purchase your ticket before the show

Previous episodes of “Tales from the South” air on KUAR Public Radio on Thursdays at 7pm.  Tonight’s episode will air on September 19.

Tonight: “Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration,” Dr. Buzz Aldrin and Leonard David

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Buzz AldrinLegendary astronaut Dr. Buzz Aldrin and Leonard David, veteran space journalist and co-author of Dr. Aldrin’s new book, “Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration” will be in conversation this evening at 6:00pm at Robinson Center Music Hall.

Selected into the NASA in 1963, Dr. Aldrin developed docking and rendezvous techniques for spacecraft in Earth and lunar orbit, which was critical to the success of the Gemini and Apollo programs, and are still used today. He pioneered underwater training techniques, as a substitute for zero gravity flights, to simulate spacewalking and during the 1966 Gemini 12 mission, he preformed the first successful spacewalk. On July 20, 1969, Dr. Aldrin, along with Neil Armstrong made their historic Apollo 11 moonwalk, becoming the first two humans to set foot on another world.

Leonard David has been reporting on space exploration for nearly five decades. Mr. David is the 2010 winner of the prestigious National Space Club Press Award, presented this honor during the Club’s annual Robert H. Goddard Memorial Dinner in April 2011 that was held in Washington, D.C. Currently, Leonard is SPACE.com’s Space Insider Columnist, as well as a correspondent for Space News newspaper and a contributing writer for several magazines, specifically Aerospace America, the membership publication of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). This program is sponsored by the Clinton Foundation and Clinton School of Public Service.

*This lecture has limited seating available. Invitation is non-transferrable. Reservations are required. Reserve your seats by emailing publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu or calling 501.683.5239.

Following the lecture, Dr. Aldrin and Leonard David will be available for a book signing of their new book, “Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration.” To reserve a copy, please contact Michelle Ross at the Clinton Museum Store at mross@clintonfoundation.org or 501-748-0401.

The Perils of Collecting Rembrandt: Ark Arts Center extended hours and lecture tonight

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In conjunction with the “Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Gainsborough: The Treasures of Kenwood House, London ” exhibit, the Arkansas Arts Center will remain open for extended hours this evening.  The galleries will be open until 9pm.  In addition, Dr. Catherine B. Scallen will be presenting a lecture entitled “Collecting Rembrandt: Perils and Pleasures One Hundred Years Ago.”
Catherine Scallen

Catherine Scallen

Professor Scallen is Chair of the Department of Art History and Art at Case Western Reserve University, where she has taught since 1995. She received her BA from Wellesley College, her MA from the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art, and her PhD from Princeton University. After receiving her doctorate, she held a graduate internship in the Paintings Department of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.

A specialist on the paintings and prints of Rembrandt van Rijn, her book, Rembrandt, Reputation, and the Practice of Connoisseurship, was published in 2004.  She has been a faculty lecturer on trips to The Netherlands and Belgium for Princeton University and CWRU, and is the author of two courses for The Great Courses Company, Art of the Northern Renaissance and Museum Masterpieces: The National Gallery, London. Attendees are welcome to stay after the lecture to view Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Gainsborough: The Treasures of Kenwood House, London during the exhibition’s special extended hours.
In addition to the extended gallery hours and lecture, the Best Impressions restaurant will be open until 8:30pm.  Advance reservations are strongly recommended; to make them call (501) 907-5946.
On display through September 8, “The Treasures of Kenwood House” is organized by the American Federation of Arts and English Heritage. It is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities with additional funding from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. In-kind support is provided by Barbara and Richard S. Lane.

It is presented in Arkansas by: Bank of the Ozarks; Harriet and Warren Stephens, Stephens Inc.; Windgate Foundation.  The exhibition is sponsored in Arkansas by: Chucki and Curt Bradbury; Sandra and Bob Connor; Remmel T. Dickinson; Lisenne Rockefeller.

This special exhibition showcases 48 masterpieces from the collection known as the Iveagh Bequest. These magnificent paintings reside at Kenwood House, a neoclassical villa in London. The tour of Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Gainsborough: The Treasures of Kenwood House, London will provide a unique opportunity to view superb paintings outside the United Kingdom. Most of these paintings have never traveled to the United States before, and many of them have rarely been seen outside Kenwood. The highly acclaimed works represent the greatest artists of their periods, including Rembrandt van Rijn, Thomas Gainsborough, Anthony van Dyck, Frans Hals, Joshua Reynolds, J.M.W. Turner and more.

Today at noon at Legacies & Lunch: Oakland-Fraternal Cemetery

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OakFratFor over 150 years, the Oakland-Fraternal Cemetery has been a final resting place for Little Rock citizens. This City of Little Rock cemetery is the focus on the August “Legacies and Lunch” program today at noon at the Bulter Center.  Jan Davenport, historian of the Oakland-Fraternal Cemetery will be the speaker.

The 160 acres on which Oakland-Fraternal was located was purchased from Mary Starbuck, the widow of Paul R. Starbuck, by the City of Little Rock in March 1863. This became the city’s largest cemetery. Gradually, the total acreage declined as unneeded property was sold. Oakland-Fraternal now includes over 10,000 monuments and sculptures on its 92 acres. As the public cemetery for over one hundred years, the cemetery is representative of Little Rock’s social fabric. United States Senators and Congressmen, Governors, Mayors, merchants, doctors, and educators are all interred in Oakland-Fraternal.  The cemetery is actually comprised of seven different cemeteries which are collectively known by the name “Oakland-Fraternal.”

Legacies & Lunch, a free program offered by the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies on the first Wednesday of each month, will feature Jan Davenport, historian of the Oakland-Fraternal Cemetery, on Wednesday, August 7, noon – 1 p.m. in the Main Library’s Darragh Center, 100 Rock Street.

After years of resting quietly, history is being uncovered at the Oakland-Fraternal Cemetery, as caretakers restore and research aged headstones. The cemetery is Little Rock’s best-kept historical secret and the final resting place for people ranging from working-class families to an assassinated judge. In her talk, “Gone but Not Forgotten: 150 Years at the Oakland-Fraternal Cemetery,” Davenport will discuss her efforts to raise awareness of the cemetery and the stories of the people resting there.

The Butler Center for Arkansas Studies is a department of CALS. It was founded in 1997 to promote the study and appreciation of Arkansas history and culture. The Butler Center’s research collections, art galleries, and offices are located in the Arkansas Studies Institute building at 401 President Clinton Ave. on the campus of the CALS Main Library.

For more information, call 918-3086.

Tin Roof Project: Robert Hupp

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bob108_resizedThe first Tuesday of each month, Tales from the South features one person sharing their life story. They call it Tin Roof Project.  August features Robert Hupp the Producing Artistic Director of the Arkansas Repertory Theatre.  The program will be Tuesday, August 6.

Music is by the Salty Dogs and blues guitarist Mark Simpson.

Hupp is in his fourteenth season as producing artistic director of Arkansas Repertory Theatre. Robert’s directing credits for The Rep include Death of a Salesman, Henry V, To Kill a Mockingbird, The 39 Steps, Hamlet, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Les Miserables, The Full Monty, Of Mice and Men, God’s Man in Texas, Fully Committed, Proof, You Can’t Take It With You and The Grapes of Wrath.
Both Hupp and Tales from the South founder Paula Martin Morell have been announced as recipients of 2013 Governor’s Arts Awards.
Prior to assuming his position at The Rep, Hupp spent nine seasons as artistic director of Jean Cocteau Repertory theatre in New York City. He has served on funding panels for the National Endowment for the Arts, the Theatre Communications Group, the New Jersey State Council of the Arts and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. In addition to his duties at The Rep, Hupp serves on the Board of Directors of the Theatre Communications Group and was named “Non Profit Executive of the Year” in 2012 at the Arkansas Business of the Year Awards.

“Tales From the South” is a radio show created and produced by Paula Martin Morell, who is also the show’s host. The show is taped live on Tuesday. The night is a cross between a house concert and a reading/show, with incredible food and great company. Tickets must be purchased before the show, as shows are usually standing-room only.

“Tales from the South” is a showcase of writers reading their own true stories. While the show itself is unrehearsed, the literary memoirs have been worked on for weeks leading up to the readings. Stories range from funny to touching, from everyday occurrences to life-altering tragedies.

The program takes place at Starving Artist Café.  Dinner is served from 5pm to 6:30pm, the show starts at 7pm.  Admission is $7.50, not including dinner.

You MUST purchase your ticket before the show

Previous episodes of “Tales from the South” air on KUAR Public Radio on Thursdays at 7pm.

Sandwich in History Friday at Emmett W. Jenkins House

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Emmett W. Jenkins House (photo courtesy of Arkansas Historic Preservation Program)

Emmett W. Jenkins House (photo courtesy of Arkansas Historic Preservation Program)

On Friday, August 2 at 12 noon, the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program’s monthly “Sandwiching in History” program will visit the Emmett W. Jenkins house.

Located at 923 W. 24th St. in the Governor’s Mansion Historic District, the Emmett W. Jenkins House was built about 1920.  It was constructed in the Craftsman style with exposed rafter tails, a front porch supported by square, brick columns, and mixed exterior materials.

The house was initially occupied by Emmett W. Jenkins, a contractor, and his wife, Sallie M. Jenkins. The home sustained considerable damage during the 1999 tornado that swept through downtown Little Rock. It was rehabilitated in 2009 and now serves as headquarters for the Ivy Foundation of Little Rock, which financially supports the community through the Beta Pi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

The “Sandwiching in History” program is a series of tours that seeks to familiarize people who live and work in central Arkansas with the historic structures and sites around us. The tours take place on Fridays at noon, last less than an hour, and participants are encouraged to bring their lunches so that they can eat while listening to a brief lecture about the property and its history before proceeding on a short tour. A representative from the property is encouraged to attend also and address the group.

The tours are organized by the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage. All tours are free and open to the public.