Category Archives: Lecture

September Preservation Conversations

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The Quapaw Quarter Association’s monthly Preservation Conversation continues tonight.

This month’s topic is a discussion of sculptor Dionicio Rodriguez. His work is found throughout Arkansas. Rachel Silva of the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program will lead the discussion.

The program takes place this evening at Curran Hall, 615 East Capitol Avenue. From 5 to 5:30 a reception will take place. The program will run from 5:30 to 6:30.

The Quapaw Quarter Association’s mission is to promote the preservation of Little Rock’s architectural heritage through advocacy, marketing and education. Incorporated in 1968, the QQA grew out of an effort to identify and protect significant historic structures in Little Rock during the urban renewal projects of the early 1960s. Throughout its existence, the QQA has been a driving force behind historic preservation in Greater Little Rock.

Clinton School presents discussion on Rep’s HENRY V

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Tomorrow, Thursday, September 6, the Clinton School of Public Service will present a panel discussion on the Arkansas Repertory Theatre production of Henry V.

In a panel moderated by The Rep’s producing artistic director Bob Hupp, members of the cast of Henry V will discuss the process of bringing Shakespeare’s characters to life for a modern audience.

This is the latest in a continuing series of panels at the Clinton School which look at Arkansas Rep productions.

The program will take place at 12 noon at Sturgis Hall.

Culture Vulture tending the nest

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

Legacies and Lunch tomorrow

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The Butler Center’s monthly “Legacies and Lunch” series continues tomorrow.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012, noon to 1 p.m.
Darragh Center, Main Library
100 Rock St.
The Civil War in Arkansas

In conjunction with the Butler Center exhibition Invasion or Liberation? The Civil War in Arkansas, Dr. Carl Moneyhon will discuss opposition to the Civil War in Arkansas. Moneyhon, a faculty member in the University of Arkansas at Little Rock history department, is a specialist in the history of the American Civil War and the South and is widely published in the field.

Invasion or Liberation? will be on view on Concordia Hall (401 President Clinton Ave.) through October 27, 2012. Legacies & Lunch is sponsored in part by the Arkansas Humanities Council. Bring a sack lunch; drinks and dessert are provided.

Dr. Moneyhon joined the faculty in 1973 and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. He is faculty liaison with the University History Institute, an organization that develops closer ties between the department and the community. He also serves on the editorial boards of the Arkansas Historical Quarterly and the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. He was won the UALR Faculty Excellent Award for Research and the UALR Faculty Excellence Award for Teaching.

Dr. Moneyhon is a specialist in the history of the American Civil War and the South and is widely published in the field. His work has been supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, and he recently received one of the first College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Summer Fellowships for Research. He is a Fellow of the Texas Historical Association. He is working on a book on the connection of war-time experience and developed identity among Confederate soldiers.

QQA Preservation Conversation in July

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The Quapaw Quarter Association’s monthly Preservation Conversation continues tonight.

This month’s topic is “How to Find the History of your House or Building.” The discussion will offer participants the opportunity to learn about what the QQA Research Files have to offer and other ways to find the history of a house.

The program takes place this evening at Curran Hall, 615 East Capitol Avenue. From 5 to 5:30 a reception will take place. The program will run from 5:30 to 6:30. At 6:30 participants are encouraged to keep the conversation going at Lulav Eatery, which will offer a 25% discount to those who attend Preservation Conversations.

The Quapaw Quarter Association’s mission is to promote the preservation of Little Rock’s architectural heritage through advocacy, marketing and education. Incorporated in 1968, the QQA grew out of an effort to identify and protect significant historic structures in Little Rock during the urban renewal projects of the early 1960s. Throughout its existence, the QQA has been a driving force behind historic preservation in Greater Little Rock.

Harry Potter’s World at CALS

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harry potter's world

Readers of all ages have been fascinated with Harry Potter’s education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry since J.K. Rowling’s first novel was released in 1997. The Central Arkansas Library System’s (CALS) Main Library will host Harry Potter’s World, a traveling exhibit using materials from the National Library of Medicine, at the Main Library, 100 Rock Street through August 11.

The potions, plants, and animals in Harry’s world were inspired by Renaissance traditions. Information discovered through alchemy, astrology, natural philosophy, and medicine formed the basis of the development and current practice of Western science. The exhibit will also examine the links between historical and fictional characters in the Harry Potter series.

The Main Library has planned programs, movie showings, and activities for readers of all ages in addition to the exhibit, and Harry Potter literature will be displayed at each branch. For additional online activities, resources for educators, and more information about the exhibition, visit the National Library of Medicine’s website.

Bookends Café, the library’s literary café in the Cox Creative Center, 120 River Market Avenue, will offer special Harry Potter items while the exhibit is at the library, including Quidditch Player’s Pie, Bertie Botts Every Flavor Smoothie, Butterscotch “Butterbeer” Latte, and Cauldren Cakes.

Several special events have been planned in conjunction.  Below is a list of some of them.

  • Thursday, July 12, 10:30 a.m.: Little Rock Zoo “Animals of Harry Potter”
  • Monday, July 16, 2:00 p.m.: Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban (PG)
  • Thursday, July 19, 10:30 a.m. & 6:30 p.m.: Harry Potter Party
  • Saturday, July 21, 10:30 a.m.: Little Rock Zoo “Animals of Harry Potter”

Harry Potter’s World is presented by the National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health, and is curated by Elizabeth J. Bland.

Legacies and Lunch tomorrow (7/11)

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The Butler Center’s monthly Legacies and Lunch program (normally the first Wednesday of the month) is the second Wednesday this month.  The July program features Ruth Hawkins discussing her latest book, Unbelievable Happiness and Final Sorrow: The Hemingway-Pfeiffer Marriage.

The program will take place at 12 noon on Wednesday, July 11 in the Darragh Center on the main campus of the Central Arkansas Library System.

It was the glittering intellectual world of 1920s Paris expatriates in which Pauline Pfeiffer, a writer for Vogue, met Ernest Hemingway and his wife Hadley among a circle of friends that included Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Dos Passos, and Dorothy Parker. Pauline grew close to Hadley but eventually forged a stronger bond with Hemingway himself; with her stylish looks and dedication to Hemingway’s writing, Pauline became the source of “unbelievable happiness” for Hemingway and, by 1927, his second wife.

Pauline was her husband’s best editor and critic, and her wealthy family provided moral and financial support, including the conversion of an old barn to a dedicated writing studio at the family home in Piggott, Arkansas. The marriage lasted thirteen years, some of Hemingway’s most productive, and the couple had two children. But the “unbelievable happiness” met with “final sorrow,” as Hemingway wrote, and Pauline would be the second of Hemingway’s four wives.

Hawkins’ book was published in June by the University of Arkansas Press.   She has been an administrator at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro for more than 30 years and established its Arkansas Heritage Sites program, which includes the Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center in Piggott. She has been recognized at the state, regional and national level for her work in historic preservation and heritage tourism.