Category Archives: Museum

Final Two Days for The Engine That Thought It Could at AAC Children’s Theatre

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Take a break from holiday shopping and events and return to a simpler time.

Today and tomorrow are the final performances of the Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre production of The Engine That Thought It Could.  This play takes the audience on an exciting journey in this classic tale of determination when it’s left up to the little engine to save the day. The little engine learns that hard work pays off even when faced with adversity. The Engine That Thought It Could is written by Alan Keith Smith and is based on the 1906 story by Reverend Charles S. Wing.

The cast for The Engine That Thought It Could includes:

  • Veronica Lowry, of Charlottesville, Va., as Fast Fanny
  • Jeremy Matthey, of Little Rock, as Mister Moon/Big Electric Bill/Yard Hand
  • Aleigha Garstka, of Little Rock, as Big Momma Engine
  • Sissy Anne Quaranta, of Denver, Colo., as Miss Phoebe Sunshine
  • Ben Fish, of Little Rock, as Uncle Big Reggie Engine/Yard Hand
  • Erin Fowler, of Little Rock, as Yard Hand/Choreographer
  • Mark Hansen, of Little Rock, as Conductor Mike/Big Don Diesel
  • Madison Stolzer, of Little Rock, Little Millie Engine

The production is directed by John Isner, artistic direction by Bradley Anderson, choreography by Erin Fowler, costumes are designed by Erin Larkin, technical direction by Drew Posey, lighting design by Penelope Poppers, musical direction by Lori Isner, properties by Miranda Young, scenic design by Mary Alyce Hare and Rivka Kuperman is the stage manager.

Presenting sponsors are Landers FIAT in Benton, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, JPMS Cox and Centennial Bank.  This production also sponsored by All Aboard Restaurant.

Recognized by The Drama League as one of the best regional theatre companies in America, the Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre is the only professional company in Arkansas that produces children’s literary works for the stage. Since 1979, Children’s Theatre has been creating unique experiences for family audiences. During the 2012-13 season, nearly 43,000 children and families enjoyed Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre productions which included more than 200 schools across Arkansas.

For more information, visit arkansasartscenter.org or call (501)372-4000. “Like” the Arkansas Arts Center on Facebook for the most up-to-date information on exhibitions, events and educational offerings.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Contact: (501)372-4000
Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre – 9th and Commerce, Little Rock, AR 72202
Cost: General Admission Tickets are $12.50 for children and adults & $10 for AAC members.

Performance Times:
Saturday at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Sunday at 2 p.m.
Arkansas Arts Center programs are supported in part by: the City of Little Rock; The Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau; The City of North Little Rock and the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Holiday Events at Old State House Museum today

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oldstatehouseHoliday Open House
1:00-3:00PM
The traditions of joyous family holiday celebrations past can be relived at Holiday Open House. Visitors will find the Old State House colorfully decorated for the season. Fun, hands-on activities will be available to children; they can create unique holiday cards and more. Delightful carols will be performed by local music groups. Visitors will also enjoy delicious cookies and punch. Call (501) 324-9685 for more information. Admission is free.

Arkansas Chamber Singers Holiday Concert: Spirit of the Season
3:00PM
The Old State House Museum welcomes the Arkansas Chamber Singers performing their annual holiday concert. The program will include familiar carols and songs of the season featuring new works by Arkansas composers performed in the acoustically rich house chamber of the Old State House Museum for three nights. Admission is free, but seating may be limited, so reserve your seats now at http://www.ar-chambersingers.org/holiday.htm

9th Nog Off, Other Activities at Historic Arkansas Museum tonight and Saturday

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9th Ever Nog-off

This Friday
December 13
5 – 8 pm
Free
Plus opening reception for two new exhibits: Dream and Imagery Entailed: Kerrick Hartman and LaToya Hobbs and A Sure Defense: The Bowie Knife in America
Historic Arkansas Museum’s 9th Ever Nog-off is a culinary celebration of a favorite holiday drink, and friendly competition for the best eggnog in town.
 
The Noggers: The Honorable Mark Stodola; David Burnette, South on Main; Darryl Downs, Capital Hotel Bar and Grill; Bridget Fennell Farris; Laurie Harrison, Le Pops; Sally Mengel, Loblolly Creamery; Copper Grill
 
The Celebrity Judges: Darla Huie, Dizzy’s Gypsy Bistro; P. Allen Smith; Amanda Hoelzeman, Arkansas Business
 
Shop for your holiday gifts in the Museum Store. During the Nog-off we’ll have:
Jann Greenland with her jewelry and fused glass stars
Jane F. Hankins signing copies of her book, The Thirty-Foot Elvis
Thomas Hankins making crystal ornaments and jewelry
Kat Robinson signing copies of her book, Ozark Eateries
 

 

Dream and Imagery Entailed

Kerrick Hartman and LaToya Hobbs
Trinity Gallery for Arkansas Artists
December 13 through February 9, 2014
 

Stuttgart artist Kerrick Hartman focuses on stone, wood and metal sculpture using the Arkansas landscape as inspiration for his work. He says, “To take a stone or other lifeless, stationary material and convey a sense of spiraling, undulating motion to an object is at its core a testimonial of hope and celebration of life’s design.”

North Little Rock native LaToya Hobbs, printmaker and painter, works with figurative imagery that addresses the ideas of beauty and spirituality. Her work is an investigation of how past influences, expectations and preferences resonate with women of color in the 21st century and are expressed through the canvases of our bodies.


46th Annual Christmas Frolic

This Saturday
December 14
10 am – 4 pm
Frolicking in the  Grog Shop from 1 to 4 pm
Free
 
Keep your family tradition going, or make a new one and join hundreds of others who have danced their first Virginia Reel in the Hinderliter Grog Shop, the oldest house in Little Rock. It’s always fun to watch your kids sashay down the line for the first time, or to brush up on your own steps.

From sack races to stilts, from fiddling to frolicking, this favorite seasonal event charms one and all with old fashioned fun. Bring the whole family out and enjoy live music, crafts, carols, pioneer games and our famous hot cider and ginger cake.

 
*Bowie Knife opening weekend activities happening simultaneously. See below. All free and open to the public.*

 

A Sure Defense: The Bowie Knife in America

The largest and most important exhibit ever done on America’s iconic contribution to the world of blades
 
Horace C. Cabe Gallery
December 13 through June 22, 2014
Opening reception during the 9th Ever Nog-off
 

A Sure Defense: The Bowie Knife in America will trace the history of this country’s most famous knife from just before its birth in a rough melee on a sandbar above Natchez, Mississippi in 1827, to the skilled craftsmen who keep the classic blade alive to this day in the form of hand crafted reproductions and modernized versions.

The exhibit of more than 200 knives includes knife designs associated with Alamo martyr James Bowie and his less famous brother Rezin, as well as bowie knives once owned by such historic figures as Davy Crockett, Theodore Roosevelt, General Winfield Scott and John Fox “Bowie Knife” Potter. The role of the bowie knife in the Antebellum era is explored along with the Civil War and the opening of the west, and there’s a special focus on the role bowie knives played in the events surrounding the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

 

Bowie Knife Symposium on Friday

This Friday
12:30 to 4:30 pm
Museum’s Ottenheimer Theater
Free

12:30    Mark Zalesky, Guest Curator and Editor of Knife World
                “Samuel Bell, The Tiffany of Texas and Tennessee”
1:30        Bill Worthen, Historic Arkansas Museum Director
                “James Black and the Bowie Knife”
2:30        Josh Phillips, Co-Author of Confederate Bowie Knives
                “Identifying Counterfeit Bowie Knives”
3:30        Garry Zalesky, ABKA Life Member and lender to the exhibit
                “Folding Bowie and Folding Dirk Knives”

Bowie Knife Opening Weekend Activities

This Saturday
December 14
Free
 
Bladesmithing in the Blacksmith Shop
With Master Bladesmith Lin Rhea
10 am – Noon; 1 – 4 pm
 
Gallery Talks
With Guest Curator Mark Zalesky and Museum Director Bill Worthen
Throughout the day
 
Jim Bowie Live!
Catch Jack Edmondson’s portrayal of Jim Bowie.
 
Knife Film Festival
In the museum’s Otttenheimer Theater
10 am – The Iron Mistress
12 pm – The Sandbar Duel documentary for Natchez TV
12:30 – The Adventures of Jim Bowie
1:00 – Dirty Work: Arkansas’s Knife Heritage from Bowie to Rambo
1:30 – The Iron Mistress
3:30 – The Sandbar Duel documentary for Natchez TV
 
*Christmas Frolic activities happening simultaneously. See above. All free and open to the public.*

 

 

Arkansas Arts Center presents the 45th Collectors Show and Sale

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Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, (French, Paris, France, 1796 – 1875, Paris, France), Vue de Paris prise d’Arcueil (View of Paris from the North-East), circa 1830-1835, graphite, watercolor and gouache, pencil on paper, Arkansas Arts Center Foundation Collection: Purchase, Tabriz Fund and Collectors Group Fund. 2013.003

“Art enthusiasts, new collectors, and seasoned buyers will be delighted to see what we have in store for this year’s sale that features a range of unique works,” said Arkansas Arts Center executive director Todd Herman. “This is an excellent opportunity for new and veteran collectors to add a treasure that was hand-selected with great consideration by the Arkansas Arts Center curators and myself.”

The annual Collectors Show and Sale is an Arkansas Arts Center tradition that brings the New York gallery scene to Little Rock. Arkansas Arts Center Executive Director Todd Herman and curators select the best in drawings and contemporary craft from New York galleries. All works are for sale and vary in price from $400 to in excess of $80,000. The exhibition includes works-on-paper such as drawings, prints, and photographs, as well as examples of contemporary craft in wood and ceramic.

Celebrating its forty-fifth year, the Collectors Show and Sale remains one of the longest running and most popular exhibitions organized by the Arkansas Arts Center. This past September, Arts Center curators and members of the Collectors Group ventured to New York City to select the work for the exhibition. Over the course of three days, the group visited over a dozen galleries and viewed about 1,000 works of art – ultimately narrowing the selection to the 150 or so works in the exhibition.

The Collectors Group, an auxiliary membership of the Arkansas Arts Center, offers its members exclusive programs and events to increase their appreciation of art and the field of collecting. Equally important, the group supports the collecting activities of the Arts Center. At their “Sneak Peek” reception before the exhibition opening, members of the Collectors Group will be able to cast their vote for a work to be acquired in their name for the Arts Center’s collection.

Through the Collectors Show and Sale, the Arkansas Arts Center affords veteran collectors the opportunity to add new works to their collections while inspiring new collectors to enter the field. For more information about the Collectors Group or to join, please visit www.arkansasartscenter.org or call Sharon Howell at (501) 396-0303.

LITTLE ENGINE running at Arts Center Children’s Theatre

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As the state’s premiere center for visual and performing arts with a renowned collection of international art, the Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre will present The Engine That Thought It Could November 29 – December 22.

“We are thrilled to bring this wonderful children’s book to life with the excitement and magic that only live theater can,” said Arkansas Arts Center executive director Todd Herman. “Generations will enjoy the style and spirit of a story they know and love.”

The Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre will take the audience on an exciting journey in this classic tale of determination when it’s left up to the little engine to save the day. The little engine learns that hard work pays off even when faced with adversity. The Engine That Thought It Could is written by Alan Keith Smith and is based on the 1906 story by Reverend Charles S. Wing.

The cast for The Engine That Thought It Could includes:

  • Veronica Lowry, of Charlottesville, Va., as Fast Fanny
  • Jeremy Matthey, of Little Rock, as Mister Moon/Big Electric Bill/Yard Hand
  • Aleigha Garstka, of Little Rock, as Big Momma Engine
  • Sissy Anne Quaranta, of Denver, Colo., as Miss Phoebe Sunshine
  • Ben Fish, of Little Rock, as Uncle Big Reggie Engine/Yard Hand
  • Erin Fowler, of Little Rock, as Yard Hand/Choreographer
  • Mark Hansen, of Little Rock, as Conductor Mike/Big Don Diesel
  • Madison Stolzer, of Little Rock, Little Millie Engine

The production is directed by John Isner, artistic direction by Bradley Anderson, choreography by Erin Fowler, costumes are designed by Erin Larkin, technical direction by Drew Posey, lighting design by Penelope Poppers, musical direction by Lori Isner, properties by Miranda Young, scenic design by Mary Alyce Hare and Rivka Kuperman is the stage manager.

Presenting sponsors are Landers FIAT in Benton, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, JPMS Cox and Centennial Bank.  This production also sponsored by All Aboard Restaurant.

Recognized by The Drama League as one of the best regional theatre companies in America, the Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre is the only professional company in Arkansas that produces children’s literary works for the stage. Since 1979, Children’s Theatre has been creating unique experiences for family audiences. During the 2012-13 season, nearly 43,000 children and families enjoyed Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre productions which included more than 200 schools across Arkansas.

For more information, visit arkansasartscenter.org or call (501)372-4000. “Like” the Arkansas Arts Center on Facebook for the most up-to-date information on exhibitions, events and educational offerings.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Contact: (501)372-4000
Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre – 9th and Commerce, Little Rock, AR 72202
Cost: General Admission Tickets are $12.50 for children and adults & $10 for AAC members.

Performance Times: Friday at 7 p.m.
Saturday at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Sunday at 2 p.m.
Arkansas Arts Center programs are supported in part by: the City of Little Rock; The Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau; The City of North Little Rock and the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage and the National Endowment for the Arts.

November Science After Dark: Science of PI(E)

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Usually the Museum of Discovery’s SCIENCE AFTER DARK takes place on the final Wednesday of the month. Because that is Thanksgiving Eve, they have moved it to the final Tuesday in November.
In honor of Thanksgiving, the Museum of Discovery’s monthly adult event, Science After Dark, will focus on the science of pi as well as pie.

  • Enjoy pi-centric math activities as well as a pi-based art project
  • Learn the secret to the perfect pie crust with Rock Town Distillery
  • Get a pie thrown in your face
  • Participate in a pie eating contest
  • Learn about the latest dough recipe from Damgoode Pies
  • Enjoy complimentary pie from local bakeries

Damgoode Pies will sell pizza by the slice and Juanita’s will provide a cash bar
Tuesday, November 26 from 6-8 p.m.
@ Museum of Discovery
Ages 21 and older

Cash Bar Available

Admission: $5 per person; members FREE

Robotics focus of exhibit at Museum of Discovery

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In science fiction, robots look like R2D2. In stores, they look like vacuum cleaners and robotic pets. On Saturday, October 12, visitors at the Museum of Discovery will see what robots look like in real life when the brand-new Robots and Us exhibit makes its debut. The exhibit will give visitors a lighthearted look at modeling artificial life after humans.

“Robotics is a growing field of research and an activity increasingly being undertaken by high school and college students around the world, including right here in Arkansas,” said Kelley Bass, CEO of the Museum of Discovery. “The museum is happy to have this very engaging, relevant exhibit for our visitors to explore and enjoy. We are glad to give our loyal fans another very compelling reason to visit us.”

Robots and Us encourages museum visitors of all ages to compare sci-fi fantasies of robots with today’s technical realities and to explore why it’s so hard to build robots to be like humans. Enjoy directing light-sensitive robots through mazes in the Robot Arena; experimenting with walking machines in the Leg Lab to learn how simple changes in anatomy can affect how they walk and handle obstacles; interacting with Lena, a computer-generated character and learning to race and outwit the Robot Arm.

Robots and Us will remain at the Museum of Discovery through January 26.

Museum of Discovery’s mission is to ignite a passion for science, technology and math in a dynamic, interactive environment.

Museum Information
Hours of Operation: Tuesday – Saturday: 9 am – 5 pm; Sunday: 1-5 pm; Closed Mondays except major holidays and in summer.
Admission: $10 adults; $8 ages 1-12; free under 1; members free
Phone Number: 501.396.7050
Website: www.museumofdiscovery.org