Category Archives: Museum

SORCERER’S APPRENTICE at Children’s Theater

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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 Sorcerer’s Apprentice October 25 – November 10.

The audience will love this fun-filled, popular rendition of a thoroughly modern young girl on a magical journey when she meets a mysterious medieval sorcerer’s apprentice. The production is written by Alan Keith Smith and is based on a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

“This Children’s Theatre production brings to life an exciting magical world while reminding us that our actions have consequences,” said Arkansas Arts Center executive director Todd Herman. “This tale of morality is a wonderful experience for the whole family to share and the relatable characters give the story an entirely new dimension on stage.”

The cast for The Sorcerer’s Apprentice includes: John Isner, Tanner Barry, Mark Hansen, Jeremy Matthey, Moriah Patterson, Veronica Lowry, Sissy Quaranta, Sarah Nicholson, Huner Wood, Sophie Wacaster, Margaret Lowry, Brooke Melton, Mattingly Bartole, Savanna Fischer, Erin Fowler, Ben Fish, Montana Bartole and Kate Kelly.

Keith Smith is the director, playwright and scene designer for the production. Artistic direction by Bradley Anderson, choreography by Moriah Patterson, costumes are designed by Nikki Webster, technical direction by Drew Posey, lighting design by Penelope Poppers, musical direction by Lori Isner, properties by Miranda Young, children’s acting coach is Aleigha Morton and Sarah Gasser is the stage manager.

Presenting sponsors for the event are Landers Fiat and Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield. The production is also sponsored by Centennial Bank, JPMS Cox, PLLC with in-kind support provided by Boulevard Bread Company.

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.

18th Big Boo!-seum Bash Tonight

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bigbooseumFor the 18th year, Little Rock Museums have joined together to present BIG BOO!-seum Bash Thursday, October 24, 2013 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. This FREE event provides a safe alternative to door to door trick-or-treating. Each location will offer games, story-telling, candy and fun!

Participating members of the Greater Little Rock Museum Consortium will host BIG BOO!-seum Bash at the following locations:

  • Central Arkansas Library System (Main Branch)
  • Central High School National Historic Site
  • Curran Hall Visitors Center
  • Historic Arkansas Museum
  • MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History
  • Museum of Discovery
  • Mosaic Templars Cultural Center
  • Old State House Museum
  • Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center

Visitors can drive to each location, where FREE parking is available.

Participants can start at any location where Game Cards will also be issued at each site. Visit all nine participating locations to qualify for the Grand Prize-Flat Screen TV (additional information listed on Game Cards). 

New this year, each site will offer a prize drawing for kids who visit that site.  Be sure to register at each of the sites visited.  For instance, the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History will draw for a FREE boys or girls bicycle.

Mark Rothko in the 1940s – focus of new exhibit at Ark Arts Center

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No. 8, 1949 Oil and mixed media on canvas 90 x 66 in. The National Gallery of Art, Washington Gift of The Mark Rothko Foundation, Inc., 1986.43.147 ©1998 Kate Rothko Prizel & Christopher Rothko /Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Image courtesy of the National Gallery of Art, Washington

No. 8, 1949
Oil and mixed media on canvas
90 x 66 in.
The National Gallery of Art, Washington
Gift of The Mark Rothko Foundation, Inc., 1986.43.147
©1998 Kate Rothko Prizel & Christopher Rothko /Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Image courtesy of the National Gallery of Art, Washington

The Arkansas Arts Center, the state’s premiere center for visual and performing arts with a renowned collection of international art, presents the Mark Rothko in the 1940s: The Decisive Decade exhibition, on view October 25 – February 9, in the Winthrop Rockefeller Gallery.

“When I began organizing the Mark Rothko exhibition back in 2009, it came together very quickly and grew from a dozen pieces to nearly 40. It was an honor and a privilege to see the exhibition come to fruition from its humble beginnings to a touring collection,” said Arkansas Arts Center executive director Todd Herman. “We are delighted to afford Arkansans the opportunity to view the thoughtfully rich works of a master in modern American art.”

Herman developed the Rothko exhibition while he was the chief curator and curator of European art at the Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, S.C. Herman approached the National Gallery of Art in Washington about a collaboration to bring to the forefront a thought-provoking depiction of the famed late artists’ works.

The show began its run at the Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, S.C., in September 2012, the Denver Art Museum in Denver, Colo. and will arrive at the Arkansas Arts Center in October. Herman also wrote the forward and introduction in the book, Mark Rothko: The Decisive Decade 1940-1950, which was listed at #6 on Huffington Post’s top art books in 2012.

Regarded as one of the leading American artists of the 20th century, Mark Rothko (1903-1970) forever changed the landscape of modern American art. Rothko was a member of The New York School, a collection of artists working in a nexus of artistic approaches, the best known of which were Gesturalism, or Abstract Expressionism and Color Field. What most members of this group shared was a faith in using the power of art effectively to address the pressing historical problems of their era though channels such as the movies, news reports and photographs of the war.

Rothko was the most important artist of the School’s Color Field wing and like many of his colleagues, the 1940s was the critical decade for his development. This exhibition is an examination into the artistic maturation, a decade of searching and rapid evolution, of one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century that deserves not only closer attention, but also a re-evaluation. Included in the exhibition are works by Rothko’s colleagues such as Jackson Pollock, Adolph Gottlieb and Clyfford Still developing along a very similar vein at the same time.

Mark Rothko in the 1940s will be the first exhibition and catalogue to reevaluate this work in the context of Rothko’s thoughts about art from the period. The exhibition will bring to light many works not seen before by scholars or the public and highlight a period of his career that is often overlooked.

The paintings, drawings and watercolors by Mark Rothko in this exhibition are on loan from the National Gallery in Washington. The exhibition was organized by the Arkansas Arts Center, the Columbia Museum of Art, the Columbus Museum of Art and the Denver Art Museum in conjunction with the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The exhibition is funded in part by the Dedalus Foundation. Local support is provided by Harriet and Warren Stephens, Chucki and Curt Bradbury, The Brown Foundation, Inc., of Houston, Mary Ellen and Jason Vangilder and the Capital Hotel.

Arkansas Arts Center members are invited to a member reception for Mark Rothko in the 1940s: The Decisive Decade, Face to Face: Artists’ Self-Portraits from the collection of Jackye and Curtis Finch, Jr. and Portraiture Now: Drawing on the Edge exhibitions to be held on Thursday, October 24, from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Dr. Bradford R. Collins, University of South Carolina associate professor of art history and catalogue editor of Mark Rothko, The Decisive Decade: 1940-1950, will present the lecture, “Rothko’s Dilemma: Beauty and Tragedy,” at 6 p.m. in the lecture hall, sponsored by the Fine Arts Club. Members and guests will enjoy music, cocktails and light hors d’oeuvres. Tickets are required to attend and are free for members. Non-members may purchase a ticket for $15 which includes access to the lecture, exhibitions and reception.

Additional events associated with the Mark Rothko in the 1940s: The Decisive Decade exhibition include;

Museum School Workshop: Artist Catherine Rodgers will lead a workshop, Paint like Rothko – Color: Complement, Shade, Tone and Tint, on Saturday, October 26, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and on Sunday, October 27, from noon to 4 p.m. Admission to the workshop will be $92 for members and $115 for non-members. Those interested can register through the Museum School, arkansasartscenter.org or by contacting (501) 372-4000.

Dance: A special performance titled Color Play, an original choreographed interpretation of the work of Mark Rothko featuring Stephanie Thibeault and the UALR dance department, will be held on Saturday, December 7, at 2 p.m. in the Winthrop Rockefeller Gallery. Admission will be free with ticket purchase to exhibition. Guests may sign up at Stephens Inc. Visitors Center. Space is limited.

Feed Your Mind Fridays:

·         Artist Gallery Talk with Virmarie DePoyster will be held on Friday, November 8, at noon in the Winthrop Rockefeller Gallery. Admission will be free with ticket purchase to exhibition. Guests may sign up at the Stephens Inc. Visitors Center. Space is limited.

·         The film The Rothko Chapel (68 minutes) will be shown on Friday, November 29, at noon in the lecture hall.

·         The film Rothko’s Rooms (60 minutes) will be shown on Friday, December 13, at noon in the lecture hall.

·         The film Motherwell & the New York School: Storming the Citadel (55 minutes) will be shown on Friday, February 7, 2014, at noon in the lecture hall.

Lecture: Christopher Rothko, son of artist Mark Rothko, will be on hand for questions Thursday, January 16, 2014, at 6 p.m. for the lecture, “Conversations with Christopher Rothko and Todd Herman”, in the lecture hall presented by the Fine Arts Club. The Arkansas Arts Center will have extended hours through 9:00 p.m.

Family Festival: Rothko’s Colors and Perfect Portraits, a family festival, will be held on Saturday, January 18, 2014, from 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Admission will be free for members, $5 per person and $20 per family.

Music: Haskell Small will present an original composition inspired by Mark Rothko and his paintings on Sunday, February 2, 2014, at 2 p.m. in the Winthrop Rockefeller Gallery. Admission will be free with ticket purchase to exhibition. Guests may sign up at the Stephens Inc. Visitors Center. Space is limited.

Drop-In Tours Museum docents will be giving 1-hour tours of Mark Rothko in the 1940s: The Decisive Decade. Tour times are as follows: Tuesday – Friday at 1 p.m., Saturdays at 11 am. and 1 p.m. and Sundays at 1p.m. Free with ticket. Space is limited to 20. Please sign in at the Stephens Inc. Visitors Center. First come, first served.

 

For more information, visit arkansasartscenter.org or call (501)372-4000.

 

LR Zoo Welcomes 2 New Elephants – Sophie and Babe

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Sophie and Babe CompressedThe Little Rock Zoo welcomed two new elephants, Sophie and Babe, who arrived this afternoon from the Niabi Zoo in Coal Valley, Illinois.  The elephants traveled overnight and were unloaded safely into the elephant barn and are being closely tended to by Zoo staff as they make the adjustment to their new home.

“The Little Rock Zoo couldn’t be more excited to add Sophie and Babe to our Zoo family,” said Zoo Director Mike Blakely. “The Little Rock Zoo is committed to the highest standards in elephant care and conservation and specializes in handling geriatric female elephants. We are excited that Niabi Zoo has picked our Zoo as the new home for their elephants and we know our guests join Zoo staff in welcoming them to Little Rock.”

Sophie and Babe were transported by Feld Entertainment, Inc. and the Ringling Elephant Conservation Center who moved the elephants free of charge to both zoos.  Babe and Sophie are both former Ringling elephants and were donated to Niabi in 2000 and 2003, respectively.

“The Little Rock Zoo is grateful to Feld Entertainment for continuing to support our elephant program. We appreciate their commitment to elephant welfare and conservation,” said Blakely.

The Niabi Zoo announced recently that it would end its elephant program and look for a new home for Sophie, age 44, and Babe, age 38.  Niabi sought to find a new location for the elephants with a more temperate climate at a facility with staff trained in the care and management of aging female elephants. Niabi conducted a nation-wide search to relocate Sophie and Babe and hired elephant expert Alan Roocroft as a consultant to recommend a new home for Babe and Sophie.  

Roocroft visited the Little Rock Zoo to do an assessment of the elephant program and chose Little Rock as the best new home for the Niabi elephants stating in his report that the elephant staff at Little Rock had several years’ experience handling elephants and provides excellent care for its elephant, Zina, a 53-year-old elephant, who Roocroft says is in excellent health for her age.

Roocroft evaluated staff ability, the elephant facility, and the elephant health program at Little Rock to provide a recommendation to Niabi. The report was very complementary of Little Rock’s elephant program and even states, “A word of compliment to the elephant staff, you rarely see such a clean well organized facility where each tool has its place and where you could eat off the floor. Well done to them.”

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.  For more information, visit www.aza.org.

Tim and Space Cadets at Museum of Discovery Today

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modThe Museum of Discovery welcomes the chart-topping band Tim and the Space Cadets today at 2pm at the museum. Admission to the museum also gives you admission to the concert. The cost is $8 for kids, $10 for adults and FREE for museum members.

Brooklyn-based Tim and the Space Cadets play songs about the important things in life: pizza parties, snow days, and summer vacations. Songwriters Tim Kubart and Matt Puckett weave their own childhood memories through textured pop tunes, rockers, and lullabies, including their XMKiDS chart-topping single “Superhero.”

Their new album, Anthems for Adventure, aims to inspire everyone to turn off their TV’s and computers, and get outside and play. It celebrates adventures as grand as riding a cardboard rocketship to space and as small as giving up an old pair of sneakers for new ones.

The thirteen-song collection takes on familiar and iconic childhood experiences with indie flair, distorted guitars, and lyrics that bridge the gap between innocence and wisdom in a way for listeners of all ages to appreciate and understand, bravely exploring the full spectrum of childhood emotion.

While attending Fordham University, Tim volunteered weekly at a New York City homeless shelter, where he assisted in the nursery. Asked to play the guitar for the shelter’s residents, he composed and performed “The Octopus Song,” and knew it was his calling when he saw the joy on the kids’ faces. Tim then set out to achieve a level of catchy power pop that pleases five-year-olds as well as their 15-year-old siblings.

“I like to say Tim and the Space Cadets isn’t music for kids, it’s music about being a kid,” Tim says, “so kids can relate and everyone else can relive those memories.”

Tim and the Space Cadets are veterans of renowned festivals like Lollapalooza’s Kidzapalooza, and venues like Symphony Space, The Smithsonian Museum, and New York City’s South Street Seaport. Tim’s energy is infectious, and a Space Cadets set is engaging and interactive – a true indie rock experience for families and fans, full of strong musicianship, and a tap dancing sidekick.

2nd Friday Art Night at HAM

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Among the stops for 2nd Friday Art Night tonight is the Historic Arkansas Museum.

Tonight, October 11, from 5pm to 8pm, Bonnie Montgomery will be rocking out the Rock while the works of Stephen Cefalo and Sandra Sell will be on display in the Trinity Gallery for Arkansas Artists.

Bonnie Montgomery has been bringing her raucous spin on traditional southern music to honky-tonks throughout the U.S. and Europe.  Her catalog hails from a place where outlaw country saddles up with Americana and folk.

Figurations: Stephen Cefalo and Sandra Sell is opening tonight and running through December 8 in the Trinity Gallery for Arkansas Artists. Stephen Cefalo’s work evokes the style of the Old Masters and is moody, complex and unapologetically human both in subject matter and technique. With her sculpture Sandra Sell is able to transform a tactilely hard medium into something soft, almost figurative and emotional.

Historic Arkansas Museum is located on a block bounded by Second, Cumberland, Third and Scott Streets.

Six Pioneers, Other Leaders honored by National Park Service Tonight

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NPSLRCHTomorrow, September 25, marks the 56th anniversary of the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School.  Each year the school and the National Park Service schedule a series of events to commemorate this.

This year, commemoration activities start this evening.  At 6pm at Philander Smith College, there will be a panel to discuss the Six Pioneers. These were the first six African-American students to desegregate the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville (U of A) School of Law.  The descendants of the Six Pioneers will discuss the role of moral courage and the change that occurred in the hills of northern Arkansas over 65 years ago.  George Haley, the sole living pioneer will give remarks as well.

Their footsteps on the foothills of conviction cleared a path for the desegregation of Hoxie Elementary in 1955 and Little Rock Central High School in 1957. The U of A School of Law was the first southern white university to accept African-American students since Reconstruction.

The Six Pioneers, The Honorable Rodney Slater, Attorney John W. Walker, Sr., Judge Wiley A. Branton, Jr., Sanford Tollette IV, Dr. Sybil Jordan Hampton and Robin Woods Loucks will all be recipients of the Soul of Humanity Award given in recognition of outstanding commitment and service to social justice and lifelong action in the struggle for civil rights.

The evening will close with remarks from Reena Denise Evers-Everette, daughter of civil rights activist and martyr Medgar Evers.

The event will take place at the Kendall Science and Health Mission Center on the Philander Smith College campus.