Category Archives: Museum

June 27 Architeaser: Stephens Game & Fish Nature Center

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IMG_6042Last week featured a pair of friezes from the original Arkansas Game & Fish Commission building on the State Capitol grounds.  Today’s Architeaser is the Game & Fish Commission’s Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center in downtown Little Rock.

The Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center opened December 17, 2008. The 16,232 square foot building on 3.4 acres in Little Rock, overlooks the Arkansas River and is within the Julius Breckling Riverfront Park.

The Center is located at park level which is, at that point, approximately one story below the President Clinton Avenue street level.  The photo depicts the walkway and the stairs which lead down to the Center’s exhibit space. The sharp angles of the stairs and rooflines are reminiscent of cabins and lodges which are often found in nature.  Just like with this building, such facilities in the wild often are built to span ravines or to take advantage of unique landscapes.  The exposed beams are associated with the Arts and Crafts movement which espoused an appreciation of nature and natural surroundings in architecture.

The center focuses on the wide variety of outdoor recreational opportunities that our state’s fish and wildlife resources provide. Exhibits highlight the role of fish and wildlife management and many of the projects conducted throughout the history of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. The location along the Arkansas River allows many watchable wildlife activities within an urban area. Basking water turtles, butterflies and migrating pelicans are common sights. A portion of the Arkansas River Trail crosses the site, offering more options for exploration. The grounds of the center include beds of native plants found throughout the state, while the main building includes an exhibit hall, aquariums, gift shop, theater and special educational programs.

Museum of Discovery lauded by Mensa

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20120814-171022.jpgThe Museum of Discovery was named number six in a list of the top 10 American science museums chosen by Mensa educators and scientists.

According to American Mensa, the organization chose 30 science museums with an excellent reputation for science education and patronage, then asked a group of Mensan educatiors and scientists to chose the best 10.

Mensa is the largest and oldest high IQ society in the world. It is a non-profit organization open to people who score at the 98th percentile or higher on a standardized, supervised IQ or other approved intelligence test

The Museum of Discovery reopened its doors in January of 2012 after a $9.2 million renovation made possible by a Donald W. Reynolds Foundation grant.  It’s mission is to  ignite a passion for science, technology and math in a dynamic, interactive environment.

To view the full list of the museums chosen, visit: http://www.us.mensa.org/welcome-to-our-site/the-mensa-top-ten-survey/mensa-top-ten-science-museums/

Special activities at Old State House today

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OSH logoSaturday is a great time to see the museum and do activities with your family. The Old State House Museum has a full schedule of activities planned throughout the day.:

10:00—Make a paper doll to take home.

11:00—Play Victorian lawn games and enjoy the summer weather.

1:00—Learn about the archeology of the Old State House Museum

2:00— Play Faro, a popular Victorian card game

3:00—Play Victorian lawn games and enjoy the summer weather.

4:00—Play graces, a popular 19th century game on the front lawn of the Old State House Museum

The Old State House Museum hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

The Old State House Museum is the oldest standing state capitol building west of the Mississippi River. Construction on the building began in 1833 and was declared complete in 1842. In 1911, the state government moved out and the building underwent a succession of uses.  Finally, in 1947, the Old State House became a museum by acts of the Arkansas legislature.

The Old State House Museum is a museum of the Department of Arkansas Heritage and shares the goal of all seven Department of Arkansas Heritage agencies, that of preserving and enhancing the heritage of the state of Arkansas.

New Museum of Discovery Exhibit explores How People Make Things

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hpmt small logoEvery object in our world has a story of how it is made. How People Make Things tells that story by linking familiar childhood objects to a process of manufacturing that combines people, ideas and technology.  This exhibit opens today and runs through September 22 at the Museum of Discovery

The exhibit, inspired by the factory tour segments from the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood television series, offers hands-on activities using real factory tools and machines to create objects with four manufacturing processes – molding, cutting, deforming and assembly.

Step into the exhibit’s main office, where you can don coveralls, lab coats, aprons, safety glasses, boots and hard hats to become a factory technician, worker or supervisor.

Use a die cutter to make a box and a horse, operate a 3-axis mill to carve a block of wax, assemble parts of a real golf cart and see who can assemble a replica of the signature trolley from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood the fastest. You can also mold pourable wax, explore vacuum forming and injection molding and match products to the mold from which they were made.  Or play the “People in Your Neighborhood” matching game, developed with The Saturday Light Brigade radio program, where audio clues and stories help you match the person to the object they make.

“Manufacturing is an industry critical to Arkansas’s economy, and we are proud the Museum of Discovery has leased this blockbuster exhibit that shows children and their families through hands-on experiences the variety of engaging activities that take place every day on the floor of manufacturing facilities,” said Kelley Bass, Chief Executive Officer at the Museum of Discovery. “Our museum’s mission is igniting a passion for science, technology and math in a dynamic, interactive environment, and How People Make Things brings that mission to life for our visitors.”

The exhibit also features factory tour videos from the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood television series that depict the making of crayons, carousel horses, balls, traffic lights, quarters, shoes, toy cars and toy wagons.

Additional products featured in How People Make Things include 10,000 Crayola crayons in 90 colors, 10,000 plastic pellets, traffic lights, cooking pans, sneakers, baseball bats, baseball mitts and matchbox cars.

Arkansas manufacturers will be represented through supplemental exhibit pieces, including valves from Cameron Valves and a pump produced by Franklin Electric. A streaming presentation from Cameron will also show how the company’s valves are made and can be deconstructed.

How People Make Things is sponsored by Cameron Valves, Arkansas Manufacturing Solutions and Franklin Electric.

Special Event at Mount Holly on Saturday morning

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mthollyMt. Holly Cemetery, burial site of Governors, Mayors, Senators and Pulitzer Prize winners, will host a special event tomorrow (Saturday, June 22) at 9:00 am.

This special event will give guests a sampling of all Mt Holly has to offer to the community in Little Rock’s oldest cemetery. We will start at the 13th Street gate with a brief historical tour, followed by a performance from Tales of the Crypt, and finish with Scott Lyon who will give us a garden series lecture–all in an hour!

The Mt. Holly Cemetery Association invites the public to come spend an hour at the cemetery. Refreshments will be served in the shade of the bell house. The public is invited to bring a lawn chair and wear a gardening hat!

A $5.00 suggested donation gets you a door prize ticket for a Mount Holly Cookbook and other gifts for this event. We will also have Mount Holly Cookbooks for sale.

Entrance on the 22nd will be via the 13th Street gate only.

Museum of Discovery Tinkerfest Today

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tinkerfestThe second annual Tinkerfest is coming to the Museum of Discovery from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 15, offering the public a chance to build and create without limits.  The event is put on by the Arkansas Discovery Network, a six-museum partnership in the state for which the Museum of Discovery serves as the hub.

More than 40 tinkering stations will be set up both inside and outside of the museum.  Visitors will have the opportunity to create with 3D printers, disassemble a vehicle, meet robot makers, participate in water balloon catapulting duels, build and launch rockets, learn to crochet, create a cardboard city and much more.

According to Joel Gordon, the museum’s Visitor Experience Director, Tinkerfest grew out of the Maker Movement, which has recently soared in popularity globally.

 “In Arkansas, we are ahead of the trend when it comes to the movement,” Gordon says. “.  We have always been makers because we rely on self-reliance.” Gordon says Tinkerfest is one of a handful of maker faires in the nation.

The event will promote the museum’s STEAM initiative mission (science, technology, engineering, art and math.)  Gordon says it also will teach people the importance of creating through trial and error.

 “Tinkering teaches us that it is OK to fail because when you do fail, you learn why and then work that much harder to succeed.”

Tinkerfest is sponsored by the Argenta Arts Foundation, Regional Recycling and Waste District, Arkansas School for Math, Sciences and the Arts, and Custom XM.

There is no extra cost to attend Tinkerfest. Regular museum admission will apply: $10 for adults, $8 for children, free for members.  To view the full list of activities or to learn more about Tinkerfest, visit www.museumofdiscovery.org.

June 2nd Friday Art Night is busting with Fun

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2nd Friday Art NightJune is Busting Out All Over with great art and music downtown on 2nd Friday Art Night.  Visual art, music, refreshments, a trolley for transportation can all be yours for the low price of FREE.  The festivities run from 5pm to 8pm, unless otherwise noted.

Among the highlights:

  • Old State House Museum (300 West Markham) will feature Geoff Robson and David Gerstein performing duets for violin and cello.
  • Historic Arkansas Museum (200 East Third) will celebrate the opening of its new Arkansas Made Gallery; in addition there will be live music by Parkstone.
  • Edge Gallery (301B President Clinton Ave) will be featuring contemporary art.
  • Butler Center Galleries (401 President Clinton Ave) is showing Creative Expressions; Arkansas Arts Educators; From the Vault: Works from the CALS Permanent Collection; and Old School: Remembering the Brinkley Academy
  • Courtyard Marriott Downtown (521 President Clinton Ave) is teaming up with Spirited Art Little Rock and hosting a painting class in its cafe beginning at 6:30pm.
  • Hearne Fine Art (1001 Wright Ave, Suite C) will host an opening reception for Reflections In Silver: Silverpoint Drawings by Aj Smith & Marjorie Williams-Smith.
  • studioMain (1423 South Main Street) they are featuring a UALR Student Furniture Showcase.  This has become an annual exhibit of furniture pieces created by students of the UALR Applied Design program.