Category Archives: Museum

Zoo Brew

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The Little Rock Zoo is hosting a fundraiser tomorrow evening, Thursday, September 20.  It is time once again for the annual Zoo Brew.

You’ll get the chance to sample dozens of beers and listen to the tunes of one of the hottest cover bands around- Donna Massey & Blue Eyed Soul!

Zoo Brew takes place in and around Cafe Africa and the Civitan Pavilion, rain or shine.
Zoo Brew will also have some tasty food vendors on hand to make your beer tasting experience more enjoyable! Tickets include a souvenir pilsner glass (while supplies last).

TICKETS ARE ONLY $20 PER PERSON

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW!

LAST YEAR, ZOO BREW WAS A SELL-OUT SUCCESS, SO GET YOUR TICKET TODAY!

Must be at least 21 years of age to attend. Please bring ID.
Call 501.661.7212 for ticket information.

Museum of Discovery Hosts a Homecoming

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Museum of Discovery - Little Rock, ARThe Museum of Discovery will host a homecoming reception Saturday, September 15 at 2:00 pm in honor of a restored Japanese friendship doll, Miss Kyoto-shi, originally gifted to the Museum 85 years ago. Only a few such dolls remain in their original locations today.

Guests will have the opportunity to view Miss Kyoto-shi in the Museum’s Great Hall. A Hot Springs Village Japanese-American folk dancing troupe will perform in authentic dress. Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola will welcome everyone. Alan Scott Pate, the foremost authority on antique Japanese dolls in the country, will speak about the history and significance of Japanese Friendship Dolls.

As a way to ease cultural tensions in the 1920s, Japanese Viscount Eiichi Shi-busawa initiated a program to send 58 Japanese Friendship Dolls to American museums and libraries. The best doll makers in Japan were commissioned to produce the dolls. Each doll was 32-33 inches tall and they were dressed in beautiful silk kimonos. Each doll also came with unique accessories. These Japanese friendship dolls represented specific Japanese prefectures, cities or regions. The dolls were sent to libraries and museums throughout the United States.

Miss Kyoto-shi Homecoming ReceptionMiss Kyoto-shi arrived at the Arkansas Museum of Natural History and Antiquities (now the Museum of Discovery) shortly after the museum was founded in 1927. Over the years, a few dolls were lost, but Miss Kyoto-shi remained in Little Rock although she left the museum briefly for an unexplained visit to a private home for several years. In 2011 she was returned to Japan to be restored. The grandson of the original artist lineage that created her agreed to restore her completely free of charge.

The Miss Kyoto-shi homecoming event is funded by the Arkansas Humanities Council, Louisiana-based Acadiana Babes Doll Club, and other private donations.

The Donald W. Reynolds Science Center at the Museum of Discovery’s mission is to ignite a passion for science, technology and math in a dynamic, interactive environment. The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation awarded the Museum a $9.2 million grant solely dedicated to the renovation. The money paid for the renovation of 44,000 square feet of existing space, a 6,000 square-foot addition and new exhibits throughout the facility.

September 2nd Friday Art Night

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It is time once again for 2nd Friday Art Night.  Tonight from 5pm to 8pm at various downtown museums and galleries, guests can view art and enjoy live entertainment.  Admission is free.

Here are just a few of the highlights.

Historic Arkansas Museum will feature live music by Arkopolis as visitors view the current exhibits. Included at HAM are:

  • Recent Acquisitions: A Collection Vision, 2008 – 2012
  • The Civil War in Arkansas
  • Barbie: The 11 1/2 –inch American Icon
  • The Knife Gallery
  • Arkansas Contemporary: Selected Fellows from the Arkansas Arts Council
  • We Walk in Two Worlds: The Caddo, Osage and Quapaw in Arkansas

The Butler Center Galleries are located within the Arkansas Studies Institute building.  The galleries this month feature:

  • Pattern in Perspective: Recent Work by Carly Dahl and Dustyn Bork
  • Invasion or Liberation? The Civil War in Arkansas
  • Hope and Despair: FSA Photography in Arkansas during the Great Depression
  • Art of Living: More Artwork from the Rosalie Santine Gould Rohwer Collection

At the Old State House Museum, the galleries will be open.  In addition, music by The Morange Trio with Dave Williams II will be featured.

Museum of Discovery Science After Dark

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20120829-112219.jpgMuseum’s Science after Dark Takes Things to the Extreme

The Museum of Discovery’s monthly program series designed for people ages 21 and older, titled “Science after Dark,” will be Wednesday, August 29, 2012 6-8 pm. This month’s theme, “Taking It to the Extreme,” will take people into the world of adrenaline-laced activities like extreme sports, eating and more. Guests will learn about science in a unique, social setting. Admission will be five dollars, and a cash bar will be available.

There is a psychology behind the need for speed, and the rush some people get from stepping out of his or her comfort zone and seeking the ‘thrill.’ And, physics allows our bodies to adapt to motion, force and speed.

Science after Dark will feature a mountain climbing slack rope where attendees can try their luck. Also, there will be a climbing demonstration complete with gear, and people will learn the technology behind the sport.

For those interested in skateboarding, museum staff will discuss this wildly popular sport and the physics of how tricks are performed. Guests will have the opportunity to decorate mini-skateboards and try them out on the museum’s tiny skateboard park. While there, attendees can see the museum’s latest traveling exhibit, Design Zone, which includes interactive stations including a skateboard design area. Design Zone is a behind the scenes look at how math is used to create music tracks, design roller coasters, make video games and more.

What about water? It holds a mystique all its own, at the surface and certainly below. Enjoy diving presentations, and see first-hand how sophisticated equipment is used. Also, learn about whitewater kayaking and see the equipment needed and the technology used in this fast-paced sport.

Not into sports? What about eating? Join us as we explore the physiological impact of competitive eating on the human body, and we’ll host a competitive eating contest.

Science after Dark occurs the last Wednesday of each month. Museum educators pick a science-related topic, and develop an event around it. The event is for ages 21 and older. General admission is $5 per person. Museum members get in free.

For more information on Science after Dark or the Museum of Discovery, visit http://www.museumofdiscovery.org, follow us on http://www.facebook.com/scienceafterdark or call (501) 396-7050.

Culture Vulture tending the nest

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

DESIGN ZONE, new Museum of Discovery exhibit

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The Museum of Discovery’s Latest Traveling Exhibit: Getting Behind the Scenes with DESIGN ZONE

What does it take to create an interactive and fun videogame? How many beats per second does a DJ need to get bodies moving on the dance floor? What goes behind creating a roller coaster or a skate park that produces the most fun and biggest thrills? Discover the secrets behind how videogame developers, music producers, roller coaster designers, and other creative problem solvers use math to do what they do in the Museum of Discovery’s new exhibition.

Design Zone is presented at the Museum of Discovery through the Arkansas Discovery Network, a statewide museum consortium funded by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, and will be on exhibit through December 2, 2012.

Design Zone is a highly interactive, hands-on exhibition where visitors can explore a variety of creative concepts to learn the processes and tools needed to create a successful design. Design Zone is organized into three thematic zones, all highlighting the importance of science and mathematical thinking in areas critical to building creativity and innovation: art, music, and engineering.

Design Zone’s themed areas include:

ART:
Balancing Art – Discover the math behind mobiles as you create your own balancing art from colorful pieces.
Build a Tower – Choose your challenge and test your abilities to continue a pattern in three dimensions.
Marble Maze – Video game designers use algebra to create games with the right feel and level of challenge. Now it’s your turn. Start with a simple marble maze game controlled by a giant tilt table. Adjust variables and design a high-scoring game.

MUSIC:
Drum Machine – When mixing a new song, DJs have to think about the number of beats in each music track and how they line up with each other. Use the drum machine to pick the sounds and the number of repeats for different tracks.
Light Show DJ – You’re in the control booth at a virtual concert. Your challenge is to put together laser light patterns to match the music and get your friends dancing.
Whack-a-phone – You can make music by whacking tubes of different lengths. The length of the tube determines the pitch. Play the mystery songs, and see if you can name that tune.

ENGINEERING:
Roller Coaster Hills – All roller coasters start with a hill, and the first step in roller coaster design is to understand the relationship between hill height and distance traveled. Start a ball rolling down this exhibit’s ramp, and see how far it can travel – just like a roller coaster.
Fast Tracks – Roller coaster designers try to create tracks so that the coaster travels at different speeds during different points in the ride. This giant magnet wall lets you crate and test your own roller coaster design course.
Design a Skate Park – Skate parks can be modeled as a series of mathematical lines and curves. In this computer simulation, you can manipulate slope to create essential skate park features. Test your design with a virtual skater and ride the course.

The creation of Design Zone was made possible by the generous support of the National Science Foundation. The exhibition was produced and is toured by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI).

The Donald W. Reynolds Science Center at the Museum of Discovery’s mission is to ignite a passion for science, technology and math in a dynamic, interactive environment.

Art of Motion: Tango at Arkansas Arts Center

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The Arkansas Arts Center will host Art of Motion: Tango on Thursday, 0 from 7 to 10:30pm.

Art of Motion: Tango is a special arts event where guests can enjoy an evening of dance.  The AAC stresses that this event is perfect for people with no dance experience, dance experts or individuals who just want to watch.  No partner is needed.

Dance lessons begin at 7pm with instruction from both local and national tango teachers.  After the lesson, guests will be able to practice their new moves and dance the night away.

Admission is $10; free for Arkansas Arts Center members.

Art of Motion: Tango will continue on the second Thursday of each month through May 2013.  Future dates are September 13, October 11, November 8, December 13, January 10,  February 14, March 14, April 11 and May 9.