Category Archives: Museum

Cool Culture — Beat the Heat at LR Museums

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Seeking a daytime escape from the heat of the day, most of Little Rock’s museums offer wonderful climate controlled environments at no charge.

Among those museums in LR which offer escapes to galleries at no charge are the Arkansas Arts Center, MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, Historic Arkansas Museum (fees do apply for tours of historic structures), Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, Old State House Museum, Butler Center Galleries  at the Arkansas Studies Institute, Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center and the Little Rock Central High National Historic Site.  In addition, members to the Museum of Discovery can visit it for free.

LR Zoo hosts COLEMAN DAIRY DAY

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Today, August 4, the Little Rock Zoo is partnering with Coleman Dairy to celebrate the dairy’s 150th anniversary.

Today from 9am to 4pm, there will be $1.50 admission per person! Children one and under are admitted free.  There will also be free parking all day.

The Little Rock Zoo has long been one of Arkansas’ great treasures. It all began modestly in 1926, with just two animals — an abandoned timber wolf and a circus-trained brown bear. Today, the Zoo has grown to include more than 725 animals representing 200+ species, many on the endangered list. The Zoo itself, has become one of the state’s greatest educational and conservation resources.

Many exotic worlds are yours to explore at the Little Rock Zoo. Experience the majesty of elephants and rhinos. Stick your neck out at the Giraffe exhibit. Marvel at the strength and beauty of lions, tigers and jaguars in our Big Cat Habitat. Monkey around at Spider Monkey or Lemur Islands. Or slither around to the Reptile House to go face-to-fang with a deadly reptile. And don’t forget to check-out the all new Lorikeet Landing exhibit where you can feed these beautiful birds nectar!

Visitors can also meet Maggie and Zazi, the new cheetahs as well as stop by the Laura P. Nichols Penguin Pointe.

If you need a break from the action, stop by Cafe Africa for a bite to eat, ride the Over-the-Jumps carousel or take a relaxing and scenic ride on the Civitan train.

Before you leave, stop by the Safari Trader Gift Shop, where you can find all sorts of ZOOVENIRS to remind you of your visit. Whenever you visit, chances are you’ll see something new and exciting. We look forward to seeing you at the Little Rock Zoo.

Museum of Discovery presents TINKERFEST on August 4

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The Museum of Discovery will host the first TinkerFest Saturday, August 4, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, an Arkansas Discovery Network event. As a member of the six-museum statewide consortium, the museum will showcase local makers and inventors and allow the public to create unique things made from ordinary objects.

Tinkering is free-form experimentation with use of screwdrivers, motors, wires, glue, and more. People can spend hours creating and building. Tinkering allows them to slow down and immerse themselves in a workshop environment.

TinkerFest will feature inventors and artisans from central Arkansas. Nearly 30 work stations will be set up both in- and outside the museum. Visitors will have the opportunity to construct elegant and delicious geometric shapes with gum balls and bamboo skewers; make one-of-a-kind jewelry from junk; take apart appliances and computers to actually see how they were designed and how they operated; repair recycled bicycles; make fun accessories, purses and wallets with duct tape; see a three-dimensional printer in action; disassemble a vehicle, and much more.

“Some of the best inventions have started as tinkering projects. It’s what has helped shape our nation,” said Joel Gordon, visitor experience director for the museum. A tinkerer at heart, Gordon manages the museum’s Tinkering Studio conducting workshops and encouraging imaginative creation. “For example, when the United States battled the Soviet Union for space exploration supremacy during the great ‘space race,’ people literally went into their garages and warehouses and started tinkering and creating. Innovation was the end result. People invented thermal gear, freeze-dried food, microwave ovens, hair dryers and the list goes on. It’s how the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) got its beginning.”

“Another big tinkering explosion was the integrated circuit board. That one invention has led to the creation of computers, MP3 players and other advancements. And, who were these tinkerers? Future engineers, scientists, mathematicians and teachers. We need another space race, and people are starting to realize the time is now,” he stressed.

One can build just about anything from materials lying around the house, from flying objects to intricate circuit boards. Even movie-making can be considered tinkering. It is the use of imagination, ingenuity and hands-on creativity. The increased popularity of do-it-yourself shows, online tutorials, videos and books has spurred a renewed interest in tinkering.

TinkerFest sponsors are Kroger, FTN Associates, Ltd., Regional Recycling and Waste Reduction District, and Spectra Energy.

Museum partners from around the country, including The Exploratorium in San Francisco, San Diego’s Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History will participate in Saturday’s TinkerFest event. All three have strong working relationships with the Museum of Discovery and the Arkansas Discovery Network.

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.

 

About Arkansas Discovery Network

The Arkansas Discovery Network, an innovative network of museums across the state, has received more than $10 million in funding from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation since 2006. The network strives to make hands-on, interactive museum experiences more accessible to the state’s schoolchildren and their families, especially those in rural areas. Partner museums include the Museum of Discovery in Little Rock, Mid America Science Museum in Hot Springs, Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas in Pine Bluff, Texarkana Museums System in Texarkana, Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources in Smackover and Arkansas State University Museum in Jonesboro.

Science After Dark tomorrow night at Museum of Discovery

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The Museum of Discovery’s monthly program series designed for people ages 21 and older, titled “Science after Dark,” will be Wednesday, July 25, 2012 6-8 pm.

This month’s theme, “Science Fiction”, will bring an exciting, interactive evening with multiple stations focused on the science surrounding this entertainment phenomenon. Guests will learn about science in a unique, social setting. Admission will be five dollars, and a cash bar will be available.

Did science inspire science fiction, or was it the other way around? Museum staff will facilitate an open discussion addressing this question, and explore interesting facts about ancient and modern science fiction.

Little Rock resident Leslie Singer, author of Zap! Ray Gun Classics, will bring part of his massive science-fiction memorabilia collection, and provide a fascinating retrospective.

Guests will have the opportunity to build their own unidentified flying object (UFO) and take it for test flights. There will be a delightful, and humorous, discussion on UFOs in history and culture.

Guests will get to race robots on a race track complete with an asteroid field, enemy ship and black hole. Also, they will be able to destroy their “enemies’ ” ship during a laser maze constructed of mirrors.

If so inclined, guests are invited to dress as one of the following: alien, robot, mad scientist or radioactive lizard.

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, visitwww.museumofdiscovery.org, follow us on www.facebook.com/scienceafterdark or call (501) 396-7050.

July 2nd Friday Art Night

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Once again, Friday the 13th will be lucky for patrons who venture out to explore 2nd Friday Art Night in downtown Little Rock.   It takes place from 5pm to 8pm and is free.  Several downtown galleries are open with special events and exhibits.  A free trolley runs between the various sites.

Here is a sampling of what can be found.

Historic Arkansas Museum (200 East Third Street) hosts the opening reception for BARBIE: The 11 1/2-inch American Icon, the newest exhibit in the Eclectic Collector series. There will be live music by Steve Bates and an ice cream tasting with Loblolly Creamery. Loblolly makes small batch ice cream, fizzy sodas and other treats from local organic ingredients.

Butler Center Galleries (401 President Clinton Avenue) will feature The Civil War in Arkansas as a part of the 150th commemoration of this pivotal event in American History.  Also still on display are Arkansas Arts Educators State Youth Art Show 2012 and Small Town: Portraits of a Disappearing America

Christ Episcopal Church (509 Scott Street) showcases artists from the Arkansas Pastel Society.  In addition artwork from students who are participating in a Christ Church summer youth arts program will also be on display.

studioMAIN (1423 South Main) opens its latest exhibition, Quality + Quantity: a Conversation on Modern Furniture. It exhibits furniture designed by local UALR Applied Design students and pairs it with several timeless furniture pieces that are being provided by Workplace Resource and Herman Miller.

Quapaw Quarter Association at Curran Hall (515 East Capitol Avenue) is showcasing LVB Designs…cuff bracelets by Linda Bradley, local designer and artist.  Each piece is custom made.  See and try on these unique cuffs in their many styles and designs.

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.

Cheetahs in Little Rock!

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Zazi and her daughter Maggie moved into the new Laura P. Nichols Cheetah Outpost Monday night and became the first two cheetahs to reside at the new exhibit.

The exhibit is set for a grand opening on July 7, 2012 at 10:30 a.m.

Maggie and Zazi come to the Little Rock Zoo from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va. The institute facilitates and promotes conservation biology programs at the National Zoo in Washington,D.C. Zazi is 11-years-old, and her daughter, Maggie, is 18-months-old.

Maggie

The grand opening of the new exhibit on July 7 will include a special address by Anne Schmidt-Kuentzel, Research Geneticist and Assistant Director for Animal Health and Research at the Cheetah Conservation Fund, a worldwide non-profit dedicated to saving the wild cheetah and its habitat.  Schmidt-Kuentzel will give a special presentation on her work with CCF later that day.

The new exhibit is a long, linear exhibit that develops a large portion of the Zoo’s new African Savannah area.  It features two yards for the cheetahs and two new observatory decks for viewing the cheetahs in their habitat.  The African Outpost exhibit was also renovated as part of the new exhibit and features new habitats for the naked mole rats and some African reptiles.  This air-conditioned indoor space also features interactive educational displays about the plight of the wild cheetah and the work of CCF to save the cheetah.

Although the exhibit will open with two cheetahs, the exhibit is fit to hold up to five and is designed to allow for breeding.  The Zoo is currently working with the Species Survival Plan for the cheetah to develop a breeding program.

The grand opening of the new Laura P. Nichols Cheetah Outpost marks the second major exhibit opening for the Zoo in the past year.  The Laura P. Nichols Penguin Pointe exhibit opened in the spring of 2011.

Both the cheetah and penguin exhibits are sponsored by the Laura P. Nichols Foundation inArkansaswho provided funding for both exhibits.  The cheetah exhibit is also partially funded through private donations collected through the Arkansas Zoological Foundation and through the 2009 refinancing of park bonds by the City ofLittle Rock.

About the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute plays a key role in the Smithsonian’s global efforts to understand and conserve species and train future generations of conservationists.  Headquartered in Front Royal,Va., SCBI facilitates and promotes research programs based at Front Royal, the National Zoo in Washington D.C. and the at field research stations and training sites worldwide.

About the Little Rock Zoo and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums

The Little Rock Zoo provides engaging experiences that inspire people to value and conserve our natural world.  The Zoo was founded in 1926 with a timber wolf and a circus trained bear.  Today the Zoo boasts more than 700 animals representing 200 species, many of which are endangered.   Located in the heart of Little Rock at War Memorial Park, the Zoo consists of 33 acres of manicured land and animal exhibits.  The Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.  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 http://www.aza.org.