Category Archives: Museum

Shock the Rock tonight with world record Tesla Coil presented by Museum of Discovery

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See World’s Largest Tesla Coil Shoot 60-Foot Bolts of Lightning at “Shock the Rock”Fans of famed inventor Nikola Tesla – as well as all science and technology aficionados – are invited to witness the world’s largest Tesla Coil in action at “Shock the Rock!,” a Tesla-themed, free event that begins at 6 p.m. Saturday, July 20, on the grounds of the Clinton Presidential Center. “Shock the Rock!” is powered by Entergy and presented by the Museum of Discovery.

Greg Leyh, a California electrical engineer and scientist, completed construction of the 40-foot Tesla coil tower in October 2018 and will display its awesome capabilities in Little Rock after his world-record device is featured at a Nikola Tesla birthday party celebration July 13 at the Tesla Science Center in Wardenclyffe, NY.

Entergy is the presenting sponsor of “Shock the Rock!,” and other sponsors include Landmark PLC; Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau; Meadors Adams & Lee; VIP2; Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort; and the McKibbon Group. Their support will help offset the costs to divert the coil’s journey back to California and to stage the event.

This is the third time Leyh has built the world’s largest Tesla coil, each exceeding its predecessor in height, power and the ability to produce what Leyh calls “lightning on demand.” At “Shock the Rock!” Leyh’s latest world-record coil will be centered on the large concrete pad at the western edge of the Clinton Center grounds cordoned off from the crowd, ensuring zero danger from being on-site to watch the awesome power of 60-foot bolts of lightning.

Pre-“Shock the Rock!” festivities will begin at 6 p.m. on the grounds of the Clinton Presidential Center. Museum of Discovery educators will present electricity-related demonstrations and host hands-on, interactive activities with guests at the event from 6:30 until 8:30 p.m.

The 40-foot Tesla show will begin at 8:45 p.m. and will last 45 minutes. Food trucks will be on site, and beer and other beverages will be available for purchase. Attendees are invited to bring lawn chairs and blankets. Coolers and outside food or drink will not be permitted. The public is encouraged to bring ear protection. Museum of Discovery will also provide earplugs at no charge.

Celebrate 50th anniversary of Moon landing today at the Museum of Discovery

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The Museum of Discovery is inviting people to join them to celebrate the moon landing 50th anniversary with space exploration activities!

There will be fun activities for all ages including the chance to see some actual moon rocks!

Events are from 10am until 3pm.

Tickets are included in regular museum admission or free for members.

July 2FAN – Old State House presents “A Piece of My Soul: Quilts by Black Arkansans”

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Join the Old State House Museum for Second Friday Art Night, Friday, July 12, from 5 to 8 p.m., as they showcase and celebrate their current exhibit, A Piece of My Soul: Quilts by Black Arkansans.

They will have live music by Brae Leni and the Blackout, refreshments, and fun activities, including quilting crafts, and as always the museum will be open to view all exhibits!

A Piece of My Soul: Quilts by Black Arkansans, is a curated selection of the museum’s collection of more than 200 quilts from the post-Reconstruction era to the present, representing a variety of different types of quilts many of which were created by multi-generational families.

These quilts are a profoundly important part of Arkansas’s history — through their patterns, material, stitching, and family oral histories, these special bedcovers reveal the lives of late 19th and early 20th century Arkansas families

July 2FAN – Historic Arkansas Museum opens new exhibit on historic quilts

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Historic Arkansas Museum is using 2nd Friday Art Night for the opening reception for “Stitched Together: A Treasury of Arkansas Quilts” on Friday, July 12.

The new exhibit will showcase a collection of the rarest, most treasured quilts in the museum’s permanent collection with most quilts made before 1900 and many prior to the Civil War.

Tenpennygypsy will provide the live entertainment. Stone’s Throw Brewing will be the evening’s featured brewery. The reception is sponsored by the Historic Arkansas Museum Foundation, with special thanks to 107 Liquor. Beverages and appetizers will be served in the Stella Boyle Smith Atrium. The exhibits and reception are free and open to the public.

Planning to create Arkansas Arts Center authorized by City of Little Rock

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Twenty-two years after authorizing the creation of the Museum of Fine Arts in City Park, the Little Rock City Council was asked to consider expanding the facility.

By 1957, the existing structure was felt to be inadequate.   There was a desire for more gallery space as well as for more space for educational programming.

On July 8, 1957, the Little Rock City Council passed an ordinance authorizing the Board of the Museum of Fine Arts to be able to raise the funds for an expansion.  This was merely the start of the process which would eventually lead to the creation of the Arkansas Arts Center.

The ordinance allowed for the expansion or extension of the building. It also authorized the museum’s board to accept gifts for the project and to invest those gifts for the purpose of the museum.  Since the museum only received City funds for maintenance and salary, the ability to raise funds for the expansion was key to the future of the institution.

Lastly, the ordinance gave the museum’s board the ability to increase its membership by up to six positions without having to get additional approval by the City Council.  With a fundraising drive underway and a larger facility planned, these additional board members could certainly prove to be key.

The ordinance passed with nine Ayes, zero Noes, and one absent.