Category Archives: Museum

Artober – Animals at the Little Rock Zoo

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October is Arts and Humanities Month nationally and in Little Rock. Americans for the Arts has identified a different arts topic to be posted for each day in the month.  Next up is Animals. And what better place to see animals than the Little Rock Zoo?

Here are a few photos the Culture Vulture has taken at the Little Rock Zoo over the past few years.

Artober – Crafting (At the Arkansas Arts Center Museum School)

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Little Rock is blessed to have many artisans and craftspeople making everything from pottery to jewelry to glasswork to woodwork.

While there are many different places which could be featured, today’s focus on crafting is another opportunity for a reminder that the Arkansas Arts Center Museum School is continuing to offer classes while the MacArthur Park location is closed for renovations.  Most of the classes are offered at the Riverdale location, but a few classes are being offered at various branches of the Central Arkansas Library System.

Here are scene from just a few of the AAC’s Museum School classes and other educational programs.

Forerunner of Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock’s Museum of Fine Arts opened on October 5, 1937

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On Tuesday, October 5, 1937, the Fine Arts Club of Little Rock held its first meeting in the new Museum of Fine Arts.  But it was not a typical meeting. It was an Open House and Dedication for the new building.

Construction on the 10,140 square foot building had commenced with the January 3, 1936, groundbreaking.  By September 1937, the keys were presented to the City, marking the end of the construction process.

During the October 5 events, a letter of congratulations was read by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and WPA Administrator Harry L. Hopkins.  A letter which had been prepared by Sen Joe T. Robinson prior to his death was also read.  Mayor R. E. Overman, architect H. Ray Burks, and Fred W. Allsopp spoke at the event.  The latter was chair of the museum’s board.  Over 1,000 people were in attendance. At the time the city’s population was around 87,000.

The museum officially opened its doors to the public on October 28, 1937.  Nettie L. Robinson, a longtime member of the Fine Arts Club, was its first director and would serve in that capacity for two decades.

The original facade of the Museum can still be seen inside the Arkansas Arts Center.  Once the expansion and renovation of that building is complete in 2022, the original entrance will be highlighted even more with the new design.

Artober – Past, Present, Future

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October is Arts and Humanities Month nationally and in Little Rock. Americans for the Arts has identified a different arts topic to be posted for each day in the month. Today looks at “Past, Present, Future.”

In keeping with that, today features images of the original 1937 Museum of Fine Arts, the 1963 version of the Arkansas Arts Center (the successor to the previous museum), the 2000 edition of the AAC, and the 2022 future look of the building.

The first building faced north onto 9th street.

The second building shifted the focus of the building. It faced south into MacArthur Park with the original entrance now being covered and part of the back of the building.

By 2000, the entrance had shifted to the west facing Commerce Street (though the 1963 entrance remained as a convenient entry for the Children’s Theatre and Museum School.

Finally, in 2022, the main entrance will return to the newly uncovered 1937 facade on the north.  It will be situated inside a courtyard framed by the new two story cultural living room at the historic crescent drive inside MacArthur Park. Standing in the center of the courtyard, in front of the historic facade will be Henry Moore’s Standing Figure Knife Edge (Large).  Studio Gang is the lead architect for this project with SCAPE serving as landscape architect.  Polk Stanley Wilcox is the associate architect.

State Fair Preview is theme of October’s Old State House Night at the Museum!

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Image may contain: outdoor, text that says 'NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM Old State House Museum'

Come get a taste of the Arkansas State Fair at Nights at the Museum on Thursday, Oct. 3!

Food trucks will be at the Old State House Museum selling your fair favorites, like corn dogs and funnel cakes. You can also play carnival games for FREE and win prizes! Nights at the Museum is for adults 21 and older, so you get the fun of the fair … without having to keep track of the kids.  As always, adult beverages will be available to purchase.

Nights at the Museum takes place on the museum’s iconic front lawn on the first Thursday of each month seasonally, March-October. (In case of inclement weather, the event will be indoors at the museum.)

Arkansas State House Society – Friends of the Old State House Museum, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting OSHM and its programs, hosts the Nights at the Museum. The society invites young professionals to come early for a networking opportunity from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

General admission starts at 6 p.m. and costs $5; food and beverages will be available for purchase. Tickets may be purchased in advance at https://squareup.com/store/ArkansasStateHouseSociety/ or at the gate.

The museum can validate parking at the DoubleTree hotel; metered parking near the hotel is free after 6 p.m.