Category Archives: Music

More theatre, music and art on tap today at ACANSA

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acansaThe second full day of ACANSA Arts Festival promises another wide variety of choices.

 

LUNCH AND LEARN
12:00 pm to 1:00pm
Bernice Garden
Free

Anita Davis will discuss art displayed at the Bernice Garden, which features permanent and temporary sculptures created by Arkansas artists. Mosaics, rock formations, hand-crafted signage and additional art installations add to the development plan for the space.

Sponsored by: Anita Davis, Delta Trust and Bank, and JPMS Cox, PLLC

 

GALLERY HOP
5:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Various
$20 to $50

Starting at the Arkansas Arts Center, participants may hop on and off trolleys to visit various local galleries in Little Rock and North Little Rock.

Enjoy refreshments while visiting with gallery owners and participating artists about their paintings.

Participating galleries include:   The Art Group Gallery,  Cantrell Gallery,  Greg Thompson Fine Art,  Hearne Fine Art Gallery,  M2 Gallery,  Gallery 221, L & L Beck Art Gallery,  Local Colour Gallery,  Matt McLeod Fine Art,  Stephano’s Fine Art Gallery,  The Edge Gallery, The Hot Springs Art Group, Argenta Gallery and Boswell Mourot Fine Art.

Sponsored by: Stuart Cobb

 

acansa Mike Disfarmer 3DISFARMER
8:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Argenta Community Theatre
$30 to $50

Don’t miss this production of Disfarmer, written by award-winning Arkansas playwright Werner Trieschmann and directed by Bob Hupp of The Rep.  Disfarmer is a comedic portrait which tells the story of Mike Disfarmer, an eccentric photographer from Heber Springs, Arkansas who charged townsfolk and visitors a quarter to have their picture taken in the early forties—and caused a minor speculative mania decades later as New York gallery owners “discovered” his work and descended on the small Arkansas town.

Head over to Argenta Theatre before the play and pick up a signed copy of Kim O. Davis’ Disfarmer biography titled Disfarmer:  The Man Behind the Camera.

Nothing speaks louder about Mike Disfarmer than his photographs.  Before the play, stop by  Argenta Gallery at 413 Main Street to enjoy an exhibit of Disfarmer photographs. In 1974, Peter Miller purchased the collection of Disfarmer glass negatives from Joe Albright. The Disfarmer prints in this exhibit have been archivally printed from the original Disfarmer glass negatives

Sponsored by: Peter Miller

 

acansa Hector Oliver 3HECTOR OLIVERA
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Trinity United Methodist Church
$10 to $20

Hector Olivera is one of the most sought after international concert organists of the present time. He is a passionate, gifted and unique musician, whose personal interpretations of both classical and popular music have amazed and delighted audiences around the world.

Maestro Hector Olivera travels with his Rodgers touring organ, “The King,” a black four manual organ featuring a custom French specification.  This internationally acclaimed concert organist will perform at Trinity United Methodist Church.  During rehearsal, Maestro Olivera will uniquely customize his eclectic program from the chancel.

 

ACANSA BowersIT GOES WITHOUT SAYING
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Scottish Rite Masonic Temple
$10 to $20

Compared to the work of David Sedaris, Claudia Shear and Augustin Burroughs, IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING is a uniquely crafted autobiographical tour-de-force in which Bill Bowers shares funny, heartbreaking, and unbelievable true stories from his career as an actor and mime, and his life-long exploration of the role silence plays in all our lives.

IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING takes you on a scenic tour of Bill’s life thus far; from his childhood in the wilds of Montana, to outrageous jobs as a performer across the country, to the whirlwind of Broadway and studying with the legendary Marcel Marceau.

Sponsored by:  Legacy Termite and Pest Control, Inc.

First Full Day of ACANSA Offers Poetry, Visual Art, Theatre, Music

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acansaThe ACANSA Arts Festival gets going with its first full day of activities today.

 

LUNCH AND LEARN
12:00 pm to 1:00pm
Central Arkansas Library System
Free

Chris James, Arkansas native and member of the Foreign Tongues Poetry Troupe, will be presenting about his career as a spoken word poet.   Chris will perform his original spoken word and share information about his upcoming ventures.

Sponsored by: Anita Davis, Delta Trust and Bank, and JPMS Cox, PLLC

 

ACANSA LindquistPOET IN COPPER: ENGRAVINGS BY EVAN LINDQUIST
5:30 pm to 7:00 pm
Arkansas Arts Center
$20

Evan Lindquist was selected by Governor Mike Beebe as the first Artist Laureate of Arkansas 2013 – 2017.  He creates original prints in his private studio in Jonesboro, Arkansas.  Most of his prints are engravings developed by his own original ideas and designs.   Lindquist has had more than 60 solo exhibitions and has received more than 80 awards in about 300 competitive exhibitions.  At the reception, Mr. Lindquist will speak about his works, technique and career.

Sponsored by William and Kay Patton, Nabholz Construction

 

ACANSA Central Arkansas's Own.CollageCENTRAL ARKANSAS’S OWN
6:30 pm to 9:30 pm
Great Hall of the Clinton Presidential Center
$20

The Arkansas Chamber Singers is a 65-member vocal ensemble dedicated to performing and promoting classical and contemporary choral repertoire.  Arkansas’s newest professional opera company is Opera in the Rock, with a mission to produce main stage professional opera and showcase talented performers from the state and region.  The Muses are performers with The Muses Creative Artistry Project, blending vocal and instrumental art songs from the Baroque period to the present.  Refreshments and a cash bar will be available throughout the event.

Sponsored by James B. Conner

 

ACANSA BowersIT GOES WITHOUT SAYING
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Scottish Rite Masonic Temple
$20 to $50

Compared to the work of David Sedaris, Claudia Shear and Augustin Burroughs, IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING is a uniquely crafted autobiographical tour-de-force in which Bill Bowers shares funny, heartbreaking, and unbelievable true stories from his career as an actor and mime, and his life-long exploration of the role silence plays in all our lives.

IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING takes you on a scenic tour of Bill’s life thus far; from his childhood in the wilds of Montana, to outrageous jobs as a performer across the country, to the whirlwind of Broadway and studying with the legendary Marcel Marceau.

Sponsored by:  Legacy Termite and Pest Control, Inc.

 

symphony low resKEEPING ON THE SOUTHERN SIDE
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Trinity Episcopal Cathedral
$30 to $50

The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra will present a variety of small ensembles at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. This ”Informance” includes the ASO Brass Quintet, a solo by the ASO violin and strings, a Little Rock premiere for the oboe and clarinet, as well as dueling banjos. The performance is followed by a VIP reception.

Sponsored by:  City of North Little Rock, North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce, North Little Rock Economic Development Corporation & North Little Rock Visitors Bureau

Jazz in the Park continues with The Tri-Tones

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jazzinparkJazz in the Park is back in Little Rock for the second half of the second season! Jazz in the Park is a free, family-friendly event featuring jazz in downtown Little Rock.

Things continue tonight from 6pm to 8pm with The Tri-Tones.

The event is completely free, but no coolers are allowed. Beer, wine, soft drinks and water will be available for sale, with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit Sculpture at the River Market. Lawn chairs and blankets are welcome, and there is some seating in the natural stone amphitheater at the History Pavilion.

This event is sponsored by Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau and the River Market, with special thanks to Arkansas Sounds Music Festival and the Central Arkansas Library System.

Jazz in the Park takes place Wednesday nights in September from 6pm to 8pm. They will take place in the History Pavilion near the Junction Bridge and the River Market.

Cast members from MEMPHIS to perform at Lobby Bar tonight

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lobbybarThe cast of the Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s production of MEMPHIS is extremely talented.  In addition to displaying their talents on stage at the Rep, the performers will be showcasing their talent tonight in another downtown venue.  

The Lobby Bar will host a cabaret performance tonight featuring members of the cast.  Mark Binns, music director for MEMPHIS will be the accompanist.  The evening will features showtunes as well as standards.

There is not cover charge or admission charge.

Little Rock Look Back: Miss America 1964 comes to Little Rock

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Photo from Encyclopedia of Arkansas, courtesy of Mike Polston

Photo from Encyclopedia of Arkansas, courtesy of Mike Polston

Tonight a new Miss America will be crowned.  This ceremony marks the 50th anniversary since Miss America 1964, Arkansan Donna Axum, ended her reign.

A native of El Dorado and a student at the University of Arkansas, during her reign as Miss America Miss Axum (or simply Donna as the newspaper headlines referred to her) made four public visits to Little Rock.  As the first Miss Arkansas to become Miss America, the state’s Capitol City was very interested in giving her a warm welcome.

After being crowned on September 7, 1963, her first visit to Arkansas was November 1 through 3.  In addition to stops in Hot Springs and El Dorado, she appeared in Little Rock to attend events including an Arkansas Razorback football game at War Memorial Stadium.  Her entourage included the top four runners up from the Miss America pageant.

In February 1964, she made a brief appearance in Little Rock which included a press conference.

Donna Axum spent nearly two weeks in Arkansas in May 1964 attending several pageants as well as spending time with family.  During that visit she appeared in Little Rock twice.  The second time she headlined a concert with the Arkansas Symphony (not related to the current Arkansas Symphony Orchestra) and the Arkansas Choral Society. It took place at Robinson Auditorium.

Chamber Music Concert this afternoon at 2pm

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10636104_10100252551002598_8065792863022342325_nThis afternoon there will be a chamber music concert featuring musicians from the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra at the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Katherine Willamson (violin), Ryan Mooney (viola), and David Gerstein (cello) will present a short program of works by Beethoven and the world premiere of a duo by Arkansas composer Karen Griebling.

David will be running the Chicago Marathon in October to benefit the kids at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, so please come with cash or check ready to make a donation. The concert is free, but donations to St. Jude are greatly appreciated.

**Katherine Williamson, violin**
Ms. Williamson is a recent graduate of Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music where she received a Bachelor of Music with Distinction under the instruction of Professor Mark Kaplan. Other important mentors include Celine Leathead of the Minnesota Orchestra, Nam-Yun Kim and Professor Jorja Fleezanis. She has played with numerous orchestras worldwide, most recently the New World Symphony, National Repertory Orchestra, Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, Owensboro Symphony Orchestra, Richmond Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and the Moritzburg Festival Academy Orchestra in Germany.

In addition to her love for the orchestral repertoire, Katherine is equally compelled by the world of chamber music. She is particularly drawn to the string quartet, but is also dedicated to performing duo sonatas and contemporary works, most recently pieces by Sofia Gubaidulina and Claude Baker. Ms. Williamson has attended the Castleman Quartet Program of the West, was a winner of the chamber music competition at the Meadowmount School of Music and a two-time prizewinner at the Saint Paul String Quartet Competition. She has collaborated with pianists Aleksey Artemyev and Risa Ohkubo, performing works by Prokofiev, Mozart and Mendelssohn. Notable coaches include Ik-Hwan Bae, Charles Castleman, Gerardo Ribeiro, Jan Vogler, Jorja Fleezanis and members of the Pacifica, Guarneri, Pro Arte and Artaria string quartets.

**Ryan Mooney, viola**
Ryan Mooney started the violin at the age of four with his aunt, Margaret Pressley. He then switched to viola at age 15 and went on to study with Ian Swenson and Jodi Levitz at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He has attended such music festivals as Roundtop and Tanglewood where he had the pleasure of performing with the Mark Morris Dance Troup at Jacob’s Pillow. He was also a fellow of the Carnegie Hall exchange program where he performed with his quartet in Carnegie Hall and on a Central Asian tour. Ryan has a large studio of violin and viola students, and teaches at the Community School of the Arts at UCA in Conway.

**David Gerstein, cello**
David Gerstein, a devoted performer of chamber and contemporary music has played concerts all over the world, from the stage of Carnegie Hall to the Great Wall of China. David is currently the principal cellist of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, which he has been a member of since September ’08. He is also the cellist of the Quapaw String Quartet, which performs regularly at the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, AR as well as in schools all over the state as part of the ASO’s Arts Partner program. Mr. Gerstein has recently appeared in concert with the Ying Quartet, mezzo-soprano Susanne Mentzer, soprano Renee Fleming, cellist Fred Sherry, violinist Jonathan Carney, Bela Fleck, and violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonenberg.

September 2nd Friday Art Night Highlights

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Among the locations participating in 2nd Friday Art Night tonight are Historic Arkansas Museum, Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, Old State House Museum, and Museum of Discovery.

Historic Arkansas Museum
5 – 8 pm

Free
Live music by Finger Food

Jack Kenner and Ed Pennebaker: Disciplined Inspiration

Trinity Gallery for Arkansas Artists
September 12 through November 9, 2014 
Jack Kenner of Horseshoe Lake, Arkansas, spent much of his professional life traveling the world as an accomplished commercial and art photographer, but it was the Horseshoe Lake landscapes of the Arkansas Delta that inspired the body of work he will exhibit at the Historic Arkansas Museum. “While traveling the 30 miles back and forth to my studio in Memphis, I found I could not pass by the beautiful scenes of the farmlands and lake without seeing it through my camera lens.”
Ed Pennebaker who resides near Osage, Arkansas, makes illuminated art glass and sculpture using traditional offhand glassblowing techniques, and he believes in “working incessantly—cultivating concepts, discrimination and technique.” Pennebaker works with the glass to show its fluid qualities and its interaction with light. “I derive much of my inspiration from the garden and the woods surrounding my home and studio.” Pennebaker has worked from his woodland studio, Red Fern Glass, near Osage for more than 20 years.

40 Years of the Arkansas Times

Second Floor Gallery
September 12 through December 9, 2014
From a spunky monthly launched with $200 to one of the earliest alternative weeklies, the Arkansas Times has been an essential voice in Arkansas news and culture since 1974.
Take a look back at the last 40 years of Arkansas history through the often-irreverent lens of the Times in a collection of archival covers, photos, art and memorabilia.
Butler Center Galleries

ALA art Show: Fifth Annual Juried Exhibition of the Arkansas League of Artists 

This exhibition features artwork by members of the Arkansas League of Artists (ALA) in a variety of media. This is the ALA’s fifth annual juried exhibition; Manuela Well-Off-Man, assistant curator of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, is the juror for this year’s show. The winner will be announced at the show’s opening reception as part of Second Friday Art Night.

Echoes of the Ancestors: Native American Objects from the University of Arkansas Museum

This exhibition features an artistic display of objects created by Native Americans in ceramics, wood, glass, cane, and shell materials.

Featured artist:

Walt Priest – Walt Priest is a photographer based in North Little Rock.

Featured musician: Ted Ludwig Duo – Entertainment in the galleries will be provided by the Ted Ludwig Duo, who will play traditional jazz and innovative improvisational music.

 

Old State House Museum

Music by Big Silver headlines September’s Second Friday Art Night on Friday, September 12, as part of Second Friday Art Night. The acclaimed Little Rock band will be playing on the lawn of the museum starting at 5:30 pm. Bring your picnic blankets and lawn chairs to enjoy the music and mid-September weather. Big Silver can be heard here.In case of inclement weather, the concert will be moved inside. Food and drinks will be provided for this free event.

 

Museum of Discovery

The Museum of Discovery is excited to participate in this month’s 2nd Friday Art Night on Friday, September 12 from 5-8 p.m. They will display nature photographs taken by David Ankeny. The exhibit will remain on display at the Museum of Discovery this fall.

Free drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served.