Category Archives: Public Art

February Frieze Frame Friday

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Each Friday in February, the Little Rock Culture Vulture will feature a frieze which can be found in Little Rock.

Today’s frieze is inspired by friezes from ancient cultures showing a laborer at work.  The shirtless and muscular nature of the man is evocative of friezes that can be seen today in Greek or Roman ruins.  His hair, breeches and shoes are more in keeping with the late 1700s/early 1800s as is the style of the printing press.

It is found, fittingly, on an annex to the Arkansas Gazette building, which now houses the lower grades of the eStem Public Charter School.

Sculpture Vulture: pARTy for Peg at HAM

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As a tribute to longtime Historic Arkansas Museum supporter Peg Newton Smith, HAM commissioned Alice Guffey Miller to create a piece of sculpture which sits along the north entrance to the gallery building.  pARTy for Peg depicts four couples dancing to a lively tune which is coming from a fiddle player.

Upon closer examination, one sees that the sculpture is more than just whimsical figures cut from aluminum.  The pedestals upon which the sculptures stand contain found objects which commemorate everyday life in Arkansas from horseshoes to china pieces to flatware to rocks and bricks.  In addition, the concrete bears faint footprints which echo steps which could be made by dancers.  Quotes and sayings are etched into the aluminum base for each sculpture as well.

Connecting the four dancing couples is a weather vane which forms a canopy.  Overseeing everything are birds perched atop a corner of HAM’s gallery building.

Peg Newton Smith was a true Arkansas treasure. She was interested in not only the history of Little Rock and Arkansas, but also in the present and the future. This sculpture, which depicts a historical scene in a more modern way, aptly captures the woman and the joy she radiated.

Sculpture Vulture: RABBIT REACH

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Tomorrow is the Chinese New Year — it marks the start of the Year of the Dragon.  That means today is the last day of the Year of the Rabbit.

In honor of that, today’s Sculpture Vulture features Tim Cherry’s Rabbit Reach.

The sculpture is located at the corner of Sherman Street and President Clinton Avenue across from the Museum of Discovery.

The sculpture is a gift from Whitlow Wyatt and the Carey Cox Wyatt Charitable Foundation. It was given in memory of George Wyatt and Frank Kumpuris.  Those two gentlemen were the fathers of Whitlow Wyatt and Dean & Drew Kumpuris.

Cherry’s sculpture was selected for this spot because of its proximity to children at the Museum and in the River Market district.  The design and size of the sculpture encourages children to climb on it and to play around the rabbit.  While some public art is situated so it cannot be touched, this one is situated to be touched as part of the appreciation experience.

Sculpture Vulture: FUSION

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For 23 years, Vernon C. Johnson, Sr., worked as a security guard at the Central Arkansas Library System’s main branch.  Following his 2006 death, his friends and colleagues at CALS commissioned a sculpture as a memorial to him.

Michael Warrick’s Fusion is a limestone orb atop a pedestal.  Etched into the orb are handprints of various sizes as well as scallops and ridges.  As a befitting memorial to a man who helped everyone with whom he came into contact, the handprints are of various sizes representing both children and adults.

Sitting at the corner of 2nd and River Market (formerly Commerce) Streets, Fusion anchors the southeastern corner of the CALS campus downtown.  Tucked away into a landscaped area, it greets visitors on foot as well as in cars waiting at the nearby stop sign.  In so doing, it quietly interacts with visitors in the same way that Johnson did for over two decades at CALS.

Sculpture Sunday: Together

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A focal point of the revitalized Riverfront Park is Mark Leichliter’s Together. It was dedicated in 2008 in conjunction with the dedication of the Peabody Park play area. The piece was a gift from Longtime Little Rock banker Jack Fleischauer in honor of his three children Jennifer, Laura and Robert.

Mr. Fleischauer was battling a terminal illness when he worked with Dr. Dean Kumpuris and John Kinkade of the National Sculptor’s Guild in selecting Mark Leichliter to create this sculpture. He did not live to see the dedication, but his daughters were present at the ceremony.

The text of the accompanying plaque states:

Together.

It is in this place where we write the stories and create the dreams that will endure throughout our lifetime.

May we always cherish the spark of innocence that plays within us.

Presented to children of all ages by Jack Fleischauer in honor of his children Jennifer, Laura and Robert.

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Sculpture Vulture: DAEDALUS AND ICARUS

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Happy 2012.

With the end of the holiday season, the Sunday Sculpture Vulture feature returns. 2012 marks the 45th anniversary of Raymond Rebsamen giving the sculpture Daedalus and Icarus to the Little Rock Public Library (now Central Arkansas Library System). Rebsamen, a local businessman and philanthropist, had served on the Library board. It was originally displayed in a courtyard at the corner of 7th and Louisana Streets on the site of the original Carnegie library building. When CALS moved to Rock and 2nd Streets, the statue was moved to a new courtyard where it is more visible.

The statue depicts a scene from the Greek myth of hubris where Daedalus is trying to keep his son from flying too close to the sun. It is created by EvAngelos W. Frudakis. This was one of his first commissions; he is still active with a studio in Kerrville, Texas.

CALS commissions new art to Celebrate Centennial

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The Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) has commissioned a piece of public art celebrating its 100 years of service to the community.

To help complete the work, through Thursday, December 29, CALS is gathering translations of the word “celebrate” in as many in different languages as possible. Patrons wishing to participate may submit a translation and identify the language on the CALS website, http://www.cals.org. Each entry of a correct translation of the word celebrate will be included in a drawing for a $50 gift certificate for “gently read” books, supplied by CALS’s River Market Books & Gifts. The drawing will be held on Friday, December 30.

Arkansas artist Michael Warrick (who is on the faculty of UALR and has pieces throughout the US as well as China) has designed a top which will incorporate the translations of the word in a ring around the piece. The Main Library campus will host the art, which is expected to be completed in 2012.