Category Archives: Public Art

Arts & Humanities Month: Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site Visitor Center

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The eyes of the world may have been on Little Rock in September 1957, but understanding what happened then and since is no easy task. The National Park Service opened the expanded Visitor Center in 2007 in conjunction with the commemoration events of the 50th anniversary.  The original site of the Visitor Center, the refurbished Mobil Gas Station remains a component of the Park Service. It now serves as an education center.

The exhibits inside the Visitor Center explore the events of September 1957. They also explore the roots of segregated education in Arkansas. Other exhibits look at the larger Civil Rights struggle as well as the school and Little Rock since 1957. In addition, a Commemorative Garden sits across the street from the Visitor Center and Central High School. There are Park Service Ranger-led tours of the Central High School offered at 9am and 1:15pm on Monday through Friday. Since the school remains an operating high school, tour times may be altered due to school events.  The Visitor Center is open from 9am to 4:30pm daily.

Arts & Humanities Month: Clark Wetlands and Stephens Nature Center

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Little Rock’s newest cultural destination opened last Friday.  The William E. “Bill” Clark Presidential Park Wetlands is an immersive urban wetland (which sounds like an oxymoron).  On the banks of the Arkansas River, the Bill Clark Wetlands allows visitors to meander through nature as well as witness the natural restorative process of water purification.  Nestled between two bridges, it is a serene break from the hustle and bustle that surrounds it.  It is named in memory of Bill Clark, who was a builder of physical structures as well as character and good causes.  A statue of Mr. Clark in hunting attire is placed on the edge of the wetlands.  In this statue he is not only looking for birds on a hunt but also at one his projects, the Clinton Library.

To the west of the Clark wetlands is another relatively new cultural institution which celebrates nature: the Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center, which is a project of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.  Opened in December 2008 and named in honor of a former G&FC commissioner, this nature center highlights the many outdoor recreational opportunities provided by Arkansas’ fish and wildlife resources provide. There are several interactive exhibits, aquariums, a theatre and educational programs.  The Stephens Nature Center is open from 8:30 to 4:30 on Tuesdays through Saturdays and from 1:00 to 5:00 on Sundays.   Admission is free; the Center is funded through the 1/8 cent Conservation sales tax.

This month the Nature Center is offering the following programs:

Saturday, October 8 at 2pm

  • Li’l Wild Ones: Nature Stories and Activities

Saturday, October 15 from 10am to 3pm

  • Wildlife Photography