Category Archives: Visual Art

15 Highlights of 2015 – Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter led panel at Clinton Presidential Center

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Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter addressing the audience. Photo by James Doyle

On October 21, 2015, Kennedy Center president Deborah Rutter and a distinguished panel of Arkansas educators and artistic directors discussed national trends in teaching the arts and humanities, while exploring new ways to give Arkansas schools access to combined national and local resources.

While no single cultural institution in Arkansas can match the reach & multi-disciplinary offerings of The Kennedy Center, Little Rock and Arkansas have many of the same resources distributed across multiple institutions. Educators and arts advocates from across the state participated in this very important conversation about the transformation of arts and humanities education in Arkansas through deeper collaboration between these institutions.
The program included two engaging panels.
Educator Discussion Panelists
  • Joy Pennington ( Moderator ), Executive Director, Arkansas Arts Council
  • Zinse Aggine, Teaching Artist and Musician
  • Jama Best, Senior Program Officer, Arkansas Humanities Council
  • Dr. Jeff Grubbs, Associate Professor, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
  • Lana Hallmark, Fine Arts Coordinator, Arkansas Department of Education
  • Melanie Landum, Executive Director, Arkansas A+ Schools
  • Dr. Lenore Shoults, Executive Director, The Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas
Institution Discussion Panelists
  • Dr. Todd Herman  ( Moderator ), Executive Director, Arkansas Arts Center
  • Sericia Cole, Director, Mosaic Templars Cultural Center
  • Robert Hupp, Producing Artistic Director, Arkansas Repertory Theatre
  • Philip Mann, Music Director, Arkansas Symphony
  • Deborah Rutter, President, The Kennedy Center
  • Stephanie S. Streett, Executive Director, Clinton Foundation
This event was hosted by the Clinton Foundation; President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts member, Kaki Hockersmith; Mid-America Arts Alliance; Donna and Mack McLarty; and the Stella Boyle Smith Trust.

15 Highlights of 2015 – New Visual Arts Building Announced for UALR thanks to gift from Windgate Foundation

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Entry DriveFor the final fifteen days of 2015, a look back at some of the cultural highlights of 2015.

Up next–

In May, UALR announced plans for a new Visual Arts Building.  With a target date to open in fall 2017, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s newest building will be among the finest higher education facilities in the country for visual arts education.

UALR unveiled the design concept for the 71,636 square-foot building during a news conference in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall. The visual arts building will be funded by a $20.3 million grant award approved by the Trustees of the Windgate Charitable Foundation, headquartered in Siloam Springs. The grant, designated for building construction and equipment, is the second largest gift in UALR’s history.

UALR serves about 1,000 students each year who are enrolled in visual arts classes. This semester, 180 students have designated visual arts as their major, and there are 16 full-time faculty devoted to visual arts programs.

The new facility, to be located on the UALR campus at 28th Street and East Campus Drive, will bring together under one roof the applied design program currently located at University Plaza and the art history and studio arts programs currently in the Fine Arts Building, a structure built in 1977 to house the departments of art and music.

The new building will integrate UALR’s Applied Design, Art History and Studio Arts classes into a facility that promotes collaboration and creativity between students, faculty and guests under one roof. Drawing/Painting/Printmaking/Art History and 2D Design and Illustration classrooms will be located on the north side of the building to make use of the large expanse of glass along 28th Street.

Faculty and administrative offices will be oriented on the south side to take advantage of the campus and natural plaza views. Photography and Graphic Design spaces will complete the programs that are housed within the visual arts track.

Students and visitors have the opportunity to experience two generous art galleries within the building showcasing both permanent and transitional exhibits or attend a guest lecturer speaking in the 80-seat lecture hall and reception venue on the ground floor.

The Applied Design spaces will be organized within a single story industrial high bay section of the building to take advantage of the expansive volumes of space necessary for Sculpture/Metalsmithing/Furniture Design /3D Craft & Fibers/Ceramics. Each of these spaces has access to an outdoor studio space that allows work on large pieces with natural ventilation and sunlight.

The building will be designed to achieve a LEED Silver rating with the USGBC LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Art/Applied Design track, a unique program in Arkansas, primarily serves students interested in the study of traditional arts and crafts representative of the South Central region of the U.S., with particular emphasis upon craft practices within Arkansas.

“The vision of the Department of Art is to be a destination center for students intent on pursuing lifelong careers in the visual arts,” said department chair Tom Clifton. “This new facility will enable the department to embrace traditional, contemporary, and technological approaches to the visual arts in central Arkansas and provide opportunities for students throughout the southern region of the United States.

The Windgate Charitable Foundation has provided consistent and visionary support of the UALR Department of Art through scholarships, program support, visiting artists, workshops and gallery exhibitions.

15 Highlights of 2015 – Polk Stanley Wilcox wins AIA/ALA Library Building Award for CALS Children’s Library

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Childrens Library 2For the final fifteen days of 2015, a look back at some of the cultural highlights of 2015.

Up first –

Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects and the Central Arkansas Library System were honored with Library Architecture’s highest and most prestigious achievement: A 2015 AIA/ALA Library Building Award. 

Of all libraries submitted, the 2015 AIA/ALA Library Building Awards honor only six separate projects. The Hillary Rodham Clinton Children’s Library and Learning Center joins prestigious projects from as far away as Vancouver, Washington, Dartmouth, Mass., Norfolk, Virginia, San Antonio, Texas, and Des Moines, Iowa. The projects was honored at the National ALA Conference in San Francisco on June 25-30th.

To encourage excellence in the architectural design and planning of libraries, the National American Institute of Architects (AIA) in Washington DC and the American Library Association (ALA) created this award to distinguish accomplishments in library architecture. Biennially, representatives of each organization celebrate the finest examples of library design from around the world designed by American Architects.

READThe new Children’s Library and Learning Center is based on experiential learning, where children are educated through hands on activities that teach life skills needed to become responsible adults. Referred to as a “community-embedded, supportive learning center,” this library offers not only books, but also a performance space, a teaching kitchen, a greenhouse and vegetable garden, and an arboretum.

The award is given every two years.  It is the second time that Polk Stanley Wilcox has received the award for a CALS project.  In 2011 the firm won it for the Arkansas Studies Institute building.  Not only is it rare for a firm to receive this award, it is even more rare for the same firm to receive it twice for working with the same client.  These honors are a testament to the leadership at both Polk Stanley Wilcox and the Central Arkansas Library System.

The 2016 Arkansas Arts Council “Works on Paper” artists announced

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Arkansas_Arts_Council_logo_2The Arkansas Arts Council recently announced the 37 Arkansas artists who were selected for the 2016 Small Works on Paper touring exhibition.

Now in its 29th year, Small Works on Paper is a juried visual art exhibition that showcases artwork no larger than 18 x 24 inches by Arkansas artists who are members of the Arkansas Artist Registry, an online gallery showcasing the artwork of Arkansas artists.

Forty works are featured in the show that will travel to 10 galleries throughout the state in a yearlong show. The exhibition will make its first stop Jan. 5-29 at the Batesville Area Arts Council’s Gallery on Main on 226 E. Main St.

The entries were juried by Kati Toivanen, professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Ten artists were selected by Toivanen to receive purchase awards. Purchase award winners receive the cash amount equivalent to the value of their selected works. Funded by entry fees, the purchase award pieces become part of the exhibition’s permanent collection.

The artists selected to receive purchase awards are Kathy Attwood of Eureka Springs; Margo Duvall, Amy Edgington and Robert Reep, all of Little Rock; Clarke Galusha of Norphlet; Matt Kaye of Camden; Penny Jo Pausch of Jonesboro; David Rackley and Rachel Trusty of Russellville; and Steven Vickers of Van Buren.

The complete list of artists is below.

  • John W. Ahlen, Little Rock
  • Joshua Asante, Little Rock
  • Kathy Attwood, Eureka Springs
  • Sandy Barksdale, Cotter
  • James Berg, Hot Springs
  • Susan Chambers, Little Rock
  • Melissa Cowper-Smith, Morrilton
  • Warren Criswell, Benton
  • Margo Duvall, Little Rock
  • Amy R. Edgington, Little Rock
  • L.S. Eldridge, Rogers
  • Thad Flenniken, Royal
  • Janet Gade-Malone, Hot Springs
  • Clarke Galusha, Norphlet
  • Angela Greene, North Little Rock
  • Lori Halley, Springdale
  • Gwen Haverland, Van Buren
  • Matt Kaye, Camden
  • Kimberly Kwee, Little Rock
  • Tim LaTourette, Fayetteville
  • Brian Madden, Little Rock
  • Jason McCann, Maumelle
  • Kasten McClellan Searles, Little Rock
  • Stephanie McLeod, Springdale
  • Robin Miller-Bookhout, North Little Rock
  • Penny Jo Pausch, Jonesboro
  • Laura Raborn, Little Rock
  • David Rackley, Russellville
  • Robert Reep, Little Rock
  • Sabine Schmidt, Fayetteville
  • Cathryn H. Slater, Little Rock
  • Stacy Spangler, Little Rock
  • Tod Swiecichowski, Little Rock
  • Rachel Trusty, Little Rock
  • Steven G. Vickers, Van Buren
  • John Watson, North Little Rock
  • Judy Wright Walter, Texarkana

The Arkansas Arts Council is an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage.

 

Buy art made by LR Zoo animals tonight at Great Escapes

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Long time Great Escapes contributor, Johari the rhino’s very colorful piece for this year’s event.

Please Join the Little Rock Zoo’s American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK) Chapter at the 7th Annual Great Escapes; an art event featuring pieces created by the zoo’s animals.

All pieces are avaliable for purchase through silent auction. Ornaments painted by the animals will also be avaliable for purchase. Proceeds from the event goes to support zookeeper education and worldwide conservation efforts through AAZK.

It takes place at Boswell Mourot Fine Art, 5815 Kavanaugh Blvd from 6pm to 9pm.

 

Tiger family paw prints. Mama tiger, Suhana is in the middle and her 4 cubs each have a print on each side of hers. This is a very special piece, that can never be duplicated again. The 3 boys have moved to Woodland Park Zoo and Suhana has moved to the Bronx Zoo.

Celebrate Diego Rivera Birthday by viewing Portrait of Two Women at Arkansas Arts Center

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File:Diego Rivera, 1914, Two Women (Dos Mujeres, portrait of Angelina Beloff and Maria Dolores Bastian ), oil on canvas, 197.5 x 161.3 cm, The Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock, Arkansas.jpgOn December 8, 1886, Diego Rivera was born as Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez.

One of his masterpieces is 1914’s Portrait of Two Women which is part of the permanent collection of the Arkansas Arts Center. The official name is Dos Mujeres.  It is a portrait of Angelina Beloff and Maria Dolores Bastian.

This oil on canvas stands six and a half feet tall and five and a half feet wide.

Influenced by cubists such as Picasso, Rivera adopted fracturing of form, use of multiple perspective points, and flattening of the picture plane.  Yet his take on this style of painting is distinctive.  He uses brighter colors and a larger scale than many early cubist pictures. Rivera also features highly textured surfaces executed in a variety of techniques.

The painting was a gift to the Arkansas Arts Center by Abby Rockefeller Mauzé, sister of Arkansas Governor Winthrop Rockefeller.

 

Little Rock to vote on additional funds for Arts Center, Military Museum

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The City of Little Rock Board of Directors tonight (December 1) voted to refer two hotel sales tax initiatives to the ballot.  The election will be on Tuesday, February 9. 

More details about the specifics of the proposals will be presented on this blog leading up to the election. 

In short, one tax is the third penny for hotels and the other tax is the fourth penny which state law allows for parks.  Because it would be for hotels and similar lodging establishments only, the money would be paid by visitors, not Little Rock residents. 

The City Board also passed a resolution outlining a formula by which the Museum of Discovery, Little Rock Zoo, other parks and other cultural institutions would be able to access any excess bond revenues from these taxes.