Category Archives: Visual Art

June 20 Architeaser: Old Game & Fish Building

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Today’s architeaser features two friezes from the old Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Building behind (to the west) of the Arkansas State Capitol.

Originally built to house the Game and Fish Commission offices, the building has been subsumed by the One Capitol Mall complex (aka Big Mac). The Game and Fish Commission offices are now out in west Little Rock near I-430.

One frieze depicts a woman feeding a deer, a family of deer, and a bow hunter. The other frieze depicts a modern fisherman with rod and reel and an 19th century boy sitting along a river bank with a cane pole.
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CALS offers Puppet Making Workshop

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Puppets come in all shapes and sizes – from finger puppets to over-sized puppets requiring several people to manipulate.  On Friday June 28 and Saturday, June 29, the Central Arkansas Library System is offering a two-day workshop.  Participants will learn how to build a large-scale puppet in at the Central Arkansas Library System’s (CALS) Children’s Library and Learning Center, 4800 W. 10th Street, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. each day.

Participants will build puppets spanning up to 40 feet which require 3-20 people to operate and can be used in parades and theatre. Workshop attendees will learn how to make puppets with materials such as PVC pipe, wire, paper mache, fabric, clay, cardboard, recycled materials, and more. A variety of puppets will be constructed, involving moveable parts, wings, and long, undulating bodies. The workshop will be conducted by Jo Ann Kaminsky, an Arkansas native who is a licensed professional counselor, board-certified art therapist, and registered play therapist.

The workshop is free, open to the public, and limited to 30 participants ages 8 and up. Attendees are expected to participate in both days of the workshop. Registration is required; to register, call 918-3879.

The CALS Children’s Library and Learning Center is one of fourteen CALS branches serving Pulaski and Perry counties. For more information, call 918-3086 or visit www.cals.org.

(Please note, based on information received, this entry originally had different dates for the workshop.)

Father’s Day Sculpture Vulture: Rabbit Reach

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Today is Father’s Day.  In honor of that, today’s Sculpture Vulture revisits Tim Cherry’s Rabbit Reach.  The sculpture was given in memory of two fathers.

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.

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

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.

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June 2nd Friday Art Night is busting with Fun

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2nd Friday Art NightJune is Busting Out All Over with great art and music downtown on 2nd Friday Art Night.  Visual art, music, refreshments, a trolley for transportation can all be yours for the low price of FREE.  The festivities run from 5pm to 8pm, unless otherwise noted.

Among the highlights:

  • Old State House Museum (300 West Markham) will feature Geoff Robson and David Gerstein performing duets for violin and cello.
  • Historic Arkansas Museum (200 East Third) will celebrate the opening of its new Arkansas Made Gallery; in addition there will be live music by Parkstone.
  • Edge Gallery (301B President Clinton Ave) will be featuring contemporary art.
  • Butler Center Galleries (401 President Clinton Ave) is showing Creative Expressions; Arkansas Arts Educators; From the Vault: Works from the CALS Permanent Collection; and Old School: Remembering the Brinkley Academy
  • Courtyard Marriott Downtown (521 President Clinton Ave) is teaming up with Spirited Art Little Rock and hosting a painting class in its cafe beginning at 6:30pm.
  • Hearne Fine Art (1001 Wright Ave, Suite C) will host an opening reception for Reflections In Silver: Silverpoint Drawings by Aj Smith & Marjorie Williams-Smith.
  • studioMain (1423 South Main Street) they are featuring a UALR Student Furniture Showcase.  This has become an annual exhibit of furniture pieces created by students of the UALR Applied Design program.

Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Gainsborough at Arkansas Arts Center June 7-Sept 8

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Rembrandt van Rijn
Portrait of the Artist, ca. 1665
Photo courtesy American Federation of Arts

This special exhibition showcases 48 masterpieces from the collection known as the Iveagh Bequest. These magnificent paintings reside at Kenwood House, a neoclassical villa in London. The tour of Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Gainsborough: The Treasures of Kenwood House, London will provide a unique opportunity to view superb paintings outside the United Kingdom.

Most of these paintings have never traveled to the United States before, and many of them have rarely been seen outside Kenwood. The highly acclaimed works represent the greatest artists of their periods, including Rembrandt van Rijn, Thomas Gainsborough, Anthony van Dyck, Frans Hals, Joshua Reynolds, J.M.W. Turner and more.

Admission to this exhibition is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $6 for youth/students.

The exhibition is organized by the American Federation of Arts and English Heritage. It is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities with additional funding from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. In-kind support is provided by Barbara and Richard S. Lane.

Presented in Arkansas by: Bank of the Ozarks; Harriet and Warren Stephens, Stephens Inc.; Windgate Foundation

Sponsored in Arkansas by: Chucki and Curt Bradbury; Sandra and Bob Connor; Remmel T. Dickinson; Lisenne Rockefeller.

June 4 Architeaser: Justice Building Rotunda

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IMG_5749Today’s photo features the rotunda of the 1976 annex of the Justice Building on the State Capitol grounds. This section was dedicated in January 1976 and was designed by Noland Blass. The circular building houses the Supreme Court chambers. It is surrounded by a hallway which wraps around the chamber and is sheathed by panels of glass .  Notice how the glass reflects the surroundings but also allows for a clear view through to the sculpture on the interior wall.

The original portion of the Justice Building was dedicated on June 10, 1958.  Before the Court Room was built, the Supreme Court held court in a temporary (for nearly 18 years) court room in the south end of the Justice Building.

On a personal note, it was in this building in 1986 that I served as Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals at Arkansas Boys State.  I don’t remember the “case” we heard or how we ruled.  But I do remember getting to wear a black judge robe over by Boys State T-shirt.

Sculpture Vulture: Playing Ball

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IMG_4042The Sculpture Vulture returns as a regular Sunday feature this summer.  Summertime is a great time for running, biking and playing golf.  Today’s sculpture is ”Playing Ball” which is located in the Rebsamen Road Roundabout near bike trails, running trails and the Rebsamen Golf Course.

Sculpted by Kevin Robb, it is 16 feet high and fabricated in stainless steel.  Landscape designer Chris Olsen donated the design and maintenance of the landscaping for the roundabout.  The project was made possible by the City of Little Rock, Sculpture at the River Market and Keep Little Rock Beautiful.

Kevin Robb forms stainless steel into contemporary sculptures, creating works of art that bring a feeling of life and quiet energy to both indoor and outdoor spaces. A wonderful sense of intimacy is created for viewers as they observe the large, flowing shapes held firmly into positions that defy gravity.

These large scale stainless steel sculptures are distinguished by their smooth, graceful edges and seamless metal intersections, revealing the high caliber welding involved. The swirl patters on the stainless steel are distinct of Kevin Robb.