Category Archives: Visual Art

Sculpture Sunday: Stars and Stripes

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As part of the Veteran’s Day weekend, today’s Sculpture Sunday showcases Kathleen Caricof’s Stars and Stripes in the Sturgis Veterans Plaza at War Memorial Park.  This 36 by 40 feet stainless steel sculpture welcomes visitors to the park and was dedicated in 2008 in conjunction with the 60th anniversary of War Memorial Stadium.

 

 

There are five interlocked stars which represent the five branches of the military: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard – both the active duty and the reserve segments of each branch as well as their affiliated guard units.

 

 

The gleaming stainless steel is both light and durable to represent the strength and vitality of the men and women who protect the United States and have done so for centuries.

 

 

Caricof, a member of the National Sculptors Guild, was selected for the commission after a national competition by the War Memorial Stadium Commission.  She has several other pieces in Little Rock which will be featured in future entries.

 

Art and Dance HAM It Up at 2nd Friday Art Night

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Dance and Art intersect at Historic Arkansas Museum during the monthly 2nd Friday Art Night. 

At Historic Arkansas Museum, there will be a reception for Tesseract Dancing: Brett Anderson and Emily Galusha, a new exhibit opening in the Trinity Gallery for Arkansas Artists. Outside the north entrance, at 6 pm, the pARTy for Peg sculpture will be lit; and a blacksmith will demonstrate his trade in the new Shop on the Log House grounds. Throughout the evening, in various locations, Arkansas Festival Ballet will preview upcoming performances.

Started in 2005, this downtown art gallery walk in the River Market District vicinity showcases a variety of museums and galleries.  In addition to viewing art, there are refreshments and usually live music at the various stops along the way.  There is also a free art shuttle to take visitors from location to location. The event runs from 5pm to 8pm.

Among the various participating sites are Arkansas Studies Institute, Christ Episcopal Church, Hearne Fine Art, Mediums Art Lounge, Copper Grill, Dizzy’s Gypsy Bistro, Lulav and Third Street merchants of the River Market District.

Arts & Humanities Month: UALR Art Department

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The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Art Department maintains three galleries in the Fine Arts building that showcase varied works from visiting artists, traveling exhibitions, competitions, faculty work, and student work. Galleries I and II are located on the first floor of the art building and Gallery III is located on the second floor.

During the Fall and Springs semesters, the galleries are open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm, Saturday from 10am to 1pm and Sunday from 2pm to 5pm. Currently in the galleries are: Illustrators:53 traveling exhibition from the Society of Illustrators and Senior exhibitions.   Brad Cushman is director of the galleries.

Dr. Win Bruhl is the Art Department head.  The department offers degrees in three tracks – fine art (studio art), applied design and art education.  The fine art track offers specialization in drawing, painting, graphic design, illustration, photography, printmaking, and sculpture. The applied design track offers emphasis areas in furniture design, metals and ceramics. The art education track prepares students for licensure to teach art at the kindergarten through secondary school level as well as allowing these students to develop a BFA studio or applied design emphasis.

The department maintains a Visual Resources Collection which provides access to a teaching collection of approximately 90,000 slides, a growing number of digital images, and related information resources created to support the UALR Art Department faculty and students. Assistance with classroom presentations and the digital image databases is available to faculty and students by contacting the VRC to arrange an appointment.

Another program of the department is the artWORKS Artist Workshop Series which provides a learning community dedicated to creativity and growth through the making and understanding of the visual arts. It is a hands-on learning experience for local, regional, and national artists and artisans, students, and art educators.

Arts & Humanities Month: Rowher Art Exhibit at Arkansas Studies Institute

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The Arkansas Studies Institute (ASI) is a collaboration between the Central Arkansas Library System’s Butler Center for Arkansas Studies and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Rohwer Camp #23 artist unknown

In addition to being a repository for historical collections, the ASI houses four art galleries, , featuring the work of Arkansas artists and art related to the state. The exhibit galleries feature rotating exhibits including works from the CALS permanent collection.

Currently on display is the multi-media exhibit entitled “The Art of Living: Japanese American Creative Experience at Rowher.”  Curated by Butler Center staff from the Mabel Rose Jamison Vogel/Rosalie Santine Gould Collection, it showcases art created by internees at the Rohwer Relocation Center in Desha County and tells the story of creativity in the face of dire circumstances. It is on display through November 26.

 

Also on display at the ASI are the following exhibits:

  • Thomas Harding, Pinhole Photography – October 14 – December 31
  • Arkansas Pastel Society’s National Exhibition – October 14 – January 14
  • Leon Niehues: 21st Century Basketmaker – October 14 – January 28

Designed by the architectural firm of Polk Stanley Wilcox, the ASI campus is comprised of three buildings from three different centuries which were combined seamlessly.  In recognition of this effort, the Arkansas Studies Institute (ASI) received the 2011 AIA/ALA Library Building Award—one of only five awards given worldwide. The award, presented every two years by the national American Institute of Architects and the American Library Association, honors excellence in the architectural design and planning of libraries.

“We worked diligently to design a facility that would both connect the public with Arkansas’s rich history and enliven the streetscape, drawing people in,” said Reese Rowland, project design principal with Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects. “This national recognition is a testament to the public’s trust and continued investment in one of our community’s most critical assets, the public library. Our firm takes great pride in contributing to that trust. It’s always an honor to work with the visionary leadership at CALS.”

Arts & Humanities Month: Governor’s Arts Awards

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Governor Mike Beebe and the Arkansas Arts Council are presenting the Governor’s Arts Awards at a ceremony and luncheon today in Little Rock. The recipients include:

  • LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Vincent Insalaco – North Little Rock
  • ARTS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AWARD: John Gaudin – North Little Rock
  • ARTS IN EDUCATION AWARD: Nicole Capri – Little Rock
  • CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP OF THE ARTS AWARD: Thoma Thoma – Little Rock
  • FOLKLIFE AWARD: Mike Shirkey – Fayetteville
  • INDIVIDUAL ARTIST AWARD: Larry Foley – Fayetteville
  • PATRON AWARD: Hershey and Denise Garner – Fayetteville
  • JUDGES’ SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD: Claire Haun – North Little Rock

The awards are sponsored by the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage.  The Governor’s Arts Awards recognize individuals and corporations for their outstanding contributions to the arts in Arkansas. The recipients were nominated by the public and then selected by an independent panel of arts professionals from around the state. Each recipient will receive an original work of art created by Arkansas artist Winston Taylor of Russellville, recipient of the 2011 Arkansas Living Treasure award.

Also at the luncheon, the recipients of the Individual Artist Fellowships will be recognized.  This year’s recipients are:

MUSIC COMPOSITION

  • Richard Salonen – Farmington
  • Rena Wren – Hot Springs
  • Shannon Wurst – Fayetteville

POETRY

  • Mary Angelino – Fayetteville
  • J. Camp Brown – Fort Smith
  • Cynthia King – Fayetteville

SCULPTURE/INSTALLATION ART

  • Ty Brunson – Russellville
  • John Rankine – Eureka Springs
  • Cary Voss – Conway

Arts & Humanities Month: 2nd Friday Art Night

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As proof of how fast time passes, it is again the second Friday of the month which means “2nd Friday Art Night.”

Started in 2005, this downtown art gallery walk in the River Market District vicinity showcases a variety of museums and galleries.  In addition to viewing art, there are refreshments and usually live music at the various stops along the way.  There is also a free art shuttle to take visitors from location to location. The event runs from 5pm to 8pm.

Among the various participating sites are Historic Arkansas Museum, Arkansas Studies Institute, Christ Episcopal Church, Hearne Fine Art, Mediums Art Lounge, Copper Grill, Dizzy’s Gypsy Bistro, Lulav and Third Street merchants of the River Market District.

Arts & Humanities Month: Arkansas Arts Center showcases Barnet, metal works

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The Arkansas Arts Center’s newest exhibits have recently opened.

Barnet

Will Barnet at the Arkansas Arts Center: A Centennial Exhibition celebrates Barnet’s 100th birthday. The exhibit highlights the museum’s vast array of works by this important 20th and 21st century artist.  The exhibit runs through January 15 in the Townsend Wolfe Gallery.

Tori Study #006 - Hoss Haley

Cast, Cut, Forged and Crushed: Selections in Metal from the John and Robyn Horn Collection showcases works cast in metal by over two dozen artists from the John and Robyn Horn collection.  It runs through January 15 in the Jeannette Edris Rockefeller Gallery.

Continuing at the Arts Center is the Museum School Faculty Exhibition: Past and Present which runs through November 13 in the Sam Strauss, Sr. and Stella Boyle Smith Galleries.

Other events at the Arkansas Arts Center this month include:

Sunday, October 16, 2011 – 6pm: Conversation with David Clemons – Lecture Hall

Thursday, October 20, 2011 – 6:30pm: Jessica Nicoll lecture “Will Barnet: A Life’s Work in Context” – Lecture Hall

Wednesday, October 26, 2011 – 7pm: The Arts in Motion Film Series: Ballets Russes