Tartan Day, celebrate all things Scottish, visit the Brownlee House at HAM

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Photo by Larry Pennington

Today is Tartan Day, designated to celebrate the contributions of Scots everywhere.

One of Little Rock’s oldest structures, the Brownlee House was built by a Scotsman.  The Brownlee House is one of the restored structures at Historic Arkansas Museum.

Robert Brownlee built this Federal style brick house in the late 1840s for his brother and sister-in-law. A Scottish stonemason, Brownlee came to Little Rock in 1837 to help build the State House (now the Old State House Museum). He pursued a number of careers before leaving for California in the 1849 Gold Rush. From the late 1840s through 1852, the home’s residents were James and Isabelle Brownlee and Tabby, a woman enslaved by James Brownlee.

Brownlee had the wooden mantels in the parlor and bedroom marbleized, a popular decorative art of the time. The home’s furnishings reflect the mid-19th century.

This house is a project of The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Arkansas.

Historic Arkansas Museum is open seven days a week.  The galleries are free, but the tours of the historic structures have a nominal fee.  It is an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage.

Little Rock Look Back: “Nine from Little Rock” wins an Oscar

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On April 5, 1965, the Academy Award for Best Documentary, Short Subject went to the film “Nine from Little Rock.”

Narrated by Jefferson Thomas, Charles Guggenheim’s documentary looks at the nine African-American students who enrolled in Little Rock Central High School in 1957. Thomas, one of the students reflects on the state of race relations in the seven years that had elapsed (up to 1964).  The film also focuses on Ernest Green, Elizabeth Eckford and Thelma Mothershed.

Guggenheim both directed and co-wrote the film. The latter credit was shared with Shelby Storck, who also produced the film.   The film had been commissioned by George Stevens, Jr., for the United State Information Agency.

The Oscar that night was Guggenheim’s first of four.  His others would be for: 1968’s “Robert Kennedy Remembered” (Live Action Short), 1989’s “The Johnstown Flood” (Documentary Short) and 1994’s “A Time for Justice” (Documentary Short).  His son Davis Guggenheim won the Oscar for Documentary, Feature for An Inconvenient Truth.

The film was digitally restored by the Motion Picture Preservation Lab for the 50th anniversary of its win for Best Short Documentary at the 1965 Academy Awards.  It is available for purchase on DVD and can also be viewed in its entirety on YouTube

Organist Henry Webb highlights 16th Robert Young Ellis Concert

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The Central Arkansas Chapter of the American Guild of Organists presents The Sixteenth Annual Concert Celebrating the Life of Robert Young Ellis. Featuring Henry Webb, organist, it will take place tonight (April 5) at Christ Episcopal Church.  There is no admission cost.

Henry Webb is a Sophomore at the Eastman School of Music, studying Organ Performance with Nathan Laube. For the year following his high school graduation, Henry served as Organ Scholar at the Church of the Incarnation in Dallas, Texas under the guidance of Graham Schultz and Scott Dettra. Henry began his music studies in late 2010 and his teachers have included Christina Harmon and Scott Dettra.

In 2012, Henry received first prize in the Oklahoma City University High School Organ Competition. He has been featured as a recitalist in Texas and beyond, notably as part of the dedicatory series at the parish of Christ the King, Dallas, the Baylor University’s Pipedreams Live, and the 2016, 2017, and 2018 East Texas Pipe Organ Festival.

Henry has participated in numerous organ academies including the Oberlin Organ European Winter Term and Summer Academy, the Leipzig Europäische Orgelakademie, French and Spanish Organ Music Seminars, various Pipe Organ Encounters, and Curtis Institute Organ Camps. Henry also enjoys Astronomy, hiking, photography, and playing tennis.

Robert Young Ellis was Professor of Organ at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia for 35 years from 1952 to 1987. It is hoped that this series will inspire musicians young and old, as Ellis, through his teaching and playing, influenced innumerable students and colleagues who remember him as a musician of genius and as one who brought both wit and sophistication to the lesson and to the classroom.

Trap Jazz Giants at South on Main!

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Trap Jazz GiantsJazz fans in Little Rock can enjoy an evening of trap jazz with Trap Jazz Giants at South on Main on Friday, April 5! Show begins at 10 pm. Advance tickets for $10, or $15 cover at the door.

Tickets do not guarantee a reserved seat. Please call South on Main to reserve a table at (501) 244-9660. You must prepurchase tickets in order to confirm your reservation.

ABOUT TRAP JAZZ
Trap Jazz is a new genre of music birthed out of the original art forms of contemporary and Jazz standards with a baseline and core of traditional Hip-Hop. The giants of this genre are Phillip “Philli Moo” Mouton and Quincy “QNote” Watson. Philli Moo is molding his legacy as a premiere saxophonist, in addition to his skills as a singer, producer, and drummer. He is the former student of legendary jazz trumpeter Clark Terry Ron Carter,the great saxophonist and music aficionado Gerald Johnson, and his father, pianist Carl Mouton.

QNote is a Little Rock native with global awareness. He combines his Southern background and his many travels seamlessly into Songwriting, Rapping, Producing, Podcasts, Live Sound Production, Film and Documentaries, Musical Directing, Arranging, and playing Bass Keys, Guitar, Piano, and Organ. Trap Jazz is the foundation of a solid musical future. Together these giants of Trap Jazz bow before the legends of classic music while towering in their new territory of sound.

Neighbors: True Stories of Fences and Friendship – tonight presented by The Yarn and Arkansas Rep

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Neighbors. We all have them. Perhaps we are separated by a fence, a street, a hallway, or a cubicle, but the question remains; “What makes a good neighbor?”

The upcoming Arkansas Repertory Theatre production Native Gardens explores this.  But before that takes, place, on April 5, The Rep and The Yarn will explore this question in a storytelling performance all about neighbors – what divides us and what connects us.

The program will take place from 7pm to 9pm at the Rep’s Main Street Annex (518 Main Street).

Join them to hear stories about funny, outrageous, sweet, or challenging neighbors, stories about someone who makes the place they live a better place to live, and more!

See the 2018 film THE HATE U GIVE tonight at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater

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Tonight (April 4) at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater, there is the chance to view the 2018 movie The Hate U Give.  The screening starts at 7:00.  Admission is $5.00.

This movie is a part of the CALS Movies of a Movement: the Civil Rights & Social Change Collection.

Starr Carter is constantly switching between two worlds: the poor, mostly black, neighborhood where she lives and the rich, mostly white, prep school she attends.

The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Now, facing pressures from all sides of the community, Starr must find her voice and stand up for what’s right.

The Hate U Give is based on the critically acclaimed New York Times bestseller by Angie Thomas and stars Amandla Stenberg as Starr, with Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby, Issa Rae, KJ Apa, Algee Smith, Sabrina Carpenter, Common and Anthony Mackie.

A Night at the Museum: Raiders of the Lost Arkansas – tonight at the Old State House Museum

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Get ready for the next Night at the Museum on Thursday, April 4,  from 6-9 pm! This month’s theme is “Raiders of the Lost Arkansas!”

Nights at the Museum is an event for ages 21+ that offers attendees a chance to enjoy games and activities, libations, and a fun new way to interact with history. Nights at the Museum will take place on the first Thursday of each month seasonally, March-October, on the iconic front lawn of the museum.

Nights at the Museum is hosted by the Arkansas State House Society, and all proceeds will benefit the museum’s educational programs.

Admission is $5; food and beverages will be available for purchase at the event. Tickets may be purchased in advance HERE or at the gate.

The museum can validate parking at the DoubleTree Hotel; all metered parking downtown is free after 6 pm.