Ten Minute Play Showcase today

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ACANSA is proud to announce the second-annual Ten-Minute Play Showcase, a celebration of new work written, directed and enacted by local artists. The festival will be co-produced and directed by Hilary Trudell, founder of The Yarn and the Director of Local Programming at the Clinton School of Public Service.

Performances are at 3pm and 7pm in the Arkansas Repertory Theatre Annex.  Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here.

  • The Unicorn: A Musical – Written by Nancy Baxter and Paul Stephan,  and directed by Andy Vaught
  • The Great American Winnebago Extravaganza – Written by Jack Clay and directed by Molly Emerson
  • The Three Banishments of Shelbie – Written by Andy Vaught and directed by Nathan Adam Sullivan
  • The Misadventures of Atychimus and Casus – Written by Katy Divino and directed by Andy Vaught
  • The Visit – Written by Crystal C. Mercer and directed by Dr. Carla (C.C.) Carter
  • Anyone – Written by Anna Wong and directed by Juain Young
  • Ghost Shadows – Written by Allison Frase Reavis and directed by Jake Whisenant

200 Years of Arkansas

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On March 2, 1819, the Arkansas Territory was authorized by an act of Congress, to take effect  on July 4, 1819.

The Arkansas Territory was created from the portion of the Missouri Territory. It originally encompassed all of what is now Arkansas and much of what is now Oklahoma. The westernmost portion of the territory was removed on November 15, 1824, a second westernmost portion was removed on May 6, 1828, reducing the territory to the extent of the present state of Arkansas.

The Territorial capital was Arkansas Post from July 1819 until June 1821. At that point in time it was moved to Little Rock. In 1819, there was no permanent settlement in Little Rock. It would not be until early February 1820 that a permanent settlement would be established.  On 1818, the Quapaw Treaty had anticipated a future settlement in Little Rock.

Women Making History – Erle Chambers

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First woman sworn in as a member of the Arkansas General Assembly: Erle Chambers.

Miss Chambers of Little Rock was elected in 1922 at the same time as Frances Hunt of Pine Bluff. But because members were sworn in based on their last names, she was actually sworn in first.

She had trained as an attorney at both the University of Arkansas and the University of Chicago, but never practiced law.  She served as Pulaski County probation officer from 1913 until 1917. At that time, she went to work for the Tuberculosis Association, where she would work until her death in 1941.

Miss Chambers served in the Arkansas General Assembly from 1923 until 1926.

Artists announced for 61st Annual Delta Exhibition at the Arkansas Arts Center.

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The Arkansas Arts Center’s 61st Annual Delta Exhibition will feature work by 49 exceptional artists from the Mississippi Delta region. The exhibition will be on view May 3 through June 30, 2019.

Guest juror Kevin Cole selected 50 artworks by 49 artists, representing 10 states. The works were chosen from more than a thousand entries by 408 artists.

Showcasing artists living and working in Arkansas and its border states, the Annual Delta Exhibition presents a vision of contemporary art in the American South. Founded in 1958, the exhibition features work in an array of media to provide a snapshot of the Delta region now – while reflecting on the region’s strong traditions of craftsmanship and observation.

The 61st Annual Delta Exhibition will be the last major exhibition on view before the Arkansas Arts Center’s upcoming renovation and expansion project. Groundbreaking on the transformational renovation project is scheduled for this fall. Continuing its long and illustrious history, the Delta Exhibition will pop up at locations across Central Arkansas and beyond while the Arts Center’s MacArthur Park building is under construction.

Cole, the show’s juror, is an Atlanta-based artist best known for sculptural works, paintings, and intentional use of color. An Arkansas native, Cole’s work was featured in the 42nd Annual Delta Exhibition (1999) at the Arkansas Arts Center. Cole was inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame in 2018.

Artists featured in the 61st Annual Delta Exhibition include:

  • John Alhen of Little Rock, Ark.
  • Joshua Asante of Little Rock, Ark.
  • Carrie Ballinger Porter of Little Rock, Ark.
  • Loren Bartnicke of Auburn, N.Y.
  • Kenneth Baskin of Lake Charles, La.
  • Zachary Blair of Little Rock, Ark.
  • Kim Brecklein of Harrison, Ark.
  • Cynthia Buob of Columbus, Miss.
  • Debra Callahan of Jonesboro, Ark.
  • Olevia “Libby” Caston of Russellville, Ark.
  • Julie Darling of Memphis, Tenn.
  • Karen DeJarnette of Little Rock, Ark.
  • Virmarie DePoyster of North Little Rock, Ark.
  • Dylan Eakin of Seattle, Wash.
  • Ivy-Jade Edwards of Memphis, Tenn.
  • Scinthya Edwards of Helena, Ark.
  • DebiLynn Fendley of Arkadelphia, Ark.
  • Bryan Frazier of Little Rock, Ark.
  • Janet Goodyear of Eureka Springs, Ark.
  • John Green of Little Rock, Ark.
  • Alice Guffey Miller of Monticello, Ark.
  • Heather Christine Guenard of Cabot, Ark.
  • Pam-ela Harrison of Dallas, Texas
  • Carol Hart of Fayetteville, Ark.
  • Amber Imrie of Sunnyvale, Calif.
  • Sherry Leedy of Kansas City, Mo.
  • Mark Lewis of Tulsa, Okla.
  • Jason McCann of Maumelle, Ark.
  • Keith Melton of North Little Rock, Ark.
  • Daniella Napolitano of Little Rock, Ark.
  • Dale Newkirk of Hammond, La.
  • Kevin O’Brien of Ocean Springs, Miss.
  • Mark Payne of Pine Bluff, Ark.
  • Rashawn Penister of Pine Bluff, Ark.
  • Yelena Petroukhina of Little Rock, Ark.
  • Jason Rankin of Little Rock, Ark.
  • Zachary Roach of Memphis, Tenn.
  • Jay Sage of Oklahoma City, Okla.
  • Ray Scott of Little Rock, Ark.
  • Sandra Sell of Little Rock, Ark.
  • Hunter Stamps of Lexington, Ky.
  • Laura Terry of West Fork, Ark.
  • Holly Tilley of Little Rock, Ark.
  • Mabry Turner of Little Rock, Ark.
  • Katelyn Vaughan of Monroe, La.
  • Michael Warrick of Little Rock, Ark.
  • Lauren Welshans of Little Rock, Ark.
  • Nancy Wilson of Little Rock, Ark.
  • Emily Wood of Little Rock, Ark.

The 61st Annual Delta Exhibition is sponsored (at this time) by Isabel and John Ed Anthony; Bank OZK; Philip R. Jonsson Foundation; Mrs. Lisenne Rockefeller; Dianne and Bobby Tucker; Terri and Chuck Erwin; Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP; the AAC Contemporaries; Phyllis and Michael Barrier; Robert Chandler; Sandra and Bob Connor; East Harding Construction; Barbara Rogers Hoover; and Don A. Tilton, The Capitol Group. Reception support is provided by Catfish Farmers of America. The Grand Award is supported by The John William Linn Endowment Fund. The exhibition is supported by the Andre Simon Memorial Trust in memory of everyone who has died of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Tonight at the Old State House Museum – Erin Enderlin in Concert

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Image may contain: 1 person, guitar and indoorThe Old State House Museum (OSHM) will host rising country music star Erin Enderlin on March 1, 7-9 p.m., for a free community concert.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public. Beer and soft drinks will be served.

The museum can validate parking at the DoubleTree hotel; metered parking near the hotel is free after 6 p.m.

Recently named one of CMT’s Next Women of Country and Arkansas’s Country Music Songwriter of the Year, Enderlin is an Arkansas native and award-winning singer/songwriter currently based in Nashville, Tenn.

Her critically acclaimed sophomore album, “Whiskeytown Crier,” was co-produced by Jamey Johnson and Jim “Moose” Brown and features Chris Stapleton, Randy Houser and Ricky Skaggs. An in-demand songwriter, Enderlin penned Alan Jackson’s “Monday Morning Church,” Lee Ann Womack’s “Last Call,” and others for Luke Bryan, Randy Travis, Terri Clark, Joey + Rory and many more.

During the March 1 concert, Enderlin will present the guitar she used when writing “Monday Morning Church,” which she is donating to OSHM. The guitar will be included in the museum’s collection of Arkansas music artifacts.

Enderlin is touring with Jamey Johnson during February and March, and she will take a detour to Arkansas to play the March 1 show. All tour dates are available on her website at https://www.erinenderlin.com/p/tour.

Previously, Enderlin has toured with artists including Willie Nelson, Kip Moore and Marty Stuart. She was recently named Nashville Scene’s Runner-up for Best Singer-Songwriter in Nashville behind Jason Isbell.

William Trafka presents organ concert tonight

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The Central Arkansas Chapter of the American Guild of Organists presents William K. Trafka in concert tonight.  The program starts at 8pm at Trinity Episcopal, 310 West 17th Street.

From 1995-2018, William K. Trafka was the Director of Music and Organist at St. Bartholomew’s Church, having served as Associate Organist beginning in 1985. At St. Bartholomew’s, he directed music for three diverse services each Sunday and oversaw a choral program which included a professional choir, a volunteer choir and an extensive program for boy and girl choristers. He has directed St. Bartholomew’s Summer Festival of Sacred Music.

He was the Artistic Director of the Mid-Manhattan Performing Arts Foundation, a corporation presenting Great Music at St. Bart’s, a concert series, which included performances by St. Bartholomew’s Choir and Boy and Girl Choristers as well as a host of guest artists and ensembles, which included Jessye Norman, Sylvia McNair, Betty Buckley and the Empire Brass. At St. Bartholomew’s, he conducted the premieres of works by such notable composers as James MacMillan, David Conte and Ēriks Ešenvalds.

He is a magna cum lauda graduate of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, where he was a student of David Craighead and was awarded the Performer’s Certificate in organ performance. As a recitalist, he has performed on concert series throughout the US, Europe and Central America. Recently, he served as Adjunct Professor of Sacred Music at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ. As a composer, he has had works performed by St. Bartholomew’s Choir, The Washington Bach Consort, The National Cathedral Choral Society and Cerddorian.

His recording credits include several collaborations with the American Boychoir on the Angel and MusicMasters labels and with the Brass of the English Chamber Orchestra on the RCA label. Additionally, he has conducted St. Bartholomew’s Choir on three recordings on the Ethereal label. He also can be heard playing works of Leo Sowerby at St. Bartholomew’s on a 4-CD set entitled Great Organs of New York on the B&V label. His CD, entitled The Symphonic Organ, which includes his transcription of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, was released on the Pro Organo label and has been critically acclaimed by such publications as the American Record Guide, The Diapason and The Living Church.

He presently serves as the Director of Music and Organist for Christ Church in Ridgewood, NJ, where he was appointed in November of 2018.

Sandwich in History today at the Clinton Presidential Bridge

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The Arkansas Historic Preservation Program’s next “Sandwiching in History” tour will visit the Clinton Presidential Bridge in Little Rock at noon today, (March 1).

Originally built in 1899, the Clinton Presidential Park Bridge is the eastern-most of the six bridges that span the Arkansas River in Little Rock. Constructed by the Choctaw and Memphis Railroad, the Chicago Rock Island Pacific Railroad assumed control in 1904.  The bridge is 1,614 feet long with three straight truss spans and one vertical lift span. The latter was added in 1972 as part of the McClellan-Kerr project for the Arkansas River.

After the Rock Island Railroad closed in 1980, the bridge was neglected until the City of Little Rock gained control of it in 2001.  As the Clinton Presidential Park Bridge, it was dedicated as a pedestrian/bicycle bridge on September 30, 2011.

The “Sandwiching in History” tour series focuses on Pulaski County structures and sites. The noontime series includes a brief lecture and tour of the subject property. Participants are encouraged to bring their lunches with them. The American Institute of Architects offers one HSW continuing education learning unit credit for members who attend a “Sandwiching in History” tour.

The tour is free and open to the public. For information, call the AHPP at (501) 324-9880, write the agency at 323 Center St., Suite 1500, Little Rock, AR 72201, send an e-mail message to info@arkansaspreservation.org, or visitwww.arkansaspreservation.org.

The AHPP is the Department of Arkansas Heritage agency responsible for identifying, evaluating, registering and preserving the state’s cultural resources. Other agencies are the Arkansas Arts Council, Arkansas State Archives, the Delta Cultural Center in Helena, the Old State House Museum, the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission and the Historic Arkansas Museum.