2nd Friday Art Night – Art and Live Music at CALS tonight

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The Central Arkansas Library System offers two locations at Library Square tonight for 2nd Friday Arts Night.

At the Bookstore at Library Square (formerly River Market Books & Gifts) the exhibit is Art Not Bombs collected works by artist Victor Wiley. It was curated by local film and event producer Mike Poe. Live music will be provided by Brasher/Morg & Raging Skulls.

Paintings by Terry Brewer: Nepal Maa Dui Barsa Base (Two Years in Nepal, 2008–2010) remains on display at the Galleries at Library Square (formerly Butler Center Galleries), with eclectic instrumental live composition duo Das Loop as the featured musicians. After a twenty-year career as a graphic artist, Terry Brewer made his first trip to Asia in 1998. While in Nepal, he began looking into volunteer opportunities, hoping to return someday to live, work, and explore. In 2008, he returned to Nepal as a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity International and stayed over two years. In between work assignments and treks into the mountains, he set up a studio in Kathmandu and began an ongoing series of portraits and landscapes. The exhibition is on view in the Underground Gallery through March 30, 2019.

2nd Friday Art Night – Christ Church

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Christ Episcopal Church will open a new art exhibit in its Gallery on Friday, January 11, 2019. Brenda Fowler will be the featured artist from January 11 through the end of March 2019.

Fowler’s paintings will be on display for purchase in the Gallery. The exhibit is entitled “Life Changes,” which, Fowler explains, embraces the essence of an ever-changing life, as well as the emotions experienced throughout these changes.

Fowler is an Arkansas artist whose original contemporary abstract expressionist paintings are intended to convey the creative energy and passion for expression through which all artists go. Her mixed media, large-scale paintings on deep, gallery-wrapped canvas, are comprised of multiple layers of strong, vibrant, high-quality fine art acrylic colors, often with added texture. Each piece begins with a concept, a thought, or an idea with the intent to convey emotions and are reflective of their titles.

Fowler received her formal education at the University of Arkansas Little Rock and the Arkansas Arts Center Museum School. Her paintings have been displayed at numerous art galleries and interior design firms throughout Arkansas and in Dallas.

Christ Church believes that artists, whether painters or singers or sculptors or poets, show something of God when they show us the world’s truth and beauty through their talents. The Gallery is open to the public each weekday during regular business hours and is also a regular stop on downtown Little Rock’s Second Friday Art Night. The exhibition will open with a reception for the artist on Friday, January 11 from 5 pm-8 pm.

2019 Arkansas Food Hall of Fame Finalists announced

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The 2019 Arkansas Food Hall of Fame finalists were announced today (January 10) at the Department of Arkansas Heritage headquarters.

This year, the Hall of Fame’s third, over 600 nominations were received in the five categories.  (The first year there were 300 nominations received and last year 450 nominations were submitted.)

As Department of Arkansas Heritage Director Stacy Hurst noted, “The number of nominations confirms that people are indeed opinionated about their food.”  She continued, “Food is woven into our culture and our heritage.”

The 2019 Arkansas Food of the Year is Catfish. Not only is it a staple in many restaurants throughout the state, it is also a major contributor to the state’s economy.

The finalists in four of the five categories were announced. The fifth, the People’s Choice Award, goes to the entity that received the most nomination submittals. It will be announced, along with the winners in the other categories, at the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame ceremony on Monday, February 25 at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater.

The finalists in the other four categories are:

Food Hall of Fame
AQ Chicken House (Springdale)
4-Dice Restaurant (Fordyce)
Bruno’s Little Italy (Little Rock)
Burge’s Restaurant (Lewisville)
Craig Brothers Cafe aka Craig’s (De Valls Bluff)
Doe’s Eat Place (Little Rock)
Keeney’s Food Market (Malvern)
Kream Kastle (Blytheville)
The Ohio Club (Hot Springs)
Star of India (Little Rock)

Proprietor of the Year
Capi Peck, Little Rock (Trio’s)
Loretta Tacker, Marion (Tacker’s Shake Shack)
Peter Brave, Little Rock (Brave New Restaurant)
Sami Lal, Little Rock (Star of India)
Scott McGehee, Little Rock (Yellow Rocket Concepts restaurants)

Food Themed Event
Hope Watermelon Festival
International Greek Food Festival (Little Rock)
Our Lady of the Lake Annual Church Spaghetti Dinner (Lake Village)
Tontitown Grape Festival
World Championship Duck Gumbo Cook Off (Stuttgart)

Gone But Not Forgotten
Klappenbach Baker (Fordyce)
La Scala Italian Restaurant (Little Rock)
Mary Maestri’s Italiano Grillroom (Springdale)
The Shack Barbecue (Little Rock)
Uncle John’s (Crawfordsville)

The members of the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame Committee are:

  • Paul Austin
  • Swanee Bennett
  • Yvette Brady
  • Chip Culpepper
  • Montine McNulty
  • Dr. Cindy Grisham
  • Tim Horton
  • Rex Nelson
  • Tim Nutt
  • Dr Wendy Richter
  • Kat Robinson
  • Christina Shutt

Little Rock Look Back: End of City of Pulaski Heights

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103 years ago today, the Pulaski Heights City Council held its final meeting.  Following the January 4 annexation election, Mayor L. H. Bradley convened the Pulaski Height City Council for the final time on January 10, 1916.

Five of the eight aldermen were present for the final meeting.  E. T. Reaves, R. G. Trickett, W.A. Turner, J. B. Webster, and H.C. Locklar.  Absent were J. S. Murphy, J.H. Hicks, and W. H. Keeton.

The City Recorder was A. M. Edwards, while O. E. White was Treasurer and Jonathan P. Streepey was City Attorney.

At the meeting, bills were paid and allowances were made for the transfer of assets and responsibilities to the City of Little Rock.  The minutes do not reflect if there were any valedictory addresses by any of the elected officials, which were common at that era.

Once Mayor Bradley and the Council had worked their way through the agenda, Alderman Reaves made the motion to adjourn the council sine die which was seconded by Alderman Webster. The motion passed unanimously.  With that, the Pulaski Heights City Council, which had first met in 1904, finished its business.

Sounds in the Stacks with ASO Rockefeller Quartet at the CALS Dee Brown Library

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No photo description available.Experience the beauty of string music of the highest caliber with the Rockefeller String Quartet of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra!

This free concert at the CALS Dee Brown Library will be a lovely way to take a break from the work week or introduce your kids to the magic of violin, viola, and cello.

Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s Rockefeller Quartet includes Trisha McGovern Freeney–violin, Katherine Williamson–violin, Katherine Reynolds–viola, and Ethan Young–cello.

It is today (January 10) from 6:30pm to 7:30pm at the Dee Brown Library, which is located at 6325 Baseline Road.

Tonight at 7, ACANSA presents EINSTEIN!

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ACANSA does more than just present the annual festival in September. They are kicking off their 2019 programming with the one man play Einstein! ~ Celebrating 100 Years of General Relativity

This award-winning one-man show has it all: as dramatic as it is funny, as uplifting as it is contemplative, Albert Einstein comes to life before your very eyes.  This solo play is written and performed by Jack Fry and directed by Tom Blomquist.

This is the multi-award winning and critically acclaimed show that has over 150 performances under its belt.  This 80-minute show is designed for a general audience and has played in many venues around the country.   Einstein comes back from the beyond.

Frustrated that no one has heard the real science history behind General Relativity, Albert takes us back to Berlin in 1914 where he is sent sideways in a world crumbling around him due to The Great War, colleagues trying to steal his theories, being isolated for his pacifist views, a wife who won’t give him a divorce, his failing health, a huge scientific backlash, anti-Semitism, his own self destructive genius, and his 10-year old son fighting for his father’s affections.  Told with humor, 3D graphics that help give us an insight to his brilliant mind,  Albert Einstein comes to life as Jack Fry revitalizes one of the most intriguing icons of all time.

The program will be at the Argenta Community Theatre. Doors open at 6pm, the performance starts at 7pm. Tickets are $30.

Precipice Theatre presents Tony winning farce LEND ME A TENOR this month

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No photo description available.Winner of three Tony Awards and four Drama Desk Awards, Ken Ludwig’s farce LEND ME A TENOR is set in September 1934. Saunders, the general manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company, is primed to welcome world-famous Tito Merelli, known as Il Stupendo, the greatest tenor of his generation, to appear for one night only as Otello.

When Merelli is unexpectedly incapacitated, Max, the Opera Director’s meek assistant, is given the daunting task of finding a last-minute replacement. Chaos ensues — including a scheming soprano, a tenor-struck ingenue, a jealous wife, an intrusive Opera Guild chairwoman, and an over-zealous bellhop!

Performances are at The Studio Theatre on 10-13 and 17-20. The theatre strongly recommends purchasing tickets in advance at https://centralarkansastickets.com/organizations/precipice-theatre

The production is directed by Heather Norris and assistant directed by Paul Seminara.  The cast includes Case Dillard, James Norris, Ricco Ardemagni, Beth Ross, Amy Young, Jennifer Walker, Anthony Nguyen and Heather Norris.