Tonight on South on Main stage – Bijoux’s August Session presents Nick Black

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Sessions :: Nick BlackEach month, South on Main has someone curate the Wednesday evening Sessions Series.  In August, it is singer Bijoux.  Tonight (August 14), seh presents an evening with Nick Black, a Memphis-based pop/soul artist, as part of her August Sessions at South on Main. Show begins at 8 pm. Purchase advance tickets for $7 or pay $10 at the door. Tickets do not guarantee you a seat. For reservations, please call (501) 244-9660

Nick Black is fun, optimistic, and authentic. His music is a full-embodied piece of art that will change your whole mood instantly. Influenced by the feel good music of Justin Timberlake, Al Green, Sting, and Bruno Mars, Nick has created his music to sound unique, yet familiar and nostalgic. He sees the world through a very clear lens where he takes people and experiences for what they are while also learning from them as they are. In return, both him and his music are true, honest, perceptive, and passionate.

Always wanting to be a star and perform on a stage in front of as many people as the eye could see, Nick Black is determined now more than ever to reach and exceed his goals. His stage presence is proof that he was always destined to be an entertainer. Nick pulls the audience in and doesn’t let them go. He creates an experience that he wants everyone to be part of. Pulling people up from the crowd, he has people dancing and grooving front and center.

Nick Black is quickly becoming one of the most recognizable names in the Pop/Soul music scene. He grew up between two worlds: his family’s deep ties to church, and Memphis where Soul, RnB, Rock N’ Roll, and Blues legends made names for themselves, Black’s sound is an organically grown phenomenon. Since his first album in 2012, The Soul Diaries, his authenticity and passion has been the foundation of his identity, both as a person and as an artist. Venturing into new territory with his recently released single, “Grenadine”, Nick is excited to pursue his curiosity in electronic music, adding dance beats to his extremely versatile sound.

Dr. Victoria Ramirez Is New Executive Director of the Arkansas Arts Center

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Dr. Victoria Ramirez was approved by the Arkansas Arts Center Board of Trustees today to be the next Executive Director of the institution.

She comes from the El Paso Museum of Art, where she has been Director. Previously she has worked at museums in Austin, Houston, Washington DC as well as Georgia and Virginia.

Dr. Ramirez has degrees from the University of Maryland, George Washington University, and University of Houston.

The Arkansas Arts Center was established in 1961. The facility is undergoing a two plus years renovation process.

Little Rock Look Back: The Culture Vulture Goes to School

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The Little Rock School District and many area schools start back this week.  Here is a look back to Kindergarten and First Grade for me.

PS – Just because I am wearing turtlenecks in two of the three photos does not mean I have EVER liked them.  Hated them. But when your parents buy your clothes, you wear what you have.  And hey, it was the 1970s.  The collared shirt was from Singapore, it was a gift from an uncle I had who lived there for a few years. I liked it a lot – not just because it had a collar.

Happy World Elephant Day!

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Today is apparently World Elephant Day!

The Little Rock Zoo participates in many elephant welfare and education programs through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Here are some photos of Babe and Sophie at the Little Rock Zoo that were taken a couple of years ago.  The top photo was a lucky happenstance. They saw I had a camera and posed for me!

 

Little Rock Look Back: Classes resume in Little Rock high schools

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On August 12, 1959, something remarkable and yet unremarkable happened.  Little Rock teenagers started the high school year.

After turmoil and no classes in 1958-1959 (dubbed the Lost Year), the state law allowing for schools to be shut down in order to keep them segregated had been overturned.

The six new school board members (all of whom had started since December 1958) decided to start classes in the middle of August instead of the traditional post-Labor Day start. The original start date of post-Labor Day was changed in an announcement on Monday, August 4.  Among the reasons was to get classes started before Gov. Faubus could convene the Arkansas General Assembly into special session and create more mischief in order to try to keep Little Rock’s high Schools segregated.

While it WAS important to have the schools reopened, the desegregation was minimal.  Originally, only three African Americans were admitted to Central High (Jefferson Thomas, Elizabeth Eckford, and Carlotta Walls, who had all been part of the Little Rock Nine) and only three were admitted to Hall High.  One of the three admitted to Central, Eckford, had enough credits due to correspondence courses, and did not enroll.

On August 12, about 1,000 segregationists attended a rally at the State Capitol hearing from Gov. Faubus and other speakers.  After it was over, about 250 marched or drove toward Central High School.  A block away from the school, they met a phalanx of police officers who turned them away.  When the marchers broke into rioters, the Fire Department turned its hoses on them. The police ended up arresting 24 people.  (This more active response by Police and Fire personnel was a marked difference from two years prior.)

After the school year started, the School Board interviewed over a dozen African American students who wished to transfer from Horace Mann to either Central, Hall, or Technical high schools.  Of these, three would be admitted to Central, including sophomore Sybil L. Jordan (now better known as Dr. Sybil Jordan Hampton).

Make plans now to attend Arkansas Cinema Society’s FILMLAND 2019

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Image result for arkansas cinema societyIndividual tickets are now on sale for events during the Arkansas Cinema Society’s Filmland.  The films will be shown at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater.

The 2019 edition kicks off with a special premiere screening on Wednesday, August 21.  As part of the AETN’s Men and Women of Distinction series, there will be a premiere of Gov. Mike Beebe.  Doors open at 5pm for a 6:30pm screening.  The after-party will be in Sonny Williams’ Steak Room.

On August 22, Filmland’s curated programming officially gets underway with Troop Zero, which stars Viola Davis, McKenna Grace, Jim Gaffigan, and Allison Janney.  Before the film, “Ensemble” and “Justitia” two short films from the ACS Filmmaking Lab for Teen Girls will be screened.  After the film, there will be a Q&A moderated by ACS founder Jeff Nichols with writer Lucy Alibar and director BERT.  Doors open at 5:30pm for a 6:00pm screening.  The after-party will be at Buenos Aires Grill.

Academy Award winning documentary Free Solo takes the screen on Friday, August 23.  After the film, there will be a discussion between ACS Baord Member Jayme Lemons and Oscar winning producer Evan Hayes.  The after-party will be at The Rail Yard.

Based on the memoirs of Arkansan Garrard Conley, Boy Erased will be shown on Saturday, August 24.  The film stars Nicole Kidman, Lucas Hedges and Russell Crowe.  Doors open at 5:30pm with the screening starting at 6:00pm.  Following the movie, there will be a Q&A between Jeff Nichols and the film’s director Joel Edgerton.  The after-party will be at The Rev Room.

On Sunday afternoon, August 25, Toy Story 4 will be shown. Featuring the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Tony Hale, and others.  Doors open at 2:00pm with the screening starting at 2:30pm.  After the film, there will be a Q&A between Jeff Nichols and the film’s co-writer Andrew Stanton.

Stanton returns that evening for a screening of two episodes from Season 2 of “Stranger Things.”  Chapters 5 and 6 will be shown.  Doors open at 5:30pm and the showing starts at 6pm. There will be another Q&A between Nichols and Stanton following the episodes.  The after-party will be at Lost Forty.

The schedule for the ACS Filmland Arkansas Program has not yet been announced.  So stay tuned…..

While individual tickets are available (and on-sale now) many of the events sell-out.  A Filmland pass is the best way to guarantee access to events.  They are only $250 through August 17.