Tag Archives: Arkansas Arts Center

Little Rock Look Back: Mayor Horace Knowlton

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On this date in 1872, future Little Rock Mayor Horace A. Knowlton Jr. was born.

In April 1920, he was elected City Clerk of Little Rock.  He served in that position until April 1931.  That year, he was chosen as the Democratic nominee for Mayor, denying incumbent Mayor Pat L. Robinson a second term.  The primary race against Mayor Robinson was close.  When the results were first announced, it looked as if Mayor Robinson had prevailed.  But after challenging ballots, Mr. Knowlton was declared the winner.  Since Little Rock was primarily a Democratic Party city, unsurprisingly Mr. Knowlton was elected Mayor in April 1931 and served two terms as Mayor.

He oversaw the start of some of President Roosevelt’s New Deal programs in Arkansas during his tenure.  In 1934, he negotiated the purchase of Gillam Park for the City which established the first public park in Little Rock for African Americans.  This was a very forward-thinking action at the time.  One of his final acts as Mayor was to participate in the groundbreaking for the Museum of Fine Arts building in City Park (now a portion of the Arkansas Arts Center building in MacArthur Park).

Following his departure from public office, Mayor Knowlton and his wife (who had been an elementary school teacher) eventually moved to Florida and resided in the Tampa Bay area.  His son and grandson (Horace III and Horace IV) have both been lawyers in the Tampa Bay area.  Mayor Knowlton died on February 14, 1965 and is buried in the Oak Grove cemetery in Conway.

Artists’ Self Portraits the Focus of Exhibit at Arkansas Arts Center

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Ian Ingram, (American, Atlanta, Georgia, 1974 – ), Easter Island, 2011, charcoal, pastel, silver leaf on paper, 82 1/2 in. x 51 in., Arkansas Arts Center Foundation Collection: Purchased with a gift from Jackye and Curtis Finch, Jr., in honor of Helen Porter and James T. Dyke

This exhibition is organized by the Arkansas Arts Center and sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Merritt Dyke and Metropolitan National Bank. The surface quirks and deeper truths of the self emerge in the self-portrait, these are the subjects of the exhibition Face to Face. The artist invites the viewer to share what he or she has discovered in the mirror, and far more.

Long-time Arkansas Arts Center supporters Jackye and Curtis Finch, Jr., are fascinated by these visual exposes. They are engaged in assembling one of America’s great collections of graphic self-portraiture, which they are gradually transferring to the Arkansas Arts Center. Their keen portrait collecting eyes search for works from across America and Europe, and throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. From the walls of New York galleries to the back alleys of Budapest, the Finches find amazing revelations of individuals.

Guest Curator Brad Cushman of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock has assembled these striking self-images into pairs, encouraging contemplation of what unites and divides each pairing. In bringing the works together, he allows us to explore both what is universally human and what is utterly individual.

This exhibition is sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Merritt Dyke and Metropolitan National Bank.

It runs through February 9, 2014 at the Arkansas Arts Center.

Architect Eric Höweler to Present Lecture on November 12th in Little Rock

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Howeler_November_12thc713d7Eric Höweler will present a lecture titled FAIL FAST on Tuesday, November 12th at the Arkansas Arts Center at 6 p.m., in the Center’s lecture hall, following a 5:30 p.m. reception. His talk is free and open to the public. Asked about the title he chose for his lecture, Höweler said FAIL FAST was part of a longer phrase, “Launch early, fail fast, iterate”, which, he believes, could easily serve as his firm’s motto.

Born in Cali, Colombia, Höweler (AIA, LEED AP) received a Bachelor of Architecture and a Masters of Architecture from Cornell University. He is currently an assistant professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Design and principal at Höweler + Yoon Architecture/MY Studio in Boston.

Prior to forming Höweler + Yoon Architecture, a multidisciplinary practice, operating in the space between architecture, art, and landscape, he was a senior designer at Diller + Scofidio and an associate principal at Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates. He is the co-author of Expanded Practice, Höweler + Yoon Architecture/MY Studio (Princeton Architectural Press 2009) and author of Skyscraper: Vertical Now (Rizzoli/Universe Publishers in 2003).

Awarded the Audi Urban Future Award in 2012, the Architecture League’s Emerging Voices award and Architectural Record’s Design Vanguard in 2007 for its efforts, the firm has participated in numerous exhibitions. Among their venues are the Museum of Modern Art (New York), the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, the Institute of Contemporary Art (Boston), the Institut Valencia d’Art Modern, the Museum of Arts and Design (New York), and the National Art Center (Tokyo). Höweler has lectured both nationally and internationally.

The Art of Architecture lecture series is sponsored by the Architecture and Design Network, a nonprofit organization. Supporters include the Central Arkansas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the Arkansas Arts Center and the Fay Jones School of Architecture. For additional information, contact ardenetwork@icloud.com.

SORCERER’S APPRENTICE at Children’s Theater

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As the state’s premiere center for visual and performing arts with a renowned collection of international art, the Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre will present The Sorcerer’s Apprentice October 25 – November 10.

The audience will love this fun-filled, popular rendition of a thoroughly modern young girl on a magical journey when she meets a mysterious medieval sorcerer’s apprentice. The production is written by Alan Keith Smith and is based on a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

“This Children’s Theatre production brings to life an exciting magical world while reminding us that our actions have consequences,” said Arkansas Arts Center executive director Todd Herman. “This tale of morality is a wonderful experience for the whole family to share and the relatable characters give the story an entirely new dimension on stage.”

The cast for The Sorcerer’s Apprentice includes: John Isner, Tanner Barry, Mark Hansen, Jeremy Matthey, Moriah Patterson, Veronica Lowry, Sissy Quaranta, Sarah Nicholson, Huner Wood, Sophie Wacaster, Margaret Lowry, Brooke Melton, Mattingly Bartole, Savanna Fischer, Erin Fowler, Ben Fish, Montana Bartole and Kate Kelly.

Keith Smith is the director, playwright and scene designer for the production. Artistic direction by Bradley Anderson, choreography by Moriah Patterson, costumes are designed by Nikki Webster, technical direction by Drew Posey, lighting design by Penelope Poppers, musical direction by Lori Isner, properties by Miranda Young, children’s acting coach is Aleigha Morton and Sarah Gasser is the stage manager.

Presenting sponsors for the event are Landers Fiat and Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield. The production is also sponsored by Centennial Bank, JPMS Cox, PLLC with in-kind support provided by Boulevard Bread Company.

Recognized by The Drama League as one of the best regional theatre companies in America, the Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre is the only professional company in Arkansas that produces children’s literary works for the stage. Since 1979, Children’s Theatre has been creating unique experiences for family audiences. During the 2012-13 season, nearly 43,000 children and families enjoyed Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre productions which included more than 200 schools across Arkansas.

RED at Rep

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John Logan’s Tony winning play Red opens at the Arkansas Rep tonight for a run that goes through November 10.

 While the name Rothko may not have been a part of your consciousness, his works surely have. Rothko’s canvases feature layers of emotion with each brush stroke: Bold reds, geometric shapes and streaks of color literally bleeding one into the other.

Rothko specially designed his paint to be fast drying so he could layer quickly and work in the moment. Groundbreaking in its day, Rothko’s masterpieces fetch in the millions of dollars and the influence of his work is still being felt.

In partnership with the Arkansas Arts Center’s exhibit “Mark Rothko in the 1940’s: The Decisive Decade,” The Rep is thrilled to stage the revealing Rothko drama Red. Rep Producing Artistic Director Robert Hupp will direct Red, which will star Rep favorite Joe Graves (Othello, The Tempest, Of Mice and Men, Moonlight and Magnolias) as the abstract artist Mark Rothko.

Written by John Logan (whose Hollywood screenplays include Hugo, Gladiator and Skyfall) and set in Rothko’s studio on the Bowery, Red drops you squarely inside the world of the painter and sets your heart pounding, chronicling the tormented artist’s two-year struggle to complete a lucrative set of murals for Manhattan’s exclusive Four Seasons restaurant.

This production provides a rare glimpse of an artist through the lens of his relationship with his naïve young assistant, who must choose between appeasing his mentor—and changing the course of art history. When his assistant challenges his artistic integrity, Rothko must confront his own demons or be crushed by the ever-changing art world he helped create.

The Rep’s first-time partnership with the Arkansas Arts Center provides a depth of artistic exploration never before offered to Little Rock audiences. Amid the swiftly changing cultural tide of the late 1950s, Red is a startling snapshot of a brilliant artist at the height of his fame, providing Arkansans a unique opportunity to witness both the artists’ life and work, all within a five mile radius.

Joining Graves in the cast is Chris Wendleken plays the young protege.  The design team includes Mike Nichols (set), Shawn Sturdevant (costumes), Justin A. Partier (lighting), Allan Branson (sound) and Lynda J. Kwallek (props).

Mark Rothko in the 1940s – focus of new exhibit at Ark Arts Center

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No. 8, 1949 Oil and mixed media on canvas 90 x 66 in. The National Gallery of Art, Washington Gift of The Mark Rothko Foundation, Inc., 1986.43.147 ©1998 Kate Rothko Prizel & Christopher Rothko /Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Image courtesy of the National Gallery of Art, Washington

No. 8, 1949
Oil and mixed media on canvas
90 x 66 in.
The National Gallery of Art, Washington
Gift of The Mark Rothko Foundation, Inc., 1986.43.147
©1998 Kate Rothko Prizel & Christopher Rothko /Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Image courtesy of the National Gallery of Art, Washington

The Arkansas Arts Center, the state’s premiere center for visual and performing arts with a renowned collection of international art, presents the Mark Rothko in the 1940s: The Decisive Decade exhibition, on view October 25 – February 9, in the Winthrop Rockefeller Gallery.

“When I began organizing the Mark Rothko exhibition back in 2009, it came together very quickly and grew from a dozen pieces to nearly 40. It was an honor and a privilege to see the exhibition come to fruition from its humble beginnings to a touring collection,” said Arkansas Arts Center executive director Todd Herman. “We are delighted to afford Arkansans the opportunity to view the thoughtfully rich works of a master in modern American art.”

Herman developed the Rothko exhibition while he was the chief curator and curator of European art at the Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, S.C. Herman approached the National Gallery of Art in Washington about a collaboration to bring to the forefront a thought-provoking depiction of the famed late artists’ works.

The show began its run at the Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, S.C., in September 2012, the Denver Art Museum in Denver, Colo. and will arrive at the Arkansas Arts Center in October. Herman also wrote the forward and introduction in the book, Mark Rothko: The Decisive Decade 1940-1950, which was listed at #6 on Huffington Post’s top art books in 2012.

Regarded as one of the leading American artists of the 20th century, Mark Rothko (1903-1970) forever changed the landscape of modern American art. Rothko was a member of The New York School, a collection of artists working in a nexus of artistic approaches, the best known of which were Gesturalism, or Abstract Expressionism and Color Field. What most members of this group shared was a faith in using the power of art effectively to address the pressing historical problems of their era though channels such as the movies, news reports and photographs of the war.

Rothko was the most important artist of the School’s Color Field wing and like many of his colleagues, the 1940s was the critical decade for his development. This exhibition is an examination into the artistic maturation, a decade of searching and rapid evolution, of one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century that deserves not only closer attention, but also a re-evaluation. Included in the exhibition are works by Rothko’s colleagues such as Jackson Pollock, Adolph Gottlieb and Clyfford Still developing along a very similar vein at the same time.

Mark Rothko in the 1940s will be the first exhibition and catalogue to reevaluate this work in the context of Rothko’s thoughts about art from the period. The exhibition will bring to light many works not seen before by scholars or the public and highlight a period of his career that is often overlooked.

The paintings, drawings and watercolors by Mark Rothko in this exhibition are on loan from the National Gallery in Washington. The exhibition was organized by the Arkansas Arts Center, the Columbia Museum of Art, the Columbus Museum of Art and the Denver Art Museum in conjunction with the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The exhibition is funded in part by the Dedalus Foundation. Local support is provided by Harriet and Warren Stephens, Chucki and Curt Bradbury, The Brown Foundation, Inc., of Houston, Mary Ellen and Jason Vangilder and the Capital Hotel.

Arkansas Arts Center members are invited to a member reception for Mark Rothko in the 1940s: The Decisive Decade, Face to Face: Artists’ Self-Portraits from the collection of Jackye and Curtis Finch, Jr. and Portraiture Now: Drawing on the Edge exhibitions to be held on Thursday, October 24, from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Dr. Bradford R. Collins, University of South Carolina associate professor of art history and catalogue editor of Mark Rothko, The Decisive Decade: 1940-1950, will present the lecture, “Rothko’s Dilemma: Beauty and Tragedy,” at 6 p.m. in the lecture hall, sponsored by the Fine Arts Club. Members and guests will enjoy music, cocktails and light hors d’oeuvres. Tickets are required to attend and are free for members. Non-members may purchase a ticket for $15 which includes access to the lecture, exhibitions and reception.

Additional events associated with the Mark Rothko in the 1940s: The Decisive Decade exhibition include;

Museum School Workshop: Artist Catherine Rodgers will lead a workshop, Paint like Rothko – Color: Complement, Shade, Tone and Tint, on Saturday, October 26, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and on Sunday, October 27, from noon to 4 p.m. Admission to the workshop will be $92 for members and $115 for non-members. Those interested can register through the Museum School, arkansasartscenter.org or by contacting (501) 372-4000.

Dance: A special performance titled Color Play, an original choreographed interpretation of the work of Mark Rothko featuring Stephanie Thibeault and the UALR dance department, will be held on Saturday, December 7, at 2 p.m. in the Winthrop Rockefeller Gallery. Admission will be free with ticket purchase to exhibition. Guests may sign up at Stephens Inc. Visitors Center. Space is limited.

Feed Your Mind Fridays:

·         Artist Gallery Talk with Virmarie DePoyster will be held on Friday, November 8, at noon in the Winthrop Rockefeller Gallery. Admission will be free with ticket purchase to exhibition. Guests may sign up at the Stephens Inc. Visitors Center. Space is limited.

·         The film The Rothko Chapel (68 minutes) will be shown on Friday, November 29, at noon in the lecture hall.

·         The film Rothko’s Rooms (60 minutes) will be shown on Friday, December 13, at noon in the lecture hall.

·         The film Motherwell & the New York School: Storming the Citadel (55 minutes) will be shown on Friday, February 7, 2014, at noon in the lecture hall.

Lecture: Christopher Rothko, son of artist Mark Rothko, will be on hand for questions Thursday, January 16, 2014, at 6 p.m. for the lecture, “Conversations with Christopher Rothko and Todd Herman”, in the lecture hall presented by the Fine Arts Club. The Arkansas Arts Center will have extended hours through 9:00 p.m.

Family Festival: Rothko’s Colors and Perfect Portraits, a family festival, will be held on Saturday, January 18, 2014, from 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Admission will be free for members, $5 per person and $20 per family.

Music: Haskell Small will present an original composition inspired by Mark Rothko and his paintings on Sunday, February 2, 2014, at 2 p.m. in the Winthrop Rockefeller Gallery. Admission will be free with ticket purchase to exhibition. Guests may sign up at the Stephens Inc. Visitors Center. Space is limited.

Drop-In Tours Museum docents will be giving 1-hour tours of Mark Rothko in the 1940s: The Decisive Decade. Tour times are as follows: Tuesday – Friday at 1 p.m., Saturdays at 11 am. and 1 p.m. and Sundays at 1p.m. Free with ticket. Space is limited to 20. Please sign in at the Stephens Inc. Visitors Center. First come, first served.

 

For more information, visit arkansasartscenter.org or call (501)372-4000.

 

Award winning architect speaking Tuesday, October 15

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Kevin_McClurkanTuesday, October 15 at 6pm at the Arkansas Arts Center, award-winning architect and Arkansas native Kevin McClurkan, AIA, will make a presentation entitled THREADS: Ennead Architects’ Recent Works.  This is part of the monthly Architecture and Design Network lecture series.

A founding partner and management principal of  Ennead  Architects, New York-based architect Kevin McClurkan, has Arkansas roots and  continuing connections. An alumnus  of Pine Bluff High School, McClurkan earned his Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, where, in 1983, he received the Edward Durell Stone Award for Excellence in Design.

McClurkan has  continued to earn awards – a prestigious national American Institute of Architects Honor Awards among them. His  commitment  to design excellence, supported by  technical innovation,  is the hallmark of his work.  Little Rock’s William J.  Clinton Presidential Center; the Newseum/Freedom Forum Foundation World Headquarters, Washington D.C.; New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts  and  the Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law are among the firm’s recent award-winning projects.

Ennead is the name of the firm formerly known as Polshek Partnership Architects. The firm’s  2010 renaming emphasizes  its identity as a group of architects rather than that of a single design leader.  The new name,  which means a group of nine,  reflects the democratic and collaborative culture of the partnership.

Currently working with Little Rock’s  Polk Stanley Wilcox on the redesign of the city’s  Robinson Auditorium, McClurkan  is a member of the  the University of Arkansas Fay Jones School of Architecture’s Professional Advisory Board.  Of interest to the whole community,  his April talk is  free and open to the public.

For additional information, contact ardenetwork@icloud.com.