Tag Archives: Christ Episcopal Church

2013’s first 2nd Friday Art Night!

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Start the New Year off right by visiting the various sites participating in 2nd Friday Art Night.  Downtown from 5pm to 8pm tonight, there are museums and galleries staying open later with great art, music and refreshments.

Here are a few highlights:

Christ Church (509 Scott Street) features an exhibit entitled “Beating Hooves.”  Featuring pen and ink drawings by Mary Shelton, this exhibit focuses on horses and jockeys in the horse racing milieu.  It is a perfect way to get in the mood for racing season at Oaklawn.  The exhibit runs through March 3.

Old State House (300 West Markham) will offer live music by Geoffrey Robson and David Gerstein.  These two master musicians will perform duos for violin and cello, featuring works by Beethoven, Schubert, and Zoltan Kodaly. Robson is violinist and associate conductor of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. Gerstein is principal cellist of the ASO.

Historic Arkansas Museum (200 East Third Street) opens a new exhibit entitled “Marty Smith: Perfect Balance.”  It will be in the second floor gallery.  Continuing exhibits include “Beyond the Expected: Norwood Creech, Paulette Palmer and Edward Wade, Jr.,” “Recent Acquisitions: A Collection Vision, 2008 – 2012,” and “We Walk in Two Worlds.

The Butler Center for Arkansas Studies of the Central Arkansas Library System is also opening a new exhibit tonight.  In the Clinton for Arkansas exhibition, selected materials from the Bill Clinton State Government Project depict Clinton’s political career in Arkansas and its impact on the state. Items representing both politics and policy are featured, including materials from his run for Congress in 1974 and his term as attorney general, as well as from his twelve years as governor. In addition, the exhibition highlights campaign memorabilia from 1974 through his second presidential bid in 1996.

Little Rock Look Back: Mayor Gordon N. Peay

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On this date in 1819 future Little Rock Mayor Gordon Neill Peay was born.  The Peay family arrived in Arkansas from Kentucky in 1825.  They quickly became one of Little Rock’s leading families.  Mayor Peay’s father, Nicholas Peay served on the Little Rock Board of Trustees (which existed before the town was incorporated) and later served on the City Council and was acting mayor.

Godon N. Peay served as mayor of Little Rock from 1859 to 1860.  During the Civil War, Peay served as Captain and later Colonel of the Capital Guard.  He later received a pardon from the federal government.

The Peay family owned the Peay Hotel, Little Rock’s first hotel, and were also co-founders of what became Worthen Bank.  They were also a founding family of Christ Episcopal Church. Mayor Peay later served as Pulaski County Chancery Clerk.

He died on December 14, 1876 and is buried at Mt. Holly Cemetery along with many members of his family.  His great-grandson Joseph Barber Hurst, Sr. served on the Little Rock City Board of Directors from 1967-1971. His great-great-granddaughter-in-law Stacy J. Hurst currently serves on the City Board of Directors.

Vocal Recital – Karen Kenney Graham

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Karen Kenney Graham will present “An Evening with My Favorite Composers” at Christ Episcopal Church in downtown Little Rock. She is a Dramatic Soprano who received her undergraduate and master’s degrees in Vocal Performance from the University of Central Arkansas. The recital will consist of selections by Wagner, Rachmaninoff, Puccini, Mendelssohn and David W. Allison. A reception will follow the performance.

Graham received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Arkansas in 2003, where she also earned a master’s degree in music (vocal performance) nine years later. In this time, Graham frequently performed, gave recitals, and coached others on their performances. She was the State NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) winner in 2012 and won Outstanding Opera Student in 2011.

She was a member of UCA Choir, Chamber Choir, Opera, and University Singers. She taught voice with the Community School. While earning her master’s degree, Graham was a graduate assistant for the voice faculty, where she taught classroom voice.

Grammy winning CHANTICLEER in concert

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The Arts@Christ Church Presents: Chanticleer

The multiple Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble Chanticleer will perform at Christ Church on October 26, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. Chanticleer was inducted into the Classical Music Hall of Fame in 2008 and is one of Billboard Magazine’s Top 10 Selling classical artists. Their repertoire spans ten centuries from Gregorian chant, Renaissance polyphony and Romantic art song to contemporary music, jazz, spirituals and world music.

Here’s some of the buzz about Chanticleer:

“The singing of Chanticleer is breathtaking in its accuracy of intonation, purity of blend, variety of color and swagger of style.”
-The Boston Globe

“Precise, pure and deeply felt singing.”
-The New York Times

“Chanticleer fascinates and enthralls for much the same reason a fine chocolate or a Rolls Royce does: through luxurious perfection.”
-Los Angeles Times

“The world’s reigning male chorus.”
-The New Yorker

“They are, to put it directly, one of the world’s best.”
-San Francisco Chronicle

Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for students. Cash, checks, and most major credit cards accepted.

2012 Arts & Humanities Month 2nd Friday Art Night

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October is Arts and Humanities Month.  What better time to try out 2nd Friday Art Night for the first time? Or to make a repeated visit?

Tonight from 5pm to 8pm at various downtown museums and galleries, guests can view art and enjoy live entertainment.  Admission is free.

Here are just a few of the highlights.

Christ Episcopal Church.  Watercolors by Kuhl Brown.  A resident of Hillcrest, Kuhl’s paintings are realistic landscapes and other subjects also in the realistic style. The show will run through Dec. 14.

Historic Arkansas Museum will feature live music by the Smittle Band as visitors view the current exhibits. Included at HAM are:

  • Recent Acquisitions: A Collection Vision, 2008 – 2012
  • The Civil War in Arkansas
  • Barbie: The 11 1/2 –inch American Icon
  • The Knife Gallery
  • Arkansas Contemporary: Selected Fellows from the Arkansas Arts Council
  • We Walk in Two Worlds: The Caddo, Osage and Quapaw in Arkansas

The Butler Center Galleries are located within the Arkansas Studies Institute building.  The galleries this month feature: Arkansas League of Artists and Solastalgia.  The Arkansas League of Artists is a group of artists and art enthusiasts who gather to learn from one another by exploring new techniques, working in various media, and sharing their collective knowledge.  Solastalgia will feature artwork by Susan Chambers and Louise Halsey.

The Arkansas League of Artists is an organization formed to promote fine arts in Arkansas. This group of artists and art enthusiasts gathers to learn from one another by exploring new techniques, working in new media, and sharing their collective knowledge.

Also, stop by the third floor of the Cox Creative Center for “Equinox 2011-2012: A Retrospective curated by Alex Leme and Rachel Golden.”  This exhibit, which will run through Decmber 1, features works by Carolyn Ascher, Ashley Barker, Kae Barron, Beth Beam, Rebecca Benson, Chris Cotton, Carolyn Crocker, Starr Crow, Megan Douglas, Chris Friemel, Chelsye Garrett, Heather Harmon, Cody Henslee, Lilia Hernandez, Kelly Hicks, Steve Hollis, Linda Holloway, Zechariah McGhee, Cyrene Quiamco, Becky Robinson, Jerry Rushing, Myriam Saavedra and Lauren Sukany.

The artwork by Susan Chambers and Louise Halsey interprets the idea of solastalgia, a term coined by Australian philosopher Glenn Albrecht meaning “the pain experienced when there is recognition that the place where one resides and that one loves is under immediate assault.”

July 2nd Friday Art Night

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Once again, Friday the 13th will be lucky for patrons who venture out to explore 2nd Friday Art Night in downtown Little Rock.   It takes place from 5pm to 8pm and is free.  Several downtown galleries are open with special events and exhibits.  A free trolley runs between the various sites.

Here is a sampling of what can be found.

Historic Arkansas Museum (200 East Third Street) hosts the opening reception for BARBIE: The 11 1/2-inch American Icon, the newest exhibit in the Eclectic Collector series. There will be live music by Steve Bates and an ice cream tasting with Loblolly Creamery. Loblolly makes small batch ice cream, fizzy sodas and other treats from local organic ingredients.

Butler Center Galleries (401 President Clinton Avenue) will feature The Civil War in Arkansas as a part of the 150th commemoration of this pivotal event in American History.  Also still on display are Arkansas Arts Educators State Youth Art Show 2012 and Small Town: Portraits of a Disappearing America

Christ Episcopal Church (509 Scott Street) showcases artists from the Arkansas Pastel Society.  In addition artwork from students who are participating in a Christ Church summer youth arts program will also be on display.

studioMAIN (1423 South Main) opens its latest exhibition, Quality + Quantity: a Conversation on Modern Furniture. It exhibits furniture designed by local UALR Applied Design students and pairs it with several timeless furniture pieces that are being provided by Workplace Resource and Herman Miller.

Quapaw Quarter Association at Curran Hall (515 East Capitol Avenue) is showcasing LVB Designs…cuff bracelets by Linda Bradley, local designer and artist.  Each piece is custom made.  See and try on these unique cuffs in their many styles and designs.

June’s 2nd Friday Art Night

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As Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II wrote, “June is bustin’ out all over.”  Tonight, art is bustin’ out all over downtown with the monthly 2nd Friday Art Night.

Among the many stops are:

Quapaw Quarter Association at Curran Hall, 615 East Capitol Avenue.  The artists Dixie Rogers and David Bud Bell will have art on display throughout the period rooms in Little Rock’s official visitors center.

Butler Center Galleries, 401 President Clinton Avenue. Pattern in Perspective: Recent Work by Carly Dahl and Dustyn Bork. Carly Dahl and Dustyn Bork are an artist couple who both work in painting, printmaking, and installation.

Historic Arkansas Museum, 200 East Third Street.  Recent Acquistions; A Collection Vision, 2008-2012.  A look at artwork acquired by HAM over the past four years.  In addition there will be live music by Blue-Collared Greens and a beer tasting with our local brewery, Diamond Bear.

Christ Episcopal Church, 509 Scott Street.  Art Musings.  Work by clients of the Creative Expressions Program of the Arkansas State Hospital.