Tag Archives: Clinton Presidential Center

Arts & Humanities Month: Clinton Presidential Center

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The William J. Clinton Presidential Center offers visitors a variety of permanent and temporary exhibits, lectures, the official archives of the Clinton presidency, special events and a restaurant.

The facility consists of 20,000 square feet of exhibit space, including a White House Cabinet Room reconstruction and a full-scale replica of the Oval Office. The permanent exhibits are divided into the following areas: the Campaign, Inauguration, the Vice President, White House at Work, Life in the White House, and the Work Continues.  There is also a film produced by award-winning filmmaker Harry Thomason which introduces visitors to Clinton and the Clinton Library.  (As hard as it is to believe, there are now voters who were born during the Clinton White House years.)

LEGO Clinton Library

Currently the temporary exhibit “Nathan Sawaya’s Art of the Brick” features a variety of structures that this lawyer-turned-artist has created out of LEGOs.

LEGO Clinton portrait

The Clinton President Center is open for exhibits from 9am to 5pm on Monday through Saturday and from 1pm to 5pm on Sunday.  Prices range from $3 to $7 with active US military and children under 6 admitted for free.

Forty-Two is the restaurant at the Clinton Presidential Center.  It is open from 11am to 2pm seven days a week.  Lunch is served Mondays through Saturdays with a brunch served on Sunday.  Forty-Two also offers special events such as cooking demonstrations, kids chef camps, and Around the World Thursdays one night each month.

LEGO Clinton Museum Store

The Clinton Museum Store is located down the street from the Clinton Presidential Center. It is open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 5:30pm, and Sunday from 2pm to 5:30pm. It is the official gift shop of the Clinton Presidential Center.  (Federal law prohibits the sale of merchandise on National Archives property.)  It features a variety of merchandise celebrating not only the Clinton presidency, but also politics, political parties (Democrat and Republican), and issues which are important to Bill Clinton.

Arts & Humanities Month: Sunday Afternoon Music Little Rock Wind Symphony; Arkansas Chamber Singers

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Little Rock audiences have two options for Sunday afternoon music today. The Little Rock Wind Symphony presents its first concert of this, its 19th season at 3pm at Little Rock’s Second Presbyterian Church.  Under the direction of Dr. Karen Fannin, music director since 2006, the program is entitled Warhorses for Winds.  The featured soloist will be Andy Wen on Alto Saxophone.  His appearance is underwritten by Fran and Dr. Al Nelson.

A highlight will be the world premiere of a new composition commissioned by the Little Rock Wind Symphony – Karen Griebling’s “Moduli Mundi” (“Tunes of the Cosmos”).

The program also consists of:

  • Samuel Barber: “Commando March”
  • Camille De Nardis: “The Universal Judgment”
  • Gustav Holst: “Second Suite in F”
  • Percy Grainger / Sousa: “Country Gardens”
  • Gustav Holst: “Mars”

Also at 3pm, the Arkansas Chamber Singers will be presenting their first concert of the season. Their performance will be in the Great Hall at the Clinton Presidential Center.  (They actually presented this concert as well this past Friday evening at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.)  Since 1979, the Arkansas Chamber Singers have been presenting a variety of classic and contemporary vocal works.

This season has the theme: “Masters in the Hall.”  The first concert is appropriately titled “Masters in Hall, Masters in the Fall.”  Under the direction of artistic director and conductor Dr. John Erwin, the singers will perform works by the Baroque composer Claudio Monteverdi.  The singers will also perform selections by Brahms and Schubert.  To conclude the program, they will present “Five Hebrew Love Songs” by Eric Whitacre. Joining the singers in this concert will be cellist Stephen Feldman and violinist Israel Getzov.

Arts & Humanities Month: Heifer Village

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One of Little Rock’s new cultural experiences is the Heifer Village on the campus of Heifer International.  Located adjacent to Clinton Presidential Park, the Heifer Village features exhibits, a conference center and a café. 

The exhibits in the Heifer Village are hands-on as they provide innovative ways for visitors of all ages to learn about the world’s challenges and how Heifer is working on solutions. Exhibits focus on health care, education, sustainable agriculture, infrastructure, fair markets and the myths of poverty. In addition, the Heifer Village features the “Dreaming Cows” mural, an exhibit on the story of Heifer International and the Making the Difference lab.

The Cafe @ Heifer serves an array of soups, salads, sandwiches and pizzas for lunch.  It is open Monday thru Friday from 10am to 3pm.  The café is sponsored by Centennial Bank.

Arts & Humanities Month: Clark Wetlands and Stephens Nature Center

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Little Rock’s newest cultural destination opened last Friday.  The William E. “Bill” Clark Presidential Park Wetlands is an immersive urban wetland (which sounds like an oxymoron).  On the banks of the Arkansas River, the Bill Clark Wetlands allows visitors to meander through nature as well as witness the natural restorative process of water purification.  Nestled between two bridges, it is a serene break from the hustle and bustle that surrounds it.  It is named in memory of Bill Clark, who was a builder of physical structures as well as character and good causes.  A statue of Mr. Clark in hunting attire is placed on the edge of the wetlands.  In this statue he is not only looking for birds on a hunt but also at one his projects, the Clinton Library.

To the west of the Clark wetlands is another relatively new cultural institution which celebrates nature: the Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center, which is a project of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.  Opened in December 2008 and named in honor of a former G&FC commissioner, this nature center highlights the many outdoor recreational opportunities provided by Arkansas’ fish and wildlife resources provide. There are several interactive exhibits, aquariums, a theatre and educational programs.  The Stephens Nature Center is open from 8:30 to 4:30 on Tuesdays through Saturdays and from 1:00 to 5:00 on Sundays.   Admission is free; the Center is funded through the 1/8 cent Conservation sales tax.

This month the Nature Center is offering the following programs:

Saturday, October 8 at 2pm

  • Li’l Wild Ones: Nature Stories and Activities

Saturday, October 15 from 10am to 3pm

  • Wildlife Photography