Tag Archives: Heifer International

Rock the Oscars: Julie Andrews at the Arkansas Rep

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Photo by Peter Kramer/ Getty Images Entertainment

In April 2002, Oscar winning actress Julie Andrews appeared at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre.  The purpose was a fundraiser for a program the Rep had at the time.

The evening consisted of reminiscences from her as well as a conversation with Anne Jansen.  It included discussions of her Oscar winning role in Mary Poppins as well as her Oscar nominated turns in The Sound of Music and Victor/Victoria.

Following the performance, there was a dinner on the Rep’s Second Stage.  Though she no longer sings due to vocal chord damage following a late 1990s surgery, she did sing a childhood Cockney song about Henry VIII after Rollie Remmel sang to her a childhood song about Charles Lindbergh.

While in Little Rock, she toured the Clinton Materials Project which was processing the papers and items from the Clinton White House in advance of the 2004 opening of the Clinton Presidential Center.  She also toured Heifer International.

Creative Class of 2015: Reese Rowland

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reeserArchitect Reese Rowland has literally changed the landscape of Little Rock.  He has designed some of Little Rock’s most recognized buildings, including Acxiom’s River Market Tower Headquarters, Bank of the Ozarks Headquarters, Heifer International’s Education Center, the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Arkansas Studies Institute and Hillary Rodham Clinton Children’s Library.

Reese has been rewarded with over 60 National, Regional and State Design Awards in the last twelve years. His Heifer International World Headquarters design received the Nation’s highest honor for architecture, the 2008 AIA National Institute Honor Award, one of 13 awarded. The South’s first LEED Platinum building was also named a National AIA/COTE Top 10 Green Building in 2007. In 2011, his Arkansas Studies Institute design received a National AIA/ALA (American Library Association) Award of Excellence, one of five awarded in the biennial competition, honoring the best in library architecture worldwide. In 2015, his Hillary Rodham Clinton Children’s Library won the same Award.

Arkansas Business named Reese to its prestigious list of “25 Entrepreneurs & Innovators of the last 25 years”, crediting his work with helping to transform downtown Little Rock through modern architecture. His work has been published in 25 national and international periodicals, as well as 13 books. AY Magazine named Reese to its list of “12 Powerful Men in Arkansas” for having influence, making a difference, and serving others. Additionally, Arkansas Times Magazine named him as one of “50 Influential Arkansans” as well in 2012.

In recognition of his commitment to design and the architectural profession, Reese was selected as a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 2014.  This designation goes to fewer than 4% of all architects.

5th Main Street Food Truck Festival this Saturday – October 3

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MSFTFestival-2015-posterThe 5th annual Main Street Food Truck Festival will be held on Saturday, October 3 with a record 45+ food trucks along with craft vendors and buskers.  Road Runner Stores is the 2015 presenting sponsor.

“Last year we saw over 10,000 people come to Main Street in Little Rock to eat at the food trucks,” said Gabe Holmstrom, executive director of the Downtown Little Rock Partnership (DLRP).  “This year we have even more trucks for people to choose from and are excited to show off all of the energy in the heart of downtown.”

The 2015 downtown Little Rock festival will span five city blocks offering street eats from over 45 food trucks and food carts, artists at work, craft selections, buskers located on each block, Heifer International  children’s activities and five well stocked beer gardens selling the coldest beer in town!  The Arkansas Repertory Theatre will again have its morning costume sale.

Attendees can enjoy the festival activities from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Main Street will be blocked off from 3rd to 8th streets. Entrance to the festival is free. Raffle tickets will be sold throughout the day for great items including a locally produced PK Grill.

Since the festival began the historic Mann on Main Building, has reopened in the 300 block, now home to state offices, Samantha’s Tap Room & Wood Grill, Bruno’s Italian Restaurant, and residents. Raimondo Winery and Soul Fish Café are scheduled to open soon. The heart of Main Street has been named the Creative Corridor and will soon be also home to the Arkansas Symphony, Ballet Arkansas, visual art studios, the Little Rock Technology Park and others. A theater education class space for the Arkansas Repertory Theatre has opened across from the main theater on Main Street.

“It’s amazing to me to see the people who love the city and who have gotten involved in plans for Main Street revitalization,” said Mayor Mark Stodola. “We all know that investment in Main Street is an investment in our future as a city. With over $100 million in investment in our new Main Street Creative Corridor, this year’s attendees will see a transformed Main Street!”

For more Main Street Food Truck Festival information:

Chinese New Year – Celebrate the Year of the Goat with Heifer International

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heifer goatToday marks the Chinese New Year. As part of the twelve year cycle of animals, this year marks the Year of the Goat.

A few years back, a goat was featured on the TV show The West Wing in conjunction with Little Rock-based Heifer International.  For $120, an entire goat can be donated which will go to a family to help it achieve nutritional independence.  This link tells how to make a donation for part or all of a goat.  Even contributing $10 from one person can be combined with other donations to add up to $120 for a goat.  Information on other animal sponsor opportunities is available on the Heifer website.

Visitors to the Heifer Village can learn more about Heifer International.  The center features unique, hands on exhibits about the work of Heifer as well as facts about hunger, poverty, and empowerment of individuals.  It is located on Heifer International’s World Headquarters campus in downtown Little Rock next to Clinton Presidential Park.

Heifer International’s mission is to work with communities to end world hunger and poverty and to care for the Earth. Dan West was a farmer from the American Midwest and member of the Church of the Brethren who went to the front lines of the Spanish Civil War as an aid worker. His mission was to provide relief, but he soon discovered the meager single cup of milk rationed to the weary refugees once a day was not enough.

And then he had a thought: What if they had not a cup, but a cow?

That “teach a man to fish” philosophy is what drove West to found Heifer International. And now, over 70 years later, that philosophy still inspires our work to end world hunger and poverty throughout the world once and for all.

LR Film Fest: Heifer Social Impact and World Shorts Awards

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TheseBirdsWalkA new award was presented at the 2013 Little Rock Film Festival Arkansas Times Awards Gala.  The Heifer Social Impact Award recognized a film that best promotes awareness and advocacy of global problems and solutions.  The funding for the award came from the National Park Service through the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site.

The award was actually presented first on Saturday night at an event sponsored by Heifer and presented again at the Sunday evening gala.  The award went to These Birds Walk which was directed by Omar Mullick and Bassam Tariq.

The World Shorts Award went to Amy Seimetz’s “When We Lived in Miami.” It was shown in the “Sore Times” block of films.

miami

LR Film Fest announces Golden Rock competitors

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The Llrff_mp_hdr_logoittle Rock Film Festival is pleased to announce the following films as Official Selections for the 2013 Golden Rock Narrative Competition lineup.

The Narrative Feature film lineup this year brings to Little Rock an impressive list of award winning filmmakers including David Riker, Justin Schwarz, Sean Gallagher, Destin Daniel Cretton, Brad Simpson and Adam Rifkin among others and a cast lineup that includes noted actors Griffin Dunne, Abbie Cornish, Brie Larson, Stuart Margolin and stars from the hit HBO TV Series “Girls” – Christopher Abbott and Alex Karpovsky.  LRFF2012 alumni Destin Daniel Cretton returns to open LRFF2013 with his film Short Term 12.

Each of the following films will compete for the LRFF2013 Golden Rock Narrative for Best Feature title.

Some will be also eligible for the Oxford American Best Southern Film Award and the Heifer International Humanitarian Award.

  • Burma, directed by Carlos Puga (82min).
  • Coldwater, directed by Vincent Grashaw (104 min)
  • Good Night, directed by Sean Gallagher (85 min)
  • Hide Your Smiling Faces, directed by Daniel Patrick Carbone (81 min)
  • Junk, directed by Kevin Hamedani (104 min)
  • Reality Show, directed by Adam Rifkin (92 min)
  • Short Term 12, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (96 min)
  • The Discoverers, directed by Justin Schwarz (104 min)
  • The Girl, directed by David Riker (90 min)
  • This is Where We Live, directed by Josh Barrett and Marc Menchaca (92 min)
  • Wajma-An Afghan Love Story, directed by  Barmak Akram (115 min)
  • Zero Charisma, directed by Katie Graham & Andrew Matthews (87 min)

All screenings for the LRFF2013 (May 15th – May 19th, 2013) will be held in downtown Little Rock/NLR this year.

Riverfest 2013 Lineup Announced

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rvrfstlogoSugar Ray, Daughtry, Cody Belew, Dierks Bentley, Darius Rucker, Peter Frampton among headliners

Verizon will again serve as the presenting sponsor for Riverfest 2013 – Arkansas’s largest and most popular music, arts and food festival.

The following musical headliners will perform at the main stages:
Bud Light Stage: Friday – Daughtry; Saturday – Sugar Ray, Blackstone Cherry, Bush; Sunday – Cody Belew, Florida Georgia Line, Dierks Bentley.
Miller Lite/Arkansas Federal Credit Union Stage: Friday – Rodney Atkins, Jana Kramer, Darius Rucker; Saturday – Lupe Fiasco, Kelly Rowland; Sunday – Drive By Truckers, Peter Frampton

The festival is scheduled for Memorial Day weekend, May 24-26, and will feature music and activities in Julius Breckling Riverfront Park, Clinton Center Park, Heifer International Campus and the vibrant River Market District in downtown Little Rock. Children 6 and younger are free. Local and regional entertainers will be announced over the next weeks.

Advance tickets go on sale Monday, April 1, at Walgreens stores throughout Arkansas. These tickets are $17.50 for three days’ admission – half the cost of the $35 gate admission.

The advance ticket will be exchanged at any festival gateway for an IBERIABANK wristband that can be used for admission into all three days of food, fun and entertainment along the Arkansas River.

Quantities are limited for half-price tickets, so the public is encouraged to act fast. Visit www.riverfestarkansas.com for a list of store locations selling tickets.

Three-day passes sold at the gate will be $35. Tickets are now on sale online at www.riverfestarkansas.com for $30