Tag Archives: Riverfront Park

Enjoy That Arkansas Weather at tonight’s FREE Jazz in the Park from 6pm to 8pm.

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jazzinparkThis September, on Wednesday nights from 6 pm – 8 pm., Jazz in the Park continues its partnership with Art Porter Music Education, Inc. in the Riverfront Park.
Tonight features That Arkansas Weather!  The concert will take place in the History Pavilion in Riverfront Park.  In case of rain, it will be in the River Market pavilions.
That Arkansas Weather is a versatile band of UALR trained and gig-tested musicians. Come hear them play a high energy blend of Jazz, Soul, and Funk.  Bring your party pants and dancing shoes, but don’t try to predict the weather— It’s always changing!
The concert series is brought to you by the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau.  Lost Forty Brewing beers, select wines, soft drinks & water are available for sale. Proceeds benefit Art Porter Music Education, Inc. So please, NO Coolers. Picnic blankets and chairs are welcome. As are children and pets (please leash your pets)
Art Porter Music Education, Inc. (APME) continues its mission of keeping the musical legacies of local jazz statesman Art Porter, Sr. and his son, renowned saxophonist Art Porter, Jr. alive with community enrichment opportunities, volunteerism, and the awarding of scholarships. Through music, APME works to enhance education by helping students improve reading, language and mathematical skills. The partnership with the River Market to support Jazz in the Park, a free, family-friendly event featuring jazz in downtown Little Rock, is a natural fit for both organizations.

 

Grandparents Day Sculpture Vulture: Breaking the Cycle

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IMG_6022Today is Grandparents’ Day.  It is an appropriate day to revisit Kevin Kresse’s Breaking the Cycle.  This sculpture, in Riverfront Park, is located near the belvedere in the park (which is visible in the background of the photo below).

The sculpture depicts an older man (ostensibly a grandfather) being pushed in a wheelbarrow by a young boy.  The artist’s son, Roman, served as the model for the young boy.

Kresse’s piece was donated by Lisenne Rockefeller. Mrs. Rockefeller and Kresse have worked together before.  He sculpted the official bust of her late husband which is on display at the State Capitol.

In addition to this piece, Kresse’s art can be found throughout Little Rock, the state of Arkansas and the United States.

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Special Movies in the Park tonight: KARK & LRCVB present GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

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MITP WPS GOTGMovies in the Park returns to downtown Little Rock as part of a special “Razorback Nation River Market Takeover” event the night before the Arkansas Razorbacks host Toledo in Little Rock.

KARK-TV and the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau will present a free showing of Guardians of the Galaxy at sundown around 8:00 p.m. Movies in the Park takes place at the First Security Amphitheater in Riverfront Park.

This 2014 super hero sci-fi film features Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Lee Pace, Djimon Honsou, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, Benecio Del Toro and the voices of Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper.

Following the movie, Razorback Nation will broadcast “Gear Up for Game Day” (10:15 p.m.) live from the River Market. One lucky fan who sticks around for the broadcast will win a pair of tickets to see the legendary Stevie Wonder in concert!

Prior to the movie, dining specials will be offered at various restaurants in and around the River Market.

Tonight’s Jazz in the Park is Acoustix with Rod P

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jazzinparkThis September, on Wednesday nights from 6 pm – 8 pm., Jazz in the Park continues its partnership with Art Porter Music Education, Inc. in the Riverfront Park.
Tonight features Acoustix with Rod P.
The concert will take place in the History Pavilion in Riverfront Park.  In case of rain, it will be in the River Market pavilions.
The concert series is brought to you by the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau.  Lost Forty Brewing beers, select wines, soft drinks & water are available for sale. Proceeds benefit Art Porter Music Education, Inc. So please, NO Coolers. Picnic blankets and chairs are welcome. As are children and pets (please leash your pets)
Art Porter Music Education, Inc. (APME) continues its mission of keeping the musical legacies of local jazz statesman Art Porter, Sr. and his son, renowned saxophonist Art Porter, Jr. alive with community enrichment opportunities, volunteerism, and the awarding of scholarships. Through music, APME works to enhance education by helping students improve reading, language and mathematical skills. The partnership with the River Market to support Jazz in the Park, a free, family-friendly event featuring jazz in downtown Little Rock, is a natural fit for both organizations.

Sculpture Vulture: RENEWAL RITUAL

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DSC_0650 Another of the new sculptures recently installed in the Vogel Schwartz Sculpture Garden is Denny Haskew’s Renewal Ritual.

It depicts ten adults sitting in pairings facing each other.  They are made of bronze and are situated atop a stone slab base.

DSC_0654Haskew notes that in creating the piece he wanted “to show the ritual used by a couple to renew their commitment to one another, then using many colors or people and different conversations between different genders it shows society ability to sit down and converse with one another.”

Though the individual men and women appear similar, due to coloration of the bronze, each person is unique. This reinforces Haskew’s tenet of the differences and similarities of people.

The sculpture was purchased by Sculpture at the River Market.

Sculpture Vulture: National Bow Tie Day

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DSC_0701Today is National Bow Tie Day.  Though there is not specifically a sculpture in Little Rock with a bow tie, one of the newest sculptures in Riverfront Park mimics the shape of a bow tie.  Valerie Jean Schafer’s Butterfly Banner evokes not only a butterfly but a bow tie.  However, the imagery goes beyond that.

This is drawn from a visual vocabulary inspired by Native American artifacts from prehistory. While a banner was originally a small stone or wood counterweight for the atlatl (a weapon predating the bow and arrow) this enlarged representation speaks of the beauty of Native American culture beyond the usual stereotypes. The sculpture embraces tradition, as it reveals Native Americans as inhabitants of the Americas far longer than most people believe. At the same time, the simplicity of the form evokes a sense of elegance with a decidedly contemporary feel.

Dean Kumpuris 2014It is fitting that it is located in Riverfront Park. The Trail of Tears went through the park as Native Americans were forcibly moved west.  It serves as a reminder of the heritage of Little Rock. Not all of the City’s past was glorious; but in remembering the past, it helps to look forward to a better future.

It is also appropriate to feature this sculpture today for another reason.  A driving force behind the placement of sculptures in Little Rock is bow tie clad City Director Dr. Dean Kumpuris.

Sculpture Vulture: National Dog Day

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Today is National Dog Day. In celebration of that, today we shine the spotlight on two canine sculptures in the Vogel Schwartz Sculpture Garden.

DSC_0710First is Dan Glanz’s Boris.  Commissioned in 2010 and unveiled in 2011, this is a likeness of Boris Kumpuris, the dog and companion of Mary and Dr. Dean Kumpuris.

Glanz captures the friendly and inquisitive nature of Boris in this work, which can be found in the Vogel Schwarz sculpture garden. Most weekends Boris can be seen with Dean as the two walk through Riverfront Park and the River Market. Boris explores and inspects the park along with Dean. Each year during the Sculpture at the River Market show, Boris visits with Dean and meets all the sculptors.

The sculpture was donated by longtime Kumpuris family friend Margaret Clark. She and her late husband Bill were two of the earliest supporters of sculpture along the Arkansas River. They donated another piece in honor of their grandchildren. A sculpture in memory of Bill was unveiled last year and stands in the wetlands park which bears his name.

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A few yards from Boris is Ken Newman’s Forever Ready.  It depicts a hunting dog waiting but poised to spring into action.  The sculpture was donated by the Sculpture at the River Market committee in 2009.