ART
AMFA exhibitions
The exhibition schedule at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, 501 E. Ninth St., Little Rock, kicks off April 27-Oct. 13 with "The Naturalist" by Tricia Wright, a diptych (two-panel work) in 12-karat gold leaf on handmade blue pigmented cotton paper (left) and 22-karat gold leaf on handmade green pigmented cotton paper (right).
The rest of the lineup:
◼️ May 18-July 7: The 63rd Young Arkansas Artists exhibition, 65 works by K-12 students, chosen by a panel of museum educators and faculty out of nearly 400 submissions from 40 schools across the state. A grand juror will select one Best in Class and two Honorable Mention awards for each grade, along with one Mid-South Watercolorist Best in Show Watercolor Award. Some of the artworks will be on display at the museum, with the full exhibition available online.
◼️ June 28-Aug. 25: Delta Triennial exhibition, dating to the museum's first such exhibition in 1958, featuring works by artists born in or currently working in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. Jurors are Amy Kligman, executive director, Charlotte Street Foundation in Kansas City, Mo.; Alexis McGrigg, a former Delta Voices participating artist from Mississippi; and Takako Tanabe, founding director of Ulterior Gallery in New York.
◼️ July 13-Feb. 16: "A Particular Quality of Loss" by Karen Mahaffy, in which the artist turns the museum's New Media Gallery into "a magical room from an unknown era," according to a news release: "Through memory, Mahaffy reconstructs her childhood bedroom's flowered wallpaper as a digital animation."
◼️ July 23-April 20, 2025: "Studio Time + Studio Practice," showcasing "how artists transform raw materials like clay, metal, glass, paper and a variety of other materials into compelling works of art," according to the news release.
◼️ Sept. 27-Jan. 12: "The Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art," focusing on the artistic movement that emerged in Europe during the late 19th century, in which "interiors were transformed to include opulent ensembles of furniture, glass, posters, decorative arts and other furnishings, all depicting luxurious elements found in nature," according to the news release.
Visit arkmfa.org.
The two panels of "The Naturalist" by Tricia Wright will be on display April 27-Oct. 13 at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)
MUSIC
Composers competition
The Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, in partnership with the university music department and Hill Records, a student-run label and entertainment project, has opened a competition for original music to serve as the institute's leitmotif. (That's an associated melodic phrase or figure that accompanies the reappearance of an idea, person or situation.)
Deadline for submissions is 11:59 p.m. May 2, one per composer. Compositions must be original and instrumental only (no vocals), three to four minutes in length and adaptable to 10-second, 30-second and 1-minute versions. The tone "should be uplifting, catchy, forward-looking and reflect [the institute's] mission and vision." The composer must indicate if artificial intelligence was used in its creation.
Composers must be at least 18 years old; be a University of Arkansas student, faculty, staff or alumnus, or an Arkansas resident. Compositions must be complete -- i.e., CD distribution quality (no demos), and in a .wav format. For instructions on how to submit, email [email protected].
Submissions will undergo a two-phase panel review, first on technical merit and subsequently on artistic merit, emotive qualities, creativity and tone. The winning submission will earn the composer a $1,000 cash award and the opportunity to perform the piece at the grand opening celebrations of the institute, Duncan Avenue and Dickson Street, later this year.
A brief informational meeting is set for 5:30-6 p.m. Thursday in Room 452-453 of the university's Mullins Library or via Zoom.
THEATER
Student showcase
The School of Literary and Performing Arts at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock will showcase student innovation in the 2024 Fringe Festival of New Student Work, with final readings of original works -- primarily original monologues and spoken word selections -- generated by students in class with playwright-in-residence Candrice Jones, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday April 17-18 in the Haislip Theatre, Center for Performing Arts, UALR, 2801 S. University Ave., Little Rock. Admission is free. Call (501) 916-3291 or email [email protected].
ETC.
Cemetery series
The 2024 Mount Holly Garden Series, which meets at 9 a.m. the third Saturday morning, April through October, at the Bell House in the center of Mount Holly Cemetery, 1200 Broadway, Little Rock, opens Saturday with a talk by James Shelton, Arkansas Forestry Division, Baucum Nursery Manager, titled "Grafting in the Garden (roses, fruit trees, veggies, etc.)."
The rest of the lineup:
◼️ May 18: "Butterflies and Bees," Leslie Fowler Cooper, QuailForever
◼️ June 15: "Carnivore Plants (including Venus Fly Traps and Pitcher Plants)," Mark Gibson, Green Thumb Water Garden
◼️ July 20: "Gardening for the Birds," Lauren Marshall
◼️ Aug. 17: "Unique Arkansas Native Plants (where and how they grow)," Arkansas Master Naturalist Lynn Foster
◼️ Sept. 21: "Rainbow of Colors -- Iris of all Hues," Master Gardener Susan Rose
Oct. 19: "Let's Do Fall!!," Ted Lewis, Floral Express.
◼️ The sessions also include coffee and door prizes. Admission is by suggested $5 donation; proceeds benefit the cemetery. Provide your own lawn chair. Call (501) 372-3372 or email [email protected].
Tiffany & Company's Ogden Goelet and James Gordon Bennett Cup, 1894, silver, will be on display as part of "The Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art," Sept. 27-Jan. 12 at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette/Edward Pollard, courtesy of the Chrysler Museum of Art, © Tiffany & Company)
"Ms. Woods," 2022, pigment print on fabric with embroidery by Letitia Huckaby, is part of the Delta Triennial, on display June 28-Aug. 25 at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette/courtesy of the artist and Talley Dunn Gallery)