Stories by Becca Martin-Brown

Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette names Lisa Thompson executive editor Lisa Thompson has been named the new executive editor of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, effective immediately.She has been filling that position since Rusty Turner’s retirement May 19.... August 3, 2023

FYI Calendar: Movie Night hosts Choctaw director Mark Williams June 25 (Sunday)Walking Tour — Belle Grove Historic District, 4 p.m., Clayton House. Reservations at 783-3000.Squirrel Jam — Fourth Sunday Night Music, 5 p.m., Ozark Folkways in Winslow. F... June 25, 2023

Arkansas Public Theatre announces all-hit 2024 season For Arkansas Public Theatre, Season 38 might be subtitled “Go Big Or Go Home.”For the second time in five years, the Victory Theatre is preparing to close down for a few months. This time,... January 20, 2023

Proudest Moments: Arts organizations rejoice in 2022 success With the end of the year in sight, we asked some of our friends in the arts what happened in their organizations in 2022 that excited them most. These are their answers. It’s an enlightening loo... December 25, 2022

REVIEW: TheatreSquared - When Worlds Collide It Came From Outer Space” — surprisingly now a musical but not surprisingly on the TheatreSquared stage — is described as “in the vein of ‘Little Shop of Horrors’&r... August 28, 2022

Clinton, Rice, Yo-Yo Ma coming to Crystal Bridges The names Hillary Clinton, Condoleezza Rice and Yo-Yo Ma have something new in common. They’ll all speak at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville before the end of 2022.The lectu... August 24, 2022

FYI TodayCB to You Mobile Art Lab — 3-6 p.m., Rogers Public Library. Hosted by Crystal Bridges Museum. Free. 657-2335 or crystal-bridges.org .True Crime Club — 5:30 p.m., Bella Vista Publ... July 28, 2022

FYI TodayBook Lovers Club — 10 a.m., Fort Smith Main Library. Free.fortsmithlibrary.org.We’re Hooked — Knitting and crochet club, 1 p.m., Bella Vista Public Library. Free. bvpl... July 21, 2022

My Favorite Things: Home office filled with history is favorite space for lifelong storyteller Michelle Parks We all have something — or somewhere — that fires up the serotonin just by holding it or seeing it: the woods where you grew up playing hide and seek, a cabinet full of your mother’s... May 8, 2022

FYI TodayFIRST FRIDAY — Pet-a-palooza, 11 a.m.-9 p.m., on the square in Bentonville. Free. downtownbentonville.org . NATURE JOURNALING — 1 p.m., Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park. Free... May 6, 2022

Five Minutes, Five Questions Ufologist Nick Pope The Ozark Mountain UFO Conference, now in its 34th year, is “one of the longest running and best attended UFO conferences in the world,” organizer Forest Crawford claims. “It has alw... April 3, 2022

FYI TodayFIRST FRIDAY — With music, food and kids’ events, 11 a.m.-9 p.m., downtown Bentonville square.Free. downtownbentonville.org. “A SOUTHERN EXPOSURE” — 7:30 p.m. April ... April 1, 2022

FYI: Things to Do in Northwest Arkansas this weekend Friday“WRITING INTO YOUR FAMILY ARCHIVE” — With poet L. Renee, noon, the Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow via Zoom. $35.writerscolony.org. SPRING BREAK SPECIALS — 1-4... March 25, 2022

FYI: Things to Do in Northwest Arkansas Editor’s Note: Please check with venues for weather cancellations. FridayTap Takeover — With Bentonville Brewing Co., 6-8 p.m., Eleven at Crystal Bridges Museum. $79. Reservations at ... February 25, 2022

FYI TodaySweetheart Hangar Dance — 6 p.m., including dinner, dance lessons and music, 6 p.m., $35-$65, Arkansas Air & Military Museum in Fayetteville. 521-4947.Valentine’s Day Dinner &mdas... February 11, 2022

FYI TodayART BY THE GLASS — Meditation Painting with Matt Miller, 6-8 p.m., Durand/Estes Rooms at Crystal Bridges Museum. $30. Reservations at 657-2335 or crystalbridges.org . “MENTAL&rdq... January 28, 2022

FYI HIGHLIGHTSJAN. 2DROP-IN TOUR — Collection Highlights, 11:30 a.m.; Architecture, 1 p.m., Main Lobby at Crystal Bridges Museum. Free. 657-2335 or crystalbridges.org. WINTER BREAK WONDERS &mda... January 2, 2022

FYI: ‘An Officer and a Gentleman’ coming to WAC TodayNoon Year’s Eve — With nostalgia-inducing games, live music, dancing, artmaking, performances in the galleries, a Coca-Cola toast and more, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Crystal Bridges Museum. Fre... December 31, 2021

FYI HIGHLIGHTSDec. 19DROP-IN TOUR — Collection Highlights, 11:30 a.m., Architecture, 1 p.m. Main Lobby at Crystal Bridges Museum. Free. 657-2335 or crystalbridges.org. DROP-IN ARTMAKING — 1-4 ... December 19, 2021

Let’s Eat! ‘Dairy Bars’ a sweet guide to ‘neat eats, cool treats’ Garrett is on vacation, so instead of what’s new in eateries in your neighborhood, you’re getting what’s — well, not old, but let’s say venerable … and traditional... December 3, 2021

5x5: Arts One Announces ‘Romeo + Juliet’ Auditions Born out of the restructuring of the nonprofit entity that was the Arts Center of the Ozarks, Arts One Presents promises to create and host events on both the visual arts and performing arts sides of ... December 3, 2021

FYI  TodayThe Holiday Art Sale — Sixteen local artists and artisans offering fine art, ceramics, jewelry, textiles & more, 5:30 p.m today; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday; 12-4 p.m. Sunday, 545 W. ... December 3, 2021

Veterans Day Salute: Army veteran leads Chaffee Crossing parade Sgt. First Class (Ret.) Carder Ferguson never imagined himself riding in a Veterans Day parade. He’s one of those “fixers” you find behind the scenes, making sure things run smoothly. But on Nov. 13,... November 7, 2021

PREVIEW: Puppets Gone Wild! But love story is real in APT’s ‘Avenue Q’ Whether Princeton and Kate Monster find their happy ending on “Avenue Q” is in the hands of the puppet gods — and the wacky minds who conceived a musical tale definitely not set on the street where th... September 3, 2021

Iconic Art Comes Home: FSRAM opens expansion with artist John Bell Jr. If you fell in love with the iconic Fort Smith scenes by artist John Bell Jr. exhibited in 2018, the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum has exciting news. Bell’s work, collected in a new showcase titled “... August 22, 2021

Spectre Of War World War II is over, and Charlie Evans, a paratrooper who jumped into Normandy on D-Day, is coming home to Arkansas. It’s a sweet moment full of love and promise as he reconnects with his wife at the... February 21, 2021

Mendelssohn To Chaplin Music lovers fast enough to grab up the limited seats at the ArcBest Performing Arts Center will enjoy a smorgasbord next weekend presented by the Fort Smith Symphony. “The Awesome Classix performanc... February 21, 2021

Cycling Retreat Opens Doors — And Walls — For Arkansas Artists Natural State Rock & Republic is a cycling retreat — it’s a hub for locals and tourists alike to explore Arkansas by bike,” begins Scotti Lechuga, who owns the historic property at 500 N. Main St.... February 19, 2021

FYI “BUYER & CELLAR” — A one-man comedy starring Jacob Andrews, 8 p.m. today & Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday; again Feb. 11-14, Arkansas Public Theatre at the Victory in Rogers. Tickets start at $15. 63... February 5, 2021

Look To The Hills: Little Theatre brings music back to Springfield For me, the greatest message is the spiritual message conveyed in ‘The Sound of Music,’” says Northwest Arkansas actor Jennifer Armstrong Shaver. “The message that, sometimes God leads us in ways we d... February 5, 2021

School news: Students earn academic honors Northwestern Laina Suarez of Bentonville has been named to the Dean's List for Northwestern University. She is pursuing a double major in journalism and psychology. This honor is reserved for studen... February 4, 2021

Persistence Pays Off: Fort Smith Symphony continues live concerts "All things considered, our 2020 concerts have been extremely successful," says John Jeter, music director of the Fort Smith Symphony. "There have been a few rescheduled concerts due to covid-19, but ... February 1, 2021

Still Waiting To Go: Fort Smith Little Theatre continues hiatus Fort Smith Little Theater has quietly and deliberately waited since March 2020 -- and is waiting still -- to reopen. Ordinarily the community theater would be embarking on its new season, which runs ... February 1, 2021

Eureka Springs artist again takes up tales of idyllic youth It was the small-town childhood of the 1950s that exists now only in memory and perhaps existed then only when viewed through rose-colored glasses. In Zeek Taylor’s boyhood hometown of Marmaduke, Ark.... January 31, 2021

Live On Stage! It didn’t really dawn on Jacob Andrews until last week. “I knew there hadn’t been any live shows around here for a long time,” he says. “Then I realized we were going to be the first.” Brenda Nemec, ... January 31, 2021

FYI: Libraries keep readers busy Jan. 31 (Sunday) "School Girls; or, the African Mean Girls Play" -- Through Feb. 14, streaming from TheatreSquared. $20-$35. theatre2.org. __ Feb. 1 (Monday) Valentine's Day Card Craft -- Pick up ... January 31, 2021

Still Waiting To Go: Fort Smith Little Theatre continues hiatus While other companies in the region have scrambled to find a way to produce something akin to live theater, Fort Smith Little Theater has quietly and deliberately waited since March 2020 -- and is wai... January 31, 2021

By The Book(s): Newton County Library connects with kids "Newton County is 70th in Arkansas out of 75 counties in terms of population, and its terrain is mountainous, rural and isolated," begins Kenya Windel, director of the Newton County Library in Jasper.... January 31, 2021

Church notes: Bella Vista Lutheran Church has one service this Sunday Benton County Bella Vista Community Church, 75 E. Lancashire Blvd., offers worship at 9 a.m. Sundays (traditional) and at 11 a.m. (contemporary). We are following social distancing guidelines for a s... January 30, 2021

FYI: Live music returns across NWA Friday Virtual Architecture Tour -- Frank Llloyd Wright's Bachman-Wilson House, 11:30 a.m., Crystal Bridges Museum via Zoom. Free. Register at 657-2335 or crystalbridges.org. "Peace Through Music" -... January 29, 2021

School news: Universities announce fall honor rolls College of Charleston Molly Drewry of Bentonville was named to the College of Charleston fall 2020 Dean's List. Drewry is majoring in music . To qualify for the Dean's List, students must earn a GPA... January 28, 2021

Sheltered: Pandemic inspires artists to consider isolation, refuge "SHELTER," an exhibit by artist Byron Keith Byrd, and "domicile" by Stefani Byrd, his niece, hold a unique place in the history of Fenix Fayetteville. Together with other Fenix artists, they make up t... January 24, 2021

FYI: Events continue online and in person Jan. 24 (Sunday) "School Girls; or, the African Mean Girls Play" -- Through Feb. 14, streaming from TheatreSquared. $20-$35. theatre2.org. __ Jan. 25 (Monday) Make a Paper Snowflake -- All day, Fo... January 24, 2021

Metal With A Message: Mud Lung releases self-titled first album "I can't breathe. "I can't breathe. "Say his name "feel his pain. "Pray again. "His name is not in vain." -- From "Just Us" by Mud Lung Just because music is LOUD -- and might be classified as ... January 24, 2021

Birthday Bash Celebrates City: Museum finds new mix of live and virtual events There's a big bash in the planning stages at the Rogers Historical Museum, and it will include the entire community. The city of Rogers turns 140 on June 6 -- it was incorporated on June 6, 1881 -- an... January 24, 2021

Church notes: New Life Christian Church offers new classes Carroll County Holiday Island Community Church, 188 Stateline Drive in Holiday Island, hosts the Woodward Memorial Concert Series at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 24 via the church website, www.hicchurch.com/LouisM... January 23, 2021

FYI: Arts events this weekend Friday Virtual Architecture Tour -- 11:30 a.m., Crystal Bridges Museum via Zoom. Free. Register at 657-2335 or crystalbridges.org. Design With Ms. Dara -- 2-D and 3-D art for ages 5-12, 2 p.m., Roge... January 22, 2021

A slice of success: Pie was just an appetizer for Kat Robinson Editor’s Note: This is the first in a new monthly series that will consider food — not recipes so much as the conversation about food, about chefs, about trends, about people who influence food. So if... January 21, 2021

FYI: Art, music and more in NWA and the River Valley Jan. 17 (Sunday) Sunday Reset -- Consciousness and Personal Power virtual meditation with Sunny Lane, 10 a.m., The Momentary in Bentonville via Facebook or YouTube. Free. themomentary.org. Ice Skati... January 17, 2021