Date: 2024-04-01 09:28:55 | Producer: Stephanie Maxwell Newton |
Introducing our semi-annual arts guide highlighting the state’s cultural offerings—including visual arts, music festivals, and everything in between
Photo by Iwan Baan courtesy of Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts
ARTIST TALK: NATASHA BOWDOIN
MAY 9
Installed in time for the grand reopening of Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts (arkmfa.org) a year ago, Natasha Bowdoin’s “Spring Song” beckons visitors before they even step foot on the DOWNTOWN LITTLE ROCK institution’s campus. As part of a two-year installation in the Art Perch, Bowdoin’s work is visible from East Ninth Street, its bright and bold formation of flowers springing forth from the wall and inviting patrons passing by to come experience it up close. On May 9, the Houston-based artist visits AMFA to discuss this larger-than-life gardenscape. Catch this FREE ARTIST TALK from 6-7:30 p.m. in the museum’s Glass Box.
“Arrangement for the Historians Who’ve Recasted Egypt In An African Context” by Awol Erizku. Photo courtesy of The Momentary
“MYSTIC PARALLAX”
MAY 19-OCT. 13
An exhibition of photography, film, paintings, sculpture, and installations by Ethiopian artist AWOL ERIZKU opens at Bentonville’s THE MOMENTARY (themomentary.org) on May 19. In his work, Erizku references influences from African and African-American culture, from images of Egyptian queen Nefertiti to current Black figures such as Amanda Gorman and Pharrell Williams. “MYSTIC PARALLAX” is a free exhibit.
“Bravo” is a highlight of Ballet Arkansas’s 2023-2024 season. Photo courtesy of Ballet Arkansas.
“BRAVO”
MAY 2-5
BALLET ARKANSAS (balletarkansas.org) presents “BRAVO,” a showcase of classical ballet and contemporary dance with live accompaniment by world-renowned pianist Fei-Fei Dong. This production takes place in the Performing Arts Theater of the ARKANSAS MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS in Little Rock. Tickets are $25-$45, and the May 2 performance includes a pre-show talk.
CATCH ECLIPSE FEVER
Artful events planned around the Total Solar Eclipse on April 8, for which much of the state will be in the path of totality
LITTLE ROCK
ARKANSAS MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS (arkmfa.org) offers a week of special programming leading up to the event. Of special note are “Native Americans and the Eclipse,” a free talk with Erin Fehr about the eclipse as it relates to Indigenous storytelling (April 5), and screenings of Fantasia and 2001: A Space Odyssey (April 7). The week culminates with a family-friendly Eclipse Viewing Party from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 8, which is free for members and children 10 and under and $10 for non-members.
HOT SPRINGS
Online travel magazine Atlas Obscura and Valley of the Vapors have teamed up for ECLIPTIC (ecliptic.atlasobscura.com), a festival featuring national musical acts, astronomy speakers, writers, and more. The event is April 5-8 at Cedar Glades Park, and tickets start at $70 for a Friday-only day pass.
DYESS
The 2024 SOLAR ECLIPSE FESTIVAL AT THE JOHNNY CASH BOYHOOD HOME (dyesscash.astate.edu) offers on-site camping, a 30-mile cycling ride, the annual Arkansas Roots Music Festival, a lunch and learn with a NASA scientist, and tailgating for the eclipse, all happening April 5-8 at the historic site. Prices vary, with separate event tickets and weekend packages available.
BENTONVILLE
In collaboration with Amazeum, CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART (crystalbridges.org) has planned a family-friendly “Pre-clipse Party” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 7. Enjoy hands-on crafts, science demonstrations, and more at this free event.
LITTLE ROCK
ARKANSAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (arkansassymphony.org) presents Gustav Holst’s “The Planets,” a seven-movement orchestral suite performed in honor of the celestial wonder that is a total solar eclipse. Performances are April 6-7 at Robinson Center with tickets starting at $35.
Photo courtesy of Central Arkansas Library System
EXHIBITION ON SCREEN
Monthly
In 2023, RON ROBINSON THEATER (cals.org/ron-robinson-theater), the Central Arkansas Library System’s 315-seat theater and event venue, introduced an addition to their regular monthly programming: Exhibition On Screen. These films bring the works of famous artists such as Vincent Van Gogh, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Salvador Dalí to the big screen, immersing audiences in the world of the painter and each masterpiece. Upcoming screenings include Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse on April 20, Leonardo: The Works on May 11, and Cezanne: Portraits of a Life on June 22. Tickets are $10 and films begin at 4 p.m. at the Little Rock theater.
MORE CULTURE CRAVINGS
APRIL 1-30: Arts in April, a month-long series of arts events in El Dorado hosted by South Arkansas College
APRIL 6: “Ode to Joy: Beethoven’s Ninth” by the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas in Fayetteville
APRIL 13-SEPT. 30: “Space Makers: Indigenous Expression and a New American Art” at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville
APRIL 16-21: To Kill A Mockingbird at Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville
APRIL 17-MAY 12: Fat Ham, a Southern take on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, at TheatreSquared in Fayetteville
APRIL 20: Harry Potter & The Sorcerer’s Stone in Concert hosted by the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra at Robinson Center in Little Rock
APRIL 26-28: Pretty Woman: The Musical at Robinson Center in Little Rock
MAY 1-23: Artosphere at Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville
MAY 3-5: Hairspray at Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville
MAY 16: CALS Speaker Series and NEA Big Read presents author Tommy Orange, author of There There and Wandering Stars, at Ron Robinson Theater in Little Rock
MAY 17-18: FreshGrass, a bluegrass and progressive roots music festival, at The Momentary in Bentonville
JUNE 1: An Evening with John Legend at The Momentary in Bentonville
JUNE 3: Arkansas Country Music Awards at Reynolds Performance Hall in Conway
JUNE 10-16: Bentonville Film Festival at various venues across Bentonville
JUNE 14: An Evening with James Taylor and His All-Star Band at Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock
JUNE 18-30: Pride & Prejudice at Arkansas Repertory Theatre in Little Rock
JUNE 21-JULY 19: 2024 season of Opera in the Ozarks at Inspiration Point in Eureka Springs
OASIS ARTS & EATS FEST
APRIL 7
OASIS ARTS & EATS FEST (oasisfest.org) was established in Jonesboro seven years ago to showcase the visual, performing, and culinary arts in Northeast Arkansas. From 12-4 p.m., artists, craftsmen, and local restaurant vendors line Main Street, offering visitors first-hand introductions to the creatives who call the region home. Live music and kids activities are also on the schedule.
ARTS & THE PARK
APRIL 26-MAY 5
This 10-day festival of the arts celebrates the culture of creativity that runs deep in HOT SPRINGS. Now in its 11th year, ARTS & THE PARK (hotspringsarts.org) offers opportunities for all ages to experience visual arts, dance, poetry, and music through workshops, demonstrations, and exhibits at various locations throughout the city. The theme for this year’s festivities is “Celebrate Imagination,” so look for participants to explore the many ways art can expand the mind and encourage creative thinking.
“Inspectrum II” from the “Exquisite Creatures” exhibit at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Photo courtesy of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
DON’T MISS IT!
See these exhibits before they close
Through April 14: “Path to Abstraction: Picasso, Braque, and Cubism’s Impact on Modern Art” at Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in Little Rock
Through April 28: “Prism” at MIXD Gallery in Rogers
Through April 21: “Empoderado” and “Faces and Figures of the Permanent Collection” at Fort Smith Regional Art Museum in Fort Smith
Through May 19: “Kristen Tordella-Williams: Precipice” and “Charcoal Visions” at Fort Smith Regional Art Museum in Fort Smith
Through May 26: “Action/Abstraction Redefined: Modern Native Art, 1940s to 1970s” at Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in Little Rock
Through July 29: “Exquisite Creatures” at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Arts in Bentonville
