theater
Argenta’s “Grease”
Argenta Contemporary Theatre, 405 Main Street in North Little Rock’s Argenta Arts District, will present “Grease” (book, music and lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey) Wednesday through Saturday, July 30-Aug. 3 at 7:30 p.m., and July 28 at 2 p.m. Miles Tillmans and Sasha Bass as Danny Zuko and Sandy Dumbrowski, respectively, with a cast of 20 teen actors from high schools and colleges across Arkansas, half of whom are from the theater’s Preprofessional Company (a partnership with Arkansas Repertory Theatre), plus a few adults. (The “Teen Angels,” likely local celebrities, will “wow audiences,” according to a news release.) Tickets range from $28 to $88. Visit argentacontemporarytheatre.org.
Violinist Maria Ioudenich and pianist Kenny Broberg perform chamber music Friday at the Crystal Bridges Museum of Art in Bentonville. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette/Andrei Grilk) Broberg (Special to the Democrat-Gazette/Lee Clifford)
music
Cliburn Concert
Violinist Maria Ioudenich and pianist Kenny Broberg will present a chamber music concert at 7 p.m. Friday at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, 600 Museum Way in Bentonville, as part of the museum’s Van Cliburn Concert Series. Broberg, who won a silver medal at the 2017 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and a bronze medal at the 2019 International Tchaikovsky Competition, will perform on a Steinway & Sons piano formerly owned by Cliburn.
The program: Franz Schubert’s Sonatina in G minor, D.408, Johannes Brahms’ Violin Sonata No. 1 in G major, Op. 78, Lili Boulanger’s Nocturne, an arrangement of Nadia Boulanger’s song “L’Et le Óngel”, Francis Poulenc’s Violin Sonata FP 119, and Maurice Ravel’s Violin Sonata No. 2 “Blues”.
Tickets are $45, $36 for members and $10 for students and teachers. Call (479) 657-2335 or visit crystalbridges.org/calendar/van-cliburn-kenny-brober-maria-ioudenitch.
Arkansas PBS will also be livestreaming the concert at myarpbs.org/arkansasliveplaylist as part of its Arkansas Live initiative.
art
Ceramic Art Exhibition
“Alchemy 7: The Enamel Society Juried Exhibition,” a combined exhibition of the 19th Biennial International Juried Enamel and the 15th International Juried Student Enamel, opens Monday at the Brad Cushman Gallery in the Windgate Center for Art and Design at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 2801 South University Avenue, Little Rock. The exhibition runs through Sept. 6. A reception will be held at the Windgate Center on Aug. 29 from 5 to 7 p.m. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free. Call (501) 916-5117 or email byoung2@ualr.edu.
“Shift” by Tammy Harrington, “Gigi” by Vilmarie DePoyster and “Purple Heart” by Monica Moore will be on view Friday at the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)
Fort Smith Exhibition
The three exhibits will open with a reception Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum, 1601 Rogers Ave., Fort Smith.
◼️ “Quiet Moments,” a distinctive figure piece influenced by the Chinese folk art of paper cutting, by Tammy Harrington of Russellville, is on display in the museum’s Marta Jones Gallery.
◼️ “Art of Living Artists” are objects acquired by the museum and added to its permanent collection through a three-year grant from the Windgate Foundation and are on display in the permanent collection of the Sandy and Sandy Sanders Gallery.
◼️ “The Hearts Project – A COVID-19 Memorial,” an installation by Fayetteville artist Monica Moore, features 2,700 hand-cut paper hearts (out of 13,068 total) on the lobby staircase, representing each Arkansan who has lost their life to COVID-19.
The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Sunday from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Gallery admission and reception are free (donations are always welcome). Call (479) 784-2787 or visit fsram.org.
“Anomura,” a copper, enamel and silver ceramic piece by Sarah Perkins, is part of the “Alchemy 7” ceramics exhibit that opens Monday at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)
On the podium
Leadership Scholarship
A panel of three Presidential Leadership Scholars Program alumni will discuss how the program has enhanced their ability to make a difference in the world at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Clinton Presidential Center, 1200 President Clinton Ave. in Little Rock. It’s part of the Clinton Presidential Center Presents series and is also available to watch online.
Panelists:
Catherine Picus, class of 2023, is vice president of sustainability and global impact at Tyson Foods. She previously led global democratic institution-building programs at the U.S. State Department, served as a UN election observer in South Africa and as special assistant to the U.S. Vice President for National Security Affairs.
◼️ Jamie Scott, Class of 2017, Executive Director of Pulaski County Youth Services, North Little Rock native, small business owner, philanthropist, and state representative for the 72nd district of the Arkansas House of Representatives.
◼️ Allison Williams, Class of 2020, Founder of Wilco Consulting. She served as Chief of Staff to Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson from 2016-2023 and has worked in the Washington, DC area for over 10 years in both the public and private sectors.
◼️ Moderated by Mike Hemphill, director of the Presidential Leadership Scholars Program and director of leadership development at the Clinton Foundation.
Admission is free, register at clinton-foundation.org .
A story about preservation
Amanda Edwards, lead architectural preservationist and vice principal at MTFA in Arlington, Virginia, will speak virtually as part of the Arkansas Preservation Association’s “Women in Preservation” virtual lecture series on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. Edwards’ experience includes inspecting and evaluating the condition of historic materials for the preparation of condition assessments, treatment plans, historic building reports and construction documentation. She is also a professional staff member for the American Society for Preservation.
The series will feature women from diverse backgrounds who are working to preserve historic structures in Arkansas and across the U.S. There is no “price of admission.” The series is supported by DEMX Architecture. Subscribe at tinyurl.com/yy5y45a3 or watch the talks live on the nonprofit’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/@preservearkansas1577/streams.
etc.
Nominations begin
Sept. 6 is the deadline to submit nominations to the Arkansas Arts Council for the 2025 Governor’s Arts Awards, which recognize individuals, organizations and businesses that have made an impact on the arts in Arkansas.
Nominations are being accepted in seven categories: Arts Community Development, Arts in Education, Corporate Sponsorship of the Arts, Folklife, Individual Artist, Patron and Lifetime Achievement Awards. Nominees must currently live in Arkansas or be an Arkansas-based business or organization. “Outstanding artists, arts patrons, corporate sponsors, arts education coordinators and community leaders in arts development are all eligible,” according to a news release. Finalists will be selected by an independent panel of arts professionals, and winners will be recognized at a spring ceremony.
To nominate or learn more, visit arkansasheritage.com/arkansas-art-council/aac-programs/governor’s-arts-awards . For more information, email cheri.leffew@arkansas.gov .
Nominations Begin II
Aug. 31 at 5 p.m. is the deadline to submit nominations to Preserve Arkansas for the 2024 Arkansas Preservation Awards, which “recognizes outstanding achievements in preservation, individuals who have contributed to their communities and projects that inspire others to protect Arkansas’ special historic places,” according to a news release.
Submit nominations for eligible projects in 13 categories at preservearkansas.org/what-we-do/nomination-instructions .
◼️ Excellent service in local conservation
◼️ Great work by craftsmen
◼️ Excellence in conservation through restoration
◼️ Excellence in conservation through restoration
◼️ Great results in adaptive reuse
◼️ Excellence in personal preservation projects
◼️ Outstanding Achievements in Conservation
◼️ Great new build property in a historic setting
◼️ Outstanding preservation coverage in the media
◼️ Ned Shank Award for Outstanding Conservation Publication
◼️ Outstanding Achievements in Conservation Education
◼️ W. L. Cook Award for Excellence in Cultural Heritage Preservation (this award comes with a cash prize of $2,000)
◼️ Parker Westbrook Award for Lifetime Achievement.
◼️ Recipients will be recognized at a ceremony to be held at the Robinson Center in Little Rock in January 2025. Call (501) 372-4757 or email rpatton@preservearkansas.org.