Despite the coronavirus-related restrictions that have hampered operations, the Art and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas has continued its efforts to bring art to the public, with four exhibits closing out the year.
One show examines the female body and perspective, and another includes selections from some of the best artists in Arkansas in an exhibit that features small works. There are also portraits by Rex DeLoney that highlight athleticism and social activism, and, finally, there is an exhibit featuring the center’s collection of political cartoons from Depression- and World War II-era America, according to a news release.
“The Female Gaze,” which runs through May 15, “showcases artwork created by women artists, depicting female subjects; focusing on the reclamation of the female body and depictions of female narratives and perspectives,” according to the center.
The artists included are Emma Amos, Camille Billops, Margaret Burroughs, Elizabeth Catlett, Barbara Delle Gregory, Kathe Kollwitz, Cynthia Marks, Delita Martin, Reita Miller, Dorothy Morrisey, Deborah C. Moseley, Patricia Palmer, and Virginia Williamson.
The art is part of the center’s permanent collection.
Another exhibit is called “Brothers by One: The Black Athlete and Social Justice,” which begins Thursday and runs through Jan. 2.
Rex DeLoney’s pieces “highlight the many ways that Black athletes used their celebrity status and media coverage to give attention to social justice issues; from boxer Muhammad Ali and his stance against the Vietnam War to San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem as a statement against police brutality,” according to the release.
DeLoney has had solo exhibitions at venues including the Historic Arkansas Museum in Little Rock, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, and Hearne Fine Art in Little Rock.
He is an art instructor and Fine Arts Department chairman at Central High School at Little Rock. He has a master of arts degree in education from Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington, and a bachelor of arts degree in commercial art from University of Central Arkansas at Conway.
The exhibition is is sponsored by Simmons Bank.
“Ballots & Laughs: Political Cartoons of Ray Walters,” will be open from Nov. 5 through Jan. 23 and captures “a quirky view of America in the early 1930s until 1946,” with more than 500 comic postcards drawn and published during this period, according to the center.
“He created a realm populated with beautiful women and ugly men, gigantic fish and inquisitive frogs, weary travelers and frustrated fishermen, cowboys and Indians, trailers, and outhouse,” writes Courtney Mack and Stephen Mack, in the book Walter’s World: His Comic Postcards, His Art.
“Rather than drawing political satire or commenting on world events, Walters created a world of his own. The stories captured on the 3½ by 5½ inch postcards were small escapes from the realities of The Great Depression and World War II,” according to the center.
The exhibition will also include virtual public programming events.
And finally, there is “Small Works on Paper,” which is open through Oct.
24.
The annual juried exhibition is a traveling exhibition that will showcase 39 works no larger than 18 by 24 inches by Arkansas artists, according to a news release.
This year’s entries were juried by Jamie Adams, associate professor of art at the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts at Washington University at St. Louis. Adams reviewed nearly 300 submitted artworks. Among the selected pieces is “Nola Reception Couture Gown” by Pine Bluff artist Kimiara Johnson. This exhibition is sponsored by the Arkansas Arts Council.
Other center events are as follows:
Family Paint Night with Troy DeBill — 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1 (in person and online)
The Arts & Science Center will host a family painting workshop from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1. White Hall Middle School teacher Troy DeBill will lead the session, recommended for ages 11 and up. Participants may attend in person or online via Zoom.
In-person attendance is limited to eight, and complimentary beverages will be provided. The cost is $20 for members and $30 for non-members, and includes supplies. Participants may register at asc701.org/family-classes or call the center at 870-536-3375.
Virtual Live@5 Concert with The Port City Blues Society Players — 5-6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2 (Facebook)
The Port City Blues Society Players will perform 5-6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, in a concert livestreamed on ASC’s Facebook page, face-book.com/asc701 . The performance is part of ASC’s monthly Live@5 concert series. A virtual donation box will be available for those wishing to contribute. Donations will go toward supporting ASC’s programming, according to the news release.
The group’s members include Dave Sadler (guitar, vocals), Roscoe Willis (bass), George Scaife (guitar, vocals), Gene Cooper (keyboards) and Dave Miller (drums). They are part of the Port City Blues Society, an organization dedicated to preserving the blues art form in Pine Bluff and Southeast Arkansas.
The band has recorded a project entitled “Socially Distant Blues, Volume One,” the proceeds of which benefit local charities. ASC hosts musicians who play jazz, blues, and rock & roll on the first Friday of every month. This event is sponsored by M.K. Distributors.
Second Saturday Family FunDay: Engineering a Bone Bridge — 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10 (Facebook and Instagram)
The community is invited to join ASC’s Halloween STEAM Challenge contest, Engineering a Bone Bridge. Participants can design unique structures using cotton swabs and other materials. The winners of the contest will receive two tickets to ASC’s virtual production of “Clue” in October.
The contest will have two age groups: ages 4-9, and ages 10-17. To submit a design, participants should email srahmaan@asc701.org with their parent/guardian’s name, contestant’s name, and number by Oct. 11. The community can vote online from Wednesday, Oct. 14, through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, at asc701.org. The winners will be announced Tuesday, Oct. 20, on ASC’s website and on facebook.com/asc701/.
Visitors can take part in the FunDay in in-person and online. Registration is required to attend in person. Register at asc701.org or call 870-536-3375 for an in-person spot. For online Family FunDay, participants can pick up a free “take & make” kit in the ASC front entrance breezeway from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10. Participants can also follow an online tutorial with ASC Public Programs Coordinator Shakeelah Rahmaan at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, on facebook.com/asc701. Second Saturday Family FunDay is sponsored by The Pine Bluff Area Community Foundation, an affiliate office of the Arkansas Community Foundation Inc.
CrEATe Lab with Faith Anaya — 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, 17, 24
The Arts & Science Center concludes its CrEATe Lab, nutritious cooking 2020 series, with a fall workshop Saturdays, Oct. 10, 17, and 24, from 1-3 p.m. A limit of eight students ages 10-17 may attend. The cost is $35 for the fall workshop series. Partial scholarships are available. To register, participants may visit asc701.org/create-lab or call ASC at 870-536-3375.
ASC received a grant f ro m t h e B l u e & Yo u Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas with the goal of bringing quality, low-cost cooking education to Southeast Arkansas. Another sponsorship includes a grant from the Pine Bluff Area Community Foundation.
ASC has partnered with Faith Anaya and her Kids Cook! team for the series. Anaya has more than a decade’s experience cultivating children’s knowledge of healthy eating habits. With the creation of her Kids Cook! school in 2004, she has served the Little Rock and surrounding communities, helping thousands of kids learn nutritious recipes through safe hand-on cooking experiences, according to the news release.
“Clue: Stay-At-Home” — 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, and Saturday, Oct. 24 (streaming theater performances)
The Arts & Science Center will present its next theater production virtually with “Clue: Stay-At-Home.” Viewers may watch the stage production online at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, and Saturday, Oct. 24. Tickets are $15 each and go on sale in October. The production is sponsored by Simmons Bank.
Based on the 1985 Paramount movie which was inspired by the classic Hasbro board game, “Clue” is a farce-meets-murder mystery. The tale begins at a remote mansion, where six mysterious guests assemble for an unusual dinner party where murder and blackmail are on the menu. When their host turns up dead, they all become suspects. For more information, contact ASC Theater Education Coordinator Lindsey Collins at lcollins@asc701.org or call 870-536-3375.