ENTERTAINMENT NOTES: Ballet Arkansas plans performance in MacArthur Park

Ballet Arkansas offers its first “Movement in the Parks” performances Saturday in Little Rock's MacArthur Park. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)
Ballet Arkansas offers its first “Movement in the Parks” performances Saturday in Little Rock's MacArthur Park. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)

Entertainment options in Arkansas this weekend:

DANCE — Ballet Outdoors

Ballet Arkansas offers its first "Movement in the Parks" performances, noon and 3 p.m. Saturday at the gazebo in MacArthur Park, 503 E. Ninth St., Little Rock. The new series, in partnership with Little Rock Parks and Recreation, brings live dance performance to Little Rock parks.

Members of the 14-professional-dancer company will perform "Aperture," a contemporary ensemble work choreographed by Alice Klock and Florian Lochner; "Grand Pas Classique," a pas de deux choreographed by Victor Gsovsky for the Paris Opera Ballet in 1949 to music by Daniel-Francois Auber; "An Ode," a neoclassical work choreographed by Ballet Arkansas Executive and Artistic Director Michael Fothergill, in the style of George Balanchine, for four dancers to an Antonio Vivaldi violin sonata; and a sneak peek at Fothergill's choreography for "The Great Gatsby," the ballet company's 2021-22 season opener, Oct. 21-24 at the Center for Humanities and Arts Theater at the University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College in North Little Rock.

Admission is free. Visit balletarkansas.org.

MUSIC — Harlem Quartet

The Harlem Quartet — (from left) Ilmar Gavilan and Melissa White, violins; Jaime Amador, viola; and Felix Umansky, cello — performs today at Little Rock's Ron Robinson Theatre. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)
The Harlem Quartet — (from left) Ilmar Gavilan and Melissa White, violins; Jaime Amador, viola; and Felix Umansky, cello — performs today at Little Rock's Ron Robinson Theatre. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)

The Harlem Quartet — Ilmar Gavilan and Melissa White, violins; Jaime Amador, viola; and Felix Umansky, cello — performs at 7:30 p.m. today at the Ron Robinson Theater, 100 River Market Ave., Little Rock, opening the 2021-22 season for fhe Chamber Music Society of Little Rock.

The program: "String Quartet No. 23" in F major, K.590, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: "Strum" by Jessie Montgomery; "A Night in Tunisia" by Dizzy Gillespie (arranged by Dave Glenn and the Harlem Quartet); "Lyric for Strings" by George Walker; "Fugato" by Adonis G. Matos; "Lyric Quartet" by William Grant Still; "At the Octoroon Balls" by Wynton Marsalis; and "Cuarteto en Guaguanco" by Guido Lopez-Gavilan.

Tickets are $25, free for students of all ages. Covid-19 precautions will be in effect. Visit chambermusicLR.com; for more information, call (615) 775-6744 or email chambermusicLR@gmail.com.

Quartet members will answer questions and perform a preview of their evening concert at noon today for a one-hour "Lunch and Learn" session at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, 501 W. Ninth St., Little Rock. It will be available by livestream to schools and the public with support from the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. Email Ronald.McDaniel@arkansas.gov or chambermusiclr@gmail.com for link information.

THEATER — 'Into the Breeches!'

With the crew and leading male actors fighting in World War II, the director's wife combines William Shakespeare's "Henry IV" and "Henry V" with an all-female cast in George Brant's "Into the Breeches!" — which Ouachita Baptist University's theater arts department stages, 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and Monday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday in Verser Theatre at OBU, 410 Ouachita Ave., Arkadelphia. Tickets are $10; visit obu.edu/boxoffice. For more information, call (870) 245-5555.

SCIENCE — Cubic foot of life

“Life in One Cubic Foot” goes on display Saturday at the Mid-America Science Museum in Hot Springs. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)
“Life in One Cubic Foot” goes on display Saturday at the Mid-America Science Museum in Hot Springs. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)

"Life in One Cubic Foot," a traveling exhibition focusing on the research of Smithsonian Institution scientists and photographer David Liittschwager into what a cubic foot of land or water — aka a biocube — reveals about the diversity of life on planet Earth, goes on display Saturday at the Mid-America Science Museum, 500 Mid America Blvd., Hot Springs.

The exhibition focuses on life from various environments, including the coral reefs of French Polynesia, the midwater ocean off the coast of California and New York's Central Park, through collages of photographs, models, interactive elements and exhibition videos.

The exhibition, organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in collaboration with the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, remains up through Jan. 2. Sponsors are Red Oak Ridge and Weyerhaeuser.

Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $10; $8 for children 12 and younger, senior citizens, teachers and active or retired military. Call (501) 767-3461 or visit midamericamuseum.org.

ETC.

Camden Barn Sale

More than 130 vendors' and artists' booths from across the country will operate for the Camden Barn Sale, billed as South Arkansas' largest arts and crafts show, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday at Coleman Stadium, 302 Center St., Camden. Also involved: food vendors, musical entertainment, a Kids Zone with inflatables and the St. Louis Catholic Church Spaghetti Supper. Admission is free. Visit CamdenBarnSale.com.

Conway ArtsFest

Conway Alliance for the Arts' 15th annual Conway ArtsFest includes with in-person and streaming performances, a scavenger hunt and art kits for kids.

The lineup includes (except as noted, all events are free):

◼️ Children's Art Kit Pick-up, until supplies run out, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Conway Public Library, 1900 Tyler St., Conway.

◼️ Conway League of Artists Fall Art Show, same hours, Saturday-Oct. 30, Conway Public Library

◼️ Public Art Scavenger Hunt, Monday-Oct. 2, in collaboration with the Conway Public Art Board, map and participation information to be posted at conwayarts.org

◼️ Second annual Black Artists Showcase, 8-9 p.m. Oct. 1, attend live at The Studio Downtown, 1100 Oak St., Conway, or stream live at conwayarts.org

◼️ UCA Students for the Arts Film Festival, noon-8 p.m. Oct. 2, Stanley Russ Hall 103, University of Central Arkansas, 201 Donaghey Ave., Conway

◼️ Light Up the Night, 6-9 p.m. Oct. 2, fifth annual Neighbors Art Show, art activities, live performances, food trucks, Front Street & The Brick Room, 1020 Front St., Conway.

'Treasure' hunt

Dec. 20 is the deadline to submit nominations to the Arkansas Arts Council for the next Arkansas Living Treasure. The designation honors Arkansans who are masters of a folk or traditional art or craft, including, but not limited to, traditional songwriting, folk dancing, bladesmithing, weaving and quilting.

An independent panel of practicing craftspeople and professionals in craft and folk art will review the nominations and select the recipient based on quality of work, overall significance of the body of work, community outreach and total contribution to the field of traditional crafts and/or folk arts. A reception honoring the recipient will take place in the spring.

For more information, or to make a nomination, call (501) 324-9348, email scarlet.sims@arkansas.gov or visit arkansasarts.org.

Arts relief grants

Arkansas-based arts groups that have experienced financial hardships or loss of program capacity due to lost revenue during the covid-19 pandemic can apply for an Arkansas Arts Council American Rescue Plan Grant through Oct. 15.

Qualification criteria include the quality of the organization, based on artistic excellence and artistic merit; the potential to have a significant and immediate impact on the arts workforce; the significance to the mission and core work of the organization; the organization's ability to carry out a proposal, including the appropriateness of the budget, resources involved and personnel; and the extent to which the organization aids underserved populations.

Eligible organizations can request up to $15,000. Funding comes from the $784,000 the Arts Council received from the National Endowment for the Arts. The grant is one-time-only and can be used for salary support; fees/stipends for contractual personnel; facilities costs, such as rent and utilities; costs associated with health and safety supplies; and/or costs associated with marketing, promotion and technical assistance. Apply via the portal website: bit.ly/2XnbWU4. New users will have to create an account to apply. Call (501) 324-9768 or email jess.anthony@arkansas.gov.

Upcoming Events