ENTERTAINMENT NOTES: Art abounds at Fayetteville, El Dorado galleries

“Fleur 18” and “Flores Azules 2” by Laura Welshans are part of “Collected Shapes in Color,” on display at the South Arkansas Arts Center in El Dorado. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)
“Fleur 18” and “Flores Azules 2” by Laura Welshans are part of “Collected Shapes in Color,” on display at the South Arkansas Arts Center in El Dorado. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)


Elsewhere in entertainment, events and the arts:

ART: Abstract exhibit

"Collected Shapes in Color," works by Little Rock abstract artists Dan Thornhill and Laura Welshans, go on display with a reception, 5:30-7 p.m. today in the Price and Merkle galleries of the South Arkansas Arts Center, 110 E. Fifth St., El Dorado. The exhibit will be up through Aug. 31. Gallery hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Admission to the galleries and reception is free. Call (870) 862-5474 or visit saac-arts.org.

'Fresh' at Fenix

"Arkansas: Fresh from the Studio," featuring clay sculptures by "Arkansas Living Treasure" Hank Kaminsky, and early forms of photography by Chuck Davis, goes on display with a 5-8 p.m. reception Thursday at Fenix Gallery, Millar Lodge, Mount Sequoyah Center, 150 N. Skyline Drive, Fayetteville. The exhibition is up through Sept. 30; gallery hours are noon-5 p.m. Thursday-Friday, noon-6 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free. Call (479) 530-6023 or visit fenixarts.org.

  photo  Hank Kaminsky's "New Sculptures," red clay, unfired, is part of the "Arkansas: Fresh from the Studio" exhibition at Fenix Gallery in Fayetteville. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette/Ironside Photography/Stephen Ironside)  THEATER: Equity grant

Ozark Living Newspaper Theatre Company is receiving a $25,000 "Capacity for Equity" grant from the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation "to support its facilitation of community conversations about historical issues of inequity in Arkansas," according to a news release. The theater creates live productions, the "Theatre of the Air" radio drama series and education activities with at-risk youth and marginalized communities. The grant will let the nonprofit strengthen partnerships with the University of Central Arkansas, Faulkner County Juvenile Court, DecARcerate "and other institutions and organizations engaged in equity and social justice work in Arkansas," the release says. Visit OzarkLivingNewspaper.org.

MUSIC: LITFest musicians

The city of Little Rock is taking applications from Central Arkansas musicians to participate in the inaugural LITFest, Oct. 7-9 in downtown Little Rock, which Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. describes as "a fantastic festival full of cultural diversity that will unify our city." Musicians from a wide range of backgrounds and genres can submit their interest in participating, including contact information, social media accounts and links to past performances, through Aug. 31 via myLITFest.com. For more information, contact organizer Think Rubix's Ally Washington at info@myLITFest.com.

HERITAGE: Heritage awards

The Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism is handing out $25,000 in grants for 10 historic properties and museums across the state.

The recipients ($2,500 each):

  • ◼️ Calico Rock Community Foundation Inc. for Calico Rock Museum operating expenses
  • ◼️ Cross County Historical Society for museum improvements
  • ◼️ Dermott Historical Museum Inc. for museum improvements
  • ◼️ Five Rivers Historic Preservation Inc. for Randolph County Heritage Museum 2022 utilities
  • ◼️ Hardy History Association for the "Oral Histories and Living Legacies" project
  • ◼️ Hot Spring County/Arkansas Historical Society for operating expenses and utilities
  • ◼️ Hot Spring County Museum for operating expenses and museum improvements and utilities
  • ◼️ Lonoke County Museum for operating expenses
  • ◼️ Newton County Historical Society for Bradley House Museum 2022 utilities
  • ◼️ Saunders Memorial Museum for sustainability efforts.

The awards, funded by a 1/8th-cent state conservation tax, help small history museums, historical societies, historic houses and sites and military museums promote education, awareness and enjoyment of Arkansas history. Eligible organizations must have an annual operating budget of $250,000 or less; must have a staff of at least one person, either paid or volunteer; and must be open to the public at least 90 days per year. Visit tinyurl.com/2w6efsuk.


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