Texarkana Entertainment Blog

The Regional Arts Center at 4th Street and Texas Boulevard in Texarkana has two new exhibits up to satisfy an urge for artistry from Arkansas. “Small Works on Paper” from the Arkansas Arts Council features artists from across the state whose works are placed on a paper base. These works of a smaller size show that much subtlety can be portrayed in a limited space. A wide range of mediums are represented, and the works show both creative vision and commitment to craft.

In “Young Arkansas Artists,” Texarkana is represented very well. In fact, six local student artists have work included in this touring exhibit and that’s the most ever for Texarkana in the Southwest Arkansas region’s group of works selected for the show. This exhibit comes to us from the Arkansas Arts Center. These works—colorful, creative, and fun—show once again that Texarkana’s arts education seems to be doing right by our kids and inspiring them.

See tomorrow’s Gazette for the full story on these exhibits.

- Aaron Brand

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Kimberly Boyd Vickrey's "Concerto in the Sun" is one piece featured in "Small Works on Paper," an exhibit now at the Regional Arts Center.

Punk rock and Magnolia. Poster art for bands like Nirvana. That’s what happening through November at Southern Arkansas University’s Brinson Fine Arts Gallery for an exhibit (by the name of “Don’t Call Me Pretty”) of artist Art Chantry’s work. Chantry, a Pacific Northwest-based graphic designer, has made posters for a number of punk (or, more specifically, punk-like and grunge) bands like The Cramps, Nirvana, Hole, Pearl Jam, and Mudhoney. He also worked for The Rocket, an influential Seattle music newspaper. I lived in Seattle and Portland and remember the kind of wild, innovative posters he put out. You’d see them plastered all over utility poles and at music stores. He has a unique style, to put it mildly. Now his work will be at SAU with 52 posters collected, subjects ranging all over the map from rock to AIDS. Honestly, it’s kind of amazing and great that his work has found it’s way to South Arkansas. The Brinson is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

- Aaron Brand

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The Regional Arts Center has two new exhibits on tap for Texarkana.

In the main, secure gallery is “Watercolor Views of WWII,” a series of beautiful and evocative watercolor works by artist Robert Andrew Parker. Here he is inspired by the poems of British soldier Keith Douglas, a writer who died from injuries sustained during the D-Day invasion of Normandy. His poems (and Parker’s watercolors) depict life on the battlefield in North Africa. Parker’s approach is fascinating because they’re pretty watercolors, on the one hand, and depict events that are gruesome in their nature, on the other hand. But there’s a subtlety here that seems to deepen the emotional impact. This exhibit runs through Dec. 5.

The 4 States Art Club/Decorative Artists also have new work up in the open gallery space at the RAC through Nov. 7. Local artists have considered the topic “My Favorite Subject.” In addition to landscapes and other works with a generally naturalistic approach, there are some fascinating and fun decorative and functional pieces on display, showing the diversity of artistic approaches in this area. You can meet some of the artists and see their work tomorrow, Thursday, during a reception at the Arts Center starting at 6:30 p.m. Both exhibits are free to see, of course, and the RAC is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and a 7 p.m. close on Thursdays. More info: 903-792-4992.

- Aaron Brand

Staff photo by Tanner Spendley:

Bryan Phillips, TRAHC's director of community programs, directs spotlights to paintings in preparation for the "Watercolor VIews of WWII" exhibit by Robert Andrew Parker. The exhibit runs through Dec. 5.

Tomorrow a special exhibit called “Main Street in Black and White” opens at the Arkansas Studies Institute gallery space at 401 President Clinton Ave. in Little Rock, Ark. Texarkana, one of three cities with downtowns honored in this traveling photographic exhibit, figures prominently with 15 photos from local citizens as part of the show. Historic photos give a sense of the intriguing, unusual, and fascinating architecture in downtown Texarkana. Other places chosen (with photos generally ranging from the 1880s to 1940s) are Blytheville and Batesville. The show is scheduled to appear in Texarkansa at a yet-to-be-announced location in early December. Main Street Arkansas organized the show. The exhibit is free and the public is invited to see it between tomorrow and Nov. 13, after which it closes. Hours: Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. More info: 501-320-5790. Find out more in tomorrow’s Texarkana Gazette on the Accent page.

- Aaron Brand

Down at the Tex-Ark Antique Auto Museum on Saturday the economy cars of the past are featured. They’re distinctive. They’ve also become the wave of the future, forerunners for today’s emphasis on a greener, leaner, more efficient car. An Isetta, Goggomobil, and Messerschmitt each take featured spots at the museum (located at 217 Laurel St.) for this antique auto, truck, and motorcycle show.  Charles Barnette, activities director for the museum, calls the Messerschmitt “bug-eyed.” Each one has a distinctive look. And in their own they, they were harbingers for future trends in the automobile industry. The free show, which runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., will feature all sorts of vehicles, however, and should be a nice spot to go before or after the Quadrangle Festival. The vehicle entry fee is $10, and proceeds help the museum. More info: 870-772-2886. See tomorrow’s Gazette for the full story.

- Aaron Brand

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Got my hands on a full lineup for Saturday’s entertainment and music happenings at the Quadrangle Festival in downtown Texarkana. Here’s what’s on tap for the day …

8:00 5K Road Race
9:30 Children’s Pet show
10:00 Colt Baker
11:00  Voodoo Cowboys
12:00   Bluebirds
1:00 – 3:00 Youth Talent show
3:30 Texarkana All Stars
4:00 Michael Rhodes – Jazz Band
5:30 Battle of the Bands
8:30 Jawbone

- Aaron Brand

I got a chance to hang out with Bryan Phillips, the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council’s community programs director, and talk art this morning—always a worthwhile experience but then again I’m pretty much of an art nerd. TRAHC has two new exhibits up at the Regional Arts Center, one of which is the Gary Bacher solo show in the open gallery. The other is “Dichos: Words to Live, Love, and Laugh By,” and it explores a colorful folk art whereby Latin American truck and bus drivers add a saying and art to their vehicle. These sayings are painted onto the bumpers. Elsewhere on the bus or truck are paintings and decorative art to accompany the saying. According to Phllips, this tradition started in Panama after World War II with a religious theme to it, and from there it spread geographically and was enlarged thematically to include witty sayings or declarations of love. The exhibit shows different photos of these fascinating vehicles. It’s a colorful and lively exhibit and runs through Oct. 3. I’ll have a story on it in Friday’s Accent page of the Gazette. Down below is an example of this art.

- Aaron Brand

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The world of Ancient Egypt will be brought to life soon at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock. Covering about 3,000 years and 200 pieces of art and artifacts, “World of the Pharaohs: Treasures of Egypt Revealed” depicts a world long gone but one that still stirs the imagination; Ancient Egypt was a fascinating and accomplished civilization. Opening Sept. 25 and running through July 10 of next year, it will be the largest exhibition ever to be shown in Arkansas. For more information on the exhibit, check out the Arkansas Arts Center’s Website: Arkarts.com. We usually don’t cover exhibits this far out of town, but it’s such a huge and important exhibit that we think it’s worthy of some attention. So, we’ll have a story in the Gazette’s Accent page in the upcoming weeks when it comes closer to the opening date. But until then the Website gives a sneak peek of this incredible collection that should interest those who value the arts and history. 

- Aaron Brand

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I have a couple of items to share about museums. First, I wrote several weeks back about the Texarkana Museums System revamping and updating its Website, which was in need of a fresh look. Now they’ve truly gone 21st century with the addition of a blog, Twitter page (yes, they Tweet), and Facebook pages for both the Quadrangle Festival and Discovery Place Children’s Museum. Check it out at Texarkanamuseums.org. Pretty cool stuff. 

Also, the University of Arkansas will open a new science and math museum for youngsters on Monday, August 31, in Fayetteville. The University of Arkansas Discovery Zone will operate in partnership with the Arkansas Discovery Network. Admission to the museum will be free. The first exhibit, “Arkansas Road Trip: Arkansas Rocks, Rivers and Roadcuts,” explores Arkansas geology, and since Texarkana’s Discovery Place is part of that network the exhibit will eventually come here after it’s displayed in Fayetteville. More info about the University of Arkansas Discovery Zone: 479-575-3875. 

- Aaron Brand

One of this weekend’s Sunday Accent stories covers the 2009-2010 Visual Arts Series at the Regional Arts Center. It’s a fairly interesting roster of shows coming up this next year at the RAC, starting Sept. 1  with some Latin American folk art in “Dichos: Words to Live, Love, and Laugh By.” Dichos are the sayings inscribed by the drivers on buses and trucks from Mexico to South America; they come with colorful art and speak to many different things, whether it’s love, advice, or a pun. It should be a fun exhibit. New Boston artist New Boston, Texas, Gary Bachers has an exhibit of new work on the way, and there’s another that explores Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant. Check Sunday’s Accent page for a look at what’s in store. 

- Aaron Brand

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