June 2021
1
2
4
6
3
5
7
8
The Agencies of Arkansas Heritage: 1. Arkansas Arts Council; 2. Arkansas Historic Preservation Program; 3. Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission; 4. Arkansas State Archives; 5. Delta Cultural Center; 6. Historic Arkansas Museum; 7. Mosaic Templars Cultural Center; 8. Old State House Museum.
Explore Heritage Tourism Did you know that tourism is a leading economic driver in our state? One of the best-received presentations during the 2021 Arkansas Governor’s Conference on Tourism was focused on Heritage Tourism. I’m proud that our Division of Arkansas Heritage agencies and professionals are certainly doing their part to create authentic and quality experiences for citizens and visitors. As our mission states, we preserve and promote Arkansas’s natural and cultural heritage as a source of pride and enjoyment for all. According to the most recent collections report from the Department of Finance and Administration, Arkansas’s 2% tourism tax collections for March 2021 exceeded collections from March 2019 by a robust 14.6%. This is an important metric because it reflects an increase over pre-pandemic levels! From mountain biking adventures to world-class art museums, Arkansas destinations play an essential role in our economy. While our heritage museums and sites are free and open to the public, our proximity to hotels and restaurants provides guests experiences to learn about the history and culture of our state. In essence, our preservation efforts support economic drivers that benefit Arkansas and its residents as a whole. You see, for every $1 million spent on tourism, 8.4 jobs are created right here in our state. If you are staycationing this summer, we hope you’ll take advantage of the many heritage tourism opportunities Arkansas affords. And if you’re entertaining friends or family from out of the area, don’t forget to share with them the array of heritage tourism opportunities that are the perfect addition to an Arkansas vacation.
t s r u H y S ta c
Stacy Hurst, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism at the Main Street Arkansas Downtown Revitalization Grant Ceremony, Argenta Plaza, North Little Rock, June 11, 2021
“Traveling to experience the places and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past and present. It includes historic, cultural, and natural assets,” National Trust for Historic Preservation
1
2
3 Recent News: 1. Country Music Sensation Erin Enderlin performs at the Old State House Museum in their first in-person public event in 2021. 2. Historic Arkansas Museum staff present a Facebook Live 2nd Friday Art Night. 3. US Senator John Boozman visits the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center to tour the "Green Book" exhibit.
Arkansas Heritage Working Together June has been an exciting month for us at Arkansas Heritage and while the temperatures continue to soar outside, inside we’ve got some cool exhibits in our museums and exciting happenings within our agencies. The grand opening of the “Green Book” exhibit at Mosaic Templars Cultural Center has been a particular highlight as I watched firsthand agency directors, archivists, curators and other staff from across Arkansas Heritage pitch in and help get this exhibit installed under the supervision of the Smithsonian. The exhibit itself is a must see (and closes August 1st so make plans), but the lasting story for those of us at Heritage is that we can and do work together to bring the best to our constituents. All of our Heritage museums have been busy reopening at full hours and easing back into in-person events. In this newsletter, you’ll see some of the highlights from all of our agencies, but please make special note of the attractions available for your summer travels. You may also notice that we’ve moved to a new format for our newsletters. We know your time is valuable and we want to provide you with a quality electronic newsletter each quarter that keeps you informed and points you in the right direction for obtaining more info about our events.
Jimmy Bryant, director of the Division of Arkansas Heritage at the grand opening of the exhibition "The Negro Motorist Green Book" at Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, May 20, 2021
It is an honor to work with the fine folks at Arkansas Heritage and we value your input. If you have ideas, suggestions, comments or concerns, please reach out to us at info@arkansasheritage.com.
t n a y r B J im m y
"I watched firsthand agency directors, archivists, curators and other staff from across Arkansas Heritage pitch in and help get this exhibit installed under the supervision of the Smithsonian."
Hey, Artists! It's time to submit your artwork for the 2022 Small Works on Paper touring art exhibition. Small Works on Paper is sponsored by the Arkansas Arts Council and is open to artists who live in our state and are 18 years or older. Submitting work is easy: 1. Join the Arkansas Artist Registry. 2. NEW THIS YEAR... Create a FREE CaFE account-CaFE stands for Call for Entries. It's a really efficient way to upload your digital images and be able to quickly apply for other exhibitions and opportunities, not only Small Works on Paper. More details about SWOP here or click here if you have questions about this exhibition opportunity. Mosaic Templars Cultural Center Director, Key Fletcher and Arkansas Arts Council Director Patrick Ralston enjoyed a chat with Arkansas State Tourism for its Discover Arkansas podcast. The episode airs in July and can be heard on most podcast apps.
website
For those of us at the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, June is the time of year when we amp up our historic site surveys in preparation for future National Register of Historic Places nominations, begin working with our grant recipients on courthouse and historic restorations, start planning fall 2021 classroom activities for schools across our state, make site visits to our Main Street programs and much more. July 9 at noon on our Facebook and YouTube channels, we are presenting a special Sandwiching in History in collaboration with our sister agency, Mosaic Templars Cultural Center. We will be visiting the largest collection of intact “Green Book” properties in the state, located along the Pleasant Street Historic District in Hot Springs. This June our Main Street team presented Downtown Restoration Grants to our Main Street programs across the state at North Little Rock’s Argenta Plaza. These grants allow the programs opportunities to think big in their communities and create lasting opportunities for revitalization. And news from Baxter County, our historic site there, the Jacob Wolf House, will begin phase two of historic restoration projects which may limit access to some or all of the site between Aug. 2021 and April 2022. If you plan to stop by, please reach out to the site first to determine level of accessibility available on that day.
website
June has been a wet month, but that hasn’t stopped the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission from visiting our Natural Areas across the state and conducting research on plants and animals that make Arkansas unique. Our biggest news is that we have been working with fellow stakeholders to secure the last remaining peak in the Maumelle Pinnacles chain that includes mountains in Pinnacle Mountain State Park, Rattlesnake Ridge Natural Area and now, Blue Mountain Natural Area. We anticipate trails and parking lots open to the public in fall of 2022. As with all of our Natural Areas, this acquisition allows us to monitor and protect Arkansas’s unique biodiversity while also sharing the exquisite beauty of the Natural State with guests who will traverse the trails.
Pinnacle Mountain Rattlesnake Ridge
Blue Mountain
website
The Northeast Arkansas Regional Archives (NEARA) will hold its annual symposium on Saturday, Aug. 7, at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. The Symposium will also be livestreamed via Zoom. Follow our Facebook page for registration information as we approach this event. This year’s topic is inspired by the understanding that the past is full of personalities – men and women, young and old who come alive from the pages of history because of a curious episode in their lives, character traits, or inspiring life stories that captures the attention of dedicated researchers. These personalities are often ordinary people who have left a personal diary, have been captured in historical records, or have engaged in deeds that left an imprint in history – whether one of notoriety or inspiration. It is important to shine light on such accidental makers of history because their stories are often the most interesting and inspiring to read, especially in local history. The symposium will focus on stories from Lawrence County.
website
At the Delta Cultural Center, we’re home to “King Biscuit Time,” the longest running Blues radio broadcast in the world. And that means sometimes we attract the attention of very special visitors. Recently, a music legend stopped by, Chuck Leavell. Many know Chuck as a member of the Allman Brothers Band but he has worked with musicians from Eric Clapton to John Mayer. He was the pianist for twenty years with the Rolling Stones. While in Helena, he took some time to jam with several local bluesmen including the legendary Detroit Johnny at the Front Porch Blues Stage in the Miller Annex, pictured below. We have enjoyed seeing visitors returning to Helena via riverboat. When the American Duchess or American Queen arrive in port there’s a flurry of excitement at the museum. And we’re gearing up for some exciting live music events like September’s Delta Roots Festival Tribute to Levon Helm and October’s King Biscuit Blues Festival. Mark your calendars now and make it a weekend in the Delta. If you’re following our social media then you’re no doubt enjoying the adventures of our traveling DCC mug. This beautiful cup is available through our museum gift shop and frequently accompanies our education team as they visit the 27 Delta counties in search of unique stories about our history.
website
Corn is the 2021 Arkansas Food of the Year and June 11 was National Corn Day. To celebrate, we thought we would share a few corn statistics with you: Arkansas growers harvested about 605,000 acres of corn in 2020. Much of Arkansas produced corn is exported via the Mississippi River, but an ever increasing amount is consumed by poultry feed mills located in Arkansas. This fall, we’ll begin our next round of Arkansas Heritage’s Food Hall of Fame so be thinking about your favorites to nominate. More on the Food Hall of Fame here. And if you’re looking for a great dining experience, be sure to check out the FHOF app.
website
“Aaron Calvert and Susan Chambers: Gone to Seed" is currently on display in the Trinity Gallery at Historic Arkansas Museum. This vivid immersion into nature is the perfect way to kick off an afternoon exploring downtown Little Rock. While you’re here, be sure to check out our interpretative programming where we explore blacksmithing, print making and life in territorial Arkansas. We’re cooking up a ton of fun with our History is Served dinners— our April dinner featured dishes made with strawberries while June is all about the tomato. Tickets go fast so keep an eye on our event page for the Aug. and Oct. dinners. Coming soon, the HAM curator and team are currently putting together an exciting new exhibit called “Conspicuous Consumption” which will showcase some of the luxuries early Arkansans enjoyed. Place this event debut on your calendar for Sept. 10. It'll be one you don't want to miss!
website
It’s hard to believe we’re just over halfway through the showing of “The Negro Motorist Green Book,” an exhibition on loan to us through the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. Explore how Black Americans traveled during the era of Jim Crow by using the listings of safe places inside this glove-compartment-sized book. Photos, videos and other interactives make this exhibit an experience for the entire family. Make plans to see it by Aug. 1. Juneteenth may be virtual this year, but we hope all Arkansans will take a moment to learn and celebrate freedom this month. Read more about Juneteenth here. The museum is in the middle of raising another $1.3 million to complete renovations at its world-class, nationally accredited museum. The Children’s Gallery, which opens this fall, is phase one, and it is nearly completed. A video wall will soon be installed along with cosmetic changes throughout the main floor of the building. We are planning a grand opening of the space this Sept. If you’d like to support our efforts, you can give here.
website
Attention music lovers, have we got a treat for you. “Play It Loud: Concerts at Barton Coliseum” is filled with music memories from concerts of the past and you can see it Tuesdays to Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. It’s amazing to see the big names who graced the state at this historic venue. It’s even more amazing to listen to guests who share their tales with us, their kids, their friends or even just other guests. It seems like music just bonds people. We continue our exhibit, “Down the Rabbit Hole: Adventures in eMuseum.” It’s an eclectic mix of items from our collection including our recent 2nd Friday Art Night performer Erin Enderlin’s guitar on which she wrote Alan Jackson’s “Monday Morning Church.” If you see the guitar, you may wonder why it’s in two pieces. Interesting story, one of Erin’s friends accidentally ran over it. The popular permanent exhibit featuring inaugural gowns and other artifacts from Arkansas’s first ladies is a highlight of any trip to the museum. Be sure to check out "First Ladies of Arkansas: Women of their Times" when you stop by the museum this summer.
website
