Back to News & PressThe Long View Opens at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts on June 13, 2025
New Exhibition Presented by Bank of America Highlights Conservation
The Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts (AMFA) announces The Long View: From Conservation to Sustainability: Works from the Bank of America Collection, a new exhibition presented by Bank of America on view from June 13 to August 31, 2025, in the Harriet and Warren Stephens Galleries. Admission is always free at AMFA, including all exhibitions.
The Long View features photographs, paintings, prints, and sculptures by artists who use their art to advocate for the conservation and protection of the planet. Spanning from the mid-nineteenth century to the present, the work in the exhibition charts the evolution of how modern society thinks about and interacts with nature.
“The Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts has been a mainstay of Arkansas’s cultural landscape for decades, and we are thrilled to share this unique exhibit from our collection with AMFA and its guests,” says Heather Jones, President of Bank of America Arkansas.
AMFA and Bank of America believe in the importance of making the arts more accessible in our communities. The Long View is made available through the Bank of America Art in our Communities® program, which loans fully curated exhibitions from the Bank of America collection to museums and nonprofit galleries around the world.
“Our partnership with Bank of America for The Long View is a natural extension of the Museum’s existing relationship,” states Dr. Victoria Ramirez, AMFA’s Executive Director. “We are proud to be longtime beneficiaries of their support and look forward to seeing our guests’ response to this exciting new exhibition.”
Organized into four thematic sections, The Long View explores “The Beginnings of Conservation,” with late nineteenth and early twentieth-century artists like John James Audubon and Carleton Watkins, whose revelatory works influenced the founding of the Audubon Society and the National Park Service, respectively.
Moving into the early twentieth century, “Push and Pull—Industry and Environment” includes art by Regionalist artists Thomas Hart Benton and Grant Wood alongside Arthur Rothstein's iconic Dust Bowl images exploring the impact of unsustainable farming practices.
“The Emergence of Conservation Activism” focuses on postwar works and the emerging social and political focus on ecology during the late 1960s and 1970s. This section includes Robert Rauschenberg’s design for the first Earth Day celebration in 1970, and Michael Heizer’s innovative prints using plates made from recycled scrap metal waste.
Finally, “Working Towards a Sustainable Vision” highlights contemporary artists Aurora Robson and John Sabraw, who repurpose pollutants such as plastic debris and acid mine drainage from the landscape as their materials, alongside other artists who emphasize the need to safeguard our planet in the face of its radical and continuing transformation.
This dynamic exhibition brings together art from varied time periods, places, and media by beloved artists and fresh emerging talents. Their combined voices in The Long View provide an innovative look at the interaction between humans and the natural environment over time, revealing the wonders of our landscape and inviting each of us to contribute to the conservation of our shared home.
“In blending the contemporary with the historical, this exhibition opens new dialogues by prompting us to examine what has changed and what has stayed the same,” shares AMFA Curator Jennifer Jankauskas. “These artists, both individually and as a group, have created a road map for how we should look at the environment and what we can do to continue to conserve it.”
Upcoming programs planned in conjunction with the run of the exhibition allow guests to explore the themes it presents through free lectures, tours, and art-making activities.
Programs & Performances
Family Fest: Into the Wild
Saturday, June 14, 2025, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Experience nature’s wonders through interactive artmaking, outdoor adventures, and hands-on activities. Meet fascinating animals from the Little Rock Zoo, create nature-inspired fish prints and outdoor and animal sketches with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, and join interactive demonstrations on fishing, hiking, and biking with Pinnacle Mountain State Park.
This is a free, drop-in event program for guests of all ages.
Family Fest: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Saturday, July 19, 2025, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Explore conservationism through art and creativity in partnership with the Little Rock Office of Sustainability. Discover imaginative ways to extend the life of everyday items and learn how local organizations are working to protect natural spaces. Bring your vintage clothing and jewelry to creatively restore and personalize through hands-on techniques. Experiment with transforming upcycled materials into art or draw with natural clay and charcoal while learning how to make your own unique creations.
This is a free, drop-in program perfect for guests of all ages.
Family Fest: Art in Bloom
Saturday, August 9, 2025, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Discover how plants, gardens, and the environment come together to inspire curiosity and connection in partnership with Little Rock Master Gardeners and Tipton & Hurst. Create botanical arrangements to inspire drawings and watercolors, make sun prints using flowers, and experiment with vegetable printing to reveal nature’s unique textures and patterns.
This is a free, drop-in program perfect for guests of all ages.
Flurffy’s Secret Garden
Saturdays, June 14 – July 5, 2025, 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.
Celebrate summer with Flurffy, AMFA's beloved pink puppet dog, in this original production inspired by the art on view in The Long View. When a shy little girl arrives in town, Flurffy and his friends plan a delightful garden party to welcome her. But will the mysterious Dr. Craven ruin their plans by keeping them out of the enchanted garden? This imaginative show – featuring AMFA-crafted puppets, repurposed props, and recycled set pieces – promises a sweet theatrical treat filled with original songs and interactive play.
This is a free, drop-in program perfect for children three and up.
Botanical Plastics: Plastic Paintings Workshop with Aurora Robson
Saturday, July 19 – Sunday, July 20, 2025, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Collaborate with The Long View artist Aurora Robson during an engaging, hands-on workshop exploring creative ways to transform consumer plastics into intricate plastic paintings. Work directly with Robson to experiment with new techniques and manipulate discarded materials into meaningful artworks that highlight the importance of conserving the environment. This unique opportunity allows students to learn from Robson’s creative process and gain insight into how innovative artmaking can inspire environmental awareness and creative problem-solving.
This workshop is $105 or $84 for AMFA members, with pre-registration required at events.arkmfa.org.
Talks & Tours
Night Flowers: Artist Talk with Aurora Robson
Thursday, July 17, 2025, 6:00 p.m.
Discover how New York-based artist Aurora Robson transforms found and recycled materials into striking sculptures and installations that reflect themes of conservationism and the environment. Learn how she uses this meditative process not only to address personal and social struggles, but also to search for hope through her practice and materials.
As a leading voice in the intersection of contemporary art and ecological awareness, Robson’s work and story offer an inspiring example of how creativity can drive change, encourage reflection, and transform the way we see the world around us.
This is a free event, and tickets are available at events.arkmfa.org.
Exhibition Tour: The Long View
Saturday, June 14, July 19, August 9, and August 30, 2025, 10:30 a.m.
Explore The Long View with a docent-led exhibition tour. Exhibition tours provide an in-depth look at temporary exhibitions at AMFA, guiding guests through three to four carefully selected artworks. Each tour is designed to enhance guests' understanding and appreciation of the exhibition's themes and narratives while fostering a richer connection to the art on view.
Tours are free, and pre-registration is recommended at events.arkmfa.org.
Member-Exclusive Events
The Long View Preview Night
Thursday, June 12, 2025, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.
AMFA members enjoy an exciting first look at The Long View at an exclusive, pre-opening reception featuring fresh beverages and bites prepared using seasonal produce and surprise festivities that prompt interaction and reflection on the themes presented in the exhibition.
This free event is open exclusively to AMFA Members, Circle Society Donors, and Corporate Partners. Tickets are available at events.arkmfa.org.
Member Lounge: The Long View
Saturday, June 14, 2025, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
AMFA members can take a break from the action of Family Fest: Into the Wild to enjoy complimentary drinks and snacks in an exclusive, members-only lounge. While the adults unwind, little hands can enjoy a special art-making activity inspired by the exhibition.
This free event is open exclusively to AMFA Members, Circle Society Donors, and Corporate Partners. Pre-registration is recommended at events.arkmfa.org.
SPONSORS
The Long View: From Conservation to Sustainability: Works from the Bank of America Collection is presented by Bank of America.
Additional support is provided by Anne and Merritt Dyke.
This exhibition has been loaned through the Bank of America Art in our Communities® program.
Member Preview in-kind support provided by Moon Distributors Inc., O’Connor Distributing, and Tipton & Hurst.
ARTWORK CREDIT LINE
Arthur Rothstein (New York, New York, 1915 - 1985, New Rochelle, New York), Mike Sullinger Who Has a Farm Near Carson, North Dakota, Looks for Rain, 1936, gelatin silver print, 17 3/4 x 14 3/4 in. On loan from the Bank of America Collection.
About the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts
Founded in 1937, the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts is the largest cultural institution of its kind in the state, offering a unique blend of visual and performing arts experiences. AMFA is committed to featuring diverse media and artistic perspectives within its permanent collection as well as through rotating temporary exhibitions. AMFA’s international collection spans eight centuries, with strengths in works on paper and contemporary craft, and includes notable holdings by artists from Arkansas, the South, and across the United States and Europe.
With a vibrant mix of ideas, cultures, people, and places, AMFA extends this commitment to diversity through the innovative Windgate Art School, a dynamic children’s theatre and performing arts program, and community-focused educational programs for all ages. Located in Little Rock’s oldest urban green space, MacArthur Park, AMFA’s landmark building and grounds are designed by Studio Gang and SCAPE, in collaboration with Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects.