Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts

Wednesday Spins
2025-07-09 17:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)
Elevate your midweek mood at Wednesday Spins! Experience a night of art, music, drinks, and socializing over beautiful views of the Museum.
Kick back with craft cocktails, enjoy music mixed by Jordan Cox, pop into the galleries to explore the art on view, and strike a pose in the photo booth with your friends.
AMFA is the place to be every Wednesday night all summer long!
Photo by Natalie Zeta.

Drop-in Printmaking
2025-07-09 18:00 - 21:00
Experiment with printmaking during this three-hour drop-in experience at AMFA’s Windgate Art School. Open to beginner and experienced artists alike, it’s a great way to learn a new art form or work independently on your own projects.
An instructor will moderate the session and be available for critiques and questions upon request.
Students are encouraged to bring their own materials or purchase materials from the AMFA Museum Store. Recommended materials are a carving block, five-piece cutters and stamp carving tool, and high-quality paper. Basic printmaking materials will also be available.

The Windgate Art School is generously supported by the Windgate Foundation with additional support from Sherry Worthen in memory of George Worthen.
Windgate Art School’s Reduced Tuition Program is supported by Michael Laughter. Reduced tuition is automatically applied to all classes through 2025.
Photo by Rachel Cobler.

Everyday Magic: Puppetry and Breaking Boundaries with Josh Rice
2025-07-09 18:00 - 19:30
Discover the transformative power of puppetry with Jim Henson Foundation Award winner and SHAKE Producing Artistic Director Josh Rice. Along with his talented team, he will reveal how puppetry illuminates text, ignites creativity, and forges new pathways for self-expression beyond societal and linguistic boundaries.
This interactive discussion features industry experts, culminating in a hands-on exploration of how everyday objects can be used as tools for puppetry, storytelling, and cross-cultural communication, perfect for audiences aged 12 and up.
AMFA Members are invited to enjoy a complimentary drink before the program begins during Member Mingle in the Cultural Living Room.
About Josh Rice
Rice is the co-founder and Producing Artistic Director of Shake Productions, as well as the founder of the New York State Puppet Festival. He is also a recipient of a 2024 Jim Henson Foundation Production Grant.
His current production Kayfabe, a puppet wrestling entertainment spectacular, explores the crossroads of traditional forms of puppetry and popular culture.

Everyday Magic: Puppetry and Breaking Boundaries with Josh Rice is supported in part by the Alice L. Walton Foundation.
Children’s Theatre and Performing Arts programs are supported in part by the Shubert Foundation and the Alice L. Walton Foundation.

Woodturned Bottle Stopper Workshop
2025-07-10 18:00 - 21:00
This one-session workshop offers an excellent introduction to woodturning, perfect for beginners or those looking to try something new.
You will learn fundamental woodturning techniques, including proper tool handling, methods for shaping wood, and essential lathe safety practices. After a brief demonstration, students will practice these techniques hands-on before creating two unique wine bottle stoppers to take home.
With step-by-step guidance from an expert woodturner, participants will gain confidence in using the lathe and exploring their creativity.
No prior experience is necessary, and all materials are provided!

The Windgate Art School is generously supported by the Windgate Foundation with additional support from Sherry Worthen in memory of George Worthen.
Windgate Art School’s Reduced Tuition Program is supported by Michael Laughter. Reduced tuition is automatically applied to all classes through 2025.
Bottle stoppers by Kim Fifer.

"The Tempest" by William Shakespeare
2025-07-10 19:30 - 21:00, 2025-07-11 19:30 - 21:00, 2025-07-12 14:00 - 15:30, 2025-07-13 14:00 - 15:30
In this classic tale of a shipwreck set on a remote island filled with monsters, fairies, court jesters, drunken butlers, and young lovers, the exiled Duke of Milan, Prospero, conjures a mighty storm to shipwreck his enemies.
Will he seek revenge, or will forgiveness prove the greater power? This fast-paced, spectacle-driven adaptation by SHAKE sets out to prove that “we are such stuff as dreams are made on.”
Blending music, live foley, improvisation, puppetry, and audience interaction, this production delivers a Shakespearean experience like no other that will captivate audiences aged 12 and up.
“The island is full of noises and sweet airs, that delight, and hurt not.”
Children’s Theatre and Performing Arts programs are supported in part by the Shubert Foundation and the Alice L. Walton Foundation.

Art For Two: Pottery on the Wheel (SOLD OUT)
2025-07-11 18:00 - 21:00
Learn how to throw pottery on a wheel!
Art For Two is the perfect one-night class experience for two where you each take home a finished piece. Class materials, a charcuterie board, and refreshments are included, no skills required – just come ready to create, unwind, and add some artistic spark to your evening.
Your creations will be fired and ready for pick up approximately four weeks after the class.

The Windgate Art School is generously supported by the Windgate Foundation with additional support from Sherry Worthen in memory of George Worthen.
Windgate Art School’s Reduced Tuition Program is supported by Michael Laughter. Reduced tuition is automatically applied to all classes through 2025.

Art for Two: Punched Pendants
2025-07-11 18:00 - 21:00
Discover how to transform brass and copper into a new layered pendant! Learn simple metalsmithing techniques to cut discs, drill holes, and add custom texture to your piece using disc-cutters, hammers, and stamps.
Art For Two is the perfect one-night class experience for two where you each take home a finished piece. Class materials, a charcuterie board, and refreshments are included, no skills required – just come ready to create, unwind, and add some artistic spark to your evening.

The Windgate Art School is generously supported by the Windgate Foundation with additional support from Sherry Worthen in memory of George Worthen.
Windgate Art School’s Reduced Tuition Program is supported by Michael Laughter. Reduced tuition is automatically applied to all classes through 2025.
Pendants by Myriam Saavedra.

Puppetry Masterclass with Josh Rice
2025-07-12 10:30 - 12:30
Unleash your creativity in this fun, hands-on exploration of puppetry with Josh Rice, a creative force in the world of contemporary puppet theatre! Aspiring puppeteers aged 16 and up will enjoy an inside look at Rice’s processes and take inspiration from his work to create something new.
About Josh Rice
Rice is the co-founder and Producing Artistic Director of SHAKE, as well as the founder of the New York State Puppet Festival. He is also a recipient of a 2024 Jim Henson Foundation Production Grant.
His current production Kayfabe, a puppet wrestling entertainment spectacular, explores the crossroads of traditional forms of puppetry and popular culture.

Children’s Theatre and Performing Arts programs are supported in part by the Shubert Foundation and the Alice L. Walton Foundation.
Photo by Kat Kuo.

Figure Drawing Workshop
2025-07-12 13:00 - 16:00
Explore masterful figurative artworks in the AMFA galleries and draw your own figurative work of art. An expert artist will lead you through the AMFA galleries to view select artworks in person, and then return to the studio in AMFA’s Windgate Art School to instruct techniques of figurative drawing in this hands-on workshop.
Working with a live model, learn how to capture form, light, shadow, and texture. This is a perfect one-day workshop for all skill levels and interests to develop figurative drawing skills!

The Windgate Art School is generously supported by the Windgate Foundation with additional support from Sherry Worthen in memory of George Worthen.
Windgate Art School’s Reduced Tuition Program is supported by Michael Laughter. Reduced tuition is automatically applied to all classes through 2025.
Image courtesy of Jason Masters.
