Architecture and Design Network Lecture Series: David Hill
2026-02-10 17:30 - 19:00 (America/Chicago)
The mission of the Architecture and Design Network (ADN) is to educate the public about architecture, design, and related disciplines and the ways in which their practice shapes communities and affects people’s lives.
In this free lecture entitled “Dawdling and Dallying,” you are invited to hear from David Hill, Founding Principal of HILLWORKS. Hill will discuss select Hillworks projects that emerged from an intentional engagement with time. Through three case studies–focused on seasonal, regenerative, and storied time–he will explore how dawdling, dallying, and careful attention can open up new ways of thinking about architectural process and place.
Before the lecture, enjoy a short reception from 5:30-6:00 p.m. in the Atrium. The lecture begins at 6:00 p.m. in the Governor Winthrop Rockefeller Lecture Hall.
About David Hill
David is a registered architect, registered landscape architect, founder of HILLWORKS, and Professor in the Landscape Architecture Program at Auburn University (not to mention a proud father of three). This rich relationship between education and practice offers a wide spectrum of opportunities for David to advance disciplinary research. Born and raised in a plant nursery in South Georgia, David developed a deep affinity for plants and an early admiration for the rich, working landscape of the south. After 15 years of experience, this fascination with cultural and productive landscapes continues to impact how David unpacks site histories and explores design opportunities.
Prior to founding HILLWORKS, David helped unearth post-industrial landscapes as an Associate, and later a Principal, of D.I.R.T studio where he managed projects such as Urban Outfitters Headquarters at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Hardberger Park in San Antonio Texas, the Historic Pabst Brewery in Milwaukee Wisconsin, and the Holy Cross Project in New Orleans Louisiana. David’s work through D.I.R.T. and HILLWORKS has received regional and national awards in design and research. David lectures regularly at universities, symposia, and conferences.
David graduated from Georgia Tech University with a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and earned a Master in Landscape Architecture and Master in Architecture from the University of Virginia.

Art Insights: Unnatural Habitats
2026-02-12 18:00 - 19:00
Experience an evening that bridges art, ecology, and wildlife.
Artist Lori Larusso kicks off the evening with a presentation on her exhibition, A Paradox of Plenty, where her paintings reflect on urban expansion, consumer culture, and how animals adapt to these ecosystems.
In conversation with Dr. Laura Bernstein-Kurtycz from the Little Rock Zoo and Leslie Cooper from Quail Forever, Larusso reveals how her scenes of playful juxtapositions reframe how we see modern life and cohabitation with animals.
Before the conversation begins, stop by the Atrium from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. for a special meet-and-great with the Little Rock Zoo’s animal ambassadors. After the event concludes, enjoy a meet-and-greet with Larusso at the AMFA Museum Store and pick up a signed copy of her exhibition catalog.

Lori Larusso: A Paradox of Plenty is supported in part by The Brown Foundation, Inc. of Houston.
This exhibition is organized by the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.
The catalog for Lori Larusso: A Paradox of Plenty is supported in part by the Great Meadows Foundation.

Image courtesy of Jason Masters.

Art Insights: Aging Well
2026-02-26 18:00 - 19:00
Re-imagine what it means to age well in this inspiring conversation that considers how movement, art, and mindfulness can strengthen the body, renew focus, and nurture social connection.
Presented in connection with AMFA’s exhibition A Month of Sundays: Art and the Persistence of Time, this event highlights the expertise of four speakers – Dr. Catherine Crisp, Garbo Hearne, Rebecca Schrock, and Sarah Thomas – who will share insights on how creative activities can sustain vitality and joy throughout the aging process.
Drawing on the exhibition’s themes of time, aging, and reflection, explore how creativity and mindfulness can support not only longevity, but a fuller life at every age.

The Mid-South Cohort, a multi-year, multi-institutional exhibition partnership formed by the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, in collaboration with the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, the Birmingham Museum of Art, Fisk University Art Gallery, and the Mississippi Museum of Art, is made possible by the Art Bridges Cohort Program. This exhibition was organized by the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.

Image courtesy of Jason Masters.

Architecture and Design Network Lecture Series: Nerin Kadribegovic
2026-03-03 17:30 - 19:00
The mission of the Architecture and Design Network (ADN) is to educate the public about architecture, design, and related disciplines and the ways in which their practice shapes communities and affects people’s lives.
In this free lecture entitled “From Blight to Bright,” you are invited to hear from Nerin Kadribegovic, Founder and Principal of Kadre Architects. Through a deep dive into California’s housing insecurity – examining how we got here, and the ways we are moving forward – his talk will center around Kadre’s solutions for the housing crisis including temporary, interim, permanent housing projects and important community support spaces. Many of the constructed projects and the designs currently in construction examine community impact and set aggressive sustainability goals.
Before the lecture, enjoy a short reception from 5:30-6:00 p.m. in the Atrium. The lecture begins at 6:00 p.m. in the Governor Winthrop Rockefeller Lecture Hall.
About Nerin Kadribegovic
Nerin Kadribegovic’s passion for navigating complex design problems, especially where economy is of paramount importance, captures an eye for beauty and design, notably in social cause, that results in unconventional, award-winning solutions. Obsessed with artfully directing natural light to create nuanced, playful moments, he ushers a spirit of dignity into places, where least expected, through the aesthetic design opportunity.
A third-generation architect who endured displacement as a refugee of the wars in Yugoslavia and Bosnia, Nerin has directly experienced the impact of chaotic social and environmental disruption on people and society. This alert awareness evokes deep empathic connection to critical issues facing metropolitan urban centers around the world gripped by environmental or socioeconomic crises.
The wartime reality imposed a fragility on life and shelter, that ignited his resolve in dissolving obstacles. Protecting a broken community, Nerin developed the uncanny ability to transform whatever material was at one’s disposal into something of functionality, beauty and meaning. Instilling hope and safety during hardship has become second nature, embedded into his mindset, both in design and leadership for social cause.
Prior to launching Kadre, Nerin was a partner at the award-winning firm of Lehrer Architects. When the pandemic brought needed urgency to protect Los Angeles’s most vulnerable population, Nerin led passionately in creating a template for tackling and ameliorating the city’s 60,000-person homelessness issue. During the height of the health crisis, he led the team through an accelerated, aggressive timeline to provide bridge housing. His designs – in collaboration with the City government, first on the AETNA Bridge Home, followed by designs for Tiny Home Villages – now serve as the lodestar to ending the homeless crisis in the City of Los Angeles. These projects have raised and set the City’s design standards for sheltering the homeless.

Photo by Paul Vu.

Art Insights: "True Grit"
2026-03-19 18:00 - 19:00
Explore the enduring legacy of Charles Portis’s novel True Grit with artist Tim Youd and writer Jay Jennings while A Month of Sundays: Art and the Persistence of Time is on view at AMFA.
Youd’s 100 Novels Project has taken him around the country in his practice of retyping 100 works of American literature, a durational project rooted in the love of reading and reflection.
As he prepares to retype True Grit at AMFA, Youd joins Jennings to reflect on the life and wit of Charles Portis, the humor and humanity that define his writing, the significance of True Grit, and the deep connection between the novel, the author, and Little Rock.
ARTWORK: Cover of True Grit (detail), 1968, cover design by Paul Davis.

The Mid-South Cohort, a multi-year, multi-institutional exhibition partnership formed by the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, in collaboration with the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, the Birmingham Museum of Art, Fisk University Art Gallery, and the Mississippi Museum of Art, is made possible by the Art Bridges Cohort Program. This exhibition was organized by the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.

Beads in Time: A Presentation by Sage & Tom Holland
2026-03-20 16:00 - 17:30
Join glass artists Sage and Tom Holland for a presentation that traces the history of glass beadmaking from its earliest beginnings to the 20th century, sharing findings from decades of their studio practice and historical research.
Their work, which informs many of the workshops they teach, introduces time-honored techniques in glass flameworking and encourages other makers to develop contemporary designs through careful skill and thoughtful application.
Following this special presentation, Sage and Tom Holland are leading an advanced glass beadmaking workshop on March 21 & 22 in AMFA’s Windgate Art School. To learn more and sign up, visit the class registration portal.

The Windgate Art School is generously supported in part by the Windgate Foundation with additional support from Sherry Worthen in memory of George Worthen.
The Windgate Art School’s Reduced Tuition Program is supported in part by Michael Laughter. Reduced tuition is automatically applied on all classes through 2026.
Photo courtesy of the artists.

Art Insights: Mindful Living
2026-04-09 18:00 - 19:00
Pause, breathe, and reconnect with the present in a conversation that considers how mindfulness and creativity can shape a more intentional, balanced approach to life.
Through discussion and guided reflection, three scholars and practitioners will explore how practices such as meditation, movement, and creative expression can quiet the mind, reduce stress, and awaken awareness:

Dr. Gina Drobena, a board-certified clinical pathologist
Kerri Michael, a holistic therapist and yoga teacher
Dr. Pele Yu, co-founder of the UAMS Mindfulness Program

Rooted in the spirit of AMFA’s exhibition A Month of Sundays: Art and the Persistence of Time, this program offers space to slow down, center attention in the moment, and discover pathways to better well-being.

The Mid-South Cohort, a multi-year, multi-institutional exhibition partnership formed by the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, in collaboration with the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, the Birmingham Museum of Art, Fisk University Art Gallery, and the Mississippi Museum of Art, is made possible by the Art Bridges Cohort Program. This exhibition was organized by the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.

Image courtesy of Jason Masters.

Architecture and Design Network Lecture Series: Peter MacKeith
2026-04-21 17:30 - 19:00
The mission of the Architecture and Design Network (ADN) is to educate the public about architecture, design, and related disciplines and the ways in which their practice shapes communities and affects people’s lives.
In this free lecture, Peter MacKeith, dean and professor at the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the University of Arkansas, shares a consolidated understanding of the school’s work during his tenure and sets a platform for the next dean and their work.
Before the lecture, enjoy a short reception from 5:30-6:00 p.m. in the Atrium. The lecture begins at 6:00 p.m. in the Governor Winthrop Rockefeller Lecture Hall.

Art Insights: Roots and Recipes (SOLD OUT)
2026-04-23 18:00 - 20:00
This event is now sold out. Please check out our next food event Art Insights: A Shared Table.
Celebrate the launch of artist Laura Tanner’s AMFA residency and participate in her community-driven project, Dish – an exploration of food, memory, and place.
Making connections with AMFA’s exhibition A Month of Sundays: Art and the Persistence of Time, Tanner shares how her creative process transforms shared recipes and stories into art that reflects the rituals of cooking, gathering, and traditions.
Local chefs join the conversation to discuss how Arkansas ingredients and culinary heritage shape their own work, then invite attendees to savor small bites from their restaurants in the Atrium after the conversation concludes.
Featured Restaurants:

Brave New Restaurant
Park Grill
The Faded Rose
The Root Cafe
Trios Restaurant

Art Insights: Roots and Recipes with Laura Tanner is supported in part by the John and Robyn Horn Foundation and Art Bridges.
The Mid-South Cohort, a multi-year, multi-institutional exhibition partnership formed by the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, in collaboration with the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, the Birmingham Museum of Art, Fisk University Art Gallery, and the Mississippi Museum of Art, is made possible by the Art Bridges Cohort Program. This exhibition was organized by the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.

ARTWORK: Laura Tanner (Atlanta, Georgia, 1987 – ), Stacked II (Miami, FL) (detail), 2023, ink and gouache on hand-cut Mylar, 54 x 86 in., Courtesy of the artist.

Architecture and Design Network Lecture Series: Herron Horton Architects
2026-05-05 17:30 - 19:00
The mission of the Architecture and Design Network (ADN) is to educate the public about architecture, design, and related disciplines and the ways in which their practice shapes communities and affects people’s lives.
This lecture features Jennifer Herron and Jeff Horton of Herron Horton Architects, based in Little Rock, Arkansas. Their award-winning portfolio spans residential and commercial architecture, earning national recognition for their distinctive modern aesthetic that seamlessly blends functionality with artistic vision.
Go inside a semester-long creative collaboration where fine art, interior design, and spatial thinking converged. During their spring residency at the University of Central Arkansas, Herron and Horton led coursework, mentored students in a studio setting, and worked alongside emerging designers as ideas moved from concept to installation.
This event extends that experience through a panel-style conversation examining the intersection of architecture and fine art, the ways those disciplines informed the residency, and the creative and educational impact the process had on the students involved.
Before the lecture, enjoy a short reception from 5:30-6:00 p.m. in the Atrium. The lecture begins at 6:00 p.m. in the Amerine/Calhoun Glass Box.

Art Insights: Deep Time
2026-05-07 18:00 - 19:00
Slow down and reflect on how art reshapes our sense of time as AMFA Curator Dr. Jennifer Jankauskas leads a thought-provoking panel discussion on the AMFA exhibition A Month of Sundays: Art and the Persistence of Time.
Panelists Dr. Paige Ford, Dr. René A. Shroat-Lewis, Susan Sims Smith, and Jennifer Wiseman will explore how artists and thinkers – from anthropologists to astronomers – reveal the diverse ways we perceive and imagine time.
Together, they invite us to look beyond the rush of daily life to consider how creativity across disciplines can expand our perspective of moments, memories, and generations.

The Mid-South Cohort, a multi-year, multi-institutional exhibition partnership formed by the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, in collaboration with the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, the Birmingham Museum of Art, Fisk University Art Gallery, and the Mississippi Museum of Art, is made possible by the Art Bridges Cohort Program. This exhibition was organized by the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.

Image courtesy of Jason Masters.

Art Insights: A Shared Table (SOLD OUT)
2026-05-28 18:00 - 20:00
Experience the next chapter of AMFA Artist-in-Residence Laura Tanner’s community-driven project, Dish – an exploration of food, memory, and place.
Tanner shares stories and recipes from her first visit before inviting local chefs to the stage to discusses the inspirations behind their most popular dishes, revealing how experiences, traditions, and community can be found in every bite.
Following the discussion, savor small bites from the following restaurants in the Atrium:

42 Bar and Table
Back Home Barbecue
El Sur Street Food Co
Park Grill
Raduno Brick Oven & Barroom

Art Insights: A Shared Table with Laura Tanner is supported in part by the John and Robyn Horn Foundation and Art Bridges.

ARTWORK: Laura Tanner (Atlanta, Georgia, 1987 – ), Dish (detail), 2022, ink drawing on hand-cut Mylar, 72 x 120 in., Courtesy of the artist.

Micheaux Award & Film Labs Wednesday Spins Social
2026-06-17 18:00 - 19:00
Celebrate Black storytelling, creativity, and the future of film at an exciting panel discussion hosted by the Micheaux Award & Film Labs in partnership with AMFA.
This dynamic conversation will feature leaders from Netflix, independent film, and award-winning documentaries discussing representation, creative careers, and the power of media to shape culture.
Featured Panelists Include:

Deshaun Artis — Director of Community Marketing & Experiences, Netflix
Arlo Washington — Founder, Academy Award Nominee (The Barber of Little Rock)
SeJames Humphrey — Producer, Actor & Writer (Nice Guys Finish Last)

About the Micheaux Award & Film Labs
The Micheaux Award & Film Labs (MAFL) are designed to promote creative and professional development for filmmakers of color through two initiatives: The Micheaux Award, which distributes funds annually to filmmakers of color; and The Micheaux Labs, which facilitates year-round education and social events that support Arkansas creative communities.
MAFL encourages diverse content creation, equip creatives of color to tell their own stories, and cultivate audiences that are truly reflective of our communities.

This is an official Juneteenth in Da Rock affiliate event.

Art Insights: Will Barnet's "Seasons of Life"
2026-07-09 18:00 - 19:00
Will Barnet, a leading American painter and printmaker, is known for his distinctive style and meditative works. With his series Seasons of Life now on view at the Museum, get to know Barnet and the stories behind his work with Bill Meek, Director Emeritus of the Harmon-Meek Gallery and a close friend of the artist.
In conversation with Dr. Catherine Walworth, AMFA’s Jackye and Curtis Finch, Jr., Curator of Drawings, Meek shares insights into Barnet’s life and work, drawing on a decades-long relationship with the artist.
Together, they reflect on Barnet’s evolving practice and how he moved between abstraction and representation while continually returning to themes of family and time.
Circle Society Donors enjoy a complimentary drink during an intimate reception before this event.

Will Barnet: Seasons of Life is supported in part by Jackye and Curtis Finch Jr.
The Museum extends its deepest gratitude to Jackye and Curtis Finch for their commitment to the growth of the AMFA Foundation Collection, and for their ongoing role in supporting the acquisition of works by Will Barnet.
This exhibition is organized by the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.
ARTWORK: Will Barnet (Beverly, Massachusetts, 1911 – 2012, New York, New York), Silent Seasons, Autumn (detail), 1969, lithograph on paper, 29 3/4 x 22 in., Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts Foundation Collection: Purchase, Tabriz Fund and Museum Purchase Plan of the NEA. 1971.009.011.1.

Art Insights: Playing Dead (SOLD OUT)
2026-07-15 18:00 - 19:30
Explore the wit, resilience, and power of Shakespeare’s women with the author of Performing Shakespeare’s Women: Playing Dead – noted Shakespeare scholar, Dr. Paige Martin Reynolds.
In this engaging conversation, Reynolds examines comic heroines and tragic visionaries and how these classic characters navigate performance, silence, agency, and identity. Live performances of iconic scenes by local and SHAKE Theatre actors will illuminate the discussion.
The conversation will be moderated by Dr. Pilar McKay, Managing Director of SHAKE Theatre of New York and a seasoned theatre leader, entrepreneur, artist, and strategist.
AMFA Members receive a complimentary drink at this event, with additional refreshments available for purchase.
Not an AMFA Member? Join today for access to this and other exclusive Member benefits. Call the membership team at 501.372.4000 for more information.

Photo by Keith Pattison © RSC
