"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 (America/Chicago)
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.

Creative Saturdays
2025-07-12 10:00 - 13:00
Experiment with bold lines, bright colors, and playful patterns during this free art-making activity in AMFA’s Windgate Art School hosted by Mid-Southern Watercolorists.
Take inspiration from the detailed drawings on view in the 64th Young Arkansas Artists exhibition to create your own vibrant composition that pops with personality and design using ink and watercolor.
About Mid-Southern Watercolorists
Mid-Southern Watercolorists (MSW) is a non-profit organization incorporated in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1970. It was founded by five artists: Doris Williamson Mapes, Bruce R. Anderson, Josephine Graham, Edwin C. Brewer, and Catherine Tharp Altvater. The organization has approximately 200 members in 13 states, Puerto Rico, and Japan.
Their goal is to enrich the stature of watermedia and encourage the recognition of its significance in our culture. This organization furthers the interest of painters and patrons by its programs and by its competitive and non-competitive exhibits. It also provides opportunities for study by art students and others engaged in art making and in appreciation of arts.

Creative Saturdays are supported in part by the Alice L. Walton Foundation.
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 in part by Michael Laughter. Reduced tuition is automatically applied on all classes through 2025.
The 64th Young Arkansas Artists exhibition and awards are supported in part by the Alice L. Walton Foundation, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, and Delaware North and the Jacobs Family, with additional support from Mid-Southern Watercolorists.
Redeemable coupons awarded to the 64th Young Arkansas Artists exhibition honorable mention and best-in-class winners are provided by Blick Art Materials.
Image coutesy of Jason Masters.

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.

Art Start
2025-07-16 10:30 - 11:30
Explore the hidden connections between nature and daily life with a reading of Outside In, a poetic story about the ever-present outdoors. Inspired by AMFA’s exhibition The Long View: From Conservation to Sustainability, this session invites children to construct a recycled 3D landscape project, using repurposed materials to recreate nature through art.
Art Start is an early reader program that pairs children’s books with art activities, inviting toddlers and preschool students to learn through reading, imaginative play, and art-making.
This free program welcomes parents, grandparents, caregivers, and our youngest patrons to drop in and explore with us – no reservations required!

Art Start is supported in part by the Alice L. Walton Foundation and Walmart Spark Good.
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.

Family Fest: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
2025-07-19 10:00 - 13:00
Discover imaginative ways to extend the life of everyday items and learn how local organizations are working to protect natural spaces at this fun family festival presented in partnership with the Little Rock Sustainability Office.
Create fused plastic earrings and keychains, transform upcycled materials into botanical-inspired art, or draw with natural charcoal while learning how to make your own unique creations.
Watch artist Aurora Robson as she demonstrates her process of turning discarded plastics into intricate sculptures. Enjoy live music with homemade instruments and explore how creativity can spark a more thoughtful, resourceful, and sustainable world.
Experience how creativity can spark a more thoughtful, resourceful, and sustainable world inspired by The Long View: From Conservation to Sustainability: Works from the Bank of America Collection, on view at AMFA from June 13 to August 31, 2025.

Family Fest: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is supported in part by the Alice L. Walton Foundation.
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.
Image courtesy of Jason Masters.

Art Start
2025-07-22 10:30 - 11:30, 2025-07-30 10:30 - 11:30
Step into a world of style and self-expression with Mary Had a Little Glam, a fun twist on a classic rhyme where Mary adds flair everywhere she goes. Inspired by photography on view in AMFA’s exhibition Kwame Brathwaite: The 1970s, this session encourages children to explore creativity through design.
After the reading, they will use fashion plates to create their own miniature outfit designs, bringing their stylish ideas to life.
Art Start is an early reader program that pairs children’s books with art activities, inviting toddlers and preschool students to learn through reading, imaginative play, and art-making.
This free program welcomes parents, grandparents, caregivers, and our youngest patrons to drop in and explore with us – no reservations required!

Art Start is supported in part by the Alice L. Walton Foundation and Walmart Spark Good.
Kwame Brathwaite: The 1970s is organized by the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.

Creative Saturdays with Art Start
2025-07-26 10:00 - 13:00
Step into the world of Hans Op de Beeck and design your own miniature room! Inspired by the artist’s film Staging Silence (3) on view in the Galleries, build and decorate your own small-scale room, complete with walls, furniture, and decor – all crafted from art supplies.
At Creative Saturdays, guests of all ages and abilities are welcome. Just drop in and enjoy a free, family-friendly art-making activity in AMFA’s Windgate Art School – no registration required!
For preschool-aged children, do not miss Art Start at 10:30 a.m. in the Amerine/Calhoun Glass Box, where there will be a playful live reading of Mary had a Little Glam by Tammi Sauer. After story time, young artists will use fashion plates to create their own miniature outfit designs and bring their stylish ideas to life.

Creative Saturdays with Art Start is supported in part by the Alice L. Walton Foundation and Walmart Spark Good.
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 in part by Michael Laughter. Reduced tuition is automatically applied on all classes through 2025.
Staging Silence (3): Hans Op de Beeck is organized by the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.

Creative Saturdays
2025-08-02 10:00 - 13:00
Kick off the school year with a custom journal! Design and print your own cover using fun patterns and colors. Create a journal to reflect your style and make it the perfect place for notes, sketches, and ideas all year long.
At Creative Saturdays, guests of all ages and abilities are welcome. Just drop in and enjoy a free, family-friendly art-making activity in AMFA’s Windgate Art School – no registration required!

Creative Saturdays are supported in part by the Alice L. Walton Foundation.
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 in part by Michael Laughter. Reduced tuition is automatically applied on all classes through 2025.

Art Start
2025-08-05 10:30 - 11:30, 2025-08-13 10:30 - 11:30
Immerse yourself in the rhythms of nature with Worm Weather, a delightful story about rainy-day adventures. Inspired by artist Natalie Miebach’s weather-driven art installation Under A Restless Sky, this session connects weather, art, and sound. We will create and decorate rain shakers, then bring the story to life by using them during the reading.
Art Start is an early reader program that pairs children’s books with art activities, inviting toddlers and preschool students to learn through reading, imaginative play, and art-making.
This free program welcomes parents, grandparents, caregivers, and our youngest patrons to drop in and explore with us – no reservations required!

Art Start is supported in part by the Alice L. Walton Foundation and Walmart Spark Good.
Nathalie Miebach: Under A Restless Sky is supported in part by The Brown Foundation, Inc. of Houston.
This exhibition is organized by the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.

Family Fest: Art in Bloom
2025-08-09 10:00 - 13:00
Experience a day where art and gardens come together through hands-on artmaking in partnership with Little Rock Master Gardeners and Tipton & Hurst.
Inspired by the works on view in The Long View: From Conservation to Sustainability: Works from the Bank of America Collection, explore the Museum and enjoy a variety of free activities:

Create botanical arrangements to serve as your muse for a drawing or painting in the Flex Studio.
Learn how to make prints using flowers in the Drawing Studio.
Experiment with wheel throwing and hand building in the Ceramics Wheel Studio.
Build a wooden pendant in the Ceramics Hand Studio.
Sculpt decorative flowers in the Metals Studio.
Watch a torch flamework demonstration in the Glass Studio.
Design and decorate a flower pot while listening to bluegrass music performed by Country Breakfast in the Cultural Living Room.

Family Fest: Art in Bloom is supported in part by the Alice L. Walton Foundation. In-kind support is provided by Tipton & Hurst.
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.
Image courtesy of Jason Masters.

Creative Saturdays
2025-08-16 10:00 - 13:00
Inspired by Nathalie Miebach’s installation Under A Restless Sky – which explores weather, maps, and layering materials together – this Creative Saturdays art project invites you to create an abstract topography map. Using colorful foam sheets, build a 3D piece that brings the dynamic world of weather patterns and terrain to life in a tactile, fun way.
At Creative Saturdays, guests of all ages and abilities are welcome. Just drop in and enjoy a free, family-friendly art-making activity in AMFA’s Windgate Art School – no registration required!

Creative Saturdays are supported in part by the Alice L. Walton Foundation.
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 in part by Michael Laughter. Reduced tuition is automatically applied on all classes through 2025.
Nathalie Miebach: Under A Restless Sky is supported in part by The Brown Foundation, Inc. of Houston.
This exhibition is organized by the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.

Art Start
2025-08-19 10:30 - 11:30, 2025-08-27 10:30 - 11:30
Before AMFA’s exhibition The Long View: From Conservation to Sustainability closes, we invite you to celebrate with this special story and art-making experience!
Join us for a reading of Be a Tree!, a book that explores the beauty and importance of trees in our world. We will use natural materials to create artwork, reflecting on our connection to nature and the role we play in protecting it.
Art Start is an early reader program that pairs children’s books with art activities, inviting toddlers and preschool students to learn through reading, imaginative play, and art-making.
This free program welcomes parents, grandparents, caregivers, and our youngest patrons to drop in and explore with us – no reservations required!

Art Start is supported in part by the Alice L. Walton Foundation and Walmart Spark Good.
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.

Creative Saturdays
2025-08-23 10:00 - 13:00
Inspired by the work on view in AMFA’s exhibition Lori Larusso: Paradox of Plenty, create and cut out your favorite character, animal, or shape. Afterwards, transform your artwork into a movable figure, perfect for bringing stories to life.
At Creative Saturdays, guests of all ages and abilities are welcome. Just drop in and enjoy a free, family-friendly art-making activity in AMFA’s Windgate Art School – no registration required!

Creative Saturdays are supported in part by the Alice L. Walton Foundation.
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 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 in part by Michael Laughter. Reduced tuition is automatically applied on all classes through 2025.

Creative Saturdays with Art Start
2025-08-30 10:00 - 13:00
Before AMFA’s exhibition The Long View: From Conservation to Sustainability closes, we invite you to create art inspired by the works on view! Using recycled cardboard, design an abstract collage that layers shapes, textures, and colors into one-of-a-kind composition.
At Creative Saturdays, guests of all ages and abilities are welcome. Just drop in and enjoy a free, family-friendly art-making activity in AMFA’s Windgate Art School – no registration required!
For preschool-aged children, do not miss Art Start at 10:30 a.m. in the Amerine/Calhoun Glass Box, where there will be a playful live reading of Be A Tree! by Maria Gianferrari. After story time, young artists can use natural materials to create an artwork that explores the beauty of trees.
This event is hosted in partnership with the North Little Rock Public Library System.
About the North Little Rock Public Library System
The North Little Rock Public Library System comprises three libraries in North Little Rock: the William F. Laman Public Library located at 2801 Orange Street, Argenta Public Library at 420 Main Street, and the Neighborhood Library Rover – a mobile library that provides library services in the North Little Rock city limits. The Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub joined NLRPLS in January 2025.
These libraries serve the community as valuable resources, offering art galleries and diverse circulating collections that include tools, cooking equipment, telescopes, hotspots, and more. Additionally, the North Little Rock Public Library System provides a wide variety of free programs and resources for all ages, including the Studio at Laman, a space equipped with sewing machines, Cricuts, embroidery machines, and other creative tools for aspiring creators.

Creative Saturdays with Art Start is supported in part by the Alice L. Walton Foundation and Walmart Spark Good.
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.
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 in part by Michael Laughter. Reduced tuition is automatically applied on all classes through 2025.

Art Start
2025-09-02 10:30 - 11:30, 2025-09-10 10:30 - 11:30
Join us for a reading of The Color Monster, a book that explores emotions through color. Then, create a pastel resist painting inspired by the bold and expressive colors found in Kwame Brathwaite: The 1970s.
Art Start is an early reader program that pairs children’s books with art activities, inviting toddlers and preschool students to learn through reading, imaginative play, and art-making.
This free program welcomes parents, grandparents, caregivers, and our youngest patrons to drop in and explore with us – no reservations required!

Art Start is supported in part by the Alice L. Walton Foundation and Walmart Spark Good.
Kwame Braithwaite: The 1970s is organized by the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.

Art Start
2025-09-02 10:30 - 11:30, 2025-09-10 10:30 - 11:30
Join us for a reading of The Color Monster, a book that explores emotions through color. Then, create a pastel resist painting inspired by the bold and expressive colors found in Kwame Brathwaite: The 1970s.
Art Start is an early reader program that pairs children’s books with art activities, inviting toddlers and preschool students to learn through reading, imaginative play, and art-making.
This free program welcomes parents, grandparents, caregivers, and our youngest patrons to drop in and explore with us – no reservations required!

Art Start is supported in part by the Alice L. Walton Foundation and Walmart Spark Good.
Kwame Brathwaite: The 1970s is organized by the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts

Creative Saturdays
2025-09-06 10:00 - 13:00
Spark your creativity by painting on miniature canvases! Take inspiration from the work of artists in the AMFA Art Market to design your own small-scale painting using acrylic markers.
At Creative Saturdays, guests of all ages and abilities are welcome. Just drop in and enjoy a free, family-friendly art-making activity in AMFA’s Windgate Art School – no registration required!

Creative Saturdays are supported in part by the Alice L. Walton Foundation.
The AMFA Art Market is supported in part by AMFA Foundation with media sponsors At Home in Arkansas and Little Rock Soirée.
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 in part by Michael Laughter. Reduced tuition is automatically applied on all classes through 2025.
Image courtesy of Jason Masters.

Youth Audition Workshop (Grades 3-5)
2025-09-13 10:00 - 13:00
Take the mystery out of auditioning with this workshop! Explore vocal techniques, review dance steps, practice cold readings and monologues, and more. Then, perform a mock audition to walk through the process from start to finish.

Wear comfortable clothing for movement. All skill levels are welcome.

Youth Audition Workshop (Grades 6-8)
2025-09-13 10:00 - 13:00

Creative Saturdays
2025-09-13 10:00 - 13:00
Celebrate self-expression and style inspired by AMFA’s exhibition Kwame Brathwaite: The 1970s! Create a self-portrait that highlights your unique look and personality, then display it in a bold, patterned frame reminiscent of the vibrant era.
At Creative Saturdays, guests of all ages and abilities are welcome. Just drop in and enjoy a free, family-friendly art-making activity in AMFA’s Windgate Art School – no registration required!

Creative Saturdays are supported in part by the Alice L. Walton Foundation.
Kwame Brathwaite: The 1970s is organized by the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.
This exhibition is organized by the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.
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 in part by Michael Laughter. Reduced tuition is automatically applied on all classes through 2025.
Image courtesy of Jason Masters.

Art Start
2025-09-16 10:30 - 11:30
Join us for a reading of Construction, a book that captures the excitement of making something new. After story time, create collage houses using mixed media materials that reflect the quiet, dreamlike world of Staging Silence (3) by Hans Op de Beek.
Art Start is an early reader program that pairs children’s books with art activities, inviting toddlers and preschool students to learn through reading, imaginative play, and art-making.
This free program welcomes parents, grandparents, caregivers, and our youngest patrons to drop in and explore with us – no reservations required!

Art Start is supported in part by the Alice L. Walton Foundation and Walmart Spark Good.
Staging Silence (3): Hans Op de Beeck is organized by the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.
