Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts

Studio Saturday
2025-01-04 10:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago)
Stop by AMFA’s Windgate Art School to explore, create, and be inspired! Open to all ages and skill levels, this event invites you to come as you are and immerse yourself in the elegance of Art Nouveau across a variety of mediums.

With guidance from our expert faculty and access to every studio, you will discover new techniques, express your creativity, and enjoy a welcoming space. Instructors will be on hand to answer questions about upcoming art classes and help you pick out the perfect programs for you and your family.

Ceramics Studio: Try hand-building or potter’s wheel throwing.

Wood Studio: Create custom keychains using wood veneers.

Glass Studio: Try out torchwork (18+, waiver required).

Metals Studio: Design stamped keyrings.

Drawing Studio: Draw with an Art Nouveau model in traditional or digital media.

Studio Saturday is supported in part by the Windgate Foundation.
The Windgate Art School is generously supported in part 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 Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art is presented by Terri and Chuck Erwin.
The Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art is organized by the Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Virginia, and toured by International Arts & Artists, Washington, D.C.

Creative Saturdays
2025-01-04 10:00 - 13:00
Start your weekend with free art-making fun for all ages and skill levels in AMFA’s Windgate Art School!
Inspired by the natural beauty in AMFA’s exhibition The Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art, this Creative Saturdays activity invites you to explore the relationship between nature and artistic expression – a hallmark of the Art Nouveau movement.
By closely observing botanicals, use your imagination to create expressive works of art that celebrate the flowing lines, intricate patterns, and organic forms of nature. Using watercolor and mixed media, bring the vibrant colors, elegant details, and sinuous lines of the natural world to life.

Creative Saturdays are supported 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 Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art is presented by Terri and Chuck Erwin.
The Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art is organized by the Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Virginia, and toured by International Arts & Artists, Washington, D.C.

Image courtesy of Jason Masters.

Gallery Tour
2025-01-04 10:30 - 11:30, 2025-01-18 10:30 - 11:30, 2025-01-25 10:30 - 11:30
Drop in and discover AMFA with a free docent-led tour through the galleries!
With this fun, engaging, and memorable experience, guests of all ages are invited to explore the art on view while learning how to interpret and appreciate works of art in various media.

Photo by Jason Masters.

Art Start
2025-01-07 10:30 - 11:30, 2025-01-15 10:30 - 11:30
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!
In this session, we are reading Juniper Jupiter and creating superhero masks.

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

Educator Q&A: Young Arkansas Artists
2025-01-09 12:00 - 13:00
Do you have questions about the submission process for AMFA’s 64th Young Arkansas Artists exhibition? Get your questions answered during this virtual Q&A over Zoom!

Educators across Arkansas are invited to hop on, ask questions, and learn more about the exhibition, awards, and more.

The 64th Young Arkansas Artists Exhibition and awards are supported in part by the Alice L. Walton Foundation.

The 64th Young Arkansas Artists Awards Ceremony is supported by the Alice L. Walton Foundation.

The 64th Young Arkansas Artists Exhibition awards are supported in part by Arkansas Children’s Hospital 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.

Creative Saturdays
2025-01-11 10:00 - 13:00
Start your weekend with free art-making fun for all ages and skill levels in AMFA’s Windgate Art School!
Step into the world of storytelling by designing your own hero and creating a comic book cover featuring your character. Using a range of mark-making materials, bring your imagination to life by crafting bold new heroes ready to save the day.
This special Creative Saturdays celebrates An Unlikely Hero, AMFA’s upcoming Children’s Theatre production written by Emilio Rodriguez in collaboration with Metro Theater Company and Trike Theater. Get your tickets now to see this superhero story in action!

Creative Saturdays are supported 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.
An Unlikely Hero is supported by the Rebsamen Fund.
Children’s Theatre and Performing Arts programs are supported by The Shubert Foundation and the Alice L. Walton Foundation.
Image courtesy of Jason Masters.

Exhibition Tour with ASL Interpretation: The Triumph of Nature
2025-01-11 10:30 - 11:30
Explore The Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art with a docent-led gallery tour accompanied by an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter!

Take a guided look at several carefully selected works on view and leave with a deeper appreciation of the Art Nouveau movement.

Art Together with ASL Interpretation is supported in part by Judy C Thompson Rev. Trust.
The Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art is presented by Terri and Chuck Erwin.
The Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art is organized by the Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Virginia, and toured by International Arts & Artists, Washington, D.C.

Image courtesy of Jason Masters.

Behind the Curtain with Fergie Philippe
2025-01-15 18:00 - 19:30
Join Broadway star Fergie L. Philippe for an engaging discussion about his journey from summer stock intern to main stage performer!

Philippe comes to AMFA as an Artist-in-Residence to direct An Unlikely Hero having recently trod Broadway’s biggest stages for his roles in Hamilton and Camelot.

Hear backstage stories of Philippe’s recent collaborations with showbiz luminaries like Aaron Sorkin, Jason Robert Brown, and puppet master John Tartaglia. Enjoy brief musical selections from his recent projects and join the conversation – best for ages 16+.

Behind the Curtain with Fergie Philippe is supported in part by the Alice L. Walton Foundation.
An Unlikely Hero is supported by the Rebsamen Fund.
Children’s Theatre and Performing Arts programs are supported by The Shubert Foundation and the Alice L. Walton Foundation.

Drop-in Printmaking
2025-01-15 18:00 - 21:00, 2025-01-22 18:00 - 21:00
Experiment with printmaking during this three-hour drop-in experience at the 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.

Photo by Rachel Cobler.
The Windgate Art School is generously supported by the Windgate Foundation with additional support from Sherry Worthen in memory of George Worthen.

Family Fest: Superhero Saturday
2025-01-18 10:00 - 13:00
Blast off on opening weekend of An Unlikely Hero – a new play all about superheroes coming to the AMFA stage!

Explore family-friendly comics, enjoy art-making activities, and chat with superpowered guest authors and artists. Come dressed as your favorite superhero and join the fun!

Here is the schedule of events:

10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. / Make & Take Art Activities, Superhero Photo Booth, and Comic Book Booths in the Atrium

10:00 – 10:30 a.m. / Superhero Meet & Greet in the Atrium

10:30 a.m. / Art Start – Reading of Juniper Jupiter: A Real-Life Superhero in the Governor Winthrop Rockefeller Lecture Hall

11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. / An Unlikely Hero Cast Meet & Greet in the Atrium

11:45 a.m. / Reading of My Superhero Mom by author F.A. Khan in the Governor Winthrop Rockefeller Lecture Hall

12:00 – 1:00 p.m. / Superhero Meet & Greet in the Atrium

12:15 p.m. / Reading of Baby Super Shoes by author Princess Johnson in the Governor Winthrop Rockefeller Lecture Hall

12:45 p.m. / Reading of Chronicles of the Vanguard by author Malik James in the Governor Winthrop Rockefeller Lecture Hall

Family Fest: Superhero Saturday is supported in part by the Alice L. Walton Foundation.
An Unlikely Hero is supported by the Rebsamen Fund.
Children’s Theatre and Performing Arts programs are supported by The Shubert Foundation and the Alice L. Walton Foundation.
Art Start is supported in part by the Alice L. Walton Foundation and Walmart Spark Good.

An Unlikely Hero
2025-01-18 10:30 - 11:45, 2025-01-18 14:00 - 15:15, 2025-01-19 14:00 - 15:15
Jordan is a regular kid trying to find their way at Haven High, the hero school where superpowers are unlocked. Will a love of comic books finally set Jordan on the path to self-discovery? Surrounded by a school full of superheroes in the making, will Jordan find a way to fit in?
In a world of heroes and villains, finding your way is trickier than it seems.
This rolling world premiere production is part of “With Great Power: The TYA BIPOC Superhero Project,” an unprecedented national partnership involving 22 playwrights and 24 theaters for young audiences dedicated to creating a new generation of plays about heroes for young people.
An Unlikely Hero, written by Emilio Rodriguez, is a joint production between the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, Metro Theater Company, and Trike Theater.
Running Time: 1 hour, 10 minutesRecommended Age: 5 and up

An Unlikely Hero is supported by the Rebsamen Fund.
Children’s Theatre and Performing Arts programs are supported by The Shubert Foundation and the Alice L. Walton Foundation.

Musical Theatre Masterclass with Fergie Philippe
2025-01-19 15:30 - 17:30
Learn from one of Broadway’s best and brightest in an inspiring, hands-on session designed for aspiring performers of all levels!

Join Broadway star and An Unlikely Hero director Fergie Philippe for this unforgettable musical theatre masterclass to gain insider techniques and polish your performance skills.

Students should bring sheet music for their song in the appropriate key.

An Unlikely Hero is supported by the Rebsamen Fund.
Children’s Theatre and Performing Arts programs are supported by The Shubert Foundation and the Alice L. Walton Foundation.
Photo by Joan Marcus courtesy of Business Insider.

Art Start
2025-01-21 10:30 - 11:30
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!
In this session, we are reading Even Superheroes Have Bad Days and creating paper superhero puppets.

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

The Cézanne Effect: Art Talk with George Shackelford
2025-01-22 18:00 - 19:30
Though he had a long career, Paul Cézanne rarely exhibited in Paris before a retrospective brought him out of near obscurity in 1895. From that point on, Cézanne’s art exerted a profound influence on a young generation of painters and spurred the development of many artistic movements in the 20th century.
Join George Shackelford, Deputy Director at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, as he bridges the eras of Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, and Art Nouveau and sets the stage for the arrival of AMFA’s exhibition, Rivera’s Paris, opening on February 7, 2025.
Live open captioning is provided during this event.
After the lecture, enjoy dinner at AMFA’s Park Grill. Space is limited. To make reservations, contact: 501-396-0390 or parkgrill@arkmfa.org.

About George Shackelford

George Shackelford is deputy director of the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. Before joining the Kimbell in 2012, he was chair of the department of the Art of Europe at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Curator of European Painting and Sculpture at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Among his exhibitions are Degas: The Dancers, for the National Gallery of Art and Degas Landscapes and A Gift to America: Masterpieces of European Painting from the Samuel H. Kress Collection for the MFA, Houston. In Boston his projects included Monet in the 20th Century, Van Gogh: Face to Face, Impressionist Still Life, Gauguin Tahiti, and Degas and the Nude.

After graduating from Dartmouth College, he received the Ph.D. from Yale University. A former fellow of the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts of the National Gallery of Art, he was a founding trustee of the Association of Art Museum Curators, serving as president 2006-10, and has been named an Officier of the Order of Arts and Letters by the Republic of France.

His first exhibition at the Kimbell was Faces of Impressionism: Portraits from the Musée d’Orsay, followed by Gustave Caillebotte: The Painter’s Eye, by two exhibitions devoted to the early and late works of Claude Monet, and by Renoir: The Body, The Senses. His exhibition Bonnard’s Worlds was shown at the Kimbell and at The Phillips Collection in 2023-24.

Rivera’s Paris is partially funded by the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts Foundation with additional support from the Robert Lehman Foundation.
This exhibition is organized by the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.

Drop-in Figure Drawing
2025-01-22 18:00 - 21:00
Immerse yourself in a three-hour drawing session set in an untutored environment at the Windgate Art School. This dynamic experience will feature a variety of timed poses with draped and undraped models, providing an excellent opportunity for first-time students and experienced artists alike to hone their skills.
Students must be 18+ to attend, as the session may use the undraped model. 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 graphite drawing pencils, charcoals, and a kneaded eraser. Basic drawing materials will also be available.

Photo: Iwan Baan.
The Windgate Art School is generously supported by the Windgate Foundation with additional support from Sherry Worthen in memory of George Worthen.

Filmland: Arkansas Showcase – Student Shorts
2025-01-24 16:00 - 17:00
AMFA and the Arkansas Cinema Society are proud to present a selection of short films from Filmland: Arkansas 2024.
Lineup

Limbo by Sophie Barnes

American Heterosexual Story by Victor Keas

Stargazer by KJ Hatch

Perséfone by Nathaly M Moreno

Ride Share by Samuel Forst

Second Childhood by Charles Bane

This screening is presented in partnership with the Arkansas Cinema Society.

Filmland: Arkansas Showcase – Professional Shorts
2025-01-24 17:30 - 19:30
AMFA and the Arkansas Cinema Society are proud to present a selection of short films from Filmland: Arkansas 2024.
Lineup

(I’m Not) Your Negroni by Antonio Terrell

Banana Triangle Six by Marc Crandall

How Do I Tell You This by Lara Hill

Doom and Despair by Jonathan Childs

Self Tape by Eric White, Terrell Case

Where is It? by Brady C Ness

Mom.ent of Peace by Raelyn Munneke

This screening is presented in partnership with the Arkansas Cinema Society.

Art for Two: Watercolor Flowers (SOLD OUT)
2025-01-24 18:00 - 20:00
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 are required – just come ready to create, unwind, and add some artistic spark to your evening.
In this session, learn how to paint flowers with watercolors in simple instructed steps. The instructor will walk you through the painting process and make watercolors easier to use.
Please wear comfortable shoes and clothing that is washable.

Painting by Sarah Lassiter.

Art For Two: Pottery on the Wheel (SOLD OUT)
2025-01-24 18:00 - 21:00
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.
In this session, learn how to throw a pot on the wheel. No clay experience necessary! Just wear comfortable shoes and clothing that is washable.
Your creations will be fired and ready for pick up approximately three weeks after the class.

Creative Saturdays
2025-01-25 10:00 - 13:00
Start your weekend with free art-making fun for all ages and skill levels in AMFA’s Windgate Art School!
Inspired by the works of Josef Albers and Ilya Bolotowsky on view in AMFA’s Minimalism: Color, Line, Form exhibition, this Creative Saturdays activity invites you to explore the elegance of simplicity through Gelli plate printing.
Using Minimalist shapes and experimenting with acrylic paint, create bold, geometric prints that echo the clean lines and balanced compositions of the Minimalist movement.

Creative Saturdays are supported 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.
Minimalism: Color, Line, Form is supported by Dianne and Bobby Tucker.
Image courtesy of Jason Masters.

"An Unlikely Hero" Superhero Storytelling Workshop
2025-01-25 10:00 - 16:00
Students in grades 4-8 will flex their storytelling and drawing muscles together while creating an adventure through pictures and actions. Students will design the characters, develop a story, and draw their characters to convey their story.

Each student will walk away with their own unique short comic. This day-long experience will help build communication skills and confidence and boost new creative outlets.

An Unlikely Hero
2025-01-25 10:30 - 11:45
Jordan is a regular kid trying to find their way at Haven High, the hero school where superpowers are unlocked. Will a love of comic books finally set Jordan on the path to self-discovery? Surrounded by a school full of superheroes in the making, will Jordan find a way to fit in?
In a world of heroes and villains, finding your way is trickier than it seems.
This rolling world premiere production is part of “With Great Power: The TYA BIPOC Superhero Project,” an unprecedented national partnership involving 22 playwrights and 24 theaters for young audiences dedicated to creating a new generation of plays about heroes for young people.
An Unlikely Hero, written by Emilio Rodriguez, is a joint production between the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, Metro Theater Company, and Trike Theater.
This performance features audio description.
Running Time: 1 hour, 10 minutesRecommended Age: 5 and up

An Unlikely Hero is supported by the Rebsamen Fund.
Children’s Theatre and Performing Arts programs are supported by The Shubert Foundation and the Alice L. Walton Foundation.

Filmland: Arkansas Showcase – All Happy Families
2025-01-25 10:30 - 12:00
Catch a screening of All Happy Families co-written by Arkansas native Coburn Goss, directed by Haroula Rose, and executive produced by Michael Shannon.
About the Film

Haroula Rose’s charming dramedy stars How I Met Your Mother‘s Josh Radnor as Graham, an actor and writer in a slump and still waiting for his big break while his hugely successful brother Will (Rob Huebel) stars in his own sitcom. On the weekend before new tenant Dana (Chandra Russell) is due to move into their childhood home, the siblings and their parents find themselves unexpectedly under the same roof again, where every corner reveals secrets and surprises and the family airs out long-held resentments.
This slice-of-life film features a terrific ensemble cast, including the pitch-perfect Becky Ann Baker as Sue, the matriarch who’s tired of having to hold everything together and John Ashton as Roy, a grump who needs to change his ways but doesn’t seem capable of doing so.
Rose delicately weaves a deeply relatable portrait of family dysfunction with all of its delightfully entertaining mess coming to the surface over the course of one eventful and unforgettable weekend.

Run Time: 90 minutes

WATCH THE TRAILER

This screening is presented in partnership with the Arkansas Cinema Society.

Puppet Power: Create Your Own Hero
2025-01-25 11:00 - 13:30
Unleash the superhero within by learning to create unique puppets inspired by AMFA’s production of An Unlikely Hero!

Everyday objects become supernatural in this creative exploration of puppet-making and character creation. An Unlikely Hero director and AMFA Artist-in-Residence Fergie Philippe will help facilitate the puppet play and give tips to aspiring young puppeteers.

Puppet Power: Create Your Own Hero is supported in part by the Alice L. Walton Foundation.
An Unlikely Hero is supported by the Rebsamen Fund.
Children’s Theatre and Performing Arts programs are supported by The Shubert Foundation and the Alice L. Walton Foundation.
Image courtesy of Jason Masters.
