Art Start
2025-09-10 10:30 - 11:30 (America/Chicago)
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
2025-09-10 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

Drop-in Printmaking
2025-09-10 18:00 - 21:00, 2025-09-24 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.

Concert Series: Ms. Lisa Fischer and Grand Baton
2025-09-11 19:30 - 21:00
Powerhouse Grammy award-winning vocalist Ms. Lisa Fischer is touring the world’s finest concert halls and festivals after four decades of singing background for icons like The Rolling Stones, Luther Vandross, Sting, Tina Turner, and Nine Inch Nails.
Lisa’s heartfelt story in the Oscar-winning documentary Twenty Feet From Stardom altered her musical journey – sharing clips of her legendary duets with Sting and Mick Jagger and accepting her first Grammy for How Can I Ease the Pain.
Ms. Lisa Fischer and her band, Grand Baton, reinvent classics in an organic fusion of Caribbean psychedelic soul and jazzy progressive rock, showcasing Lisa’s flexibility and freedom of expression and exploring her lifelong desire to make music that heals but still rocks the house.
Their music is an organic gumbo of progressive rock, psychedelic soul, and African, Middle Eastern, Caribbean rhythms and classical influences. In performance, they re-invent songs by Led Zeppelin, Amy Grant, Little Willie John, Luther Vandross, and The Rolling Stones or Lisa’s Grammy winning solo hit How Can I Ease The Pain.

The 2025-2026 Concert Series is supported in part by John H. Dean DDS and Mary Ann Coleman, Mimi San Pedro, Olivia Farrell, and Susan Conley.
Photo by Christina Alonso.

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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.

Gallery Tour
2025-09-13 10:30 - 11:30, 2025-09-27 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.

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.

Drop-in Figure Drawing
2025-09-17 18:00 - 21:00, 2025-10-01 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.

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: Iwan Baan.

In Focus: A Conversation on Photography
2025-09-17 18:00 - 19:00
Reframe your understanding of photography with photographers Jason Masters and Kat Wilson as they share behind-the-scenes stories from a career’s worth of images. This engaging conversation explores each artist’s distinctive style, the ideas and creativity that shape their work, and the moments that define their practices.
Presented in connection with Kwame Brathwaite: The 1970s, this event invites guests to consider how photographers develop narratives and perspectives through their unique lenses.
After the conversation, enjoy dinner at AMFA’s Park Grill. Call 501.396.0390 or email parkgrill@arkmfa.org for reservations.

About Jason Masters
Jason Masters is a Little Rock based photographer specializing in fashion, conceptual portraiture, lifestyle, and advertising. Jason was born in Dallas and grew up in a small town in Texas. He built a home and lived in the jungles of Costa Rica during his early 20s. Shortly after moving back to the states, he met his future wife in Austin, which ultimately brought him to Little Rock.

Jason’s almost 30 year career began in Austin working for a film production company that specialized in feature films and commercials. After relocating to Arkansas, getting married and starting a family, Jason’s career transitioned from film to photography. He remembers the exact day when he fell in love with fashion photography and tells the story often.

Jason’s favorite work is usually inspired by classic films, storybooks, vintage fashion, or simply a unique or beautiful location. His photography has a tendency for simple, clean-lined portraits captured from a formal perspective.

Although Jason’s name is usually credited as a publishing tradition, he will always remind you that his world of photography is a collaboration of hair/make-up artists, stylists, art directors, photo assistants, magazine editors, clients, snake handlers, etc, etc.

About Kat Wilson
Kat Wilson is an experimental artist based in Northwest Arkansas, where she received her MFA. Wilson’s work is theatrical, participatory, and humanistic and often involves collaboration with others, including, in many photography projects, the subjects of the photos themselves.

Early in her career, Wilson gained national success with her Habitats series of digital photographs, which, like her current #SelfieThrones and Warrior Women series, uses centuries-old compositional devices to create a sense of transcendence.

Wilson’s work has been published in Communication Arts, the Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post, displayed at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and projected at the Louvre, among others.

In Focus: A Conversation on Photography is supported in part by the Alice L. Walton Foundation.
Kwame Brathwaite: The 1970s is organized by the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.
Photos courtesy of Jason Masters and Kat Wilson.

Dual Perspectives on Art and Healing
2025-09-18 18:00 - 19:30
Learn how art practices intersect with the process of healing from trauma. Presented in conjunction with Death of Kings at AMFA and War Toys: Ukraine at the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, this discussion brings together two compelling bodies of work that confront the emotional toll of war.
Join artists Ben Grimes and Brian McCarty for this powerful conversation that will explore artmaking as a form of healing through theatrical and photographic lenses.
Ben Grimes is a playwright and actor, and the founder of Riverside Actors Theatre, a theatre ensemble centered on elevating veterans’ stories. Brian McCarty is a photographer and the founder and executive director of War Toys® – a non-profit organization devoted to gathering and disseminating children’s firsthand accounts of war through art-therapy-based collaborations around the world.

Dual Perspectives on Art and Healing is supported in part by the Alice L. Walton Foundation.
Death of Kings is supported in part by the Alice L. Walton Foundation, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and Cardinal Counseling. Mental health support provided in collaboration with Dr. Jason Williams at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and Cardinal Counseling.
Children’s Theatre and Performing Arts programs are supported in part by the Shubert Foundation and the Alice L. Walton Foundation.
Photos courtesy of the artists.

Art For Two: Pottery on the Wheel (SOLD OUT)
2025-09-19 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: Landscape Paintings
2025-09-19 18:00 - 21:00
Capture the beauty of nature in a relaxing, picturesque landscape.
Learn the fundamental techniques of acrylic paints and apply them in a straightforward way. With step-by-step guidance, you will create your own scenic landscape painting while exploring color mixing and brush control.
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.
Image courtesy of Jason Masters.

Creative Saturdays with Art Start
2025-09-20 10:00 - 13:00
Celebrate America’s upcoming 250th anniversary by designing your own flag inspired by the American art on view at AMFA! Using colorful felt, create a unique flag that represents your personal story, values, and vision for the future.
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 Good Night America by Adam Gamble. After story time, young artists can decorate their own miniature flags.

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.
Image courtesy of Jason Masters.

Spotlight Tour: America 250
2025-09-20 10:30 - 11:30
Take a docent-led tour to discover the diverse contributions of American artists throughout the AMFA galleries.
Enjoy a guided look at several carefully selected works on view, gain a richer connection to our nation’s art history, and leave with a new understanding of the AMFA Foundation Collection.

Spotlight Tour: America 250 is supported in part by Fleur S. Bresler.
The Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts extends its gratitude to The Brown Foundation, Inc. of Houston, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Roy and Christine Sturgis Charitable and Educational Trust for grant awards supporting stewardship and conservation of the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts Foundation Collection.
Image courtesy of Jason Masters.

Art Start
2025-09-24 10:30 - 11:30
Learn about our country’s landmarks, traditions, and symbols during a live reading of Good Night America by Adam Gamble. After story time, decorate a miniature flag in celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary and the artworks on view that honor this milestone.
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.

Death of Kings
2025-09-26 19:00 - 20:15, 2025-09-27 14:00 - 15:15, 2025-09-28 14:00 - 15:15
Death of Kings traces the journey of an American soldier from enlistment and deployment to reintegration into society.
Written by a military veteran from Arkansas, this poignant play explores the profound effects of war, trauma, and mental health, emphasizing how the art of storytelling can serve as a transformative tool for healing and resilience, both for soldiers and civilians. By weaving Shakespearean texts and drawing from advancements in neuroscience and drama therapy, he reveals a path to recovery and the true cost of freedom.
After the performance, an interactive demonstration will offer a deeper exploration of techniques designed for healing and coping with trauma. This thought-provoking experience will be followed by a brief conversation with individuals from the worlds of art and healing, giving audiences an opportunity to learn more and ask questions.
“This piece is not just about war—it’s about what happens when we don’t create space for healing. It’s about what we carry, what we bury, and what we lift up.”– Ben Grimes, Playwright
Running Time: 55 minutesRecommended Age: 12 and up

Watch Trailer

Death of Kings is supported in part by the Alice L. Walton Foundation, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and Cardinal Counseling. Mental health support provided in collaboration with Dr. Jason Williams at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and Cardinal Counseling.
Children’s Theatre and Performing Arts programs are supported in part by the Shubert Foundation and the Alice L. Walton Foundation.

Creative Saturdays
2025-09-27 10:00 - 13:00
Celebrate America’s upcoming 250th anniversary by designing your own postcard! Take inspiration from the landscape depicted in Thomas Hart Benton’s painting Clay County Farm to create an illustration of your everyday life, considering your community, local landscape, and cultural heritage.
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.
Image courtesy of Jason Masters.

Making Together: Collage and Paint
2025-09-28 13:00 - 16:00
Inspired by Lori Larusso: Paradox of Plenty on view in the Robyn and John Horn Gallery, this Making Together invites you to connect your personal narratives in layers through collaging.
Collaborate to create your story through mixed media, painting, drawing, and found imagery, and learn how to build a meaningful composition together.
Making Together offers families an opportunity to come together and create. Register now to enjoy a day full of artmaking fun with your child!

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 by Michael Laughter. Reduced tuition is automatically applied to all classes through 2025.
Image courtesy of Jason Masters.

AMFA Board of Trustees Meeting
2025-09-29 12:00 - 13:30
Meeting Agenda

Call to Order and Welcome – Le’Kita Brown, Board of Trustees President

Approval of Minutes from April 22, 2025 Meeting

Introductions

Finance Committee Report – Gary Cooper, Committee Chair and Laine Harber, AMFA Chief Financial Officer

President’s Report – Le’Kita Brown

Director’s Report – Dr. Victoria Ramirez, AMFA Executive Director

AMFA’s Strategic Plan – Carlo Cuesto, Co-Founder of Creation in Common

Upcoming Meetings

December 17, 2025 12:00PM-1:00 PM

For media and other inquiries, please contact director@arkmfa.org.

Architects of Being Preview Night
2025-10-02 17:00 - 20:00
Mark the opening of AMFA’s groundbreaking new exhibition – Architects of Being: Louise Nevelson and Esphyr Slobodkina – at this Member-exclusive event that everyone will be talking about for years to come.
For the very first time, Architects of Being presents the work of these two pioneering midcentury female artists in dialogue alongside key pieces from their iconic wardrobes. The exhibition introduces new research about each artist, offering a unique viewpoint into the intersections of two women who lived both remarkably parallel and wholly opposite artistic lives.
Secure your tickets now to see the exhibition before it opens to the public and prepare to enjoy beverages and bites that celebrate the style and star power of Nevelson and Slobodkina. Chic, black attire is encouraged!
Not an AMFA Member? Join today to access tickets for this event, or call 501.396.0322 for more information.

Architects of Being: Louise Nevelson and Esphyr Slobodkina is supported in part by the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Alan Dubois Fund for Contemporary Craft, Ellsworth Kelly Foundation, Anita Davis, and the Jewish Federation of Arkansas.
The catalog for Architects of Being: Louise Nevelson and Esphyr Slobodkina is supported in part by the Wyeth Foundation for American Art.

This exhibition is organized by the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.
In-Kind support provided by Moon Distributors Inc. and O’Connor Distributing.
Photo credit: Cecil Beaton, Vogue, @Condé Nast (left); Archival photo from the Slobodkina Foundation (right).

Toast & Tour for Circle Society and Corporate Partners
2025-10-03 17:00 - 19:00
Toast to the opening of AMFA’s newest exhibition, Architects of Being: Louise Nevelson and Esphyr Slobodkina, with Dr. Catherine Walworth, Jackye and Curtis Finch, Jr. Curator of Drawings, as she leads a lively discussion and gallery tour.
Drawing inspiration from these two boldly unconventional women, Dr. Walworth curated AMFA’s traveling exhibition, accompanied by a catalog featuring original scholarship.
Not in Circle Society? Join today or upgrade your membership to access tickets for this event, or call 501.396.0348 for more information.

Architects of Being: Louise Nevelson and Esphyr Slobodkina is supported in part by the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Alan Dubois Fund for Contemporary Craft, Ellsworth Kelly Foundation, Anita Davis, and the Jewish Federation of Arkansas.
The catalog for Architects of Being: Louise Nevelson and Esphyr Slobodkina is supported in part by the Wyeth Foundation for American Art.

This exhibition is organized by the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.
Image courtesy of Jason Masters.

Art For Two: Glass Hummingbirds (SOLD OUT)
2025-10-03 18:00 - 21:00
Learn how to create a vibrant and colorful glass hummingbird using the technique of flame-working glass over a torch flame.
Under the expert guidance of a skilled glass artist, you will learn the process of sculpting a delicate hummingbird, from shaping the beak and body to crafting the wings. You will work with a variety of colorful glass rods, using the torch to melt and manipulate the material to form the bird’s features.
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.
Image courtesy of Jason Masters.

Art For Two: Coin Rings (SOLD OUT)
2025-10-03 18:00 - 21:00
Learn how to shape metal as you make a custom-sized ring from a vintage silver coin.
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.
Rings by Jann Greenland.
