Don’t just watch the world go by; dive right in
BECCA MARTIN-BROWN
bmartin@nwadg.com
So you’re new to Northwest Arkansas? Well, you’ve already found The Free Weekly (and its sister magazine, What’s Up! at nwadg.com) to keep you “in the know and on the go” as far as arts and entertainment in 12 — count ‘em, TWELVE — counties. Congrats!
But what if you want to do more than watch a play or ogle an art exhibit? In our annual Back to School edition, this year we want to introduce you to interactive opportunities — make a pot, play a part, pitch in at a museum. Northwest Arkansas just can’t help but embrace any artistic spirit!
We’ll start in Fayetteville and work our way north with side trips to the River Valley. We won’t get it all — there’s not enough space for that! — but we hope to serve you a sample of what Northwest Arkansas has to offer.
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Fayetteville
Art Ventures
A non-profit arts and education organization that promotes the visual arts in Northwest Arkansas by collaborating with the community, supporting artists and encouraging education and public engagement in the arts.
WHEN — 10 a.m.-2 p.m. & 4-8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday; 1-3 p.m. Sunday
WHERE — 101 W. Mountain St.
COST — Admission is free
INFO — 871-2722 or artventuresnwa.org
CAN YOU MAKE IT? — On the fall schedule are classes in portrait painting (10 a.m.-1 p.m. Fridays, starting Aug. 24; $5 students) and figure drawing (4-6 p.m. Sundays, starting Aug. 26, $3 students).
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Community Creative Center
WHEN — Hours vary
WHERE — 505 W. Spring St.
COST — Varies by class
INFO — 571-2706
CAN YOU MAKE IT? — On the fall schedule are classes in clay, plein air painting and more, ranging in both duration and price. See details at communitycreativecenter.org.
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Stage Eighteen
Stage Eighteen wants to provide a diverse gallery space for emerging artists to show and sell art and for non-traditional performing artists to appear.
WHEN — The gallery is open the First Thursday of the month and one hour prior to Stage 18 events
WHERE — 18 E. Center St.
COST — Free during gallery hours; may be a charge for events
INFO — 466-9487
CAN YOU MAKE IT? — Stage Eighteen is now accepting exhibit proposals for one-person exhibitions, group shows and guest curators for 2019. Deadline is Dec. 1. Find out more at www.stage18live.com/apply.
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TheatreSquared
A regional professional theater company, T2 is just about to complete a new multi-use building on West Avenue in Fayetteville.
WHEN — T2 presents a complete slate of productions, starting with “Once,” on stage this month
WHERE — 505 W. Spring St.
COST — Tickets are available at a reduced rate for students and playgoers under 30
CAN YOU MAKE IT? — The show might go on, but it wouldn’t be the same without a dedicated corps of volunteers helping out behind the scenes. Volunteers at T2 staff tables at community festivals, promoting our programming and sharing knowledge about the theater; and lend a hand at special events, such as our gala, open rehearsals, or opening nights. To sign up, visit Theatre2.org/volunteer. Classes for adults — Beginning Acting, Intermediate Improv and Public Speaking — are also offered this fall.
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Springdale
Arts Center of the Ozarks
A nonprofit arts center that both produces and presents theater, hosts art shows and works in partnership with other nonprofits.
WHEN — 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday
WHERE — 514 S. Main St.
COST — Free and ticketed
INFO — 751-5441
CAN YOU MAKE IT? — Artists are invited to submit works for the Dia de los Muertos Celebration, a pop-up exhibition on show Oct. 30-Nov. 3, and for the annual 5×5 fundraising art event Oct. 26. Actors are invited to audition for “A Charlie Brown Christmas” Oct. 9 & 11 with performances at the end of November. Find out more at acozarks.org.
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Shiloh Museum of Ozark History
The Shiloh Museum of Ozark History is a regional history museum focusing on the Northwest Arkansas Ozarks. The museum takes its name from the pioneer community of Shiloh, which became Springdale in the 1870s.
WHEN — 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday
WHERE — 118 W. Johnson Ave.
COST — Free
INFO — 750-8165 or shilohmuseum.org
CAN YOU MAKE IT? — Like kids? The Shiloh Museum offers college students a chance to get hands-on experience volunteering with school-age children. Training and supervision are provided. Opportunities include regular field trips; Arkansas Symbols Day, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 21; and Sheep-to-Shawl, Oct. 4-5, featuring live demonstrations of sheep shearing, spinning & dying, and weaving. Find out more from education manager Judy Costello at jcostello@springdalear.gov or 750-08165.
STAFF PHOTO ANDY SHUPE
Kyle Mayer, 10, left, gets some help from instructor Trent Tally Thursday, March 24, 2011, as the two work on a cobra cup during class at the Northwest Arkansas Community Creative Center in Fayetteville.
Courtesy Photo
Stage Eighteen — “Conspire to Inspire,” artwork by artists in Life Styles’ College for Living’s Fine Arts Program, remains on view through Sept. 2 at Stage Eighteen. The exhibited works, created by adults with disabilities, are also available for purchase. 466-9487 or stage18live.com.
STAFF PHOTO ANTHONY REYES • @NWATONYR
Paul Ahrens, of Lamar, sheers a ram Thursday, Oct. 2, 2014 during the Sheep to Shawl event at the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History in Springdale. Local school children learned where wool comes from and how it is sheered off the sheep. They also learned how the wool is turned into yarn and how to weave amount other activities.
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Rogers
Arkansas Public Theatre
A community theater presenting the hottest shows straight from New York, new scripts and old favorites.
WHEN — The fall schedule begins with “Sunset Boulevard” in mid-September; auditions are Sept. 17 for “Things to Do in Munich,” a new script by Oren Safdie
WHERE — The historic Victory Theatre, 116 S. Second St.
COST — Tickets start at $23
INFO — 631-8988
CAN YOU MAKE IT? — APT welcomes new actors to audition, technicians to run lights and sound and assist with costuming and set construction and volunteers to work as ushers and front of house. Find out more at arkansaspublictheatre.org.
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Bentonville
Museum of Native American History
The Museum of Native American History invites visitors to walk through America’s past. From the woolly mammoth skeleton that greets guests at the front door, to rare Mississippian head pots, to art and artifacts from the early reservation period, the museum’s authentic collection gives a glimpse into the richly diverse cultural history of the first Americans.
WHEN — 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday
WHERE — 202 SW O St.
COST — Free
INFO — 273-2456; monah.us
CAN YOU MAKE IT? — Creative Visions events are opportunities to create art alongside traditional and contemporary artists as they lead quarterly step-by-step Native American art-making projects. Hors d’oeuvres and all supplies are provided. Free or low-cost registration is required. More information can be found at www.monah.us/creative-visions.
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Peel Mansion Museum
The Peel Mansion serves as a living display of the Victorian period and tells the story of a prominent early Bentonville family.
WHEN — 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday for the museum and gift shop; 7 a.m.-4 p.m. for the grounds
WHERE — 400 S. Walton Blvd.
COST — $2 children; $5 adults
INFO — 254-3870; peelcompton.org
CAN YOU MAKE IT? — Peel Mansion is seeking volunteer guides to host visitors from around the United States. Days and times are flexible. New volunteers go through an orientation and training. Contact Hobie Cadieux at 273-3636 or hobie@peelcompton.org.
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Scott Family Amazeum
The Scott Family Amazeum is a hands-on, interactive museum for children and families.
WHEN — 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday; closed Tuesdays
WHERE — 1009 Museum Way
COST — $9.50 all ages
INFO — 696-9280; amazeum.org
CAN YOU MAKE IT? — Tinkerfest, a one-day festival that celebrates the creative, curious and innovative spirit in all of us, returns from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 6. Guests connect and learn with Amazeum Makers-in-Residence and makers, tinkerers, artists, craftspeople, educators and creatives of all kinds. The only cost is regular admission.
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Bella Vista
Bella Vista Historical Museum
The Bella Vista Historical Museum, operated by the Bella Vista Historical Society with an all-volunteer staff, features exhibits representing the past 103 years of Bella Vista history from the time Lake Bella Vista was created in 1915.
WHEN — 1-5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday
WHERE — 1885 Bella Vista Way, next door to the American Legion
COST — Free
CAN YOU MAKE IT? The Bella Vista Historical Museum welcomes the donation of an old log cabin this fall, and woodworkers are needed to help make period furniture to furnish it.
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Ozark Folkways
Ozark Folkways, just a 30 minute drive south of the University of Arkansas in Winslow, was built in the mid-1940s as a school where rural residents could learn trades to support themselves in the post-war economy. More than 70 years later, Folkways remains devoted to the preservation, instruction, development and celebration of regional arts and crafts.
WHEN — 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday, Friday, Saturday; noon to 4 p.m. Sunday
WHERE — 22733 N. U.S. 71 in Winslow
COST — Varies by activity
INFO — 634-3791
CAN YOU MAKE IT? — A pottery maker space, complete with three electric wheels, a large slab roller, tools, slips and glazes, a raku kiln, and a computerized kiln is available during business hours and after hours by arrangement for $30 a month with clay and firing available for a nominal fee. The weaving maker space, which features a 4-harness Newburgh, appropriate for rugs, and an 8-harness Norwood, is also available for a $15 weekly fee, with 50 minute lessons available for $30 each and yarns and professional warping available for a small fee. And musicians are invited to jam every fourth Sunday at 5 p.m. at no cost.
