- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock features work of graduating art students

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 21 Nov 2019 14:38:54 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will display the final artwork submitted by 11 of the university’s graduating art students from Nov. 22 to Dec. 10 in the Windgate Center of Art and Design Small Gallery. A reception for the Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Art Capstone Exhibit will be held from 5-7 p.m. Nov. 22 in the lower lobby of the Windgate Center for Art and Design. Prior to the reception, Bachelor of Fine Art students Amanda Brown and Kelli Fix will show presentations of their work in Lecture Hall 101 from 4:30-5 p.m.�� Bachelor of Art students who will display their capstone projects include Brown, Dairies Covington, Julian Decker, Lauren Johnson, Carol Lee, Emilio Medina, Karmen Merritt, Tristan Stevens, Lauren Tidwell, and Gege Zhang.�� The exhibit is free and open to the public. The art gallery is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. It is closed on Sundays and university holidays.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Windgate Center for Art and Design named Innovative LEED Project by U.S. Green Building Council

Wed, 18 Sep 2019 19:58:30 +0000

The Windgate Center for Art and Design will be recognized at the 2019 Green Tie Awards presented by the Arkansas chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council.�� The Green Tie Awards are part of the 15th annual Sustainable Arkansas conference to be held Thursday, Sept. 19, at Robinson Center, 426 W. Markham in Little Rock. A reception will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by awards and dinner at 6:30 p.m.�� The Windgate Center will receive the Innovative LEED Project award for central Arkansas. The 64,600-square-foot facility, which opened in 2018, was designed by Little Rock-based WER Architects and constructed by Nabholz and Doyne companies to achieve a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver rating for sustainability and resource-efficiency.�� “The Department of Art and Design is thrilled to have achieved the LEED silver certification,” said Thomas Clifton, chair of the Department of Art and Design. “Meeting LEED certification was a goal for all involved in the project from the beginning, and we’re happy to have been able to contribute.” The benefits of the sustainable design were immediately tangible to building visitors, John Greer, principal and vice president of WER Architects explained. “During an event in the building shortly after it opened for student use, a student with severe allergies approached me to tell me that her allergy symptoms disappeared when she was working in the building. The air filtration systems within the student work areas were exceeding our expectations by not only providing a safe environment for the students to work in, but an interior environment better than a typical Arkansas spring day,” Greer said. “The costs of the HVAC and exhaust systems in this building type are greater than a typical campus building, but when it comes to a student’s safety and well-being, that cost is justifiable.” The Windgate Center has helped position ��Vlog��ý Little Rock as the center of art and design education in Arkansas. The facility includes a fine arts foundry, as well as areas for art history and education, blacksmithing, ceramics, digital fabrication, graphic design, illustration, metal fabrication, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpting and woodworking.�� In addition to university classes, the Windgate Center is utilized for workshops offered by ��Vlog��ý Little Rock partners, including the Arkansas Arts Center and its museum school, the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub, the Art Connection, and the THEA Foundation.�� The brings together experienced design professionals to share best practices and case studies that address current challenges and opportunities surrounding building performance.��

��Vlog��ý Little Rock sets fundraising record, endowment tops $80 million

Janea Snyder — Wed, 17 Jul 2019 20:37:24 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock raised $20 million in private gift support during the fiscal year that ended June 30, marking an 11% increase over the previous fiscal year. This also marked the largest fundraising year in the university’s history since receiving gifts for the Jack Stephens Center and the Windgate Center for Art and Design. More than 7,600 individuals, corporations, and private foundations gave 26,366 gifts between July 1, 2018, and June 30, 2019. This is the third consecutive year of gift growth. New endowments totaled $2,774,937, bringing ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s total endowment to more than $80 million. ��“These gifts from our generous donors support efforts to maintain our distinction as a recognized research university while advancing the social and economic well-being of our students and the community,” said Chancellor Andrew Rogerson. “Making college education affordable remains a top priority for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. With the help of private philanthropy, the university is able to make a college education more affordable and ensure this generation has access to a world-class education close to home.” One of the largest gifts this year includes a $754,000 gift from the Windgate Foundation supports the Windgate Center for Art and Design and its programs. “The fundraising success ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is experiencing is possible thanks to the generous donations of alumni, parents, foundations, friends, and businesses,” said Christian O’Neal, vice chancellor for university advancement. “Our donors are helping to grow our city, our campus, and giving students a world of opportunity. We are extremely grateful for their support in changing lives.”�� Trojan Athletics received more than $3 million this year. The Donaghey Foundation helped fund a $725,000 renovation of the Donaghey Athletic Center on ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s campus. The project provided significant upgrades and much-needed enhancements that have allowed the athletic program to better serve and prepare student-athletes for success. This investment has also helped the athletic program with recruitment of student-athletes and with competition for championships. All 15 Division I Trojan athletic programs are benefitting from several legacy gifts totaling more than $1 million from donors. Some of the gifts were in the form of three naming rights throughout the Jack Stephens Center. The Lot 16 entrance on the northwest corner is named the Dr. Bob Young Entrance. The student-athlete entrance, located on the ground floor, is the Mary and Rick Edwards Family Entrance. The Athletic Administrative offices located on the third floor are named the Patricia and Mark L. Pollack Athletics Suite. Included in the suite is the Victor Jacuzzi Family Office of Director of Athletics.�� “The Little Rock Trojans continue to benefit from tremendous support from our community,” said Chasse Conque, vice chancellor and director of athletics. “This past year provided another strong fundraising campaign leading to nearly $7.5 million in support over the past two years which has directly enhanced our student-athlete experience. We are most grateful to our loyal supporters who continue to invest in Little Rock’s Team and our mission of graduating champions.” “Our development team is dedicated to changing lives through education,” added Holly Rose, executive director of development. “It is through their work with our generous donors that we can provide students a quality, affordable education, some of the best facilities and programs in the region, and teaching excellence.” Other noteworthy achievements in FY 2019:��

The university awarded $1.52 million in private scholarships, an all-time high. These scholarships helped students with tuition, books, and other school-related expenses. Some students who were near graduation but had particularly dire financial hardships received “Last Mile” funds to help them complete their degree.
The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Association membership grew to a record 3,300 members�� and raised $113,452 in online gifts from 131 donors in one day. The popular Taste of Little Rock event also generated $141,000 in sponsorships, ticket sales, and in-kind and general donations.��
First-ever nationwide development efforts celebrated alumni in 21 cities across America. University events were held in Atlanta; Austin; Chicago; Dallas; and Hollywood.
$100,000 in private funding was awarded to 100 students for Signature Experience grants to pursue research and creative endeavor projects. This is the second year that ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students could receive grants to work on faculty-mentored projects, allowing them to gain knowledge and skills to compete in a competitive work workforce after graduation.��
Forty-six percent of benefits-eligible employees donated through the annual faculty and staff giving campaign, demonstrating an investment in future students, faculty, and staff.

In the photo above right, a student discusses her breast cancer research with a group of students during the Research and Creative Works Expo. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock awarded $100,000 in research grants to 100 undergraduate students this year. The grants were made possible by private donations from university supporters.�� Photo by Benjamin Krain

Windgate Center freshens galleries with new art, paint

Janea Snyder — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 18:53:07 +0000

New art from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s permanent art collection is on display in the Windgate Center for Art and Design through July 20, including three works of art donated or loaned by ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Basketball Coach Darrell Walker and his wife Lisa. The Walkers collect art by modern and contemporary black artists, and their collection has been featured in exhibitions around the country. The couple has donated nine works to the university’s permanent collection and loaned additional works to the curated exhibition currently on display in the Brad Cushman Gallery. Two works included in this exhibition are “Separation II,” a 1998 acrylic on paper work by artist Herbert Gentry, and “Council of Convenience,” a 1995 lithograph by artist Juan Logan.

Separation II by Herbert Gentry

Walker is also loaning “The Heartbeat of Something Unanimous,” a 1990 oil on canvas by artist Moe Brooker to the exhibition. The Cushman Gallery has been newly repainted and the works re-installed. Other additions to “Works from the Permanent Collection” include art by Alice Leora Briggs, Helen Phillips, Francoise Gilot, Elsie Bates Freund, Arnold Zimmerman, Adrian Louis Brewer, Alecia Walls-Barton, Gustave Baumann, Lorre Hoffman, Ron Meyers, Hugo Crosthwaite, Jack Radcliffe, John Harlan Norris, William Bailey, Allison Short, Chris Jenkins, Mamma Andersson, Jockum Nordström, Alex Leme, Jaime Erin Johnson, Robyn Horn, Heidi Hogden, and Trevor Bennett. The exhibition is comprised of drawings and paintings; fine art prints and photographs; sculptural objects, ceramics, and contemporary crafts. The collection represents the work of professional artists with regional, national, and international reputations and art produced by students studying art and design at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. The Brad Cushman Gallery is open 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Basketball Coach Darrell Walker poses with an oil painting, “The Heartbeat of Something Unanimous,” by artist Moe Brooker in the Brad Cushman Gallery in the Windgate Center for Art and Design.�� Photo of Benjamin Krain

Student art competition winners announced, pieces on display

Janea Snyder — Thu, 29 Mar 2018 21:36:32 +0000

Artwork by students taking studio art and design classes in the Department of Art and Design at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock is on display until April 15 in the Windgate Center for Art and Design. Fifty works were selected for the Student Competitive Art Exhibition, and the winners were announced Tuesday, March 27. The exhibit runs through April 15 in The Brad Cushman Gallery on Level 2. ��The��exhibit��is open 9 a.m. to�� 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday and from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday. The student submissions��represent all studio disciplines being taught at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, including drawing and design, painting, printmaking, graphic design and illustration, photography, textiles, metals and furniture design, sculpture, and ceramics. Joshua Brinlee of Memphis served as the juror for the competition. Brinlee teaches at the University of Mississippi in Oxford��and also has an exhibit, Masculine Projections, in the Small Gallery on Level 1 in the Windgate Center.

“Stare” by Reece Henderson

Students competed for a variety of awards including scholarships and cash and prizes from local companies. Monica Penny earned the Wilma And Jack Diner Scholarship Award of $1,500 and a $360 Diner Purchase Award for her copper and enamel work “Lucy in the Forest.” Also receiving Diner Purchase Awards were Shelly Pruett, in the amount of $250, and David Irby, $500. Reece Henderson landed the Alexa Mena Student Competitive cash award sponsored by Sissy’s Log Cabin in the amount of $300 for a collagraph print “Stare.” Other winners and their sponsors include the following: FRAME SHOPS CERTIFICATES Cantrell Gallery, $75, David Jones, “The Firefighters” Hearne Fine Art, ��$75, Austin Bowers, “Grasping” Gallery 26, $25, Henry L. Thomas, “Mrs. White” ART SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS Art Outfitters $100 – Jason Rankin, “Kateryna’s Back & Kateryna’s Mosaic” $50 – Andy Blackwell, “Brad” $50 – Jacy Andrews, “Sicilianische Bauernehre” ALMAN CO. $100 – Douglas Frank, “Rocket Ship Oil Lamp” STARVING ARTIST AWARDS Trio’s ($75) – Carol Anderson, “Lazy Carol Table” Boulevard Bread Company Six loaves of bread – Dudley Meadows, “Karotma Sutra” Six loaves of bread – David Jones, “The Gates of Hell” The Root Cafe Gift card ($50) – Sarah Harper, “The Peacock Lady” Gift card ($50) – Monica Penny, “Cocktail Spoon” CASH / SCHOLARSHIPS Friends of the Arts (��Vlog��ý Little Rock) – Purchase Awards $175 – Kimberly Snow, “Artificial Selection,” Silver and Plastic $325 – Austin Bowers, “Grasping,” Pinhole Camera, Film Print Les Steen Hardwood/NLR and Woodworkers Association of Arkansas $50 – Intro – Carol Anderson, Lazy Carol Table $50 – Intro – Grant Berry, Mirror $100 – Furniture – David Irby, Table $100 – Wood Based Piece (Sculpture, Jewelry, Mixed Media, etc.) – Andy Blackwell, “Kat and Brad” For more information, contact Brad Cushman, gallery director and curator at becushman@ualr.edu or 501-916-5103. (Above Left photo) “Lucy in the Forest,” a copper and enamel work by art student Monica Penny, won a $1,500 Wilma And Jack Diner Scholarship Award in the Student Competitive Art Exhibition. Photo Credit / Benjamin Krain, University Communications

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

����Vlog��ý Little Rock features work of graduating art students