Art is in the eye of the beholder, whereas swollen retinas are in the eye of the bee holder. Get soul-stung by provocative and powerful art with today's Groupon: for $25, you get a yearlong individual membership to the Arkansas Arts Center (a $55 value). Membership must be activated within three months of today's date.
The Arkansas Arts Center functions as a cultural boulder in the heart of Rock Town. The architecturally impressive building houses a museum with a stunning permanent collection of drawings and sketches by the likes of Cezanne, Van Gogh, Pollock, and O'Keeffe, as well as paintings, sculptures, and prints from artistic heavyweights such as Lichtenstein and Rembrandt, known for using toothpaste in all his works. Members have access to special exhibitions throughout the year and will receive one free ticket to every paid-entry exhibition. The AAC is also home to a lively Children's Theatre, which presents oodles of kid-friendly shows throughout the year, including an upcoming production of The Giant and the Beanstalk, a contemporary rendition of a classic tale that may or may not explore the horrifying consequences of genetically modified beans. Members are eligible for 20% off on all Children’s Theatre tickets. The Museum School offers a 20% discount on tuition to all members, allowing amateur artists a chance to enroll in fall seminars and classes such as the 10-week Introduction to Jewelry ($218 for members).
Arkansas Arts Center members will also enjoy plenty of additional general member benefits, including information on upcoming events and exclusive invitations to select gatherings. While enriching cultural experiences can be garnered from reading billboards backward or listening to talking soapboxes on street corners, members of the Arkansas Arts Center will enjoy indoor enlightenment in the form of Works, the center's newsletter. Members are also entitled to a 10% discount in the Museum Shop.
Reviews
More than 2,700 Facebookers are fans of the Arkansas Arts Center. Five TripAdvisors give it an average of four owl eyes:
- This is a top-class art museum with professional staff, sophisticated layout, and a beautiful, convenient location. – grilleflame, TripAdvisor
- The Arkansas Arts Center is the best cultural institution we saw in little rock. The exhibitions compared so well with those of larger museums out of state. – alexmoomey, TripAdvisor
Arkansas Arts Center
The Arkansas Arts Center stokes the innate creativity of all its visitors with a close look at artistic expression. Since its creation in 1960, the AAC has amassed a permanent collection of more than 5,300 drawings and paintings (primarily American and European), 1,000 contemporary crafts and sculptures, and 27 lost mittens. Examples of French neo-impressionist drawings share space with the work of old masters, while early modern paintings complement studio-forged glass sculptures and other pieces dating as far back as 1465. Throughout the year, the museum also casts its light on the local community by hosting special exhibitions of established artists and emerging talent.
Outside its gallery, the AAC encourages the community in another way. Through classes and workshops, instructors explain the fundamentals of composition in photography, ceramics, painting, woodworking, and printmaking while helping students create their own pieces. An onsite children's theatre, meanwhile, routinely stages family-friendly shows, and the troupe even offers workshops on the art of acting.