Published: May 17, 2008 10:07 pm            

Arkansas Arts Center more than just a museum

EDMOND — If you chill with Chihuly or are turned on by Tiffany, hit the road for Little Rock and “Hot Color Cool Glass” at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock, Ark.

I got a backstage look at this wow of an exhibition the day before it opened to the public. My writer friends and I walked carefully around the staff members who were putting the last touches on the show, which will be open through July 27.

The triple-threat exhibition consists of three areas: Sonja Blomdahl, the works of one of the first women in studio glass movement; The Glass Century, 20th century glass production; and Beyond Blown Glass, the wide variety of techniques and forms being explored today.

Blomdahl is best known for her mastery of the Venetian technique of incalmo or double bubble, a technically challenging art that involves glass bubbles of different colors being joined together. That’s a simplistic explanation but about as complex as I could understand. I saw and enjoyed her beautiful colored vases before I learned about the intricacies of the process. Now I appreciate them even more.

Having seen these examples at the Arkansas Arts Center, I was pleased to recognize her work in the collection of items at the Clinton Presidential Museum the next day.

The Glass Century takes glasswork from the turn of the last century through the Arts and Crafts Movement and the studio glass movement. Examples range from classic Tiffany stained glass to familiar Chihuly shapes.

One of the prizes of the collection is a Louis Comfort Tiffany pond lily chandelier. Tiffany only made two of these fixtures — and the location of the other one is unknown. Other standouts in this section include Chihuly’s Geranium Lake Basket Set with Black Wraps and Dante Marioni’s Red Vase with Ten Yellow Handles.

Beyond Blown Glass could have been titled “Glass Gone Wild.” There are a few familiar shapes in the collection but it is outstanding for its amazing array of shapes — from a walk-in glass wall to a clear glass re-creation of a Dutch still life.

Works here excite all the senses, including the sense of humor. Colors, textures, forms — everything is up for exploration. Susan Taylor Glasgow created her “I’m So Lucky Cookie Jar #151” as a study in stereotyping — of the 1950s image of women.

Oklahoman Kreg Kallenberger is represented with three pieces. Works by Kallenberger, who lives and works on his 100 Monkey Ranch in Osage County, can be found in major museums from London to Sapporo, Japan.

“Life-sized Dress 7” by Karen LaMonte is created of cast glass. An almost ghostly gown, it retains the image of a body inside it. Reminiscent of classical Greek and Roman statues, it is effectively displayed against a plain, dark background.

Permanent collections elsewhere in the museum also are worthy of a visit. The museum’s strongest collection includes works on paper — pencil, pen, watercolor, gouache, etc. The catalog is a who’s who of the art world. The Bs alone include names like Boucher, Bonnard, Benton and Braque. The Contemporary Crafts collection also is notable. Paintings include works by Picasso, Monet and Cezanne, among others.

The Arkansas Arts Center is more than just a museum. It also houses a school, children’s theatre, restaurant and an excellent museum shop. The Center is open Tuesday through Sunday.

For another Little Rock masterpiece, visit the newly re-opened Capital Hotel. This 132-year-old beauty has just received a two-year makeover that was projected to cost $24 million. The actual figure escalated as owner Warren Stevens found more and more ways to make this hotel first-class plus. Live orchids grace each room, pure English wool carpets cover the floor; towering ceilings give a roomy feel to even the standard rooms while the luxury Great Rooms and Suites are positively palatial.

Chef Lee Richardson and his team of chefs offer the finest cuisine. What they do with regional resources is absolute magic. The dinner they served our press tour began with potato and caramelized leek soup followed by a salad of mixed greens, pickled beets, goat cheese and pecans with pomegranate vinaigrette. The main course was sunburst trout with grilled romaine, tomato marmalade and crispy black-eyed peas. The meal was topped off with southern pecan pie with bourbon ice cream.

Arkansas, like Oklahoma, often gets little respect. It would be an easy, cheap joke to say that “Arkansas elegance” is oxymoronic. OK, I couldn’t resist. But a stay at the Capital Hotel and a visit to the Arkansas Arts Center is well worth the trip.

        

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