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by Guy Lancaster, editor of the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas

The recent Academy Awards celebration put me in mind of the many movies filmed in—or made about—Arkansas, if only because while the state has sent forth a number of talented people who have been nominated for—and won—Oscars, the state itself has taken home very few.

by David Stricklin, director of the Butler Center

The signs are up. The re-dedication has happened. It’s really, really official. We are in the Bobby L. Roberts Library of Arkansas History & Art in Library Square, what we used to call the Main Library Campus of the Central Arkansas Library System (CALS).

Since becoming acquainted with the Butler Center two years ago, Kwami Abdul-Bey and Clarice Abdul-Bey have been exceptional volunteer partners. The Abdul-Beys are founders and co-directors of the nonprofit the Washitaw Foothills Youth Media Arts and Literacy Collective (find more information here). Notwithstanding their quiet demeanors, the couple’s work with students and teachers in the Butler Center’s education outreach activities has been heard far and wide,

Those watching C-130s circle over the Little Rock area on training flights from the Little Rock Air Force Base (LRAFB) at Jacksonville may wonder about these bulky aircraft, unaware of the important role they have played in both war and peace. For retired U.S. Air Force major Richard L. (Dick) Picard, now a Little Rock resident,

Tina Oppenheimer is an accomplished and prolific artist in crochet. Her pieces are arresting, often several feet wide, and frequently employ floral and geometrical motifs drawn from the mandala tradition.

Contemplative beauty in handcrafted work

Mandalas were introduced to the West by famed psychiatrist Carl Jung, who felt that creating these circular,

With very fond memories, we honor our friend Matt DeCample, an immensely talented partner in our CALS podcasts and other projects of the Central Arkansas Library System. Matt was diagnosed with liver cancer in 2016 and passed away on March 3, having fought valiantly to the end with the tremendous heart and humor he was known for.

“Part to Whole” opens this Friday and is full of natural wonders! If you love art, nature, or both, this exhibition offers an experience not to be missed. Breathtaking works of sculpture and painting will be exhibited by six members of an artist group including Mia Hall, Robyn Horn, Dolores Justus, Barbara Satterfield,

Stained, a little battered, but still working—the typewriter of famed Arkansas author Dee Brown has emerged from the Butler Center’s archives. The machine now reposes grimy and authentic under glass at the Dee Brown Library of the Central Arkansas Library System. It may even be the typewriter Brown used to write his shattering,

With a career spanning more than 25 years and 20 albums, renowned guitarist Charlie Hunter consistently pleases audiences as an innovative writer and bandleader. Accompanying Hunter on this tour stop in Little Rock are celebrated jazz vocalist Dara Tucker and Grammy Award–winning drummer and percussionist Keita Ogawa.

Charlie Hunter speaks on the joy of intimate concerts,

The community of artists in Arkansas will be represented with style and originality in the Arkansas League of Artists’ Show, opening on Second Friday Art Night in our Galleries at Library Square.

One of the joys of a show created by the regional artistic community is the sheer variety of works on display.