Category: CALS Roberts Library Blog

Little Rock’s fabric is constantly changing, as new buildings are stitched in and others are modified or removed based on the needs of the time.

One example is the long-gone Hotel Richelieu. In 1897, Lawrence D. Gleason bought the Hotel Richelieu, which was located on the northeast corner of 2nd and Center Streets,

Spring was filled with art activities at CALS, and we are gearing up for an art-filled summer!

In March, we celebrated the twentieth year that CALS has participated in the beloved downtown Little Rock event 2nd Friday Art Night (2FAN). To celebrate, we hosted the Dedicated Visual Art Studio & Gallery doing a free live screen-printing of a poster or t-shirt honoring our twenty years!

Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, celebrated nationally each May, offers a time to reflect on the complex histories of AAPI communities in our state. While much attention is often given to prominent figures, the everyday voices that shape AAPI histories in Arkansas are often found in more fragile and often overlooked forms: ephemera.

To my mother:

I was at an age where I would excitedly point to your mistakes because you made them. But I couldn’t acknowledge your successes because the success was normal life. I knew when to expect food, water, bathing, and rest. I had space to sleep without sharing a bed.

As someone who seems white and benefits from white privilege, I don’t often find opportunities to dig into my Asian American Pacific Islander heritage. Rather than the monolid eyes that East Asians are known for, Southeast Asians are more often recognized for their darker skin pigment. A person who is half Asian may have pale skin with freckles or tan skin.

The day after the March 31, 2023, tornado was as beautiful a day as has ever graced central Arkansas.

My friend, artist V. L. Cox, was in town, having been honored the same day the twisters came roaring through with an alumni award from her alma mater, Henderson State University.

As we celebrate Earth Month, I find myself reflecting on how the work of public history intersects with sustainability. One of the clearest examples of this intersection is in the preservation and rehabilitation of historic structures. While many people are drawn to historic homes because of their charm, craftsmanship, and the stories they tell, it’s less common to hear sustainability mentioned as a reason for preserving these buildings.

As a child of the 1990s, the VCR was the first piece of technology I learned to use on my own—for the single purpose of watching my favorite Blue’s Clues VHS tape. It was part of my everyday ritual to watch the big musical episode, sing along, and then rewind it to get it ready to play again the next day.

A CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas (EOA) entry highlights the life and accomplishments of Riley “Doc” Johns, an African American athletic trainer at Little Rock High School (now Little Rock Central High) from 1930 to 1950. He was also associated with the sport of boxing alongside his duties as trainer/assistant coach at Little Rock High.

The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas (EOA) posted our annual April Fools’ Day entry today, this time about a little-known Andrew Lloyd Webber musical partially set in Arkansas, and while everyone seems to appreciate them, you should know that I’m not just making stuff up. Or that I’m not making everything up in these entries.