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Courtesy of the Collectors: Portraits of African Americans in Photographs, Paintings, and Drawings
January 12 through March 30, 2024
Underground Gallery, CALS Roberts Library
On loan to the Central Arkansas Library System from private and public collections in Arkansas, the works in this exhibition present a selection of diverse portrayals of African Americans to illuminate their wider participation and inclusion in the American experience from the nineteenth century to today.
Featured Art: Stanley Clark, b. 1954, Portrait of a Woman, Graphite on paper, On loan from Joshua and Mary Swift
From the Vault: Art for the Young at Heart from the CALS Permanent Collection
Friday, December 1, 2023 – Saturday, January 27, 2024
Children’s Gallery at the Hillary Rodham Clinton Children’s Library & Learning Center
The Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) houses more than just books. The library’s art program also actively collects and exhibits works by artists working and living in Arkansas. This eclectic exhibition features pieces by artists and illustrators whose vibrant works capture the joys of adventure and exploration.
This exhibition was created in honor of recently retired CALS deputy executive director Lisa Donovan, who was an early proponent and tireless supporter of the Children’s Gallery and Children’s Library.
CALS Deputy Director Lisa Donovan retired this year after twenty-plus years of service to the library. She started as a part-time children’s programmer when the Main Library opened in the River Market area of downtown Little Rock in 1997. Over the years, Donovan took on many roles at the library, including Manager of the Children’s Department at Main, Summer Reading Coordinator, Director of Youth Services, and finally Deputy Executive Director. She is looking forward to enjoying many more library adventures as a patron in the years to come and sharing those moments with her grandchildren.
Lisa Donovan grew up in a big family in suburban Memphis in the 1960s. The youngest of four children, she could always be found with a book in her hand. It wasn’t easy for Lisa to find a peaceful place to read, so her brother set out to solve that problem by building her a treehouse. It quickly became her favorite place to read, do homework, and watch the world go by.
Lisa’s insatiable reading appetite prompted a visit to the neighborhood library one Saturday morning. Stepping into the cool, quiet sanctuary, she was surrounded by an abundance of books that surpassed even the school library. Lisa went home that day with a library card and a stack of books. She had discovered yet another happy place.
She relocated to Arkansas for high school and college and beyond, and her journey took a significant turn when she read in the newspaper about a unique opportunity. The Central Arkansas Library System had moved its Main Library to a new spot in Little Rock’s River Market District, and they were in search of a part-time children’s programmer to help with storytimes. That sounded like the perfect job to Lisa.
A lifelong library enthusiast, Lisa’s connection persists as she eagerly anticipates the next phase—enjoying the library as a patron. Lisa Donovan, forever a library lover, leaves behind a legacy of passion and service, as well as a boundless appreciation for the world within library walls.
Read more about Lisa’s retirement and legacy on the CALS blog.
Featured art: Bow and Arrow by Katherine Strause