PROGRESS
CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES!
The new Arts Center will be a treasure located in scenic MacArthur Park in the heart of Little Rock, Arkansas. Opening in 2022, the Art Center will welcome all with exhibitions, art classes, performances, lectures, programs and so much more.
The Arkansas Arts Center officially became the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts on January 25, 2021. While unveiling the museum’s new brand, AMFA leaders announced that the capital campaign’s new fundraising goal is $142 million.
Watch the livestreamed announcement below.
Winter 2020 Construction Update: Even as the weather cools down, construction on the new 137,000 square-foot Arkansas Arts Center continues. The custom concrete petals for the signature roofline – a remarkable feat of both architecture and engineering – reveal the full expanse of the new building. Specialty glass is being installed at the south entrance, creating floor-to-ceiling windows that will overlook six acres of landscaping in MacArthur Park. At the north side of the building, white brick encloses the new state-of-the-art gallery space where visitors will find the Arkansas Arts Center Foundation Collection and dynamic special exhibitions. Inside, walls in the galleries and art school offer a sense of scale and place.
Image 1: The north entrance to the new Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts under construction in March 2021. Photo by Timothy Hursley. Image 2: Looking south through the new Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in March 2021. Photo by Timothy Hursley. Image 3: Studio Gang’s design for the new Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts creates a central axis spanning the length of the building and connecting the Museum’s various programming areas. Photograph by Timothy Hursley. Image 4: To the South, the new Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts opens into a renewed MacArthur Park. Photo by Timothy Hursley. Image 5: Preparations continue for glass to be installed that will enclose the Cultural Living Room, a gathering space located on the second floor. Image 6: Workers finish the installation of floor-to-ceiling windows in the new restaurant that overlooks MacArthur Park. Image 7: Workers continue to frame the south side of the building. The signature roof contains over 984 cubic yards of concrete. Image 8: A mason lays brick on the two-story west wing, which houses nearly 20,000 square feet of gallery space. Approximately 117,000 bricks will be used on this wing of the building.
Vision
Building a cultural home for future generations
A cultural shift is happening with the construction of a new Arkansas Arts Center. A reimagined place to see, create, and enjoy the arts.
Building on the Arts Center’s legacy, the reimagined space will be a creative, educational, and civic beacon for future generations. Join the countdown to 2022.
© Studio Gang and SCAPE
“The plans for the new Arkansas Arts Center are transformative. Like you, we believe in the Arkansas Arts Center and know together we can make it a thriving and influential cultural institution for present and future generations.”
– Harriet and Warren Stephens,
Capital Campaign Co-Chairs
PROJECT
Building the future while honoring the past
Designed by world-renowned architecture firm, Studio Gang, the stunning new Arkansas Art Center is located in Little Rock’s MacArthur Park and surrounded by historic homes in the Quapaw Quarter neighborhood. Notably, the north entrance features a new entrance that reveals the original 1937 Museum of Fine Arts façade. The glass entrance to the south is surrounded by six acres of beautiful landscaping, walking paths and an event lawn, designed by the noted firm, SCAPE.
The Arts Center’s new 137,000 square-foot building will be the place to experience art in world-class galleries, take art classes in a modern art school, view performances in two state-of-the-art theatres, celebrate, relax, contemplate, and enjoy.
“The design for the reimagined Arkansas Arts Center features new and renovated spaces for gathering and community events to create dynamic connections among the state-of-the-art galleries and exhibitions, renovated Museum School, and upgraded Theatre. One of our main goals for the project is to allow the architecture to invite interaction, discovery, creativity, and learning.”
Architect and Founding Principal of Studio Gang.
– Kate Orff, Founder of SCAPE.
CAMPAIGN
Building our support across Arkansas
We believe in the power of the arts to change lives and communities and we hope you will join us on this exciting journey. Reimagining the Arkansas Arts Center: Campaign for Our Cultural Future supports a complete transformation of the AAC facility, transition and re-opening costs, and critical endowment funds to help support future operations.
By participating, you will help to establish a significant architectural treasure in the heart of Arkansas that serves the community, stimulates tourism, and drives the economy.
This is our moment to make a long term, permanent impact on the city, state and region. Learn more about how you can help here
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