VISION
The Reimagined Arkansas Arts Center: What to Expect
On the Outside
- A stunning new building, designed by world-acclaimed architecture practice, Studio Gang; featuring gallery spaces, a fully-equipped Museum School, Theatre, lecture/performance space, restaurant, shop, and more
- Two beautiful entrances – facing downtown Little Rock, the North Entrance, showcases the original “Museum of Fine Arts” 1937 facade and the South Entrance includes an open-air terrace facing MacArthur Park
- Native and sustainable landscaping designed by the renowned firm SCAPE connecting the Arkansas Arts Center to surrounding MacArthur Park
- Landscape pathways, a great lawn for events, and open areas that allow for vibrant community programming
- Ample parking, relocated to the north and west sides of the building
North Entry Courtyard Revealing the Original 1937 Façade: A new entrance to the north invites visitors to experience anew the building’s original 1937 façade. Image courtesy of Studio Gang.
© Studio Gang
View from Crescent Drive at Night: Nighttime view from downtown Little Rock of the Arkansas Arts Center’s new north entrance. A new plaza opens the historic 1937 façade onto Crescent Drive. Above, the Cultural Living Room acts as a community gathering and event space. Image courtesy of Studio Gang and SCAPE.
View from the South: Aerial view showing how the reimagined Arkansas Arts Center creates new pathways and connections to MacArthur Park. The design includes a new restaurant with outdoor shaded seating, walking paths, and a great lawn. Over time, a tree canopy will develop, creating a true “Arts Center in a Park.” Image courtesy of Studio Gang and SCAPE.
What’s Inside
- Expertly lit Galleries to feature the AAC’s collection of more than 14,000 works of art, highlighting areas of specialty in contemporary craft and works on paper
- A full schedule of dynamic special exhibitions that celebrate the artistic history and current work of the Delta region while bringing world-class exhibitions from around the world to Little Rock
- A Museum School with classroom studios for drawing, painting, ceramics, glass, wood, and metalsmithing classes for children and adults and a Museum School gallery space
- State-of-the-art mainstage and black box Theatres featuring the Children’s Theatre, theatre programming, films, and performing arts events
- The innovative, glass-enclosed, Cultural Living Room, a community gathering space for quiet reflection, social gatherings, and everything in between
- Continued programs with AAC’s valued community partners including public and private schools, UA Little Rock, the Clinton Presidential Library, and the Alzheimer’s Arkansas, among others
- A full-service restaurant with indoor and shaded outdoor seating overlooking MacArthur Park
- A shop, collections study room, a lecture hall for public programs, and so much more
Blossom Image: View toward MacArthur Park from the Atrium, which connects the Arkansas Arts Center’s three programmatic pillars: the Museum School, Galleries, and Children’s Theatre. Image courtesy of Studio Gang.
© Studio Gang
Restaurant Terrace On MacArthur Park: At the southern end of the reimagined Arkansas Arts Center, new pathways and plantings connect the building to MacArthur Park, including a new restaurant with outdoor shaded seating that overlooks the park, and new landscape features that include walking paths and a great lawn for community events. Image courtesy of Studio Gang and SCAPE.
Gallery Image: View of the Arkansas Arts Center’s expansion, which connects improved spaces for exhibition with new community gathering spaces such as the Cultural Living Room and a double-height public Atrium. State-of-the-art Galleries showcase the Arkansas Arts Center’s world-class permanent collection of local, national, and international art, and house special exhibitions. The Cultural Living Room is a community space for casual gatherings and elevated events. Image courtesy of Studio Gang.
A Gift for Little Rock, Arkansas, and the Delta
- Special exhibitions will celebrate art of the Delta while bringing the world of art to Little Rock
- Educational programming will welcome the young to the young at heart, recognizing that everyone should reap the benefits of arts engagement
- Statewide outreach and programs that reaffirm the AAC’s commitment to bringing art to communities throughout the state
- And, always, general admission to the AAC is free. For everyone. Always.