Doors open for preview at Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts

The preview event for the new Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts building on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, in Little Rock. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Thomas Metthe)

The brand new Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts reopened to the public on Saturday, and the media got a tour of the building and campus in Little Rock's MacArthur Park on Tuesday.

The space, formerly known as the Arkansas Arts Center, has been closed since July 2019 while undergoing an extensive renovation and expansion.

The structure, designed by Chicago-based architectural firm Studio Gang, has grown to 133,000 square feet and features nine galleries, a theater, a "cultural living room," studio classrooms, a space called the "Glass Box," an art reference library and a restaurant.

The building has a distinctive, pleated roof that welcomes visitors at its south and north entrances, the latter of which also retains the building's original 1937 art deco facade. Inside, light flows in through large windows and the building has an inviting, open vibe.

Architect Jeanne Gang, the founder of Studio Gang, spoke about the inspiration for the museum's new layout.

"We saw the design as an opportunity to really connect with the surroundings and organize the museum's many functions so that visitors will feel welcome and feel all this vibrant creativity going on," she said.

Outside, the 11-acre campus, carefully designed by New York-based SCAPE Landscape firm, is more accessible and open to visitors.

SCAPE founder Kate Orff said that inspiration was taken from Arkansas landscapes ranging from the Ouachita mountains to the Delta.

"Our goal was to not only echo the beauty and wildness of these places, but also to give them shape and very deliberate form, creating dramatic settings for the museum's outdoor sculptures."

Back inside, eight of the nine galleries are upstairs, as is the "cultural living room," a large, glass-enclosed area above the north entrance that is furnished with comfortable couches and chairs where visitors can relax.

Hanging from the ceiling are slats of birch that follow the pleated shape of the roof to add a softness to the design that winds through the spine of the museum.

The theater features the same shell as before, but has been refurbished and its acoustics have been updated and refined. Builders were able to reuse the theater's original seats, which have been reupholstered.

The "Glass Box" space is on the ground floor and is a 2,600-square-foot room with large windows and a wall of mirrors. It's a space that can be used for, among other things, gatherings, screenings and ballet events.

Seated in one of the chairs in the living room area, Victoria Ramirez, the museum's executive director, said: "We are beyond excited to open our doors. As a staff, we are grateful to be at this moment. We are ready. We've been working toward this for years and we're ready to share this museum with the community."

Those who didn't scoop up a free pass to Saturday's grand reopening will have to wait, however. The event is at capacity, with more than 3,000 people securing passes.

On May 2, the museum will begin regular hours -- Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday noon-5 p.m.; closed Monday.

What made it possible

The renovation and expansion are financed by private and public funds. In 2016, Little Rock voters approved a bond paid for by hotel taxes to fund about $31 million of the project. On Tuesday, Warren Stephens, chairman of the museum's foundation and co-chairman of its capital campaign, announced that the drive had raised more than $160 million to date.

"It's been gratifying and humbling to see the community come together and show so much enthusiasm and support for the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts," he said.

Stephens and his wife, Harriet, who is the building committee chairwoman and co-chairwoman of the capital campaign, also announced the names of eight galleries in recognition of groups and individuals who have contributed to the museum since its inception by the Fine Arts Club in 1914.

- The Fine Arts Club New Media Gallery recognizes the Fine Arts Club, whose members endeavored to bring art to Arkansas in 1914.

- Berta and John Baird Gallery honors Berta Baird, president of the Fine Arts Club from 1927 through 1936, and her husband, John Baird, for their leadership and their generosity in creating the museum's original endowment.

- Governor Winthrop Rockefeller Gallery is named in memory of the former Arkansas governor and champion of the Arkansas Arts Center;

- Jeannette Edris Rockefeller Gallery is named for the wife of Winthrop Rockefeller and ardent supporter of the arts center

- Townsend Wolfe Gallery honors the museum's influential executive director and chief curator, who held those posts from 1968 through 2002.

- Jackson T. Stephens Gallery is named in memory of businessman and philanthropist Jack Stephens, Warren's father, whose personal collection is on loan to the museum.

- Little Rock Gallery is dedicated to the city's citizens who supported the museum's mission.

- The Harriet and Warren Stephens Family Gallery, which honors the couple's children and their families.

The museum's ninth gallery is named for Robyn and John Horn of the Windgate Foundation and is near the studio classrooms on the ground floor.

Warren Stephens also announced that the Windgate Foundation had made a total donation of $35 million to the museum, and that the museum's long-running art school will be named the Windgate Art School.

The Stephenses have long been supporters of the museum and, with the grand reopening then just days away, were still taking it all in on Tuesday.

"It's almost surreal," Harriet Stephens said. "We have spent so many years walking through here during the construction. I was here a couple of weeks ago when they were training docents and it was so exciting to see people in the building. This is what we've been working for, and we want to see it enjoyed and open to everyone."

"It's hard to believe that we're at this point and it's about to open," Warren Stephens added. "Knowing how long it's taken, how many people have worked on it and contributed to it. It's hard to believe that it's reality, but it is and it is beautiful."

The preview event for the new Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts building on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, in Little Rock. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Thomas Metthe)

Miranda Young, associate director of community engagement, puts together the Art Garden exhibit at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts during the preview event on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, in Little Rock. The Art Garden, a collection of more than 10,000 origami flowers that were on display in MacArthur Park during the museums reopening event on Saturday. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Thomas Metthe)

A security guard walks through the galleries of the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts during the preview event on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, in Little Rock. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Thomas Metthe)

Executive director Victoria Ramirez (right) introduces Harriet and Warren Stephens to announce the names of the eight galleries of the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts during the preview event on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, in Little Rock. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Thomas Metthe)

The front entrance of the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, maintained the original facade seen from the living room area during the preview event on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, in Little Rock. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Thomas Metthe)

The preview event for the new Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts building on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, in Little Rock. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Carey Jenkins)

The south entrance of the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, leading to MacArthur Park. The museum opened its doors to media for a preview event on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, in Little Rock. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Thomas Metthe)

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