ARTx3 plans December festivities

The ARTx3 Campus plans Miracle on Main, a bit of yoga, a new exhibition and Potpourri, the center’s biggest fundraiser, among its many December events.

Potpourri: Spirit of the Arts — Dec. 7

The ARTx3 Campus presents Potpourri: Spirit of The Arts from 6-11 p.m. Dec. 7 at The ARTSpace on Main, 623 S. Main St. This year’s Potpourri is presented by Express Employment Professionals, in memory of community supporter and Arts & Science Center Endowment Board member Becky Simpson.

Potpourri is the organization’s largest fundraisers, providing general funding for the ARTx3 Campus and programming at its three facilities: the Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, ART WORKS on Main and The ARTSpace on Main.

Potpourri features a silent auction with work by Arkansas artists and featured artist John Kushmaul, a spirits auction and a live auction hosted by Master of Ceremonies Matt Soto. Groove City band will provide entertainment with old-school jazz and gospel tunes.

Tickets are $200 for ARTx3 members and $250 for nonmembers. Tickets are limited, and advanced purchase is required. Drinks and dinner are included. Dinner is by Chef Jamie McAfee. To purchase tickets or make donations to the Potpourri fund-raising campaign, visit artx3.org/potpourri.

Donors will be listed in the Potpourri program. Details: Erica Kriner, development coordinator, at ekriner@artx3.org or (870) 536-3375.

Sketching Session with artist Tanya Hollifield — Dec. 12

The ARTx3 Campus will host a free sketching session with artist Tanya Hollifield, from 4-7 p.m. Dec. 12. It will include a break to socialize.

Community members are invited to draw or observe. Participants will have the opportunity to sketch two models in fashion outfits, with assistance from Hollifield.

The event is in the Adam B. Robinson Jr. Black Box Theater, 627 S. Main St. Registration is required; sign up at artx3.org/all-events/sketching-session-with-tanya-hollifield or call (870) 536-3375.

Hollifield is the ARTx3 Campus’ artist in residence for December. In addition to the drawing workshop, her residency will include open studio time for curious guests to visit the artist while she is onsite. Hollifield is also a featured artist in 3rd Space, the retail gallery at The ARTSpace on Main.

The Little Rock-based artist combines art and activism, working on the 7th Street murals with the Arkansas Coalition for Peace and Justice, the Prison Portrait Project for Compassion Works for Al, and a collaborative project with the U.S. Water Alliance and Central Arkansas Water that included a mural with a functional water bottle feature.

In 2022, she received an Artist Fellowship Award for Community Engagement Art from the Arkansas Arts Council and Peace Activist of the Year from the Arkansas Coalition for Peace and Justice. She is represented by M2 Gallery in Little Rock. Details: Kevin Haynie, curator of collections and exhibitions, at khaynie@artx3.org or (870) 536-3375.

Movement and Agility with Lauren Robertson — Dec. 13

The ARTx3 Campus hosts the bi-monthly workshop Movement and Agility, led by exercise therapist Lauren Robertson. Designed for women ages 30 and older, this functional strength-building class aims to increase strength, mobility, balance, flexibility and confidence.

The next workshop is from 11 a.m. to noon Dec. 13, at The ARTSpace on Main, 623 S. Main St. The cost is $15 for ARTx3 members and $20 for nonmembers. Register at artx3.org/all-events/movement-agility-dec-2024 or call (870) 536-3375. Details: Bethany Gere, public programs coordinator, at bgere@artx3.org or (870) 395-7059.

Come Read, Sing, Dance, and Play with Me! — Dec. 14

Ages 3-6 are invited to Come Read, Sing, Dance, and Play with Me! with Melanie Madkin from 11 a.m. to noon Dec. 14, at the Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas. Madkin, of Ms. Madkin’s Literacy Program, aims to foster a love of the wonderful world of literacy in a quiet and nurturing environment with this monthly event, according to the release.

This event is free, but registration is requested at artx3.org/all-events/come-read-dec-2024 or call (870) 536-3375. Details: Bethany Gere, public programs coordinator, at bgere@artx3.org or (870) 395-7059.

Second Saturday Family FunDay: Cookin’ for a Cause — Dec. 14

The community is invited to the ARTx3 Campus’s free Second Saturday Family FunDay: Cookin’ for A Cause program from 1-3 p.m. Dec. 14, at the Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas.

Participants of all ages are invited to help cook for fellow community members during the season of giving. The campus is collaborating with House of Bread and Deliverance Church to aid families in need.

Second Saturday Family FunDay offers monthly hands-on arts and science activities in which visitors create art, complete science projects, or perform dance, music or theater. Activities complement current exhibitions. Activities are free and led by visiting artists, local art educators and ARTx3 staff. This event is sponsored by the Pine Bluff Area Community Foundation. Details: Shakeelah Rahmaan, programs director, at srahmaan@artx3.org or (870) 536-3375.

Yoga in the Loft: Under The Mistletoe — Dec. 14

The ARTx3 Campus will host Yoga in the Loft: Under The Mistletoe from 1:30-3 p.m. Dec. 14 at the ARTSpace on Main.

Participants will immerse themselves in gentle stretches, mindful breathing and soothing meditation techniques to cultivate balance, flexibility and mental clarity. Suitable for all levels, this class harmonizes one’s mind, body and spirit to foster tranquility and well-being, according to the release.

This event is for ages 13 and older. It is part of the ARTx3 Campus Flex Pay program; with a minimum cost of $5, $15 is recommended. Register at artx3.org/all-events/yoga-dec-2024.

Details: Bethany Gere, public programs coordinator, at bgere@artx3.org or call (870) 395-7059. This event is sponsored by Angela White Smith – eXp Realty.

Production: “Miracle on Main” — Dec. 20-21

The ARTx3 Campus will present “Miracle on Main” performances at 7 p.m. Dec. 20 and Dec. 21 in the Catherine M. Bellamy Theater at The Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas. This production is directed by Bethany Gere and Kayla Earnest.

“Miracle on Main” is presented as a memorable television holiday special with singing, dancing and family-friendly comedy skits. Theatergoers can celebrate all the holiday excitement with Southeast Arkansas talent during “the most wonderful time of the year.” Santa himself may stop by for a visit, according to the release.

To purchase tickets, visit artx3.org/all-events/miracle-on-main. Details: Lindsey Collins, interim director, at lcollins@artx3.org or (870) 536-3375.

Exhibition: “Matters of Abstraction” — On view until March 1

The ARTx3 Campus invites the community to view its new Permanent Collections exhibition “Matters of Abstraction,” featuring decades of distinct two-dimensional and three-dimensional abstract art styles.

Visitors will be welcomed to a breadth of abstract works that include subjects and non-representational art. Discover various mark-making techniques that create textures on the canvas, careful color choices that provide subtle gradation, focus and repeating patterns and the use of a variety of lighting situations, according to a news release.

The ARTx3 Campus houses more than 1,400 artworks within its Permanent Collection, a curated cultural crossroad of southeast Arkansas’s visual history. Through continued stewardship, the community can enjoy art through different perspectives for free year-round.

This exhibition is on view in the International Paper Gallery in the Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, 701 S. Main St. in Pine Bluff, through March 1. Details: Kevin Haynie, curator of collections and exhibitions, at khaynie@artx3.org or (870) 536-3375.