Hidden Figures to honor area women
The city of Pine Bluff will present its second annual Hidden Figures in Women’s History celebration in honor of Women’s History Month at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Pine Bluff Convention Center. The public is invited to attend.
“Extraordinary women in Pine Bluff, whose impact has contributed to the well-being and success of the community, will be recognized,” according to a news release.
This year’s honorees include Yolanda M. Scott, Susie Powell, Amanda Roaf-Barron, Lula Brown Gray, Jacquelyn Williams McCray, Melissa Rice and Mary Griffin.
“We’re honoring women who make a difference and impact the lives of others in this community in so many ways,” a spokesman said. “These women are trendsetters who represent a variety of professions and industries.”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
For details, contact the Office of the Mayor at (870) 730-2004 or mayor@cityofpinebluff-ar.gov.
Art league plans March events
The Pine Bluff Art League announces upcoming events.
The art league will host its monthly meeting from 2-4 p.m. Sunday at the Donald W. Reynolds Community Services Center, 211 W. Third Ave. The art league invites area artists and beginners to attend this free event.
The art league exhibitions committee will discuss selected themed exhibitions and slated artists exhibiting during the 2024 calendar year at the community services center.
Art league member Matthew Howard will present a short demonstration on artist bios and statements. Members will use this knowledge to fill out an artist form that will aid in updating the league’s membership page, according to a news release.
Members wishing to have their portrait on the website are encouraged to “dress to impress” and Howard will take photos of artists and capture or collect digital versions of work created by each artist to add to their page.
Participants are encouraged to bring their original work to be voted on by their peers to be displayed at Simmons Bank in Pine Bluff, Relyance Bank in Pine Bluff and Fairfield Community Credit Union in White Hall until the next meeting when new work will be selected.
On March 14, the art league will present a new exhibition featuring artwork by league artist Julia Barrett at the community services building. The league invites the community to attend a 5-6:30 p.m. reception March 14.
“As a child, Barrett was exposed to beautiful artwork when she visited a close cousin whose painting of a woman sitting on a garden bench left an impression. Her cousin studied under Mattie Thweatt Dube in Clarendon, AR,” according to the news release.
“In the 1970s, Barrett, as a Brush and Pallet Guild member (now the Pine Bluff Art League), attended the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and studied under John Howard, Terrance Corbin, and Henri Linton. She was the only one within the group who left the university with a degree in art, and she is one of six family members who chose art as a profession,” according to the release.
She was a teacher for 25 years at Pine Bluff High School and England High School before retiring in 2002. She now paints as a hobby. This exhibition will remain open through May 10.
Yearly membership dues for the art league are $40, including a $5 early-bird discount through March 15. Artists can mail a check to the Pine Bluff Art League, Donald W. Reynolds Community Services Building, 211 W. Third Ave., Box 8, Pine Bluff, AR, 71601. Members may also have their work shown at the Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas during the annual Pine Bluff Art League Juried Exhibition. Details: visit pbal.org or contact mediapinebluffartleague@gmail.com.
University Center website set
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Center for Rural Resilience and Workforce Development has launched a new website detailing the resources and services offered through its newest program, designed to support economic and workforce development across Arkansas.
The website is available at https://www.uaex.uada.edu/business-communities/community-workforce-development/eda.aspx.
In November, the U.S. Economic Development Administration, or EDA, awarded a $650,000, five-year grant to the Cooperative Extension Service’s department of Community, Professional and Economic Development to establish and operate a University Center. Rather than a physical location, the EDA University Center program is a resource serving the state’s economic development ecosystem, with a particular focus on rural marginalized communities, including Hispanic and Marshallese communities, according to a news release.
The website outlines information about the program and its services, including training and technical assistance, applied research and annual research findings reports. The website also features an interactive map of Arkansas’s eight EDA-funded Development Districts, which serve all 75 counties.
“The Development Districts offer incredible services to their communities, such as grant writing, planning and economic development projects, and we want to make sure anyone in their community can find their district and connect with them,” said Brandon L. Mathews, extension program manager for the University Center.