Ark. Museum of Fine Arts

The other day I had a chance to drive over to MacArthur Park and check out the fancy new Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts. The museum (formally the Arkansas Arts Center) had been closed for five years while it underwent a massive renovation and expansion that cost about $160 million or so.

The museum first opened in 1937, and had expanded several times over the years. But those additions were now considered to be poorly-designed, which made navigating the galleries awkward and kept the museum's attractions separated and distant from each other. The five-year renovation removed those additions, and added on 133,000 square feet of new space. The redesign uncovered the original building's art deco facade, which had been somewhat hidden behind one of those additions for the last few decades.



In front of the entrance is the sculpture Large Standing Figure: Knife Edge, by Henry Moore. The statue was originally purchased by the city of Little Rock to be placed in the old Metrocentre Mall, the short-lived downtown pedestrian mall in the 80s. From there it was moved to a spot along Capitol Avenue for awhile, before being moved here to the museum. If the sculpture looks familiar, a copy of it can be seen in the 80s film The Breakfast Club. In one scene, Judd Nelson hangs from the top of the statue, something that the docents at the AMFA would probably frown upon.



Out front were a few other sculptures, which I did not recognize from any other 80s movies.



Perhaps the most dramatic part of the new expansion is the "Cultural Living Room," which is described as "a new glass-panelled pavilion, topped with an undulating pleated roof. Suspended over the courtyard with expansive, downward-sloping windows, the structure hovers like a control panel, offering views of the museum’s interior from below and panoramic views of the original façade. The light-filled space...is furnished with ample seating and a custom bar, fulfilling a long-felt gap in the museum’s offerings by providing a communal area for patrons to gather and socialise."



And right next door is another one of city's landmarks, the old Little Rock Arsenal Building. It was built in 1840 and also has been home to a museum for many decades.



And one last shot from the Museum, which was closing when I got there so I didn't get a chance to go inside. Hopefully will be making a trip in there soon...