Positively Pine Bluff : Things to Do : Museums and The Arts





THE JEFFERSON COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM offers a glimpse into the past of Pine Bluff and surrounding Jefferson County. Within this fascinating museum, discover displays and collections of relics, and cotton farming implements. See displays of Civil War and World War II artifacts, Victorian furniture, clothing, quilts and antique dolls, plus tools, relics and cotton farming implements. The Museum is located at the Union Station train depot, corner of 4th and State. This depot has been restored and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 870-541-5402. THE BAND MUSEUM Downtown you can visit the only museum in the country devoted to band instruments and the history of the band movement in America. Located at 423-425 Main Street, the Band Museum features a collection that includes hundreds of vintage and antique band instruments, some dating to the early 1700s and hosts an operational '50s-style soda fountain. The museum is housed in a vintage building built in the 1880s. For more information, contact: The Band Museum, 423-425 Main Street, Pine Bluff, AR 71601. (870) 534-HORN(4676). THE ARTS & SCIENCE CENTER FOR SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS The exterior is rich terra cotta colored brick with stucco accents. Inside are 22,000 square feet of gleaming new facilities for enjoying and learning about the visual and performing arts and sciences. Pine Bluff's beautiful new Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas at 701 Main Street is a showcase for enriching the quality of life, featuring three art galleries, a science gallery, a theatre and a studio classroom. We invite you to come see and enjoy this impressive new facility. View a floorplan of the Arts and Science Center. 232 - SEAT THEATRE The Center's Catherine M. Bellamy Theatre will entertain you with dramatic and musical productions. INSTRUCTIONAL STUDIO Call or write for more information on how you can enjoy the Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, including a current calendar of events. Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas 701 Main Street Pine Bluff, AR 71601 (870) 536-3375 E-mail [email protected]	LEEDELL MOOREHEAD - GRAHAM FINE ARTS GALLERY Visit the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff for a tour of "Keepers of the Spirit", a series of 25 four-by-eight-foot panels on permanent display in the west wing of the Leedell Moorehead-Graham Fine Arts Gallery located in the Isaac Hathaway Fine Arts Center, that traces the 120-year history of the University, using photographs, texts and memorabilia. The exhibit is divided into four periods: (1875-1927) The legacy of Branch Normal College and the AM&N School (1928-1942) The legacy of John Brown Watson and AM&N College (1943-1972) The legacy of L.A. Davis, Sr., and AM&N College (1972-1993) UAPB; a legacy in the making. This history project is a follow-up to "Persistence of the Spirit", the popular exhibit which filled a major void in Arkansas' history by providing a chronological survey of the black experience in Arkansas. In the east wing of the Gallery, you can see monthly series of exhibits by regional and national artists on display. Gallery hours are 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. Open weekends and evenings for groups by appointment. For more information contact: Art Department/University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, 1200 North University Drive, Pine Bluff, Arkansas 71601. (870) 543-8236. FOUR EXHIBITION AREAS A number of exciting exhibits covering a variety of artistic and scientific topics will be displayed at the Center's galleries during the year. Our galleries are always open, free of charge. Guided tours led by students are available by reservation. If your group numbers more than 15 persons, please call to ensure that space is available in the galleries at the time you plan to visit. OLD TOWN THEATRE CENTRE The Old Town Theatre Centre is dedicated to the restoration and preservation of the Saenger Theatre and the maintenance of the Community Theatre Museum in downtown Pine Bluff. The Saenger Theatre is home of the annual Pine Bluff Film Festival held on the first weekend of October. The festival features a silent film with its original music score played by the Pine Bluff Symphony. The Community Theatre Museum is the oldest single-screen theatre still operating in Arkansas. The museum shows vintage films, hosts a lecture series and hosts "Wednesday Off Main" each week. For more information, contact: Old Town Theatre Centre, 207 West 2nd Street, Pine Bluff, AR 71601. (870) 535-2646.	PINE BLUFF SYMPHONY An outstanding string program was begun in the Pine Bluff public schools in 1980, and this resulted in the formation of a youth orchestra. The Pine Bluff Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1987, to give these students an opportunity to improve and continue their skills and to raise their sights in life -- both now and in the future. Many of the Pine Bluff Symphony Orchestra members are local residents (including some of these students) who are sharing their talents and helping expose our community to a quality of music we would rarely hear otherwise. For more information, contact: Pine Bluff Symphony, P.O. Box 1594, Pine Bluff, AR 71613-1594. (870) 536-7666. ARKANSAS ENTERTAINERS HALL OF FAME Come trace the careers of the featured performers and celebrate the dream of the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame that now has become a reality. When you enter the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame you are immediately greeted by an animatronic statue of Johnny Cash that entertains you with several original songs. As you tour the exhibits you will notice the collections include everything from guitars to drumsticks owned by the likes of Levon Helm, Al Green, Jimmy Driftwood and Art Porter, Sr. to impressive stage and wardrobe costumes of the famous artists: Jim Ed Brown, Charlie Rich, K.T. Oslin, Tracy Lawrence and a wide variety of others. Fans of the big screen will be impressed by memorabilia owned or associated with film stars such as Jerry Van Dyke's work with the television series, "Coach", Harry Thomason's work with "Designing Women", Julie Adams' work in "The Creature From the Black Lagoon" and Oscar winner Billy Bob Thornton's role as Karl in the smash screenplay "Slingblade." These are just a few of the numerous artifacts on display from the various entertainers represented. DELTA RIVERS NATURE CENTER Be sure to leave time to visit the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's Governor Mike Huckabee Delta Rivers Nature Center.