THEATER
Everyone cut “Footloose”
Second Stage Steps for Benton Young Players “Free from all ties” (music by Tom Snow, lyrics by Dean Pitchford, adapted for the stage by Pitchford and Walter Bobbie from Pitchford's screenplay for the 1984 film, with additional music by Eric Carmen, Sammy Hagar, Kenny Loggins and Jim Steinman), 7:30 p.m. Friday -Saturday and January 11-12, 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Jan. 13 and 2:30 p.m. Sunday and Jan. 14 at the Royal Theater, 111 N. Market St., Benton. The sponsor is Arvest Bank. Tickets are $18; $15 for seniors 60 and older, military personnel and university students with valid ID; $8 for young people aged 12 and under. Visit TheRoyalPlayers.TicketLeap.com.
ART
Small works on paper
THE 2024 Arkansas Arts Council Exhibition of Small Works on Paper, 40 pieces by 39 artists from across Arkansas, will tour nine venues across the state, beginning today with a 6 p.m. reception and artist talk at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, 501 W. Ninth St., Little Rock. The exhibition features artwork no larger than 18 x 24 inches and highlights members of the Arkansas Artist Registry online gallery.
The exhibition will remain at the center until January 26. Most of the works will be available for sale. Gallery opening hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission to the exhibition and opening reception is free. Call (501) 324-9767 or email cheri.leffew@arkansas.gov.
Juror Laura Blereau, curator of exhibitions at the Newcomb Art Museum at Tulane University in New Orleans, reviewed more than 200 applications and selected the participating artists:
◼️ Ebony Blevins, Jojo Buchmann, Catherine Burton, Brian Cormack, Laura Dowling, Ryan Howard, Lisa Krannichfeld, Y. Hope Osborn, Laura Raborn, Kasten Searles, Dominique Simmons, Derek Slagle, Emily Wood and Terry Wright, all of Little Rock
◼️Judith Beale and Adrianna Kimble-Ray of Jacksonville
◼️Maria Botti Villegas of El Dorado
◼️ Jane Bonady Brackin of West Memphis
◼️ Aaron Calvert and David Rackley of Russellville
◼️Tami Chandler from Jonesboro
◼️Terra Fondriest of Saint-Joe
◼️ Vince Griffin of North Little Rock
◼️ Jeri Hillis of Hot Springs
◼️ Matthew Howard, Kimiara Johnson and Alexia Lams of Pine Bluff
◼️ Crystal Jennings of Rison
◼️ Milan Jilka from Springdale
◼️ Kellie Lehr of Bentonville
◼️ Madeline McMahan from Paragould
◼️ Vianny Nolasco from Rogers
◼️ Joy Noir Phillips of Hindsville
◼️ Trevor Segraves of Siloam Springs
◼️ Bryant’s Sondra Strong
◼️ Cathy Wester of Conway
◼️ Evernus Williams of Searcy
◼️ Mark Wittig of Sherwood
◼️Anna Zusman of Magnolia.
Blereau also selected works by Howard, Jilka, Lams, McMahan, Nolasco and Strong for purchase awards. They will be part of the permanent Small Works on Paper collection.
The art tour continues Feb. 2-23 at the Rosemary Adams Gallery at Ouachita Baptist University, 410 Ouachita St., Arkadelphia, and March 1-29 at the River Valley Arts Center, 1001 E. B. St., Russellville. Visit arkansasarts.org.
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Cité Spa Gallery
Paintings by John Laserer IV and Steven Wise 'headline' January exhibition at Justus Art Gallery, 827A Central Ave., Hot Springs, beginning with a monthly Gallery Walk reception, 5 to 9 p.m., Fridays. It will remain active until January 31. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday and by appointment. Free entry. Call (501) 321-2335 or visit justusfineart.com.
Animal art competition
The Arkansas Wildlife Federation encourages students in grades K-12 to explore and celebrate Arkansas wildlife through the 10th Arkansas Wildlife Student Art Contest.
Students, teachers and/or parents can submit a photograph of artwork online; a panel of jurors selects the three best works of art per category, as well as Best in Show. Submissions open January 15; The submission deadline is March 29. Artwork must feature native Arkansas wildlife, plants, and/or landscapes.
Winners in each level will receive certificates and an invitation to attend an awards reception at the State Capitol in Little Rock. Images of all winning entries will be published in the Summer 2024 issue of Arkansas Out of Doors magazine, the official publication of the Arkansas Wildlife Federation. An exhibition of the winning entries at the Capitol will then be shown at nature centers and other public locations across the state.
Sponsors are the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the National Wildlife Federation. Visit arwild.org/art-contest for all competition rules, resources and submission details.
HEARINGS
“Puffs” in Pine Bluff
The Southeast Arkansas Arts and Science Center will hold auditions for actors 17 and older for “Puffs”, subtitled “Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,” by Matt Cox, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. January 19 and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. January 21, at the Adam B. Robinson Black Box Theater from ART WORKS on Main. , 627 S. Main St., Pine Bluff. The play is a comedy about students who find themselves on the sidelines of a certain boy wizard's seven-year journey to a certain wizarding school and his conquest of evil. Auditions will consist of a prepared 30-60 second comedic monologue and/or script readings (sides will be available at the audition). Register for an audition spot and fill out the form at bit.ly/artx3-puffs-auditions. Production dates are April 26-28. For more information, call (870) 536-3375 or email Lindsey Collins at lcollins@artx3.org.