Arkansas gifts abound for Christmas
Someone on my Christmas list is going to get a nice watercolor painting by my longtime friend and former colleague Bryan Kellar of Sherwood. My relatives and friends often receive works by Arkansas artists, craftsmen, and writers.
Arkansas has undergone a cultural renaissance in the past 30 years or so, with the creation of the University of Arkansas Press in 1980 being a huge boost. The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture has made our heritage accessible as never before. Most Arkansas cities now have arts centers of some sort, and these have gift shops which usually feature wide selections of regional books, art, and even iconic foods—such as barbecue sauce.
Speaking of an Arkansas barbecue sauce, a very spicy version is made by the monks at historic Subiaco Abbey near Paris. Made from Abbey-grown habanero peppers—among the hottest varieties—Monk Sauce is available in five-ounce bottles for $11. Orders can be placed by calling (479) 934-1001.
Arkansas is now home to its own ketchup. Arkansas Ketchup Co. is a startup that features a ketchup made from Arkansas-grown tomatoes and local honey, among other things. Currently the ketchup is apparently available only at retailers in the Little Rock area and northwest Arkansas, but I suspect this will change as the husband-wife team behind this operation finds time to develop this young company. At least one new recipe is said to be under development. More information can be found at www. arkansasketchup.com.
The food scene in Arkansas is quickly evolving, and one way I keep up with things is by reading Tie Dye Travels with Kat Robinson (www. tiedyetravels.com). The website contains a feature on “64 Great Arkansas Food Gift Ideas,” including Ally’s Jelly in Hope, which offers the ambrosia known as fig preserves (870-8263445).
I like to buy Arkansas-related gifts as a means of recognizing local businessmen and women who contribute philanthropically to our Southern commonwealth. That is why I will be buying some products manufactured by Aromatique, the nationally prominent decorative fragrance company founded in Heber Springs by Patti Upton in 1982. Upton’s original fragrance success came quickly with her Smell of Christmas, which has remained the most popular fragrance for over 20 years. Upton, who died earlier this year at age 79, was known for her generosity to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Aromatique products can be found in stores and gift shops across the land. The company has a store in Heber Springs, Panache, and a mail-order operation. Their website is www.aromatique.com.
What would be better to go with a sweet smelling Arkansas-made candle (or perhaps an evening recuperating from eating too much Monk Sauce) than a CD by an Arkansas musician? Here again, Arkansas has a richness of incredible musicians, most of them under-recognized. Charley Sandage of “near Mountain View” is a performer, a composer of songs across several genres, and is currently developing a musical set during Arkansas’ Brooks-Baxter
War of 1874.
Charley’s large website is www. charleysandage.com, and it contains a wealth of information in addition to Charley’s many songs. Be sure to listen to the haunting story of “Beautiful Sally,” cut five on Charley’s Arkansas Songs Volume 1 CD. If the late Donald Harington is the state’s greatest undiscovered writer, then Charley Sandage is undoubtedly our greatest undiscovered musician; plus he is a really nice guy.
I would never let my family and close friends get through a Christmas without receiving a book or two. Unlike only a few years ago, we now have so many to choose from that selecting an Arkansas book is an easy task. The University of Arkansas Press in Fayetteville issues a nice catalog twice yearly which can be accessed at www.uapress.com. The backlog is gigantic, including the newly issued edition of the classic Back Yonder, An Ozark Chronicle, with a surprising and enlightening introduction by Brooks Blevins. The UA Press is also marketing a number of Arkansas-related videos, including The Caged Bird: The Life and Music of Florence B. Price, produced by James Greeson.
The UA Press markets books published by the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies in Little Rock. Butler Center Books has produced a number of Arkansas titles which would be especially good for newcomers to Arkansas. I recommend Nancy Hendricks’ Notable Women of Arkansas: From Hattie to Hillary, 100 Names to Know as well as Natural State Notables, and 21 Famous People from Arkansas by Steven Teske. Arkansas is full of retirees from other states who know little about their new home state, a sad situation which can be rectified.
Natives and long-time residents of Fayetteville—yes, they do exist— will be pleased to know that two local historians have written The Square Book: An Illustrated History of the Fayetteville Square, 1828-2016. Anthony J. Wappel and J.B. Hogan have produced a 247-page hardback volume which describes with narrative and hundreds of photographs how the downtown Fayetteville square has evolved since its founding. Contact the lead author at twappel@gmail.com.
If you are in the Little Rock area before the holidays, I urge you to stop by Pyramid Art, Books & Custom Framing, 1001 Wright Ave., Little Rock. Proprietor Garbo Hearne has built this business into a treasure for the capital city. In addition to offering a wide selection of art by mostly black artists, Pyramid also offers a huge selection of books, many by black Arkansas writers. Contact hearnefineart@gmail.com.
Regular readers of this column know how often I rely on the Arkansas Historical Quarterly to keep abreast of our history. Published for 76 years, the Quarterly is filled with the latest research in Arkansas history and many photographs. Subscriptions, which include a membership in the Arkansas Historical Association, are $20 per year. Contact the editor at 410 Old Main, UA, Fayetteville 72701.