It’s all in the name
Arts Center to be known as Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts
The Arkansas Arts Center will now be known as the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts. This is one of two major announcements Jan. 25 at A New Vision for A New Museum held on the construction site of the museum and streamed live to the public on Facebook and YouTube.
Van Tilbury, chairman of the museum’s board of trustees, made the announcement about the name change.
“I can tell you firsthand that the new building will be stunning,” Tilbury said. “I’m so proud of the care that we are taking to ensure every detail is thoroughly considered and that the new art center is both a place for the arts and a welcoming place for all in our community.”
Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. signed a proclamation making the name change official. He said the museum “will create a community impact, educational awareness and economic diversity by focusing on creative arts and by helping all here in the city of Little Rock, Central Arkansas, and the state of Arkansas understand how much art truly impacts us all.”
Warren and Harriet Stephens, co-chairmen of the art center’s Capital Campaign, spoke about the other announcement — the Capital Campaign had exceeded its initial fundraising goal by $13 million — and of a challenge to meet a new $142 million goal which would help complete the construction of the building including landscaping 10 acres of MacArthur Park and provide “crucial endowment funds to support the museum’s annual expenses.”
Museum Executive Director Victoria Ramirez said, “We are humbled and grateful for the continued support of the capital campaign, the overwhelming enthusiasm for the new building and this next chapter. Campaign contributors have helped us not only meet our previous campaign goal, but to exceed it. The new goal reflects our thinking for the new museum and will simply allow us to do more.”