HSU students to showcase arts at Wildwood Park

ARKADELPHIA — Henderson State University students and faculty will showcase their talents in visual arts, theater, dance and music on June 1 at Wildwood Park for the Arts’ new collegiate arts initiative in Little Rock.

Henderson’s Celebration of the Arts is open to the public at no charge and will begin at 6 p.m. with a reception inside The Galleries at Wildwood. Guests can enjoy hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar while viewing a variety of visual art created by Henderson’s talented students and faculty.

Following the reception, guests will be treated to dance and drama performances in the 625-seat Lucy Lockett Cabe Festival Theatre, and live music will conclude the event in Wildwood’s covered outdoor pavilion.

The C. Louis and Mary C. Cabe Foundation is the presenting sponsor of Henderson’s Celebration of the Arts. Charles and Anita Cabe of Gurdon are honorary chairs for the event.

“We are grateful to the Cabe family as well as our many other alumni and friends for their generous support of this incredible event,” said Jennifer Boyett, Henderson’s vice president for university advancement. “Wildwood is a first class venue, and our students and faculty are excited to exhibit and perform their work there.”

Wildwood Park for the Arts, a 105acre park in Little Rock, is home to unique botanical gardens, woodland trails, and the Lucy Lockett Cabe Festival Theatre complex, which is named for Charles Cabe’s aunt.

Wildwood’s collegiate initiative will provide the state’s colleges and universities a venue to showcase their fine arts in central Arkansas, while providing students of The Wildwood Academy of Music & the Arts opportunities to explore the artistic resources available in Arkansas’ institutions of higher learning.

“It’s an honor that the Cabes are involved in this event, and that the first full collegiate showcase at Wildwood features the artistic accomplishments of Henderson State University’s faculty and students,” said Leslie Golden, Wildwood’s executive director. “We educate talented young artists in the WAMA academy, now in its fourth year of summer festival programming, and we are delighted to facilitate their introductions to some of Arkansas’ finest collegiate arts departments. At the same time, this initiative provides great entertainment options for residents of central Arkansas.”

“It is fitting that Henderson State was selected for Wildwood’s inaugural collegiate showcase,” Boyett said. “The arts are essential to the mission of Henderson State — encouraging scholarly and creative activities in a caring, personal atmosphere that reflects the university’s motto for over a century: ‘The School with a Heart.’ We are honored to partner with Wildwood for this unique college showcase.”

Visit http://www.hsu.edu/celebration to reserve free tickets for the event.

Wildwood Park for the Arts is located at 20919 Denny Road in west Little Rock. Visit http://www.wildwoodpark.org for directions and more information.