Litte Rock, Arkansas
State Museum of Arkansas
2003, 2013
Retained to curate two permanent collections for the Old State House Museum including commissioned art.The first was on music and the second on cinema.
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The music collection featured over 50 Arkansas Musicians including Johnny Cash, Little Jr. Parker, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Sonny Boy Williamson, Charlie Rich, Lefty Frizzell, Louis Jordan, Robert Jr. Lockwood, Al Green & Johnny Taylor. It opened March 27, 2003, Little Rock with reception for Lucinda William and a concert by her.
Helped acquire a majority of the artifacts and the commissioning of 12 portraits and intellectual property clearance for the DVD used in the opening film and for the CD-ROM. The exhibit won several awards since it’s opening. The Southeastern Museums Conference awarded five first prizes in its 17th Annual Design Awards to the Old State House Museum including Best Educational Package: CD-ROM-Send You Back to Arkansas: Our Own Sweet Sounds II which was given to grade schools for a teaching guide.
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The second collection on cinema involved curating artifacts, commission artwork, cleared film rights, scene stills with MGM, Warner Bros. Studios.Paramount Pictures and loan of artifacts from the films The Firm, True Grit. Obtained loan from John Grisham of his typed manuscript for The Firm. Obtained loan of Tom Cruise film property directly from his legal counsel and PR agency 42 West.
The exhibit highlighted actors born in Arkansas: Alan Ladd, Glen Campbell, Levon Helm, Billy Bob Thornton, Dick Powell, Johnny Cash, several others), actresses (Mary Steenburgen, Lisa Blount, Tess Harper, Melinda Dillon, Julie Adams, others) directors (James Bridges, Jeff Nichols), native born writers: Charles Portis (True Grit), John Grisham; others that spent time in Arkansas (Ernest Hemingway), and quite a few films shot on location from 1911-2012.
Acquired a rare film noir poster collection for the exhibit
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