ENTERTAINMENT: Old State House photo exhibit gets 2nd ‘opening’ on 2nd Friday Art Night | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

ART & EXHIBITS

Meripol reception redux

The Old State House, 300 W. Markham St., Little Rock, will hold a second opening reception for its exhibit, “Music in Focus: The Lens of Art Meripol” as part of 2nd Friday Art Night, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Friday. Meripol will visit with guests and discuss his body of concert photography; he will also conduct additional gallery talks at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free. Visit oldstatehouse.com.

‘Oil and Water’

“Oil and Water,” oil and watercolor paintings on paper and panel by Stephen Lanford, goes on display Friday with a 5-7 p.m. reception (including music and refreshments) in the Parish House Gallery at Christ Episcopal Church, 509 Scott St., Little Rock. The exhibition remains up through Sept. 30; Lanford’s artworks will be available for sale. Gallery hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-noon Friday and 7:30 a.m.-noon Sunday. Admission is free. Email [email protected].

Competition exhibition

The South Arkansas Arts Center, 110 E. Fifth St., El Dorado, holds a reception, 6-7:30 p.m. Saturday to honor the 33 artists whose 42 works are part of the “2024 Juried Art Competition and Exhibition,” now on display in the center’s Merkle and Price Galleries. At 6:30, juror David Houston, executive director and chief curator of the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum in Biloxi, Miss., will hand out more than $2,000 in prize money for best of show, first through third place, honorable mention and the Annual Purchase Award for a work that will become part of the center’s permanent collection.

The exhibition, up through July 23, features works in charcoal, acrylics, oil, photography, video and other media by artists from Arkansas, New York, Illinois, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Ohio, Georgia, Missouri and Alabama. The competition is open to all U.S. artists 18 and older who work in two-dimensional and three-dimensional media. Gallery hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Admission is free. Call (870) 862-5474 or visit saac-arts.org.

THEATER

‘Sister Act Jr.’

A high-spirited nightclub singer witnesses a murder and is forced to hide in a convent under witness protection in “Sister Act Jr.” (music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Glenn Slater, book by Cheri and Bill Steinkellner with additional material by Douglas Carter Beane, based on the film), which Benton’s Young Players stage 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and July 18-20 and 2 p.m. Sunday and July 21 at the Royal Theatre, 111 S. Market St., Benton. Sponsor is Everett Buick GMC. Tickets are $18; $15 for senior citizens 60 and older, members of the military and college students with valid ID; $8 for K-12 students. Visit TheRoyalPlayers.Ticketleap.com. For more information, call (501) 315-5483, email [email protected] or visit theroyaltheatre.org.

‘Mary Poppins’

The South Arkansas Arts Center, 110 E. Fifth St., El Dorado, stages “Mary Poppins” (original music and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, new songs and additional music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, book by Julian Fellowes, co-created by Cameron Mackintosh, based on the stories of P.L. Travers and the Walt Disney film), 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 18-20, 2:30 p.m. Sunday and July 21. Hannah Faith Davis plays the title role with Matthew Power as Bert, Jai Durvasula and Luke Louden splitting the role of Michael Banks, Kathryn Legg and Kaylee Sullivant swapping off as Jane Banks, Charley Hankins as George Banks and Andria Gleghorn as Winifred Banks. Sponsor is Murphy USA. Tickets are $25, $15 for center members, $10 for students with ID. Call (870) 862-5474 or visit saac-arts.org.

COMEDY

Comedic Relief

ART WORKS Presents: Comedic Relief, an open-mic night for those 16 and older plus two sets by host The Frisco Kid, 6 p.m. Friday at ART WORKS on Main, 627 S. Main St., Pine Bluff. Entry is $10, $5 for ARTx3 members; beer and wine will be sold to patrons over 21 and soft drinks and snacks will be available. Call (870) 536-3375 or email [email protected].

MUSIC

Pulaski Tech piano sale

The University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College fine arts and humanities department, in partnership with the Rockley Family Foundation, a nonprofit supporting music education, are holding a piano sale, Thursday-Saturday at the Center for Arts and Humanities on the college’s main campus, 3000 W. Scenic Drive, North Little Rock.

The sale will include grand, baby grand, digital player grand, vertical (upright), hybrid and digital pianos “from such famous makers as Yamaha, Bösendorfer, Seiler, Clavinova [and] a discrete selection of vintage Steinway & Sons pianos,” according to a news release. Proceeds will go toward “providing valuable resources and scholarship money for music students.” Make an appointment by calling (501) 813-5218; for more information, visit: RockleyFamilyFoundation.org/UAPTC.