Arkansas Arts Council
The Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of Arkansas Heritage, recently announced the 2025 Governor's Arts Awards recipients. The recipients will be honored at a ceremony on March 7, 2025 at Robinson Center in Little Rock. Since 1991, the annual awards program has recognized individuals, organizations and businesses for their outstanding contributions to the arts in Arkansas. Recipients are nominated by the public, then selected by an independent panel of arts professionals.
"The Governor's Arts Awards are bestowed upon those artists, philanthropists and educators who have helped build and strengthen Arkansas' thriving creative communities," said Shea Lewis, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. "It's our annual opportunity to showcase these leaders' contributions to Arkansas' creative economy and quality of life."
Ticket sales begin Jan. 1 and can be purchased at eventbrite.com/e/2025-governors-arts-awards-tickets-1115652750409.
The 2025 recipients are:
Mayor Robert "Butch" Berry, Eureka Springs -- Arts Community Development Award
Mayor Robert "Butch" Berry has served three consecutive four-year terms as the mayor of Eureka Springs. He is a third-generation native of Carroll County and understands the importance of advocating and nurturing the arts in Arkansas's first authentic arts village.
The Eureka Springs arts scene has benefited greatly because of his consistency in office, according to a news release. Under Berry's leadership, the town has received national and international recognition as a premiere arts destination by multiple publications, including "Southern Living" and "Travel + Leisure."
With Mayor Berry's active participation on the Eureka Springs Arts Council, more than 34 new public art installations have been added throughout the city, as well as the Harmon Park Art Trail. A minimum of two new public art installations created by local artists will be added each year since securing dedicated funding from the city's Advertising and Promotion Commission.
In his role on the advisory board of Opera in the Ozarks, the mayor was instrumental in securing a $34 million grant from the Walton Family Foundation to build a new theater and expand Opera in the Ozarks into a year-round performance venue and educational center for all performance arts.
Eureka Springs is one of Arkansas' top tourism destinations, known for its quirky and diverse arts scene. Berry's initiatives and support have been instrumental in attracting 1.5 million visitors a year and the financial benefits that comes with cultural tourism.
TheatreSquared, Fayetteville -- Arts in Education Award
TheatreSquared (T2) in Fayetteville is the largest professional, nonprofit theatre in Arkansas. Founded in 2005, the theatre company is one of mid-America's leading laboratories for new work, having launched more than 70 new plays. T2 was recognized with a prestigious Obie Award for its innovative work in 2022. T2 now reaches 75,000 patrons a year with their productions, education programs and community events.
TheatreSquared's audience includes tens of thousands of students and their teachers. T2 partners with schools from Northwest Arkansas to the Delta Region to give students in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri access to free and low-cost live performances and arts-based learning opportunities. One program, the T2 Schools Tour, brings the performance directly to junior high and high school students. This program allows students to experience an original, live production tied to Arkansas core curriculum standards. The performance is followed by workshops for students and professional development for staff. T2 also offers long-term in-school teaching artist residencies and several apprenticeship programs for aspiring young professionals.
Proctor & Gamble, Fayetteville -- Corporate Sponsorship of the Arts Award
Procter & Gamble (P&G) is a branded consumer products company that began 185 years ago. For more than three decades, the regional office of P&G in Fayetteville has demonstrated sustained commitment to the arts and culture in its community. The local P&G office has provided arts funding to the Walton Arts Center (WAC) that will total $6 million dollars by 2028. Additionally, they provided more than $1 million dollars to the 2020 expansion of the Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion (AMP.) Their visionary support helped the AMP become the thriving, world-class entertainment site it has become today.
P&G's ongoing support of the P&G Broadway Series at the WAC has helped Northwest Arkansas become a key stop for nationally touring Broadway productions. These world-class performing arts experiences attract more than 100,000 patrons annually. P&G is a leading sponsor of WAC's annual Masquerade Ball, helping to raise more than $1.6 million for arts education since its inception. This support impacts more than 25,000 students each year. P&G further supports involvement in the arts and community engagement by purchasing tickets (of significant value) for their employees to attend arts events.
Northwest Arkansas Handweavers Guild, Springdale -- Folklife Award
The Northwest Arkansas Handweavers Guild is one of the oldest weaving guilds in the United States. It has served Northwest Arkansas and the surrounding region for 75 years. The guild was established on April 5, 1949, when 14 weavers, traveling from Greenland, Fayetteville, Bentonville, Fort Smith, Rogers and Eureka Springs, gathered in West Fork at the studio of Jane and Jan Jensen.
The guild's mission is "to promote interest and greater skill in fiber arts, primarily weaving." Since its inception, the Northwest Arkansas Handweavers Guild fulfills this mission by conducting public weaving demonstrations and exhibits at local institutions, including the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, the Scott Family Amazeum, Historic Cane Hill's annual festival and the Fayetteville Public Library. One of the earliest guild exhibits, originally held in 1954 at guild president Blanche Elliot's farm on War Eagle Creek, grew into an annual event and what is now the War Eagle Fair.
The Northwest Arkansas Handweavers Guild is dedicated to preserving the art of weaving by supporting traditional skills while also taking weaving in new directions. It sponsors beginner weaving classes as well as advanced workshops for weavers interesting in learning new techniques. Its monthly meetings at the Shiloh Museum in Springdale are open to the public and include educational programs and a chance for weavers to share their work.
Suzanne Underwood Rhodes, Fayetteville -- Individual Artist Award
Suzanne Underwood Rhodes is a poet, educator and published author. Rhodes was named Poet Laureate of Arkansas by Gov. Asa Hutchinson in January 2022. She has used her position to advance poetry through readings, workshops and being a mentor throughout the state.
Rhodes has published six books of poetry, with the most recent being a chapbook titled "The Perfume of Pain," released this summer by Kelsay Books. She also has two published books of creative prose, and her work has appeared in "Southern Voices" and several other anthologies. Before moving to Arkansas in 2018, she taught writing, literature and poetry at King University in Bristol, Tennessee, and wrote, taught and published her work while in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
She founded the Ozark Mountain Poets group in 2020 and is a board member of the Poets Roundtable of Arkansas. Her lyrical poems often explore personal history, the natural world, historical figures and spirituality.
Some of Rhodes's outreach work includes conducting poetry workshops at the Magdalene Serenity House for formerly incarcerated women. The program provides a creative outlet, gives the women a voice and has produced a book of poetry and creative prose created by the residents called "Today There Have Been Lovely Things." She also hosts a Poetry on Purpose meeting twice a month for residents in a memory care center at Butterfield Trail Village in Fayetteville. The Fayetteville Public Library is a regular host of Rhodes's poetry workshops and readings.
The Dulcimer Shoppe, Mountain View -- Judges Recognition Award
The Dulcimer Shoppe in Mountain View is the world's largest builder of mountain dulcimers. Visitors to the shop can watch dulcimers being made through large windows in the back. Every hand-crafted dulcimer is signed and numbered. Nearly 66,000 have been built and purchased by customers from around the world.
Original owner, Lynn McSpadden created his first dulcimer in 1962. Lynn and his brother Larry opened the first shop in Forrest City but moved to Mountain View with the opening of the Ozark Folk Center in 1973. The tools, jigs and methods developed by the McSpaddens are still being used today. The instruments are hand-crafted onsite by a team of local artisans.
The Dulcimer Shoppe and current owner, Tim Grothen, host an annual dulcimer festival that includes workshops for various skill levels and performances by instructors. Employees in the shop are always eager to show visitors how to play the mountain dulcimer and staff have also developed how-to books for playing the instrument. For the past 40 years, winners of the national mountain dulcimer competition at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas have received a dulcimer from Arkansas' The Dulcimer Shoppe as their prize.
Brigita Gardner, Roland -- Patron Award
Brigita Gardner joined the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra (ASO) Guild in 1988 and served as its president in 1997. She became a member of ASO's board of directors in 1997. Gardner has played a significant role in the organization's success over the past 36 years. Most recently, she led the fundraising committee for ASO's Stella Boyle Smith Music Center. Her dedicated fundraising efforts helped ASO reach its $11.75 million capital campaign goal and open the doors to the new music center this past September.
In 2002, and again in 2008, Gardner co-chaired ASO's signature event, the Designer House, that raised more than $100,000 per event. In 2003, she chaired the ASO's 35th Anniversary Recording Project which produced a CD of the organization's history in music and interviews with life members of the board. In 2009, when the organization was experiencing financial hardship, she led the ASO board's peer-to-peer fundraiser, helping to grow its annual fund to over $1 million dollars. With assistance from the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, she developed the Guild's "Orchestra & You" program for students in first through third grades. She also served on the search committee for ASO's current music director, Geoff Robson. For nearly four decades, Gardner's volunteer work has benefited Central Arkansas through the music education programs and live symphony orchestra performances presented by the ASO.
Becky Witsell, Little Rock -- Lifetime Achievement Award
Becky Witsell is a visual artist who specializes in the preservation and restoration of decorative arts elements in historic structures, buildings and homes. Her work involves researching the original artisans and techniques used for decorative stenciling, graining, marbling and interior murals. Witsell is known for her historically accurate and precise restoration processes. She also specializes in textile art, especially wall hangings and vestments, which have been commissioned by churches throughout the state.
Her list of projects includes the restoration of the "Over-the-Jumps" carousel at the Little Rock Zoo. Her work can be seen at the historic bathhouses in Hot Springs, the Villa Marre, the Old State House, the Arkansas State Capitol, Lakeport Plantation and many churches including Trinity Episcopal Cathedral and the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock. She and her husband Charles Witsell restored several historic homes in the Quapaw Quarter neighborhood in Little Rock including the Hanger House and the Bragg Cottage.
Witsell earned her BFA in Painting and Printmaking at Washington University in St. Louis. After moving back to Arkansas, she taught printmaking, drawing and painting at the Arkansas Arts Center and wrote an art education curriculum for the Little Rock public schools. She held a contractor's license from the State of Arkansas for her business, Studio Werk, and employed many young artists who she trained to re-create historic stenciling in churches and other historic buildings.
She has been honored by the Historic Preservation Alliance and the Central Arkansas Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners. The legacy of Witsell and her husband Charles has been so significant that Preserve Arkansas has established a scholarship in their names to fund training to other Arkansans in the technical aspects of historic interior preservation.
For more information about the Arkansas Governor's Arts Awards visit arkansasheritage.com or email [email protected].
The Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of Arkansas Heritage, advances the arts in Arkansas by providing services and supporting arts endeavors that encourage and assist literary, performing and visual artists in achieving standards of professional excellence. In addition, the Arkansas Arts Council provides technical and financial assistance to Arkansas arts organizations and other providers of cultural and educational programs.
Arkansas Heritage was created in 1975 and is a division of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. There are eight agencies with unique heritage focuses under the umbrella of this division: Arkansas Arts Council; Arkansas Historic Preservation Program; the Delta Cultural Center in Helena; the Old State House Museum;, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission; the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center; the Historic Arkansas Museum; and the Arkansas State Archives.
The Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism protects and promotes the state's natural, cultural and historic assets, contributing to a thriving economy and high quality of life. It is made up of three divisions: Arkansas State Parks Arkansas Heritage and Arkansas Tourism.
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
A University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) researcher has been awarded a grant worth $3.3 million from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to study the effectiveness of two therapeutic options in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in prison populations.
Melissa Zielinski, Ph.D., director of the Health and the Legal System (HEALS) Lab, is the principal investigator in a five-year study on the treatment of incarcerated adults with PTSD and substance use disorder using cognitive processing therapy (CPT). CPT is a specific type of cognitive behavioral therapy that is effective in reducing symptoms of PTSD that have developed after experiencing a variety of traumatic events including child abuse, combat, rape and natural disasters.
Zielinski expects that providing therapy for PTSD while people are in prison will help them have better outcomes after release, especially those that relate to substance misuse.
Roughly 5.5 million adults in the United States are either incarcerated or under correctional supervision. Approximately 85% of those individuals have an active substance use disorder or were incarcerated for a drug-related crime.
PTSD and substance use disorders increase the risk of those formerly incarcerated being arrested repeatedly, according to Zielinski. Despite this fact, few prisons in the U.S. provide PTSD therapy for persons in custody.
In the first of its kind national study, Zielinski's team will test the effectiveness of CPT versus trauma-focused self-help and will study the implementation and costs of both interventions and the associated implementation strategies within 10 prisons in five states.
"We've known for decades that people who become incarcerated have almost all experienced repeated trauma exposure, and that a much greater percentage of this population have PTSD than we see in the general community," said Zielinski. "But we haven't yet done is taken that knowledge and systematically studied our evidence-based therapies for PTSD in prisons. This study will look at one of the most effective and established therapies for PTSD in prisons with the goal of building knowledge on how to implement it and on its financial costs with the hope that having this information could lead to uptake by other prisons in the future."
The study will enroll over 600 incarcerated adults, male and female, and about 100 prison staff members.
Zielinski has spent the last five years researching CPT and its value to those with PTSD and substance use disorders in two correction centers in Arkansas. She sees this new multi-state study as a way to identify new strategies for helping to break longstanding cycles of trauma, addiction and incarceration that characterize the nation's prisons more broadly.
"When I talk to people who work inside prisons, there is almost always immediate buy-in about the role that trauma exposure and PTSD play in people coming to prison and struggling to succeed post-release," Zielinski said. "They see it every day. This study is an opportunity to build knowledge on therapy with a real potential to disrupt that cycle, improving the health of people in prison, their families and the community."
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Family Medical Center -- Fort Smith
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Family Medical Center in Fort Smith was recently named a 2024 Million Hearts Hypertension Control Champion by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
UAMS' Fort Smith Family Medical Center was one of just 32 health organizations nationwide to receive the prestigious recognition and one of only two in the state of Arkansas. The CDC's Million Hearts Hypertension Control Challenge recognizes clinicians, practices and health centers that achieve blood pressure control for at least 80% of their patients with hypertension.
"This recognition means a lot to us. It shows that we are contributing to the health improvement of all of Arkansas," said Tabasum Imran, MD, who serves as the medical director for the UAMS Fort Smith Family Medical Center. "More than five years ago, we started a comprehensive initiative to improve hypertension control for area patients aged 18 to 85. The plan, which we update annually, focuses on patient education and multidisciplinary team care."
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke, which cause disability for millions of adults in the United States. Most adults diagnosed with hypertension fail to manage it effectively.
The Fort Smith Medical Center plan includes a variety of elements, including accurate initial blood pressure measurement, rechecks for those with blood pressure over 140/90, instruction on the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and nurse visits for two-week rechecks. The plan also includes collaboration with pharmacists and other care providers as well as quarterly provider follow-ups.
"This approach ensures effective management of blood pressure and improves patient care," Imran said. "Our high-performing team has been a huge part of our success. By the end of 2023, 81% of our patient population had well-controlled blood pressure. As we approach the end of 2024, we aim to maintain our success, with our current control rate at 85%."
Since 2012, the Million Hearts program has recognized 199 champions in 44 states who have cared for approximately 16 million adults. The program is a national initiative, co-led by the CDC and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The UAMS Family Medical Center in Fort Smith provides primary care medical services to patients of all ages. The clinic offers treatment for both acute medical conditions as well as ongoing treatment for chronic conditions. The clinic's highly trained physicians provide a variety of medical services, including cancer screenings, maternity care, pediatrics and immunizations.
American Red Cross
As holiday celebrations continue into December, the American Red Cross encourages donors to keep the blood supply top of mind by giving blood this month. Type O negative blood donors are especially urged to give now to help ensure patients can continue to receive the care they need in the coming weeks.
Record-breaking November travel is expected to carry into the new year, which could cause some potential donors to put off blood donation until after the holiday season. In addition to millions of Americans traveling to spend holidays with loved ones, extended vacations are also surging in popularity at a time when fewer people may be available to give lifesaving blood products.
Bring joy to someone facing a medical emergency; give something that means something with a blood or platelet donation. Schedule an appointment this December by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
For a limited time, those who come to give Dec. 9-15 will receive a $15 e-gift card to a merchant of choice. Those who come to give Dec. 16, 2024-Jan. 3, 2025, will receive an exclusive Red Cross long-sleeved T-shirt, while supplies last. For details on both offers, visit RedCrossBlood.org/Gifts.
Upcoming blood donation opportunities Dec. 2, 2024-Jan. 3, 2025:
Bentonville
Dec. 24: 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Hilton Garden Inn Bentonville, 2204 SE Walton Blvd.
Dec. 30: 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Ledger Bentonville, 240 S. Main St.
Pea Ridge
Dec. 27: 9 a.m.-1 p.m., The Garage, 190 Smith St.
Rogers
Dec. 23: 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Rogers Police Department, 1905 S. Dixieland Road
Dec. 23: noon-4 p.m., Center for Nonprofits, 1200 W. Walnut St.
Dec. 24: 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Center for Nonprofits, 1200 W. Walnut St.
Dec. 26: 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Rogers Convention Center, 3201 Pinnacle Hills Parkway
Dec. 30: 1:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m., First Baptist Church Rogers, 3364 W. Pleasant Grove Road
Siloam Springs
Jan. 2, 2025: 12:30-5:30 p.m., Ivory Bill Brewing Co, 516 E. Main St. #1
Berryville
Jan. 2, 2025: 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Berryville Community Center, 601 Dr. Spurlin Circle
Fayetteville
Dec. 23: 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Medical Arts Pharmacy, 2515 E. Huntsville Road
Dec. 27: 1:30-5:30 p.m., Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 2925 Old Missouri Road
Dec. 30: 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Fayetteville Public Library, 401 W. Mountain St.
Springdale
Dec. 27: 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Springdale Recreation Center, 1906 Cambridge St.
Dec. 27: 12:30-4:30 p.m., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Springdale, 6738 Lynchs Prairie Court
Jan. 2, 2025: noon-4 p.m., Southern Caregivers of Northwest Arkansas, 7321 W. Sunset Ave.
To donate blood download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enable the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver's license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.
Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass® to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow on social media.
Brigita Gardner of Roland will receive the Patron Award at the 2025 Governor's Arts Awards presented by the Arkansas Arts Council at a ceremony to be held March 7, 2025 at Robinson Center in Little Rock. (Submitted photo)
Suzanne Underwood Rhodes of Fayetteville will receive the Individual Artist Award at the 2025 Governor's Arts Awards presented by the Arkansas Arts Council at a ceremony to be held March 7, 2025 at Robinson Center in Little Rock. (Submitted photo)
Becky Witsell of Little Rock will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2025 Governor's Arts Awards presented by the Arkansas Arts Council at a ceremony to be held March 7, 2025 at Robinson Center in Little Rock. (Submitted photo)