Dance, Music, and Art Showcases Shine in Arkansas

The Inspiration Point Center for the Arts will feature a fresh ballet called “The Sacred Veil. ” Dancers from the University of Oklahoma School of Dance and the Windsong Chamber Chorale will perform a piece choreographed by Sophia Smith. The music comes from Eric Whitacre’s choral work, which was first recorded in 2020 and is based on a poem by Washburn University professor Charles Anthony Silvestri. The poem tells the story of Silvestri’s healing journey after his wife died from cancer, and the title hints at the line between life and what follows. Tickets range from $20 for children (when an adult ticket is bought) to $60. In Little Rock, the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra will bring a spring concert to the UAMS Hospital Lobby Gallery. The program includes Mendelssohn’s Cello Sonata No. 2 and Grieg’s Violin Sonata No. 3, performed by a cello‑piano duo and a violin‑piano pair respectively. Admission is free, and the event honors Dr. Ruth Marie Allen, a former UAMS dean who funded this concert series to celebrate music for students and staff. Visitors can park in Lot 1, take the elevator up, and turn right into the gallery.Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art will host a “Declaration” concert to mark 250 years since the Declaration of Independence. A string ensemble will play works by American composers such as William Grant Still, Arthur Foote, Florence Price, George Gershwin, Aaron Copland, Alexander Safford, Chris Pilsner, and John Williams. The program is part of the SoNA Beyond music series, and tickets are $45 (or $36 for museum members). The event is inspired by the museum’s “America 250” exhibit. The South Arkansas Arts Center will open a new exhibition, “Fun & Color: The Art of John Goodwin, ” on Monday evening. Goodwin is a local artist who studied graphic design in Louisiana and now lives in Little Rock. The gallery remains open daily, free of charge. In St. Louis and North Little Rock, the Metro Theater Company will stage a children’s play titled “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me. ” The production adapts Maya Angelou’s 1993 poem and is aimed at K‑8 students, though anyone can attend. The play will run on Saturday afternoon and again in April at a high school auditorium in Angelou’s hometown of Stamps. Admission is free, and the show was commissioned by the Celebrate! Maya Project. The Celebrate! Maya Project will also hold its annual Spirit of Maya Awards Luncheon on April 16 at the Clinton Presidential Center. The event supports scholarships and poetry awards, with tickets priced at $108. 55.