FUN
Readers, watchers, gamers and fans of every kind will assemble for Laman Con 2026, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday at the William F. Laman Public Library, 2801 Orange St., North Little Rock. This year’s theme, “Unlock New Worlds,” extends past fantasy and superheroes “to celebrate every genre, from mystery and horror to romance, adventure and beyond.” (501) 758-1720; nlrlibrary.org.
The Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, 501 W. Ninth St., Little Rock, hosts its annual “Say It Ain’t Say’s” Sweet Potato Pie Contest, 1-2:30 p.m. Sunday, honoring the legacy of the late Robert “Say” McIntosh, activist, restaurateur and Little Rock’s Sweet Potato Pie King. A panel of local celebrity judges will select first-, second-, and third-place winners and attendees will vote to determine the People’s Choice Award. arkansasheritage.com.
MUSIC
The Arkansas Symphony dresses down for its annual “Beethoven & Blue Jeans” concerts, 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday at Little Rock’s Robinson Center Performance Hall, 426 W. Markham St. at Broadway. On the program: Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 7, Gioachino Rossini’s “William Tell” Overture and “Coping Cadences” by Shuying Li, featuring six ASO principals as soloists. A street party starts two hours before each performance on the B. Finley Vinson Plaza next to the Robinson Center. (501) 666-1761; arkansassymphony.org.
Jon Cleary and the Absolute Gentlemen perform at 7:30 p.m. today, Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, 501 E. Ninth St., Little Rock. (501) 372-4000; arkmfa.org.
Singer-songwriter and swamp blues guitarist Tab Benoit, with opening act Jesse Dayton performs at 7 p.m. Sunday at The Hall, 721 W. Ninth St., Little Rock. (501) 406-1364; littlerockhall.com.
THEATER
Wildwood Park for the Arts, 20919 Denny Road, Little Rock, stages “Shrek the Musical,” 7:30 p.m. Friday and Nov. 20, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and Nov. 22 and 2 and 7:30 p.m. Nov. 21 in its Lucy Lockett Cabe Festival Theatre. (501) 821-7275; wildwoodpark.org.
The Second North American tour production of “Mrs. Doubtfire — The New Musical Comedy” is onstage at 7 p.m. Sunday in Reynolds Performance Hall at the University of Central Arkansas, 201 Donaghey Ave., Conway. It’s part of the UCA Public Appearances series. (501) 450-3265 or (866) 810-0012; uca.edu/publicappearances.
The Hendrix Players stage “The Imaginary Invalid” by Moliere, 7:30 p.m. today and Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday in the Cabe Theatre at Hendrix College, 1600 Washington Ave., Conway. Via.hendrix.edu.
And Murry’s Dinner Playhouse, 6323 Colonel Glenn Road, Little Rock, closes out its run of the musical “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” 7:30 p.m. today-Saturday. Buffet opens 90 minutes before curtain. Opening Nov. 18: “Scrooge the Musical.” (501) 562-3131; murrysdp.com.
ART AND EXHIBITS
New this week:
“A Soldier’s Story,” exploring “the lived experiences, personal narratives and enduring legacy of military service members … through artifacts, personal accounts, documents and visual storytelling,” according to a news release, is on display through March 27 at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center. The exhibition focuses on the story of Sgt. Ulysses Grant Baugh of College Station, who served with the U.S. Army’s 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division during the Korean War, was captured on Nov. 25, 1950, and spent nearly three years imprisoned at Camp 5 in Pyoktong, North Korea. (501) 683-3593; arkansasheritage.com.
“First Love,” a pop-up exhibition of black-and-white photographs by John Sykes Jr., opens with a 5:30-8:30 p.m. reception Friday, and is on display 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 1-4 p.m. Sunday at New Deal Studios & Gallery, 2003 Louisiana St., Little Rock. (501) 442-1978.
“Colonial Arkansas at the Poste aux Arks,” focusing on the entwining of the lives of Indigenous people and the Europeans who settled near the confluence of the Arkansas and Mississippi Rivers, opens with a 2nd Friday Art Night reception, 5-8 p.m. Friday in the Study Gallery at Little Rock’s Historic Arkansas Museum, 200 E. Third St. It’s up through the summer of 2028. arkansasheritage.com.
“Wonder Seeker,” works by Eleanor Dickinson, are on display through Nov. 28 at Boswell Mourot Fine Art, 1501 Main St., Little Rock. (501) 454.6969; boswellmourot.com.
Continuing:
“Smokes and Ladders,” explorations of light, shadow and architectural forms by Jason McCann and portraits “celebrating youth, freedom and lived experience” by Michael Shaeffer, is on display through November at Thea Foundation, 401 Main St. in North Little Rock’s Argenta Arts District. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday. theafoundation.org.
“Juxtaposition” — oil paintings by Baxter Knowlton and abstracts by Jeff Horton — is on display through Feb. 1 in the newly renovated parish hall at Christ Episcopal Church, 509 Scott St., Little Rock, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays (ring the doorbell at the parking lot door for assistance).
“The Big. The Bold. The Bizarre,” more than 90 oversized and unconventional objects from the Clinton Presidential Library collection, the Clinton family’s personal collection and the libraries of presidents Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy, George H.W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, is on display thorugh Feb. 14 at the Clinton Presidential Center, 1200 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday. clintonpresidentialcenter.org.
“Art Empowers,” an auction benefiting World Services for the Blind and The National Federation of the Blind of Arkansas, continues through Dec. 4 at Cantrell Gallery, 8202 Cantrell Road, Little Rock. Among the items available: artworks by Salvador Dali, David Armstrong, Georges Dussau, Howard Finster, Ginna Ford and William McNamara. 32auctions.com/ArtEmpowers
“Memento of Mortality,” pen drawings on paper, mounted on cardboard and cut by hand by North Little Rock artist Paul Perkins, on display through Nov. 28 at the William F. Laman Public Library, 2801 Orange St., North Little Rock. Library hours are 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday-Saturday. (501) 758-1720; nlrlibrary.org.
“The Age of Anxiety: German Expressionism in Art and Film,” a melding of early 20th century German Expressionist art and period films, is up through Jan. 10 at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, 501 E. Ninth St., Little Rock, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday. (501) 372-4000; arkmfa.org.
“Painting the Arkansas Parks,” a traveling exhibition of paintings based on sketches at state parks in each of Arkansas’ five major geographic regions, is on display through January in Trinity Gallery for Arkansas Artists at Historic Arkansas Museum, 200 E. Third St., Little Rock.
“In Hot Water: Betting on the Spa City,” an exploration of the rise and fall of gambling in Hot Springs, is on display through 2027 at the Old State House Museum, 300 W. Markham St., Little Rock, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday. arkansasheritage.com/events/
“Barbie and Friends,” a display of “the dolls, styles, and cultural moments that have inspired generations,” including the first Black Barbie and Black Ken, is up through Feb. 28 at ESSE Museum & Store, 1510 Main St., Little Rock. (501) 916-9022.
Made-in-Arkansas objects, including paintings and sculptures, is on display in the “Collecting Arkansas Made” exhibit at Historic Arkansas Museum, 200 E. Third St., Little Rock. Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday. (501) 324-9351.
“Play in Arkansas,” examining how people have created joy through play and how the history of play can contribute to understanding of both past and present, is on display through Dec. 15 at the University of Arkansas Little Rock Downtown, 333 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock. The exhibit includes handmade and mass-produced toys, dolls and game paraphernalia, as well as a memories section, where individuals can share their personal reflections on childhood play. Hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday.
“Through Darkness to Light: Photographs Along the Underground Railroad,” color photographs by Jeanine Michna-Bales and narratives that tell the story of the Underground Railroad and the enslaved people who risked their lives along its many routes, is on display through Jan. 7 at the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, 503 E. Ninth St., Little Rock, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday. (501) 376-4602.
“Material Nature: Gifts From the John and Robyn Horn Collection” is on display through April 25 in the Robyn and John Horn Gallery in the Windgate Art School at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, 501 E. Ninth St., Little Rock. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday. (501) 372-4000; arkmfa.com.
“Kuimeaux’s World,” drawings and paintings by late Little Rock native Dwight “Kuimeaux” Drennan, is on display through spring 2027 at Little Rock’s Historic Arkansas Museum, 200 E. Third St. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday. (501) 324-9351.
“Manufacturing Victory in Arkansas: Supplying the Battlefront and Changing the Homefront During World War II,” highlight(ing) the role and contributions of ordnance plants in Arkansas during the war, remains on display through Dec. 31, 2027, at the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, 503 E. Ninth St., Little Rock, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. (501) 376-4602.
