Ozark Living

of the John Bell Jr. Legacy Project, Moncrief said. Bell was a Fort Smith native known for his beautiful paintings of Fort Smith landmarks. e John Bell Jr. Legacy Project includes more than 100 pieces of artwork by the artist. "When RAM received the gi from the Bell family, it also received the rights to lithographs based on his work and intellectual property," Moncrief said. "Now we have those things on display and for sale." 75th anniversary RAM plans to bring even more to the region in 2023 in celebration of its 75th anniversary, Moncrief said. e first big anniversary event began on Jan. 22 with the opening of "Pablo Picasso: 25 Years of Edition Ceramics from the Rosenbaum Collection." e traveling exhibit features 46 pieces of ceramic art by Picasso, Moncrief said. is exhibit will remain on display through April 23. e museum also has two other large exhibits running throughout 2023 as part of the year-long celebration, Moncrief said. ese include "75 Years: e RAM Permanent Collection," which will have pieces rotated in and out from the museum's vast permanent collection; and "Art Center to Museum: e Last 75 Years," which will include photos and memorabilia of the people and milestones involved in the museum's history. Feb. 11, the museum will host a reunion of all past and present board members and directors, Moncrief said. While this reunion is a special, invitation-only event, the museum staff plans to collect photos, reminiscences and more to put together a 75th anniversary booklet which will be available to the public, she said. e RAM staff will also be collecting items throughout 2023 for a special time capsule to be interred on the museum grounds Dec. 9, 2023, and not exhumed until another 75 years have passed, Moncrief said. On Saturday, April 29, the museum will host its 75th anniversary Evening in Paris Gala, Moncrief said. "We have not been able to have our annual gala the past several years (due to the pandemic), so we are ready to get back to the fun events," Moncrief said. e event will begin at 6:30 p.m. and include music, food, drinks, dancing, decorations and special exhibits. e theme for the event will be La Belle Epoque, or the beautiful era, and will feature works by Renoir, Pissarro, Degas and others, Moncrief said. Other 75th anniversary events in the works include: • Creative Cartooning online classes via Zoom held March 21-24 to coincide with students' Spring Break. • e annual RAM Invitational art exhibit May 5. • A scavenger hunt conducted with the help of Baker Media/KISR. • A series of special summer art camps during July for children ages 5-9 years old, 10-12 years old and 13-18 years old. • A block party celebration in October 2023 featuring art, entertainment, activities and an art sale. • Plus all the usual free weekly offerings open to all ages and skill levels: RAM Sketch from 7-8 p.m. Tuesdays via Zoom; Drop In and Draw from 1-3 p.m. ursdays; RAM Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m. Saturdays; and Plates to Go with Picasso held in conjunction with Arts On Main in Van Buren from 2-4 p.m. Feb. 11, March 11 and April 8. "What museums do is take you places and teach you things in a fun way," Moncrief said. ere are many costs involved in the work of a museum, she added. While admission to the museum and many of its programs is free, membership drives and fundraisers are frequently held to offset those expenses. In exchange for membership fees, members are given access to special members-only events and exhibit preview events, Moncrief said. RAM is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and from 1-5 p.m. Sundays. e museum is located at 1601 Rogers Ave. in Fort Smith. You can find more information about RAM, upcoming programs and how to become a member by visiting www.fsram.org or on the RAM Facebook page. Nuns lead a summer art camp event for youngsters in 1970 at the Fort Smith Art Center. All photos courtesy Fort Smith Regional Art Museum "Garrison Avenue 1926" is by John Bell Jr. 30 • February 2023 • OZarK LIVING

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