The Arkansas Arts Center

Established in 1960, the Arkansas Arts Center is emblematic of founding RBF trustee Winthrop Rockefeller’s commitment to his adopted home state, which he would later serve as Governor (1966-1970). In 1959, Winthrop and his wife Jeanette spearheaded a fundraising campaign to bring a permanent fine arts collection to Arkansas, as well as statewide outreach and arts education activities. The RBF supported the Center beginning in 1962, with capital and construction funds to finance its main building in Little Rock. It later provided matching funds to establish and sustain programs including a traveling Artmobile gallery and classroom and a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree program. The Center became in effect the state’s cultural headquarters, and hosted events from lectures to dramatic plays. It continues its work today with a museum, children’s theater, and a school offering classes and studio facilities to youth and adults.