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Visit Us: 200 E. Third Street, Little Rock, AR 72201

Current Exhibits

She Wore Sonnets in Her Hair, cut paper and pastel by Kathy Attwood.

Small Works on Paper: From the Permanent Collection

Trinity Gallery for Arkansas Artists
June 13, 2025 – September 21, 2025

Small Works on Paper is a popular annual juried art exhibition sponsored by the Arkansas Arts Council. Like its name suggests, Small Works on Paper features 2D artworks no larger than 18 by 24 inches.

The exhibit travels to up to 10 different venues, introducing artwork made by Arkansans to patrons all over the state. Each year, an esteemed out-of-state juror selects up to 40 pieces of artwork for display, and also picks the works for purchase awards.

Between 2006 and 2023, nearly 150 special pieces were added to the Arkansas Arts Council’s collection through the Small Works on Paper (SWOP) exhibits. The 40 artworks chosen for this mini retrospective represent the history of the SWOP program in quality of work, diversity of media, and range of subject matter over the years.

Small Works on Paper is on display June 13, 2025 through September 21, 2025.

Collecting Arkansas Made

Collecting Arkansas Made is a multi-year exhibition that shares some of the exceptional Arkansas Made objects added to the museum’s collection between 2018-2023. These ‘new-to-us’ acquisitions include items that form the foundation of the museum’s historical collection—19th century furniture, miniature portraits, pottery, firearms and quilts—plus fine and decorative arts from the 20th century and objects made by artists and artisans who are pushing the boundaries of contemporary craft.

Many of the pieces on display will be switched out at regular intervals, so follow HAM’s Facebook and Instagram pages for updates and deep-dives!

Permanent Exhibits

Sturgis Children’s Gallery

This hands-on gallery is designed especially for kids 4–10 years old. Based on the museum’s historic site, children can interact with all the things they see but can’t touch on the grounds tour: use a skeleton key to unlock the front door of a period-inspired playhouse, pick plush vegetables from a mini garden, pump a bellow to stoke a cooking fire, dress up in 19th century clothing and play with puppets in the puppet theater.

The Knife Gallery

When Historic Arkansas Museum’s Knife Gallery opened in 2001, it was the first gallery in the country dedicated to the history of the bowie knife and the forged blade in America. The recently updated gallery stays true to its roots, with plenty of information about Arkansas knifemaker James Black and the 200-year evolution of “a knife like Bowie’s.” Over 50 remarkable blades are on display, including the famous Bowie No. 1 (c. 1830). Visitors will be captivated by modern bowies and the historical knives that inspired them, plus a selection of exceptional contemporary custom knives made by master bladesmiths.