An opening reception will be held Nov. 7 at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith to kick off an exhibit featuring a private collection of posters from the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

 

The reception at UAFS, hosted by the Chancellor's Coalition for the Visual Arts, is slated for 5-6 p.m. in the Smith-Pendergraft Campus Center. The exhibit is located on the west end of the first floor of the Campus Center and encompasses wall space outside the Reynolds Room.

 

The collection is on loan to the University by Dr. Stephen Rappeport of Fort Smith, who said that a poster has been created for the festival each year since 1976 and is used as a fundraiser for the Festival. His collection includes every poster except the first two years.

 

“It has been an unqualified success with the signed and unsigned versions of the posters selling out each year,” said Rappeport.

 

Each year, the Festival committee commissions an artist to create a unique poster for that year’s event. Posters on display at the UAFS exhibit were created by such well-known American artists as Peter Max, George Rodrique (Blue Dog paintings), James Michalopoulos and Paul Rogers.

 

Rappeport does not have a single favorite in the collection, but always anticipates the next year’s offering.

 

“It amazes me how each year they produce an exciting design that captures the essence of the festival,” he said.

 

Dr. Henry Rinne of Fort Smith, dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, said he believes the campus community and the citizens of the region will enjoy seeing the posters.

 

“It is an honor for the University to host an exhibition of these classic posters from what is one of the nation’s most famous venues for jazz -- the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival,” said Rinne. “As a jazz musician, I have always admired these works, which seem to capture the essence of jazz and the spirit of New Orleans.”

 

The UAFS exhibit hours are 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Fridays. The exhibit will hang until Dec. 17.

 

For more information on the UAFS exhibit, contact the Campus and Community Events Office at 479-788-7300.