Piecing with Purpose: Connecting Pinecone Quilts to Philander Smith Makers 

Inspired by two historical pinecone quilts in the Old State House Museum’s collection, Philander Smith University professor Melissa Miller‑Cartwright’s art history class began a collaborative, hands-on project to produce their own pinecone quilt.  A pinecone quilt’s folded fabric pieces spiral outward in overlapping circles. This technique, long special to Black quilters, embraces important African American cultural traditions like improvisation, call and response and community art practices. As professors Miller-Cartwright and Justin Bryant, along with other faculty members and students, sewed and pieced their quilt squares, they actively engaged with those cultural traditions, connecting  past to present. 

Piecing with Purpose invites the public to experience the richness  of Arkansas’ Black textile history through the eyes of students and faculty makers from Philander Smith University, one of Arkansas’ oldest HBCUs (Historically Black College/Universities). On display in Trinity Gallery for Arkansas Artists from February 12, 2026, through May 24, 2026.

Doris WmSon Mapes: A Force of Nature

Catch a mini-exhibit featuring a collection of paintings by celebrated “mixed-watermediaist” Doris WmSon Mapes (1920-2013). Forever pushing conventional artistic boundaries, Doris combined watercolor with acrylic, gouache, casein, and other materials in pursuit of bold, colorful compositions. With a personality as big and bright as her paintings, Doris was well known for her charisma and influence. Among her many achievements, in 1970 Mapes co-founded the Mid-Southern Watercolorists (MSW) association and served as its first president. Thanks to her daughter, Kay Caffey, Doris WmSon Mapes’s creative legacy will be preserved by HAM and shared with visitors for generations to come.

A Force of Nature opens Dec. 12, 2025 and will be on display on the 2nd Floor Landing through Oct. 2026.

Kuimeaux’s World 

Little Rock native Dwight “Kuimeaux” (pronounced KEY-moe) Drennan surrounded himself with beauty of his own making. In Kuimeaux’s world, fantasy and reality merge: groves of bright pink cypress trees festooned with silvery strands of Spanish moss are set against a deep purple sky. Kuimeaux’s drawings and paintings are bold, busy and intense — his depictions of beloved Southern landscapes are simultaneously wistful and emotionally charged.  

Though Kuimeaux gained regional recognition early in his career, he didn’t achieve commercial success. Kuimeaux Drennan was a prolific maker, and after his death in 2022, his friends came together to preserve his creative legacy. This exhibition is part of that effort as well as an opportunity to share his unique vision of the places he held dear. 

Kuimeaux’s World opens Nov. 14 in the Worthen Arkansas Made Gallery and will be on display through late 2027.

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!

Sturgis Children’s 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.