Fort Smith Metro News Briefs: UAFS Center for Book Arts to open, Saigon to Chaffee event set - Talk Business & Politics
Following are recent news brief items from the Fort Smith metro. Center for Book ArtsThe University of Arkansas at Fort Smith is opening aCenter for Book Artsand will also offer a certificate for Proficiency. . .
Following are recent news brief items from the Fort Smith metro. Center for Book ArtsThe University of Arkansas at Fort Smith is opening aCenter for Book Artsand will also offer a certificate for Proficiency in Book Arts. Opening for its first class of students this fall, the center is one of the flagship spaces in the 15,000-square-foot Windgate Art & Design Building expansion. The purpose-built facility will support letterpress printing, papermaking, bookbinding, artist books, and works on paper, giving students – and the broader community – a dedicated place to work with the materials and methods behind book arts. A public open house will be held 4 to 6 p. m. , Aug. 20, in the space. “The Center for Book Arts is poised to assume a leadership position in this growing field, with programming and vision that formalizes the strong legacy of Book Arts at UAFS,” said Katie Waugh, department head of the Department of Art and Design. “With excellent facilities and expertise, this Center will provide resources and opportunities for beginners and UAFS students, as well as established professionals in the field. Creative disciplines rooted in histories of Craft are well-suited to speak meaningfully to this region’s history of manufacture and making. ”The new center will serve as a central hub for community-based arts workshops. A special book arts collection will be developed with the UAFS Gallery of Art and Design, housed in the university’s permanent art collection and co-managed by the director of book arts and the gallery director, with support from foundation funds. The center will host Katie Baldwin and Sarah Bryant as visiting artists Sept. 30 through Oct. 3. This visit will include public talks, an exhibition of their work including the newest edition of “Small Patches of Land,” and spaces available to participate in a workshop lead by the artists. Chaffee HistoryChaffee Crossing Historic Districtwill host “From Saigon to Fort Chaffee: Untold Stories From Operation New Arrivals,” at 6 p. m, Sept. 4, at the Chaffee Crossing Media Center, 7801 Ellis St. , Fort Smith. A $5 donation is requested at the door. The program will feature Doug Nguyen, who was a child when his family fled Vietnam in April 1975 and arrived at Fort Chaffee as refugees during Operation New Arrivals. Nguyen grew up in Fort Smith and will share his story of his family’s journey from Saigon to Fort Chaffee. Nguyen retired from the U. S. Social Security Administration in 2025 following a 31-year federal career in public affairs. He has also spent many years working with refugee communities and organizations involved in refugee resettlement. The evening will also feature a film by Natalie Vuong, a University of Houston student, highlighting the experiences and history surrounding Operation New Arrivals. Operation New Arrivals was a significant chapter in Fort Chaffee’s history, as the former military installation served as a processing and resettlement center for thousands of Vietnamese refugees following the fall of Saigon in 1975. Related