"With just one rehearsal hall in a building over 100 years old, we struggled to accommodate our three youth ensembles and staff. We made it work by using the storage room and even having rehearsals outdoors sometimes. One day, I’m looking out the window at a violin sectional rehearsing on the lawn when the sky suddenly opened up and the rain came pouring down. These poor kids, struggling to protect their instruments, came running inside. I knew we had to do better for these young musicians, especially since we had added a popular string academy to teach kids violin and cello. It was awesome to see the demand for the classes, but it was also clear we had to have more space. It was especially important to our music director, Geoffrey Robson, and the directors of our youth programs that we offer a professionally equipped space that shows them they are valued and that their musical creativity matters."—Christina Littlejohn, CEO of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra (ASO)

The 58-year-old orchestra has its first permanent home in the new Stella Boyle Smith Music Center, opened earlier this month. In the latest issue of American Artscape, Littlejohn discusses this exciting $11.75 million endeavor that is located in the East Village of Little Rock, an area that has been historically overlooked and underutilized.