There is no shortage of great events, supporting great causes, and full of great food in October. One of our favorites every year has become the Blue Plate Special supporting Thea Foundation. This year it brings together eight talented chefs to raise money to help promote the arts among Arkansas’s youth. This year it takes place on October 21st in the Capital Hotel’s 2nd-floor mezzanine.
The layout of the event features each of the chefs at a tasting station where they serve food and are available to interact and visit. The food is always top quality compared to some other tasting events throughout the year thanks to the intimacy of the event. It also gives you a chance to visit with the chefs more than most similar events. Along with the food will be wine pairings complementing every course and music from Thea supporter and former board president, Dr. Danny Fletcher, alongside his talented band.
“This year’s Blue Plate Special will be an incredible evening celebrating the culinary arts with many of the local, notable chefs we are so fortunate to have access to in Little Rock,” Thea’s Communication Director Amanda Seevers says. “This year, we’re incorporating wine pairings for every dish prepared by the 8 participating chefs so we look forward to enhancing the overall event experience with this brand-new element.”
Chefs this year include Gilbert Alaquinez of Kemuri, Steve Binotti of Petit & Keet, James Hale from the Capital Hotel, Payne Harding of Cache, Kim Henderson with Heritage Catering, Peter Brave of Brave New, Mark Abernathy with Red Door/Loca Luna, and Hannah Lavender with Sweet Lavender Bakeshop.
Along with the chefs, there are local celebrity pairings to help them serve the food and meet with guests. This year has a strong emphasis on local artist as the pairings, which is a great way to reinforce the arts focus. The celebrity guests include musician Rodney Block, visual artist Barry Thomas, fashion designer Bryant Phelan, and musician Bijoux Pighee.
This year’s event, presented by lead sponsor Malvern National Bank, starts at 6:30 on the 21st. Tickets are available for $100 a person and are available here. About Thea Foundation
Thea Foundation’s mission is to advocate the importance of the Arts in the development of our youth. Three programs are implemented statewide to support this mission—Thea Scholarships, Art Closet, and Arts Reconstruction. Since 2002, Thea Foundation has awarded more than $2.3 million in scholarships to Arkansas students and provided more than $1.5 million in art supplies and creative materials to underfunded schools through our Art Closet program. In addition, Arts Reconstruction is our focused effort to help teachers receive professional development and supplies to enable a better platform to advance in their own careers and schools. Our collective aim is to enrich young minds through the power of the Arts. Named for the daughter of Paul and Linda Leopoulos, Thea Foundation carries on the legacy of Thea Kay Leopoulos, who thrived academically, socially and emotionally thanks to her artistic pursuits.
