Reese Rowland has been motivated by time, place and story since he was a boy in Paris, Arkansas. He spent hours drawing buildings, athletes, superheroes – anything that caught his fancy. At Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects, Reese has been recognized for his contributions with iconic projects like the Pinnacle Mountain Visitor Center. This kind of innovation and expertise is celebrated at the Museum of Discovery; he will be recognized as a Spark! Star at the gala next month.
This initial interest in construction developed when Reese would visit his mother at work and talk with the drafters who shared models. “It was a little boy’s paradise,” Reese remembers. “My dad was in sales for a brick company, and I started seeing how buildings work in a three-dimensional way. I knew I wanted to draw when I grew up, and architecture is one of the few artistic endeavors that’s also functional. You can make it beautiful and memorable.”
Reese has received more than 70 national, regional and state awards for his designs; he has helped plan such places as Central Arkansas Library System’s Arkansas Studies Institute and Children’s Library, two Bank OZK Headquarter Buildings and the U.S. Marshal’s Museum in Fort Smith. The joy he finds in making the built environment something beautiful is an emotion he sees in the children visiting the Museum of Discovery. “The thing I love about the Museum of Discovery is they understand experiential learning is key,” Reese explains. It is a place that encourages visitors to aim higher and bigger through innovative tactics that are also fun for the family. “At children’s libraries and museums, I’ve worked to include those moments where children don’t necessarily realize they are learning, but they have the desire to come back. Our Museum of Discovery accomplishes this superbly, and these sorts of activities lead the children into finding a direction with their life that could lead to a profession they would not only enjoy but be fulfilled by and make a difference.”
The Spark! Gala celebrates the continued mission work of the Museum of Discovery: to ignite and fuel passion for science, technology, engineering, arts and math through dynamic experiences. It provides critical support for the museum’s programs that enrich the lives and minds of all Arkansans. Spark! Stars are advocates of STEM, like Reese, and will be recognized at the annual luncheon. The Spark! Gala is an interactive evening of lively demonstrations with libations and light bites.
Reese is the first architect to be selected for this award. Other Spark! Stars include Adam Bailey with Lockheed Martin Lucas Garcia with Kiewit, Dr. Keith Morris with Arkansas Gastroenterology Clinic, Dr Kim Needy with the University of Arkansas; Beverly Roberson with Garver, Gus Vratsinas with Bailey Construction. These civic and business leaders represent the strong STEM initiative in Arkansas and support the Museum of Discovery as a hub for tomorrow’s bright star.
Spark! Luncheon & Gala
Luncheon – Monday, November 4
Gala – Tuesday, November 12