The Arkansas Institute plans to play a vital role in this rebirth by providing trained craftspeople who work not only in Helena, but regionally. Coupled with our relationships at the State and National level, we foresee a dynamic student body attending the institute. The program is the result of a unique collaboration between the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, and Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas, at Helena. Another agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, the Delta Cultural Center, owns the 1859 Moore-Hornor home, which currently provides students in the Institute with a working field lab. This is where our offices, classrooms and workshops are located.
Work is currently underway to renovate the three floors for our use.
In the mean time, our facility is in the warehouse next door, where classes began in the fall of 2000. The move-over will occur before fall semester of 2001. This intensive hands-on approach fuses together the lecture and lab work. There are two programs available at the Institute. The first year program, beginning n the fall semester, is Restoration Carpentry .