Gallery Performance: Dear Heartsey: The Letters of Abigaill Levy-Franks  

In partnership with the Jewish Federation of Arkansas, Crystal Bridges proudly presents the world premiere of Dear Heartsey: The Letters of Abigaill Levy-Franks. This special evening begins in the gallery with a pre-performance talk by PhD Candidate and Crystal Bridges Tyson Scholar Emily Beeber, who will explore Jewish life in colonial America, the remarkable Levy–Franks family portraits spanning three generations, and their resonances with Beth Lipman’s contemporary glass work Belonging(s). The program culminates in the premiere of composer Jonathan Stinson’s evocative song cycle, inspired by the heartfelt letters of Abigaill Levy-Franks to her son Naphtali (1733–1748).

Bringing Abigaill’s words of devotion, concern, and enduring Jewish identity to life, soprano and ordained Cantor Samantha Stinson joins pianist Traci Hall for a moving musical performance that bridges history, art, and timeless expressions of a mother’s love.

This event is free, tickets required. Reserve your spot online or with Guest Services at (479) 657-2335 today.

Additional support provided by the The Tyson Scholars of American Art Program and Voce NWA.

Emily Beeber

Emily Beeber is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Art History at the University of Delaware and a 2025–26 Tyson Scholar of American Art at Crystal Bridges. Her dissertation, “Visualizing Jewishness in the Atlantic World, 1715–1830,” examines the relationship between portraiture and Jewish identity within this context. Emily has held curatorial internships at institutions including the National Gallery of Art and the Baltimore Museum of Art, and she participated in the Summer Institute at the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts. Her dissertation research has been supported by the Center for Material Culture Studies at the University of Delaware and the American Jewish Historical Society.

Samantha Stinson

Dr. Samantha Stinson maintains a diverse career as a performer, cantor, and educator. She has sung leading roles internationally with Opera Viva (UK) and across the United States with Cincinnati Opera Education, Delaware Valley Opera Theatre, Middlebury Summer Opera, the Carnegie Theatre of KY, and Chicago Verismo Opera, among others. Samantha enjoys merging her performance career with her Jewish identity: her doctoral dissertation at the University of Cincinnati – CCM  was a Compiled Anthology of Yiddish Art Song, she was the original soloist for Jose Vargas’ The Story of Chanukah with the Cape Cod Symphony, and she performed Yiddish works of Alex Weiser and Helen Medeweff Greenberg at the 2024 Cincinnati Jewish Music Festival. Samantha was ordained as Hazzan by the Cantor’s Assembly in May of 2025, and currently serves as the Spiritual Leader for Temple Shalom of NWA.

Jonathan Stinson

Praised for his music’s “deep emotional expression” (icareifyoulisten.com), Dr. Jonathan Stinson’s compositions have been heard throughout the United States and in Germany. His body of work includes eight song cycles, two one-act operas for young audiences, two operatic vignettes, and numerous chamber and choral works. His operas have been produced by Atlanta Opera, Opera Memphis, Seagle Music Colony, Sanford Opera, Reach Out Kansas, and Chicago Opera Playhouse, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, the University of Arkansas, and Green Light Vocal Productions. His collection of operatic vignettes based on the planning of the March on Washington were featured on ABC 7 News Chicago, and his choral anthem “Beloved” won the Grand Prize in the 2015 International Anthem Competition of First Baptist Church, Worcester, MA. His monodrama Uncivil Relief premiered in Richmond, VA in 2023. Dr. Stinson is also a professional baritone who has performed leading roles with opera companies throughout the United States and Europe. He is currently a Teaching Associate Professor of Music and Director of Opera at the University of Arkansas.