Five Facts: Why a Visit To Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Must Be On Your Bucket List
Creator: Michael Mackie
Perfection takes time. Just ask any of the builders, architects, or developers that helped create Arkansas’ crown jewel, Crystal Bridges Museum of Art. The mammoth 20,000 square foot museum was under heavy-duty construction for five years—and opened to worldwide fanfare on November 11, 2011. (Yes, 11/11/11, if you’re into numerology.)
Crystal Bridges was the brainchild of Walmart heiress and art visionary Alice Walton, who paved the way—figuratively and literally—for the museum to break ground. She helped handpick renowned architect Moshe Safdie to design its intricate, yet inviting look.
The museum rests at the base of a ravine on two spring-fed ponds. From any vantage point, the eight pavilions almost appear to be floating. That was all part of the original blueprint—to create a monumental museum that complements the surrounding landscape.
Let’s discover five fun facts on why this must-visit museum needs to be on your bucket list:
5) It’s plush. It’s lush. It was created with nature’s paintbrush.
Outdoor enthusiasts will appreciate the museum being nestled in the middle of 120 pristine acres of forest. (Yes, generously donated by the Waltons.) You could be birdwatching one minute and standing in front of a Roy Lichtenstein painting the next.
Imagine hiking on the museum grounds and suddenly stumbling across an original Frank Lloyd Wright House. ‘Tis true. Crystal Bridges has become the steward of the Bachman-Wilson House. Originally built in New Jersey, the historic house had become victim to repeated flood damage. The house was meticulously dismantled, with each piece of the structure being labeled and packed up. It was then transported to Bentonville and painstakingly restored and rebuilt from the ground up. (Talk about the ultimate jigsaw puzzle.) The house has become a beloved part of the museum’s collection.
4) Some of the nation’s most iconic artwork is housed there.
As the Met is to NYC, Crystal Bridges has become synonymous with Northern Arkansas. The 3,500+ piece art collection—which spans five centuries—ranges from immersive installations to historic exhibitions and everything in-between. (Their newest exhibit, Knowing the West: Visual Legacies of the American West, is the first major traveling exhibition to show the diverse groups who shaped the art and life of the West.)
But there are some absolute must-see, show-stopping paintings in the museum. (It is, after all, the house that patron-saint-of-the-arts Alice Walton built.) The hands-down crowd favorite, you ask? It’s Norman Rockwell’s Rosie the Riveter (1943). Yes, that Rosie the Riveter—which has become an American symbol of patriotism.
While there are some 50 iterations of Robert Indiana’s LOVE sculpture in the wild, this particular Corten steel version stands tall on the museum grounds. Its shiny chocolate coloring blends in perfectly with the nearby woodlands.
Another popular piece is Keith Haring’s quirky Two-Headed Figure Sculpture. The whimsical humanoid-meets-barking-dog is classic Haring, with its brightly red hue.
3) Putting the Crystal in Crystal Bridges
Spiritualists, white light workers, and energy practitioners have been known to flock to Crystal Bridges because it houses an enormous quartz crystal. Mined in 2016 in Blue Springs, Arkansas, it’s widely regarded as the single greatest quartz cluster found in the U.S.
From its base, it looms more than six feet tall. On the day we visited, there was also a full moon. Visitors quipped they could palpably feel the energy radiating off the quartz, which is aptly named Holy Grail.
2) You Can’t Beat the Price of Admission. It’s Free!
When Alice Walton started her vision of Crystal Bridges, it was to make art easily accessible to anyone and everyone—especially for folks who had never seen artwork up close and personal.
The museum’s mission has been ingrained in everything it does. “To welcome all to celebrate the American spirit in a setting that unites the power of art with the beauty of nature.”
While certain temporary exhibitions may be fee-based, the main exhibit hall—both expansive and elaborate—is free. To date, more than 12 million visitors have ebbed and flowed through its hallowed halls. Even more impressive? The Walton Family Foundation often picks up the travel tab for tens of thousands of schoolchildren to visit the museum each year.
1) Take a Moment at The Momentary
Just a hop, skip, and jump across town is The Momentary. Think of it as Crystal Bridge’s artsy-fartsy, pop-art sister museum that’s located in a reimagined former cheese factory. (Architects were diligent about keeping most of the original building intact—which would explain the monstrous milk vat perched right above the welcome desk.)
While it’s laden with contemporary works of visual art, it's also become quite a destination venue for live music. (Want to see Deadhaus and Gladys Knight perform in the same week? Done and done!) While you’re there, be sure to make a pilgrimage to The Tower Bar. The impressive drinkery boasts floor-to-ceiling windows that provide a bird’s-eye view of Bentonville proper.
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