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Founded by Alice Walton, Crystal Bridges is envisioned as a premier national
art institution dedicated to American art and artists. Under construction in Bentonville,
Ark., the museum complex will encompass approximately 100,000 square feet of gallery,
library, meeting, and office space; a 250-seat indoor auditorium; areas for outdoor
concerts and public events; gallery rooms suitable for large receptions, as well
as sculpture gardens and walking trails.
The museum will house a permanent collection of signature works from American artists
along with galleries dedicated to regional art and artists including Native American
art. The growing permanent collection is composed of paintings and sculptures by
American artists from the Colonial period through the modern era and will consist
of notable examples reflecting the richness and diversity of the American experience.
Some announced works of the permanent collection include: Hudson River School masterwork
Kindred Spirits by Asher B. Durand, which is currently on loan to The San Diego Museum of Fine Arts;
Charles Willson Peale’s 18th century painting
of George Washington, which is currently on loan to the Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain;
Gilbert Stuart’s George Washington (The Constable-Hamilton
Portrait), which is currently on loan at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Portrait of Professor
Benjamin H. Rand by Thomas Eakins, currently on loan to the Philadelphia Museum of Art; Spring,
by Winslow Homer; Martin Johnson Heade’s Cattleya Orchid, Two Hummingbirds
and a Beetle; and Marsden Hartley’s Hall of the Mountain King. In addition
to the permanent collection, temporary exhibitions drawn from national institutions
will be displayed in the museum.
The museum takes its name from a natural spring on the museum’s wooded site
as well as the unique glass-and-wood building design created by world-renowned architect
Moshe Safdie. An innovative building design – reflective of its forested creek-side
home, and linked by landscaped trails and paths connecting area neighborhoods –
will capture the interplay of nature, art and culture in the region. The museum
property and grounds are within walking distance of the Bentonville town square.
In addition to expanding access to art, cultural and learning resources, Crystal
Bridges will also spur the continued economic development of Northwest Arkansas.
The museum is expected to draw tourists from the region and nationally, with an
anticipated 250,000 visitors annually.
Bentonville’s small-town appeal, historical background and expanding tourism,
anchored by the Walton 5&10 museum – Sam Walton’s first retail outlet
– will provide an ideal setting for enthusiasts and students of art when visiting
Crystal Bridges and its museum of American art.
Museum of American Art
Crystal Bridges will house a museum of American art, which will be on view in more
than 25,000 square feet of gallery space. The majority of the exhibit space will
be devoted to American masterworks, from the Colonial era to the 20th century. Additional
gallery space will be dedicated to regional art and artists including Native American
art as well as touring collections drawn from national art institutions. Sculpture
will also figure prominently in the permanent collection, on view in interior galleries
and outdoor sculpture gardens. A dynamic temporary exhibitions program will complement
the holdings of the permanent collection. The heart of the permanent collection will include works donated by Alice Walton
and the Walton Family Foundation, and may be augmented by gifts and loans from other
private collectors.
A Place of Community
Crystal Bridges is designed to build connections, both literally and figuratively,
with the communities of Northwest Arkansas. Linking Bentonville’s neighborhoods
with walking trails that encourage regular visits to the museum and its sculpture
gardens, Crystal Bridges will encourage community uses and activities as one of
its highest priorities. Flexibly designed spaces within the museum and its grounds
will accommodate a variety of group-based activities, ranging from outdoor concerts
to public gatherings, arts fairs, meetings of area community groups and other civic
activities. A 250-seat indoor theatre and other spaces will be ideal venues for
community receptions and dinners and private functions ranging from business conferences
to weddings.
The multi-functional theatre space can accommodate lectures and presentations, as
well as films, music performances, dance and drama. A flexible stage area and lecture-style
seating arrangement will provide multiple use opportunities.
The museum building is expected to contain 100,000 square feet when completed, and
employ approximately 75 full-time staff. Traditional museum resources, including
a museum store, dining facilities, parking and group tours are planned as well.
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