C Magazine | 2016 - Volume 5 - Issue 3

FIVE YEAR COMMEMORATIVE EDITION

CRYSTAL BRIDGES MEMBER MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 2016

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VOL V ISSUE III

THANK YOU

FOUNDING ENDOWMENTS

N E X T G E N E R AT I O N F U N D

Windgate Charitable Foundation Doug and Shelley McMillon Family

Jack and Melba Shewmaker Family

Paul and June Carter Family Pamela and Wayne Garrison Reed and Mary Ann Greenwood The J.M. Smucker Company

G L O B A L I N I T I AT I V E F U N D Chuck and Terri Erwin Reed and Mary Ann Greenwood

Stella Boyle Smith Trust Harriet and Warren Stephens

Marvelyn Stout

SPONSORS

Loreen Arbus

Bob and Marilyn Bogle

James Dyke and Helen Porter

P. Allen Smith

Harlan and Kathy Crow The Murphy Foundation Thomas Lon Smith Becky and Bob Alexander Paul M. Angell Family Foundation Neff and Scarlett Basore Robert and Nancy Brooks Paul and June Carter Family

ConAgra Foods First Quality Enterprises, Inc. George’s Greenwood Gearhart Inc. Galen, Debi and Alice Havner

Ken and Liz Allen AMP Sign and Banner Arvest Bank Avis Bailey Blakeman’s Fine Jewelry Blue Rhino James and Emily Bost Briar Rose Bakery Cambridge Associates Chip and Susan Chambers Consulate of Mexico in Little Rock David and Cathy Evans Family Rui J.P. de Figueiredo Jr. and Natalia Ferretti Cindy Flynt Walters and Betty Flynt

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JTH Productions KFSM-TV CBS Kimberly–Clark The Coleman Company

Harrison and Rhonda French Family Greg Thompson Fine Art J.P. Morgan Denise and Hershey Garner Just-Us Printers Meza Harris Charles and Shannon Holley HOWSE inVeritas Randy and Valorie Lawson/ Lawco Energy Group MillerCoors Moon Distributors Inc. Morris Foundation Inc.

Thomas Lon Smith Roy and Christine Sturgis Charitable Trust, Bank of America, N.A. Trustee

The Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Fund Univision Arkansas William Reese Company

Nice-Pak Products, Inc. Nickelodeon Northwest Arkansas Naturals Onyx Coffee Lab Pinnacle Car Services Premier Dermatology & Skin Renewal Center Procter & Gamble Riedel Roblee Orthodontics Rockline Industries Esther Silver-Parker Mark and Diane Simmons Charitable Fund

Steven and Claudia Strange Steinway & Sons Tartaglino Richards Family Foundation The Hershey Company The Segal Family Foundation The William M. Fuller Foundation Demara Titzer TravelHost NWA Nicole and John Weeldreyer Family Fund Wright Lindsey Jennings

FIVE YEAR COMMEMORATIVE EDITION

CRYSTAL BRIDGES MEMBER MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 2016

VOL V ISSUE III

04

MINDING THE MISSION

LOOKING BACK WITH ROD BIGELOW & ALICE WALTON

06 MINDING THE MISSION 10 FOOD FOR THOUGHT OUR PLACE IN THE BIG PICTURE

13 14

OUR PLACE IN THE BIG PICTURE THE CONVERSATION CONTINUES

15 OUTSIDE VIEW INCREASING ACCESS

16 17 18 19 20

INCREASING ACCESS OUTSIDE VIEW LEADING BY EXAMPLE OUTSIDE VIEW BRANCHING OUT & COMING TOGETHER

GROWING THE COLLECTION

22 36

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COLLECTION GROWTH & HIGHLIGHTS THE POWER OF SCHOLARSHIP

SUPPORT

COVER: Dero Sanford THIS PAGE: Stephen Ironside

40 41

PHILANTHROPY LAST WORD

20 BRANCHING OUT: CRYSTAL BRIDGES IN THE COMMUNITY

MINDING THE MISSION: ART, ARCHITECTURE, & NATURE

C MAGAZINE IS THE MEMBERSHIP PUBLICATION FOR CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART.

Member Priority Line: 479.418.5728 MON • TUE • 8 am to 5 pm WED • THU • FRI 8 am to 9 pm SAT • SUN 10 am to 4 pm Purchase gift memberships at: CrystalBridges.org/Membership.

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MEMBER MAGAZINE

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CHIEF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION OFFICER

Rod Bigelow DEPUTY DIRECTOR

AS WE CELEBRATE THE 5TH YEAR of Crystal Bridges,

Sandy Edwards

we are hearing a number of heartwarming stories from our Members. Many of our “original” Members share memories of seeing the Museum for the first time during the special 24hour Members preview before the public opening; watching the ongoing construction of the ponds during the first days of the Museum’s operation; and being among the first to see the treasures of the permanent collection. Five years later, even after the “newness” has rubbed off, the excitement of the Crystal Bridges experience seems to have become a recognized hallmark, based on our museum’s somewhat revolutionary approach to access and engagement.

Already in a category all its own for an unconventional location, Crystal Bridges has also drawn attention in the museum world for its commitment to creating a welcoming environment for all, and to removing barriers that often make guests feel intimidated by or unprepared for a museum visit.

With this commemorative issue of C magazine, Crystal Bridges celebrates this milestone with you, our Members, as a way of documenting the Museum’s growth and achievements in the first five years, and conveying an understanding of an evolved sense of purpose and possibility for the years ahead.

To do this, we include the voices of experts in the museum field who present their professional viewpoints on the issues of access and engagement that are facing museums today. We then offer conversations with Museum leadership about how Crystal Bridges is addressing these concerns and where innovative solutions may take us over the next five years.

While this is a different format from our usual issue, we hope you enjoy getting this fresh perspective on Crystal Bridges.

In celebrating this special time in the life of our young and vibrant institution, we also celebrate you for your involvement, your trust, and your belief in Crystal Bridges.

CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER

Jill Wagar DIRECTOR OF CURATORIAL AFFAIRS

Margi Conrads DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Diane Carroll EDITOR

Linda DeBerry CREATIVE SERVICES MANAGER

Anna Vernon LEAD DESIGNER

Laura Hicklin CONTRIBUTORS

Chad Alligood Alejo Benedetti Anne Bergeron Mindy Besaw Charles Kim Eliza Merritt Dylan Turk Beth Tuttle EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Alison Nation PHOTOGRAPHY

Marc Henning Stephen Ironside Dero Sanford Beth Hall MEMBERSHIP & DEVELOPMENT

Ana Aguayo Robyn Alley Brandi Cline Angela Hodges Emily Ironside Anne Jackson Kaylin McLoud Megan Martin Hannah Brown Ashley Wardlow

Do we have your email address? If you’re not getting special announcements, event reminders, and our eNewsletter, then the answer is no.

Thank you!

SANDY EDWARDS DEPUTY DIRECTOR

Don’t miss a thing.

Send your email address to embership@crystalbridges.org Environmentally friendly

Stephen Ironside

Made with renewable energy

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CAROLINE CHANDLER

FAYETTEVILLE, AR, MEMBER #1001

MY FAVORITE MEMORY WAS SEEING THE LATE NINETEENTH-CENTURY AND 1940S TO NOW GALLERIES FOR THE FIRST TIME. I WALKED THROUGH AND SAW WORK BY ARTISTS I HAD STUDIED IN MY COLLEGE ART HISTORY CLASSES. IT BROUGHT A NEW PERSPECTIVE AND ENTHUSIASM TO THE WORKS.

Acid Free

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100% Recycled (post-consumer waste)

LOOKING BACK WITH ROD BIGELOW & ALICE WALTON

IN THIS SPECIAL ISSUE, we feature excerpts of conversations with Crystal Bridges leaders, beginning with an interview conducted by the Museum’s Editor, Linda DeBerry, with Crystal Bridges’ founder and Board Chair Alice Walton and Executive Director and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Rod Bigelow looking back at the past five years.

LD Compare your early expectations to what the Museum is experiencing now. What did you expect in terms of attendance?

AW It was really difficult to come up with a number because we didn’t have any comps for a museum like this in a town of 40,000 people. We ended up thinking, “If we could get 150,000 people, it would be wonderful!” So our initial goal was 150 to 200,000 people (laughs) We dreamed big!

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RB It’s an unprecedented experience when you put an institution like this in the middle of a place that hasn’t had that. It’s impossible to put a comp to it.

LD How did you expect the Museum to be received by guests when it first opened?

AW I knew this museum was needed. I grew up here and didn’t really have access to art and I knew that we wanted to change that.

What I underestimated was how much people wanted to have access to that great art. And that’s what changed the numbers from 150 to 600,000. I think one of the other things is that our team has done a wonderful job of capturing repeat visitors and making it a community center. I think that’s really important. I’ve never met anybody here in the Museum who doesn’t talk about feeling welcomed.

RB Also, I think it’s a stroke of brilliance to connect art and nature.

That’s an unusual mix in the art field. There are very few institutions that think about art and nature as two aspects critical to the mission.

AW Yes, but I didn’t know enough to know that, and it was a good thing! (laughs) Having grown up in a nature-oriented family and in a nature-oriented region, I knew that the more we integrated nature into the Museum, then the more comfortable people would be.

Stephen Ironside

LD Being “comfortable” is an interesting take on the idea of access.

I’m not sure most museums put visitor comfort on their list of goals.

AW It’s the collision of cultures of the immigrants that came here that creates energy, creativity. If we are an American art museum, we have to be accessible to everybody that’s created this country.

LD Do you think Crystal Bridges’ welcoming and comfortable model has impacted the museum world at large?

RB I think the museum field is still somewhat baffled. I think they are still trying to figure out the audacity of this place. When other museum professionals visit us, they instantly get consumed by that magic. They have thought about things differently because of their experience here. I think when they go back home they are somehow put in a box and are trying to figure out how to transcend that restriction, how to go beyond their norm and create something like the experience here.

YOU’LL FIND MORE EXCERPTS FROM THIS CONVERSATION THROUGHOUT THIS ISSUE OF C MAGAZINE. READ ON!

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MINDING THE MISSION

Adair Creative

ART, ARCHITECTURE, & NATURE

06

MINDING THE MISSION

LINDA DEBERRY EDITOR

CRYSTAL BRIDGES STANDS ON THREE PILLARS: a worldclass collection of American art; a beautiful natural landscape encompassing 120 acres of native Ozark forest; and the unique architecture of the Museum itself, created by Moshe Safdie. The combination of these elements is one of the things that makes Crystal Bridges unique. Through the first five years, the Museum has refined and developed its mission along each of these paths, continually striving to integrate and enhance our guests’ experience of all three in new and better ways.

ART

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FIRST DON TYSON PRIZE AWARDED

The Don Tyson Prize is a $200,000 award for outstanding achievement in American art. It is the largest prize of its kind in the field.

The inaugural Don Tyson Prize was awarded to The Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution this fall. Founded in 1954, the Archives maintains extensive primary source materials on American art and artists such as artists’ journals, papers, and correspondence, as well as transcription of interviews with American artists and collectors. More than 20 million items are included in the collection, and much of this information is publicly available online.

JAIMIE J. ALEXANDER ROGERS, AR, MEMBER #541 THE OPENING DAY WAS SUCH AN EXCITING DAY! AS I MOVED FROM GALLERY TO GALLERY, IT WAS SO AMAZING TO SEE THE PAINTINGS AND THE MUSEUM. IT SEEMED SURREAL TO BE IN SUCH A TREASURE OF A PLACE. I CHOOSE TO BE A MEMBER BECAUSE I AM THANKFUL TO BE A PART OF SOMETHING SO PROFOUND AND ENRICHING!

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Alice Walton, John Tyson, and Kate Haw at the Archives of American Art offices. Photo by Joyce Boghosian.

Crystal Bridges’ art collection has grown dramatically over the past five years: increasing from some 1,500 objects to more than 2,300. (You can read more about the development of the Museum’s permanent collection, as well as curators’ takes on some of the key acquisitions, on pages 23 through 35.) But the Museum’s overall mission to support and enhance the understanding, appreciation, and access to American art has also expanded.

One of the best ways to enhance Crystal Bridges’ permanent collection is to foster scholarship in American art, an area that has historically been sorely understudied by academics. (You can read more about this on page 36.) The founding of the Tyson Scholars in American Art programs in 2011 has now provided support for 15 scholars from across the country to conduct in-depth research of American art and artists. In addition, the first Don Tyson Prize was awarded this fall to the Smithsonian Institution’s Archives of American Art, the world’s largest archive of papers and other ephemera related to American art. (See sidebar.)

The special exhibition State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now offered a new paradigm for museums seeking excellence in contemporary American art, and helped to increase awareness of the presence of great artists living and working in every corner of the United States. With its diversity of artists, media, techniques, and subject matter, State of the Art also offered an antidote to the often-held belief that true art exists only in the urban coastal regions or is defined by a limited set of criteria. Two versions of this exhibition are traveling to other museums, bringing its message of inclusion and discovery to venues across the US. Our experience with State of the Art continues to inform our efforts to bring artists and our community together in meaningful ways. This is perhaps most evident in the current planning for development of an innovative arts venue, which you can read about on page 20.

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Construction of the new north forest trail has focused primarily on widening and leveling the pre-existing Dogwood Trail into a ten-footwide, fully ADA accessible, paved, and lighted pathway through Crystal Bridges’ forest. Forming a large figure-eight through the north grounds, the improved trail provides space for a series of outdoor exhibitions— beginning with the Chihuly Glass: In the Forest exhibition, which opens to Members May 27, 2017. The project has included the removal of more than 100 dead trees, as well as the clearing of invasive understory plants and young growth that forced the established trees to compete for scarce resources in the rocky Ozark soil. The trail will provide guests with access to a healthier, more open, and diverse forest ecosystem featuring a host of native trees, woody shrubs, and perennials.

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Stephen Ironside

COMING SOON: NORTH FOREST TRAIL

THIS PAGE: R. Buckminster Fuller, Fly’s Eye Dome, 1961, fabricated ca. 1980, fiberglass-reinforced polyester, 38 x 50 x 50 ft.

Courtesy The Estate of R. Buckminster Fuller.

MINDING THE MISSION

NATURE

ARCHITECTURE

Crystal Bridges strives to bring art and nature together not just by placing artwork on the site, but by embracing the concept of nature as a work of art in its own right. The Trails and Grounds team at Crystal Bridges approaches the landscape as a canvas on which to showcase the beauty of the region and its native plants.

A careful balance is struck between wild nature and a trails system that increases accessibility, highlights specific natural features and views, improves the health and diversity of the forest, and encourages the return of native species to this area through landscaping and active stewardship.

The reconstruction of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Bachman-Wilson House on the Museum grounds firmly established architecture as one of the primary pillars of Crystal Bridges’ mission.

In the coming year, Crystal Bridges will make another addition to this architectural objective. Buckminster Fuller’s Fly’s Eye Dome, a 50-foot-wide domed structure covered with circular openings, will be installed on the Museum’s north lawn. This prototype of Fuller’s concept of the ideal habitat is the largest of three domes that were created in the last years of his life. Fuller imagined his groundbreaking design as “a beautiful, fully equipped, air-deliverable house that weighs and costs about as much as a good automobile.”

Although when it was first created, Fuller’s dome seemed somewhat extreme in its futuristic design and emphasis on “doing more with less,” today it seems considerably less far-fetched.

Coupled at Crystal Bridges with Wright’s Usonian house, the Fly’s Eye Dome embodies another significant development in the search for a uniquely American architecture. Efficient, affordable, at one with nature: all of these factors were key in the concept and development of both architects’ ideals.

Robert Rubin, the architectural historian who, in 2001, recovered Fuller’s dome from its long storage in a California field and had it restored, points out the value of the structure to architectural scholarship. “There is a systematic Eurocentrism to the historiography of American architecture that needs to be corrected,” he said. “Now that [Crystal Bridges has] the Wright house and the Fuller dome, you have the resources to be the counterweight to this. Moreover, most major museums ... can’t rise to the challenge of architecture because it’s not very ‘commercial.’

[Crystal Bridges] is in a unique position to fill this void.”

In the year ahead, Crystal Bridges’ Trails and Grounds will become even more integrated into the Museum’s artistic mission by serving as the venue for its first extensive outdoor exhibition.

Chihuly Glass: In the Forest & In the Gallery is a two-part exhibition opening in May that will feature handblown glass sculptures, some on view in the Temporary Exhibition Gallery, and others sited throughout the north forest area. The outdoor exhibition will offer our guests a wholly new experience of both art and nature at Crystal Bridges.

The Museum’s new north tower also brings together Crystal Bridges’ art, architecture, and nature by physically connecting the lower North Exhibition Gallery with both the North Lawn and the Rock Ledge and north forest trails above it. The 67-foot tower, designed by Moshe Safdie, combines the concrete and copper aesthetic of the main buildings with the natural stone of the surrounding bluffs.

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT CRYSTAL BRIDGES & THE ORIGIN OF HIGH SOUTH CUISINE A CONVERSATION between Editor Linda DeBerry; Crystal Bridges’ Director of Culinary, Case Dighero (pictured far right); and Executive Chef Bill Lyle reveals the Museum’s role in the development of “High South” cuisine.

LD I understand that “High South” cuisine didn’t really exist before Crystal Bridges.

CD The term “High South” was coined by us because we were trying to decide how we were going to characterize our food. When I was first describing this idea of High South I would compare it to Cajun food. To me High South is every bit as interesting, it’s just not as flamboyant.

BL Each area’s cuisine is directly based on what you grow in the region. What makes the Ozarks so special is the plethora of fruits, vegetables, nuts, everything we have to offer here. But I take all that and then also infuse it with fresh fish from somewhere else in the world, and then maybe a little of Asian, Indian...

CD Bill has become proficient at this. Look at the diverse population of Northwest Arkansas—we have this really great Latin population, we have the Indian population, the Marshallese population. Think of not only the cultural impact they’ve had on the area, but also on food. Bill can take a base like fried chicken and then create something else with these other influences.

LD Has the culinary program at Crystal Bridges changed from what you originally imagined?

CD We changed dramatically. Eleven started out as an amenity, and it has quickly proven itself to be as important a part of the Museum as anything else, and we are embedded into the programming. There’s a reason why we keep creating new programs that are food-centric. It’s because people want it.

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MINDING THE MISSION

BENTONVILLE, AR, MEMBER #1126

“

People walk away from a WOW (Wednesday Over Water) and there’s an electricity about it and it’s not just because they had a good meal. It’s because they’ve had something to eat that has a connection to art that they can then go look at and experience.

There’s this connection that happens that’s pretty incredible.

Stephen Ironside

“

WHITNEY SUTHERLAND

WHAT HAS CHANGED THE MOST SINCE CRYSTAL BRIDGES OPENED IS THAT IT IS NO LONGER A SECRET! THE SECRET IS OUT ABOUT WHAT AN AMAZING MUSEUM IT IS AND WHAT AWESOME ACTIVITIES THERE ARE AT CRYSTAL BRIDGES. WHAT HASN’T CHANGED IS THE HOSPITALITY AT THE MUSEUM. EVERY ONE GOES OUT OF THEIR WAY TO ENSURE GUESTS HAVE A GREAT EXPERIENCE.

BL And food is art, too. We make tight connections to the art in the galleries, but we also discuss the food as if it is a piece of art: its origins, how we came up with it, and everything that went into creating it. It’s not that different from listening to an artist talk about their artwork.

LD I understand this is a unique approach for Museum culinary programs.

CD Over the last few years, a lot of people have looked at the development of Crystal Bridges through the lens of food. This summer Ruth Reichl was here as part of our Distinguished Speakers series. And when Ruth Reichl—Food Editor for the New York Times and the LA Times, Editor in Chief of Gourmet Magazine—looks me square in the eyes and says “There is no museum in the country or the world that’s doing what you guys are doing when it comes to food”—that speaks volumes.

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THE FIRST FIVE YEARS

>2,776,452

VISITORS SINCE OPENING DAY (AS OF 11/11/16)

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TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS*

THAT THIS MANY PEOPLE SAW!

HIGHEST ATTENDED EXHIBITION

140,000

STUDENTS HAVE VISITED ON FIELD TRIPS

175,000

~300,000

600

VOLUNTEERS DONATE

VISITORS ON THE TRAILS ANNUALLY

>20,000

HOURS ANNUALLY

WE’VE WELCOMED VISITORS FROM ALL 50 STATES...

BRAZIL, GERMANY, HONG KONG, ISRAEL, RUSSIA, SWITZERLAND, ZIMBABWE, AND MORE!

PLUS

50% 50% FIRST-TIME VISITORS

THE “BE AN ORIGINAL” MEMBER DRIVE LAUNCHED OVER THE JULY FOURTH WEEKEND IN 2011.

2015 ATTENDANCE:

20%

NATIONAL/ INTERNATIONAL GUESTS

RETURNING VISITORS

55%

ARKANSAS GUESTS

25%

REGIONAL GUESTS (MO, OK, TX, TN, MS, LA)

>3,000 5,425 >10,000 HOUSEHOLDS BECAME MEMBERS IN THE FIRST WEEK

MEMBER HOUSEHOLDS

BY OPENING DAY, 11/11/11

MEMBER HOUSEHOLDS SUPPORTING THE MUSEUM MISSION TODAY

*In the Temporary Exhibition Gallery

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OUR PLACE IN THE BIG PICTURE

OUR PLACE IN THE BIG PICTURE CRYSTAL BRIDGES HITS ITS STRIDE

program and had a significant increase in creative thinking skills, tolerance, and “historical empathy,” an ability to emotionally connect to historical events.

2. The Distance Learning Project funded by the LINDA DEBERRY EDITOR

THE SUCCESS OF CRYSTAL BRIDGES’ UNORTHODOX PHILOSOPHY is evidenced by the number of guests who visit each year. In the primary mission areas of access and engagement, Crystal Bridges has fulfilled, even surpassed, all expectations. In addition, a brand new capacity has arisen that its founders did not foresee: not in so many words. Crystal Bridges has demonstrated a powerful ability to recognize and respond to challenges that face the museum field on a national level.

During her review of Crystal Bridges for the Museum Assessment Program of the American Alliance of Museums, Judith Hansen O’Toole, the Richard M. Scaife Director and CEO of The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, stated that: “It is clear that [Crystal Bridges’] founder, Alice Walton, has set high goals for the museum and its staff. She and the board push them to be visionary, to accept new challenges, and to create model programs and initiatives for the museum sector. Using their resources for the general good and for the professional community of which they are a part is a museum-wide, rigorously held responsibility.”

Unhampered by a legacy of “this is how we’ve always done it,” Crystal Bridges has found itself able and willing to dive into ambitious projects and initiatives that many older museums would hesitate to take on. Somehow, through a combination of youthful exuberance, innovative problem-solving, and perhaps a bit of dogged Ozark bull-headedness, Crystal Bridges has already stepped up to blaze new trails on a number of fronts:

1.

A groundbreaking education study which measured, for the first time, the effects on students of a one-time school visit to an art museum. The study showed that these students retained the information they received during the

Windgate Foundation, that grew out of the school visit study, paving the way for other museums to embark upon distance learning programs of their own

3. The State of the Art exhibition which sent Museum curators on an unprecedented journey to visit nearly 1,000 artists across the nation

4. The Museum’s active role in leading the movement

toward Linked Open Data for museums across the country as a member of the American Art Collaborative, which is developing best practices to help other museums digitally connect their collections.

Recognizing and formalizing that capacity is part of what now begins to define Crystal Bridges as it asks itself “How can we use the Force for good?” A way forward was suggested in the Museum Assessment report on Crystal Bridges completed by the American Alliance of Museums. Among the report’s top recommendations for the future was that the museum become “a convener for museum issues.”

Embracing this role as a convener, Crystal Bridges has become committed to collaborating with other museums across the nation to create practical solutions to issues facing us all. With a goal to lead by example, the work begins at home, with initiatives targeted to make improvements in Crystal Bridges own operations, which can then be shared with others.

The primary issues being addressed fall into five categories: Access, Diversity, Community, Scholarship, and Collection. In the next section, we’ll look at each of these areas and talk with Crystal Bridges leaders and others from outside the museum about why these areas are important, not just to Crystal Bridges, but to museums across the country.

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THE CONVERSATION CONTINUES DISRUPTION & INNOVATION DISRUPT v. to cause (something) to be unable to continue in the normal way: to interrupt the normal progress or activity of (something) inspired by the State of the Art exhibition titled Insights from a Changing America. This event brought together national thought leaders to talk about the impact of art on communities and the role of the artist in society. Among the guests was Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation, who made a strong statement in which he referred Crystal Bridges as a “disruptor.” Museum Editor Linda DeBerry talked with Museum founder Alice Walton and Executive Director Rod Bigelow about Walker’s bold statement:

AW (laughs) You know, I never had any intentions in that direction.

I just wanted everyone who comes to be able to learn about this country through art. And that means everybody, all types. I wouldn’t say that we intended to be a disrupter, but our goals—in terms of inclusion and accessibility—have been dominant from the start.

LD Have we embraced the idea of being a disrupter?

I think Crystal Bridges is an enormously disruptive idea, and that’s why I’m excited about it and I’m on the edge of my chair here and I can’t sit back. It’s because this place is so innovative and is meant to create a new paradigm of how we think about art, how a patron thinks of arts patronage, and what we think—those of us who live in places like New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco—of a place like Bentonville, Arkansas.

This museum could be the greatest museum anywhere in the world. It is an exemplary piece of architecture. The collection is phenomenal. And this current exhibition totally challenges normative thinking of the elites on the east and west coast. And I think we really desperately need that kind of disruption in the art world.

“

“

LD Darren Walker called Crystal Bridges a “disruptor.” What do you think of that moniker?

DARREN WALKER

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AW Well I’m proud of it!

RB I embrace that, too, and I think we can be more. I think to some degree the museum field pushed against the concept that you could open your institution up to everyone and keep the high quality-level up. But our leadership has demanded that we keep the bar very high on the quality side and match it with the idea that everyone is welcome.

LD Are you getting asked by other directors what we’re doing and how we do it?

RB All the time. I think the answer is the root of the institution, the welcoming nature, the high quality, and the community support. The community has wholly embraced this museum. I think “disrupter” is a great descriptor, because we can share how we get things done and others can see that success and make it happen for themselves. Crystal Bridges doesn’t have to do it for everyone. We can be a catalyst. It just feels that anything is possible.

Dreamworks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, Ford Foundation President Darren Walker, and Walmart President and CEO Doug McMillon at the State of the Art Symposium. Photo by Stephen Ironside.

IN OCTOBER, 2014, Crystal Bridges hosted a symposium

OUR PLACE IN THE BIG PICTURE VOLUNTEERS MAKE IT ALL POSSIBLE A sure indication of the level of support Crystal Bridges gains from our community is the number of volunteers who support the Museum’s mission. 1,332 volunteers have given over 125,000 hours of their time to cover 45,000 separate volunteer opportunities. Our youngest volunteers are 16 and our oldest is 94. 34 volunteers have gone on to become Crystal Bridges employees.

OUTSIDE VIEW MUSEUMS AS STEWARDS OF THE FUTURE

Volunteer Kirk Dandridge leads a gallery tour. Photo by Stephen Ironside.

FOUNDING A MUSEUM IS AN ACT that can and should change the world. Museum assets—human, physical, digital—can change our path into the future and with this super power comes great responsibility. Board, staff and community stakeholders should continually ask themselves, “What kind of future is our museum helping to create? How will we, through our stewardship, ensure that the children who visit the museum today inherit a world of better tomorrows?”

To be good stewards of the future, museum people need to understand the forces shaping the world today. One critical force is demographic change. America’s museums, collectively, are doing a great job serving a segment of society that mirrors the US population of 1906. This lag exists at least in part because our staff and board members do not reflect the public we wish to serve. How will we need to change the way we recruit, hire and retain our staff and board members in order to diversify our field?

Another critical trend is the proliferation of options for information and entertainment. The growing ubiquity of smart phones and internet access fuels the rise of streaming media and digital gaming. How can museums provide experiences— physical or digital—that are equally engaging and accessible?

For museum audiences’ current core demographic—the well-off

and well-educated—time is a scarce resource. How can museums be available where and when people want to consume their content? We live in a society marred by widening inequality of access to education and opportunities. How can museums help to narrow that rift?

Success, for museums, can’t be measured in a metric as simple as attendance, members, or followers on social media. A museum knows it is successful when people can tell you exactly how their community and their lives are better because the museum exists. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art has already given rise to many such stories. I look forward to seeing the future the museum helps create in the next fifty years.

ELIZABETH MERRITT VICE PRESIDENT, STRATEGIC FORESIGHT & FOUNDING DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR THE FUTURE OF MUSEUMS, AMERICAN ALLIANCE OF MUSEUMS

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ACCESSIBILITY IS CENTRAL TO THE MISSION of Crystal Bridges. It’s a major shift from traditional museum culture, but one that Museum founder Alice Walton recognized as key to Crystal Bridges’ success.

“I think that the museum industry as a whole has a real issue,” she explained. “It goes back to the root of museums. In Europe, museums were for the elite and the upper class. That tradition carried over into this country. And it is still present—in the architecture, the grandeur, and the design of those original buildings—they are still kind of intimidating to most people. I knew that we wanted a place that did not have that intimidating feel.”

From the physical placement of the building entrance—on a level below visitors as they arrive rather than elevated above them at the top of a grand staircase—to the warm greeting offered to guests as they enter the lobby; to the language used in gallery labels and publications, Crystal Bridges strives to make visitors feel that they belong. In 2015, a new department of Access and Inclusive Programs began targeted efforts to improve access for English language learners, guests with autism, hearingimpaired guests, and more.

In addition, Crystal Bridges is expanding its notion of accessibility beyond the Museum walls.

“Alice challenged us to make sure that when we acquire art we put it on view, instead of amassing a great collection that’s hidden in the vault,” explained Executive Director Rod Bigelow.

So where do these works go if they can’t be on display at the museum? “They need to be out on loan,” Alice Walton declared.

“I hope we can lead the way in the museum world on encouraging art to come out of the vaults.”

Crystal Bridges is developing plans for national and international traveling exhibitions of works from our collection, as well as improving access to the collection online.

LINDA DEBERRY EDITOR

INCREASING ACCESS Stephen Ironside

BOTH INSIDE AND OUT

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INCREASING ACCESS

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LITTLE ROCK, AR, MEMBER #1113

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GARY JONES

I THINK THE INITIAL PERCEPTION OF CRYSTAL BRIDGES WAS THAT IT WAS GOING TO CATER PRIMARILY TO THE SO-CALLED “ONE PERCENT” CROWD. THANKFULLY, THAT PERCEPTION HAS BEEN SHATTERED BY CRYSTAL BRIDGES’ PROGRAMS, EXHIBITS, AND OUTREACH EFFORTS TO INCLUDE ALL REGARDLESS OF EDUCATION, ECONOMIC STATUS, OR ETHNICITY. IT WAS— AND REMAINS—A GREAT FEELING TO HAVE BEEN EVEN A SMALL PART OF SOMETHING SO IMPORTANT TO ARKANSAS CULTURE.

OUTSIDE VIEW OUR COLLECTIVE MISSION: BUILDING DIVERSITY ACCORDING TO A LANDMARK SURVEY completed in 2015 by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation of 278 museums in the United States, 84% of positions involved in the intellectual and educational missions of the organizations are filled by whites. The same study found that, although 70% of the curatorial, education, and conservation staff of museums are female, women comprise only 24% of directors at museums with budgets above $15 million—and they are paid 72 cents for every dollar paid to their male counterparts. In fact, the Mellon Foundation lamented in its introduction that “both the relative underrepresentation of people of color on art museum staff and the preponderance of men in museum leadership positions are well-known phenomena.”

In a country that is now 38% nonwhite and rapidly becoming more multicultural, our museums do not yet look like those whom we want to welcome through our doors. But that is beginning to change.

Not only does this help further our collective mission to make art and culture accessible to all, there is an increasingly compelling business case for us to do so. A 2015 WillisTowersWatson survey of more than 350,000 employees at 27 global companies showed that companies whose workers felt “sustainably engaged” had a 27.4% operating margin, nearly triple the margin for companies whose employees did not feel engaged. And how does WTW

define a “sustainably engaged” company? One that encourages and supports diversity and inclusion, provides equal opportunity for all employees, creates a workplace that is accepting of our many differences, and operates with integrity in its internal dealings.

In a recent article, Jacob Bernstein of the New York Times pointed hopefully to small but significant shifts toward inclusion occurring in the boardrooms of New York City’s most august institutions, including MoMA and Carnegie Hall. Dr. Khalil Gibran Muhammad, a MoMA trustee since 2015, observed that these changes have led to “a very real and very frank conversation about . . . having African-Americans represented” at the Museum. And MoMA’s Board President, MarieJosée Kravis, delivered a clarion call to action: “The best way to promote diversity is to get engaged.” As we plot short- and long-term strategies for sustained audience engagement and financial stability in our cultural institutions, it would behoove us all to foster a multicultural, inclusive workforce that better reflects who we are and how we want to act.

Effecting change inside our organizations, from the top down, is critical to our mission.

CHARLES KIM ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER, DIVERSITY TASK FORCE, MUSEUM OF MODERN ART

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SEEDS OF CHANGE: INTERNS EXPERIENCE CRYSTAL BRIDGES This past summer, the Walton Family Foundation provided a grant to Crystal Bridges to produce a pilot program for Phillips County, Arkansas high school interns. The program brought ten students to the Museum for five weeks.

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CHALLENGES facing museums at present is the need to foster inclusiveness. Increasing diversity in the collection is an important part. But as Charles Kim notes in the previous article, it is also vital that museums build diversity in their leadership. This is an issue that affects the majority of American museums, including Crystal Bridges, whose leadership and board of directors has been 100% white.

Turning attention from diversity in the collection to diversity in the staff brought that issue into focus.

“We looked at ourselves and we went ‘uh oh,’” said Crystal Bridges Board Chair Alice Walton. “Here we are working to diversify our collection and we got the old mirror out, and guess what we overlooked? We were a bit embarrassed...and we said ‘We need to fix this.’”

“I don’t think there is a more

important issue than diversity in the museum world, Walton stated.

“It’s survival of the industry. It really is. Museums have got to change.

I am confident that this industry can change and, with motivation and some funding and help, will change. The most important thing is that we accomplish it,” Walton said. “Because by accomplishing it we can be the pattern of how it can be done. We all have this issue.

It’s not that we didn’t have the problem. We have the problem, so we can be a perfect example of how to change it.”

LINDA DEBERRY EDITOR

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Stephen Ironside

TAKING ON DIVERSITY

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LEADING BY EXAMPLE

The goal is not simply to hire more curators and directors of color. The focus on diversity takes a much longer view: targeting children as young as grade-school age to develop and nurture a diverse pool of participants in art professions for the future.

“We’re introducing the museum as a profession at an early age so children know this is a real thing that they can do,” explained Executive Director Rod Bigelow, who was also recently designated Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. “We need to get the message out that there’s a wide range of ways you can make a career here: there are accountants and culinary staff and exhibition builders. But we’re especially focused on leadership, curatorial, and education because we can’t tell the American story through a singular voice. We believe that you have a richer experience when there are multiple perspectives.”

INCREASING ACCESS

OUTSIDE VIEW WIDENING THE CIRCLE: MUSEUMS, COMMUNITY AND ENGAGEMENT EDITOR LINDA DEBERRY RECENTLY SPOKE WITH Anne Bergeron and Beth Tuttle, co-authors of Magnetic: The Art and Science of Engagement, a 2013 research study that examined the traits of high-performing museums. Their book tells the stories of six “magnetic” museums and reveals shared practices enabling them to forge strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders while engaging their communities in meaningful ways.

LD How does an organization become “magnetic”?

AB It seems simple, but in order to understand community needs and aspirations, we learned that museums must reach beyond themselves.

They must turn outward and listen to a diverse group of people who reflect the community, and involve them in ongoing dialogue. We call this practice “widening the circle and inviting the outside in.”

LD Can museums be leaders in bringing communities together?

BT Yes, they can and are perfectly positioned to do so. Museums have been at the forefront of leading conversations in their communities.

AB What better place to talk about the challenging issues of our time than in a museum setting where you can create cultural and historical context. A museum can engage in high-level, scholarly conversations, personal conversations, and also conversations at the community level.

LD If you look forward to a golden future in which every museum has accomplished this, how will our communities benefit?

BT Communities benefit when there is an increased sense of belonging, responsibility, and mutual reciprocity. Museums can use their cultural assets, their physical plants, and most importantly, their human capital to weave a stronger social fabric by building bridges between and among different populations.

AB Building bridges is at the heart of “magnetism.” It’s about developing human-scale, personal relationships that begin at the core of an institution and radiate outward. This means intentionally

ensuring that a museum, through its trustees, staff, and audience members, reflects the full breadth of its community.

BT What we observed in “magnetic” museums is that the commitment to greater engagement almost always begins with internal stakeholders. Once there is a shared vision and compelling mission, these institutions are positioned to turn outward, gain deeper understanding of their community and its needs, and then create action plans that are responsive to what is learned.

AB Communities benefit because their needs will be addressed. The museums we studied helped to revitalize neighborhoods, enrich school curricula, tackle economic development issues and fundamentally became places where all are welcome and respected.

(LEFT) ANNE BERGERON MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE ARTS INITIATIVE, BROWN UNIVERSITY (RIGHT) BETH TUTTLE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF DATAARTS, PHILADELPHIA, PA

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JENNI DINGER BOSTON, MA, MEMBER #1020

ONE OF MY FAVORITE MEMORIES AT CRYSTAL BRIDGES IS WHEN I BROUGHT MY GRANDPARENTS. SEEING MY GRANDMOTHER STAND IN FRONT OF ROSIE THE RIVETER AND FLEX HER ARM WAS AMAZING. SHE WORKED IN A FACTORY DURING THE WAR AND YOU COULD SEE THE PRIDE ON HER FACE. IT IS A BEAUTIFUL THING TO SEE THE DIVERSITY OF PEOPLE ENJOYING ART AT CRYSTAL BRIDGES.

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BT All the organizations we studied were motivated by a powerful, shared vision of service and engagement. They began by creating internal alignment around that vision and activating an authentic desire among their boards, leadership, and staff to be responsive to real community needs and aspirations.

BRANCHING OUT & COMING TOGETHER CRYSTAL BRIDGES IN THE COMMUNITY

Arkansas is home, and we are committed to “ Northwest giving back to the place where we grew up. Surrounded by urban trails and new culinary offerings, this experimental concept will complement this vibrant district.

STEUART WALTON WALTON FAMILY FOUNDATION

three significant educational and cultural “ Having institutions in Crystal Bridges, Brightwater, and the

Thaden School in a single area will serve as a magnet and inspiration for artists, educators, and entrepreneurs. The Market District will not only allow for economic growth of the city but will serve as another major draw for tourists and exciting musical, artistic, and cultural events.

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development of an innovative arts venue in a decommissioned Kraft Foods plant near downtown Bentonville. The project is supported by the Walton Family Foundation as a continuation of the family’s commitment to make art accessible in the heartland of America.

Brothers Steuart and Tom Walton are spearheading the foundation’s support in the development of the new venue. Both have served on Crystal Bridges’ board of directors, cultivating their interest in American art in tandem with support for their hometown.

Crystal Bridges has been working closely with other institutions that are key players in the development of the area around the new facility. The envisioned “Market District” will serve as a hub for visual, performing, and culinary arts, and will house a year-round market for locally produced foods and crafts; Brightwater culinary academy, an affiliate of the NorthWest Arkansas Community College Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management program; and the Thaden School, an independent school opening in the fall of 2017.

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ON MARCH 30, 2016, Crystal Bridges announced it was beginning

GLENN MACK EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CULINARY ARTS, NORTHWEST ARKANSAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

envision a concept that will explore the unfolding Crystal Bridges has been an amazing partner and kindred “ We story of contemporary American art. This engaging “ spirit in our ongoing efforts to build Thaden School.

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TOM WALTON WALTON FAMILY FOUNDATION

The opportunities for collaboration with this remarkable educational institution are truly inspiring and will enhance immeasurably our recruitment of talented teachers who are eager to bring the museum’s treasures to life for generations of students in the region.

CLAYTON MARSH FOUNDING HEAD, THADEN SCHOOL

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place of creativity will look at broader, current, and messier definitions of art that can inspire the next generation of art patrons.

Crystal Bridges 2016 curatorial interns tour the decommissioned Kraft Foods plant with curator Chad Alligood.

LINDA DEBERRY EDITOR

INCREASING ACCESS

Bridges is a catalyst for economic “ Crystal development in the city. The hospitality tax revenue has increased by approximately 40% since 2011.

Art lends itself to providing an open and welcoming community that in turns allows its people to experience new or different opportunities. The arts are key to the tourism industry as we continue to become a cultural destination.

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KALENE GRIFFITH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,

Stephen Ironside

VISIT BENTONVILLE

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ART ACQUISITIONS SINCE 2011 ACQUISITIONS BY YEAR & CLASSIFICATION 2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016 1

CERAMICS CONCEPTUAL

1

DRAWING

2

14

6

2

3 2

INSTALLATION 2

MIXED MEDIA PAINTING

3

22

2

20

13

22

471

18

2

10

1 20

SCULPTURE

2

10

PHOTOGRAPH PRINT

24

10

6

4

5

5

3

13

15

8

2

SKETCHBOOK

3 1

TEXTILE WATERCOLOR TOTAL

8

1

4

66

513

3 67

1 50

2 49

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ACQUISITIONS SINCE OPENING » 767 OF THIS NUMBER 107 ARE GIFTS

YEAR

OUTGOING LOAN OBJECTS

2012

8

2013

9 5

2014 2015 2016 TOTAL

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14 25 61

ARTWORKS IN THE COLLECTION ON 11/11/11

1,555

ARTWORKS IN THE COLLECTION ON 9/20/16

2,373

GROWING THE COLLECTION CRYSTAL BRIDGES WELCOMES LAUREN HAYNES contemporary art. She has curated numerous exhibitions including Alma Thomas (cocurated), Speaking of People: Ebony, Jet and Contemporary Art; Stanley Whitney: Dance the Orange; and Carrie Mae Weems: The Museum Series.

Bridges and the “ Crystal Studio Museum share a

commitment to bringing innovative and challenging artworks and exhibitions to broad audiences. I can’t wait to share my perspective with this community.

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In October, Crystal Bridges welcomed Lauren Haynes as Curator of Contemporary Art. Haynes came to Crystal Bridges from The Studio Museum in Harlem and is a specialist in African and American modern and

Lauren Haynes

GROWING THE COLLECTION SINCE THE INAUGURAL EXHIBITION of Crystal Bridges’ collection, the number of objects in the collection has grown from 1,555 to more than 2,370. The addition of so many new artworks causes the permanent collection to change shape a bit: it naturally grows more in some directions than others, and new connections can now be made between and among artworks. Crystal Bridges Board Chair Alice Walton and Director of Curatorial Affairs Margi Conrads share a conversation with Editor Linda DeBerry about how the collection is growing and where it might lead us next.

LD Where has the greatest change taken place in the collection?

AW One of the things I’m happiest about is that we have made a huge sea-change in terms of the diversity of artists represented in our collection, and the faces on the wall. And we’ll continue to make sure that we have all Americans’ faces on the wall. That’s an important thing.

MC Our impulse is to be a collection that tells the important stories of America and American art, so it’s not imperative to be a comprehensive collection that marches year by year through art history. This is liberating! It allows us to dive deep into areas we already collect but we realize the stories to be told can be further enriched.

LD What makes our collection special?

MC The quality of the individual works. The focus on getting the best examples and the highest quality has been part of our

collecting mission from the beginning and is the first and foremost litmus test we use when considering works of art.

AW We do not collect on an encyclopedic basis. Our job is to be storytellers. I really see it that simply: to have a collection that can tell the real stories of this country and the people that make it up. We need to be the best storytellers in the country.

MC Our collecting is very much guided by our desire to reflect the complexity of the American spirit. We want the works to resonate with meaning in people’s lives and to foster conversation and action, whether that’s just turning to a stranger in the gallery to talk about a work of art, or committing to more expansive social action. Collaborations and partnerships are also more and more important. Ownership is not always required. We may partner with other institutions that have rich holdings of work that simply cannot be acquired. It’s another way our collection can be more expansive.

In the next few pages, Crystal Bridges curators discuss some of their favorite additions to the Crystal Bridges collection over the past five years.

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LEFT: Louise Bourgeois, Maman, 1999, bronze, stainless steel, and marble, 30ft. 5 in. × 29ft. 3 in. × 33ft. 7 in. © The Easton Foundation/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY. Photo by Mark Henning. TOP RIGHT: Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Untitled (L.A.) (detail), 1991, green candies individually wrapped in cellophane, endless supply, overall dimensions vary with installation, ideal weight: 50 lb. Photo by Dero Sanford. BOTTOM RIGHT: Faith Ringgold with Maya’s Quilt of Life. Photo by Dero Sanford.

GROWING THE COLLECTION

COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS SINCE 2011 CHAD ALLIGOOD CURATOR

LOUISE BOURGEOIS Like a protector, Louise Bourgeois’s Maman watches, night and day, over the main entrance to the Museum. Seeing our visitors react to her spindly, larger-than-life presence has been a real treat: little kids press their faces to the elevator glass as they descend from the tower, teenagers pose for selfies underneath her egg pouch, and full-grown adults scurry underneath, shoulders hunched, as though she may begin to scuttle after them. Of course, the work only vaguely resembles any real-life example of a spider, but the artist’s skilled manipulation of line and surface form creates an evocative experience that tugs at our subconscious.

The process of installing this work in the narrow confines of the entrance courtyard showed the resilience and ingenuity of our installation teams. Because Maman couldn’t just crawl down into her home on her own, she had to be lowered into the space, piece by piece, with a crane positioned on the entrance circle above.

Watching enormous spider legs floating through the Arkansas sky remains one of the most surreal experiences of my career, while I watched below, tending her twenty marble eggs before they could be placed into their metal pouch.

FELIX GONZALEZ-TORRES Can a work of art exist without a permanent physical form? Can you touch art? Take it? Taste it? For Felix Gonzalez-Torres—one of my favorite artists—the answer was always yes. Granting permission is an incredibly powerful gesture, especially in the context of the museum, a place where people are often told first the things they can’t do: no touching, no yelling, and certainly no eating the art.

But Felix thought differently about the art experience. Rather than create a static work of art that we shield from human interaction,

he relished the physical encounter between people and his art: “I need the viewer, I need public interaction. Without a public these works are nothing, nothing. I need the public to complete my work. I ask the public to help me, to take responsibility, to become part of my work, to join in,” he once proclaimed. With Untitled (L.A.), this interaction takes a very sweet form. Here’s what you may not know about this object: its format is endlessly malleable, so it can be presented in any number of ways, in a circle or triangle, as a pile in the corner, or scattered around the gallery, depending on the curator’s point of view. The choice of the candy’s flavor and shape also belongs to the curator. In a nod to our local context, I chose green apple because of the long history of apple production in Northwest Arkansas.

FAITH RINGGOLD Faith Ringgold’s Maya’s Quilt of Life is a very special object for a number of reasons. First, it immortalizes one of the greatest poets of the twentieth century, Dr. Maya Angelou. Passages from her most iconic texts appear in handwriting alongside the central portrait of Dr. Angelou. The work is a prime example of Ringgold’s most celebrated series of works, called “story quilts,” which combine traditional techniques of quilt-making alongside painting and writing. This particular story quilt also commemorates the friendship between three great women: Oprah Winfrey commissioned this work from Faith Ringgold on the occasion of Dr. Angelou’s 59th birthday.

But this work bears a local connection as well. The final passage quoted on the quilt is an excerpt from Dr. Angelou’s celebrated text, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. In this account, the author recalls her childhood in Stamps, Arkansas, where she and her older brother are sent to live with their grandmother after their parents abandoned them. A gut-wrenching story of black experience in the Jim Crow South, Angelou’s book shined a light on the redemptive power of literature to overcome racial prejudice. For me, Dr. Angelou’s triumphant stroll through abundant springtime flowers in this work perfectly captures that spirit of redemption.

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Mark Rothko loved the color orange. He painted it again and again in his abstract canvases from the 1950s onward, clearly relishing the vibratory visual effects of orange on adjacent color passages. The painting in Crystal Bridges’ collection, No. 210/No. 211 (Orange), balances three panes of luminous orange against an earthy, russet-colored ground. I have watched many people sit on the bench in front of this work and stare at Rothko’s shifting color planes for minutes on end. “What are they seeing?” you might wonder. If you look long enough at any single object and then shift your glance, a halo-like effect will appear in your vision, known as an “afterimage.” With No. 210/No. 211 (Orange), as you look at the work, the lingering afterimage of the object itself can cause the perception of motion in the painting, especially at the edges. Try it next time you’re in the gallery.

But Rothko was not solely interested in the spectral quality of his abstract pictures. He also sought to convey subject matter that was “tragic and timeless” and sought “a kinship with primitive and archaic art.” For evidence of this, head into the smaller gallery to the right as you’re looking at No. 210/No. 211 (Orange). There you will find a much earlier (and different!) Rothko painting, depicting

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forms that he drew from the ancient world. It’s not nearly as abstract. And yet: underlying the whole painting, if you look closely, you will see the division of the composition into those horizontal layers that would later evolve into his signature abstract style.

LEO VILLAREAL Blinking lights, computer programming, molecular structures: not normally the stuff of art. And yet, in Leo Villareal’s hands, these disparate pieces come together as astounding experiences of color and space. His Buckyball, visible from the J Street entrance to Crystal Bridges, attracts passersby to alight on reclined wooden benches as dusk settles in. A 30-foot, ever-changing, lighted sculpture capable of displaying some 16 million distinct colors, the work evolves as you watch, its LED tubes shifting from rose to green to orange and beyond according to the software programmed by the artist. The result is a sensuous, magnetic experience—you just have to keep watching. For Villareal, this sensation parallels the experiences we have in nature: “I think my pieces are operating on a level that looking at a fire would … the way it’s pleasant to be near that. Somehow it causes a response in viewers that brings out all these feelings that we have about things that we see in nature: our response to a sunset, or to the surface of water, or a fire.”

FROM LEFT: Mark Rothko, No. 210/No. 211 (Orange), 1960, oil on canvas, 69 x 63 in. © 1998 Kate Rothko Prizel & Christopher Rothko/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY. Photo by Edward C. Robison III. Leo Villareal, Buckyball, 2012, aluminum tubing clad with LED lights atop aluminum plinth, 30ft. x 144 in. x 144 in. Photo by Stephen Ironside.

MARK ROTHKO

GROWING THE COLLECTION

PEA RIDGE, AR, MEMBER #1162

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JAN KING

WHEN THE MUSEUM WAS BEING TALKED ABOUT I FOLLOWED EVERYTHING I COULD READ ABOUT IT. WHEN THE CONSTRUCTION STARTED I WAS VERY SICK. I REMEMBER THINKING “I WON’T LIVE TO SEE IT FINISHED.” I WENT TO THE OBSERVATION DECK WEEKLY. THE CONSTRUCTION CAME ALONG AND I GOT TO FEELING BETTER AND DECIDED TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE MUSEUM. I GOT WELL ENOUGH TO GO BACK TO WORK AND I HAD TO QUIT VOLUNTEERING, BUT I MADE SURE I GOT IN AS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL MEMBERS. I LOVE THE MUSEUM. I LOVE THAT IT IS FREE ADMISSION. BEING FREE REMOVES BARRIERS FOR FOLKS WHO CAN’T AFFORD A FEE. I AM PROUD TO BE AN ORIGINAL MEMBER.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT O’KEEFFE AND JIMSON WEED, SEE C MAGAZINE ARTICLE JUNE 2015.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT JOHN TRUMBULL’S ALEXANDER HAMILTON, SEE C MAGAZINE ARTICLE FALL 2016. DISCOVER C ONLINE AT CRYSTALBRIDGES.ORG/MEMBER-RESOURCES

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GROWING THE COLLECTION makes this portrait even more attractive is the original frame featuring an asymmetrical handpainted design. Whistler was so particular about the presentation of his paintings that he designed his own frames to enhance the art.

GEORGIA O’KEEFFE Georgia O’Keeffe is one of the most-recognized American art icons. When Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1 entered the collection in 2015, it quickly became a visitor favorite.

Although familiar today, O’Keeffe was daring and radical for her time, and an acknowledged innovator of twentieth-century art. In Jimson Weed, O’Keeffe transformed the delicate flower of the poisonous jimson weed into a monumental form that fills the large canvas with elegantly simplified bold shapes and vivid colors. The magnified blossom and leaves demand the viewer’s attention.

Jimson Weed once hung in the private dining quarters of the White House, but is now drawing crowds and commanding attention beyond the United States. It is the featured item in an exhibition of O’Keeffe’s artwork currently traveling the globe.

First at the Tate Modern in London, then on to Bank Austria Kunstforum in Vienna, and finally to the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, Canada, in the spring of 2017, the exhibition offers international audiences a rare look at the best of O’Keeffe’s artwork.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: James McNeill Whistler, The Chelsea Girl (detail), 1884, oil on canvas, 65 × 35 in.

Georgia O’Keeffe, Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1, 1932, oil on canvas, 48 × 40 in. ©2016 Georgia O’Keeffe Museum/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo by Edward C. Robison III. John Trumbull, Portrait of Alexander Hamilton (detail), 1792, oil on canvas, 86 1/2 x 57 1/2 in. Jointly owned by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Credit Suisse, 2013. Photo by Edward C. Robison III.

JOHN TRUMBULL

MINDY BESAW CURATOR

JAMES MCNEILL WHISTLER At first glance, The Chelsea Girl by James Abbott McNeil Whistler looks unfinished, especially in parts of the girl’s hands and feet.

The sketchy nature of the painting provides a rare glimpse into the artist’s working methods and the genius that distinguished Whistler from other artists of his time. He used thin glazes of brown paint for the shoulders of the girl’s coat, layers of peach and rose for her face, thick yellow brushstrokes to render her scarf, and dashes of white to fill in the apron. With only a few vigorous brushstrokes, Whistler captured the defiant stance and pointed gaze of the young girl.

The Chelsea Girl is representative of Whistler’s mature painting style, featuring a single, monumental figure rendered in a limited color palette. Unlike other portraits Whistler painted of upper-class clients and friends, the subject of this portrait is a working-class girl. Whistler declared The Chelsea Girl “the first statement of the beginning of a painting,” but he was so satisfied with it that he varnished and framed the painting and gave it to Alexander Cassatt, brother of artist Mary Cassatt. Several years later, critics celebrated the painting when it was exhibited in Pennsylvania in 1893.

A full-length portrait by Whistler is a rare find, but what

The large-scale portrait of Alexander Hamilton by artist John Trumbull often garners comments about the subject’s handsome features and stylish dress. Hamilton posed for Trumbull in 1792, just as he turned 37 years old. By then, the young Hamilton had already been appointed the first Secretary of Treasury (appointed by President George Washington in 1789). Trumbull’s portrait captures not only Hamilton’s likeness, but also his grace and confidence.

Alexander Hamilton is one of the most significant portraits in the Crystal Bridges collection, but also represents an important new model of collecting practice and partnership. The portrait was a gift of Credit Suisse Securities to BOTH Crystal Bridges and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Yes, that’s right, we co-own Alexander Hamilton w i t h t h e M e t ro p o li t a n Museum, and the painting travels across the country every three years so it can be enjoyed by audiences in both Bentonville and New York City.

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PORTOLA VALLEY, CA, MEMBER #570

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MINDY BESAW CURATOR

ALEJO BENEDETTI CURATORIAL ASSISTANT

EDWARD HOPPER

ELIZABETH CATLETT

Beauty and sadness permeate Edward Hopper’s best paintings, including Blackwell’s Island. Hopper was one of the key figures of twentieth-century realism and his paintings captured the character of mid-century American life, exuding loneliness and melancholy. As in his well-known scenes of bars, hotels, stations, and trains, Blackwell’s Island is an almost empty setting with dramatic contrasts of light and shade that emphasize the solitude and drama of modern existence.

The varied architecture and the seclusion of Blackwell’s Island, today known as Roosevelt Island, appealed to Hopper. He hints at the passing of time by emphasizing the contrast between the historic and modern architecture: the modern powerhouse with its tall chimneys is inserted closer to the historic architecture than seen in reality. The finished painting captures and conveys Hopper’s response to the island, rather than being a mere copy of the landscape.

The dark shadows of the buildings in the center of the composition may hint at the notorious history of the island.

Located in the East River between Manhattan and Queens, the island was originally called Minnahanock by the Canarsie Indians who sold it to the Dutch in 1637. The island was renamed Varcken (Hog) Island for the pigs the Dutch raised there. Later it became the home of British captain John Manning, who lived there in disgrace after surrendering New York’s Fort James during a Dutch attack in 1673. In 1828, the island was bought by the City of New York and was the site of a prison, an almshouse, a workhouse, and an insane asylum.

Despite the power boat in the foreground and the inclusion of Blackwell’s Island Bridge, Blackwell’s Island is imbued with a sense of impenetrable distance between the viewer and the subject, creating a feeling of unease and curiosity.

Some works make their point subtly, meandering around the subject matter allowing viewers to warm up to an idea. Others, like Black Unity, demand immediacy. That fist is a symbol of strength and a reference to Black Power and when you see it you make those connections at once. But there’s more to this sculpture.

When you walk around to the opposite side of the work, Catlett’s poeticism is revealed. Two mask-like faces come together to lend their shape to the fist—suggesting that when individuals come together around a shared goal they can become more powerful than they could ever be independently.

There is strength and beauty in this message. So much so that our first presentation of this work was in an exhibition we designed around its main concept and titled Black Unity. We viewed this show as a way to initiate a dialogue about the African American experience and we view this sculpture as a crucial jumping-off point. Black Unity helps lay a groundwork for us to delve more deeply and directly into this crucial conversation with future acquisitions and exhibitions.

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FROM LEFT: Edward Hopper, Blackwell’s Island, 1928, oil on canvas, 34 1/2 x 59 1/2 in. Photo

by Edward C. Robison III. Elizabeth Catlett, Black Unity, 1968, cedar, 21 in. × 12 1/2 in. × 24 in. © Catlett Mora Family Trust/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY.

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JEAN PLACE

I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRAVEL THE WORLD, LIVE IN FRANCE, AND VISIT MANY MUSEUMS, AND I CONSIDER CRYSTAL BRIDGES TO BE A STAR; THE OUTSTANDING BUILDING, THE DRAMATIC LOCATION OVER WATER, AND THE GROWING, HANDSOME COLLECTION THAT IS AVAILABLE FOR EVERYONE! I HAVE ALSO GOTTEN A NUMBER OF WEST COAST ART LOVERS TO MAKE THE TRIP, RETURNING WITH GLOWING REMARKS.

GROWING THE COLLECTION

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FAR LEFT: Jeff Koons with Hanging Heart (Gold/Magenta), high chromium stainless steel with transparent color coating and yellow brass. Photo by Stephen Ironside. BOTTOM RIGHT: Gabriel Dawe, Plexus No. 27 (details), 2014, thread and steel hooks, 120 in. x 132 in. x 20 ft. Photos by Marc Henning.

GROWING THE COLLECTION

JEFF KOONS

GABRIEL DAWE

This is a symbol you probably recognize: the cartoon shorthand for love, the heart. Suspended above Crystal Bridges’ restaurant, Eleven, it glints in the sunlight and reflects the passersby in its highly polished surface. The broad wooden beams featured throughout our museum are given a new significance in this context as they arc overhead like a ribcage, protecting the heart of the Museum from the elements. That pairing seems so perfect it’s hard to imagine that the work wasn’t always part of the institution’s plan.

In fact, this work is actually the second sculpture to be installed in Eleven. When the Museum opened in 2011, the restaurant was the site of a gem of our 1940s to Now collection, Claes Oldenburg’s Alphabet/Good Humor. While visitors love Oldenburg’s fleshy alphabet that simultaneously references a popsicle and intestines in its new location on our bridge gallery, it wasn’t always viewed as the most palatable option on our dining bridge. In the end, Hanging Heart (Gold/Magenta), with its stunning scale and friendly message, visible as soon as visitors enter our doors, is a perfect fit.

In 2014 Crystal Bridges opened a landmark contemporary exhibition for which Curator Chad Alligood and former Museum President Don Bagicalupi traveled to more than 1,000 artist studios across the country. One of the 102 artists selected for the State of the Art exhibition was Gabriel Dawe. Dawe’s breathtaking work converts an otherwise ordinary stairwell into a kaleidoscopic barrage of mindbending beauty. This stunning installation was an instant standout and was eventually incorporated into the permanent collection of the Museum. This is actually somewhat radical.

Though Dawe’s string installations have graced the interiors of some of the world’s most notable institutions, Plexus No. 27 represents the first of Dawe’s installations to enter a museum collection, making our acquisition of this work truly groundbreaking.

But beyond those reasons why this work is notable, Plexus No. 27 is one of my favorite works to talk about during a tour for a different reason. When folks walk down the staircase and look up, there is an immediate symphony of oohs and ahhs. Living in the digital age as we do, this response is more often than not accompanied by the obligatory smartphone snapshots to document the sight. But what I always like to point out to visitors is that no picture can do this work justice. Plexus No. 27 is my best example of why people need to experience art in person. As you walk through that space your understanding of the work shifts with every step you take. No two angles look the same and no camera can ever capture that. As a museum professional I will always argue that every artwork is better in person, but Dawe’s installation needs no argument.

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GROWING THE COLLECTION

ANDY WARHOL As you walk through our galleries, one of the things you’ll notice immediately is that we have a lot of portraits. Some of these are everyday people, but many of the largest ones are of cultural icons: George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and even Dolly Parton. We’re used to seeing pop culture heavyweights blown up to massive sizes as a way to emphasize their importance, so when Andy Warhol decided in 1962 that he wanted to depict a pop culture icon, he followed the familiar portrait format. But here’s the catch—Warhol’s icon was a bottle of Coca-Cola.

In the 1960s, an era of incredible economic success (and excess), Warhol recognized that a mass-produced object like a bottle of Coke—that reached millions of American lips and took up an enormous amount of ad space in our daily lives—had reached icon status. In the same way that George Washington is an American icon for his role in shaping this country, Warhol’s Coke bottle is a tongue-in-cheek affirmation of Coke’s monumental place in American lives.

In terms of the impact of this work on our collection, Coca-Cola [3] is a key acquisition. Warhol is one of the most recognizable artists in American history and this work comes from a pivotal year in his rise to stardom. Coca-Cola [3] is one of four in the Coca-Cola series, an early set of experiments in which Warhol established his characteristic dead-pan style of painting. With this work Warhol contributed to the birth of Pop Art while launching his own career as a master of the genre. In this way, this painting plays a crucial role in setting the stage for the rest of the Pop artworks in our collection.

LEFT: Andy Warhol, Coca-Cola [3], 1962, casein on canvas, 69 3/8 x 51 in. © 2016 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc./Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. RIGHT: Jeffrey Gibson, What We Want, What We Need, 2014, found punching bag, glass beads, artificial sinew, copper jingles, nylon fringe, and steel chain, 71 x 14 x 14 in.

JEFFREY GIBSON Jeffrey Gibson’s punching bags operate in binaries: Native American/non-Native, masculine/feminine, traditional/ contemporary. He sets up these opposites to force us to consider the gray area in between the extremes. What We Want, What We Need represents the collision of traditional Native American methods with modern and contemporary art influences. This is in keeping with Gibson’s belief that when cultures meet and share, they can generate new creations. The beadwork and fringe draw directly from Gibson’s Choctaw heritage, but also look toward a Modernist movement like Op Art, which used geometric shapes to create optical illusions and effects. Even as these different approaches come together to form a new mode of working, the original traditions are preserved and celebrated.

In many ways What We Want, What We Need is a statement piece for our museum. We’re committed to telling an ever-expanding Native American story through the voices of Native American artists.

Historically, as can be seen in our early galleries, non-Native artists often depicted Native Americans as the subjects of their artworks.

Even in the most well-intentioned of these representations, the final product clearly lacks the American Indian perspective.

As we look to expand our collection in a way that better represents Native Americans, we are particularly committed to collecting the work of contemporary Native American artists.

This will manifest itself in a number of different ways in the next few years, but you can expect to see more contemporary Native American works among the acquisition highlights in our 10-year anniversary magazine!

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TYSON SCHOLARS Tyson Scholar “The Program has provided vital

support for my dissertation.

Having access to the outstanding collection, library resources, and staff expertise here has been invaluable to my writing.

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Crystal Bridges worked with Tyson Foods and the Tyson family to create the Tyson Scholars in American Art program in 2012. So far, 20 scholars have benefited from this opportunity to dedicate their time 100% to research at Crystal Bridges.

Jennifer Padgett, Tyson Scholar

ALTHOUGH MANY scholars have considered American art in the context of the art history of Europe, few have dedicated their research to American art for its own sake. Crystal Bridges is committed to encouraging and supporting scholarship in this area. Editor Linda DeBerry spoke with Margi Conrads, Director of Curatorial Affairs, and Museum founder Alice Walton about the importance and value of research to our museum.

It’s about telling stories. Art is our driver. It unlocks stories: today’s stories, our guests’ stories, all of those stories are built on a whole history. We want our guests to have the tools that help them have clarity or perspective on their own lives and on others outside their experience. Research leads to having a bank of knowledge we can share. Our curators contribute to scholarly publications.

Colleagues at other museums use our files for their own research and further add to the body of knowledge.

LD Why is American art so understudied?

MC American art and the study of it began later than the study of European art history. That reflects the birth and growth of America more broadly: Europe was the mothership and America was a colony. Art was for only a certain class of people at the time, and that was tied to an Anglo-European tradition. The colonists hightailed it to America precisely because they were not the elite in Europe. That prejudice was very real until after WWII. LD Tell us about the importance of research for our collection.

MC At Crystal Bridges we conduct research differently than some other institutions. Here we put the knowledge to work in a way that it serves our mission to give our guests an amazing experience.

We believe that art transforms lives, and one of the ways that transformation can happen is by engaging with original works of art and having an experience that helps you better understand yourself and your place in the world.

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LD Are there any mysteries? Any artworks in the collection that need particular research?

MC One of the benefits of having a young collection is that, while many of the works are well known, there has not been the kind of comprehensive research they deserve. Few of the works in our permanent collection were in museums previously, so the focused research on these specific objects is just getting under way. On average, for every fifth work we research we find some really interesting new information. We have much to dive into and treasures to discover.

John Tyson with Alice Walton and Susan Rather, Tyson Scholar, September 19, 2012.

THE POWER OF SCHOLARSHIP

GROWING THE COLLECTION

Curators conducting research into works in the collection have made recent revelations, one of which prompted a title change.

Joseph Decker’s painting of a basket of peaches spilling onto the grass, formerly titled (rather unimaginatively) Basket of Peaches, was found to have originally been titled Upset. The change in title brings a host of new possible interpretations for the work.

“The original title Upset plays on the word and shows Decker’s sense of humor,” said Margi Conrads, Director

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ROBBIE CASTLEMAN

of Curatorial Affairs. “The basket is upset, but this also could have been caused by someone being ‘upset.’

There’s a suggestion that perhaps there has been a lovers’ quarrel. Knowing the title allows the viewer to consider deeper, richer interpretations.”

In addition, when research required removing the frame from Louis Remy Mignot’s Travelers in a Tropical Landscape (1861), it was discovered that this seemingly complete composition had in fact

been cut down from a larger canvas. The painting continued all the way around the canvas stretcher, and shows evidence of having been cut on all four sides.

This discovery poses more questions than it answers.

What did the original painting look like? And why would Mignot—or someone else, perhaps—cut this section out of it? Future study may reveal the answers.

SILOAM SPRINGS, AR, MEMBER #1082

I’LL NEVER FORGET DRIVING UP THE ROAD FOR THE FIRST TIME....WONDERING...’WHERE IS IT?’ AND SEEING IT, BEAUTIFULLY NESTLED IN THE RAVINE... AND REALIZING, “IT HAS ALWAYS BELONGED RIGHT HERE!” I’M A MEMBER BECAUSE ART MATTERS—IT LIFTS EXPECTATIONS OF LIFE WHILE TELLING A STORY. AND GOOD ART ELEVATES ONE’S SENSE OF WHAT IT MEANS TO LIVE AS A HUMAN BEING BEYOND YOUR OWN HORIZON.

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LEFT: Joseph Decker, Upset, 1884 or 1885, oil on canvas, 12 x 22 in. Photo by Dwight Primiano. RIGHT: Louis Rémy Mignot, Travelers in a Tropical Landscape, 1861, oil on canvas, 22 x 36 in. Photo courtesy of Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers.

DISCOVERIES IN THE COLLECTION

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2017 EXHIBITIONS AT C R Y S TA L B R I D G E S Border Cantos: Sight & Sound Explorations from the Mexican-American Border Richard Misrach | Guillermo Galindo Feb 18 – Aug 24, 2017 Border Cantos is a collaboration featuring large-scale images by American photographer Richard Misrach and sound-generating sculptures created by Mexican composer Guillermo Galindo from objects collected from the Mexican-American border. Presented in English and Spanish, Border Cantos sheds light on the complexities of immigration.

MEMBER PREVIEW: Feb 17 & 18 MEMBER LAST LOOK: April 24 There is no ticket fee for Border Cantos Sponsored at Crystal Bridges by Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Denise and Hershey Garner, and the Consulate of Mexico in Little Rock.

Chihuly: In the Gallery and In the Forest » June 3 – Aug 14, 2017 Chihuly: In the Forest » Aug 16 – Nov 13, 2017 Dale Chihuly has mastered the translucent and transparent qualities of ice, water, glass, and neon to create works of art that transform the everyday experience.

These extensive indoor and outdoor installations feature new works by the artist as well as iconic works, spanning the breadth of his career.

ONE-WEEK MEMBER PREVIEW: May 26 – June 2 MEMBER LAST LOOK: In the Gallery Aug 14, In the Forest Nov 13 $20/In the Forest and In the Gallery; $10/In the Forest once the gallery portion closes. FREE/Members This exhibition is organized by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in cooperation with Dale Chihuly. The work displayed is protected by copyright. Sponsored at Crystal Bridges by Coca-Cola, Stout Executive Search, ConAgra Foods, the David and Cathy Evans family, and Dorothy Morris.

Stuart Davis: In Full Swing Sep 16, 2017 – Jan 1, 2018 Stuart Davis (1892–1964) ranks as a preeminent figure in American modern art.

This major retrospective spans Davis’s long and productive career. Works include the artist’s early experiments with Cubism, still lifes, and landscapes, to those larger works made at the end of his career in which merge the aesthetics of advertising and jazz with language and distinctly American imagery.

MEMBER PREVIEWS: Sep 15 & 16 MEMBER LAST LOOK: Jan 1, 2018 $8, FREE/Members This exhibition was organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., and the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, by curators Barbara Haskell and Harry Cooper with Sarah Humphreville. It will be at the Whitney Museum of American Art, National Gallery of Art, and the de Young Museum, San Francisco before coming to Crystal Bridges. Major support is provided by the Henry Luce Foundation, and the Terra Foundation for American Art. This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.

Sponsored at Crystal Bridges by James Dyke and Helen Porter.

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FROM TOP: Richard Misrach, Wall, East of Nogales, Arizona, 2014, pigment print 60 × 80 in. Courtesy of the artist. Dale Chihuly, Persian Ceiling (detail), 2012, 25 x 15’. Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, installed 2016. Stuart Davis, Visa, 1951, oil on canvas, 40 x 52 in. The Museum of Modern Art, New York; gift of Mrs. Gertrud A. Mellon, 1953.

FREE FOR MEMBERS

NOW IN THE MUSEUM STORE

NEW STUDIO EDITIONS

BY DALE CHIHULY

David Emery

Additional 2016 Studio Editions available: Jade Green Seaform, Nordic Blue Macchia, and Star Fire Seaform.

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PHILANTHROPY WHY WE SUPPORT CRYSTAL BRIDGES

Bridges over the last five years has provided us the opportunity to extend that principle and participate in the nourishment of lives through art.

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MATT MARONEY CONAGRA FOODS Pictured with Camas Maroney and Rod Bigelow

Crystal Bridges was initiated, we felt “ When compelled to be a part of this venture to bring the

best American art to our corner of the world. We are proud to join Arkansans and friends across the country in supporting the continuing pursuit of excellence that Crystal Bridges has demonstrated over the past five years.

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of ConAgra Foods’ core principles is to nourish “ One lives one meal at a time. Partnering with Crystal

REED AND MARY ANN GREENWOOD Pictured with Brock and Lindsey Gearhart

founding sponsor of Crystal Bridges, our support “ Aswasabuilt on our belief in the spirit of this community and Alice Walton’s initiative to give back. With great enthusiasm, we continue to participate in this work.

Happy Fifth Anniversary Crystal Bridges Museum!

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MARVELYN STOUT STOUT EXECUTIVE SEARCH

are honored to support Crystal Bridges. The “ We remarkable facility is integrated with nature and

surrounded by trails and outdoor exhibits. The art and special exhibits present inspirational opportunities for study and education. These factors impassion us to support Crystal Bridges, an extraordinary cultural institution enjoyed by people from around the world.

“

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RANDY AND VALORIE LAWSON LAWCO ENERGY GROUP

SUPPORT

LAST WORD

BACK COVER: Photo by Stephen Ironside THIS PAGE: Photo by Beth Hall

IMAGINE WHEN THE WRIGHT BROTHERS launched their machine and found themselves soaring off into the sky like a hawk.

That sense of exhilaration and success is my best metaphor for how the past five years has been for us at Crystal Bridges.

Not unlike the Wright brothers’ audacious endeavor, our museum was launched as a Grand Experiment—one that began on 11-11-11 with big ideas, lots of hope, and a sincere belief in the importance of our mission to welcome all. As with any new venture, we planned for everything we could foresee and adapted the plan as necessary to accommodate those things we couldn’t anticipate: from adding parking to accommodate the superabundance of guests to relocating and reconstructing a Frank Lloyd Wright house. In fact, adaptability has been our mantra, and embracing ambitious new projects has become standard operating procedure.

This willingness to embrace change and do things differently has generated a remarkable energy around our Museum. It is palpable—not only to our staff, but to our Members and guests as well, igniting in them a sense of belonging and ownership that has in itself helped shape the overall experience of Crystal Bridges.

Some sort of magic happens here that is special and unique in the world, and now other museums are becoming aware of it. I am frequently asked about the “secret” to our success—the formula that makes the Crystal Bridges experience so different.

I can only answer that there is no single thing that creates it, but rather some convergence of shared ideas and ideals. Something indescribable....but we know it when we see it.

Among our staff we have a motto for how we operate— “Discover, Dream, Do”—three words that remind us to keep looking for the next thing, to keep coming up with creative ideas, and to take action on them.

At five years old, Crystal Bridges is a toddler in the museum field, but it has grown so much since opening that I can’t begin to speculate where we will be in our next five years. Together with you, I can guarantee it will be an adventure!

ROD BIGELOW

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CHIEF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION OFFICER

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600 Museum Way • Bentonville, AR 72712

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