The Momentary: Walmart’s New Bikeable Headquarters Underway Near Downtown You Belong Here

The Momentary contemporary art space in Downtown Bentonville — hosting visual and performing arts, culinary experiences, music festivals, artists-in-residence and more — celebrated its third anniversary in February 2023.

A satellite to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, the Momentary is a welcoming, communal space in Northwest Arkansas. Situated along the Razorback Regional Greenway near the 8th Street Market, it is the perfect place to explore indoor galleries or outdoor artworks, catch a performance, or enjoy a savory bite and refreshing drink.

The Momentary galleries are large, open spaces featuring art and exhibitions that change throughout the year. Major visual arts exhibitions for 2023 include: Yvette Mayorga: What A Time To Be, on view through October 15; Firelei Báez, also on view through October 15, and more to be announced. The Momentary also presents ongoing performance art events, films and culinary offerings.

The Momentary will also host live music throughout the year, kicking off its Live on the Green Series with The Roots on April 29. The FreshGrass | Bentonville music festival — a twoday, all-ages event celebrating today’s bluegrass and progressive roots music — returns May 20-21, featuring such renowned acts as Caamp, Mavis Staples, Sierra Ferrell, The Del McCoury Band, Tank and the Bangas, Cimafunk, and more.

The Momentary Tower, a 70-foottall space, has stellar views and multiple mezzanines for visual art and performances. The Tower Bar, the RØDE Bar, Onyx Coffee Lab and the Momentary Food Truck offer unique culinary experiences, including street fare, patio dining, outdoor walk-ups and more. The Momentary Shop carries prints by featured artists, Momentary merch and other unique gifts. Bike, walk or ride to the Momentary where outdoor art installations welcome visitors 24/7. Outdoor art on display includes Tavares Strachan’s monumental neon sculpture, You Belong Here, installed across the outside of the building.

The Momentary is housed in a 63,000-square-foot decommissioned cheese factory that was transformed as an adaptive reuse design project by Chicago-based Wheeler Kearns Architects. With a mission to champion contemporary art’s role in everyday life, the Momentary was founded by the Walton family, based on the vision of Tom, Olivia and Steuart Walton.

For more information, including hours and a complete schedule of events and programs, visit themomentary.org

Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, is creating a bikeable, walkable campus through the design of its new home office under construction near Downtown Bentonville. Walmart’s new headquarters will bring associates together in the state-of-the-art campus, weaving in the natural health and beauty of the area, accelerating the digital transformation of the world’s largest retailer and attracting the next generation of talent.

The 350-acre campus is bordered by Central Avenue on the north, 14th Street on the south, J Street on the west and Martin Luther King, Jr. Parkway on the east, with 8th Street running through the middle. With 2022 having been the “year of bricks and sticks,” vertical construction of the first office buildings and amenity buildings is now well underway, with a goal of opening in phases through 2025. The home office campus will have four quadrants, or neighborhoods, that are interconnected by the Razorback Regional Greenway, shaded walking paths, sidewalks and pedestrian crossings.

The new headquarters will make it easy for associates to commute to work by bicycle. Each neighborhood will have bike storage, showers and changing rooms. Campus bikes will be available for associates to ride between buildings or to and from their vehicles.

The high-efficiency campus will create a winning work environment that drives efficiency and productivity through connected buildings and teams, and fosters creativity, speed and transparency. Smart building design with energyefficient lighting and HVAC systems will incorporate high performance and regionally sourced materials, including mass timber construction. Solar panels will be affixed to select buildings and parking decks.

A food hall in the heart of campus will offer flexible space for associates to connect with fellow colleagues while enjoying creative, fresh and healthy food options. Plans call for a welcome center, a hotel for company associates visiting from all over the world and a childcare center serving associates.