A Bridge Not Too Far

What could be better than a drive through the Ozarks, soaking up fall scenery. That’s what Cutest and I thought, so we quickly put together a two day stay in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Why Bentonville, Arkansas I hear you saying. First it’s the birthplace of Walmart. (Oh, sure.) Secondly, thanks to Walton's daughter Alice, it is the home of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

In a forested valley sitting on the edge of the town is one of the greatest collections of American art you'll ever see. It took Cutest and me a day and a half plus one evening (to absorb the exhibits. More from Cutest, below.

The architect for CB was Moshe Safdie, the same gentleman who designed KC's Kauffman Center. It has some of the same elements: soaring ceilings, windows galore, a very modern esthetic.The galleries span over a flowing stream that pools in the center of the compound making for a natural reflective pond. Cutest and I were as impressed with the buildings as with the art inside them. The two main halls have arched wood interiors. From the outside, similarities to giant whale skeletons could be envisioned.

Cutest here. I’ve won the task of writing about the Museum itself. I think I first went sometime in 2012, after its opening in November of 2011. Boy, has it, and the town, grown. Back in 2012, blown away by its American art emphasis and how many worthy artists we had from the 1600s on, how huge the museum was, and the fact it was FREE. I was inclined to change my opinion about Walmart.

In 2023, as Cute said, last week we spent basically about 12 hours there. The evening first. We experienced the Listening Forest by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, which is billed as a “An interactive world of light, sound, and wonder.” I had my doubts – but it really is all those things. Whether it was letters forming words as they swirled around our feet or our heartbeats creating a light show, or body motion creating light structures, the combination of science, the woods, walking along a pathway really was a trip.

You can read about it on their website, https://crystalbridges.org/calendar/listening-forest-rafael-lozano-hemmer/ but it really does not adequately convey how clever and affecting it is. There are drinks and s’mores along the way should you be so inclined. Cocoa and a s’more kit was just the thing thought Cute. I didn’t argue.

Nestled into the grounds also sits the Frank Loyd Wright home, Bachman-Wilson House, which was moved from New Jersey to its bucolic setting, where only the side to the woods is important. You have to have a ticket (also free) because the house is small, like so many of his. Also, like so many, I’m really glad I don’t live in one of the 389 privately held homes. There are 11 open to the public so this is one to see.

I’m not going to try to describe the museum, its art ranging from shoelaces to oil to wood to brass and more, or its massive new construction project. I’m going to rely on the “picture worth 1,000 words” cliché instead. There are a lot in the <slideshow> below, beginning with famous Annie and ending with shoelaces.

Our final words: you should go to the Museum and if possible, before December 31st. That’s when the Annie Liebowitz exhibit leaves (a must if you’re at all interested in photography or famous people) as well as the Listening Forest. You can get to Bentonville in minus four hours, there’s lots of places to stay, eat and drink. They’ve even moved the Walmart Museum so maybe it’s now worth seeing now. But by all means, go to Crystal Bridges – it truly is a wonder, even if it’s in Arkansas. Go.