Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art – Bentonville AR – a quick 1st visit

home title Posted by drBlackketter on Nov 30th, 2011 | 1 comment home title

My family and I absolutely loved our 1st visit inside the Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, AR. We have been enjoying the scenic hiking & biking trails and watching the construction progress over the last 2 years we’ve lived in NWA. It was well-worth the wait!
We got tickets for the official Grand Opening Day 11.11.11 (Veteran’s Day). Admission tickets to the “scenic (read: backwoods) location” for Crystal Bridges are FREE!! (thanks to one of the Walton family enterprises — Walmart) I thought it very appropriate for them to open an all American Art Museum on a day set aside to be thankful for the service of our U.S. military Veterans.

This museum far-exceeded our very high expectations.
The architecture is amazingly creative. See photos of construction.
The collection of art is engaging, varied, famous, and literally has something for everyone.
My only regret was not planning enough time — but we’ll be back very soon and plan to spend at least a couple of hours…and maybe even visit the restaurant and museum store.

Please enjoy the pictures (sorry about the poor quality cell phone camera). I’ve provided links below to the Crystal Bridges website so you can check out better quality images.

George Washington – Gilbert Stuart – This is the actual 1797 portrait, famously used (although flipped 180 degrees) for the Washington head on the U.S. $1 bill. Here I am standing in front of President George W. (not Bush)–>

Soundsuit – Nick Cave

With my wife…who’s not sure she wants her picture on the internet…

Links to some of the highlights from this well-rounded collection of American art:

Contemporary

Wonder-World

Colonial

19th-Century


The very well-known 1849 painting Kindred Spirits – Asher Durand

Ploughing it Under – Thomas H. Benton
AND

Rosie the Riveter – Norman Rockwell

Rosie in NW Arkansas with a new Norman Rockwell fan!

Enjoying the color, variety, and educational 3-D experience.

Pinocchio?!?

And one last work, the slightly creepy 2010 sculpture by Evan Penny entitled, Old Self Portrait

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  1. Jason Blackketter says:
    January 5, 2012 at 1:27 pm

    Since this visit to Crystal Bridges, we’ve been back 2 more times.
    It was a great privilege to include this museum as part of our tour around NW Arkansas. If you are looking for new ways to “show off” Bentonville, look no further than http://crystalbridges.org

    Reply
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