Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art facts for kids
Panoramic view of the museum
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| Established | 11 November 2011 |
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| Location | 600 Museum Way, Bentonville, Arkansas |
| Type | American art |
| Founder | Alice Walton |
| Architect | Moshe Safdie |
| Nearest car park | free garage and surface lot on site |
The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is a special place in Bentonville, Arkansas, where you can explore amazing American art. It was started by Alice Walton, whose family founded Walmart. The museum was designed by the famous architect Moshe Safdie and first opened its doors on November 11, 2011. The best part? It's free for everyone to visit!
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About Crystal Bridges Museum
Alice Walton, daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton, had a big dream to create this museum. She wanted to share American art with everyone. The museum's unique design uses lots of glass and wood. It has several buildings that look like they are floating around two ponds and beautiful forest trails.
The museum is huge, covering about 20,160 square meters (217,000 square feet). Inside, you'll find art galleries, classrooms for learning, a library, and even a sculpture garden. There's also a museum shop and a restaurant called "Eleven," named after the opening date. Crystal Bridges also has outdoor spaces for concerts and events, plus many nature trails to explore. It's a great place to spend a day!
When it opened, Crystal Bridges was the first major art museum (with a large financial backing) to open in the United States since 1974. Alice Walton gave a lot of money to make the museum possible. Experts say the museum's art collection is one of the best in America.
Working with Other Museums
Crystal Bridges often works with other museums to share art. For example, in 2006, the museum tried to buy a famous painting called The Gross Clinic by Thomas Eakins with the National Gallery of Art. Even though that painting stayed in Philadelphia, Crystal Bridges later bought another important Eakins painting, Portrait of Professor Benjamin H. Rand.
The museum also worked with Fisk University to share a collection of 101 artworks by Alfred Stieglitz. This collection was given to Fisk University by the famous artist Georgia O'Keeffe. After some discussions, the two places agreed to share the collection. This means the artworks can be seen at both Fisk University and Crystal Bridges.
Since 2012, Crystal Bridges has been part of a special project called "American Encounters." This project involves the musée du Louvre in Paris, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, and the Terra Foundation for American Art. They create exhibitions together that travel to all the museums, showing American art to more people around the world.
The Momentary: A New Art Space
In early 2020, Crystal Bridges opened a new, exciting place called The Momentary. It's a satellite facility that focuses on modern visual art, live performances, and food experiences. It also hosts festivals and invites artists to live and create there. It's a cool spot for new and different kinds of art.
The Museum's Art Collection
The museum's permanent collection is full of American art from the earliest days of the country all the way to today. All the artists featured are from the United States. You can see famous paintings like a portrait of George Washington by Charles Willson Peale. Other well-known artists whose works are displayed include Winslow Homer, Norman Rockwell, Georgia O'Keeffe, Andy Warhol, and Jackson Pollock.
One of the most famous paintings at Crystal Bridges is Kindred Spirits by Asher B. Durand. The museum bought this important landscape painting in 2005. In 2012, they also acquired a large abstract painting by Mark Rothko called No. 210/No. 211 (Orange).
Besides paintings, the museum has many sculptures. You can find them inside the galleries and along the outdoor sculpture trails. Some of the sculptors whose works are featured include Roxy Paine and James Turrell.
In 2014, Crystal Bridges even acquired a house! It's the Bachman–Wilson House, designed by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The house was carefully taken apart in New Jersey and rebuilt right here in Bentonville.
The museum has acquired many important artworks over the years. Some notable purchases include:
- George Washington by Charles Willson Peale (2004)
- Kindred Spirits by Asher B. Durand (2005)
- Marquis de Lafayette by Samuel F. B. Morse (2005)
- Still Life with Stretcher, Mirror, Bowl of Fruit by Roy Lichtenstein (2007)
- Blackwell's Island by Edward Hopper (2013)
- Coca-Cola [3] by Andy Warhol (2013)
- Flag by Jasper Johns (2014)
- Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1 by Georgia O'Keeffe (2014)
Selected Works in the Museum Collection
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Portrait of George Washington (The Constable-Hamilton Portrait, 1797) by Gilbert Stuart
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The Village Politicians (c. 1819) by John Lewis Krimmel
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Winter Scene in Brooklyn (c. 1817–1820) by Francis Guy
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Samuel Beals Thomas, with His Wife, Sarah Kellogg Thomas, and Their Two Daughters, Abigail and Pauline (1830) by Edward Dalton Marchant
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View of Mount Etna (1843–44) by Thomas Cole
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War News from Mexico (1848) by Richard Caton Woodville
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The Good Shepherd (1848) by Thomas Cole
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Kindred Spirits (1849) by Asher B. Durand
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Portrait of Professor Benjamin Rand (1874) by Thomas Eakins
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The Reader (1877) by Mary Cassatt
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Indian Encampment, Late Afternoon (1878) by Albert Bierstadt
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Robert Louis Stevenson and His Wife (1885) by John Singer Sargent
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The Art Student: Portrait of James Wright (circa 1890) by Thomas Eakins
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World's Columbian Exposition (1894) by Theodore Robinson
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The Lantern Bearers (1908) by Maxfield Parrish
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Excavation at Night (1908) by George Bellows
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