This fall I had the great pleasure of taking a road trip to Bentonville, Arkansas for the opportunity to see art in a museum founded in 2005 by philanthropist, Alice Walton, the daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton. It’s the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Arts. Named from the bridges constructed over spring fed ponds, the museum was designed by architect Moshe Safdie and opened on 11/11/2011.

Crystal Bridges is situated on 120 wooded acres integrating sculptural art, walking trails and more. The permanent collection features American art from colonial times to present day. This is not a huge museum, but we loved the way works were exhibited. They were mostly chronological, but within spans of years they were hung in sub categories like daily life, industry, social commentary, etc. The plaques accompanying each work of art are informative and written so that everyone can understand. The museum also holds special exhibitions and events throughout the year.

Outside, in addition to the permanent sculptures, is the Bachman-Wilson House by Frank Lloyd Wright which was acquired by the museum in 2013, deconstructed, moved, and reconstructed in 2015. Free tickets for timed entry are required.

My favorite outside experience is James Turrell’s Skyspace, The Way of Color. This is a round structure with bench seating on the interior and an oculus open to the sky. During sunrise and sunset color is manipulated with LED lighting along with the natural light outside. We first tried to go for sunrise (it was recommended to get there 45 minutes prior to sunrise). We, however, hadn’t been to the museum yet so by the time we figured out which trail to use, the sun was up. You only need to get there 10 minutes prior to sunset for evening viewing. This is a sample of how the colors changed over time.