Chrystal Museum of American Art was the brainchild of Alice Walton, the Walmart heiress, and she was involved in every decision about the location, construction, and the art it houses.
...when I first hear about the construction of Crystal Bridges. I had never lived near a world-class art museum before. That's me in the photo with the Robert Indiana's "Love" sculpture which is located on Crystal Bridges' South Lawn. It truly is a love affair with a place...even better than I imagined it would be. I've provided links to some additional info about Crystal Bridges and to videos I've made. I wanted to capture some of the fun and highlight interesting exhibits and sights at Crystal Bridges. I hope you enjoy them and will visit Crystal Bridges to make your own special memories.
Crystal Bridges is my favorite place to view exciting temporary exhibits and the permanent collection of American Art. Many of the pieces in the permanent collection now seem like dear old friends. It's a great place to take free or very reasonably priced workshops and classes to attend interesting lectures and other activities; and to explore the native Ozark landscape. A new addition is an area that I call "The Crystal Alcove".
Alice Walton purchased many of the paintings for the museum anonymously. When she bought the painting "Kindred Spirits" for a reported 35 million, she made headlines by outbidding two other museums who had gone in together to make the purchase. The day my friends and I signed up to become Original Members of Crystal Bridges, in Bentonville Square, she was there. I complimented her on getting the painting and she laughed and said that the news exaggerated the price a bit but that they didn't mention that she had made the purchase from her ranch in Texas while riding her horse.
Video - Former Museum Director talks about Alice Walton and her interest in art that resulted in Crystal Bridges.
Alice Walton talks about Crystal Bridges on Sunday Morning right before the museum opened.