Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Commemorates Site
May 3, 2007 – 10:01 am
“A Sense of Place: Past, Present and Future” sets the stage for world class museum
BENTONVILLE, Ark., May 3, 2007 – As a world class museum and cultural center, Crystal Bridges will play a major role in the region’s continued economic and cultural expansion for years to come. With this vision in mind, Crystal Bridges Founder Alice Walton hosted community leaders, elected officials and other special guests from throughout Arkansas for a site dedication ceremony marking the project’s first milestone since it was announced two years ago.
The commemorative event, themed “A Sense of Place: Past, Present and Future,” was held on the museum grounds so guests could have a view of the 100-acre wooded property, which is now actively under construction. The land was donated by the Walton family for the Crystal Bridges project.
“This land has very special meaning to me because it was my childhood home,” said Walton, who is also president of the museum’s board of trustees. “Our dream is to build a premier American art museum and cultural center that will serve the people of this region but also draw visitors from throughout the central United States and around the world. My hope is that Crystal Bridges will become a special place for all who visit, and they will see first-hand why this site and this region are so extraordinary.”
In addition to Walton, speakers at the dedication ceremony included:
- Robert G. Workman, executive director, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art;
- Dr. Jeannie Whayne, chair, department of history, University of Arkansas;
- The Rev. Mr. Darwin D. Wolfe, First Presbyterian Church, Bentonville; and
- Jennifer Admire, winner, Third Congressional Art Competition, Siloam Springs.
Construction work on the museum site began last fall, according to Workman. Activity since that time has included grading and excavation, utilities installation and the processing of rocks to be used as backfill and road base“We are very pleased with our progress, and we are grateful to our construction partners, Linbeck/Nabholz, for their work on this unique project,” said Workman. The two construction companies, which formed a joint venture to work on Crystal Bridges, have worked closely with project architect Moshe Safdie and his design team as the project has progressed. The Boston- based architect created the concept for the museum’s signature design, which takes its name from a natural spring on the museum’s wooded site as well as the unique glass-and-wood building concept he envisioned.
The innovative building design is reflective of the museum’s forested creek-side home, which will be linked by landscaped trails and paths connecting it to area neighborhoods. The design will capture the interplay of nature, art and culture in the region. The museum property and grounds are within walking distance of the Bentonville town square.
About Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Founded by Alice Walton, Crystal Bridges is envisioned as a premier national art institution dedicated to American art and artists. Under construction in Bentonville, Ark., the museum complex will encompass approximately 100,000 square feet of gallery, library, meeting, and office space, a 250-seat indoor auditorium, areas for outdoor concerts and public events, gallery rooms suitable for large receptions, as well as sculpture gardens and walking trails.
The museum will house a permanent collection of signature works from American artists along with galleries dedicated to regional art and artists including Native American art. The growing permanent collection is composed of paintings and sculptures by American artists from the Colonial period through the modern era and will consist of notable examples reflecting the richness and diversity of the American experience. Some announced works of the permanent collection include:
- Hudson River School masterwork Kindred Spirits by Asher B. Durand, which is currently on loan to the Brooklyn Museum in New York;
- Charles Willson Peale’s 18th century painting of George Washington; Gilbert Stuart’s
- George Washington (The Constable-Hamilton Portrait), which is currently on loan at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston;
- Spring, by Winslow Homer;
- Martin Johnson Heade’s Cattleya Orchid, Two Hummingbirds and a Beetle;
- Marsden Hartley’s Hall of the Mountain King; and
- the Levy-Franks portraits, attributed to Gerardus Duyckinck and dating from the 1720s to 1735, the most extensive surviving group of Colonial American portraiture. The collection of six portraits is currently on loan at The Jewish Museum in New York.
The 100-acre site of the museum complex and cultural center is located in Bentonville, Ark. The project is scheduled to open in 2009. For more information about Crystal Bridges, visit www.crystalbridges.org.
