Experience The Way of Color
by James Turrell
The Skyspace is open from 8 a.m. to shortly after sunset every day. The evening light display begins about ten minutes prior to sunset and lasts 45 minutes. No tickets or reservations are required, but seating is limited. We recommend guests arrive about 30 minutes early to get a seat.
Beginning in June, the Skyspace will be open one morning a month for a sunrise viewing. A Museum volunteer will be available to answer questions, but this will be a quiet, unfacilitated experience of the Skypace’s sunrise light display. All seating is first-come, first-served.
June 22 | 5:30 to 6:30 a.m.
July 20 | 5:45 to 6:45 a.m.
August 17 | 6:00 to 7:00 a.m.
September 21 | 6:30 to 7:30 a.m.
October 19 | 7:00 to 8:00 a.m.
On Fridays, just before sunset, join us for a facilitated discussion in the Skyspace installation The Way of Color by artist James Turrell. The discussion lasts approximately 40 minutes from the time of sunset. There is no fee and no reservations are required to view the Skyspace, but seating is limited. We recommend arriving about 30 minutes early to secure a seat.
Summer Solstice
Saturday, June 22, Sunrise to Sunset
Celebrate the Summer Solstice all day from sunrise to sunset
Click here for more information
The Way of Color
The Way of Color is a "Skyspace," a site-specific art installation designed by world-renowned artist James Turrell. Located on the scenic hillside of the Crystal Bridges' Art Trail, the Skyspace is a naked-eye viewing chamber that is open to the sky—and is one of many around the globe. This particular Skyspace was commissioned by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in 2008, and completed in October of the following year.
Inside the building is a circular chamber constructed of native Arkansas stone. Seating, made of Kansas limestone, allows the viewer to sit comfortably and observe the sky through a wide oculus (opening) in the center of the stainless steel roof.
During daylight hours the work frames the sky, offering a place of contemplation. Often a circle of light tracks across the chamber as the sun traverses its daily path. By cropping and focusing our view of the vast sky above us, the Skyspace can make everyday occurrences, such as the sighting of a plane or bird overhead, seem miraculous.
A few minutes before sunset, a computer-programmed LED (light emitting diode) display creates a sequence of colors inside the chamber ranging from subtle to dramatic over a period of time.
Through the next 30 minutes, the sky through the oculus seems to appear as pink, green, or white depending on the changing interior colors.
Once the sun has completely set, the oculus appears solid black, and the lights inside return to a warm, neutral white to give your eyes a rest. What follows is a dazzling burst of saturated, fast-moving color that completely surrounds the viewer, leaving you feeling energized.