Bentonville, AR — A self-guided tour and thematic gallery talk honoring African American History Month are among the many public programming offerings available at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in February. The museum also offers the first in a series of evening events just for grown-ups.
In honor of African American History Month, the museum has prepared a self-guided tour brochure showcasing ten works in the galleries by African American artists. The tour brochures are available for free in the museum's main lobby. A special Gallery Talk on the subject also is offered from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23. Featured speakers will be Anne Kraybill, Crystal Bridges School Programs Manager, and Calvin White Jr., Director of African and African American Studies at the University of Arkansas. The talk will focus on interpretation of the large painting Our Town, by Kerry James Marshall, located in the Twentieth-Century Art Gallery. No registration for this presentation is required.
In addition to the African American History talk, two other lunch-hour Gallery Talks are scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. this month: Installing Large Sculptures, Monday, Feb. 13; and An American Moment: Artists Uplifting the Nation, Thursday, Feb. 16. For those who would like to learn more about the Crystal Bridges Library, two sessions in "Getting to Know Your Library" are offered on Wednesday, Feb. 15: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 6 to 7 p.m. No registration is required for any of these programs, but participants are encouraged to arrive five minutes early, as seating is limited.
Drawing in the Galleries continues on Wednesday, Feb. 8 with a focus on portraiture. This monthly class for participants ages 18 and up is guided by a teaching artist. Two sessions are offered: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 5:30 to 7 p.m. The museum will provide paper and pencils, but participants are welcome to bring their own sketchbook. Pre-registration is required and each session is $10 for non-members. Crystal Bridges members receive a 10 percent discount.
Art Night Out, scheduled for 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, is Crystal Bridges' inaugural adults-only evening program. The theme for the evening is "Time Traveler," a night for guests to take a quantum leap through time. Guests will explore the history of American art through music and literature. Entertainment will include music by Symphony of Northwest Arkansas and the Smith & Reed Acoustic Duo, theatrical performances by TheatreSQUARED, American classic films in the "Great Hall Time Machine," and an Open Mic Show of poetry readings hosted by DJ Beat Bachs. Guests are encouraged to come dressed in their favorite fashions from Colonial America, The Gilded Age, The Roaring Twenties, or the Flower Power Sixties to enter the museum's Facebook fashion contest. Tickets for the event are $15 per person and can be purchased in advance at the Guest Services desk in the museum lobby. Museum members receive a 10 percent discount.