Bentonville, AR — On May 5, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art will open its first temporary traveling exhibition: The Hudson River School: Nature and the American Vision. The exhibition, organized by the New-York Historical Society, features 42 original works by masters of the Hudson River School of painting, including Asher Brown Durand, Thomas Cole, Albert Bierstadt, and others. The exhibition, which will be on view through September 3, will require timed, reserved tickets for entry. Tickets are $5 for non-Members ages 18 and up, and free for guests ages 17 and under. Museum members receive complimentary admission, but reserved tickets are still required for entry. Tickets may be reserved online at crystalbridges.org/Exhibitions/Hudson-River-School.
Additional May programming at Crystal Bridges includes outdoor tours and talks, a Mother’s Day weekend trunk show of designer jewelry in the Museum Store, and a lecture by visiting artists Robert Tannen and Patrick Dougherty. Below is a full listing of upcoming events and programs for the month. Many programs require pre-registration and discounts are available for museum members. Interested participants may register online or get additional information about these and other programs on the Crystal Bridges website: crystalbridges.org/education/public-programs.
Wednesday, May 2, 5:45 p.m.
New Member Orientation
Once a month, new Members are invited to gather with Membership staff in Crystal Bridges’ lower lobby for an informational talk about the Museum. This optional 45-minute orientation will cover highlights about the Museum, trails & grounds, the collection, and the benefits of Membership. The orientation is offered the first Wednesday of each month at 5:45 p.m. or the second Monday of each month at 12:30 p.m., unless otherwise noted.
Friday, May 4, 2 to 4 p.m.
Homeschool Friday Fun | Art and Nature
Homeschool families can get their hands on creative, educational fun with activities that incorporate inquiry, discovery, and studio art-making. Homeschool Friday Fun meets from 2 to 4 p.m. the first Friday of the month through June. The program starts with a half-hour educational tour in the galleries, followed by 90 minutes of creative exploration in the art studio. In this session, celebrate spring by discovering works of art inspired by nature. From traditional landscapes to Roxy Paine's stainless steel sculpture Yield, artists have always been informed by the natural world. In the studio, you will create your own artwork inspired by nature. There is a materials fee of $5 per child. Space is limited. Pre-registration is required.
Friday, May 4, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The Hudson River School: Nature and the American Vision
Members’ Preview
There is no charge for Members, but a timed, reserved ticket is required for entry.
Saturday, May 5, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Public Opening | The Hudson River School: Nature and the American Vision
Reserved, timed tickets are necessary for entry. Tickets may be purchased online at crystalbridges.org/Exhibitions/Hudson-River-School
Cost: $5 for non-Members, ages 18 and up | Free for Museum Members and guests ages 17 and under. This exhibition has been organized by the New-York Historical Society. Sponsored at Crystal Bridges by U.S. Trust; Christie’s; Harrison and Rhonda French Family; and Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard, P.L.L.C.
Saturday, May 5, 1 to 3:30 p.m.
Trail Mix Festival
Crystal Bridges and Walton Arts Center invite you to the Artosphere Trail Mix Concert Tour along the Crystal Bridges Trails. This free event features five internationally acclaimed bands performing in the glorious natural setting of the Museum’s trails, plus a children’s craft activity out-of-doors. For more information on Artosphere, visit www.artospherefestival.org.
Wednesday, May 9, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Drawing in the Galleries | Marsden Hartley: Blending the Landscape with Color
This sketching class will focus primarily on the visual lines of Hartley’s natural landscapes in comparison with John Marin’s cityscapes and Arthur Dove’s oceanscape.
Guided by a teaching artist, each 90-minute session provides instruction on a different topic. Classes take place monthly on Wednesdays, with two sessions offered: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 5:30 to 7 p.m. We will provide paper and pencils, but you are welcome to bring your own sketchbook. Pencils are the only drawing tool allowed in the galleries.
Tickets: $10 per session for non-Members | 10% discount for Members
Thursday, May 10, 1 to 1:45 p.m.
Gallery Talk | The Beginning of Pop Art
Speaker: Assistant Curator Manuela Well-Off-ManPop artists of the late 1950s and 60s used popular imagery most people are familiar with, such as comic strips, street signs, and ice cream bars. Assistant Curator Manuela Well-Off-Man will discuss artists’ response to America’s obsession with consumerism and mass media, and their reaction to previous Modern art styles, as well as their experiments with screen printing and found objects. Pop artists from our collection include Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Tom Wesselmannn.
The talk is located in the Twentieth-Century Art Gallery.
Friday, May 11, noon to 1 p.m.
Discover the Grounds!| Defining the Landscape: Signature Plants at Crystal Bridges
Class Leader: Horticulturist Cody George
Take a 360 degree look around Crystal Bridges’ grounds. Learn about the process of selecting the signature plants that define Crystal Bridges’ landscape with Horticulturist Cody George. Participants will explore plant examples and discuss the maintenance of these plants and their habitat.
Meet at the Tulip Tree Shelter located on the Tulip Tree Trail, which is a moderate walk from the South Lobby. The class is free, but space is limited! Please reserve your space online.
Friday, May 11, 6:30 to 9 p.m.
Film Series | John Muir and the Natural World
Film introduction by Director of Trails and Grounds Scott Eccleston, Manager of Trails and Grounds Clay Bakker.
John Muir in the New World is a timely reminder of America’s unique and, ultimately, threatened eco-systems. In this documentary from the American Masters series by PBS, delve into Muir’s life and influences, and learn how he started the conservation debate in America. The film includes reenactments filmed in high definition throughout the majestic landscapes he visited: Wisconsin, the Alhambra Valley of California, the glaciers of Alaska, Yosemite, and the Sierra Nevada. This film is available for purchase on Amazon.com.
No reservations required. Seating is first-come, first-served.
Saturday and Sunday, May 12 and 13, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Mother’s Day Weekend Trunk Show Extravaganza
Over Mother’s Day weekend the Museum Store will feature three jewelry artists with three very different styles. Please join us as we welcome Kate Baer, Carrie Siegfried-Haase and Valerie Sanson.
Museum Members may shop early from 10 to 11 a.m. on Saturday to receive a 10 percent discount on their trunk show purchases.
Sunday, May 13, 1 to 5 p.m.
Adult Workshop| Outdoor Landscape Painting – Embracing the Hudson River School
Revert back to the days of the Hudson River School of painting, and take a journey along Crystal Bridges’ Art Trail to paint the romantic scenery surrounding Crystal Spring and the pond. In this workshop, students will learn about the traditional painting techniques of artists such as Thomas Cole, Asher B. Durand, and Frederick Church, and develop an eye for illustrating botanical details. Students will also develop their perspective of nature’s space by adding multiple features of the land into one painting—a technique called atmospheric pressure.
The workshop starts in the Durand Studio. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Tickets: $45 for non-Members | 10 percent discount for Members
Monday, May 14, 1 to 1:45 p.m.
Spotlight Talk | The Architect of Shadow: Artist Louise Nevelson
Speakers: Deputy Director of Museum Relations Sandy Edwards and Preparator Clay Little
Closely examine the shadows and shapes in Louise Nevelson’s Night Zag Wall, a large-scale wall sculpture of individual boxes and geometric shapes painted black which, when assembled together, form a larger image in its entirety. Meet Deputy Director of Museum Relations Sandy Edwards and Preparator Clay Little to discuss the physicality of the piece and the intricate installation of this artwork. Delve into the artist’s fascinating life and philosophy toward art-making, which transformed the tradition of sculpture.
The talk is located in the Twentieth-Century Art Gallery.
Monday, May 14, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Preschool Playdate
Preschool Playdates are monthly drop-in gallery activities just for children ages two to five, with a caregiver. A variety of theme-based and collection-inspired activities are offered, allowing you and your preschoolers to explore at your own pace. No tickets necessary. Sponsored by Procter & Gamble and Hershey’s.
Wednesday, May 16, noon to 1 p.m. and 7 to 8 p.m.
Get to Know Your Library | Hudson River School: Inspired by the New York Historical Society Exhibition
A look at books and special materials recommended by Crystal Bridges’ Librarians related to the history of the Hudson River Valley; including literary connections and historic villas along the Hudson River.
The event is free, but online reservations are required as space is limited.
Wednesday , May 16, 6 to 7 p.m.
Members’ Event | WOW
Attention members and guests: Museum Members are invited to join Crystal Bridges Culinary Director Case Dighero in the Museum’s Great Hall to discuss works from the collection paired with beverages from Eleven’s menu. Open to all members age 21 and above. Tickets: $30 per person. Seating is limited. Pre-registration and payment are required. To register, email membership@crystalbridges.org
Friday, May 18, 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Film Series | The Naturalist
Film followed by a discussion with Horticulturist Cody George and Manager of Interpretation Aaron Jones
The Naturalist, created by High Plains Films, highlights the work and philosophy of an extraordinary modern-day woodsman. Kent Bonar, who has been called the "John Muir of the Ozarks," is one of America's great naturalists. Living without modern amenities in the tradition of Thoreau and Muir, Bonar has spent his life observing and recording the natural history of the Missouri and Arkansas Ozarks. Bonar melds philosophy, spirituality, wood-lore, and art into a simple yet profound lifestyle. His example is a powerful antidote to the cynicism and artifice of modern culture.
No pre-registration required. Seating is first-come, first-served.
Saturday, May 19, 2 to 3 p.m.
Great Hall Lecture Series | Artists Robert Tannen and Patrick Dougherty
Looking at Nature: As Art, as Object, as Community
Gain perspectives from two artists who work with nature in very different ways. Patrick Dougherty and Robert Tannen will discuss recently created outdoor artworks that are site-specific to their locations in Northwest Arkansas. Tannen’s boulder project, Grains of Sand, included marking and mapping Crystal Bridges’ trails. Dougherty is currently building a large-scale stick sculpture on the Walton Arts Center grounds in Fayetteville, as part of the Center’s Artosphere (Arts,Nature & Sustainabilty) Festival. Learn about these artists’ perspectives towards nature, their selected materials, and the sense of community their projects evoke.
The lecture is free, but online reservations are required as seating is limited.
Monday, May 21, 10:30 a.m.
Member Monday
Museum Members are invited to meet at the coffee bar at 10:30 a.m. to purchase a cup of coffee or other beverage and then gather in one of the Museum’s function rooms for an informal discussion with Crystal Bridges’ Library Director Catherine Peterson beginning at 11 a.m.
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The mission of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is to welcome all to celebrate the American spirit in a setting that unites the power of art with the beauty of landscape. We explore the unfolding story of America by actively collecting, exhibiting, interpreting, and preserving outstanding works that illuminate our heritage and artistic possibilities.
Opened to the public on 11-11-11, Crystal Bridges was founded in 2005 by Alice Walton, who chairs the Museum's board of directors.