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Crystal Bridges’ November Programs: James Beard Foundation Dinner and the opening of the Frank Lloyd Wright house and Picturing the Americas exhibition

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art will be closed Monday, May 13, to prepare for the visit of Antiques Roadshow. We will return to normal hours of operation Wednesday, May 15.

In the month of November, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art invites visitors to dine with the Best of Bentonville, celebrate the opening of the Frank Lloyd Wright house, and enjoy  an International Symposium for the new exhibition, Picturing the Americas: Landscape Painting from Tierra del Fuego to the Arctic.

 

Picturing the Americas will open on November 7, featuring more than 100 oil paintings, watercolors, prints, and photographs exploring the artistic representation of human interaction with land. In conjunction with the exhibition, Crystal Bridges will also host an International Symposium on November 13 and 14, featuring scholars from both North and South America. The symposium will begin with an Opening Lecture by Ivo Mesquita, originator of the exhibition.

 

On November 8, join Culinary Director Case Dighero, Eleven Chef Bill Lyle, and local favorites from the The Hive, Pressroom, the Belfry, Tusk & Trotter, and Oven and Tap for a night benefiting a local scholarship and the James Beard Foundation culinary programs.

 

On November 11—the fourth anniversary of the museum’s opening—Frank Lloyd Wright’s Bachman-Wilson House will open to the public. Tickets will become available on November 2. 

 

Museum Hours: Beginning November 12, Crystal Bridges will extend its hours on Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. This will meet the rising demand for more public access to the galleries, store, restaurant, and library, and increase programming opportunities throughout the year. The museum will be closed on Thanksgiving and re-open on Friday, November 27.

A full listing of November programs is below.  Information and registration are also available on Crystal Bridges’ calendar of events. Sign up for Crystal Bridges email updates at ENewsletter.

 

Fall Forage Trail Experience (Sept 28 – Nov 30)

Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 11:30 a.m.

In all seasons, but especially in the fall, the forest around Crystal Bridges is full of wild, natural foods suitable for both animals and humans … if you know what to look for. Learn what fall forage can be found around the grounds at Crystal Bridges, and what you may find to forage in your own back yard!  Free, no registration required.  Sponsored by The Coleman Company 

 

Monday, November 2 and 16, 1 to 3 pm

Figure Drawing

Join us on the first and third Mondays of each month for this adult Figure Drawing class to draw from a clothed model. Whether you’ve always had a love for figure drawing or are trying it for the first time, you’ll enjoy an afternoon drawing with other guests at the museum. A variety of drawing materials will be provided, and model poses will include both shorter warm-up poses and longer poses. $10 ($5 for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335.

 

Wednesday, November 4, 11, and 18, 1 to 2:15 pm

Preschool Art Class » Creative Colors

Let’s cover the basics of art this fall! Explore the world of color using a variety of materials and techniques. All Materials are provided. $45 for 3 classes ($36 for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335.

 

Wednesday, November 4, 6 to 8 pm

Wednesday Series for Educators » Unveiling the Mysteries of the Art Library

Join Interim Library Director Valerie Sallis for a guided tour of the Crystal Bridges Library and helpful advice on how to use the library for research. Two hours of professional development credit available. Sponsored by Neff and Scarlett Basore. $10, register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335.

 

Wednesday, November 4, 7 to 8 pm

Spotlight Lecture » Nancy Chikaraishi: Creating Space in Art and Architecture

From ideas and inspirations to executing concepts, professor and architect Nancy Chikaraishi explores the shared boundaries of creating space in art and architecture. Chikaraishi, AIA and Professor in the Hammons School of Architecture at Drury University in Springfield, Missouri, will present and discuss Life Interrupted: a series of drawings and paintings based on her parents’ experience in the Japanese American Internment Camps during WWII.  She will also talk about a new collection of drawings that interpret the dance performance Gaman, which marks the 70th anniversary of the Camps’ closing. Her talk will highlight two recent architectural projects: the Joplin Butterfly Garden and Overlook, a healing garden in Joplin, Missouri, and the Solar Decathlon 2015 Shelter3 house, a solar-powered tornado-resistant home inspired by the Joplin tornado in 2011.  Come back on November 11 as CORE Performance Company presents Gaman. Free, register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335.

 

Thursday, November 5, 2 to 3 pm

Art Talk » Jerry Gorovoy on Maman

Meet Jerry Gorovoy for a conversation on Louise Bourgeois’ Maman. Assistant and longtime friend to Bourgeois, Gorovoy will discuss the life and work of this iconic artist in the museum courtyard. Free, register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335.

 

Friday, November 6, 9 am to 9 pm

Saturday, November 7, 9 am to 10 am

Members-Only Preview » Picturing the Americas

Crystal Bridges Members are invited to a preview of Picturing the Americas: Landscape Painting from Tierra del Fuego to the Arctic. The exhibition features more than 100 oil paintings, watercolors, prints, and books—including works by well-known American landscape painters Albert Bierstadt, Frederic E. Church, Thomas Cole, Martin Johnson Heade, and Georgia O’Keeffe, as well as masters of the genre from both North and South America. Free, register online or by calling the Member Priority Line.

 

Friday, November 6, 13, and 20, 2 to 3:30 pm

Homeschool Friday Fun ages 5 to 8 » Exploring the Americas

From the icebergs of the Arctic to the jungles of South America, explore changing landscapes through the new temporary exhibition, Picturing the Americas. Head back to the studios to create artwork inspired by what we’ve seen. $45 for three classes ($36 for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335.

 

Friday, November 6, 13, and 20, 2 to 3:30 pm

Homeschool Friday Fun ages 9 to 12 » Exploring the Americas

From the icebergs of the Artic to the jungles of South America, explore changing landscapes through the new temporary exhibition, Picturing the Americas. Head back to the studios to create artwork inspired by what we’ve seen. $45 for three classes ($36 for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335.

 

Friday, November 6, 5:30 to 7:30 pm

Teacher Preview Night » Picturing the Americas

Join fellow educators for a first glance of Picturing the Americas and a discussion of possible classroom connections. This event does not count for professional development credit. Sponsored by Neff and Scarlett Basore. Free, register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335.

 

Saturday, November 7, 1 to 2 pm

Art Talk » Alfred Maurer’s Dreams of Theater

Arkansas Staged brings to life Jeanne and Alfred Maurer’s turn-of-the-century theater dreams in an original piece exploring images and themes from the exhibition Alfred Maurer: Art on the Edge. Free, no registration required.

 

Sunday, November 8, 6:30 to 9:30 pm

Friends of James Beard Benefit Dinner » Best of Bentonville

Join Culinary Director Case Dighero, Eleven Chef Bill Lyle, and guests for a night of food, friends, and Bentonville’s best! You’ll savor a tempting menu with selections of Duck Carnitas, Black Apple–Butternut Salsa, Roasted Turkey Roulade, and Apple Galette, and more. A choice of fine wines will be served with dinner. $125 reservations available at http://www.jamesbeard.org/events/bentonville-ar-0.

 

Monday, November 9, 11 am to 12:30 pm

Journaling Group:  Travel Writing

Explore how writers described far-off lands as we examine nineteenth-century travel writing with historian and John Brown University Associate Professor, Trisha Posey. Inspired by the Picturing the Americas exhibition, Posey will lead us in a discussion regarding the ways in which national identity was expressed by writers and artists of different geographical locations. She’ll then encourage us to reflect and write about our own sense of national identity when traveling.

$8 (Free for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335

 

Monday, November 9, 6 to 7 pm

Yoga and Art

Yoga Story’s Cindee Joslin leads an uplifting group class uniting the power of art with the beauty of nature. Enjoy this mind/body experience in the Museum, complemented by views of Crystal Bridges’ ponds, forest, and architecture. Participants should bring their own yoga mat and dress appropriately. $5 (Free for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335.

 

Wednesday, November 11

Frank Lloyd Wright House Opening

Crystal Bridges is pleased to announce the public opening of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Bachman-Wilson House on November 11. Tickets will become available to the public on November 2. There is no cost to view the house, but advance tickets are required. The house will be open during the museum public hours. For more information, or to reserve tickets, visit crystalbridges.org/architecture/frank-lloyd-wright/. Tickets may also be reserved through Guest Services.

 

Wednesday, November 11, 1 to 2 pm

Art Talk » Ruth Asawa

Like the late artist Ruth Asawa, Little Rock resident Richard Yada and his family were forced into a Japanese Internment Camp in Rohwer, Arkansas, during WWII.  Join Yada and University of Central Arkansas Associate Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication, Gayle Seymour, in a discussion about life in the camps, followed by a gallery performance by members of CORE Dance Company inspired by Asawa’s sculpture, Untitled. Later, come back for an evening dance performance of Gaman by CORE in the Great Hall. Free, no registration required.

 

Wednesday, November 11, 1:30 to 2:30 pm

Art Book Club » The Natural House by Frank Lloyd Wright

Celebrate the opening of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Bachman-Wilson House with a discussion of the architect’s 1954 classic that set forth his principles for organic architecture and Usonian homes.

Free, register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335.

 

Wednesday, November 11, 7 to 8 pm

Live Arts » Gaman, by CORE Performance Company

Houston-Based Modern Dance Company,  CORE, presents Gaman dance performance as part of the University of Central Arkansas’s Japanese Internment Camp Memorial Celebration, featuring staging and choreography by Sue Schroeder and set design by Nancy Chikaraishi, whose parents were imprisoned in the Arkansas Japanese Internment Camps. The production will also include sound design by renowned Berlin composer Christian Meyer. The Memorial program shares the history of the 120,000 Japanese Americans who were relocated from their homes and detained at 50 confinement sites throughout the country, including one in Rohwer and another in Jerome, Arkansas, during WWII. Sponsored by Demara Titzer and the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation. Free, register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335.

 

Wednesday, November 11, 18, and December 2 from 7 to 8:30 pm

Introduction to Art » Landscape Painting and National Identity 

Explore how artists from various countries envisioned and depicted the landscapes of the Americas in this course led by University of Arkansas Latin American Art Professor Ana Pulido-Rull. This three-part series will examine works by renowned artists in our temporary exhibition Picturing the Americas in order to understand mankind’s relationship with the land and the role of art in establishing a nation’s identity. $30 ($24 for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335.

 

Thursday, November 12, 11:30 am to 2 pm

Preschool Playdate » Rhythm!

Clap your hands, stomp your feet and find rhythm in art!  Enjoy art projects, story time, and creative play inspired by rhythm! Sponsored by The Hershey Company and the Roy & Christine Sturgis Charitable Trust, Bank of America, N.A. Trustee. Free, no registration required

 

Thursday, November 12, 6 to 9 pm

Friday, November 13, noon to 6 pm

Saturday, November 14, 10 am to 6 pm

Featured Artisan » Brian Watson, Designer of Balance by Brian Jewelry

Watson seeks to translate the concept of balance into his jewelry. His signature earrings are mismatched: similar in concept, yet individual in design. He sculpts, twists, and manipulates sterling wire and adds semi-precious stones, crystals, glass from the Czech Republic, and beads to create each earring. Free, no registration required.

 

Friday, November 13, 6 to 6:30pm

Member Meet and Greet » Ivo Mesquita

Crystal Bridges’ Members are invited to a Members-only Meet and Greet with Ivo Mesquita prior to his Opening Lecture for Picturing the Americas. Separate registration is required for the lecture. Free for Members, register online or by calling the Member Priority Line at 479.418.5728.

 

Friday, November 13, 7 to 8 pm

Opening Lecture » Ivo Mesquita: Picturing the Americas Today

Ivo Mesquita, originator of the idea behind Picturing the Americas, will present this Opening Lecture for the exhibition and share his view of Latin America’s presence in the current art world. Mesquita’s idea took root in the late 1980s, when he spent time in Winnipeg, Manitoba and first saw the paintings of the Group of Seven, striking wonder in the connections across the hemisphere. In conjunction with the exhibition’s opening and the public symposium, Mesquita will focus on Latin American artists and the story of imagining this groundbreaking exhibition. Mesquita is the former Artistic Director at Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo and was previously Chief Curator at the same institution. He served as Chief Curator of the 28th Bienal de São Paulo, Brazil and taught for many years at Bard College in New York. This Opening Lecture is in conjunction with the Picturing the Americas Symposium. $10 ($8 for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335.

 

Saturday, November 14, 9 am to 1 pm

Saturday Session for Teachers » Picturing the Americas

Throughout history, mapmaking has helped people make sense of their surroundings. Join us for an exploration of Picturing the Americas and a hands-on studio session in which we will create personal geographies using creative cartography. Four hours of professional development credit available. Sponsored by Neff and Scarlett Basore. $10, register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335.

 

Saturday, November 14, 10 am to 5 pm

Picturing the Americas Symposium

In conjunction with the special exhibition Picturing the Americas, Crystal Bridges will host an International Symposium featuring scholars from both North and South America. Panel discussions will focus on topics central to the themes of the exhibition, including “Land, Icon, and Nature,” “Art and Exploration,” and “Modernity in the Landscape.” This public symposium presents an opportunity for scholars, educators, students, and the public to come together for an international exchange of views on a range of subjects connected to and inspired by landscape painting from Canada to Peru. The symposium will address a broader consideration of landscape painting in the Americas. This Symposium ticket includes the November 13 Opening Lecture » Ivo Mesquita: Picturing the Americas Today. Sponsored by the Terra Foundation for American Art. $35 ($28 for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335.

 

Monday, November 16, 1 to 2 pm  

Art Talk » Picturing the Americas with Curator Mindy Besaw

Join Curator Mindy Besaw for this close look at three paintings in the new exhibition Picturing the Americas. The observed works will illustrate how landscape painting played a role in shaping national identity throughout the Americas. Your Art Talk ticket doubles as your exhibition ticket to Picturing the Americas, register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335.

 

Wednesday, November 18, 5 to 9 pm Artinfusion @ Culture Hour » Holiday Cravings

Artinfusion Members and friends are invited to come together on the third Wednesday of November to meet and mingle during Culture Hour. Enjoy networking, complimentary nosh, and $6 drink specials in Eleven, then stroll the galleries while they’re open late. Indulge in dinner at Eleven beforehand, and then enjoy a surprise twist on holiday cravings with fellow artinfusion Members.  This sweet (and salty) finale will wrap up a great season of artinfusion events! Sponsored by Arvest Bank, Blue Moon Brewing Company, RopeSwing, and Saatchi & Saatchi X.

Free, no registration required.

 

 

Thursday, November 19, 7:30 to 9 pm

Film » Juaja

A sublime fantasy standing at the intersection of fairy tale and land art, Jauja expands upon the minimalism of filmmaker Lisandro Alonso, arriving at a radical re-imagining of the period piece. The story, co-scripted by the Argentine poet and novelist Fabián Casas, concerns a Danish military engineer (Viggo Mortensen) enlisted to pacify native Patagonia in nineteenth-century Argentina. The landscapes of Picturing the Americas come to life in this stunning cinematic experience. Sponsored by Demara Titzer and inVeritas. Free, register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335.

 

Friday, November 20, 6:30 to 8:30 pm

Art by the Glass » Cartography

Channel your inner explorer and discover traditional methods of cartography with a fun twist! Using a variety of materials, create an illustrative map that represents your sense of home, inspired by the current exhibition Picturing the Americas. All materials plus two glasses of wine and light hors d’oeuvres are provided. $45 ($36 for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335.