Building Bridges: A Conversation with President Barack Obama

A Conversation with President Barack Obama
On the American Spirit
 Hosted By Board Chair Olivia Walton

Crystal Bridges is excited to announce the inaugural event of Building Bridges. As a part our year-long celebration of America at 250, Building Bridges celebrates the American spirit of meeting in the middle-with curiosity, courage, and care.

Hosted by Board Chair, Olivia Walton, the series of conversations brings together thought leaders, thinkers, and artists with differing perspectives to model civic dialogue. These gatherings shed light on the importance of asking meaningful questions and being open to thoughtful answers.

From our home in Bentonville, Arkansas, we invite our neighbors and the nation to gather at our bridge-a place that connects what’s divided and can carry us forward together.

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We’re grateful for the extraordinary enthusiasm around this program. It underscores how meaningful moments like this are to our community.

Per President Obama’s communications team, livestreaming is not permitted for this appearance. However, we will share a taped version of the program through our channels as soon as it’s available so our broader community can experience the conversation.

President Barack Obama

Barack Obama was the 44th president of the United States, elected in November 2008 and holding office for two terms.

He was born in Hawaiʻi on August 4, 1961, to a mother from Kansas and a father from Kenya, and raised with the help of his grandparents.

Soon after graduating from Columbia University in New York City, Obama moved to the South Side of Chicago, where he became a community organizer, coordinating with churches to improve housing conditions and set up job-training programs in a community hit hard by steel mill closures.

After nearly three years, he attended Harvard Law School, where he attracted national attention as the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review. Returning to Chicago, he became a civil rights attorney and married Michelle Robinson in 1992. Obama was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1996, and then to the United States Senate in 2004.

When he was elected president in 2008, he became the first African American to hold the office, and was inaugurated during the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. In office, he oversaw eight years of progress, taking action to rescue the American economy, grow the middle class, pass the Affordable Care Act, wind down two wars, and refocus American diplomatic leadership around the world. He left office having overseen the longest job stretch of American job creation ever and led the creation of the Paris Agreement, the most ambitious global climate agreement in history. In 2009, Obama became the fourth president to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

In his post-presidency, President Obama has dedicated his efforts to supporting the next generation of leaders. The Obama Foundation is bringing that vision to life through programs for emerging leaders across continents, and the Foundation’s mission to inspire, empower, and connect people to change their world. That legacy will carry on through the Obama Presidential Center, currently under construction on Chicago’s South Side.

Olivia Walton

Olivia Walton lends her voice and leadership to advocacy for the arts, childhood wellbeing, and economic empowerment in America’s Heartland. In November 2021, she was named board chairperson for Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Olivia also serves as executive board chair of the Momentary, principal of Ingeborg Investments and is a co-founder of the Heartland Summit. In her personal philanthropy, Olivia focuses on promoting the arts as an economic driver; improving the wellbeing of children in Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas/Mississippi Delta; and women’s empowerment. Olivia leads the vision for OZ Art NWA, which support the regional arts scene with its own collection on view throughout Bentonville and collaborates with regional and national artists to bring outdoor art to parks and trails. Olivia’s curiosity, interest in big ideas, and desire to make a difference come from her years of experience as a national journalist for NBC News and MSNBC, and as an anchor for Bloomberg Television in New York and London. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and her master’s degree from the London School of Economics. Olivia lives in Bentonville, Arkansas with her husband, Tom, and their two daughters and son.

Arrival and Seating
Doors open at 1 p.m. Please plan to be seated by 3 p.m. The lecture will begin at 3:30 p.m. Guests who do not clear security before 3 p.m. will not be admitted—no exceptions. We strongly encourage you to arrive early to ensure a smooth entry.

Event Location
The lecture will take place at the Heartland Whole Health Institute on the Crystal Bridges campus. Guest Experience staff will be on site to help with directions and wayfinding.

Security Screening
All guests will be fully screened through metal detectors. Security will take place on the west side of the Heartland Whole Institute Building. Guest Experience staff will be on site to help with directions and wayfinding.

Bag Policy
No bags, purses, totes, backpacks, or clear bags will be allowed inside the building for this lecture.

Food and Drink
No food or drink will be allowed inside the ballroom.

Cell Phone Policy
Cell phones are permitted and photography is allowed. Live streaming of any kind is not permitted. Guests who attempt to stream the lecture will be asked to leave. Cell phones should be put on silent mode for the duration of the event.

Parking and Access
Parking is available in Campus Parking off Museum Way, next to the Amazeum. Accessible parking is located east of the Heartland Whole Health Institute. The venue is accessible via a paved walking trail from campus parking. Please allow extra time to walk to the building and complete security screening.