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Crystal Bridges Celebrates the End of Summer with Festivals, Exhibitions, and More

Crystal Bridges wraps up the end of summer with temporary exhibitions, Nature’s Nation and Color Field, a brand new festival, and free outdoor art activities.

The museum’s temporary exhibitions, Nature’s Nation and Color Field, are on view throughout the month. Nature’s Nation features 300 years of evolving ideas about the natural world in the gallery while Color Field provides large-scale sculptures in the North Forest. Exhibition tickets for both Color Field and Nature’s Nation are $16 or $12 individually. Members, veterans, and youth 18 and under get in free. For a ticket and more information, visit the Summer at Crystal Bridges page.

Be the chalk of the town! Watch and join professional chalk artists turn concrete into masterpieces at Chalk Festival! Discover illusions, 3D art, and chalk it up to a good time! Enjoy music, outdoor games, and more with family and friends at this free weekend festival.

Join the annual Summer Fling on August 17 on the South Lawn. Live music from Jukeboxx and Memphis-based group, Ghost Town Blues Band, will be provided, along with games, artmaking, food, a cash bar and a late night tour inside the Frank Lloyd Wright House.

Hear from Nature’s Nation artists, Valerie Hegarty and Mierle Laderman Ukeles as part of the  Spotlight Talk series on August 16 and 28. Take a close look at Hegarty’s artwork Fallen Bierstadt (2007) with Curator Mindy Besaw and reflect on ideas of American identity and the environment through art. Discover how Ukeles “keeps the city alive” with her experience of endless maintenance and service through her artwork.

Wheelchair seating is accessible at all programs. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation is offered at all Distinguished Speaker Lectures and at the Collection Highlights tour on the third Saturday of each month. Based on availability, ASL is available for all programs and tours upon advanced request. Please contact access@crystalbridges.orgor 479.657.2415 to schedule. Relay or voice calls are welcome.

STAY IN THE KNOW! Log in or create an account to customize your eNewsletters based on your interests. A full listing of August programs is below. Information and registration are available on Crystal Bridges’ calendar of events.

Summer Outdoor Film Series » Planet Earth: Caves & Freshwater
Thursday, August 1, 8:30 to 10:30 pm
Discover the beautifully filmed Planet Earth mini-series! We’ll be watching the Cave and Freshwater episodes, which can be found right here in the Heartland. Bring your family out to the North Lawn and get connected to the unique nature around the Ozarks. Free, register online or with Guest Services.

Salsa Night
Friday, August 2, 8 to 11 pm
Dance the night away with DJ Luis for an evening of salsa beats in the Great Hall. Free, register online or with Guest Services.

Family Nature Workshop » Marvelous Monarchs
Saturday, August 3, 10:30 am to 12 pm
Discover more about the vanishing monarch butterfly species, with special guests from the North American Monarch Institute. Visit our Monarch Way Station, make your own artful butterfly, and take home milkweed to help save the monarchs! Free, registration required.

Yoga and Art
Monday, August 5, 6 to 7 pm
Exercise your body and mind at Crystal Bridges with yoga and art! Join instructors from Yoga Story in an uplifting group class that explores different facets of vinyasa as well as various disciplines of yoga practice. Open to all levels. Participants are encouraged to bring their own mats and dress appropriately. $5 (Free for members), register online or with Guest Services.

Skyspace Nights » Star Party
Wednesdays, August 7, 8 to 9:30 pm
Spend a summer evening outdoors gazing at the stars and enjoying the night sky! Each Star Party will begin at sunset with a special talk inside James Turrell’s Skyspace: The Way of Color, followed by a chance to look through telescopes, chat with astronomers, and engage with activities inspired by the night sky. Free, no registration required.

Preschool Playdate » Nature’s Nation
Thursday, August 8, 11:30 am to 2 pm
Do you love your home planet? Get to know some of the artists who love our planet in our temporary exhibition Nature’s Nation! Join us this playdate for a Preschool Art Tour, creative play, and artmaking with natural and upcycled materials. Playdate begins with a performance in the Great Hall. Free, no registration required.

Art & English
Thursday, August 8, 6:30 to 7:30 pm
Are you learning English and want to practice your conversational skills with others? Join us for Art & English where English language learners are encouraged to practice speaking, listening, reading, and writing English while discussing artworks in the galleries. Free, registration encouraged, but not required. Email Emily.Rodriguez@CrystalBridges.org to register.

Summer Family Fun » Mil’s Trills
Friday, August 9, 7 to 8 pm
Give summer one last hurrah with Mil’s Trills, an award-winning Brooklyn-based children’s music artist, as she brings the NWA community some joy through rhythm and music. Free, no registration required.

NEW Chalk Festival
Saturday, August 10, 10 am to 6 pm
Sunday, August 11, 12 to 5 pm
This will be the chalk of the town! Watch professional chalk artists turn concrete into masterpieces and show off your own skills. Chalk it up to a good time, enjoy music, outdoor games, experiment with chalk, and create messy art projects! Free, no registration required.

Adult Workshop » Butterfly Painting with Tram Colwin
Sunday, August 11, 1 to 5 pm
Inspired by artists such as John James Audubon and Martin Johnson Heade, join us for an afternoon butterfly drawing workshop with artist, Tram Colwin. In this four-hour workshop, Tram will guide you through a variety of basic drawing and watercolor painting techniques. The workshop will include pinned specimens for guests to draw from, and guests will leave with a finished painting. All supplies for this workshop will be provided. $55 ($45/members), register online or by calling Guest Services.

Meditation and Mindfulness
Monday, August 12, 1 to 2 pm
Take a break from your busy life and visit Crystal Bridges for rejuvenation in these guided meditation and mindfulness programs, surrounded by the beauty of art and nature. Sessions will be held indoors in front of artworks from the permanent collection galleries, or outdoors along our beautiful trails and grounds. Free, no registration required.

Afterschool Art Class » Earth Art (Ages 5-12)
Thursdays, August 15, 22, 29, 4 to 5:30 pm
Explore the temporary exhibition, Nature’s Nation. Back in the studios, create art from recycled materials, paint a landscape, and make art from natural materials! $45/3 sessions ($36/members), register online or with Guest Services.

Homeschool Friday Fun » Nature’s Nation (Ages 5-12)
Fridays, August 16, 23, 30, 2 to 3:30 pm
Discover how artists are inspired by nature when you visit the temporary exhibition, Nature’s Nation: American Art and Environment. Try your hand at Plein Air painting, create a nature-inspired sun catcher, and more! $45/3 sessions ($36/members), register online or with Guest Services.

Spotlight Talk » Valerie Hegarty
Friday, August 16, 7 to 8 pm
Join us for an evening discussion with Nature’s Nation artist, Valerie Hegarty, and Curator, Mindy Besaw. Taking a close look at her artworkFallen Bierstadt (2007), the discussion will include a look at Hegarty’s materials and process, with reflection on ideas of American identity and the environment through art. Free, registration required.

Studio Squad » 3D Felting (Ages 11-13)
Saturday, August 17, 4 to 5:30 pm
Mold your own tiny felt critter using dyed wool and wire that you can take home with you! This workshop is for beginning felters, no experience necessary. Free, register online or with Guest Services.

Summer Fling
Saturday, August 17, 9 pm to 12:30 am
The summer is winding down, but we’ve got time for one more fling on the South Lawn. Enjoy the autumn colors as the Ghost Town Blues Band brings you live music all the way from Memphis. Pop over to the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed, Bachman-Wilson House, for an exclusive late-night experience, and check out the Great Hall lounge for more games, art, and good times. Food and cash bar will be available throughout the night! $25 ($20/members; Free for Artinfusion), register online or with Guest Services.

DISH » Paula Jo Henry
Thursday, August 22, 6 to 7:30 pm
Enjoy an in-depth conversation with restaurant owner, Paula Jo Henry, of Crepes Paulette! Savor drinks and appetizers as you get an insightful glimpse into Henry’s work as business owner, mother, and master of turning a busy food truck into a successful brick and mortar restaurant. $50 ($42/members), register online or by calling Guest Services.

Discover the Grounds » Forest Dwelling Bats
Friday, August 23, 7 to 9:30 pm
Watch the fascinating rolls forest dwelling bats play in your own backyard in this event led by Patrick Moore. This evening program will take a close look at the species flying close to the museum after dark, beginning with a presentation in the classroom, and ending with a chance to see bats close up with pre-set nets. Free with online registration.

CB Babies
Saturday, August 24, 10 to 11:30 am
Oh, baby! Join us for this special program for the museum’s youngest visitors: infants ages 3 to 24 months with a caregiver. Spend time in the galleries looking at and talking to your baby about art before enjoying sensory playtime. $10 per baby, free tickets for 1-2 adults per baby ($8/members), register online or with Guest Services.

Sunset Tai Chi  
Monday, August 26, 7:30 to 8:30 pm
Plan to wind down from your busy day and join us this evening on the South Lawn for tai chi and qigong as the sun sets, surrounded by the beauty of art and nature! Led by Erik Hardin, L.Ac and certified instructor, each session will begin one hour before the sun sets. All experience levels welcome. $5 (free for members), register online or with Guest Services.

Spotlight Talk » Mierle Laderman Ukeles
Wednesday, August 28, 7 to 8 pm
Since 1977, Mierle Laderman Ukeles became the official, unsalaried Artist-in-Residence at the New York City Department of Sanitation and has created art that deals with the endless maintenance and service work that “keeps the city alive.” Join us this evening for a discussion on her prolific career, with special focus in her work included in the exhibition Nature’s Nation, Touch Sanitation Performance (Handshake), 1989. Free, registration required.

Art by the Glass » Fern Prints
Friday, August 30, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Discover the varied shapes and textures of our native ferns over a glass of wine in this fun evening class! Using clippings from our native fern garden in the North Forest, each guest will learn techniques of nature printing, creating a textured work on paper that can be taken home after the event. All materials, plus a glass of wine or beer and light appetizers are provided. $30 ($24/members), register online or with Guest Services.

Multisensory Saturday
Saturday, August 31, 11 am to 2 pm
Join us for multisensory exploration at the museum featuring gallery activities that focus on access and inclusion and highlight all the senses. Free, no registration required.

Light Night
Saturday, August 31, 8 to 11 pm
Get your glow sticks ready for our seventh annual Light Night festival! Explore an illuminated wonderland of creativity, lights, music, and dance around Leo Villareal’s Buckyball. Enjoy fun activities such as pop-up light art installations, fire dancers, glow artmaking, a black light graffiti wall, and more. Cash bar and food trucks will be available. Free, no registration required.

For a complete list of current exhibitions. For news updates, follow Crystal Bridges on the Blog, Facebook, or Twitter.