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Crystal Bridges includes: Red Carpet After-Party, Annual Garden Party, Spotlight Talks and More!

In May, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art invites visitors to enjoy parties that showcase the beautiful trails and grounds and feature the museum after-hours, along with pop art presentations, classes, culinary events, and more!

Dance the night away at Artinfusion’s Red Carpet After Hours on May 5. In collaboration with the Bentonville Film Festival, the party celebrates BFF’s mission of supporting women and diversity in film, while allowing visitors to live out their Hollywood fantasies with live music and performances.

Celebrate Mother’s Day weekend with the beauty of Crystal Bridges at the third annual Garden Party on May 13. Visitors will enjoy this free event with a special native plant and seed sale, artmaking, nature and art talks, refreshments from Eleven, and more. Continue the celebration with a concert in the Great Hall by Artosphere’s renowned musicians-in-residence, The Dover Quartet.

Don’t miss the museum’s Spotlight Talk with José Diaz on May 18. Diaz, the curator of the Andy Warhol Museum, will include a special look at the new Roy Lichtenstein exhibition, along with the art, relationships, and lives of iconic Pop artists Lichtenstein and Warhol.

This summer, Crystal Bridges will open dual exhibitions on June 3, Chihuly: In the Gallery and In the Forest, by the American sculptor Dale Chihuly. Due to anticipated popularity and limited capacity, a ticket is required for the exhibition. Tickets will indicate a start-time for the gallery portion, while the outdoor exhibition can be viewed any time during the reservation. Tickets are on sale and available here.

 

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

 

Figure Drawing

Monday, May 1 and 15, 1 to 3 pm

Join us on the first and third Mondays of each month 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 adults at the Museum. Model poses will include both shorter warm-up poses, and longer poses. All materials are provided. $10 for non-members and $5 for Members.

 

Member Double Discount Days

Friday, May 5, through Monday, May 8

Crystal Bridges Members will receive double discounts (20% off) during this special four-day event! Now is the time to buy, and with Mother’s Day around the corner you have an excuse to splurge. Discounts do not apply to Chihuly Studio Editions. Special guests and artisans to be announced.

 

Homeschool Friday Fun » The Size of It All

May 5, 12, 17, 2 to 3:30 pm

Giant and miniature, bird’s-eye and worm’s-eye views, this class is all about scale! Create art projects both big and small using Model Magic, paint sticks, and more. $45/3 sessions ($36 for Members), register online or with Guest Services.

 

Artinfusion’s Red Carpet After Hours

Friday, May 5, 9 pm to midnight

Expect the unexpected during this late-night party presented in collaboration with the Bentonville Film Festival. Headliner DJ Spooky, aka “That Subliminal Kid,” will present a special multimedia performance, while live music with Rochelle Bradshaw & Hypnotion and DJ Manny of the Austin-based “Peligrosa” collective will have you grooving all night long. Live out your Hollywood fantasies at the Museum while celebrating BFF‘s mission of supporting women and diversity in film. Presented in collaboration with Bentonville Film Festival. $45 (FREE to artinfusion Members), register online or with Guest Services.

 

Preschool Art Class » Art Safari

May 6, 13, 20, 10:30 am to noon

What animals will you discover at the Museum? Go on a gallery safari every day through our permanent collection to find out! Make artful animals back in the studio using a variety of media including drawing and Model Magic. $30/3 sessions ($24 for Members), register online or with Guest Services.

 

Creative Connections

Mondays, May 8 & 22, 1:30 to 3:30 pm

Join us for Creative Connections, a program for individuals in the early stages of Alzheimer’s or related dementia and their care partners. Museum Educators facilitate interactive discussions of artworks in the galleries followed by hands-on art activities in the studio. No prior art experienceis required! Refreshments and art materials are provided. Presented in collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Association and the Schmieding Center for Senior Health and Education.Sponsored by Loreen Arbus. Free, contact the Alzheimer’s Association at 479.273.5559 or sdillingham@alz.org to register.

 

Yoga and Art

Monday, May 8, 6 to 7 pm

Exercise your body and mind at Crystal Bridges with yoga and art! Join Lynn Hancock of 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.

 

Figure Drawing from the Nude Model

Wednesday, May 10 and 24, 6:30 to 8:30 pm

Join us on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month for this adult figure drawing class with a nude model. A variety of drawing materials will be provided, and model poses will include both shorter warm-up poses, and longer poses. Participants must be 18 or older. (Note: Figure Drawing sessions with a clothed model are offered on the first and third Mondays of each month, and are open to participants ages 14 and up). $10 ($5 for Members).

 

Preschool Playdate » Art Gardens!

May 11, 11:30 am to 2 pm

How does your garden grow? Get ready for spring and make colorful art for your garden! Enjoy art projects, storytime, and creative play inspired by nature in and around Crystal Bridges. Playdate begins with an 11:30 performance in the Great Hall. Sponsored by Roy and Christine Sturgis Charitable Trust, Bank of America N.A. Trustee, and the Segal Family Foundation. Free, no registration required.

 

Artosphere Orchestra Concert SOLD OUT

Friday, May 12, 7 to 9 pm

The Artosphere Festival Orchestra, comprised of more than 80 musicians from prestigious ensembles, orchestras, and music programs around the world, will once again gather in the Ozarks for a music-making experience unique to Artosphere. Under the baton of acclaimed Music Director Corrado Rovaris, the orchestra will perform an all-strings concert produced and performed as a live radio broadcast from the Great Hall at Crystal Bridges. The performance will also stream live for the audiences of regional National Public Radio affiliate KUAF 91.3 FM. $40, register online at waltonartscenter.org.

 

Discover the Grounds »Foodscape Revolution with Brie Arthur

May 13, 10 to 11:30 am

Join Foodscape Revolution author Brie Arthur and learn how pairing edible plants in a traditional ornamental landscape increases bio-diversity and adds purpose to everyday spaces! This dynamic and interactive experience will feature a short presentation, followed by tips and insights to bring home to your own landscape. You can also join Arthur later in the afternoon at our annual Garden Party, where you’ll have the chance to get down in the dirt and create an edible meadow at Crystal Bridges! Sponsored by Blue Rhino and Just-Us Printers. Free, register online or with Guest Services.

 

Garden Party

Saturday, May 13, noon to 5 pm

Celebrate the beauty of Crystal Bridges’ trails and ground with our third annual Garden Party! Enjoy fantastic music in multiple locations as part of Walton Arts Center’s Artosphere Festival featuring orchestra ensembles and experimental music group, Soundspace. Enjoy our special native plant and seed sale, artmaking, nature and art talks, and tasty refreshments by Eleven.*Extend your visit with tickets to Artosphere’s Dover Quartet concert. Sponsored by Roy and Christine Sturgis Charitable Trust, Bank of America, N.A. Trustee and Rockline Industries. Free, no registration required.

 

Artosphere Featured Musicians-in-Residence » The Dover Quartet

Saturday, May 13, 4 to 5 pm

Hear the magnificent and energizing string sounds of Artosphere’s renowned musicians-in-residence, The Dover Quartet. The quartet catapulted to international stardom following a stunning sweep of the 2013 Banff International String Quartet Competition, becoming one of the most in-demand ensembles in the world. The New Yorker recently dubbed them “the young American string quartet of the moment.” In 2015, it was announced that the group had been awarded the highly prestigious Cleveland Quartet Award, and shortly thereafter, Lincoln Center awarded the quartet the annual Hunt Family Award as part of the organization’s Emerging Artist Awards. *Arrive early and visit the Garden Party from 12 – 5pm! $30 – Register online at waltonartscenter.org.

 

Homeschool Tour and Art » Making Moves

Wednesday, May 17th from 1:00-3:00pm.   

Join us at Crystal Bridges for an exploration of bodies in motion throughout the permanent collection. This tour will lead us to look at movement in art, but it will also require us to shake a leg and move around!  First, we will work together to discover how to represent movement in our own art, using our bodies to create. Then, we will discover more by exploring artworks in our collection, engaging in a short art analysis activity at each stop on the tour. Free, registration required.

 

WOW » Crystal Bridges’ Nature

Wednesday, May 17, 6 to 7 pm

Horticulturalist Cody George joins Dighero as they discuss the many virtues of the natural setting around Crystal Bridges. We’ll celebrate National Strawberry Month with interesting ways to grow and eat fresh Ozark Strawberries, and the event will be followed by a special screening of The Favored Strawberry, a documentary made by the University of Arkansas’s Larry Foley. Open to guests ages 21 and above. Sponsored by Premier Dermatology. $40 ($32 for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335.

 

Art & English » English Language Learner Program

Thursdays, May 18, June 15, July 20, and August 17, 6 to 7:30 pm

Are you interested in practicing conversational English while learning about American art, history, and culture? Join us for Art & English! During this evening program, a Museum Educator encourages adult English language learners to practice speaking, listening, reading, and writing English while discussing works of art in the galleries. Children of participants are invited to join the gallery conversation or make an art project in the studios. All levels of English learners welcome! Free. To register, email Emily.Rodriguez@CrystalBridges.org.

 

Spotlight Talk » José Diaz, Curator of the Andy Warhol Museum

May 18, 7 to 8 pm

José Diaz, Curator of the Andy Warhol Museum, will present a special look at the new Roy Lichtenstein exhibition in this lecture on the art, relationships, and lives of two iconic Pop artists Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol. Diaz is the Milton Fine Curator of Art at The Andy Warhol Museum and has previously held progressive roles in museums, such as The Bass Museum of Art in Miami Beach and Tate Liverpool, where he organized the Biennial. Free, register online or with Guest Services.

 

Photo Salon » Pop Photography

Friday, May 19, 6:30 to 8:30 pm

Capture pops of color, shapes, and interesting angles in this Photo Salon that blends themes of Pop art and photography, led by fine-art photographer Kat Wilson. Inspired by Pop artists in our collection and the temporary exhibition Roy Lichtenstein: In Focus, this short workshop will introduce you to the visual tools of taking colorful images. All image devices are welcome.Bellows and Cassatt. $15 ($12 for Members), register online or with Guest Services.

 

Studio Squad » Board Games!

May 20, 2 to 3:30 pm

There is nothing boring about this class!  Make your own board game with art materials, dice, and spinners, then take it home to play with your friends. Sponsored by Rui J.P. de Figueirdo, Jr. and Natalia Ferretti and Nickelodeon. Free, no registration required.

 

Artinfusion Excursion » Sculptor Tom Edwards

Saturday, May 20

Meet Tom Edwards, a multi-media artist based right in artinfusion’s own backyard. He creates everything from paintings and drawings to larger-than-life metal sculptures. Explore Edwards’s studio and see him at work! Sponsored by Saatchi & Saatchi X, RopeSwing, The Hershey Company, Wright Lindsey Jennings, and Blue Moon Brewing Company. Exclusive to artinfusion Members, watch out for email invitations.

 

Adult Workshop » Pop Painting Workshop with Kevin Arnold

Sunday, May 21, 1 to 5 pm

Artist Kevin Arnold will lead this screenprinting and mixed media workshop inspired by the image-making processes of iconic Pop artists Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, and Robert Rauschenberg. This workshop will introduce you to some of the high-energy working methods and media used by these Pop artists as you create a canvas that is uniquely splashed with icons, swaths of color, and shapes. Kevin Arnold is a native of Northwest Arkansas and holds an MFA in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design. Arnold has taught courses at both RISD and the University of Arkansas, and has exhibited his work nationally and internationally. $55 ($44 Members), register online or with Guest Services.

 

Artinfusion Insight » Art Bar

Thursday, May 25, 6:30 to 9 pm

Gather with fellow artinfusion Members each month to mix and mingle at this happy hour infused with art, creative cuisine, and cultured cocktails. While you imbibe and enjoy an assortment of appetizers, experiment with hands-on art projects designed to help you roll up your sleeves and embrace your creativity! Sponsored by Saatchi & Saatchi X, RopeSwing, The Hershey Company, Wright Lindsey Jennings, Blue Moon Brewing Company, and JTH Productions. Free to artinfusion Members, register online or with Guest Services.

 

Art by the Glass » En Plein Air

Friday, May 26, 6:30 to 8:30 pm

Enjoy the beauty of spring and Crystal Bridges’ lush trails and grounds in this class that pairs wine with artmaking! Led by instructor Chloe Fennell, paint en plein air as the sun sets, and discover why many artists appreciate working outdoors in the luxury of nature. All materials, plus two glasses of wine and light appetizers, are provided. $55 ($44 Members), register online or with Guest Services.

 

Member Preview » Chihuly: In the Gallery and In the Forest

Saturday, May 27, through Friday, June 2

Visit CrystalBridges.org or call the Member Priority Line for ticket times.

Members are invited to our first-ever ONE WEEK preview for Chihuly: In the Gallery and In the Forest. Crystal Bridges is pleased to present extensive indoor and outdoor installations, featuring new works by renowned American sculptor, Dale Chihuly, as well as iconic works spanning the breadth of his career. Be among the first to see this stunning exhibition during the Museum’s week-long preview just for Members. Free, register online or by calling the Member Priority Line.