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Crystal Bridges’ June Programs: Summer camps, outdoor events, and exhibitions

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.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art invites visitors to participate in family and outdoor events throughout the month. Summer Camps will kick off the week of June 15 and offer a creative setting for kids to learn about the museum’s collection and grounds and experiment with a range of art materials in the studios. Classes include Art and Nature, Mixed Media Mania, The Dancing Museum, and more. All materials, plus healthy snacks, are provided.

Enjoy free outdoor activities including Kansas City musicians Brandon and Teryn Draper who will perform on Wednesday, June 10, for Summer Family Time: Drum Safari. On Friday, June 12, teens are invited to bring their hammocks and musical instruments to the grounds for TEN: Hammock Hang. Celebrate summer at Crystal Bridges with Summer Solstice Night at the Skyspace: KOYAANISQATSI on Saturday, June 20 and Yoga Solstice at the Museum on Sunday, June 21.

Bringing the outdoors into the galleries, Fish Stories: Early Images of American Game Fish, will continue on view through September 21 and features 20 color plates that capture distinctly American fish in their natural surroundings. On view through September 14, American Encounters: Simple Pleasures of Still Life, explores late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century still life and concludes a four-year collaboration with the High Museum, Terra Foundation for American Art, and the Musée du Louvre. A Spotlight Lecture on June 21 will feature University of Arkansas Professor Daniel Sutherland discussing his new biography titled Whistler: A Life for Art’s Sake.

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

 


Summer Blooms Trail Experience (May 18 – July 17)

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 11:30 am

Summer offers a glorious display of wildflowers throughout the museum grounds, but especially in the meadow area near the Skyspace. The tour will begin at the south lobby and will make its way up the paved Art Trail. Includes some hills, but is well worth the walk! Sponsored by The Coleman Company. Follows a paved trail, includes a steep incline. Please wear appropriate footgear. No registration is required.

  


Monday, June 1, 9 to 11 am

Members’ Last Look » Van Gogh to Rothko:  Masterworks from the Albright-Knox Art Gallery

Crystal Bridges Members are invited to a Members-only Last Look for Van Gogh to Rothko:  Masterworks from the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. Free with registration online or by calling the Member Priority Line 479.418.5728.

  


Monday, June 1, 6 to 7 pm

Yoga and Art

Yoga takes over the Great Hall, a peaceful setting with views of the museum’s ponds, forest, and architecture. Yoga Story’s Cindee Joslin leads this uplifting group experience uniting the power of art with the beauty of nature. 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.

  


Monday, June 1 and 15, 1 to 3 pm

Figure Drawing

Join us on the first and third Mondays of each month for this adult Figure Drawing class in drawing 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. Participants must be 14 and older. A variety of drawing materials will be provided, and model poses will include both shorter warm-up poses, and longer poses. All materials are provided. $10 (Free for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335. 

 


Wednesday, June 3, 10, 17, 24, and July 1 and 8, 6 to 8:30 pm

Studio Studies » Do-It-Yourself Screen Printing

Learn the fundamentals of the screen printing process used by Andy Warhol in this studio studies series led by John Brown University Printmaking Professor Bobby C. Martin. By the end of the series, you will have the skills to set up your own screen printing studio at home! Sponsored by Demara Titzer. $200 / 6 classes (160 for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335.

   


Wednesday, June 3, 7 to 8 pm

Architecture Speaker Series » A Conversation with Fallingwater Director Lynda Waggoner

Join Crystal Bridges Director of Facilities and Grounds, Scott Eccelston, in a conversation with Fallingwater’s Director, Lynda Waggoner. They will discuss the 10 structures designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright that have been placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List of sites identified as important to the global community. Waggoner coordinated the nomination dossier for all 10 Wright-designed sites. Besides Fallingwater, built for department-store owner Edgar Kaufmann in 1935, the other Wright sites listed include the Frederick C. Robie House, built in 1908 in Chicago; Taliesin, Wright’s home and studio in Wisconsin begun in 1911; the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 1943, in New York City; and the Price Tower, Wright’s only freestanding skyscraper, 1952, in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Read more about it here. Sponsored by Chip and Susan Chambers.$10 (Free for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335.

  


Friday, June 5, 7 to 8 pm

First Friday » KUAF/Fulbright Summer Chamber Music Series

Experience the grand finale of the KUAF/Fulbright Summer Chamber music series in the Museum’s beautiful Great Hall. The  concert celebrates the music of American minimalist composer, Philip Glass, and  American composer, Ryan Cockerham, who will compose a piece in honor of Stephen Gates’s 40+ years as Professor of Music at the University of Arkansas. Gates has curated the KUAF/Fulbright concert series for numerous years. Free, register online or by calling Guest Services at 479-657-2335.

   


Monday, June 8, 11 am to 12:30 pm

Journaling Group » Writing from Nature

Take a walk, reflect, and write through a journey on the trails of Crystal Bridges. Find rejuvenation in expressing your thoughts outdoors on paper.  Poet and Northwest Arkansas Community College Professor Curtis Harrell will guide the experience following prompts from the great American naturalists Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Thoreau, and John Muir. Free, register online or by calling Guest Services at 479-657-2335.

  


Wednesday, June 10, 6 to 7 pm WOW » The Simple Pleasures of Still Life Please join Crystal Bridges Culinary Director Case Dighero, along with special guests, as they discuss the American Encounters exhibition…with an opportunity for WOW guests to create their very own Edible Still Life.  Open to guests ages 21 and above. Sponsored by Premier Dermatology and Reidel. $30 ($24 for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335

  


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

Figure Drawing from the Nude Model

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; please check the calendar for dates and time.) $10 (Free for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335.

  


Wednesday, June 10, 7 to 8 pm

Summer Family Time » Drum Safari

Join Kansas City musicians Brandon and Teryn Draper on Walker Landing for a high-energy, interactive performance of music from around the world. Then join in on a community drum circle! Free, no registration required.

  


Thursday, June 11, 8 to 9 pm

Skyspace Talk » Poetry Lift Off!

Enjoy poetry performances inside James Turrell’s Skyspace, The Way of Color. Houston Hughes leads the night of poetry slams featuring poets on light, color, and the universe!  Seating is limited so please arrive 30 minutes before sunset, which occurs at 8:35 p.m., to ensure a seat. We will also include a sound system to broadcast the poetry performances outside the Skyspace. Free, no registration required.

   


June 11 through 13

Crystal Bridges Library Book Sale Member Pre-sale: Thursday, June 11, noon to 6 pm.

Public sale: Friday, June 12, noon to 6 pm; and Saturday, June 13, noon to 3 pm

Come out for Crystal Bridges Library first book sale ever! We’ll be offering more than 1,000 books for sale at prices ranging from 50¢ to $10 per book. Browse artist monographs and exhibition catalogs as well as books on European art, American art, decorative art, and architecture. All are books in good condition that have not been accessioned into our Library collection because they are duplicates or did not fit our collection development policy. All proceeds benefit the museum. Note:  purchases may be made with credit/debit card or check only.  Free, no registration required.

   


Friday, June 12, 6:30 to 8:30 pm

TEN » Hammock Hang

Hang out on the Museum grounds with other museum-loving teens. Bring your own hammock, as well as your ukuleles, guitars, or other musical instruments—hammocking is best with music! Organized by the Museum’s Teen Council.  Free, no registration required.

   


Friday, June 12, 6:30 to 8:30 pm

Photo Salon » Hudson River School Landscape Photography

Join photographer Dan Snow as he continues to explore the landscape through photography. This session will focus on the Hudson River School of painting and how the techniques of these painters are applied by landscape photographers today. $10 (Free for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335.

   


Friday, June 12, 8:30 to 9:45 pm

Live Arts » Oklahoma Dance Film Festival and Performance

Come out to the Skyspace on Crystal Bridges’ Art Trail for an evening of film and dance under the stars. The Oklahoma Dance Film Festival presents a screening of short contemporary dance films that explore the body’s relationship with nature, produced by filmmakers from around the world.  The festival screening will kick off with a special dance performance around the Skyspace, beginning at 8:30 pm during the time of sunset. Sponsored by Legacy Fayetteville Condominiums and Demara Titzer. Free, register online or by calling Guest Services at 479-657-2335.

  


Saturday, June 13, 9 to 10:30 am

Discover the Grounds » Medicinal Plants

Justin Nolan, Associate Professor in the Anthropology department at the University of Arkansas, will lead a foraging journey of medicinal plants found on Crystal Bridges grounds. Nolan will discuss the human relationship with nature and health belief systems often found in region-specific folkways and traditions. Nolan’s fieldwork expertise focuses on the Cherokee Nation and explores the linkages between ecological diversity in the Ozark foothills and the continuity of Cherokee artisanship and expressive traditions. He also recently completed a study of sustainable tourism throughout Arkansas’ natural regions. Sponsored by The Coleman Company.  Free, register online or by calling Guest Services at 479-657-2335

   


Sunday, June 14, 4 to 5:30 pm

Spotlight Lecture » Whistler: A Life for Art’s Sake

University of Arkansas Professor Daniel Sutherland has published a new biography of artist James McNeil Whistler titled Whistler: A Life for Art’s Sake. It is the first biography of Whistler in more than 20 years, and also the first to make extensive use of the artist’s private correspondence to tell the story of his life and work. This engaging personal history dispels the popular notion of Whistler as merely a combative, eccentric, and unrelenting publicity seeker—a man as renowned for his public feuds with Oscar Wilde and John Ruskin as for the iconic portrait of his mother. The Whistler revealed in these pages is an intense, introspective, and complex man, plagued by self-doubt and haunted by an endless pursuit of perfection in his painting and drawing. Whistler comes alive through his own magnificent work and words, including the provocative manifestos that explained his bold artistic vision, sparked controversy in his own time, and resonate to this day. Free, register online or by calling Guest Services at 479-657-2335.

  


Monday through Friday, June 15 through 19, 9 am to noon

Summer Camp for ages 6 to 9 and 10 to 12 » Art and Nature

Discover art and environment through gallery visits, art-making with natural materials, and exploring the outdoors on the Crystal Bridges trails! Use the natural features and creatures at Crystal Bridges to inspire your art in this exciting summer camp. Be sure to wear your walking shoes and sunscreen for our outdoor adventures. All materials provided. $150 ($120 for Members), register online or at Guest Services.

   


Monday through Friday, June 15 through 19, 1:30 to 4:30 pm

Summer Camp for ages 6 to 9 and 10 to 12 » Painting

Experiment with a variety of painting techniques, both in the Crystal Bridges studios and en plein air (“in the open air”) in this summer camp! Learn new methods of painting using tempera, watercolor, acrylic, and unusual materials such as shaving cream and ice while exploring the Museum’s collection. All materials provided. $150 ($120 for Members), register online or at Guest Services.

  


Wednesday, June 17, 6 to 7 pm

Boundless Book Club: Selected Stories: 1968-1994, by Alice Munro

Alice Munro captures the reader’s affection with her collection of stories, offering us a variety of settings, time periods, and emotions. Join reference librarian Jim Everett to discuss this Nobel Prize-winning author and her ability to reveal the many layers of her characters. Coffee, wine, or other beverages from the Museum coffee bar are welcome. Free with online registration.

   


Wednesday, June 17, 7 to 8:30 pm

Summer Family Time: Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre presents As You Like It

Join us for a delightful adaptation for young audiences of Shakespeare’s comedy As You Like It,  performed outdoors on Walker Landing. Free, no registration required.

  


Saturday, June 20, 8:30 to 10 pm

Summer Solstice Night at the Skyspace » KOYAANISQATSI

Join us at the Skyspace for an outdoor screening of this unconventional film, followed by telescope stargazing by the Astronomical Society of NWA.  KOYAANISQATSI is the first film of the QATSI trilogy. The title is a Hopi Indian word meaning “life out of balance.” Created between 1975 and 1982, the film is an apocalyptic vision of the collision of two different worlds: urban life and technology vs. the environment. The musical score was composed by Philip Glass. Free, register online or by calling Guest Services at 479-657-2335. Sponsored by Legacy Fayetteville Condominiums and Demara Titzer.

  


Sunday, June 21, 7 to 8 am

Yoga Solstice at the Museum

Begin the first day of summer with 101 Sun Salutations on Crystal Bridges lush South Lawn, facilitated by Cindee Joslin of Yoga Story. Special arrival instructions:  The museum lobby will not yet be open to the public at this hour, so please use the exterior walkway to the South Lawn. There are no bathrooms available. Please bring your own yoga mat and water. Free, register online or by calling Guest Services at 479-657-2335.

   


Sunday, June 21, noon to 5 pm

Family Sunday » Trail Mix

Performances by Strange Fruit at 1, 2:30, and 4 pm

Trail Mix, part of the annual Artosphere Festival presented by Walton Arts Center, features local and international bands who perform in a variety of musical genres along the museum trails from 1 to 3 p.m.  In addition, this year the Festival features Australia’s highly acclaimed circus daredevils, Strange Fruit. The company performs atop 14-foot flexible poles, bending and swaying to impossible angles while combining elements of theatre, dance, and circus. Strange Fruit will appear at Crystal Bridges to offer three magical performances of Swoon, a spectacular story of love, loss, joy, and freedom on high at 1:00, 2:30, and 4:00 p.m. More information here. Free, no registration required. Family Sunday is sponsored by Rockline Industries and the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.  

  


Monday through Friday, June 22 through 26, 9 am to noon

Summer Camp for ages 6 to 9 » Mixed Media Mania

Do you love making art with exciting new materials? Then this camp is for you! Learn about the magic that results from combining materials as you dabble, build, experiment, and play with found objects, junk mail, fabric, and more! All materials provided. $150 ($120 for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479-657-2335.

   


Monday through Friday, June 22 through 26, 9 am to noon

Summer Camp for ages 10 to 12: Movie-Making! Video Selfies

Explore self-portraiture using the Museum as your backdrop to create video selfies in this movie-making art camp instructed by actress Jules Taylor. This camp will help build up your confidence and self-expression. Learn how to write a script that expresses you, sketch storyboards, practice filming your performance at your favorite spot in the Museum, and video edit cool special effects.  Spend time with the Museum’s art collection to inspire your video selfie too.  At the end of the camp, we’ll host a special film-screening party with invited friends and family. Special guest appearances by music-video artist Sara Segerlin, who also produces the Museum’s annual short film festival. $150 ($120 for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479-657-2335.

  


Monday, June 22, 1 to 2 pm

Art Talk » Mindy Besaw: Art and the National Parks

Art played a major role in establishing national parks in the American West in the last half of the nineteenth century. Artists were some of the earliest and most effective advocates for preserving land “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.” Join Curator Mindy Besaw to hear more about artists who painted Yosemite (William Keith and Thomas Hill) and Yellowstone (Thomas Moran and John Henry Twachtman) while looking at examples in the gallery. Free, no registration required.

   


Monday through Friday, June 22 through 26, 1:30 to 4:30 pm

Summer Camp for ages 6 to 9 and 10 to 12 » Drawing

Use traditional drawing tools such as pastels and charcoal, plus experimental tools like branches, to learn all about drawing, both in the Crystal Brides galleries and on the trails. We’ll draw from life, our imaginations, and even explore drawing by printing with Gelli™ plates! All materials provided. $150 ($120 for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479-657-2335.

   


Wednesday, June 24, 5 to 9 pm

Artinfusion @ Culture Hour

Get together with artinfusion Members and friends at a special Culture Hour just for you!

Artinfusion Members and friends are invited to come together on the fourth Wednesday of each month to meet and mingle during Culture Hour in Eleven. Enjoy networking, complimentary nosh, and $5 drink specials in Eleven, then stroll the galleries while they are open late.

Culture Hour special pricing typically ends at 7 pm, but on these fourth Wednesdays we extend the deals for artinfusion Members (with proof of membership) until 9 pm. Bring a friend! Artinfusion is especially for ages 21 – 40s. Artinfusion is sponsored by Blue Moon Brewing Company, Arvest, and RopeSwing. Free, no registration required.

   


Wednesday, June 24, 8 to 10 pm Live from Crystal Bridges:  The Artosphere Festival Orchestra presents Transfigured Night Join us for a special Artosphere Festival Orchestra concert and live KUAF 91.3FM Public Radio broadcast from Crystal Bridges’ beautiful Great Hall. Under the baton of Music Director Corrado Rovaris, the orchestra will perform an all-strings concert featuring compositions by Arnold Schoenberg and Giuseppe Verdi. The Artosphere Festival Orchestra is recognized as an important classical music voice by American Public Media’s Performance Today, the nation’s most popular classical music radio program. 1 hour, 40 minutes with intermission. Tickets $40, purchase online at http://tickets.waltonartscenter.org.

  


 Saturday, June 27, 1 to 4 pm

Drop-In Art Making » Bead Blossoms

Join us in the studios to bring to life your favorite floral still life from our collection using beads, found objects, and decoupage!  Find an exciting new way of creating still life with these unexpected materials.  All materials provided. Free, no registration required.

  


Saturday, June 27, 1 to 2 pm

Art Talk » The Outsider in American Art

School and Community Program Manager Zev Slurzberg invites you to join him in a conversation about changing views of people who are outside the mainstream perspective in American art, focusing on two works from very different time periods—John Singleton Copley’s Mrs. Theodore Atkinson Jr. (1765) and Kerry James Marshall’s Our Town (1995). Free, no registration required.

   


Sunday, June 28, 1 to 3 pm

Walker Landing Arts

Enjoy music by Crystal Bridges’ favorites, Farmer and the Markets, plus outdoor art-making on Walker Landing. Free, no registration required.

  


Sunday, June 28, 1 to 4 pm

Drop-In Drawing » Bring it to Life

Experiment with innovative drawing materials to bring your drawing to life!  All materials provided. Free, no registration required.

   


Sunday, June 28, 6:30 to 9 pm

CR(EAT)E Food Series »  Brews and Fish of the Ozarks  

An in-depth glimpse and taste of how art inspires the culinary world of Crystal Bridges,  hosted by Executive Chef Bill Lyle, along with special guests. We’ll be discussing the museum’s temporary exhibition Fish Stories:  Early Images of American Game Fish and the art of fishing, as well as tasting samples prepared by Eleven’s chefs and paired with craft-brewed beers from the Ozarks. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and dinner begins at 7:00. $100 ($80 for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335.