Oct 11, 2012 A documentary film that chronicles the development of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art will premiere on October 16th and 20th at the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, Hot Springs, Ark. The half-hour film, The Art of Crystal Bridges, was written and produced by Emmy Award-winning documentarian Larry Foley, and sponsored by JP Morgan. The Art of Crystal Bridges tells the story behind the founding and development of a major national museum in the heart of the Ozarks. Interviews with museum curators and designers, as well as with architect Moshe Safdie and philanthropist Alice Walton, provide insights into Crystal Bridges’ remarkable collection, striking architecture, and breathtaking natural grounds and trails from the people who made it happen. Featuring high definition imagery, narration by Academy Award-winning actress Mary Steenburgen, and an original music score by James Greeson, The Art of Crystal Bridges takes viewers on a visual journey—from construction to completion—of the first major museum devoted to American artwork to open in half a century. The DVD contains two bonus features including a look at Crystal Bridges’ opening day on 11/11/11. Following its premiere in Hot Springs, The Art of Crystal Bridges will be available for purchase in DVD format at Crystal Bridges’ Museum Store. For more information about the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, visit http://www.hsdfi.org/about/. About the Documentary Production Team Larry Foley: Writer & Producer Larry Foley is a professor of journalism at the University of Arkansas and an accomplished documentary film maker. His productions have earned five Emmys from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in writing, historical and cultural documentary, and special programming. His University of Arkansas students have been awarded an additional six Emmys for projects produced under his direction. His work has been nationally broadcast on PBS, ABC, CBS and ESPN. Foley returned to his alma mater in 1993 to teach, produce documentaries, and build and direct a center for the teaching of television reporting and production. In 1996, he founded and is faculty adviser for the campus television station, UATV. Dale Carpenter: Editor Dale Carpenter is a documentary filmmaker and chair of the Lemke Department of Journalism at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Before joining the journalism faculty in 1994, Carpenter was senior producer for the Arkansas Educational Television Network in Conway where he worked for 10 years producing, photographing, and editing documentaries for public television. His work has won numerous national awards including Gold Medals from the New York Festivals, a Golden CINDY award, the IRIS award, and seven regional Emmys from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. James Greeson: Composer James Greeson is a professor of music at the University of Arkansas where he teaches composition, music theory, and guitar and is the director of jazz studies. He composes in a variety of musical styles including jazz and contemporary classical, as well as film scores. In 2009, his soundtrack to the film The Buffalo Flows was awarded a mid-America regional Emmy and his music has been nominated for three Emmys in the past 10 years. He also has received ASCAP special composition awards annually for the past 15 years. His music has been recorded and premiered in concert halls across the United States including Carnegie Hall in New York City. Ginny Lauren Hulette: Associate Producer Ginny Lauren Hulette has worked on numerous documentaries with Emmy-award winning filmmaker and University of Arkansas journalism professor Larry Foley. Before beginning work in the documentary field, she worked in the television news business for several years: as assignment editor at Fox 16 news in Little Rock, then as reporter and morning anchor on KNWA News in Fayetteville. Hayot Tuychiev: Director of Photography Hayot Tuychiev teaches broadcast news at the University of Arkansas. He specializes in photography, video editing, and documentary film production. Tuychiev is originally from Uzbekistan. Before his academic career at the University of Arkansas, he worked for international news organizations such as BBC, Reuters and AP. Two documentary films by Hayot Tuychiev won Mid-America Emmy Awards: KURM Radio: the Soapbox of the Air (2009) and Temple of Peace (2010). About Crystal Bridges The mission of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is to welcome all to celebrate the American spirit in a setting that unites the power of art with the beauty of landscape. The museum explores the unfolding story of America by actively collecting, exhibiting, interpreting, and preserving outstanding works that illuminate our heritage and artistic possibilities. Opened in 2011, Crystal Bridges was founded by philanthropist Alice Walton, who chairs the Museum’s board of directors. The building was designed by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie and is situated on 120 wooded acres in Bentonville, Arkansas. Crystal Bridges’ growing collection spans five centuries of American masterworks from the Colonial era to the current day. The permanent collection is enhanced by an array of temporary exhibitions. # # #
