Free, focus exhibition highlights the wonder and beauty of nature through the work of local wildlife artist and environmentalist Susan Morrison
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BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Opened on February 21, 2026, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art presents The Art of Bird Watching with Susan Morrison. Highlighting twenty colored pencil drawings alongside poetry, books, and posters, the exhibition honors the life and work of Arkansas wildlife artist, educator, and environmental advocate Susan Morrison (1942–2023). On view through September 14, 2026, the exhibition explores how Morrison used art to inspire interest for the natural world and spark environmental activism across generations.
Born in California, Morrison returned to her family’s home state of Arkansas as an adult. She settled in Eureka Springs in 1979, where she merged her artistic talent with a passion for conservation. She partnered with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in 1980 to publish her detailed animal drawings in Arkansas Wildlife and released a collection of poetry and landscape drawings, The Arkansas Wilderness, in 1983.
In the late 1980s, Morrison expanded her environmental advocacy through Animal Tracks, an educational program designed to engage young audiences in caring for their local ecosystems. The initiative culminated in a national book tour and exhibition at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. Morrison continued creating nature-centered artwork for decades, drawing inspiration from Heronswood Wildlife Sanctuary outside Eureka Springs, where she relocated in 2016. She passed away in 2023, leaving behind a profound legacy of artistic excellence and environmental stewardship.
The Art of Birdwatching with Susan Morrison places special emphasis on Morrison’s fascination with birds, contextualizing her work within a rich lineage of American artists inspired by avian subjects. Drawings by Morrison appear alongside artworks from the Crystal Bridges collection by John James Audubon, Andy Warhol, and contemporary artist Laurel Roth Hope, illustrating the enduring artistic and ecological significance of feathers and flight.
“Morrison had a remarkable ability to observe the world with both precision and tenderness,” said Josie R. Johnson, assistant curator of modern art. “Her drawings invite us to slow down, look closely, and consider our own relationship with the wildlife that surrounds us.”
A range of paintings, prints, photographs, and sculptures from across centuries further complement Morrison’s drawings, offering varied interpretations of birds as symbols of beauty, fragility, and environmental change. A small display of locally sourced duck stamps, decoys, and bird figurines adds a familiar regional dimension, encouraging visitors to consider the connections between everyday objects, local traditions, and the wildlife represented in the exhibition.
The Art of Birdwatching with Susan Morrison will be on view at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art from February 21, 2026 – September 14, 2026. The exhibition is free and open to the public. The exhibition is sponsored by Stout Executive Search, Christie’s, Shari and Lamar Steiger Family, Harrison and Rhonda French Family, and Frederick and Shelby Gans.
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About Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
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 nature. Since opening in 2011, the museum has welcomed more than 15 million visitors across its spaces, with no cost for admission. Crystal Bridges was founded in 2005 as a public 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization by philanthropist Alice Walton. The collection spans five centuries of American masterworks from early American to current day and is enhanced by temporary exhibitions.
The museum is nestled on 134 acres of Ozark landscape and was designed by the world-renowned Safdie Architects. A rare Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house was preserved and relocated to the museum grounds in 2015. Crystal Bridges offers public programs including lectures, performances, classes, and teacher development opportunities, and is the home of the prestigious Don Tyson Prize for the Advancement of American Art and Tyson Scholars of American Art Program. Some 558,375 school children have participated in the Willard and Pat Walker School Visit program, which provides educational experiences for school groups at no cost to the schools.
Additional museum amenities include a restaurant, gift store, library, and five miles of art and walking trails. In February 2020, the museum opened the Momentary in Downtown Bentonville (507 SE E Street), a venue for the music, art, and food of our time. Crystal Bridges’ 114,000 square foot expansion will open to the public June 6 and 7, 2026, allowing the museum to expand access for all. For more information, visit CrystalBridges.org. The museum is located at 600 Museum Way, Bentonville, Arkansas 72712.
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