Crystal Bridges Announces Building Bridges Conversation Featuring Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett
Hosted by Board Chair Olivia Walton, the conversation will explore how civil disagreement sustains democracy
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BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art today announced the next installment of Building Bridges featuring Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Building Bridges: Disagreement by Design: A Conversation with Justice Amy Coney Barrett will explore how civil disagreement sustains democracy. In conversation with Crystal Bridges Board Chair Olivia Walton, the Justice will discuss how respect, intellectual rigor, and adherence to process guide judicial decision-making, and why these principles matter to every citizen.
Hosted by Crystal Bridges Board Chair Olivia Walton, Building Bridges brings together thought leaders, thinkers, and artists to model civic dialogue. As part of Crystal Bridges’ year-long celebration of America at 250, Building Bridges honors the American spirit of meeting in the middle with curiosity, courage, and care. From Crystal Bridges’ home in Bentonville, Arkansas, the museum invites its neighbors and the nation to gather at its bridge, a place that connects what’s divided and can carry us forward together. Past Building Bridges programs have featured President Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, and documentary filmmaker Ken Burns.
Building Bridges: Disagreement by Design: A Conversation with Justice Amy Coney Barrett will be held at Heartland Whole Health Institute on the Crystal Bridges Campus on Saturday, May 9, at 6:00 p.m. The conversation will highlight how the American legal system is structured to accommodate differing viewpoints while upholding shared rules and institutions.
Crystal Bridges members have first access to tickets for Building Bridges: Disagreement by Design: A Conversation with Justice Amy Coney Barrett starting at 10 a.m. on Monday, April 20. The museum’s members receive advance notification and early access to ticketed events, like the Building Bridges series. The event will be livestreamed by Arkansas TV. For more information, visit the Crystal Bridges website.
Building Bridges is sponsored by Trott Family Philanthropies, Cadillac of Bentonville (Superior Auto Group), Stella Boyle Smith Trust, Cathy and Mike Mayton, Amp Sign and Banner, Rebecca Hurst and Jim Smith | Smith Hurst PLC, Andrea Albright and Patrick Bannon, Marsha and John Phillips, Jim and Susan von Gremp, and Omer and Evren Tore.
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.
Additional museum amenities include a restaurant, gift store, library, and five miles of art and walking trails.
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.
