Crystal Bridges Celebrates Expansion Opening June 6-7 with Weekend of Art, Music, and Hands-on Experiences

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BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art invites the community to celebrate the opening of its expansion with free events on June 6 and 7, marking a weekend dedicated to connection and creativity. Designed by Safdie Architects, the expansion increases the museum’s footprint by 50%. This milestone reflects Crystal Bridges’ ongoing mission to provide access for all while deepening connections to art, architecture, and nature through thoughtfully curated art experiences, programming, and more.

Spanning 114,000-square-feet, the expansion increases the museum’s total size to 314,000-square-feet, creating opportunities for hands-on learning, curiosity, and discovery. The new space features two collection galleries, a temporary exhibition gallery, educational spaces, art studios, a community room, café, and an outdoor plaza, all designed to deepen engagement and broaden access.

“We’re thrilled to welcome the public into the Crystal Bridges expansion,” said Rod Bigelow, executive director of Crystal Bridges. “This expansion dramatically broadens how we can serve our community and the country through spaces to gather, explore, and discover. If you’ve visited Crystal Bridges before, you can expect an entirely new journey through five centuries of American art. We can’t wait for guests to experience everything this next chapter for America’s art museum. It’s incredibly exciting to see it come to life.”

Programming for the expansion’s Opening Celebration offers a mix of immersive, drop-in, and guided experiences that activate the museum’s new spaces—and preview the kinds of hands-on opportunities the creative learning Hub will offer year-round. Across two days, visitors will experience the expansion in full, from the Hub’s creative spaces to outdoor amenities, like the splash pad.

“Central to the expansion is the creative learning Hub, where people can make, experiment, and connect together,” said Marissa Reyes, chief learning and engagement officer at Crystal Bridges. “The Community Lounge offers an easy entry point—a welcoming space to relax and linger, read a book, meet new people, and join programs co-hosted with local community partners. From there, you can move into hands-on studios for ceramics, glass, metalwork, fiber arts, screen printing, painting and more, as well as a maker space to try the latest digital tools. No matter your age or experience, there’s a place to jump in.”

Throughout the weekend, visitors can enjoy live music, dance performances, wellness activities, and hands‑on artmaking inspired by Keith Haring. Guests can also meet and create art with Crystal Bridges collection artists Roberto Lugo and Bobby C. Martin, as well as teaching artist‑in‑residence Linda Lopez. Family‑friendly programming includes pop‑in artmaking across campus, gallery story time, and tours designed for visitors of all ages.

The celebration also marks the opening of Artland by internationally acclaimed artist Do Ho Suh. This immersive, participatory exhibition invites visitors to create an ever-evolving world of creatures and landscapes using Crayola Model Magic air-dry clay.

In partnership with Jazz at Lincoln Center, one of the world’s leading jazz institutions, the weekend features pop-up performances across campus on both days, along with a special live concert in the Hub on Saturday, June 6.

Opening June 6 in the museum’s new temporary exhibition gallery, Keith Haring in 3D is the first exhibition to focus on the artist’s work in three dimensions. It will showcase a wide range of objects, including sculptures, totems and masks, as well as skateboards, clothing, boomboxes, paintings, and drawings. The exhibition will also feature a 1963 Buick Special, highlighting the breadth of Haring’s creative practice.

The two-day Opening Celebration is free to attend, no tickets required. Programming will take place during normal museum hours, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Parking will be available in the garages near the museum and at Campus Parking.