Arkansas is another of those places that I have not spent much time in...
On one occasion, I was traveling east from Woodward I stopped at the Ozark Mountains Cultural Center were I had the chance to have a number of interesting conversations with the artisans. Including, an extended talk with a gentleman who made wooden tops - the kind I played with as a boy in Puerto Rico - wrap the string and give it a whirl, as many variations of tops as there were of marbles - which were also "big" in my childhood.
When the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art opened in Bentonville, Arkansas in 2011 it was with much fanfare - the first major art museum (defined as one with more than a $200 million dollar endowment) to open in the United States since 1974. As the name indicates, the focus of the museum is on the work of American Artists and work done in the United States. At that time I made a note that I should visit the museum at some point.
American Ornithology
by Alexander Wilson
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
Bentonville, Arkansas, USA
Bentonville, Arkansas is not on my regular route so a visit to Crystal Bridges was a long time coming. On October 30, 2014, I spent a day at the museum - motivated to make a special effort because of the John James Audubon exhibit which was on display. Also on display during my visit were works by Heade, Alexander Wilson, and others - all big names in the art of ornithology. Those who have seen my “Birds of The World” series know that I have a particular interest in such art. One of the items on display was a copy of Alexander Wilson’s “American Ornithology” (photo above). The museum has an important collection, representing numerous styles, media, and schools of art.
Crystal Bridges is a very nice museum, whether it is deserving of the accolades that others have given it remains an open question. My photographs from the museum can be found at the Arkansas Photo Gallery.
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, USA