Museum Way

Famed gardener, TV host, author, conservationist, artist, and long-time museum friend, P. Allen Smith joins Museum Way. Allen and our host, Stace Treat swap stories about art, nature, sustainability, homes, and diversity. Allen gives us an update on Moss Mountain, the 600-acre farm in Little Rock, Arkansas, talks pollinators, aging, and more! This podcast was filmed in front of a live audience in one of the museum’s many glass reflection areas, highlighting the natural surroundings, as well as the art and architecture. Learn more about the P. Allen Smith team's visit to Crystal Bridges, both in the galleries and on the trails HERE.

This bonus episode ‘gets real’ with Vanessa German, artist, activist, performer, and poet. The inspiring and emotional conversation journeys into the gallery near Vanessa’s “power figures” where she talks about the driving force behind these works, the studio visit that landed her in the groundbreaking exhibition, State of the Art, and how language and art can confront violence and trauma.

Hear about how 120-acres of trails and grounds is maintained, including the variety of ways landscaping compliments art, and how programs like the popular Forest Concert Series and the first-ever Museum Camp-Out help connect visitors to art and nature. This episode features Avant Gardener Coordinator, Marina McCoy, from the Horticulture Team and Sara Segerlin, Senior Manager, Public Programs and Community Engagement. View the transcript here!

The museum was designed by Moshe Safdie and embodies the mission to connect visitors with the power of art and the beauty of nature. But HOW did we build a 200,000 square-foot art museum in the middle of a natural forest and ravine? Today, we talk to Ken Robinson, Facilities Engineer, who was on-site from the very beginning of the construction process for Crystal Bridges. Learn about the infamous "Thelma and Louise" Tulip Trees, and all the ways the museum took great care to not disrupt the natural setting, to re-purpose materials after the museum opened, and how to maintain the integrity and beauty of the building today. Hope you enjoy!

Superman and Wonder Woman are two of the most beloved icons in American pop culture. Created in times of economic adversity and world war, these characters quickly emerged as beacons of American morality and equality, representing the ideals of truth, justice, and the American way.The artists in Men of Steel, Women of Wonder, on view at Crystal Bridges, use Superman and Wonder Woman to explore national identity, American values, social politics, representation, and the concept of humanity.In this episode, host Stace Treat has an exciting conversation with Men of Steel, Women of Wonder curator Alejo Benedetti. Then, Alejo sits down with Laylah Ali, an artist featured in the exhibition, to discuss her process and artworks featured in the show. Men of Steel, Women of Wonder is on view at Crystal Bridges through April 22.View the transcript here!

March is Women's History Month! To celebrate, we’ve invited six fantastic women from our staff to talk about their favorite women artists in the Crystal Bridges collection. From Georgia O'Keeffe to Vanessa German, you'll learn more about these artists and how they inspire us each day. The episode features Copywriter, Erica Harmon; Volunteer Services Assistant Manager, Julie Springer; Guest Services Assistant Manager, Melissa Busch; Membership Assistant, Christy Witt; Art Instructor, Kim Ly; and Marketing Manager, Alison Nation. They’ll tell us about their roles at the museum, and the women artists who inspire them.

Welcome back to Museum Way! Today’s episode is one we’ve been excited to share for a while now. On the final day of Black History Month, we look to the coming year and consider how we can take the lessons of Black History forward. One way we’d like to do that is to listen back on a conversation we had last year. In June of 2018, we sat down with Museum Educators Raven Cook and Kentrell Curry to discuss the American Spirit and the upcoming “Independence Day.” We were unable to turn the episode around in time for the holiday, but we’re excited to share it with you today as we round out Black History Month.At Crystal Bridges, it is our mission to welcome all to celebrate the American Spirit. So what exactly is the American Spirit? We strive to develop a museum culture known for providing positive, enriching experiences for our guests and staff, and we want to continue thinking forward. What does it mean to be an inclusive art museum?We’ll talk with Raven and Kentrell about how we at Crystal Bridges can continue to foster this rich and valuable discussion. We want to recognize our complicated history around the idea of an “Independence Day,” and talk about some of the artworks in our collection that help us think through this. Enjoy this episode of Museum Way.

New year, new podcast season! We’re so excited to kick off season 2 of Museum Way with Crystal Bridges’ Executive Director and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer Rod Bigelow and Deputy Director Sandy Edwards. They share all about their roles at the museum, as well as their favorite moments of 2018 and what they’re looking forward to in 2019. Thanks for tuning into Museum Way!

On this episode of Museum Way, we learn more about our focus exhibition Personal Space with Associate Curator Allison Glenn. Then, we talk with Creative Director Anna Vernon all about museum design.Personal Space takes a look at various depictions of space within Modern and Contemporary art, including sculpture, photography, and installation. This free, focus exhibition asks viewers to consider what emotions are evoked by the places, people, objects, and symbols depicted within the artworks on view, both from the Crystal Bridges collection and on loan. Walk through a bedroom by artist Genevieve Gaignard created in homage to her nine-year-old niece, see images of artists in their studio spaces by Arkansas photographer Kat Wilson, view Carrie Schneider’s intimate depictions of contemporary artists reading books by their favorite female authors, and much more. Discover objects, both real and imagined, that help us define how we construct our personal space in the world. Personal Space is on view through March 2019.

This November, the museum celebrated its 7th anniversary! Since opening our doors on November 11, 2011, we’ve welcomed over 4 million visitors from around the world to experience the art, architecture, and nature that Crystal Bridges has to offer. On today’s episode, we’re talking about our museum mission to welcome all! We talk with Brittany Johnson, Co-Chair of the museum’s IDEA committee, which addresses inclusion, diversity, equity, and access. Then we talk with Rachel Tucker, our Senior Content Specialist, to share how we reach visitors across our social media channels and more.

Contemporary Indigenous art comes front and center in Art for a New Understanding: Native Voices, 1950s to Now—on view now at Crystal Bridges through January 7. Discover new stories as today’s Indigenous artists fill the gallery with exquisite colors, images of community and joy, and thought-provoking moments of reflection.In this episode, we talk with Interpretation Manager Samantha Sigmon and Director of Audience Research & Evaluation Juli Goss about planning an exhibition from the beginning. From interpretation tactics to focus groups and research, we're sharing the behind-the-scenes planning process for Art for a New Understanding.

On this episode of Museum Way, we talk with artist Negar Ahkami, featured in The Beyond: Georgia O'Keeffe and Contemporary Art. Ahkami’s paintings are colorful collisions of influence and critique that she refers to as “an aesthetic of contradiction.” She incorporates Persian architecture and design into her paintings as a proxy for Iranian culture alongside a stylized cartoon aesthetic. Growing up in the U.S., she was acutely aware of her identity as an American, but one who was constantly defending her Iranian heritage. While her fusion of styles underscores her own sense of cultural hybridity, the work reflects Ahkami’s idea that Iran is presented in American media as a “cartoon” of its real self. We also chat with Kim Crowell, Associate Museum Educator in Access and Inclusive Programs and Accessibility Coordinator, about museum programs focused on access and inclusion. Thanks for tuning in to Museum Way! View the transcript here!

Enormous flowers, luscious colors, landscapes, feminine forms, and still lifes. The art of Georgia O’Keeffe has intrigued viewers and artists alike for generations. In our latest exhibition, Crystal Bridges brings together more than 30 of O’Keeffe’s paintings, plus the work of 20 contemporary artists focusing on similar themes. In this episode, we meet Co-Curator Chad Alligood to hear how The Beyond: Georgia O'Keeffe and Contemporary Art came to life. Then we hear from William McCormick, Executive Chef of our Eleven Restaurant, to learn about The Beyond tasting menu and more. The Beyond was organized by Crystal Bridges and was curated by Lauren Haynes, Curator of Contemporary Art at Crystal Bridges, and Chad Alligood,

Alyson Shotz is an artist whose work investigates concepts of space, light, gravity and perception. Her sculptures examine these concepts while allowing viewers to contemplate and appreciate the environment surrounding the piece. In this episode, Shotz visits Museum Way to talk about installing her work "Scattering Screen" in our North Forest. Then we talk with Assistant Preparator Drew Divilbiss about his role in handling artwork, working with installations, and more. Read this episode's transcript.

We’re talking about two of our favorite things: art and nature. We hear from Field Horticulturalist Cody George about preparing our trails and grounds for spring, and we meet Curatorial Assistant Dylan Turk to learn about the new focused exhibition, The Garden.

In this episode of Museum Way, we meet Shane Richey, Creative Director of Experimentation and Development, to talk about museums in the digital age. We also talk with Curator of Contemporary Art Lauren Haynes and Senior Museum Educator Moira Anderson about Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power and its opening Symposium that was streamed online by nearly 10k viewers.

Located at 600 Museum Way in Bentonville, Arkansas is Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. In this new podcast series, we’re sharing all the ins-and-outs of the museum, from the galleries to the trails, the architecture and more—you’ll learn the museum way of Crystal Bridges.In this episode, we’ll talk with Curator Mindy Besaw on why we chose to redo our Early American Art Galleries, and we’ll meet Exhibition Designer Jessi Mueller to learn what it means it design a gallery and much more. View the transcript here!