Crystal Bridges Opens 114K Square Feet of New Galleries and Studios in Bentonville

Crystal Bridges has been quietly building toward this, and this June, Bentonville finally gets inside. Two days, free admission, and a lot of new ground to cover.

The Deets

What’s New Inside

The expansion adds 114,000 square feet in total. There’s a new contemporary gallery, a second and larger temporary exhibition space, artmaking studios, and an elevated café with views of the grounds. More outdoor art fills the surrounding area as well.

Drop In, Stay a While

The event is drop-in, so come whenever works for you. Kids have room to explore while you move through the new galleries at your own pace.

What’s On Each Day

Saturday, June 6 kicks off with wheel throwing demos, screen print aprons, enamel and pendant making, and Keith Haring sculpture activities in the studios. Ra-Ve and Music Moves perform throughout the day, and curator tours run from the Foundations of American Art galleries all the way through the new Contemporary Gallery. Jazz at Lincoln Center pops up across multiple spaces, and family tours and story-times round out the afternoon.

Sunday, June 7 shifts the lineup with Salvadoreños Unidos para-Arkansas and The Vibe Dance Crew taking the performance spaces. Roberto Lugo and Big Piph lead a wheel-throwing demo in the morning, and rug tufting, enamel making, and screen printing fill the studios. Curator tours, family tours, and story-times run through 4:00 PM.

Both days have a sensory-friendly space available in Albers Classroom.

Two exhibitions on the schedule require separate tickets. America 250: Common Threads and Keith Haring in 3D are both ticketed, so grab your passes at crystalbridges.org before you go.

Check the full schedule at crystalbridges.org/expansion-schedule.