Our Blog

Summer this year has provided time for travel — being on the road connecting with colleagues, visiting artists in their studios, and getting current with all that is happening in contemporary American art. It’s been an eye-popping and mind-expanding experience — and there’s more to come about what it all means in future posts. Stay tuned.

See if you can guess where I’ve been, based on some random snapshots from recent travels. (Hint: we’ve traveled mostly west and northwest.)

This week there’s also something monumental happening back at Crystal Bridges, something we couldn’t have imagined happening in the 21 short months since we opened. This week, Crystal Bridges welcomed its one-millionth guest through our doors.

In 2011, with the museum still under construction and planning its debut, many in the art world were questioning the viability of an art museum in small town Arkansas. We now have one million reasons to validate that decision, one million visitors who have experienced the breadth and beauty of American art, extraordinary architecture, and the glorious Ozark setting we call home. We hope we’ve shared an enriching experience with each one of our visitors, and we thank them for making our museum the dynamic place it is.

Because we all enjoy a good celebration, and we’re always up for a little fun, check out this parody created by several creative staff members:

Now on to our second million!