Company Profile
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
Company Overview
The mission of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is to welcome all to celebrate the American spirit in a setting that unites the power of art with the beauty of nature. Our vision is to activate an institution that transforms lives through experiences that encourage the discovery of new ideas, expanded dreams, and inspired actions.
Crystal Bridges is committed to creating an institution that reflects the diversity of our region and nation. We are especially mindful of those in our community impacted by inequity due to ability, language, class, age, gender, religion, sexuality, race, and ethnicity and are working diligently to address perceived and real barriers that keep anyone from fully experiencing the museum as a guest, volunteer, or employee. To achieve true reform, we must have a diverse, highly qualified team dedicated to:
providing an unparalleled guest experience for all,
offering relevant programs,
developing an inclusive collection,
demonstrating progressive leadership.
We will not compromise in the time, energy, and effort required to achieve our collective, articulated goals.
Culture Pillars
Each one of us is a vital component of this team, empowered and responsible for fulfilling the mission and vision. We are united in our purpose and in our obligation to act respectfully and with integrity.
We listen actively and speak honestly
We honor our commitments
We champion lifelong learning
We are unstoppable when we work together
Company History
Crystal Bridges was founded in 2005 by the Walton Family Foundation as a non-profit charitable organization for all to enjoy. Philanthropist and arts patron Alice Walton chairs the museum’s board of directors. The museum opened to the public on 11-11-11. Crystal Bridges takes its name from a nearby natural spring and the bridge construction incorporated in the building, designed by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie. A series of pavilions nestled around two spring-fed ponds house galleries, meeting and classroom spaces, and a large, glass-enclosed gathering hall. Guest amenities include a restaurant on a glass-enclosed bridge overlooking the ponds, the Museum Store designed by architect Marlon Blackwell, and a library featuring more than 50,000 volumes of art reference material. Sculpture and walking trails link the museum's 120-acre park to downtown Bentonville, Arkansas.
The Collection
Crystal Bridges’ permanent collection spans five centuries of American masterworks ranging from the colonial era to the current day. Included within the collection are iconic images such as Asher B. Durand’s Kindred Spirits, Kerry James Marshall’s Our Town, Norman Rockwell’s Rosie the Riveter, and Andy Warhol’s Coca-Cola [3]—each reflecting a distinct moment in American artistic evolution—as well as major works by modern and contemporary American artists, including Alma Thomas, Luis Jimenez, Georgia O’Keeffe, Louise Bourgeois, Felix Gonzales-Torres, and James Turrell. The permanent collection, which continues to grow through a strategic acquisition plan, is on view year-round and is enhanced by an array of temporary exhibitions.