After providing casework to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art for 10 years now, we felt it was high time to see the museum for ourselves. Well, we can say it certainly lived up to its reputation! Sitting outside Crystal Bridges, waiting for our appointment with Álvaro Amat, Head of Exhibition Design, we watched students from the Heartland Whole Health Institute or the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine stream inside to attend class. Not something you see at many museums.

Crystal Bridges brings art, architecture, nature, wellness, and education together as the core of its mission, which is fully reflected in the museum experience (not just because parts of the museum are literally bridges over water). Their expansion includes two new art galleries and a dedicated creative learning hub (the Hub) featuring educational spaces, community gathering areas, artist-in-residence studios, a digital art studio, a ceramic studio, and other artmaking spaces. With these amenities, Crystal Bridges continues to push the boundaries of what a cultural institution can be – a place for everyone to gather and experience art. Since opening in 2011, the museum has provided free admission, removing a major barrier to accessibility. It also has an amazing collection spanning five centuries of American art and highlighting Indigenous art and craft objects.

Safdie Architects’ original design draws on the region’s natural setting and building traditions. The expansion features exposed southern yellow pine beams, sloping roof forms with extended overhangs, expansive floor-to-ceiling glass and copper cladding, and a series of porches overlooking the magnificent landscape. Inside the expansion’s connecting bridge, you will find artwork not sensitive to light, such as sculpture, pottery, and glassware. It is also where the largest concentration of SmallCorp fabricated casework lives.

We were excited to be a primary casework fabricator for the expansion and renovation along with their local manufacturers: The Roark Group and Up and Down Industries. We respect Crystal Bridges’ commitment to using local manufacturers whenever possible. Those vendors made many of the base structures, while SmallCorp manufactured the archival casework that sits on top of their bases. The new cases feature silica gel capacity, durable finishes, secure locking, and museum-quality vitrines. We fabricated most of the acrylic vitrines using Tru Vue® Optium Museum Acrylic®, and the largest ones have a removable panel, making it easier for staff to access the art objects. Throughout the museum, you will find other SmallCorp made tabletop, wall, and built-in cases displaying art and minerals.

We can’t forget to mention The Momentary, a contemporary art and performance space in Bentonville, home to music, art, and food. We personally enjoyed Lucy Sparrow’s exhibition, The Beginning of Convenience, and had a hard time leaving. It’s no surprise we kept running into locals who, even if they hadn’t been to the museum, still spoke highly of Crystal Bridges, Alice Walton, and the impact they’ve had on the community. From the moment you land at Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA), you can find Crystal Bridges’ presence through its satellite space, The Momentary Art Gallery.

If you plan to visit, be sure to check out all that Crystal Bridges has to offer.

To learn more about Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the expansion, check out their press release: Crystal Bridges to Open Highly Anticipated Expansion.