REFLECTIONS OF CRYSTAL BRIDGES EXPEDITION!

The very first article I ever published about Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, (www.crystalbridges.org) was over a decade ago, and there have been several more since then, with the most recent being dated October 14, 2017, and the first being December 12, 2011.  (These can still be found in the archives of this blog).  

However, no matter when I go, there always seems to be something new to see at this amazing facility, located on 134 acres of parkland, in Bentonville, Arkansas.  On my most recent visit, I took the photo below, through the glass walls of one of the current galleries, that shows a major expansion, currently being constructed on the north end of the building.  They are adding 114,000 square feet of galleries, studios, dining options, and event spaces.  The opening of the expanded galleries is planned for June 6-7, 2026.  

I think of Crystal Bridges as a treasure chest for the senses, and the translucent glass treasure chests displayed there, is just one example of artistic masterpieces.

There are also artistic masterpieces whose vibrant colors were created by the Master Painter in heaven, then artistically arranged by a gifted curator here on earth.  

When the exhibits include seashells, I feel compelled to be pictured with this souvenir from the sea, since I have been a collector of seashells, from childhood onward.

With 2026 being the 250th anniversary of the signing of the USA Declaration of Independence, this room-sized display of those famous words is very appropriate.  What makes it even more meaningful, is the fact that the words are written by the placement of thousands of multi-colored shoestrings!

Northwest Arkansas is famous for its poultry industry, since it is the headquarters of the Tyson Corporation.  Where would we be without chickens??!!

Crystal Bridges is not only a free museum for all to enjoy, it provides grants for schools, to pay for bus transportation, to bring students on field trips to the museum!   The museum, which was founded by Sam Walton's daughter, Alice Walton, is a non-profit facility, known for its stunning architecture by Moshe Safdie.

At one time, Northwest Arkansas led the entire country in new construction projects, and the accompanying landscaping needed for new construction.  Therefore this colorful "room divider" made of an assortment of colored implements, might make the budding sculpture artist, reconsider throwing out the old metal tools, they may have inherited from their parents!

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Has anyone every made a wish, by blowing on the "lighter than air" spires of a dandelion?  Perhaps, that was the inspiration behind this magnificent work of metal art!

An Arkansas find, the giant crystal on the left of this photo, was a nod to the word "crystal" that is the namesake of the museum.   The colorful glass balls, floating on the water feature, were part of a Chihuly exhibition.  

The huge mirrored heart that hangs from the ceiling of the restaurant at Crystal Bridges, is always a magnet, for folks wanting to get their photo made with it.  

One of the outdoor ponds on the property has been the location of an installation called "Narcissus Garden", by artist Yayoi Kusama.

There are nearly 1800 mirrored spheres, recalling the story of Narcissus, the self-obsessed hunter in Greek mythology, who is lured to a pond where, upon gazing at his own reflection in the water, he falls in and drowns.  

Being photo-obsessed myself, I tried to get as close to one of the spheres as I could, without falling into the water.  In the photo below, I got down on my knees to get a low-angle shot.

  Having survived the low-angle shot, I stood up try a different viewpoint.  

The photo below shows that these spheres truly are floating on actual water, and as such, they are not only reflecting what is above them, but the unseen (to us humans) that is below them!

It was not until I started writing this blog post, that I realized I have an exact replica of the Crystal Bridges silver spheres, on the top of my bookshelf at home.  It has been there for decades, as a souvenir I carried home from a scuba diving trip with my husband, in Cozumel, Mexico.  (The items on each side of the sphere are candle holders my father made, back in the last century, where he cut the bottom off of two-liter soda bottles, to make lanterns for the wooden stands the bottles sit in.)   The water at Crystal Bridges reflects its surroundings, the silver spheres reflect their surroundings, and the candle holders reflect my father's heart for wood crafting projects.  Therefore, I am using these items as a visual aid for one of my First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) memory verses that says, "As water reflects the face, so one's life reflects the heart."  Proverbs 27:19

This visit to Crystal Bridges and these reflections, give me "MILES OF SMILES"!  Tricia

BENTONVILLE EXPEDITION!

As a native of Arkansas, I have made dozens of "expeditions" to Bentonville over my lifetime ( www.VisitBentonville.com ), but none of them carried the sense of excitement and anticipation of the trip there on the last weekend of July, in 2021.   That was the weekend my precious granddaughter, Kaitlyn, was marrying her fiance, Logan.  The venue chosen for this sacred ceremony, was The Ballroom at "I" Street (www.theballroomatistreet.com)

The original structure at this location was a two-story colonial-style home, built in the 1930's.  After the current owners purchased it, they added a large event space in the expansive back yard.

I snapped this photo of Kaitlyn and Logan, as we gathered Friday night, for a rehearsal of the wedding ceremony.

Logan's paternal grandparents made the trip to Bentonville, from out of state, and I was glad to get a photo of them with the soon-to-be-wed couple. 

The groom and his mom looked very happy on the night of the rehearsal:

Likewise, the mother of the bride (on the left) was radiant, beside her sister, who flew in from Arizona.

After the "going through the motions" of the ceremony at the rehearsal, the family made the short drive to Fred's Hickory Inn (www.fredshickoryinn.com) for a lovely rehearsal dinner, hosted by the groom's parents.

The next morning, I was up early to get a walk in, before the summer sun made being outside uncomfortable.  The day before, I had noticed what looked like a park and small lake, across the highway from the wedding venue.  I decided to go over and explore what this space included, and found a fantastic community space, called Osage Park (www.peelcompton.org).

In addition to the concrete sidewalks that encircle the lake, there are board walks that will take the visitor through sections that are more wooded.

As I strolled the various locations of the board walk through the wetlands, one could see how some invasive species and non-native plants, were choking out the small trees that were trying to get a start.

In the photo below, notice how this invasive, "bitter" root, has wrapped itself around the straight-growing plant, in such a way that will eventually destroy it.  I realized this could be an illustration of my First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) memory verse that says, "See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many."  (Hebrews 12:15)  It crossed my mind how important this advise would be to the young couple getting married across the street, as well as the dozens of types of relationships that would be represented at the ceremony---parent/child; siblings; grandparents; aunts and uncles; cousins; friends; neighbors; work associates, and wedding ceremony vendors. 

Meanwhile, back at the wedding venue across the street, workers were busily getting the reception hall set up for the special gourmet dinner planned for later that day:

The place settings for each guest showed meticulous attention to detail.  The wedding planner responsible for turning these details into something of beauty was called Buss Event Planning & Design (www.buzzevents.biz).  They did a FANTASTIC job!  Their attention to detail, even included a specially designed covering for the dance floor, complete with the initial "D" in the center:

That same flower design on the dance floor, was also on the wedding invitations!

Inside the two-story home on the day of the wedding, the bride and bridesmaids were getting ready on the first floor, and the grandmothers of the bride and groom, used that time to get acquainted.  Meanwhile, up on the second floor, the groom and his groomsmen were doing whatever guys do, whenever they get together---watch a big screen television!  (Since I was not permitted upstairs, I do not have any photos of their activities!)

The bridesmaids and house party gals were able to relax, once they had their wedding attire on, complete with professional hair and makeup treatments.

It was a whirlwind of activity for the mom and dad of the bride, but I was able to snap a quick photo of them together, when they stopped by to chat with the grandmothers.

We were also able to chat with Kaitlyn, while she was still in her slippers, and before she put on her wedding gown.

The ceremony was very meaningful and touching, and the bride and groom were wired with microphones so that their vows were recorded on the wedding video.   Those spoken vows are forever recorded in the keepsake video prepared by Anointed Media (501-247-7804).  You can see more of their creative work by following them on Instagram. 

After the couple was united in marriage, it was time for the countless photos of the couple with various members of the family. The photo below shows the bride's side of the family.  The professional photographer was Courtney Garret, and her website is www.courtneygarrett.com

The professional photo below shows the groom's parents and sister, beside him.  The bride's parents and brother, are beside her. 

And of course, there were dozens of professional photos of the bridesmaids, groomsmen, flower girls, and ring bearer.  However, the photo below is taken by an amateur---me!  It is a favorite of mine because it showcases how cute the flower girls and ring bearer (cousins of the bride) looked in their wedding party attire. 

Can you believe so many beautiful ladies and handsome men were able to all arrange their schedules so they could celebrate the marriage of Kaitlyn and Logan??!!

There was wonderful dance music inside the reception hall and lots of video to record their antics.  However, I joined up with some of my peers to enjoy a time of visiting outside, under the majestic oak trees.

There were ample seating areas in the back yard to accommodate those who could not keep up with the young whippersnappers on the dance floor!

After the couple had their last dance, it was time for their "send off", amidst sparklers and fireworks!

Even after dancing for hours and visiting with all their friends, the bridge and groom did not look the least bit tired!

The brunch hosted the next day by the bride's parents, was a time to reflect on the many blessings of this experience, and the bride's parents' back yard provided the perfect setting for doing that.

 The newlyweds were able to stop by, before they left for their honeymoon.  This provided the perfect opportunity to get a photo of my brother-in-laws and sister-in-laws, who had all traveled from out of town, to be present for the wedding of their beautiful niece:

After the family photo, Kaitlyn and Logan changed into their "traveling clothes", to make the drive to the airport, before leaving for their honeymoon in Cancun, Mexico.

 I am ending this blog, with a photo of the wedding venue, along with the sign that says, "One Way".  It is a reminder to me that the devil likes nothing better than to destroy loving relationships.  However, Jesus tells us there is ONE WAY to live, and that is to love God and love one another.  Loving relationships can be destroyed when "bitter roots" are allowed to take hold.   So keep that "weed whacker" ready to get rid of any "bitter roots" that try to become entangled in our relationships. Doing so will give us "MILES OF SMILES"!!  Tricia
 

ADDEMDUM:  The bride and groom had a special Bible set out at the entrance to their wedding venue, asking guests to highlight their favorite verse, and sign their name beside it.  I am hoping Kaitlyn and Logan will highlight Hebrews 12:15 after they read this blog post, and sign "Grandma Tricia" beside it!