NWA

Last weekend, I made the drive up to Fayetteville to see my brother and do some sightseeing around Northwest Arkansas. First, we drove up the freeway to Bentonville to visit the new Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. The museum is nestled in a valley, the buildings situated above spring-fed pools.

The museum is impressive. There are a lot of famous works on display, including one that cost $35 million to acquire. But one thing that really struck me while visiting the museum is how neat the architecture is. The galleries are set in a series of interconnected buildings with massive windows. It's nice that you can view the surrounding bit of nature while walking through the galleries.


We were a bit rushed going through there, but I stopped to get a bunch of pictures of the buildings...




The artwork in the museum is surprisingly good. But one thing I noticed was the distinct lack of photography there. Now I might be biased, but I tend to think that photography is an important and noteworthy addition to the art world. There is even a photographer whose work in the early 1900s has become famous and well-known in the art world, and who is from the Arkansas Ozarks. But you don't see very many photographs at Crystal Bridges, which is a shame.

Granted, Crystal Bridges might have a bunch of photos in its collection, but hasn't put them out on display yet. But of course, if the museum would like to add to its collection of photography, I think I know of a few local photographers who would be happy to help. If Alice Walton is reading this, I would be happy to sell some pictures to the museum, and at a cheaper rate than $35 million (prices start out at $34 million, but I'd be happy to negotiate!).

But anyways, the museum is neat and worth the visit to Bentonville. It doesn't cost anything to go in, and I want to go back when I have more time to look through everything there again...


After that, we drove back to Fayetteville and got dinner at a great Thai restaurant on the square by the courthouse. From there we headed over to Bud Walton Arena on the University of Arkansas campus to watch a basketball game...

The Razorbacks beat LSU 69-60.

On my way home the next day, I made another visit to the University of Arkansas campus and got a few shots of Old Main:


From there I managed to find Hwy. 16 and took the scenic way home, following the Pig Trail back down to the freeway.