The Marvell-Elaine students had the opportunity to go and visit Crystal Bridges on December 13-December 14. This was a great and exciting adventure for students.
About Crystal Bridges
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.
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, a 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.
Education and Engagement
Crystal Bridges provides year-round
programming for all ages, including lectures, performances, classes, and
continuing education for K-12 teachers. More than 45,000 schoolchildren
visit the Museum each year as part of the Willard and Pat Walker School
Visit Program, which offers schools reimbursement for out-of-pocket
expenses associated with a school field trip, including transportation
costs, substitute teachers, and lunch. A new initiative to develop
high-quality distance learning opportunities for students and teachers
is currently under way.
An award-winning app,
available free for both Apple and Android devices, features audio tours
of current and past exhibitions, and many of the Museum’s lectures and
gallery talks are available in Crystal Bridges’ iTunes U site
Scholarship
Crystal Bridges offers two research fellowship programs. The Tyson Scholars in American Art program supports full-time scholarship in the history of American art. The Reese Teacher
Fellowship provides for research into the development of interdisciplinary connections between American art and core curriculum subjects of language arts, history, social studies, and the sciences.
