May 19 Sunday
The Rogers Historical Museum announces a new temporary exhibit, “Last Call: History of Alcohol in Ozarks” on show March 15 through November 9, 2024.
The tangled history of moonshiners and bootleggers versus the energetic women of the temperance society all played important roles in the complicated story of alcohol in Arkansas. This exhibit follows the chronological pendulum of Arkansas law as it swings back and forth through the years between the cold sober teetotalers who campaigned for dry counties and the high-spirited bibbers who supported wet counties. See how the legacy of this historic battle led to the present-day success of more retail alcohol sales than ever before in Northwest Arkansas.
Included in the exhibit are an authentic Ozarks copper still, a mid-20th century commercial wine bottling machine, as well as many local stories and historic photographs.
Encompassing photography, film, painting, sculpture, and installation, Awol Erizku’s work references and re-imagines African American and African visual culture, from hip-hop vernacular to iconic symbols from across history, including the Pan-African flag and the image of Nefertiti. Erizku’s vision is expansive, drawing on traditions of spirituality, Surrealism, and Conceptualism to create uniquely powerful art.
Mystic Parallax is the first major monograph (co-published by the Momentary and Aperture) and exhibition by this rising interdisciplinary artist. It blends his studio practice with work made as an in-demand editorial photographer, and features his conceptual portraits of leading Black cultural figures, such as Amanda Gorman, Michael B. Jordan, Pharrell Williams, and Solange. As Erizku has said, “It’s important for me to create confident, powerful, downright regal images of Black people.”
Free, no tickets required.
Exquisite Creatures is a dialogue with art, nature, and science that asks the question: what is it about the natural world that calls to us? Throughout the exhibition, artist and naturalist Christopher Marley reflects on humanity’s intimate relationship with nature, revealing its intricate beauty and diversity through three-dimensional works comprised of animal, mineral, and plant specimens arranged in precise, geometric compositions. Shown together, the works create an immersive environment which inspires wonder and fosters a desire to preserve the natural world.
Crystal Bridges welcomes guests to experience the connection between art, nature, and science, emotionally and aesthetically, throughout the exhibition. The museum will activate the show’s themes through nature and science-based programming and activities both inside the museum and outdoors across its trails and grounds. The exhibition’s curatorial lead is Xuxa Rodriguez, PhD, associate curator, contemporary art.
Julie Hop earned her BFA in Painting and Drawing from Columbia College, Chicago. She has been a muralist and has participated in exhibits in Chicago, New Orleans and Eureka Springs. Julie has designed and implemented art classes for children, teens and adults and has experience as a public school teacher.Faith Cleveland has been practicing alcohol ink, ceramics, and small metals for several years. Her work has appeared in galleries downtown and online. Her passion for making has lead her to sharing her knowledge through teaching at ESSA.
Variety open mic brings intersectionality to various forms of artistic expression, whether it's poetry, standup comedy, storytelling, or original folk-punk music. Join us every Sunday for local talent and All-Day Happy Hour!
The Kava Bar Open 12:00-6:00Open Mic is 4:00-6:00 🥁
Rae Dunn created wheel-thrown stoneware pottery and glazes for over 30 years. She believed that good pots make you want to dance with them. She also collected folk crafts, including white oak baskets and paintings.
Moving. Meditative. Magical.Experience an immersive vision of art-infused wellness
Join us for an immersive journey at the intersection of music, wellness, technology, and art created by four-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and mental health pioneer Jewel!
Presented as a collaboration between Jewel and Crystal Bridges, The Portal features one-of-a-kind, 200-piece aerial drone shows choreographed by Jewel and set to an original score by the artist, a meditative art walk featuring works by prominent contemporary artists, a never-before-seen painting and sculpture by Jewel, and chef-crafted dining options as part of a complete experience for the body, mind, and spirit.
From the seven-foot hologram of Jewel welcoming you to the experience to the culminating choreography over the museum’s central pond, each element of the experience invites us to explore Jewel’s concept of the Three Spheres of human existence: the inner world, outer world, and the unseen world.
Encompassing our experiences of mind, body, and spirit, Jewel has meticulously crafted each aspect of The Portal to harmonize the Three Spheres, creating a dynamic space and experience where inner thoughts, external actions, and hidden emotions converge.
Innovative, transformative, and just plain fun, The Portal promises a moving, restorative experience unlike any other at Crystal Bridges.
See you there!
May 20 Monday
Plunge into the chaos of Arkansas’ Civil War experience. Dr. Georgena Duncan, retired history professor, will lead the class through the Secession, battles at Pea Ridge and Prairie Grove, and then the slow, sure Union occupation of Little Rock, Fort Smith and the Arkansas River Valley. Focus will center on how this led northern Arkansas and the River Valley to destruction by guerillas, and Confederate operations still proceeding in southern Arkansas. Participants will see what a major impact the war had on population and economic development for the state.