2012 SUMMER BLOG #1

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Crystal Bridges Museum, Bentonville, Arkansas

                 No, NOT disappointed in Alice Walton's CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM despite some negative things we heard about the collection. We spent our first evening enjoying the architecture of MOSHE SAFDIE by walking from the entrance, down to the lake level and all around the complex. It is truly spectacular architecture. There are several comfortable places to rest and to enjoy the landscape or to look through numerous art books in shelves and on tables. For those wanting to do research there is an extensive and spacious  library on the upper floor.
The next day we concentrated on the chronological collection by starting with the 20th century and traveling backwards to the beginning.

WHY? Because the early American paintings, consisting of many portraits or our pinch-nosed founders can be difficult due to the vast numbers in the collection and because we have seen so many of them reproduced over the years in history books as well as in art books.

I believe that criticism of the collection might not exist if visitors would start at the end and move toward the beginning of the collection. Crowds are lighter and viewers are fresher with this plan. and let's face it, even important portraits can become tiring. So when getting to the portrait section  one can race through if becoming bored.

The breadth of the collection is remarkable, especially considering the relatively short time it took to build a major collection.


E. FAY JONES' architecture thrilled me as much as did the Museum. Please note my correction in the spelling of his name. It is Fay without the "e" that I added last month. Too bad, because being                  Carol with and "e", I liked spelling Fay with an "e" better.
THORNCROWN CHAPEL (left) near Eureka Springs, Arkansas is my favorite of the three FAY JONES designs that we saw. A very close second is the MILDRED COOPER MEMORIAL CHAPEL located just up the road from Bentonville in Bella Vista, AK. It was difficult to find although it's nestled in the woods very near the buildings that are the center of the small community. Thorncrown is latticed of wood with glass while the Cooper Chapel (below) is a combination of timber, glass and bent steel to create the graceful curved arches.
                                                            We also located STONFLOWER (not pictured) in the vacation community of EDEN ISLE in north central Arkansas, but with difficulty. It is nestled among the wooded lots of the vacation community  down a short drive that is between two much larger homes. Again I'm happy to report, despite the statement to the contrary found in a link in my May blog, STONEFLOWER is available to rent. Make an inquiry at the Apple Inn on EDEN ISLE.        You may refer to my last month's blog at www.carolesikes.blogspot.com for the preamble to all of this and links to more photographs.          And  I know I reported that I was taking a summer break from blogging, but I appreciated so much those of you who are subscribers and who expressed a surprise in not finding it. Also because I'm learning a new format as a result of having a new computer with Windows 7 and an upgrade of the Google Blogger, I'm s-l-o-w.  



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