Most of the Honors students are enrolled in an Honors Art Appreciation course during the spring 2014 semester. So, we took a trip to visit the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville. The original art pieces, sculpture, pottery, architecture, and landscaping were breathtaking. Seeing works by Andy Warhol, Georgia O'Keefe, Norman Rockwell, and other famous artists made art come to life. Learning about art in the classroom is one thing, but the students were "Wow'd!!" by the original works. As we walked through the museum, the excitement on their faces and in their voices was priceless! Each of us had a favorite thing about the museum.
And this is another of Keyonte's favorites!
Tiffany says this one is "beautiful!"
The picture doesn't do this justice. It was done with charcoals, and the details were astonishing. 
Some of the pieces aere huge!! NaCenya was admiring this one, and you can see the size of the painting compared to her. We were amazed at the ability to do a scene justice on such a large scale.
I love the lantern painting. The colors in the lanterns were so vivid that it looked like there was a light in it!
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| Made of buttons, lace, etc. |
There were scale models of different buildings. The one to the left was of a college student center from the 1950s.
.....and a little modern art.....yes, some of us thought we could even make this kind of art!!
This is actually 3-dimensional. It was really cool in person!
Yes! That's a giant ear coming out of the wall!
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| Coca Cola by Andy Warhol |
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| Dolly Parton by Andy Warhol |
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| Rosie the Riveter by Norman Rockwell |
A giant horse....sticks or bronze??
The students all had commented that some of the pieces looked like things we could create. As we got to a display case in the hall, I made a comment about the "paper bag" and how it doesn't take much to make it into an art museum. Then I realized it was pottery! Oops!
There are several trails on the museum grounds. Some of the trails have art pieces on them; others are just beautifully landscaped. One trail had large picture frames on stands. We couldn't turn down the photo op!
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| Stanley is being a deep thinker! |
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The grass on the lawn trail was immaculate. It looked like it would be so soft to just lay down in. So, Tiffany and Keyonte decided to try it. I still think it looks fun!
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| sitting on Chaise Gabion |
There were some areas of the trails that were off limits due to "unstable ground." But we found some places to explore too! I'm not sure if sitting on the sculptures is allowed or not!
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| Shore Lunch by Dan Ostermiller |
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| Shore Lunch by Dan Ostermiller |
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| Keyonte, Tiffany, and Stanley standing on a rock bridge |
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| Jessica and NaCenya |
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| Lowell's Ocean by Mark di Suvero |
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| Stanley read to us about art while we cooled off after walking the trails! |
The museum building itself was a piece of art. The architecture is incredible!! It blends in to the surroundings while still standing alone and attracting attention.
What good is a trip without good food? Most of us (students, Mrs. Sanders, Mr. and Mrs. Scott) had dinner together at Chili's, and we all ate lunch at Dixie Cafe on the way home. We discovered that Tiffany likes hotter "hot wings" than NaCenya and that Keyonte and Stanley drink more mango tea than Mrs. Scott.
As a chaperone, I can't think of a better group of young people to go on a trip with. Keyonte, Tiffany, Stanley, Jessica, and NaCenya each brought their own unique personality on this trip. We made some great memories, established some new nicknames (like me being "Mom" to the whole group), learned about art and about each other, and had a great time. I feel so blessed to have these "kids" in my life! I can't wait for the next trip!!
For more info on the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, go to www.crystalbridges.org. I highly recommend the museum....and admission is FREE!
