Bentonville Road Trip: Discover Public and Outdoor Art Throughout Arkansas- Explore ARkanvas Now
Yes, I know, 2020 has changed traveling an awful lot!! But when the invitation arrives in my inbox to spend a weekend in Bentonville exploring public art and all of my fave museums and restaurants to see exactly how Bentonville is keeping people living safely-well…it is impossible to say no!!!!
I visited Bentonville 8 times in 2019 on assignment and was greatly missing it! The downtown square is so quaint plus Bentonville has such a great food and drink scene and its many museums and local shops just make my heart sing. A weekend in Bentonville even in a pandemic is a great idea and couldn’t be easier to do. Remember , it’s only two hours from Tulsa! And with all of the public art and trails…well even if you just want to stay outdoors to keep distance, you are going to have a heck of a good time, Bentonville is truly the perfect place to take a weekend getaway or even just a day trip! Truth be told-I felt safer in Bentonville than I do in Tulsa right now. Everyone is wearing masks and being so respectful of one another. They are really embracing the social distancing protocols and it’s beautiful to see.
I will give you some fantastic places to eat and drink and visit but first -I need to introduce you to ARkanvas. ARkanvas is a statewide engagement bringing public art by world-renowned artists to Arkansas communities, including Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale, Fort Smith (Chaffee Crossing), Conway, Little Rock, Hot Springs, Stuttgart, and Pine Bluff.
Curated by Justkids in partnership with Unexpected, the initiative’s theme is Unite, a tribute to being united through shared outdoor and art experiences across the Natural State.
Let’s Discover amazing public and outdoor art throughout Bentonville and Arkansas when you hit the road for a fall/Winter vacation!
So pack up the family, bring your masks, and get ready for a road trip!
“We wanted to do something to celebrate the arts, support artists, and create some excitement in our communities during this incredibly challenging time,” said Olivia Walton. She is leading the project along with Elizabeth Miller, OZ Art manager. “We love that murals bring art to everyone, and we hope that these projects will inspire, spark conversation, and promote civic unity.” Participating artists include renowned contemporary figures whose body of work re-imagines public spaces. ”
Justkids is a multi-disciplinary women-led art platform providing design, curatorial and production services for public and private art initiatives.
With a strong international network of leading contemporary artists, curators, and creative teams, Justkids offers wide-ranging visual experiences that engage diverse audiences and communities. Justkids collaborates with cities, communities, innovative brands, and institutional spaces to drive visual culture and create unforgettable experiences that celebrate art.
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www.justkids.art
Unexpected is an award-winning art activation program bringing urban and contemporary art, speakers, and education to Arkansas since 2015.
A project of 64.6 Downtown, the Unexpected consists of cultural exchange and community development and is a revitalizing action revealing Arkansas as an international epicenter for cutting edge contemporary art and cultural development.
This is all still happening right but I had the pleasure of seeing two of the first public art pieces! The first is the amazing piece from artist Stephen Powers. Powers body of work focuses on the language of signs, typography, and the visual clutter of our everyday. His work riffs off our emoticon-driven culture, and his lyrical witticisms capture our collective unease with the rapidity—and often vapidity—of instantaneous communication. Powers reminds us of the importance of human connection, the inevitability of time, and the way we craft and re-craft our own personal narratives.
He lives and works in New York City where he makes and sells art at his store, ESPO’s Art World in Brooklyn’s Boerum Hill.
“It’s really interesting for me to take a small conversation, a little bit of small talk on the corner, and then blow it up to this huge immense sign that raises it to this huge voice from on high. I think myself, and a lot of other people, use graffiti in a really constructive way.”
You can find his work on the 21C Museum Hotel..yes, on the hotel!! Discover more about him here.
The second piece I had the pleasure of seeing is from Nina Chanel Abney. Her paintings capture the frenetic pace of contemporary culture. Broaching subjects as diverse as race, celebrity, religion, politics, sex, and art history, her works eschew linear storytelling in lieu of disjointed narratives. The effect is information overload, balanced with a kind of spontaneous order, where time and space are compressed and identity is interchangeable. Her distinctively bold style harnesses the flux and simultaneity that has come to define life in the 21st century. Abney was born in Chicago and currently lives and works in New York. Her work is included in collections around the world, including the Brooklyn Museum, The Rubell Family Collection, Bronx Museum, and the Burger Collection, Hong Kong.
Her work is located on the Razorback Greenway at 700 SE 5th street. Park at the Greater Bentonville Chamber of Commerce and go through the atrium and take a left once you hit the trail!
Y’all were loving this work so much and giving such great feedback from the Insta stories I was posting. For those of you who missed those, you can catch up here. There are 100 incredible slides from my trip!
This work was created after I had already left Bentonville but I wanted to include it even though I do not have any of my original photos of it! But Anne Vieux is a multimedia artist based in Brooklyn, N.Y. She received her MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art and her BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute. Vieux works in the great tradition of artists who use tools wrong. Innovation through misuse is a key part of how artists are responding to technology, and here the artist starts by confounding the CCD array of a scanner by training it on holographic paper. The light source of the scanner explodes the spectrum of the paper and the lens records an otherworldly topography of insane colors and shapes.
Her ARkanvas artwork is finished NOW at the Skylight Cinema In Bentonville located at 350 SW A Street.
Artists began working in NW Arkansas on Oct. 13 and are now in Central Arkansas! But you should sign up for email updates and artwork premiere notifications at Arkanvas.com, then- follow along as each artwork is completed. I cannot wait to take another trip and tour all of the works of art throughout the state. How fun would that be?!
This is such a special initiative! And it’s just wonderful that Arkansas is doing this, especially this year. So plan your trips. The drive to Northwest Arkansas is now probably at its peek with the fall foliage! It was just starting when I drove there two weeks ago.
There is art all over the place in Bentonville! I feel like I need another weekend there but here are some of the beautiful public art works I found and photographed.
The below are from downtown Bentonville
My favorite works found at The 8th Street Market
Faves from 21C
My faves from The 8th Street Market
From The Momentary
Don’t forget to go inside The Momentary too! It’s free and very safe. Read all about it in a recent post I wrote here. The Nick Cave Exhibit is truly spectacular.
From Crystal Bridges
Highly recommend seeing the Ansel Adams Exhibit too if you feel comfortable traveling inside! The museum is being super safe and you will need to make a reservation for this reason! The museum is always free to visit but the special exhibits do cost! Masks are required.
You can find more info here.
https://crystalbridges.org/blog/why-we-are-placing-ansel-adams-in-our-time/
You can see the Museum gift shop is taking extra precautions too in these crazy times!
Two other public art pieces I have always loved so much!!!!
Art really is everywhere in Bentonville y’all! Just stroll around on foot or bicycle and discover it all for yourself! I barely scratched the surface here.
Now while in Bentonville…here are some of my most recent recommendations for dining, drinking, shopping, and sleeping. Masks are required at all of the establishments I am linking and their staff members were masks at all times.
FOOD AND COFFEE
Patio lunch or dinner at Oven And Tap in the square! Great pizza and calzones!!!!!! Love their meatballs too.
Dinner at The Preacher’s Son in the square. (no patio dining but they have made accommodations for space inside. ) Every single they do is perfection! The menu is always changing based on what is in season but if there is a pasta on the menu…order it! Love the brussel sprout salad too.
Brunch at Louise at Thaden Field. They have both indoor or patio seating! Love watching the planes while devouring pancakes! Brunch is always so good because they have such a variety of things to chose from.
Patio Dinner at The Pressroom. If I were you I would get the burger with home cut fries, the hush puppies, and the grilled cheese with tomato soup is always a comforting classic, especially this time of year!
Seasonal coffee treat from Airship. The pumpkin chai latte was so delish! Love the vibe in their too. There is lots of patio seating as well.
Queso and nacho snack….yes, please!!! The Holler always hits the spot! You do have to go inside to order and pick up your food but there is outdoor seating if you feel safer!
Pizza and pastries and more coffee from The Meteor is a good idea! They serve wine and beer too. Plus if you are a single gal-there are lots of cyclists in spandex! LOL!
And always have to visit the five and dime in the square for a cookies and cream ice cream cone! I am such a child, I know!!
Alcoholic Beverages
Ramo d’ Olivo has such a quaint patio and such a delicious wine list!!!!!!!! They do have craft beer too and some appetizers! They do offer a pasta night and even sell the most gorgeous olive oils!
Tower Bar- Can we just say swanky AF?! Stellar views, better cocktails. Loosely inspired by 1960s airport lounges, the Tower Bar is a high-flying social space offering a rotating menu of craft cocktails, spirits, wines, and whiskey you can’t find anywhere else in Arkansas, and bar snacks in the evening, plus the best views in Bentonville.
To maintain proper distancing, seating is limited in the Tower Bar to 40 guests. Service is offered tableside only, first come, first served. Upon arrival, head to the North Entrance of the Tower, and our host will add you to our queuing system, which will notify you via text message when we are ready for your party. Once you are alerted that your party is ready to be seated, head back to the elevator where an operator will help you queue. Parties are currently limited to 10 people.
SHOP
The Bentonville Saturday Farmer’s Market in the square is always a fun time!!! Masks and social distance are required! There is always live music and it’s dog friendly. It’s one of the best markets I have ever visited.
And pop into Hillfolk Shop at The 8th Street Market!!! I always find something fun here for my home or a piece of jewelry. You can read more about them here in this blog feature I wrote.
Wine and gifts for cyclists enthusiasts from The Meteor…….I mean..need I say more?!
Such gorgeous ceramics inside Airship too!!! I literally want ALL of it.
For lodging I stay and recommend The DoubleTree Suites on Walton! They take good care of me and I know you will just love it. The rooms have a private living area and bath tubs!!!
Now who is ready to get to Bentonville?! Remember to check out more from ARKANVAS! It’s truly so incredible to have all of this amazing public art in Arkansas!!!
