Crystal Bridges and Arkansas (the 45th State)

Crystal Bridges through Frederick Eversley's Big Red Lens

In my attempt to hightail it out of the Midwest for my sabbatical (beating the weather and winter in general), I dropped down into Arkansas to see Crystal Bridges and my 45th state of the union. Crystal Bridges is officially the only Walmart establishment I will ever willingly visit though it was difficult to shake the stigma despite it being a well respected art museum. Aside from the architecture and the grounds (which everyone raves about and rightfully so), I was most impressed by the sheer number of women and minorities that were represented in the collection. I could only hope that this becomes commonplace and not a detail that merits drawing attention to in the future.

Near the 20th century section (architect: Moshe Sofdie)

Nam June Paik's John Cage Robot II

Mark di Suvero's Lowell's Ocean through the window 

Gabriel Daye's Plexus 27 (featuring hundreds and hundreds of intricately placed threads in a stairwell)

Detail of Wayne Thiebaud's Supine Woman

Detail of Richard Estes' Antarctica, 2007

Arkansas from the Crystal Bridges Trail before I drove seven more hours to Amarillo, Texas reenacting my other career as a long haul truck driver.