Crystal Bridges opens mini museum inside XNA
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Some culture at the airport. Photo: Alex Golden/Axios
Travelers will now be welcomed to XNA by Northwest Arkansas' flagship art museum, minutes after they step off the plane.
The big picture: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art recently opened a mini satellite museum past security inside Northwest Arkansas National Airport.
- The debut exhibit, "Home and Away," includes paintings, prints, photographs and drawings and will be on display through September 2027.
- "One half of the exhibition focuses on the familiar — scenes from home, neighborhoods and sweeping views of a storied frontier," according to Crystal Bridges. "The other half ventures outward, highlighting artists inspired by travel and distant horizons."
How it works: The satellite museum will feature four rotating groups of work including landscapes and botanical studies; cityscapes and architectural studies; artworks centered on the artist's own home and community; artworks inspired by the artist's long or influential trips abroad; and self-portraits, according to Crystal Bridges.
What they're saying: "This gallery reflects our commitment to creating a more vibrant, welcoming airport for the region we serve — and to offering travelers a meaningful sense of place that connects them to the spirit of Northwest Arkansas from the moment they arrive," XNA CEO Aaron Burkes said in a statement.
The intrigue: The gallery is part of XNA's efforts to ramp up amenities and include local character at the growing airport.
- Already, the airport's service buildings that people see as they're flying in double as an art installation, known as "Ice and a Slice" by Camille Walala, that Oz Art NWA commissioned in 2022.
- XNA has also added Fayetteville-based Slim Chickens to its dining options and a robotic barista from Rogers-based Onyx Coffee Lab. A new lounge further adds to the amenity growth.