Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art will reveal its expanded campus on June 6, marking the most significant addition since the Bentonville landmark debuted in 2011.

Why it matters: Founded by Walmart heir Alice Walton, the museum is a cultural anchor for Northwest Arkansas and a major tourism draw. This next chapter further positions it not just as a place to experience art, but as a year-round community space.

State of play: Nearly every gallery in the museum will be reinstalled as part of what leadership describes as an "all-new core experience," guiding visitors thematically through American life, landscape and identity.

• Much of the new space is designed for public use beyond traditional exhibitions and will include multipurpose rooms for classes and events, a performance and screening space, ceramics studios and craft areas, a digital arts room with 3D printers, and space to accommodate children's camps and field trips.

The big picture: The opening coincides with the largest collection gift in the museum's history. Dallas collectors Candace and Michael Humphreys donated 200 works by more than 100 artists, including Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol and Robert Mapplethorpe, along with funding for future acquisitions.

• Board chair Olivia Walton and Tom Walton, her husband and Walmart heir, contributed 18 works exclusively by women artists, deepening the museum's exploration of femininity and selfhood.

By the numbers: The expansion adds 114,000 square feet to the museum's existing 210,000-square-foot footprint, reshaping both its gallery experience and community role.

• A second 15,000-square-foot temporary exhibition gallery will allow for two major exhibitions to run simultaneously.
• There will be an additional 13,000 square feet of gallery space.

The bottom line: The expansion unfolds alongside other major projects rising near the campus, including the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine and the Heartland Whole Health Institute, transforming Bentonville into a regional arts and wellness hub.

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Mark your calendars for these arts and culture events happening across Northwest Arkansas this spring and early summer:

🖼️ Now through March 26: Artists of Northwest Arkansas — A spring membership exhibit at the ANA building in downtown Rogers.

🧶 May 1-2: Heart of the Ozarks Craft Fair — The fair's Spring Pickin' Days touts 250 vendors, family fun and bluegrass music at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Fayetteville. Admission is free; parking is $5.

🛸 May 9: The Mothership Art Market for Mom — Shop for one-of-a-kind pieces for Mom made by local artisans at this pop-up market hosted by Fenix Arts at the Millar Lodge in Fayetteville.

🐆 Now through June 7: The Greatest Wildlife Photographs — A photography exhibition at The Momentary in Bentonville featuring striking wildlife images from around the world. Free.

🖨️ Now through June 7: The Machine Behind the Art: Inside JR's Printing Press — Explore the creative process of artist JR in this exhibit at The Momentary. Tickets $15-$20; free for members.

🧵 Now through July 27: America 250: Common Threads — A temporary exhibition at Crystal Bridges examining 250 years of American art and civic identity. Tickets start at $15; free for members.

🦉Now through Sept. 14: The Art of Birdwatching with Susan Morrison — See works exploring birds, wildlife and nature at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville. Free.

🎞️ June 15-21: Bentonville Film Festival — See short films and features at several downtown venues. Get passes for $250-$1,250.

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Theatergoers are in luck. These plays are hitting the stage in Northwest Arkansas between mid-March and late June:

🎷 March 17–22: "Some Like It Hot" — This musical is set during Prohibition in Chicago where two men disguise themselves as women to hide from gangsters, and it's coming to Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville. Get tickets.

💍 April 15-May 10: "Pride and Prejudice" — See the classic romance based on Jane Austen's novel on stage at TheatreSquared in Fayetteville. Get tickets.

💃 April 21-26: "Mamma Mia!" — A woman sets out to find out who her dad is as she's set to get married on a Greek island. Get tickets to the show at Walton Arts Center.

❤️‍🩹 May 26-31: "& Juliet" — This musical coming to Walton Arts Center imagines if Juliet hadn't died at the end of "Romeo and Juliet" and has several familiar pop hits. Get tickets.

🪕 June 10-28: "Eugene Onegin - A Bluegrass Musical" — A girl in 1940s rural Arkansas dreaming of songwriting "falls for a dangerously magnetic — but jaded — touring musician" in this musical at TheatreSquared. Get tickets.

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Nothing speaks to culture more than food. Check out NWA festivals and tasting experiences coming up this spring:

🍴 April 25: BITE @ The Home Office — BITE NWA will host a one-night food tasting event featuring more than 20 local restaurants and breweries at the Walmart Home Office in Bentonville. Get tickets for $55.

🍳 April 25–26: NWA Women's and Great Tastes Food Expo — Includes cooking demos on the Chef's Kitchen Stage and food sampling alongside lifestyle exhibits at the Benton County Fairgrounds in Bentonville. Tickets $5-$7.

🍓 May 16–17: Fayetteville Strawberry Festival — Enjoy live music, food and pie baking contests. The event features special guest Muriel Fahrion, creator and illustrator of the Strawberry Shortcake franchise.

🥕 Weekly, April-October: Farmers Markets — Seasonal markets with fresh produce and local eats around NWA:

• Bentonville Farmers Market Outdoor Season — Saturdays 7:30am-1pm on the Bentonville Square, starting April 11.
• Fayetteville Farmers Market — Saturdays until 1pm on the Fayetteville Square, starting April 4.
• Rogers Local Food & Art Market — Saturdays from 8am-1pm at the Frisco Plaza of Railyard Park in downtown Rogers.
• Springdale Farmers' Market — Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 7am-1pm, May- October at The Jones Center.

🍅 Seasonal Pick-Your-Own at Rivercrest Orchard — Strawberry picking weekends (April–May) with farm stands, food vendors and family activities near Fayetteville.

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