Rogers-Lowell Area News

Crystal Bridges' the Momentary Making Progress

The mission of the Momentary is to be a dynamic, innovative, multi-disciplinary arts space, a satellite to Crystal Bridges, which champions contemporary art’s role in everyday life. In 2015, Crystal Bridges announced plans to transform a 63,000 square-foot Kraft Foods plant in downtown Bentonville into a space for visual, performing, and culinary arts, as well as an artist residency program.

Since then, there has been significant progress made and they are excited to share more details about the timeline and vision of this new arts venue:
• Site work is now complete with new construction starting on the adaptive reuse project, headed by Wheeler Kearns Architects. The Chicago-based firm is dedicated to maintaining the building’s industrial integrity while creating maximum flexibility.
• Spaces include galleries, studio space for artists, a small black box theater, kitchen, café, rooftop bar, and flexible indoor gathering areas as well as an outdoor space for concerts, festivals, and community events. 
• There will be free general admission thanks to a $2 million gift from Walmart for access and innovation. Additional funds will go toward initiatives that align with the mission through festivals, major exhibitions, artist programs, culinary offerings, and more.
• The Momentary will open in 2020. In the meantime, you can look forward to a preview concert in the fall of 2019.

“The Momentary encourages an experimental approach with the flexibility and space for artists to engage with the community and each other in meaningful and unexpected ways.”
-Lieven Bertels, director of the Momentary