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The Art of the Constitution

Talk/Lecture
Museum-wide
FREE
This event has passed
Discover what the Constitution means today through art, conversation, and community!

 

As part of Constitution Weekend, we’re filling the galleries with discussions, artmaking, and more to explore themes of freedom, justice, and civic engagement presented in our nation’s founding documents. Come see an original print of the US Constitution as part of free exhibition We the People: The Radical Notion of Democracy, then join the conversation as artists, legal experts, activists, and more share their unique perspectives on the question, “What does the Constitution mean to me?”

 

Crystal Bridges Gallery Conversation
Photo by Stephen Ironside

We’ll also be hosting family-friendly artmaking; live performances by Flyover Dance Collective; live music curated by our partner KUAF Radio, including performances by rapper EDDIE Canyon, Latin/R&B singer Pura Coco, Sarah Lily, Josh Noren, and DJ Raquel; a forum to meet local civic organizations, and more throughout the museum.

Free, no tickets required. Drop by anytime from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

 

About Constitution Weekend

What does the Constitution mean to you? On September 16 and 17, we invite you to join artists, scholars, and civic organizations for a weekend commemorating the enduring impact of our nation’s founding documents with artmaking, conversation, performances, and more. See the full weekend lineup to learn more.

 

About the Speakers

Early American Art Galleries

11 am: Flyover Dance Collective

11:15 am: Rachel Smith, Assistant Director and Curator of Collections for Rogers Historical Museum

12:15 pm: Dr. Caree Banton, Associate Professor of African Diaspora History and the Director of the African and African American Studies Program at the University of Arkansas

12:45 pm: Jim Hendren, Founder of Common Ground Arkansas

1:30 pm: Gayle Ross, Cherokee Storyteller with Charlotte Buchanan-Yale, Director of the Museum of Native American History

1:45 pm: Kyle Kellams, KUAF Host, Contributor, and Creator of “Ozarks at Large

2:15 pm: Jivette de Jesus, Community Engagement and Inclusion Manager for Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce

2:15 pm: Monique Pierre, Chief Executive Officer of Partners for Better Housing

3:30 pm: Danielle Weatherby, Professor of Law at University of Arkansas

3:45 pm: McKenna Ruiz, Crystal Bridges Teen Council Leader

We the People Exhibition, Modern Art Galleries

11:30 am: Brynt Parmeter, Head of Military and Veteran Affairs for Walmart

11: 45 am: Maria De Los Angeles, Exhibition Artist

1 pm: Julian Saporiti, Vietnamese Italian American songwriter, No-No Boy

2:30 pm: Austen Barron Bailly, Chief Curator of Crystal Bridges

3:15 pm: Sandy Edwards, Senior Director of Crystal Bridges

Contemporary Art Galleries

12 pm: Osyrus Bolly, Musician and Social Justice & Racial Equity Coordinator for the Arkansas Public Policy Panel.

12 pm: Melisa Laelan, Founder and Chief Executive Director of Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese (ACOM)

12:30 pm: Flyover Dance Collective

1:15 pm: Lakisha Bradley, Artist and Founder & CEO of My-T-By Design

2 pm: Srividya Venkatasubramanya, Executive Director and Founding President of Ra-Ve Cultural Foundation

3 pm: Flyover Dance Collective

Walker Landing Artists

11 am: Sarah Lily

Pura Coco headshot

12 pm: Pura Coco

Pura Coco, alternative R&B singer, released her EP, Leaves, in 2019.

Born in New York City, based in Northwest Arkansas, she takes both her Latin culture and her Southern upbringing to create her unique sound. This passionate young writer and vocalist continuously works on her craft to convey a multitude of emotions and further connect with people through her music.

Eddie Canyon headshot

1 pm: Eddie Canyon

As the collective attention span shrinks, Eddie Canyon finds himself searching for meaning within the noise. Reaching into and around his Arkansas roots, Eddie carves a distinctively southern Hip-hop undercurrent in his exploratory approach to music. Weaving tales of battling addiction, thoughts on spirituality, and irreverent social commentary into his lyrics, Eddie aims to intrigue his audience at the least, and at most, leave them with a liberating degree of thoughtfulness. In his own words: The Matrix is real, but there’s a way out.

DJ Raquel headshot

2 pm: DJ Raquel

Despite her age, Raquel is a force to be reckoned with. She started DJing at age 11, and her love for the art only grew stronger with each passing year of experience. She lets her passion for spreading good energy and belief in music’s ability to bring people together guide her, and with that, she mixes and intertwines genres to take people out of the current reality they’re in and into a world of pure euphoria.

Josh Noren headshot

3 pm: Josh Noren

Born in Paradise California and raised in Northwest Arkansas, Josh started playing guitar at 12 years of age. Josh developed an inspiration for songwriting and recording as a sophomore in high school. Josh played coffee shop gigs all over Bentonville and Northwest Arkansas until he graduated college. He then moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue a music career. As a solo artist, Josh has opened for Rick Springfield, Steve Miller Band, Jake Owen, sang the National Anthem at the PBR Tulsa, and played Fire Fly Fest Dover DE for thousands of people. After six years in Nashville, Josh is back in Northwest Arkansas laying down roots, teaching guitar, and planning his next music project. Find his released songs anywhere music is found and check out his music videos on Youtube.

Sponsors

We the People: The Radical Notion of Democracy is sponsored by Kenneth C. Griffin.

Learning and engagement programming for We the People: The Radical Notion of Democracy is sponsored by

Scholastic, Walmart, and Tyson Family Foundation logos

Sarah and Ross Perot, Jr. Foundation | Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates, & Woodyard, P.L.L.C. | Johnny and Jeanie Morris, Bass Pro Shops | Alturas Foundation | Harriet and Warren Stephens, Stephens Inc. | Sotheby’s | Bob and Becky Alexander | Marybeth and Micky Mayfield | Lamar and Shari Steiger | Jeff and Sarah Teague / Citizens Bank | Arkansas Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities | Avis and Bill Bailey | Scarlett and Neff Basore | June Carter Family | Terri and Chuck Erwin | Jackye and Curtis Finch | The Harrison and Rhonda French Family | Jim and Susan von Gremp | Laurice Hachem | Shannon and Charles Holley | Valorie and Randy Lawson / Lawco Energy Group | Donna and Mack McLarty | Steve and Susan Nelson | Neal and Gina Pendergraft | Helen Porter | JT and Imelda Rose | Lee and Linda Scott | Stella Boyle Smith Trust, Catherine and Michael Mayton, Trustees | William Reese Company

Flyover Dance Collective is generously funded by

Mid-America Arts Alliance logo
National Endowment for the Arts logo

and the state arts agencies of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas.