A world-class collection of American art, stunning architecture, and 120 acres of Ozark forest with five miles of trails. Admission to the museum is always free.
Planning a visit to Crystal Bridges this spring? Use this guide to learn what’s on and what to expect this season.
We have something for all types of learners. From educator resources to family activities to scholars, find what speaks to you and engage with us.
There’s more to the museum than just the galleries— come enjoy hands-on creative fun with art classes for all ages and experience levels..
Crystal Bridges members receive year-round perks, invitations to member-only events, travel opportunities, and more!
Museum & Buildings
Trails and Grounds open daily sunrise to sunset.
The Dirty South Weekend: Walker Landing Performances, Hosted by Big Piph
Enjoy fantastic live performances on Walker Landing, hosted by hip-hop artist Big Piph! As part of The Dirty South Weekend, we’re hosting free, outdoor live performances by hip-hop artists, spoken word artists, slam poets, and more inspired by The Dirty South. Stop by and stay for the full lineup, or come and go as you explore the weekend’s festivities.
Worried about the weather? Call the Inclement Weather line at (479) 657-2488 to check on any cancelations or relocations.
Free, no tickets required. Drop in anytime. Covered and indoor seating will be available in case of inclement weather.
1 – 1:30 PM: DJ Afrosia
1:30 – 1:45 PM: Danny Simmons
1:45 – 2:30 PM: Jeron / Itty Smalls / Spida
2:30 – 3 PM: DJ Afrosia
3 – 3:45 PM: SeanFresh / Tru McCoy / Pura Coco
3:45 – 4:15: DJ Afrosia
4:15 – 4:45 PM: Avian Alia / Jasper Logan / Danny Simmons
4:45 – 5 PM: DJ Afrosia
Danny Simmons
Danny Simmons is a contemporary abstract-expressionist artist, poet, and author from Queens, New York. His artwork can be seen all over the world in such prominent establishments as Chase Manhattan Bank, The Smithsonian, the United Nations, Deutsche Bank collection, and more.
Among the most impressive artists of his day, The New York Times says that he “injects freshness” into his abstracts, and that they are “meticulously rendered and decoratively impressive.”
Simmons is also an author of six books of art, poetry, and fiction. He conceived of and co-produced the hit HBO series Def Poetry Jam, which made such an impact that Def Poetry is now offered as an elective at the University of Wisconsin, and won Simmons a Tony Award for the Broadway version of the show.
Co-founder—along with his siblings, music mogul Russell, and hip hop legend Joseph Simmons aka “Rev Run”—and president of the Rush Arts Gallery, Simmons is also founder and VP of the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization “dedicated to providing disadvantaged urban youth with significant arts exposure and access to the arts,” as well as a former board member of the Brooklyn Museum, the Brooklyn Public Library, the New York Foundation for the Arts, and the National Conference of Artists.
Big Piph
Epiphany “Big Piph” Morrow is a Hip Hop Creative and Community Activator. He regularly performs regularly with his seven-piece band, Tomorrow Maybe, and has worked with several major industry acts. He also has been a TEDx speaker and perhaps most notably has served as a “Cultural Ambassador” traveling abroad for work in countries such as Morocco, Algeria, The Gambia, Seychelles, Myanmar, Thailand, and Ghana. One of his current projects is The F.A.M. Project which empowers future leaders to become present ones. He also had a one-man show entitled “The Glow”, described as if “TED Talks were a Hip-Hop concert wrapped in an OG Spike Lee narrative” that is now a digital series with Arkansas PBS. He has just released his latest musical project, “Far From Finished”.
DJ Afrosia
“There is nothing more rewarding than seeing people free themselves on a dance floor. Everyone bops to their own vibe and as a DJ it’s the coolest sight to witness. I’ve never felt more at peace than when I’m behind the ones and twos. I strive to keep everyone movin’ and shakin’! You can even bring your ma or pa to the party because with my set we all kickin’ it like karate!”
Influenced by an eclectic diet of Neo-soul and hip-hop provided by her parents’ record collection and endless hours of radio listening, Ambrosia discovered her love for music. As a neighborhood disk jockey, DJ Afrosia was introduced to the music scene as a college radio host and music festival promoter, traveling the region attending many music festivals. This helped her gain an extensive music palate which eventually would turn her passion into a career. While working with local radio stations, she was able to obtain other opportunities such as hosting various late-night shows, which included an array of diverse music styles and crowds. Soon after discovering multi-genre DJing, she immersed herself in building her brand as a femcee while becoming a local fixture of Northwest Arkansas. DJ Afrosia has performed at a variety of events including Northwest Arkansas’s Annual Business Women’s Conference, Crystal Bridges New 365 New Year’s celebration, and NWA Fashion Week.
Jeron
Jeron Marshall, a native of Kansas City, Missouri, moved to Little Rock a little over a decade ago. She is considered one of the powerhouse vocalists within the local/regional music scene. Her debut album First Date includes a combination of R & B, Neo-Soul, and hip-hop tunes. Jeron, known for her versatile range, delivers several sensual tracks that include “Marry Me”, “Beautiful Aftertaste” and even the club-friendly tracks “Weekend” and “It’s Real”. Although it’s such a diverse and somewhat lengthy list, a few of her musical influences are Jill Scott, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Patti Labelle, Kim Burrell, Anthony Hamilton, and D’Angelo. The songstress is known for her powerful voice and her great connection with the audience, which allows her the freedom to express her truest creativity. Jeron has a strong command of her stage performance, and the audience relaxes into a wonderful journey and an experience of positivity.
“It’s about knowing who you are, where you’ve been and where you’re going…to make every day an excellent day…to feel YOUR rhythm and get YOUR groove back.” – Jeron
Itty Smalls
Itty Smalls was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but raised in the ART of Fayetteville, Arkansas. Since the age of 11, she was able to find her growth in the pages of notebooks and journals. Starting out writing short stories that moved to songs, and now poetry, her love for the art is still just as strong now at the age of 37, might even find her and her two beautiful daughters in any TJ Maxx looking for her newest and cutest thought holder because she believes you can never have enough of what bring you true peace, time with yourself, and getting lost chatting in the pages of a journal.
Spida
SpidaCrazy8 is an aspiring artist native to Mississippi and currently residing in Arkansas as of 2011.
SpidaCrazy8 started his music career in 2012 as a hobby. He then took his career to the next level by dropping his first single “Mrs. Green” in 2015. From that point on his career began to grow, from opening up for Kevin Gates to being selected to open up for Ice Cube. His following led him to become one of the greatest influencers for all artists and people due to his ambition, motivation, and love for his craft is inspiring. You can find him on Facebook and Instagram under spidacrazy8, and iamspidacrazy8 on Twitter.
SeanFresh
Fresh, the son of a pastor and industrial worker, is a native of Little Rock, Arkansas. In the face of his substantial pious background, Sean was exposed to a very wide scope of music from the likes of Brian McKnight, Miguel, and Fred Hammond. As a child, Sean grew up in an area dominated by gang violence, and he would use his faith and music to escape the threatening world around him. Now the singer, songwriter, and entertainer uses his sultry, charming vocals to enlighten the world through his alluring melodies and his twist on “Soul” Music.
Fresh continues to thrive, as he is a two-time Artist of Year and has opened for numerous artists and has been on three national tours.
Tru McCoy
Tru Poet is a nationally ranked poet who placed second overall in the 2014 Southern Fried Poetry competition, which is the second-largest poetry competition in the world, with his well-known poetry troop Foreign Tongues. He also placed fifth in the same competition in 2018 as an individual. Tru is a traveling spoken word artist, co-author, and now author, with his latest self-published book entitled Writing Through the Pain, which can be purchased through Amazon. He thrives off of performing in front of crowds of all sizes in various forms, touching the mind and heart of each audience member with his thought-provoking poetry. He is notorious for bringing tears to eyes, joy to hearts, smiles to faces, and peace to minds. He has been said to put audience members into a “poetry coma”. He has performed his astonishing poetry for over thousands of individuals.
Pura Coco
Pura Coco, alternative R&B singer, released her EP Leaves in 2019. Born in New York City and 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 continues to work on her craft to convey a multitude of emotions and further connect with people through her music.
Avian Alia
Southeast Arkansas artist Avian Alia will be performing songs from her first project, AVIATION. Avian Alia was born and raised in Arkansas and has been writing music since the age of 12. She produced her first studio record in 2018 as a college freshman at the University of Arkansas from inside a dorm room. The rest of the story is yet to be written.
Her latest EP AVIATION is an embodiment of hustle, resilience, and self-empowerment.
Jasper Logan
Jasper Logan has used many forms of artistic expression to bring awareness and change to his community. From his soulful and artistic music used to express self-awareness along with important social commentary; to his very active community events discussing things such as grief, Racial Trauma, and collaboration between minoritized groups. Jasper has recently expanded into film, landing a role in the feature film Freedom’s Path as well as a lead role in Shadow Work—a locally made short film, winner of Rogers Film Festival “Best-in-Fest” award.
For one weekend only, July 15 – 17, we’re bringing together hip-hop artists, poets, scholars, and more for a multi-day event designed to explore the themes of The Dirty South: Contemporary Art, Material Culture, and the Sonic Impulse like never before. Come immerse yourself in the sounds and stories of The Dirty South as we celebrate a century of southern Black culture.
Sponsored by: Harrison and Rhonda French Family | Ramsay, Jaquita and Sarah Ball | Catherine and Stephan Roche | Esther Silver-Parker | Deborah Wright. This project is supported in part by a grant from the Arkansas Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
