Bentonville, Arkansas, in 2024 is not your daddy's Bentonville.
As the home of Walmart and the Walton family who started and continue to own the brand, the town's modern-day history has been closely tied to the retail powerhouse. These days though, the town of Bentonville, with a population right at 60,000, is trying to become a destination for museum goers, outdoorsy folks and a younger population.
The main draw is Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. The mission of the world-class museum is to celebrate "the American spirit in a setting that unites the power of art with the beauty of nature," according to the museum's website. Alice Walton founded Crystal Bridges that has a free admission. It is a nonprofit charitable organization and opened in 2011.
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art has a free admission. It is a non-profit charitable organization and opened in 2011.
But Bentonville is going beyond the Walton-family funded world class museum to do events like this year's 10th annual Bentonville Film Festival.
The event, running June 10-16 in the northwestern Arkansas city, offers narrative, documentary, short film and episodic selections chosen by the Bentonville Film Foundation. It uses a variety of venues including Crystal Bridges Museum, Skylight Cinema, the Thaden School Performing Arts Center and the Momentary, a site that brings together contemporary visual, performing, and culinary arts into a welcoming, communal space in Northwest Arkansas.
Veteran actress Geena Davis chairs the festival.
Actress Geena Davis chairs the Bentonville Film Festival.
The festival amplifies female, nonbinary, LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and people with disabilities’ voices through its film selections.
“In celebrating BFF’s 10 years of commitment to inclusion, I’m thrilled to present 'Out of My Mind' as our opening film," Davis said in a news release. "It’s a universally relatable story about making an impact in the world, while centering artists with differing abilities as both performers and collaborators."
“'Out of My Mind' is a humorous and heartfelt manifestation of BFF’s belief that if they can see it, they can be it,” Davis said.
"Out of My Mind" is from director Amber Sealey and based on the novel by Sharon M. Draper. The film will be released on Disney+ later this year. Following the screening, Sealey and Draper, along with lead actress Phoebe Rae-Taylor, will participate in a Q&A.
Emily Mitchell, from left, Luke Kirby, Phoebe-Rae Taylor and Rosemarie Dewitt star in 'Out of My Mind,' the opening film at this year's Bentonville Film Festival.
Also, "Nuked," which was shot entirely in Bentonville, will be a spotlight screening selection this year. The film is the recipient of the See It, Be It, Make It Filmmaker Grant presented by NBCUniversal and the BFFoundation.
The festival will include five world premieres and will also add a new category, the alumni showcase category, in honor of the 10th anniversary of the festival, to showcase films led by filmmakers who have shown films at previous festivals.
“Our curated films, led by Artistic Director Drea Clark, reflect who Bentonville Film Festival is as an organization,” stated Wendy Guerrero, BFF president. “The selected storytellers represent a range of perspectives, but are united by their ability to transport, impact and inspire audiences.”
Anna Camp, left, and Justin Bartha share a scene in 'Nuked,' shot entirely in Bentonville, Ark.
This year's film festival will take place using a variety of venues, including the Momentary, Skylight Cinema, the Thaden School of Performing Arts and, of course, Crystal Bridges Museum.
Details about Crystal Bridges
Crystal Bridges takes its name from a nearby natural spring and the museum's incredible architecture designed by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie, who incorporated a bridge construction incorporated in the building. The museum occupies a series of pavilions nestled around two spring-fed ponds.
It features a restaurant, called Eleven on a glass-enclosed bridge overlooking the ponds. The restaurant serves consistently delicious food on its upscale menu which features a wonderful burger, a walleye sandwich, a variety of salads, pork and grits and zucchini fritters. The food experience at Eleven far exceeds most people's expectations of grabbing lunch at a museum.
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art has a free admission. It is a non-profit charitable organization and opened in 2011.
Crystal Bridges also includes a 120-acre park and 5 miles of sculpture and walking trails that link the museum to downtown Bentonville.
Walking to the museum through the sculpture-lined trails from downtown is delightful, especially for those fortunate enough to stay in the 21c Museum Hotel, which is like an art gallery in and of itself.
Located on the northeast corner of the Bentonville town square and a short walk to Crystal Bridges, 21c is a 104-room boutique hotel and contemporary art museum in and of itself. The hotel's restaurant, The Hive, works to showcase Arkansas' culinary identity with everything from appetizers like pimento cheese, served with bacon jam on toasted white bread to the Berkshire hog chop, served with polenta, cast iron radishes and crispy ramps.
The Walton family's presence is still felt in downtown Bentonville.
The restaurant's inventive drink menu includes drinks like Come Hell or High Watermelon, a pepper-infused tequila with watermelon, hibiscus, citrus and more.