22 Apr 2024 Four-day festival planned at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Posted at 6:51 PMh in News by

BENTONVILLE — From May 2 through May 5, Crystal Bridges and the Momentary will host a new Wellness Festival to uplift art, nature, food, and community in a celebration of well-being. Set during the opening of The Portal: An Art Experience by Jewel and featuring a variety of free and ticketed talks, workshops, culinary experiences, and family-friendly engagements by community partners, the festival will showcase the profound connections between creative expression and personal health.

Photo by Ironside Photography / Stephen Ironside.

The four-day experience will kick off on May 2 with a panel discussion featuring Crystal Bridges Board Chair Olivia Walton and producer, filmmaker, and advocate Tonya Lewis Lee in a conversation on women and maternal health in Arkansas. Opening remarks will be provided by Grammy-nominated singer and artist Jewel, who will be in Bentonville as Crystal Bridges launches The Portal. Thursday’s conversation will be followed by an immersive sound healing experience led by singer and sound healing artist Davin Youngs.  

A day of wellness will take place at the Momentary on Friday, May 3, including myriad panels, author talks, workshops, and farm-to-table demos with James Beard Award-nominated Chef Matthew Cooper of Conifer Bentonville. On May 4, The Portal opens to the public at Crystal Bridges. The one-of-a-kind experience is fully curated by Jewel – a mental health pioneer – and will feature a 200-piece aerial drone show choreographed and scored by the artist, a meditative art walk, never-before-seen artworks by Jewel, and chef-crafted dining options as part of a complete experience for the body, mind, and spirit.  

The final day of the Wellness Festival – Sunday, May 5 – will be a free community day with wellness-focused gallery activities, partnering organizations, and workshops at Crystal Bridges. At 4 PM, Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO of Thrive Global, and Alice Walton, philanthropist and founder of Crystal Bridges and the groundbreaking Heartland Whole Health Institute and Alice L. Walton School of Medicine, will discuss the intersection of art, medicine, health and well-being.  

To learn more about the inaugural Wellness Festival or reserve tickets, visit crystalbridges.org/series/wellness-festival/.