Shared Illusions

We arrived in Bentonville AR early enough yesterday for a return to this very fine Museum of American Art, vision of Alice Walton, daughter of Sam Walton, founder of Walmart. Many corporate sponsors also contribute to this first class museum and trail system. It is all free to the public.

The weather was cold and dreary so we opted for inside. I wanted to return to what we call the “bubble room.” But the artist calls:

A few more images:

Weather improved so we ventured outside to explore art dotted trails. Here’s what we found.

The above floating stainless steel balls in a pond were my absolute favorite! A slight breeze causes them to move against one another, creating a low and mesmerizing susurration. The visuals of them reflecting against each other, reflecting the sky, the trees, the photographer. The patterns they make. I can’t believe they don’t have a bench here. I could watch them, listen to them for extended periods of time.

This morning found us on the North Forest trail at 8:15 or so. It was brisk and the sun was not above the trees when we started. More great art amidst chirping birds, leaves brushing, and fresh air.

There are a few of these along the trails. You manually turn the crank. Push a button and continue cranking to listen to a recorded message. There are 4 messages on\in each box. They cover a variety of topics – info about the red shouldered hawk and a recording of it’s call. Did you know though that blue Jays can mimic them expertly?

Another message might be from the architect about the construction materials for the museum. It takes quite a bit of energy to maintain the crank. I kept switching hands.

I’ll end this post with this photo. I think it’s called Brilliant Berry. Brilliant, yes?