collectionsofAmerican
art in theworld.
Ms.Waltonwanted
tocreateamuseumof
Americanart forMid-
dleAmerica.Sheand
her familyspentmore
thanabilliondollars
onaglass-and-metal
edificedesignedby
world-famousarchitect
MosheSafdie that
blendseffortlessly into
woodedsurroundings.
“Wegota lotof
scorn from thecoasts,”
recallsMikeHarvey,
chiefoperatingofficer
of theNorthwest
ArkansasCouncil, a
private, regionaldevelopmentgroup.
“People theredidn’t think thatpeople in
theOzarkscouldappreciatefineart.”
Byallmeasures, theCrystalBridges
MuseumofAmericanArthasbeena
success, garneringpraiseandattracting
more than1.5millionvisitorswith iconic
workssuchasNormanRockwell’s“Rosie
theRiveter”andAndyWarhol’sportrait
ofDollyParton.Walmartdonated funds
toallow freeadmission.
Traversingponds
withinwalkingdis-
tanceofdowntown, the
museumhelpedspark the
revitalizationofBenton-
ville’scentral square.The
heartof thecitybecame
moribundafter folks left
for thesuburbs.Oneof
the fewestablishments
thatremainedopenwas
Walton’s5&10,which
housedarundown
Walmartmuseum. In
anticipationofvisitors
with theopeningof
CrystalBridges,Walmart
pumpedmillions into
renovations, employing
thefirm thatbuilt the
ClintonPresidentialLibrary.
Behind theoriginal,old-timey facade
andsandwichedbetweenasoda fountain
andapenny-candystore,designerscon-
verted theplace intoamodernmuseum,
telling thestoryof the improbableriseof
aretailbehemoth in thebackwoods.
AWalton familymembercontacted
21cMuseumHotels, aburgeoning
hotelchainwhoseownersemployed
anavant-gardeartcollection tospark
BUSINESS
84
NOVEMBER2015
AMERICANWAY
ANNZIMMERMAN
isa formerstaff reporter
for
TheWallStreetJournal
where, among
other things, shewroteabout thegrowthof
Walmart.
CLOCKWISEFROMLEFT:theCrystalBridges
MuseumofAmericanArt;theWalmartMuseumand
Walton’s5&10;the21cMuseumHotelBentonville
gentrification in theirhometownof
Louisville,Kentucky.
“Bentonvillewas toosmall tobeon
ourradarscreen,”saysCraigGreenberg,
presidentof21cHotels. “Butwhenwesaw
whatwasgoingonwithCrystalBridges,
wecould tell itwasgoing tobean impor-
tant institution for thewholecountry.”
AlysaTeichman, anMBAcandidate
atNewYorkUniversity,wanted tostay
at the104-roomhotelwhile interningat
aLittleRockcompany.Theonlyroom
availablewas$1,000anight. “Crystal
Bridgesand21ccouldbeeasilydropped
intoanyhigh-brow, art-centeredcity in
thecountry,”Teichmansays. “ThenI
walkedaround the farmersmarketand
sawkidsshoveling icecream in their
mouths inacontest. Iwasblownaway.”
PHOTOS
ADAI R CREATIVE/COURTESY CRYSTAL BR IDGES MUSEUM OF AMER ICAN ART; COURTESY WALMART MUSEUM; COURTESY 21C MUSEUM HOTEL BENTONVI LLE
FASTFACTS:
BENTONVILLE,
ARKANSAS
Population:
Today,
more thanhalf amillion
residents live in the region
surroundingBentonville,
double thepopulationof
25 years ago.
Business:
Walmart, the
largest corporationbased
on revenue in theworld, is
headquartered there.
Travel:
AmericanAirlines
offers 19peak-dayflights
toNorthwestArkansas
RegionalAirport (
XNA
)
fromfiveof our hubs.
Arts:
Walmartmuseum
Walton’s 5& 10hadmore
than 350,000visitors last
year—up from60,000
in2010.
