Art Review: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Until a few weeks ago, I’d never visited the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Ark. Shame on me. It’s marking its tenth anniversary this year, adding to my embarrassment. Brian Time, alas, is like biblical or geological time. Everything takes forever.

I finally got there, and on New Year’s Day. It’s fantastic, as I hoped, with a few grating exceptions. The first is the museum’s dive into race politics. A Black Lives Matter banner waves its furls at the top of the Crystal Bridges homepage. Why is it there?

About the Author

Brian T. Allen

Brian T. Allen is National Review’s art critic.

Until a few weeks ago, I’d never visited the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Ark. Shame on me. It’s marking its tenth anniversary this year, adding to my embarrassment. Brian Time, alas, is like biblical or geological time. Everything takes forever.

I finally got there, and on New Year’s Day. It’s fantastic, as I hoped, with a few grating exceptions. The first is the museum’s dive into race politics. A Black Lives Matter banner waves its furls at the top of the Crystal Bridges homepage. Why is it there?