Art History Students Visit with Alice Walton, Founder of Crystal Bridges

Caroline Seabolt, a senior Art History minor with a major in American Studies, recently traveled to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. Caroline is writing a thesis on the aims of this young, important museum, which opened in November 2011. Crystal Bridges has attracted enormous attention for the abundance of major American works in its collection, its ambition to develop a leading cultural institution far from traditional metropolitan centers, and the founding role of Alice Walton, the Walmart heiress, whose own extraordinary collection of American art forms the core of Crystal Bridges. During Caroline’s visit, accompanied by Art History major Kim Tay, she introduced herself to Alice Walton (pictured here with Caroline), who was delighted to hear about her project and eager to answer questions.