Sprawling lakes, wondrous caverns, and breathtaking waterfalls. These are the natural beauty that the Ozarks are most famous for.
But what if I tell you that tucked somewhere in Bentonville, Arkansas stands one of the region's best curation of artistic, musical, and cultural activities and attractions?
That space is The Momentary, an extension of the esteemed Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art that pools together the city's burgeoning and vibrant arts scene with an expansive collection of contemporary visual, performing, and culinary arts to create a uniquely holistic experience.
Upcoming Events of The Momentary Art Museum and Music Venue
What was once a 63,000-square-foot cheese factory is now home to a 6,000-person capacity outdoor venue and a state-of-the-art indoor performance space called the RØDE House, which occupies the old Milk Intake Room of the repurposed factory.
This Spring and upcoming Summer, the space's facilities will be used to their fullest as it showcases a lineup of thrilling concerts via its Live On The Green Series, which will feature top-performing artists like Jon Batiste, John Legend, Deadmau5, and Slash across April to June.
In addition, The Momentary will also host Awol Erizku's monumental Mystic Parallax art exhibition that will highlight conceptual portraits of prominent Black cultural figures like Amanda Gorman, Michael B. Jordan, Pharrell Williams, and Solange. The show will run from May 19 to October 13.
Finally, the space will be hosting the much-awaited return of the FreshGrass bluegrass and roots musical festival from May 17 to 18. The event features performances from Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit, Trampled by Turtles, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, Valerie June, Alison Brown, and many more.
Past Events and Attractions at The Momentary
The Momentary has been proven capable and highly suitable for events like this, integrating a host of successful programs that showcased a wide breadth of up-and-coming and established talents.
For one, just this past winter, it kicked off its new Live at the RØDE House Indoor Music Series, which featured both musical acts like ROSSY & Mija and Soccer Mommy, as well as radio tapings from eTown Live.
During these particular programs, the RØDE House was able to make full use of its 600-person standing capacity and adjustable floor system, which allowed the space to accommodate a variety of stage configurations.
In 2020, The Momentary hosted its largest and most ambitious project called Nick Cave: Until, which was the brainchild of acclaimed artist and event namesake Nick Cave, tackling the thematic question: "Is there racism in heaven?"
The exhibition spanned across 24,000 square feet of gallery space and was inundated with vividly hued wind spinners, wallpapers, found objects, beads, and a crystal cloud, all of which invited would-be visitors to climb its ladders and discover a private garden.
Lastly, in the Fall of 2023, The Momentary presented FORMAT, a three-day festival that featured technological innovations that integrated interactive art experiences and music.
Featured music artists included Alanis Morissette, LCD Soundsystem, Leon Bridges, Modest Mouse, Jamie XX, Tash Sultana, Little Simz, Bob Moses, Poolside, and Channel Tres, among others.
As for contemporary visual and performance art installations and experiences, the event featured works of artists like Guerrilla Girls, JR's Inside Out Project, Jeremy Deller, and Ragnar Kjartansson x The National.
Be it future or past events, The Momentary art museum and music venue champions a variety of artistic and cultural expressions. So, what are you waiting for? Come experience what the best of the Ozarks can offer.
