Rooted
Black Art in NWA
Art by Black artists, plus places honoring Black history, that you can go see in Bentonville and Fayetteville.
Remembrance
Joëlle Storet, 2024
90-foot mural depicting Nelson Hackett's 1841 escape
Wind Sculpture (SG) VIII
Yinka Shonibare, 2022
That huge painted sculpture greeting you at the Momentary's entrance is Yinka Shonibare's, a gust of patterned fabric frozen in fiberglass and steel. It's on long-term loan from OZ Art NWA, and more of his work is inside.
We the People
Nari Ward, 2015
Nari Ward's thought-provoking We the People, made of shoelaces, is part of the Crystal Bridges collection.
Kehinde Wiley at Lady Slipper
Kehinde Wiley
A striking Kehinde Wiley portrait on view at Lady Slipper in Bentonville.
Crowned Series
Chrystal Seawood
Arkansas-born artist Chrystal Seawood's portraits celebrating personal hairstyles as crowns. The series began in 2012, inspired by photographer Andre Wagner, and was adapted as a mural for 8th Street Market.
PELA'S BREW
CC Mercer Watson
A quilt by Southern fiber artist and culture bearer CC Mercer Watson (@ccmercertoo). It took 165 hours of hand stitching and channels the water lore of her culture. Its permanent home is the Starbucks on the new Walmart campus.
America
Glenn Ligon
Glenn Ligon's glowing red neon America, at Crystal Bridges.
Ambulance Call
Jacob Lawrence, 1948
Jacob Lawrence's Ambulance Call, part of Crystal Bridges' collection of art by Black artists made before 1960.
Our Town
Kerry James Marshall
Kerry James Marshall's Our Town, at Crystal Bridges.
Guernica
Mickalene Thomas
Mickalene Thomas's take on Guernica, at Crystal Bridges.
The Cost of Removal
Titus Kaphar
Titus Kaphar's The Cost of Removal, at Crystal Bridges.
Shaved Portions
Chakaia Booker, 2025
Her largest work yet: 36 feet tall and 75 feet wide, made from reclaimed tires on steel, installed by OZ Art NWA after the 2024 tornado.
Two Friends Books
Independent bookstore and cultural stop for Black history reads and local literary events.
The legacy of Arthur "Rabbit" Dickerson
An exhibit on Rabbit Dickerson, whose shoeshine stand on the downtown square was a gathering spot for more than 50 years. In 1977 he became the first person to receive the Chamber of Commerce's Man of the Year award. It also honors his wife, educator Cinco Dickerson.
Ralph "Buddy" Hayes Park
Opened June 2026 in the neighborhood Buddy Hayes called home. For more than 50 years he was a musician, shoeshiner, veteran and community leader whose trumpet and integrated orchestra brought people together. The park has gathering spaces, creek access and an outdoor performance area.
Indoor works rotate, so check with each venue before you go.
Browse Crystal Bridges' collection of art by Black artists made before 1960Past landmark exhibitions
Shows by Black artists at Crystal Bridges and the Momentary.
Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power
Crystal Bridges, Feb. 3 to Apr. 23, 2018
Exhibition guide (PDF) for Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power (opens in a new tab)Hank Willis Thomas: All Things Being Equal...
Crystal Bridges, Feb. 8 to Apr. 20, 2020
About the show for Hank Willis Thomas: All Things Being Equal... (opens in a new tab)Nick Cave: Until
The Momentary, Sept. 12, 2020 to Jan. 3, 2021
Momentary page for Nick Cave: Until (opens in a new tab)Derrick Adams: Sanctuary
The Momentary, Feb. 23 to June 6, 2021
Momentary page for Derrick Adams: Sanctuary (opens in a new tab)Awol Erizku: Mystic Parallax
The Momentary, May 25 to Oct. 13, 2024
Momentary page for Awol Erizku: Mystic Parallax (opens in a new tab)