Crystal Bridges Announces Building Bridges; First Conversation to Feature President Barack Obama
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BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Nov. 23, 2025 — Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art has announced the launch of Building Bridges, a new lecture series celebrating the American spirit of meeting in the middle with curiosity, courage, and care. The inaugural program on Monday, December 1, will feature a conversation with President Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States.
Hosted by Crystal Bridges Board Chair Olivia Walton, Building Bridges brings together thought leaders, thinkers, and artists with differing perspectives to model civic dialogue. From Crystal Bridges’ home in Bentonville, Arkansas, the museum invites its neighbors and the nation to gather at its bridge, a place that connects what’s divided and can carry us forward together.
Building Bridges: A Conversation with President Barack Obama on the American Spirit will be held at Heartland Whole Health Institute on the Crystal Bridges Campus on Monday, December 1, at 3:30 p.m. The conversation will center on civic leadership and the shared values that shape our democracy, offering inspiration as the nation prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary.
Tickets for Building Bridges: A Conversation with President Barack Obama on the American Spirit are free but limited to 2 per account. Crystal Bridges members will have first access to tickets at 10 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 21. Members receive advance notification and early access to ticketed events, like the Building Bridges series. For more information, visit the Crystal Bridges website.
In addition to the inaugural Building Bridges public conversation, President Obama will meet privately with 450 Arkansas students and teachers for a roundtable conversation in Crystal Bridges’ Great Hall. Three high school seniors from Bentonville, Little Rock, and Springdale will join the president to discuss their own civic engagement and hopes for America’s next 250 years. Students attending the event represent 24 schools from across the state of Arkansas and have been selected by their schools. Attendees include students in grades six through eight.
