Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art announced three new experiences for this fall: a new acquisition, Infinity Mirrored Room—My Heart is Dancing into the Universe by Yayoi Kusama; Crystals in Art: Ancient to Today, a new exhibition exploring the connections between crystals and art throughout the world; and North Forest Lights, an immersive nighttime light experience created exclusively for the museum.

“With the breadth of these new must-see offerings, Crystal Bridges is excited to bring visitors together to explore elements such as light and crystals through art in the museum’s natural setting,” said Rod Bigelow, Crystal Bridges executive director and chief diversity and inclusion officer. “We can’t wait share the brilliant work of Kusama in an intimate space, expand the conversation of crystals while highlighting local connections, and provide an exclusive outdoor light experience unlike anything we’ve ever seen.”

Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room—My Heart is Dancing into the Universe

Members-only timed experience: Aug. 31 to Sept. 30
Public opening: Oct. 2

“Infinity Mirrored Room—My Heart is Dancing into the Universe, 2018” by Yayoi Kusama, recently acquired by Crystal Bridges, is an enclosed room filled with mirrors and color-changing, dotted paper lanterns, which appear to expand forever into the universe.

The contemporary artist creates paintings, sculptures, performances, and installations. Dots are a common theme throughout her work—a pattern seen in her work since she was a child in an effort to escape trauma and anxiety. Crystal Bridges acquired another artwork of hers in 2018, “Flowers That Bloom Now,” which can be found in the North Forest.

The Infinity Mirrored Room will be located in the Contemporary Art Gallery. A timed experience will be available to members from Aug. 31 to Sept. 30, and to the public on Oct. 2. Each participant will be allowed to view the installation for one minute.

Crystals in Art: Ancient to Today

October 12, 2019 to January 6, 2020

“Crystals in Art: Ancient to Today” is the first exhibition of its kind to explore the connections between crystal and art throughout the world, spanning history and geography. “The exhibition includes a selection of crystal specimens, and over 70 works of art and objects from Ancient Egypt up to the present day, and addresses recurring themes in the history of crystals such as science and religion, art and medicine, aesthetic beauty and transformation, and more,” according to a press release.

“Crystals in Art” is co-curated by Joachim Pissarro, director of the Hunter College Galleries and Bershad Professor of Art History at Hunter College, and Lauren Haynes, curator of contemporary art at Crystal Bridges and curator of visual arts at the Momentary.

The scope of this exhibition ranges from objects from Ancient Egypt and Rome, to China, Europe, and more, including contemporary artworks created in the past few years, with featured artists such as Andy Warhol, Marina Abramović, Ai Weiwei, Alexis Arnold, Olafur Eliasson, Cindy Sherman, and more, according to a press release. The exhibition features artworks of all sizes, from small crystal sculptures to large-scale installations.

North Forest Lights

October 26, 2019 to February 16, 2020

North Forest Lights is a nighttime, multimedia experience in the middle of the North Forest unlike anything Crystal Bridges has ever done before, according to a press release. Created exclusively for Crystal Bridges by Montreal-based multimedia and entertainment studio Moment Factory, five distinct installations will bring the soul and rhythm of the forest to life with light, sound, and sensory effects for a captivating, unforgettable adventure.

Each encounter on the walk through the Ozark woods translates nature’s secret music and hidden communication into a symphony of light and sound. The experience invites people to reconnect with nature and art while helping them to feel part of it, according to a press release. Inspired by their first foray in the southern part of the country, Moment Factory designed this experience by using the environment of the museum’s surrounding forest to create five distinct installations.

The distinct installations with light, sound, and special effects include:

  • Crystal Grove – pixels of light appear through the trees in jewel-like fragments.
  • The Bridge – visitors will become enveloped in fog as lasers and lights give the illusion of water and mist flowing through the forest.
  • The Hearth – visitors are drawn to gather and commune around a digital fire pit, where a sculpture made of tree limbs and twigs appears to float as it is consumed by flames. The Hearth evokes the region’s spiritual heritage with hymnal and gospel rhythms and melodies that conjure a transcendent communion in the woods.
  • Whispering Tree – visitors are invited to engage in private dialogue with a massive tree as lighting effects respond to the conversation, for all to see.
  • Forest Orchestra – like an orchestra tuning itself into harmony with its surroundings, visitors will experience a variety of music styles from our region’s ragtime, to bluegrass, folk and classical traditions, which will be enhanced by a light show, to inspire a spirit of celebration.
  • Forest Orchestra – music will be translated into a massive light show, like an orchestra tuning itself into harmony with its surroundings.

Coffee, hot cocoa, snacks and more will be available for purchase in North Forest Lights, which will be located in the first loop of the North Forest. The experience will be open in the evening hours, after sunset. North Forest Lights will not travel to any other locations and cannot be experienced anywhere else in the world. Tickets and more information will be available soon at crysatlbridges.org.

Tickets and exhibition information can be found at crystalbridges.org.