The most anticipated venue of Northwest Arkansas, The Momentary, is set to kick-off its opening weekend on Saturday, Feb. 22; however, venue members will have access one day before on Friday, Feb. 21. Located along the Razorback Regional Greenway near 8th Street Market, the space happens to sit right in the hub of the bustling downtown Bentonville scene. 

The venue was once a cheese factory, but has recently been renovated into a space of modern contemporary art in conjunction with Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, sponsored and founded by The Walton Family Foundation. The Momentary’s website describes the new location as a “commitment to cultivating arts and cultural experiences,” while also providing education, engagement and enjoyment in NWA. 

The Momentary will display its inaugural exhibit “State of the Art 2020” during the opening weekend. Sixty-one artists will be showcased from across the country, asking the question, “What does art in the United States look like in the year 2020?” 

According to The Momentary’s website, the artwork will be organized in four sections regarding “world building: creating real and fictional spaces; sense of place: investigating ideas of home, family, immigration and more; mapping: connections to and relationships with landscapes and power; and temporality: the concept of time and how we perceive it.” 

To view featured artists, schedule group tours and for more information, visit themomentary.org/calendar/state-of-the-art-2020.

The opening weekend will also present TIME BEING, a festival of music, dance and theater performances from Friday through Sunday. Between acts DJ Misbehavior will fill the silence, guaranteeing a non-stop weekend of visual and auditory arts. 

Notable performances include a contemporary musician on her guitar, Courtney Barnett, and an electro-pop and energetic group, FM Belfast, along with many more. Activities and presentations throughout the weekend consist of an interactive karaoke session, “Spokaoke,” where guests will recite famous speeches instead of singing popular tunes; a collection of short stories from NWA-based individuals called “First Things First” by artists from For You; a cooking and art mashup by Kristin Worrall “The Recipe: Milk, Cheese, Velveeta, Love Hope & Transformation” and other live entertainment events. 

TIME BEING performances will take place at Rode House, The Tower (Interior) and Fermentation Hall. Individual tickets are required for each festival event and can be found at themomentary.org/calendar/time-being-festival.

After a day of activities, there is no need to worry about eating before or after the event; The Momentary has guests covered. The Breakroom, a dining hall located off of Gallery 1, will hold true to the theme as it combines both culinary and visual art. The restaurant was purposefully named as such because it once served as the breakroom in the factory. 

Stop by the Tower Bar for specially crafted cocktails, scenic views and a 1960s-style atmosphere. According to The Momentary’s website, the bar is a “high flying social space” that offers wine, beer, cocktails, bar snacks and “the best views in Bentonville.” The Tower Bar will be open to guests at 5 p.m., but Friend and Insider-level guests will have access all day. 

Onyx Coffee Lab has also opened a new location at The Momentary. 

Following the opening weekend general admission will be free. The Momentary will be open Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. from Thursday through Sunday, but closed on Monday. 

For more information regarding tickets, upcoming events, amenities and exciting news at The Momentary, go to themomentary.org.