BENTONVILLE (KFSM) -- Crystal Bridges is expanding, by turning an old building into something new with the Momentary.
The Momentary contemporary arts venue will be on Southeast E Street, in what used to be the Kraft Foods Plant. It will bring living artists to the region.
Walmart announced Thursday (Sept. 13) they're giving the new museum $2 million, which will go to keeping general admission to the new museum free for visitors.
“Through their investment in arts and culture they really help in making this a more attractive region and a more fun region to live and we are very grateful that we can be a part of that,” said Lieven Bertels, director of the museum.
Bertels said people typically associate museums with old art, but The Momentary offers the opposite.
“The Momentary will give insight on how art actually gets made," he said.
"And so our focus is going to be on bringing living artists in the region who will be working in our studios in the Momentary and for the public at large to be able to share that."
Rod Bigelow with Crystal Bridges said they are excited to bring a contemporary space to Northwest Arkansas.
“At Crystal Bridges you get that great historical context of work in a more traditional space and at the momentary you`ll have a space that is experimental and creative and gritty, very different and changing all the time, so it`s a really exciting extension of the arts,” Bigelow said.
Inside there will also be a café, along with a rooftop bar and an outdoor space for concerts, festivals and community events.
The Momentary will be open to the public in early 2020.