City that's keeping it clean | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

In Bentonville, Northwest Arkansas, visitors found an unusually orderly environment despite recent rain, with few visible mud-caked cars and an apparent concentration of commercial car washes along South Walton Boulevard. The visit coincided with a press preview of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art’s 114,000-square-foot expansion, which opened June 6. The museum’s executive director, Rod Bigelow, described the expansion as a defining moment, expanding access and adding new spaces. Crystal Bridges has drawn 17 million visitors since it opened Nov. 11, 2011. Architect Moshe Safdie said the project has grown from a cluster of buildings into a “little village,” with access to outdoor gardens and sculpture. The museum now includes a teaching artist-in-residence program, studio spaces, and student artwork displays, while reconfiguring its collection. The article also notes a modernized, code-based hotel check-in experience without room keys and limited cable channel flexibility.