ALICE AND HER WONDERLAND: On a recent visit to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, I jokingly told my daughter, "There's Alice's spot," referring to an empty reserved parking space near the entrance. Yes, that Alice, Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton's only daughter. An art lover who's spent years collecting some of the nation's premier works from colonial days to the present and who opened the 200,000-square-foot museum in 2011.
Little did I know that before we finished our self-guided tour, we'd be gleaning tidbits about the collection -- worth an estimated $500 million or more -- from the 67-year-old herself (the second-richest woman in the world at $33.7 billion, according to Forbes).
Near the end of the permanent exhibit, we noticed Walton among a small group of visitors on a guided tour. Lingering in front of Norman Rockwell's iconic Rosie the Riveter, one in the group asked if it was the original.
"We have had many Rosies come to Crystal Bridges but this is indeed the original," said Walton, smiling and placing her hand over her heart. She later commented on the large collection of works by female artists on display.
At the final piece, Felix Gonzalez-Torres' 1991 Untitled (L.A.), purchased a year ago at Christie's for $7.7 million, Walton paused, standing next to the rectangular pile of thousands of cellophane-wrapped, hard green candies on the floor from which visitors are welcome to partake.
"We just spent $21,000 buying enough candy to make sure we'd have enough to last throughout the life of the exhibit," she explained. "We probably should have just bought the whole factory," Walton added, chuckling.
HONORING THE PAST: Ethelene Moore, a 1956 Little Rock Central High graduate, recently contacted the school's principal, Nancy Rousseau, explaining she'd been near the top of her class and ever since high school, she's wanted to be a National Honor Society member. She wasn't because she'd transferred to Central after the inductions.
"I had our registrar check her transcript and sure enough, she was ranked 7/481 with a 3.85 GPA," says Rousseau. She then checked with Summer Vaught, the school's math department chairman and lead National Honor Society sponsor, and determined Moore's qualifications were consistent with membership.
"We mailed her a certificate, pin, tassel, key chain and a sticker for her car," says Rousseau, adding it was the first such request she's had. "It was a fun situation that made me smile."
HE JUST CHECKED IN ... When Kenny Rogers performed recently at North Little Rock's Verizon Arena, local musician Ricky Tripp got to meet the country star -- again. In 1993, Tripp won the 11th annual Country Showdown national competition at Rogers' Grand Palace in Branson with Rogers awarding him the grand prize -- $50,000, a pickup and a recording contract. This month, the two re-created their photo from nearly a quarter-century ago.
Contact Linda S. Haymes at (501) 399-3636 or lhaymes@arkansasonline.com
SundayMonday on 10/23/2016