Four chefs from Northwest Arkansas and more than a dozen chefs from around the country gathered Sept. 7-9 at 21c Museum Hotel for the fifth James Beard Foundation Chefs Boot Camp for Policy and Change.
Case Dighero, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art director of culinary services; Bill Lyle, Crystal Bridges executive chef; Matt McClure, The Hive executive chef, Rob Nelson, Tusk & Trotter owner and executive chef, and other participating chefs took part in the intensive three days of workshops in becoming advocates for food-related issues. Sessions included "Creating a Fair, Just, Sustainable, Nutritious and Delicious Food System" and "Policy Briefing on Access and Affordability."
At a Glance
Collaborative Chefs Dinner
Who: James Beard Foundation Chefs Boot Camp for Policy and Change
What: Renowned chefs prepared a family-style dinner to share as part of three days of policy and advocacy workshops.
When: Monday
Where: The Hive at 21c Museum Hotel in Bentonville
“State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now” VIP reception
Who: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
What: Sponsors, artists and other friends of the museum were treated to a preview of the first of its kind exhibition.
When: Thursday
Where: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville
Information: (479) 418-5700 or crystalbridges.org
The chefs took a busman's holiday Monday evening to prepare the Collaborative Chefs Dinner before sitting down together to enjoy their culinary creations family-style.
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art continued making its mark on the art world with the opening of "State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now" on Saturday. Sponsors, artists and other friends of the museum were treated Thursday evening to a preview of the first of its kind of exhibition.
The exhibition is the result of the efforts of Don Bacigalupi, Crystal Bridges president, and Chad Alligood, Crystal Bridges curator, who spent a year visiting nearly 1,000 artists in their studios all over the country to discover the status of American art at this moment. The museum will offer a number of complementary programs and events until the exhibition closes in January 2015.
The preview started with an artists' reception, where Bacigalupi toasted the 102 artists featured in the exhibition and thanked them, saying, "We look forward to sharing you with the state, region, the country and the world."
Alice Walton, museum founder and chairwoman of the museum's board of directors, said with the exhibition, the hope is to "open the public's eyes in a way they've never been opened to contemporary art."
Those previewing paintings, pinatas, portraits, bonnets and buildings included Johnny Mike Walker, Mandy Macke, Kathleen McLaughlin, Archie Schaffer, Annetta Young, Debi and Galen Havner, Marilyn Bogle, Karen and Randy Parker, Shannon Dillard-Mitchell, Heather Chilson, Shelley and Doug McMillon, Jackye and Curtis Finch, Holley and Charles Shannon, Clancy Walker and Cathy and Mike Mayton.
Columnist Carin Schoppmeyer can be reached by email at cschoppmeyer@nwaonline.com.
NAN Profiles on 09/14/2014