As Shoppers Rush Home With Their Treasures

On this Black Friday 2022 I thought it would be interesting to focus on the broader outcomes of shpping rather than the phalanxes of shoppers invading store aisles across America.  Although our free market economy isn't as free these days it still provides us opportunities of choice among an almost overwhelming variety of products. And every time we make a choice it leads to some far-reaching consequences in addition to our personal satisfaction.

Sam Walton's 5&10. The next step was Discount City and the world.

Three quarters of a million people now live in the three counties from Fayetteville north to the state line in the northwest corner of Arkansas. This is Walmart country. It is the holy land of free enterprise where Sam Walton opened his first Walmart Discount City in 1962. Over those few decades as Walmart grew into the "world's third largest public corporation," the company transformed the plateau prairie into a prosperous landscape. The change came quickly once the company that visited its suppliers said, "No more!" From that day forward those salesmen who wanted their products on Walmart shelves had to visit Bentonville for an audience with the buyers. It is no wonder today that almost 100 business aircraft fly out of the area's two general aviation airports, Rogers Muni-Carter Field and Bentonville Muni-Thaden Field. It is no wonder that more than thirty airlines provide 260 scheduled weekday arrivals and departures out of Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport.

As one would expect, the Walmart holy land is a classic example of the money generation model in action. The retail reach of thousands of stores and services far exceeds the area's three-county grasp. Granted, it isn't like shopping at Waterside in Naples but it's damn close if you don't need the palms and bromeliads. There's no beach either, but an abundance of nearby lakes provides plenty of broad and deep water in addition to 3,000 miles of shoreline.This is but one element of the quiet and relaxation to be found after a thirty minute drive east or west of US71 and the money model madness.

A few years ago I made these observations on Walmart Country. It is a nice compromise watching day by day as fall colors invade a large grove of trees across the fence. For me it's new trees and new birds, but the old barn, with its missing boards and battered tin roof, recalls the long history here. It is a diverse history as well, quite fitting of a place where the Ozark and Boston Mountains spill into the prairie grasslands of the Great Plains and the llano winds of Texas whisper from a mere few hours away.

I supposes for many this will always be flyover country. After all, hardly a minute passes in the day when you can't see eight or ten contrails from the commercial jets flying between Denver, St. Louis, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, L.A., and beyond. Still, the Cessnas, Dessaults, Bombardiers, Beechcrafts, and occasional Gulfstreams on approach and departure here tell another story. It may not be for everyone. but here in the Arkansas holy land, life is very, very good.

Although Alice Walton, daughter of Sam and Helen Walton, no longer lives in Northwest Arkansas, she has retained a life-long interest in the region. As the 19th richest person, and second richest woman in the world, she has devoted much of her good fortune - $59 billion - and that of the Walton Family Foundation to enriching life in the Bentonville-Fayetteville corridor and beyond. 

There's no better example of their benevolence than the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art  in Bentonville. Opened in 2011, the facility is a 200,000 s.f. complex of several galleries and other spaces surrounding a lake at the bottom of a forested ravine. It is itself a work of art - designed by architect, Moshe Safdie, and engineer, Buro Happold - with a cost estimate exceeding $50,000,000. There is no admission fee to view the permanent collection.

George Washington                                     Gilbert Stuart, 1797

The family endowed the museum with an $800,000,000 gift to sustain operations, maintenance, and museum acquisitions in perpetuity. This circumstance makes Crystal Bridges an immediate leader among American museums and positions it for a great future as a seed for art and community in the Southern Plains and Mississippi Valley.

Kindred Spirits                                           Asher Durand, 1849

What makes Crystal Bridges different is its mission: to welcome all to celebrate the American spirit in a setting that unites the power of art with the beauty of landscape. We explore the unfolding story of America by actively collecting, exhibiting, interpreting, and preserving outstanding works that illuminate our heritage and artistic possibilities.

Currently, the museum has 400 works on exhibit tracing the American experience from the heroic portraiture of the 18th century to today's constructions, assemblages, and kinetic art. 

The Lantern Bearers                          Maxfield Parrish, 1908

Wandering the galleries of this extraordinary building is a pleasing instructive journey and one most people would never expect in a smaller metropolitan area. The caveat here is the place's identity as the sixth fastest growing area in the country, thanks in part to it being the home of Walmart, Tyson Foods, J.B Hunt Transportation Services and 2,000 offices of companies supporting those industries.

Sound Suit                                         Nick Cave, 2010

Today Alice Walton's vision is at the heart of an art and education network "exploring the unfolding story of America" for a million residents and millions of visitors. We should thank Alice Walton and the Walton Family Foundation for their foresight, generosity, and desire to share their good fortune. Perhaps their example will both encourage others to make good use of the fertile, entrepreneurial environment this nation affords its super achievers and find joy in sharing the fruits of their circumstance.

It will be interesting to see how the sons and daughters of Helen and Sam Walton continue to use their wealth that currently exceeds $100 million. The family and its foundation have a history of sharing it quietly and somewhat modestly. When Helen died in 2007 she gave her entire share - over $16 billion - to a variety of charities in a multi-year disbursement. Alice, as a 73 year-old, childless divorcee who loves art, horses, and the University of Arkansas, could be positioned to do some spectacular things in the near future. Time will tell.

There's one thing for certain. You may not be able to fund a museum but in the long run that treasure you bought today could be of far more benefit than you ever imagined.

Sources

Photos, Illustrations, and Text:

Wikipedia.com, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art