Alice Walton, daughter of Wal-Mart founder, Sam Walton, is best known for her contributions to art in the Midwest. The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas is probably known as one of her most grand initiatives. While the museum lives on and continues to grow, it can be easy to forget some of Alice’s more influential contributions in the Midwest. Despite the fact that she now lives in Texas, her work in Arkansas is unforgotten and still thriving.

According to Forbes’ latest tally, Alice Walton is the 16th richest person in the world with a net worth of $20.6 billion. Walton has used her wealth and influence by enriching Arkansas, not only with American art, but with the creation of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport at Highfill. The airport opened for business in 1998 with President Bill Clinton performing the dedicating honors.

Scott Van Laningham, the executive director and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport Authority, has described Walton’s role in the development of the airport as “critical”. She was the first chairman of the Northwest Arkansas Council. It was this particular group that went to cities and counties throughout Arkansas encouraging them to create an Airport Authority as a separate entity in charge of surveying and searching for a site where the airport could live.

In 1990, when the airport work began, Walton family members came together to raise money to start building the airport. Llama Co. of Fayetteville, an investment firm headed by Alice Walton, underwrote an almost $80 million bond to finance the airport’s construction. The bonds were sold prior to the airport even having a contract with an airline, a car rental company, or food vendors.

In 1999, Alice Walton was honored when the Airport Authority named the terminal building after her. In 2001, Walton was inducted into the Arkansas Aviation Hall of Fame.

Renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright will speak Nov. 15 at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art as a part of the museum’s lecture series.

The museum, located in Bentonville, Ark. and founded by Walmart heiress Alice Walton, aspires to “build meaningful connections between art and life, according to its Web site.

The free lecture with Wright is part of a series that began last year by celebrated art critic Dr. Arthur Danto. It has been designed to “bring the most respected thinkers and explorers in the world of art, design and nature to the region,” according to an article on NWANews.com.

It’s scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday at the Old High Middle School auditorium, 406 N.W. Second St.

Part of the idea behind the lecture is to connect art with nature, part of Alice Walton’s vision for the museum. This idea is demonstrated with design of the Crystal Bridges museum itself. Its name is derived from its glass and wood design, created by architect Moshe Safdie.

The 100,000 square foot complex has a gallery, library, office and meeting space and sculpture and walking trails.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, founded by Alice Walton, will host Frank Lloyd Wright this weekend (image courtesy eurekasprings.org).

Thanks to a fellowship from the Crystal Bridges Museum of America Art , developed by Alice Walton, daughter of the late Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton, Minnesota-based architect and author Dale Mulfinger will develop his next book at the Writer’s Colony at Dairy Hollow in Eureka Springs, Ark.

Mulfinger, who has designed cabins throughout North America, will be the first Architecture and Design Fellow at the Writer’s Colony. He will begin his work on Nov. 12 through Dec. 9.

“Supporting designers and writers in significant fields of inquiry is precisely what this fellowship is designed to do,” said Lynn Berkowitz, director of learning experiences at Crystal Bridges. “We are thrilled to bring Dale Mulfinger to Arkansas.”

Located in Bentonville, Ark, Alice Walton developed Crystal Bridges to be a premier venue for a national art institution dedicated to American art and artists, and a place of learning and community. It houses art galleries, lecture and concert venues, meeting places, educational spaces and library resources.

The Crystal Bridges Museum of Art Architecture and Design Writing Fellowship offers qualified professionals a four-week residency to pursue writing projects with an emphasis on the fields of American architecture, landscape architecture, crafts and furnishings.

After a series of special appearances, a TV program, and selling $400,000 houses, Martha Stewart signed with Wal-Mart to expand her Martha Stewart Brand. Wal-Mart, the largest retail store chain in the United States, has agreed to launch the Martha Stewart Crafts line.

The product line will carry two assortments – Martha Stewart Create and Martha Stewart Celebrate, both of which are now in Wal-Mart Stores in the United States and Canada. The partnership between Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, the company that created the Martha Stewart brand, and Wal-Mart, influenced the rise of Stewart’s company’s shares to 3% after suffering heavy losses when Kmart started experiencing financial woes. K-mart has been a retailer of the Martha Stewart Everyday home line since 1997.

Martha Stewart received a double degree in History and Architectural History from Barnard College. During her college years, she met her future husband Andrew Stewart, a student at the Yale Law School in 1961. They got married and Martha Stewart gave birth to Alexis in 1965.

Martha Stewart’s strong affinity and familiarity with domestic activities prompted her to establish a catering business, which proved to be a hit. Her cooking prowess facilitated her entry to the publishing business, as her company was signed to provide catering services to parties her husband was attending.

She was introduced to Alan Mirken, the head of Crown Publishing Group, who was impressed with her talent that he immediately signed her up to develop a cookbook.
Stewart also ventured into writing for magazines and newspaper columns. Most of Martha Stewart’s articles were centered on homemaking. Aside from print exposure, Martha Stewart also enjoyed airtime appearing in The Oprah Winfrey Show and Larry King Live.

In 1997, Martha Stewart established the Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, where she served as its president, chairwoman, and CEO while her business partner, Sharon Patrick, functioned as the company’s Chief Finance Officer.

In 2001, Ladies Home Journal named Stewart America’s 3rd most powerful woman. A few years later, in 2005, Martha Stewart added several more to her list of achievements when she started Martha Stewart Living along with a string of successful television shows and public appearances.

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Wal-Mart was founded by the late Sam Walton. The Wal-Mart fortune now rests with Walton’s heirs Helen Walton, S Robston Walton, Jim Walton, and Alice Walton. Alice Walton worked for Wal-Mart as a buyer and broker for a spell, but now does charity work. Alice Walton is the founder of Crystal Bridges museum. Alice Walton also raises horses.