Bentonville’s Amazeum Plan Evolving

BENTONVILLE — Amazeum officials remain confident the planned facility will open some time in 2015.

But no date has been set for a groundbreaking, said Sam Dean, the Amazeum’s executive director.

“We are still in our design process of our exhibition package,” Dean said. “We’re still evolving what the indoor and outdoor experiences will look like and how they connect with the rest of the community.”

At A Glance

Timeline

Major events in the development of the Amazeum:

• 2006: Some area parents, business leaders and educators come together to explore the idea of creating a children’s museum. The Children’s Museum of Northwest Arkansas is awarded nonprofit status in June.

• 2007: A firm from Columbus, Ohio, conducts a feasibility study that shows a desire and need for a children’s museum in Northwest Arkansas. The first small donations from local residents are received.

• 2008: The museum hires Holly Hook as its capital campaign coordinator and its first employee. About 400 people attend the museum’s inaugural “Dancing with the Stars of Northwest Arkansas” fundraiser. The Walton Family Foundation awards a $370,000 grant to the museum.

• 2010-12: The museum collects donations, explores potential locations and develops designs and exhibits. Sam Dean, the museum’s first director, is hired in late 2012.

• June 13: A news conference is held to announce the museum will be called the Amazeum and that it will be built on Northeast J Street in Bentonville. Officials say they plan to break ground in early 2014.

Source: Staff Report

The Amazeum, formerly known as the Children’s Museum of Northwest Arkansas, is touted as a “family learning center” that will host interactive exhibits in a 44,500-square-foot museum. Exhibitions will include a tinkering studio, water area, climbable tree canopy and an exploratory wet lab. About an acre of outdoor space will provide a backdrop for experiments and experiences inspired by the seasons, Amazeum officials said.

It will be built on about 6 acres between the entrance to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the First Presbyterian Church on Northeast J Street. The land was donated by the Rob and Melani Walton Fund of the Walton Family Foundation.

The Amazeum’s preview office at 209 N.E. Second St. in downtown Bentonville has large photos on display of renderings of the facility, as well as photos of some exhibits and features that will be included.

The office also has a tinkering studio similar to what will be at the museum. The tinkering studio is not open to the public yet, but will be some time next year, Dean said.

The Amazeum recently hired its fifth employee. Molly Rawn, formerly the director of major gifts and membership at KUAF 91.3 FM in Fayetteville, started Nov. 1 as director of development. Erik Smith joined the staff in June as exhibits and programs director.

Also this month, officials launched a $28.5 million capital fundraising campaign to support the Amazeum’s short- and long-term goals. The Walton Family Foundation is providing a one-to-one matching grant of $10 million.

A few signature sponsor opportunities remain. The Amazeum embraces community-oriented sponsors with a passion for education and curiosity, Dean said.

“We’re looking to find the right match,” he said.

Lee and Linda Scott provided major donations for the Amazeum. Lee Scott is a former chief executive officer at Walmart and sits on the company’s board.

“The Amazeum will open so many avenues as to what is available in the world,” said Lee Scott, in a news release distributed by the museum. “It will expand horizons for the children who enter its doors.”

Linda Scott recalled visiting the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Mo., as a child. She said that museum left a big impression on her.

“This is something that is going to enhance the lives of children, not just in Northwest Arkansas, but from all around our region,” she said in the news release.

The Amazeum’s seventh annual “Dancing with the Stars of Northwest Arkansas” fundraising event is set for March 8 at the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers. Last year’s event sold out with more than 650 attending, according to Holly Hook, capital campaign director.

The event features a sit-down meal, silent and live auctions, and five celebrity dancers performing with professional dance partners. Celebrity dancers at the 2014 event will include Tina Winham, Cindy Mac Naughton, Rod Bigelow, Wyley Elliott and Missy Clifton. Celebrity judges will include Don Bacigalupi of Crystal Bridges, Annetta Young of Tyson Foods and Marshall Ney of the Mitchell Williams law firm.

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