BENTONVILLE -- Deandrae Smith slid three samples of water across a bar at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and explained to visitors the origin of the water.
Smith, an intern with the Illinois River Watershed Partnership, was staffing an interactive exhibit focused on creating community discussion about water sources. The "Water Bar" exhibit is part of the museum's "State of the Art" exhibition series.
The exhibit allows visitors to taste and compare drinking water from three water sources -- Bentonville, Siloam Springs and Sulphur Springs. Bentonville's drinking water comes from Beaver Lake. Siloam Springs' water is from the Illinois River. An artesian well supplies water in Sulphur Springs.
James McKinney and Ashley Scearce of Gore, Okla., sat down at the water bar while on a school field trip to the museum.
"Oh yeah, I can definitely taste the difference," Scearce, 18, said as she finished a sample from Sulphur Springs.
McKinney, 18, said he wanted to buy the Sulphur Springs water and drink it all the time.
"It is the cleanest water since it is groundwater," Smith explained. "It is not as polluted as the other water sources."
The artesian well is 1,492 feet deep, Smith said, adding that most people who try the samples prefer the Sulphur Springs water. She said less pollution in the water means that water-treatment facilities can use fewer chemicals to treat it.
The Siloam Springs water is treated the most because of pollution, Smith said.
A lot of people who sample the water come from abroad, she said, and they generally don't like the Siloam Springs water.
Most people do not have an opinion on Bentonville's water, she said.
Delia Haak, Illinois River Watershed Partnership executive director, said the exhibit gets the public to think about its water sources.
"When you ask people, 'Where does your drinking water come from?' most people aren't aware," Haak said.
Those who visit the water bar could start thinking about it and then start protecting it, Haak said.
The "Water Bar" exhibit was created by Works Progress of Minneapolis, said Beth Bobbitt, Crystal Bridges spokesman. She said artists Colin Kloecker and Shanai Matteson are involved in their community and created something that is intended to engage people.
The exhibit demonstrates how art can play many roles, Bobbitt said. She said it can galvanize a community around an environmental focus.
Bobbitt said the bar also is a functional experiment. Responses from visitors are recorded, and a final product using those responses will be developed at the end of the exhibit, she said.
The exhibit affects not only visitors but also the interns staffing it, Haak said.
Smith, a graduate student at the University of Arkansas, said she has learned how to start discussions about the environment.
"I have a scientific background," she said. "I know about this stuff, but I never knew how to put it into a conversation."
The exhibit has also taught Smith how people relate to water, she said.
"People usually bring up memories," she said. "They usually say that it reminds them of their grandparents' well. Some have memories of floating on the Illinois River."
The "Water Bar" will be on exhibit until Jan. 19.
Metro on 11/30/2014