Jerry Rose, Past President Liz Brantley, Marian Catron, Roy Clinton, Vernon Collins, Ned Irving, Lenora Metz, David Renfroe, Carol Spears
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chuck Nickle, President Will Clark, Vice-President LeRoy Duell, Treasurer Dr. Kim Chapman, Secretary Chuck Culver, Dr. Michael Hollomon, Mark McNair, Bill Mitchell, Tom Olmstead, Nina Simmons, Tim Stults, Beth Vaughan-Wrobel, David (Dave) Williams
Opened in 1986, Butterfield Trail Village is a locally governed 501(c)(3) non-profit retirement community. As Northwest Arkansas’ only comprehensive Life Plan Retirement Community, BTV offers active older adults worry-free living that is secure, independent and fulfilling – and the freedom to enjoy plentiful activities both inside and outside the Village.
From the CEO
Butterfield has a long-standing reputation for being a vibrant, active place for retirees who are ready to spend their time enjoying more of what they love – and less time managing the mundane and expensive things that tend to be part of home ownership. We are known for our excellent programming and events that build an active social calendar while encouraging curiosity, life-long learning and physical activity to help keep minds sharp and aging bodies as healthy as possible.
As important as all of these things are, the primary reason people actually give for choosing to retire at Butterfield is the on-campus resources and staffing that span changing healthcare needs aging adults will experience over their remaining lifetime. I have personally worked in the healthcare industry throughout my career, and I know how complicated it is for the average person to navigate providers, services and resources. When I consider what we have available for our residents right here on our campus, I am gratified to know how much simpler we are making the delivery of quality healthcare services for them and for their loved ones.
Butterfield’s array of health-related options are top of mind for me every day – the 24/7 skilled nursing in our Health Care Center and Special Care Center, our Assisted Living setting, the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences clinic located in the center of our main building, the Resident Care office and our physical, occupational and speech therapy clinic – all of these assets combine to offer our residents a standard of care under one roof, unique in the Northwest Arkansas region. Because these options are so core to what Butterfield Trail Village is about, I am hyperfocused on strengthening them even more.
In this issue, you’ll meet Vickie Prince, our new senior director of healthcare services. She will help us focus on how we become more efficient while integrating our many options more seamlessly, all with the overarching goal of providing outstanding and compassionate care for all of our residents. Vickie’s arrival is timed well, as we are also about to deep-dive into defining the strategies to keep our healthcare offerings viable and cutting-edge for generations to come. Stay tuned: great things are happening.
Best regards and please enjoy this issue of our magazine,
Kevin Spears CEO Butterfield
Trail Village
VERNON COLLINS Lucking Into A Very Good Life
A life filled with “dumb luck” led to some incredible adventures for Vernon Collins: making his home in Arkansas, meeting the love of his life and taking trips around the world. He’s navigated great joy and tremendous loss, including the death of a granddaughter – and then the passing of his wife, Paulette, last year. Through it all, he’s found home and community and feels a sense of gratitude for it all.
He grew up in Merchantville, New Jersey, where his grandparents owned a candy store, now called Aunt Charlotte’s Candies. While that would have been a dream for most kids, Vernon was highly allergic to eggs and chocolate – major ingredients for much of the inventory. He celebrated his birthdays with pie rather than cake.
While his dad was on a two-week leave during World War II after serving in Europe, the war ended. His parents celebrated by splurging on a $25 pink ceramic pig bank for then 6-month-old Vernon, which he still has.
He attended grades K-12 in a single building, the very one where his mother and grandfather were schooled. He was on the swim team, yet too short and squatty to excel. Though among the tallest boys in eighth grade, he stopped growing soon after. He struggled academically in school, which he now credits to a learning disability that runs in his family.
However, his parents urged him to attend college, and he was recruited by Arkansas Tech University in Russellville. He knew nothing about Arkansas other than the Little Rock Central High Crisis of 1957, which occurred when he was in junior high. When his parents drove him to the Arkansas River Valley from the tightly packed suburbs of Philadelphia, they found a state with ample open landscape between its cities and towns.
With a lower cost of living in Arkansas, the money sent from home went much farther, and he spent many hours in the local movie theater. As a college sophomore, he also discovered alcohol and secured a fake ID. Two of his best friends now, Charlie and Henry, were his college roommates.
Words by Michelle Parks
Photos by Stephen Ironside
In his youth, Vernon’s grandmother and mother had given him bank and tobacco company shares, and he thought becoming a stockbroker would be a good way to make money. But he quickly decided business wasn’t for him, and he switched majors to history and political science.
He worked at the university’s cafeteria and went to summer school, earning extra money so he could buy a car. After graduation, he informed his family he was staying in Arkansas, and he looked for teaching jobs. He landed one in the Alread isolated school district in Van Buren County, teaching history, typing and accounting at first. He later taught reading, English and home economics.
the boys were grown, the couple moved to a house on Crow Mountain overlooking a watershed.
“ I have this problem with hobbies; once I start new things, I go crazy on them. Like I wanted every plant there was in the world. ”
BUILDING A LIFE AND FAMILY
Vernon said he’s done two “dumb things” in his life that turned out to be two of the best things that could have happened to him. First, at age 24, he quit a job before having another one. When he tried to get his job back in the Alread district, the superintendent said the only position open was librarian. So, he took the required certification courses, and also taught typing and reading again. When he took his next librarian job, in Oark, he moved to Clarksville and into his first apartment on his own.
The second dumb but great thing happened when a female friend asked him to be a witness for her wedding. His friend’s friend, Paulette, was the other witness; she had a shapely figure, was shorter than him, and liked to laugh. The first time Vernon saw Paulette, he told himself he was going to marry her. Though they both attended Tech at same time, “She was a strait-laced Baptist, and I was a wild Presbyterian,” he said, so they’d never met. After spending just 15 days together, they eloped.
They started their life together in Clarksville, and she worked for a bookkeeping firm, while he continued teaching. They bought a house in Russellville, and he got a librarian job in Atkins. Their three-bedroom home had two pecan trees on either side and a nice back yard. Their two sons, Trey and Jeff, arrived during their four years living there. Then the family found a five-bedroom, tri-level house — built on the side of a hill — that turned into a money pit. Once
At 38, Vernon felt intimidated by younger teachers earning graduate degrees, so he got a master’s degree in educational media. Then when the manager of the Arkansas Tech credit union retired, he and Paulette took over running it. Operating from their home, she handled the books, and he handed out the loans. Over six years, the credit union grew from $300,000 and 300 members to over $1 million and 700 members. Vernon stayed on as chairman of the board until the couple moved to Fayetteville.
– Vernon Collins
While still living in Russellville, the couple got some devastating news. Their oldest granddaughter, Hannah, was killed in an auto accident, just two weeks after graduating from high school. Today, Vernon has two grandsons, a step-granddaughter, a step-grandson, and a great-grandson.
NAVIGATING THE HIGHS AND LOWS
Vernon and Paulette’s life together involved several shared hobbies. Early on, when he wasn’t teaching in the summers, he spent his time at home with their two young sons and became obsessed with plants. He tried to grow as many as he could, of all varieties. In later years, they got involved with a daylily club and became officers. He also started growing figs in his yard and eventually had a small orchard – even though he’s allergic to the leaves.
“I have this problem with hobbies; once I start new things, I go crazy on them. Like I wanted every plant there was in the world,” he said.
They also got interested in antiques, particularly Vernon Depression glass, which was rare and hard to collect. They collected glass bottles for food products that turned into banks, such as Log Cabin maple syrup. And they also collected Vernon kiln plates, a
FEATURE PROFILE
type of souvenir plates — eventually amassing 400 of them. One such plate is displayed in his kitchen, imprinted with “The Arkansas Traveler” scene and song lyrics.
In 2003, when Paulette was in her mid-50s, she started having neurological problems. She couldn’t control the movement of her eyelids. Not knowing any better, they set off to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, with health insurance but no appointment. After spending six days in the waiting room, they saw a doctor who said Paulette had facial dystonia. They were told the condition is hereditary, and stress is a well-known trigger.
eventually recovered) luggage and a cell phone and even managed to contract Covid and pneumonia.
Sometime later, she was suddenly unable to walk. They had taken their granddaughters to Six Flags in St. Louis, where Paulette fell to their hotel room floor and couldn’t get up. They saw a neurologist at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, who diagnosed her with myasthenia gravis and prescribed some pills. Within a half-hour after taking the first pill, Paulette was up walking – after not being able to walk for about a month. With the medication, she continued to improve.
MAKING EVERY MINUTE COUNT
In September 2018, Vernon and Paulette moved into a one-bedroom apartment at Butterfield Trail Village, but never fully unpacked. They spent most of their time on timeshare trips to locales such as Branson, Missouri; Austin, Texas; and Taos, New Mexico. In October 2019, they moved into a two-bedroom apartment on the south side of Butterfield’s main building that required a full renovation. “This is the first time I’ve felt like I had a brand-new house,” he said.
Though Paulette’s illness had improved with prescription medication, she suddenly got worse again. She was hospitalized, put on a ventilator with a tracheotomy and was fitted with a feeding tube. After 20 months, including time spent in Butterfield’s Health Care Center, she improved enough to return to their apartment.
Over the years, Vernon remained friends with his college roommate, Charlie, who was a witness in his wedding and had even traveled with him to Iceland. After Paulette was able to leave the Health Care Center, Vernon and Charlie went on a “cruise from hell” to places such as Dubai, Oman, India, Kenya and South Africa. Between the two of them, they missed flights, tours and safaris. They lost (and
After his overseas misadventures, Vernon and Paulette decided to take their grandchildren to Branson in April 2023. While there, she was suddenly unable to hold up her neck. The doctor increased her prescription dosage and put her back on steroids, but nothing helped. One day, while taking her pills in their apartment kitchen, Paulette sat down in a dining chair and fell backwards. Vernon grabbed her, and she slid to the floor. Paramedics revived her on the way to the hospital, but she wasn’t able to survive for long. Some family members got there just in time to say goodbye.
FINDING A NEW DIRECTION
Since losing his wife of 51 years, Vernon has turned to old and new friends, as well as his family. Henry and Charlie, also now both widowers, understand what he’s going through.
Vernon and Henry, who lives in Van Buren, see each other a few times a month. They are taking a trip to Niagara Falls in October, and they’ll stay in timeshares along the way. Stops during the month-long journey include Vernon’s New Jersey hometown and the family candy store, Dollywood, the Poconos and Colonial Williamsburg.
He and Henry like to go shopping – which has been a necessity since Vernon lost 50 pounds over the last year. His doctor put him on Mounjaro, to combat diabetes and help with sugar cravings. He also exercises in the BTV fitness center. He’s an active bridge player, which he learned in his youth, taking part in games at BTV and a local Catholic church.
And he’s returned to one of his favorite hobbies: plants. One resident on his floor said she was able to cope with the death of her husband by staying busy, and another gifted him an African violet. Staying true to his all-in commitment to his hobbies, Vernon has since filled his kitchen counters and the glass shelves above the sink with dozens of thriving African violet plants that bring him great joy.
Raj and Usha Gupta Anniversaries
When did you move to Butterfield?
We began our gradual move to BTV on May 10, 2024. After transitioning over several months, we started spending more time on campus in July, and we are now at Butterfield most of the time.
Where are you from?
We were both born in India – Raj in Mauranipur and Usha in New Delhi. Raj came to Boston University in 1962 to earn a doctorate in physics, and in 1964 Usha came to Simmons College in Boston to obtain a master’s degree in library science. We have lived in Fayetteville for the last 46 years.
What did you do before retirement?
After completing his studies at Boston University, Raj took a position as a research associate for Columbia University in New York City, and later became an assistant professor there. In 1978, he accepted an assistant professor role with the University of Arkansas physics department. After reaching the level of full professor, Raj was eventually named physics department chair from 1989 to 1995. He returned to full-time teaching for several more years before retiring as professor emeritus in 2010.
Usha completed her master’s degree in 1967 and began her career at a library in Boston that was part of a chemical company. The following year, she took a science librarian position at Boston University. In 1970 Usha and Raj married, moved to New York City, and she worked for a hospital library until their daughter was born in 1974. After choosing to stay home to raise a family for ten years, Usha was hired as a science librarian for the University of Arkansas and remained there until her retirement in 2009.
Do you have children and grandchildren?
We have two children – a son, Sangeet, and a daughter, Tripti.
Why did you choose to come to Butterfield?
What was most attractive to us about BTV was the fact that independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing facilities are all on one campus. We wanted to remain in the Fayetteville area, and Butterfield has a good reputation. We also value that we have friends and acquaintances who live here.
September
Mort Gitelman and Nancy Garner 5th
Bill and Bimmy Currie 6th
Mike and Patty Stiles 6th
Rick and LaVonne Kirkpatrick 17th
Bob and Karen Hendrix 19th
Bill and Lola Mae Shackelford 21st
Jerry Havens and Carolyn Krodell 22nd
John and Sally King 24th
October
Scott and Pam Covington 11th
Don and Linda Rutledge 13th
Marvin and Judy Higginbottom 15th
Peter and Rhonda Nouguier 20th
Tom and Linda Townsend 21st
John and Tamara Gilmour 26th
New Neighbors
Recent Village Move-Ins
Jerry and Harriet Jansma
Gannalyn Morris
Marcia Morris
Bill and Jackie Curington
George and Vicki Knight
Vickie Prince
New BTV Senior Director of Healthcare Services Takes the Reins
Bright-eyed and intelligent with an energetic yet sharply focused demeanor, Vickie Prince hit the ground sprinting in July 2024 as Butterfield’s new senior director of healthcare services. Her years of experience range from upper-level healthcare system management to hands-on clinical care – and she now leads a seasoned team that supports the BTV Health Care Center skilled nursing facility, the Special Care Center for residents with cognitive disorders, the Assisted Living residential setting and day-today services provided through the Resident Care office for all independent living residents.
Vickie grew up in Sheridan, Ark., a small town located west of Pine Bluff and due south of Little Rock. Born in Fayetteville, N.C., her relocation to Fayetteville, Ark. from her most recent home in Jonesboro, Ark. feels like a fun coincidence. Vickie’s husband, Cole, 10-year-old daughter Evelyn and 8-year-old son Henry have all enthusiastically embraced their move across the state, settling in quickly over the summer. “The area is just beautiful, with a great reputation. I am looking so forward to seeing the fall colors and exploring as a family,” she said. “This has been a big move for us, but it has given me a chance to get out of my comfort zone, stretch my world and grow as a person. I am excited to use my experience in new ways as I plug into a well-known and established environment.”
accepted that surgery was likely in her near future. After working with a physical therapist, however, both of her physical issues were resolved. The healing results of her intensive therapy ensured she still got to be a cheerleader – and it inspired the basis of what a future of helping others could look like for her.
“I am excited to use my experience in new ways”
-Vickie Prince
Vickie’s career growth trajectory evolved at an unusually rapid pace, but not before she experienced what felt like a demoralizing setback following graduation. “To be honest, I got overextended. When it came time for me to take my board exams to become a licensed physical therapist, I failed twice,” she said. She buckled down, kept working and finally passed on her third try. “Initially, I was embarrassed and didn’t want people to know how much I had struggled. But then I realized my challenge was something I should share. By telling other people, I could show that I’m not perfect. I could use myself as an example of how important it is to keep getting back up. It was hard, but it was worth it.”
Vickie graduated with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and then earned her master’s in physical therapy, both from Arkansas State University. She laughs when asked how she chose her particular course of study, “I ripped my gluteus maximus during high school cheerleading tryouts, and ended up doing three months of physical therapy.” She had also already been suffering from the continuous wrist pounding required to do acrobatic tumbling and
Vickie is a self-professed management learning tools geek. A passion for leadership books and podcasts has helped her appreciate and better navigate others’ varied perspectives and behaviors while finetuning and remaining true to her own core values of character, integrity and work ethic. Her husband and mother-in-law offer her a safe space as valued sounding boards, providing life counsel, confidence and unwavering support when circumstances require making the right choices – not necessarily the popular ones.
As Vickie explores and defines the opportunities that come with the newly-created role she has assumed, she recognizes a need to push her old bounds in favor of building a new future on Butterfield’s wellestablished foundation. She’s ready.
Featured Village Events
COMING IN SEPTEMBER
SEPT 5 | 2:30 PM
PERFORMANCE HALL
Resident Lecture Series
Rockets to Hearts: A Biomedical Engineering Odyssey
BTV’s highly accomplished residents with fascinating professional backgrounds and remarkable life stories are offered the podium to share their experiences through the Resident Lecture Series. This month, we host Neil Ingels, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Arkansas. For 40 years Dr. Ingels has studied the 4-D dynamics of the heart using biplane radiography of surgically implanted radiopaque markers –and over the last two decades, his emphasis has been on the mitral and aortic valves. In addition to producing 202 peer-reviewed publications and 276 presentations, the book he recently authored provides new insights into mitral valve function. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear this unique odyssey defined and appreciated.
COMING IN OCTOBER
OCT 3 | 5 PM PERFORMANCE HALL
Wild West Dinner Cookout
Grab the saddles and hitch up the wagon for an unforgettable evening. Guests will arrive at the “Lodge Ranch” to find the cooks dishin’ up authentic cowboy grub at the BTV Wild West Dinner Cookout. Meet friends around the fire pit, and when the dinner bell rings, line up for authentic western beef steaks, chicken, cowboy beans, potato salad, coleslaw, cornbread muffins and fruit cobbler. Then, all the cowboy and cowgirl boots will head to the dance floor or tap in time to western swing tunes performed by The Can’t Wait to Play Boys Band. Savor great food, authentic entertainment and good company as the sun sets – folks may arrive as city slickers but they’ll head home as regular cowpokes!
OCT 10 | 8:30 AM PERFORMANCE HALL
Architecture Church Tour Series: Thorncrown Chapel and St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church
BTV’s next architecture-focused outing to Eureka Springs, Ark., will visit Thorncrown Chapel, designed by Arkansas Architect E. Fay Jones. Inspired by Sainte Chappelle, Paris’ light-filled gothic chapel, Thorncrown is 48 feet tall with over 6,000 square feet of glass and 425 windows. The chapel’s appearance evolves constantly as the qualities of daylight change. Then, we visit St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church, a unique hillside structure erected in 1880 that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In the 1950s, Father Joseph Lauro began extensive interior restoration, enlisting the help of an Italian artists’ society. Under the direction of sculptor Checchi Mario, marble statues were created to grace the church gardens. A side stop will include lunch and the Eureka Springs Carnegie Public Library, one of four Arkansas libraries built between 1906 and 1915, using grants from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.
OCT 17-18 | 10 AM – 3 PM
PERFORMANCE HALL
Annual BTV Craft and Art Fair
Discover the remarkable talents of residents and staff with a knack for creativity as they share their creations for viewing or purchase. Craft and art shopping enthusiasts will find a diverse selection of holiday gifts and décor, quality art, homespun crafts and stunning quilts during the BTV Craft and Art Fair – where the indoor weather is always lovely! Light refreshments and live music will be available in the afternoon.
Dîner en Blanc
Pink Flamingo Social in the Health Care Center
Second Floor North Pie Party and Recognition of Frank Price
July Sing-A-Long
El Mariachi Fiesta Dinner
Sandi Villinski’s Apartment
Photos by Kelly Syer
Sandi Villinski's airy apartment is full of exotic personal treasures, collected over years of living abroad during her late husband Ted's career in the Foreign Service. Every piece has special meaning, reflective of the beautiful cultures they represent.
A hand-beaded piece from Sumatra, Indonesia glows in the light. Nearby traditional Wayang puppets depict gods, goddesses and royalty – used as an educational tool to teach proper behavior in Indonesian villages.
A graceful Bali coin dancer (top) festooned in antique Chinese coins and gold paint greets visitors. A further look around the living room reveals stunning pottery, a handmade marble and teak game, a carved tribal headhunter statue from Borneo (bottom left) and a small Moroccan birthing chair (bottom right.)
A great aspect of the apartment's open living space is a bright full kitchen with plenty of counter space and storage. Sandi's primary bedroom is filled with lovely antiques and natural light. She has chosen to use her second bedroom as a cozy office. The floor plan features a full bath and a half-bath.
Left to Right: A stunning pair of Balinese sculptures depicting a traditional wedding couple graces the apartment entryway, symbolizing prosperity and fertility. A beautifully hewn dark wooden mask gazes out from the shelf, carved by an indigenous artist in Malaysia. Acquired from another part of the world, a Hawaiian glass piece made to resemble lava flow catches the changing sunlight and glows throughout the day. The brightly colored dragon in hues of green, blue and rose-red is from Garuda, Indonesia – a treasured symbol of the nation's identity.
An incredibly ornate hand-stitched elephant pillow from Thailand adorns the bed, along with refined Burmese Kalaga tapestries.
Carrying her Eastern art theme through to the second-floor balcony, Sandi's outdoor table is topped with a wonderfully whimsical clay dragon.
Butterfield’s Bluebird Guardians
Cultivating Colorful Companions
Birdwatching has long been a favorite pastime for many nature-loving Butterfield residents, offering a peaceful and rewarding way to connect with the community’s verdant surrounding environment. Several highly engaged BTV residents serve as volunteers to support birds and wildlife on the campus – which happens to carry an official designation as a bird sanctuary and a certified wildlife habitat as defined by the National Wildlife Federation.
For years, BTV retirees have custom-built bird boxes and houses, installed and maintained countless feeders, raised funds to purchase a steady stream of food and actively kept tabs on the senior community’s bird count. And, while the volunteers enjoy observing all kinds of birds, the dozens of bluebird families with their vibrant colors, warbling songs and interesting nesting habits are what seem to inspire the greatest degree of fascination.
A few years ago, Judy Doyle, a former science teacher and BTV resident for over two decades organized a group of volunteers to specifically focus on nurturing a healthy population of bluebirds. “They offer such a sense of peace,” she said. “They are so interesting – their characteristics and colors – how they react to things. Nature has always been my life, and I love observing and taking care of these birds.” Judy is quick to credit others who have invested their time and talents, such as talented woodworker Richard Wharry, who has handmade and repaired dozens of quality birdhouses designed to allow for ease of periodic cleaning and maintenance.
Retired educator Barbara Brannan puts her teaching background to great use, frequently compiling beautiful photos and interesting information about Butterfield’s bird populations on a public bulletin board. Fascinated by the annual bluebird activity, Barbara and others carefully track which of 26 birdhouses have nesting couples, the number of eggs laid in each box and how many babies survive to be fledglings. “Bluebirds are year-round residents of Arkansas, and some of our boxes see as many as three generations of babies between March and August,” she said. The volunteers keep tabs on when eggs are laid and can estimate when they will hatch. “Bluebird eggs typically incubate for 12 to 14 days, and then it’s between 17 to 21 days for a new hatchling to mature enough to fledge. Temperature plays a role in the timeline.” Barbara keeps a close eye on the calendar and tries to capture and share photos of each life stage.
Another detail-oriented resident, Roy Penney, compiles and shares a report using data from all the resident volunteers who observe and record the bluebird nesting activity. After a couple of disappointing years of significantly fewer eggs and surviving babies in 2021 and 2022 – perhaps related to predators – the tide turned toward a bluebird population boom in 2023. Out of 78 eggs laid, 52 hatched and all the babies survived to become fledglings. 2024 is trending to be a great year, as well.
Beyond the intrinsic entertainment value associated with watching bluebird families thrive, a solid population plays a crucial role in helping to naturally control insect populations. And, because bluebirds are particularly sensitive to environmental toxins, an abundant population signals that the surrounding environment is wellmaintained and ecologically viable.
Benefits of Birdwatching
Engaging in bird identification and learning about the habits of different species provides positive mental stimulation. Those who enjoy keeping records of sightings and nesting trends or learning the distinct calls of birds cultivate cognitive engagement to help keep the mind sharp.
Birdwatching encourages walking, which improves mobility through light exercise and combats a more sedentary lifestyle.
Social engagement can be a positive outcome from birdwatching. Sharing the excitement of spotting birds or discussing ways to attract and support nesting pairs helps foster feelings of community.
Spending time surrounded by the sights and sounds of nature can reduce stress, improve mood, and enhance overall well-being.
Knowing the West
Celebrating the American West as culturally rich, complex, and reflective of diverse voices
On September 14, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art will open Knowing the West, the first major traveling exhibition to embrace the American West as more inclusive, complex, and reflective of the diverse peoples who have contributed to art and life there. Co-curated by Mindy Besaw, Crystal Bridges’ curator of American art and director of research, fellowships and university partnerships, and Jami Powell (Osage), associate director for curatorial affairs and curator of Indigenous art at the Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth, the exhibition presents more than 120 historic works by Native American and non-Native American artists, including textiles, baskets, paintings, pottery, sculpture, beadwork, saddles and prints.
Whether informed by lived experience or popular culture, Americans often feel they “know the West.” Knowing the West honors and expands these impressions.
“Throughout the development and planning for this exhibition, we have prioritized the display of works by Native American artists — and particularly works by women — not only to celebrate the depth, breadth, diversity and dynamic nature of Indigenous art of the West, but to demonstrate the significant impacts of Indigenous creative expression on the formation of the United States more broadly,” said Powell. “In focusing on narratives and ways of knowing that may be unfamiliar to some audiences, the exhibition aims to expand rather than replace existing impressions of the West.”
“This exhibition recontextualizes historic artwork, encourages deeper exploration of a familiar topic, and celebrates the rich cultures that reflect the complexity of the American West,” said Besaw. “Art of the West is so often presented in simplified and binary terms — such as ‘cowboys and Indians’ — which does little to embrace the multiplicity of artists and communities in the West. But Knowing the West goes beyond this typical scenario, showcasing works by Dorothy Brett, Grafton Tyler Brown, Chiura Obata, Nellie Two Bear Gates, and many more artists who have been historically overlooked and underrepresented.”
By exhibiting artworks in a variety of media and by including makers from many nations and experiences, the exhibition aims to question and flatten existing hierarchies within American art. In fact, this approach can serve as a model for how to re-think and re-present American art broadly.
On view at Crystal Bridges through January 27, 2025, Knowing the West will then travel to two additional venues: from March 26 through August 31 at Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens in Jacksonville, Florida; and from May 2, 2026, through August 9, 2026, at North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, North Carolina. The exhibition will also be accompanied by a fully illustrated book published by Rizzoli Electa. Much like the exhibition, the publication will center on Native voices and multiple perspectives through a series of essays by more than 20 authors including curators, curatorial advisors and scholars.
To commemorate the opening, Crystal Bridges will host an opening lecture with the exhibition’s co-curators and members of the Curatorial Advisory Council on September 13. A festival celebrating the American West will take place on September 14, followed by a week of family-centered activities, school tours of the exhibition, and special programming focused on the many styles of dance in the West.
Tickets to the exhibition are $12 for adults. Tribal citizens, museum members, SNAP participants, Veterans, and youth 18 and under are free. Tickets can be purchased on the museum’s website, crystalbridges.org.
Nellie Two Bear Gates Suitcase, 1880-1910 Bead, hide, oilcloth, thread
Maria Martinez, Julian Martinez Storage Jar, 1926 Clay and paint
Artist once known Saddle Blanket (detail), c. 1885 Wool, glass beads, Chinese coins
Dive Deep Into Walton Arts Center’s Newest Season With A Variety of Shows
By Anna Buie
Single tickets are on sale now for the 2024-25 Walton Arts Center season, including some can’tmiss performances in September and October. From Broadway to live music and family shows, there is a show everyone will love this upcoming season!
Peter Pan, the high-flying musical, has been thrilling audiences of all ages for close to 70 years and is now being brought back to life in a new adaptation by celebrated playwright Larissa FastHorse, directed by Emmy Award® winner Lonny Price and choreography by Lorin Latarro. There are eight chances to see this iconic show, Sept. 24-29 and tickets start at $42.
He earned his stripes on Broadway…now the ghostwith-the-most is coming to Northwest Arkansas Oct. 22-27. Based on Tim Burton’s beloved film, Beetlejuice tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager whose whole life changes when she meets a recently deceased couple and a demon with a thing for stripes.
Two more must-see shows are presented as part of the 10x10 Art Series, an intriguing and innovative showcase of art forms, meticulously curated to satisfy the artistic curiosity of the Northwest Arkansas community. Best of all, tickets for each of the 10 shows in this series are only $10!
Circa’s Duck Pond brings the magic of dance and circus to Northwest Arkansas on Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 7pm. Swan Lake is reimagined as a circus spectacular, full of Circa’s signature physicality and shot through with cheeky humor. Touching, funny and utterly entertaining, Duck Pond is a tale of identity and finding your true self.
Celebrating a century of musical magic from beloved Broadway shows, Some Enchanted Evening is a jazzsteeped sojourn exploring a bevy of the Great American Songbook’s most enduring hits from the Golden Age to today. Led by Emmy®nominated trumpeter and crooner Benny Benack III, this unique show
will combine timeless music and dance on Thursday, Oct. 10 at 7pm.
For our live music lovers, check out two shows in the Land O’ Lakes Concert Series that are guaranteed to rock your world!
Keb’ Mo’ began his remarkable journey when he landed his first major gig playing with Jefferson Airplane violinist Papa John Creach. For the next 20 years, Mo’ would work behind the scenes, establishing himself as a respected guitarist, songwriter and arranger with a unique gift for linking the past and present in his evocative playing and singing. Experience this remarkable concert performance on Friday, Oct. 4 at 7:30pm, tickets start at $45.
Upcoming
Shows
Bluey’s Big Play Sept. 6-8
Sean Mason Quartet
Saturday, Sept. 7 at 7:30pm
Avatar: The Last Airbender In Concert
Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 7pm
Nurse Blake: Shock Advised Tour
Sunday, Oct. 6 at 8pm
Chicago Children’s Theatre: Peter Rabbit & Friends
Sunday, Oct. 6 at 4pm
Dusty Slay: The Night Shift Tour
Friday, Oct. 11 at 7pm
Rio Meets New Orleans Trio
Friday, Oct. 18 at 7:30pm
Coupled with his gift for storytelling, Texas-based musician Lyle Lovett fuses elements of country, swing, jazz, folk, gospel and blues in a conventiondefying manner that breaks down barriers and showcases not only the breadth of his deep talents, but also the diversity of his influences. Lovett is bringing his Large Band to Walton Arts Center on Sunday, Oct. 13 at 7pm, tickets start at $45.
Single tickets for the entire 2024-25 season are available now. Purchase tickets by visiting waltonartscenter.org, or by calling (479) 443-5600 weekdays 10 am until 5 pm or in-person at the Walton Arts Center Box Office weekdays 10am until 2pm.
Left to Right: Keb' Mo,' Beetlejuice, Jabu Graybeal of Some Enchanted Evening, Peter Pan
The Butterfield Foundation is grateful for the gifts received between June 8, 2024 to August 9, 2024 from the following donors:
Donations/Memorials
Rebecca Harrison
Gift of proceeds from Butterfield Trail Village Gardeners’ Farmers Market
LeAnn Underwood in memory of Beverly Bodenhamer
Barbara Counce in memory of Seth Young
Sue and Lyle Gohn in memory of Seth Young
Birds and Wildlife Fund
Pat Jahoda
Music and Performance Fund
Doug and Barbara Prichard
Resident Woodshop
Richard Wharry
Shining Cross Serves as Beacon of Faith and Fayetteville Landmark
By Sandra Cox Birchfield, Shiloh Museum of Ozark History
It was once referred to as the “electric cross.” Today, the glowing religious symbol atop Mount Sequoyah is a Fayetteville landmark.
Facing the west, its vantage point offers a stunning view of downtown Fayetteville and the hills beyond. From the Fayetteville square, one has to carefully scan the trees covering Mount Sequoyah to find the lone cross shining through the darkness. It serves as a beacon for a place to meditate. For others, it’s a tourist destination that has survived the wounds of late-night mischief.
Fayetteville was chosen as a retreat site for the Western Methodist Assembly more than 100 years ago on what was then known as East Mountain.
Renamed Mount Sequoyah in 1922 in honor of the Cherokee who invented the Cherokee alphabet, the assembly opened with its first programs a year later. It would eventually occupy much of the hilltop with several buildings, including dormitories, cottages, a cafeteria and a superintendent’s home, encircled by Skyline Drive.
With a stone base, the “electric cross” was modeled after one built at a Methodist assembly at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina, which operates today under the name Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center. Its cross still stands. With a lake and both the Blue Ridge and the Great Smoky mountains in view,
90
This
the founders of the Mount Sequoyah assembly sought to provide a setting that was equally aweinspiring in the Ozarks.
Rev. Sam M. Yancey, the Assembly’s superintendent, told the Fayetteville Daily Democrat in 1935 that the cross, with 75 lights, would be built across from the superintendent’s home and would be seen from “all the railroads and highways passing through the city.” This illuminated symbol represented the spirit of the assembly.
The labor for the cross’s construction, as well as the paving of a road leading to Mount Sequoyah, according to a 1935 Arkansas Gazette article, was provided by the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), a program created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, which was a precursor to the Works Progress Administration.
either the
The downtown view, with only a few buildings shown here, has since undergone a dramatic transformation.
Through the years, the Mount Sequoyah cross has been the site for sunrise Easter services, group photos and tourists. No longer affiliated with the United Methodist Church, the retreat now operates as an independent nonprofit. Thanks to a recent Community Placemaking Grant by Project for Public Spaces, improvements for pedestrian safety and experience are underway for the overlook, where the cross continues to shine, and the view of downtown Fayetteville remains as spectacular as ever.
Nearly
years after it was built, the Mount Sequoyah cross and the spectacular view behind it continues to be an attraction.
postcard from
1930s or 1940s shows that the “electric cross” on Mount Sequoyah has changed very little through the decades.
The Rosen Movement Plenty of Gain with no Fear of Strain:
As people age, some develop a mindset that exercising can lead to additional aches and pains. One fitness method – called the Rosen Movement – directly combats that concern by focusing on gentle range-of-motion and stretching movements. Practitioners of the Rosen Movement describe the method as a “work-in” instead of a workout, as it teaches participants how to recognize what body movement should feel like from the inside out.
Join Butterfield’s new music-filled Rosen Movement class!
Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m.
Convocation Room
Butterfield is now introducing a weekly Rosen Movement class to its fitness lineup, and we are pleased to welcome an energetic new instructor. Julie Stagner became a dedicated Rosen Movement student after personally benefiting from local inperson classes as well as remote Zoom sessions. After attending five immersive training intensives between 2023 and 2024, she decided to pursue teaching certification for this innovative and effective method.
“Rosen fills a special niche for people with chronic pain and those who wish to maintain flexibility and balance. The movements are based on physical therapy techniques and designed for an individual’s range of motion to get synovial fluid moving in the joints,” said Julie. “In addition, Rosen movements can easily adapt to chairs. I recently had surgery on
my Achilles tendon and was in a wheelchair for two months. I still felt welcomed and able to participate in classes despite my limitations. The wrist is anatomically related to the ankle, so when the class focused on foot movements, I followed along with my hand and wrist while mentally thinking about my foot motions. I think it was a pivotal part of my recovery.”
The known benefits of regular participation in Rosen Movement classes are many:
Enhances Flexibility and Balance to Decrease Fall Risk
Decline in flexibility and balance can increase the risk of falls. Slow, deliberate stretches and controlled exercises help counteract these issues. Improved joint mobility and muscle lengthening can enhance the range of motion and stability – while core strength targeting builds abdominal and lower back muscles that improve posture.
Alleviates Chronic Pain
Chronic pain is common, especially in the back, hips and knees. Rosen Movement’s low-impact exercises relieve pressure on joints and muscles. Proper alignment and smooth movements help reduce discomfort and improve body mechanics, leading to pain reduction.
Boosts Cognitive Function
Regular exercise is scientifically proven to enhance cognitive function and slow age-related decline. The mindful approach of Rosen Movement exercises reduces stress, improves mood and helps maintain cognitive sharpness.
Promotes Social Connection and Emotional Well-being
Rosen Movement classes provide a valuable social outlet. Participants who engage with others in a peaceful, supportive, judgment-free environment experience improved overall mental and emotional health that extends beyond the class itself.
2024/25 Walton Arts Center
Single T ickets On Sale Now!
SEPTEMBER
Bluey’s Big Play Sept. 6-8
Sean Mason Quartet Sept. 7
Avatar: The Last Airbender in Concert Sept. 17
Peter Pan Sept. 24-29
OCTOBER
Circa: Duck Pond Oct. 2
Keb’ Mo’ & Shawn Colvin Oct. 4
Nurse Blake: Shock Advised Tour Oct. 6
Chicago Children’s Theatre: Peter Rabbit & Friends Oct. 6
Some Enchanted Evening Oct. 10
Dusty Slay: The Night Shift Tour Oct. 11
Lyle Lovett and his Large Band Oct. 13
Rio Meets New Orleans Trio with Peter Martin, Romero Lubambo and Anat Cohen Oct. 18
Beetlejuice Oct. 22-27
The Rocky Horror Picture Show Halloween Party Oct. 30
NOVEMBER
Barrett Baber Nov. 1
Mark Normand: Ya Don’t Say Tour Nov. 1
Wheel of Fortune LIVE! presented by Live Nation Nov. 6
Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical Nov. 12-17
Mark Morris Dance Group: The Look of Love Nov. 20
Trey McLaughlin & The Sounds of Zamar Nov. 21
Tinsley Ellis Nov. 23
DECEMBER
Cirque du Soleil Songblazers Nov. 27-Dec. 1
Kristin Chenoweth: For the Girls Dec. 3
Jonathan Kreisberg Dec. 6
The Snowman: A Family Concert Dec. 10
Blippi: Join the Band Tour Dec. 10
Jim Brickman: Comfort & Joy Dec. 12
Ben Folds: Paper Airplane Request Tour presented by Live Nation Dec. 14
Shucked Dec. 17-22
JANUARY
INSIDIOUS: THE FURTHER YOU FEAR Jan. 18
Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations Jan. 22-23
Suzy Bogguss Jan. 24
Syncopated Ladies Jan. 26
BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet Jan. 30
Matt Mathews Jan. 31
René Marie Jan. 31
FEBRUARY
Kattam and his Tam-Tams Feb. 2
Classic Albums Live: Abbey Road Feb. 7
Sonia De Los Santos: Música Feb. 11
Billy Stritch Feb. 15
The Simon & Garfunkel Stor y Feb. 18
MARCH
Peking Acrobats March 4
The Bur ney Sisters March 7
Matt Wilson’s Good Trouble Quintet March 8
New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players: The Mikado March 9
Funny Girl March 18-23
APRIL
The Second City: 65th Anniversar y Show April 1
The Edge Effect April 4
VoiceJam Competition April 5
Back to the Future: The Musical April 8-13 Champions of Magic April 23
Terrapin Puppet Theatre: The Paper Escaper April 24
