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Some places linger with you, not because of what they do but how they make you feel. For me that space is the Way of Color, the Skyspace by James Turrell at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville. While this year’s calendar might not feature a formal Summer Solstice event, I can’t imagine a more meaningful place to be as the longest day of the year fades into a warm Arkansas night.
What is the Summer Solstice?
Every year, around June 21, the summer solstice marks the official start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s the day when the sun travels the farthest across our sky, giving us the most daylight of the year. For centuries, civilizations have revered this moment. It symbolizes abundance, illumination, and a pause —a chance to be fully present in the light before the seasons shift.
It’s a perfect day to look up. And Turrell’s creation invites us to do precisely that to experience its magical existence.
The Way of Color: A Portal to Light, Space and Thought
Nestled along the Art Trail at Crystal Bridges, The Way of Color initially appears unassuming. Built into a grassy berm, the Skyspace is a circular stone structure—part sculpture, chamber and celestial theater.
To experience the magical moment, you must step inside, sit and wait. As the sun starts to set, something remarkable happens.
A precisely timed light sequence gradually begins, interacting with the open oculus above your head. The shifting colors within the chamber alter your perception of the sky beyond. What may have started as a soft blue sky deepens into lavender and then transforms into an otherworldly hue that feels impossible to name. The longer you sit, the more you perceive.
It’s hypnotic, meditative and even spiritual.
A Personal Discovery
One of my first solo outings after moving to Northwest Arkansas was a walk along the Crystal Bridges trails. I didn’t know anyone in town and wasn’t sure what I was looking for. But I wandered around, partly because the trails were free and partly because I sought to feel something—curiosity, wonder, and connection.
That’s when I discovered the Skyspace, located along the art trail at Crystal Bridges, which connects to Compton Gardens.
I overheard an older man telling a friend that something was about to begin inside the structure, which I thought was just a stone dome. So, I sat down on the cool stone bench and waited. I’m happy I did.
Since then, I’ve often returned with friends and family from out of town and sometimes alone. Watching the sunset inside that dome has become one of my favorite summer rituals. Each time feels different yet always meaningful. I’ve yet to be there in the morning as dawn breaks, but I’ve heard that the silence is deafening as you watch the day begin beneath art’s canopy, then wander back to your car under the symphony of cicadas, toads and chirping birds. Consider this a warning: in your artistic stupor, pay attention to early-morning bike riders.
There’s something sacred about it. Something isolating, even when others surround you. It’s as if the light quiets the world for a moment and in that stillness, you’re allowed to look up with expectation.
Built With Intention
Over time, I’ve had the opportunity to hear an architect discuss collaborating with Turrell and Crystal Bridges on this installation. He spoke about visiting other Turrell pieces to understand how space can shape light. Still, the construction process in Bentonville left a lasting impression on him, observing each stone placed with mathematical precision, forming the dome into a perfect circle that intentionally funnels the light. Though carved into a hillside, the space is completely cylindrical, meticulously engineered to create a cohesive visual and emotional experience.
Even outside the light program, the space resonates. I’ve attended a solo acoustic concert there and once heard sacred hymns sung a cappella in the round. Every note echoed as if the stone itself were part of the performance. Maybe it’s the natural acoustics; maybe it’s something more.
Who is James Turrell?
James Turrell is an American artist known for using light and space as his primary mediums. His Skyspaces, with over 80 installations worldwide, are architectural environments that feature precisely positioned openings framing the sky. Each installation invites viewers into a dialogue between artificial light and the natural world.
Turrell studied perceptual psychology and mathematics, and his work reflects a profound fascination with how we see and what we perceive. His installations vary from mountaintop observatories to museum courtyards to Quaker meeting houses.
In every instance, Turrell urges us to slow down. To observe. To engage with the sky and allow ourselves to be transformed by what we witness.
How to Celebrate the Summer Solstice
Even if you can’t make it to Crystal Bridges on June 21, there are ways to honor the solstice in your own way:
- Watch the sunset with intention. Whether from your backyard, a local overlook or your front porch, pause and notice how the light changes.
- Create a space for reflection. Light a candle, write in a journal, or sit quietly as the day comes to a close.
- Practice light photography. With extra time to take in the setting sun, use these helpful tips to capture the sun through your lens.
- Gather with others. The solstice has long been a time for community. Share a meal, enjoy a walk or converse under the sky.
- Visit a place that helps you slow down. Whether it’s this skyspace, a river, camping or another natural setting, permit yourself to experience stillness.
The Way of Color may not hold a formal solstice ceremony this year, but it doesn’t need one. The experience speaks for itself. Every sunrise and sunset provides a moment of awe. Each visit serves as a gentle reminder of how the sky above us and the light around us continually shift, and so do we.
This summer, consider looking up.
Other Summer Solstice Events in Arkansas:
- Buffalo National River Dark Skies experiences
- Thursday, June 19 | Summer Solstice Glass Panel Class | Ozark Folk Center
- Saturday, June 21 | John Prine Tribute Concert, Outdoors | Ozark Highlands Theater
- Saturday, June 21 | Summer Solstice Celebration Sunset Cruise | Plum Bayou Mounds, Scot
- Friday, June 20 | Sunset SUP | DeGray State Park
- Friday, June 20 and Saturday, June 21 | Sunset Tour | Lake Chicot State Park
- Friday, June 20 | Sunset on the Lake | Woolly Hollow State Park
- Friday, June 20 | Nighttime Critters Night Hike | Lake Poinsett
- Friday, June 20 | Stars on Summit | Queen Wilhelmina
- Friday, June 20 | Spider Sniffing Night Hike | DeGray State Park
- June 19 – 21 | Hot Summer Nights Motorcycle Ride | Eureka Springs
- Friday, June 20 | Gone Country Railyard Live, Outdoor | Rogers
- Friday, June 20 | Outdoor Screening: Minecraft Movie | Bentonville Film Festival
- Friday, June 20 – Saturday, June 21 | MoParade and Friday Night Lights | Turpentine Creek Animal Refuge
- Friday, June 20 | Summer Solstice Sound Bath | Yoga Place, Hot Springs
- June 13 – 15 | Summer Solstice Gathering | Barefoot Gardens Homestead, Vilonia
- Friday, June 20 and Saturday, June 21 | Sunset Cruise | Lake Ouachita State Park
- Sat, Jun 21 | Revival: Summer Solstice Day Retreat – Sky Vision Yoga, Huntsville
- Sat, June 21 | Summer Solstice Drum Circle – Mariposa Wellness, Lonsdale
- Wed, June 18 & Sun, June 22 | Sunset Cruise | DeGray Lake State Park
- Sat, June 21 | Prospectors Jamboree | Crater of Diamonds State Park
- Sat, June 21 | Sensory Sound Journey | Fayetteville
- Sun, June 22 | Summer Solstice Party on the Trail | Rotary Park, Springdale
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