November 21, 2007
Alice Walton Buying Art for Wal-Mart
By Bernice Hurst, Managing Director, Fine Food Network
Alice Walton, Sam’s daughter and the second wealthiest woman in the world, is currently building her collection of fine art. According to a report in The Independent in the UK, Ms. Walton plans to put the paintings on show in Bentonville, transforming the town into a tourist destination. Hopes are that the collection will benefit the local economy by bringing in visitors’ dollars and gathering together masterpieces formerly dotted around the country under one roof for the pleasure of as many people as can make the trip. Estimated to cost more than $50 million, the museum is expected to attract a quarter of a million visitors each year.
The Independent says that what it describes as “the U.S. glitterati” are up in arms because Ms. Walton is purchasing – or trying to purchase – well known paintings from such illustrious institutions as the New York Public Library against competition from the likes of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the National Gallery in Washington. She has not always been successful; last year the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts got together to beat her bid for one she was eying at Philadelphia’s Thomas Jefferson University. Now Ms. Walton is allegedly fighting with Fisk University in Nashville over her attempt to buy part of the collection bequeathed to them by the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe.
Others see Ms. Walton’s project as philanthropic, bringing together a range of masterpieces under one roof and making them available to a greater number of fans rather than hiding them away for their private pleasure as other wealthy collectors have done in the past. At the moment, the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is expected to open some time in 2010. Perhaps its theme should be accessibility.
Discussion Questions: Are there any ethical issues here? Do you see the establishment of an art museum to be in keeping with Wal-Mart’s desired image?
[Author’s commentary] Of course it’s all a matter of opinion and others would say that no one has a right to tell anyone else how to spend their money. But when you’re talking about the descendants of Sam Walton, who created his business with the express intention of providing low cost products for those with limited spending power, then perhaps questions are somewhat more justifiable.
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As someone who lives about five minutes away from the new Crystal Bridges Museum, I can personally attest to the impact this cultural icon will have for the Northwest Arkansas region…and even for the Midwest as a whole. There have been rumors for years and years that Disney wanted to open to a park in the middle of the country…and this area was high on the list. Northwest Arkansas has the road infrastructure, hotel requirements (think of the number of vendors who visit Wal-Mart each week), restaurants, and close proximity to Tulsa, St. Louis, and Kansas City. Thus, this museum serves as the same type of symbolic icon for Arkansas being the epicenter of the big box retail world that the Olympics were to Atlanta in the early 1990s since they both announced to the world that all stereotypes of “backwoods and barefoot” should be considered shattered. Alice Walton’s noble efforts are much larger than just an extension of Wal-Mart’s historic brand equity image. In fact, they really have nothing to do with having a connection with the typical Wal-Mart consumer.
Everyone who reads articles that list the wealthiest people in the world understand the Walton family’s financial position! Wal-Mart shoppers don’t stop and think that they are making the Waltons rich–they appreciate the selection and price!
The idea of helping the economy in Bentonville fits into Sam Walton’s vision of supporting his hometown–good luck in the endeavor.
I don’t think there is any problem here at all. Wal-Mart is not purchasing the art, so there should be no question regarding a disconnect with the brand image. Secondly, the fact that Alice is bringing fine art to a community that has been over-run by every franchise operation in America can only be seen as a positive. She will be bringing a bit of global culture to a community that is starved for it.
It is no different than what the founders of Amway have done for Grand Rapids, MI. No one should be condemned for providing culture to a community.
I’m with Pete.
Alice Walton’s Crystal Bridges Art Museum will make the Bentonville folks proud and improve Arkansas tourism. Folks who resent the Walton family’s wealth aren’t shopping at Wal-Mart. And since when do most Americans dislike the wealthy?
Let’s see…”Sam Walton created his business with the express intention of providing low cost products for those with limited spending power”…but as far as I know he didn’t have the intention of being poor and having limited spending power himself. So are we implying that the Waltons have to ‘look’ poor in order to be ethical and consistent with their business goals? That they should be displaying black velvet and ‘paint-by-numbers’ artwork instead of that from the Masters? Gosh I sure hope not!
To me the “ethical” question is this: Does Wal-Mart contribute to “lack consciousness” or “prosperity consciousness” in our society? While there is nothing wrong in being a low-price provider the general image of Wal-Mart is one of lack. What I’d like to see this huge organization do is create resources that enable people to lift themselves out of limiting mind-sets to the full potential of life and teach them to be modern Sam Waltons. And Ms. Walton–the BEST thing you can do for people with limited spending power is show them the world’s finest art. Nothing will lift their spirits and imagination more!
Ms. Walton is taking the J. Pierpont Morgan approach to philanthropy and sees good in making artwork accessible to the masses. Certainly nothing wrong with that. I’d personally rather see her follow the examples of Andrew Carnegie, who championed education and public libraries, or Bill Gates, battling disease and human misery (and, again, public libraries) and I think it would project a better image for Wal-Mart. But it would be petty to rate one kind of goodness as somehow more noble than another.
Part of the back story here may be the need for Wal-Mart and the CPG companies servicing their headquarters to attract talented managers who still consider Bentonville something of a backwater. By addressing the perceived dearth of high culture institutions in Northwest Arkansas, Ms. Walton is not only feeding the minds of the populous there, she is making it easier for up-and-coming retail and sales managers to convince their spouses that a move to the area won’t be an exile in the Ozarks. All in all a very good thing.
As for the second question, the answer is dependent on the content of the museum. If I were her art consultant, and I am available, I’d advise Ms. Walton to concentrate on painters and sculptors with connections to the region. I understand she has already collected paintings by major American artists like Winslow Homer, Thomas Eakins, John LaFarge and other members of the Hudson Valley School. She should turn to more populist artists like William Henry Jackson and even Frederic Remington.
If the Walton family is intending to bring art to Bentonville or those who wouldn’t normally be exposed to this work, what a great benefit to everybody. What is the ethical beef? Is this another case of envy and picking on those who have achieved success?
Now if the art was bought and stashed somewhere, than that is not good for Wal-Mart’s PR or the art world. But I have faith that the former is not the case.
Aren’t we all great at setting expectations for what others should do with their wealth? If she wants to do this, and it’s legal, let her do so. It is her that will be judged by others (not that anyone should be), as to whether or not it actually benefited them or not. Maybe it’s simply how she wants to spend ‘her money’. It is ‘her money’ isn’t it?
Joel is right, the DeVos and VanAndel families have done amazing things with their giving for the betterment of Grand Rapids, MI. However, that was their choice. The Meijer family, from the same town, does other things; both good, but different. It’s their money!
Spend it, give it, enjoy it, whatever they choose. If she likes art–buy it. Keep it to yourself or share it–that’s her choice too. There are no rules here, nor should there be.
If you believe (as even sometimes I do myself) that money should go elsewhere, then give it yourself. We too have our own choices just like she does. Make them. Let her make her own. And, be thankful that you can do the same.
GO ALICE!
Thanks for the effort to bring fine art to the Ozarks. Far from the stuffy snobbery of the big city folks, but available to all.
Might need to add in a little Bass Pro-style taxidermy to attract more of a crowd, but once they see the art of the Masters, they’ll be hooked.
Last I heard, Benton County is still a dry county. If you want to appeal to the wine and cheese crowd, it might be a good idea to start working on the local officials to lift the alcohol-limiting laws. The taxes on the stuff should be enough to persuade.
GO ALICE!
What is not ethical about spending your own darn money in a way that will benefit the community? Give the woman a break on this slow news day.
Bentonville as a fine art destination? If the goal is to expose excellent art to as many people as possible (including Wal-Mart shoppers), why not fish where the fish are? If, on the other hand, the objective is to make Bentonville a tourist destination (as stated), good luck. Better Branson than Bentonville. Or a major city. Or better yet, take the show on the road. Make it a traveling collection that moves from major museum to major museum. How about tourist destinations such as Orlando, San Antonio, or Las Vegas? In other words, take the art to the people rather than bringing the people to the art. Manufacturers’ reps make regular pilgrimages to Bentonville to genuflect at the altar of the almighty dollar. Art enthusiasts, however, aren’t similarly motivated.
But, what’s the point in acquiring something without being able to drive down the street to get all preeny and goose-bumpy while admiring it?
Ha ha ha. This is a joke right? Hmmm, let’s take a second and remove her last name and the fact that she is in anyway involved with Wal-Mart. Then would it be news worthy? Probably not…so why would there be an ethical problem? She is a lady who obviously likes art and has more than enough money to acquire it. If you have ever been to Bentonville Arkansas, you would understand how this is a great thing for them. Go get ’em Alice!
I can’t see Sam doing this but Sam has been dead and buried for a long time. His widow can do whatever she wants. It’s her money and she will never get it all spent. Obviously, if she buys these works of art, someone will make a fortune. So why the fuss? This should have nothing to do with Wal-Mart or Sam Walton. Neither appears to be involved. I think the art community has visions of valuable pieces art being tossed in the back of a pick-up truck and driven hard in the rain down to Arkansas.
Alice Walton is just supporting her father’s vision. She is making fine art available to the masses in middle America. Wal-Mart is not buying the art pieces. It’s up to her what she does with her money and I’m very pleased to see that she is bringing such valuable pieces to our area.
The real issue here, which seemingly everyone–save perhaps Dr. Banks–has overlooked is the accessibility of the collection she is assembling: yes, in theory, it will be open to the world, but in practice – since few venture to Bentonville–it will be closed to all but the (relatively) few who live there.
In addition, there is also the issue of relevance: in Philadelphia, the furor was based on the belief that the painting (“Gross Clinic”) was a cherished icon, and Jefferson University Hospital was selling out its heritage…whether that was true or not, and whether Arkansans might have come to cherish it as deeply are of course questions that can be debated.
A lot of what gets written and said about the Sam Walton, Wal-Mart image is not relevant anymore. No one that knows anything about the Walton’s still confuses the family with being anything but extremely wealthy. Walton family members own major sports franchises like the St. Louis Rams, Kansas City Royals, Denver Nuggets, NASCAR entities, stadiums, etc. I don’t believe that the Walton family members are trying to pretend that they live like Wal-Mart the median Wal-Mart consumers, and I don’t believe they should have to play that game. Wal-Mart is enormously successful in its own business model and whatever upgrades they can bring to the culture are very welcome, and very exciting. Let’s keep the legend of Sam Walton in mind but let’s also be very realistic about Wal-Mart, the Walton’s, and today’s Northwest Arkansas region; it’s all changed, it’s growing up, and it’s not your father’s old Jeep anymore.
It goes to show, if you are a Walton, you can do almost anything you want. Who said culture was bad, even for Arkansas?
Um, Mr. David Livingston, Alice is not Sam’s widow, she’s his daughter. And Helen, passed away last year…
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As someone who lives about five minutes away from the new Crystal Bridges Museum, I can personally attest to the impact this cultural icon will have for the Northwest Arkansas region…and even for the Midwest as a whole. There have been rumors for years and years that Disney wanted to open to a park in the middle of the country…and this area was high on the list. Northwest Arkansas has the road infrastructure, hotel requirements (think of the number of vendors who visit Wal-Mart each week), restaurants, and close proximity to Tulsa, St. Louis, and Kansas City. Thus, this museum serves as the same type of symbolic icon for Arkansas being the epicenter of the big box retail world that the Olympics were to Atlanta in the early 1990s since they both announced to the world that all stereotypes of “backwoods and barefoot” should be considered shattered. Alice Walton’s noble efforts are much larger than just an extension of Wal-Mart’s historic brand equity image. In fact, they really have nothing to do with having a connection with the typical Wal-Mart consumer.
Everyone who reads articles that list the wealthiest people in the world understand the Walton family’s financial position! Wal-Mart shoppers don’t stop and think that they are making the Waltons rich–they appreciate the selection and price!
The idea of helping the economy in Bentonville fits into Sam Walton’s vision of supporting his hometown–good luck in the endeavor.
I don’t think there is any problem here at all. Wal-Mart is not purchasing the art, so there should be no question regarding a disconnect with the brand image. Secondly, the fact that Alice is bringing fine art to a community that has been over-run by every franchise operation in America can only be seen as a positive. She will be bringing a bit of global culture to a community that is starved for it.
It is no different than what the founders of Amway have done for Grand Rapids, MI. No one should be condemned for providing culture to a community.
I’m with Pete.
Alice Walton’s Crystal Bridges Art Museum will make the Bentonville folks proud and improve Arkansas tourism. Folks who resent the Walton family’s wealth aren’t shopping at Wal-Mart. And since when do most Americans dislike the wealthy?
Let’s see…”Sam Walton created his business with the express intention of providing low cost products for those with limited spending power”…but as far as I know he didn’t have the intention of being poor and having limited spending power himself. So are we implying that the Waltons have to ‘look’ poor in order to be ethical and consistent with their business goals? That they should be displaying black velvet and ‘paint-by-numbers’ artwork instead of that from the Masters? Gosh I sure hope not!
To me the “ethical” question is this: Does Wal-Mart contribute to “lack consciousness” or “prosperity consciousness” in our society? While there is nothing wrong in being a low-price provider the general image of Wal-Mart is one of lack. What I’d like to see this huge organization do is create resources that enable people to lift themselves out of limiting mind-sets to the full potential of life and teach them to be modern Sam Waltons. And Ms. Walton–the BEST thing you can do for people with limited spending power is show them the world’s finest art. Nothing will lift their spirits and imagination more!
Ms. Walton is taking the J. Pierpont Morgan approach to philanthropy and sees good in making artwork accessible to the masses. Certainly nothing wrong with that. I’d personally rather see her follow the examples of Andrew Carnegie, who championed education and public libraries, or Bill Gates, battling disease and human misery (and, again, public libraries) and I think it would project a better image for Wal-Mart. But it would be petty to rate one kind of goodness as somehow more noble than another.
Part of the back story here may be the need for Wal-Mart and the CPG companies servicing their headquarters to attract talented managers who still consider Bentonville something of a backwater. By addressing the perceived dearth of high culture institutions in Northwest Arkansas, Ms. Walton is not only feeding the minds of the populous there, she is making it easier for up-and-coming retail and sales managers to convince their spouses that a move to the area won’t be an exile in the Ozarks. All in all a very good thing.
As for the second question, the answer is dependent on the content of the museum. If I were her art consultant, and I am available, I’d advise Ms. Walton to concentrate on painters and sculptors with connections to the region. I understand she has already collected paintings by major American artists like Winslow Homer, Thomas Eakins, John LaFarge and other members of the Hudson Valley School. She should turn to more populist artists like William Henry Jackson and even Frederic Remington.
If the Walton family is intending to bring art to Bentonville or those who wouldn’t normally be exposed to this work, what a great benefit to everybody. What is the ethical beef? Is this another case of envy and picking on those who have achieved success?
Now if the art was bought and stashed somewhere, than that is not good for Wal-Mart’s PR or the art world. But I have faith that the former is not the case.
Aren’t we all great at setting expectations for what others should do with their wealth? If she wants to do this, and it’s legal, let her do so. It is her that will be judged by others (not that anyone should be), as to whether or not it actually benefited them or not. Maybe it’s simply how she wants to spend ‘her money’. It is ‘her money’ isn’t it?
Joel is right, the DeVos and VanAndel families have done amazing things with their giving for the betterment of Grand Rapids, MI. However, that was their choice. The Meijer family, from the same town, does other things; both good, but different. It’s their money!
Spend it, give it, enjoy it, whatever they choose. If she likes art–buy it. Keep it to yourself or share it–that’s her choice too. There are no rules here, nor should there be.
If you believe (as even sometimes I do myself) that money should go elsewhere, then give it yourself. We too have our own choices just like she does. Make them. Let her make her own. And, be thankful that you can do the same.
GO ALICE!
Thanks for the effort to bring fine art to the Ozarks. Far from the stuffy snobbery of the big city folks, but available to all.
Might need to add in a little Bass Pro-style taxidermy to attract more of a crowd, but once they see the art of the Masters, they’ll be hooked.
Last I heard, Benton County is still a dry county. If you want to appeal to the wine and cheese crowd, it might be a good idea to start working on the local officials to lift the alcohol-limiting laws. The taxes on the stuff should be enough to persuade.
GO ALICE!
What is not ethical about spending your own darn money in a way that will benefit the community? Give the woman a break on this slow news day.
Bentonville as a fine art destination? If the goal is to expose excellent art to as many people as possible (including Wal-Mart shoppers), why not fish where the fish are? If, on the other hand, the objective is to make Bentonville a tourist destination (as stated), good luck. Better Branson than Bentonville. Or a major city. Or better yet, take the show on the road. Make it a traveling collection that moves from major museum to major museum. How about tourist destinations such as Orlando, San Antonio, or Las Vegas? In other words, take the art to the people rather than bringing the people to the art. Manufacturers’ reps make regular pilgrimages to Bentonville to genuflect at the altar of the almighty dollar. Art enthusiasts, however, aren’t similarly motivated.
But, what’s the point in acquiring something without being able to drive down the street to get all preeny and goose-bumpy while admiring it?
Ha ha ha. This is a joke right? Hmmm, let’s take a second and remove her last name and the fact that she is in anyway involved with Wal-Mart. Then would it be news worthy? Probably not…so why would there be an ethical problem? She is a lady who obviously likes art and has more than enough money to acquire it. If you have ever been to Bentonville Arkansas, you would understand how this is a great thing for them. Go get ’em Alice!
I can’t see Sam doing this but Sam has been dead and buried for a long time. His widow can do whatever she wants. It’s her money and she will never get it all spent. Obviously, if she buys these works of art, someone will make a fortune. So why the fuss? This should have nothing to do with Wal-Mart or Sam Walton. Neither appears to be involved. I think the art community has visions of valuable pieces art being tossed in the back of a pick-up truck and driven hard in the rain down to Arkansas.
Alice Walton is just supporting her father’s vision. She is making fine art available to the masses in middle America. Wal-Mart is not buying the art pieces. It’s up to her what she does with her money and I’m very pleased to see that she is bringing such valuable pieces to our area.
The real issue here, which seemingly everyone–save perhaps Dr. Banks–has overlooked is the accessibility of the collection she is assembling: yes, in theory, it will be open to the world, but in practice – since few venture to Bentonville–it will be closed to all but the (relatively) few who live there.
In addition, there is also the issue of relevance: in Philadelphia, the furor was based on the belief that the painting (“Gross Clinic”) was a cherished icon, and Jefferson University Hospital was selling out its heritage…whether that was true or not, and whether Arkansans might have come to cherish it as deeply are of course questions that can be debated.
A lot of what gets written and said about the Sam Walton, Wal-Mart image is not relevant anymore. No one that knows anything about the Walton’s still confuses the family with being anything but extremely wealthy. Walton family members own major sports franchises like the St. Louis Rams, Kansas City Royals, Denver Nuggets, NASCAR entities, stadiums, etc. I don’t believe that the Walton family members are trying to pretend that they live like Wal-Mart the median Wal-Mart consumers, and I don’t believe they should have to play that game. Wal-Mart is enormously successful in its own business model and whatever upgrades they can bring to the culture are very welcome, and very exciting. Let’s keep the legend of Sam Walton in mind but let’s also be very realistic about Wal-Mart, the Walton’s, and today’s Northwest Arkansas region; it’s all changed, it’s growing up, and it’s not your father’s old Jeep anymore.
It goes to show, if you are a Walton, you can do almost anything you want. Who said culture was bad, even for Arkansas?
Um, Mr. David Livingston, Alice is not Sam’s widow, she’s his daughter. And Helen, passed away last year…