PRESS RELEASE – 21c Museum Hotels, the award-winning boutique hotel, contemporary art museum and restaurant group, is proud to announce the appointment of executive chef Matthew McClure to The Hive, the debut restaurant for the Bentonville property, scheduled to open in 2013.
Under McClure’s direction, The Hive will emphasize the unique culinary identity of Arkansas, while articulating McClure’s approach to refined country cuisine. Showcasing the region’s farmers and culinary landscape, McClure will develop a program that is true to the High South, highlighting ingredients such as black walnuts, freshly milled corn meal, hickory smoked hams, peaches, melons and sweet onions.
Matthew McClure was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he realized his passion for food. After studying at the New England Culinary Institute, McClure settled in Boston and worked at a number of restaurants including No. 9 Park under the direction of Barbara Lynch, Troquet and Harvest. After years in Boston, the lure of his home was strong and McClure returned to Little Rock with his new wife, Jenny, where he worked under chef Lee Richardson at Ashley’s at the Capital Hotel. During his tenure, McClure’s appreciation for local ingredients was fortified and reinforced his mission to bring a touch of Arkansas to every plate.
“I am immensely proud of my home state of Arkansas and thrilled to be part of the 21c team,” says McClure. “My time with Lee Richardson was invaluable, and I look forward to creating a unique culinary destination within Bentonville and presenting to the locals and visitors why my passion for Arkansas’ role in food is so strong,” says McClure.
21c Museum Hotel Bentonville (200 NE “A” Street), scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2013, will create a new space for visitors and residents of Bentonville to experience hospitality, view cutting-edge contemporary art and enjoy McClure’s menu, which will celebrate the region’s sustainable producers and rich culinary traditions. Building on its mission of engaging the public with contemporary art and supporting the revitalization of American downtowns, the property will feature 12,000 square feet of museum, meeting and event space. The museum exhibits the work of living artists and admission is free of charge to the public. An outdoor sculpture garden will complement the interior museum galleries. These spaces serve as a key link in the emerging arts promenade that connects downtown Bentonville to the new Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.
Architect Deborah Berke’s design integrates extensive natural lighting throughout the 100,000 square foot property, which will also feature The Hive, spacious ballroom and state-of-the-art meeting and board rooms as well as outdoor spaces for private functions
About 21c Museum Hotels
21c Museum Hotel was founded in Louisville, Kentucky in 2006 by preservationists and contemporary art collectors Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson. The project supports both their desire to preserve beautiful Kentucky farmland through revitalization efforts in downtown Louisville and their vision for making contemporary art a part of more people’s daily lives. The couple tapped architect Deborah Berke to convert a series of 19th century tobacco and Bourbon warehouses into a contemporary art museum with 9,000 square feet of exhibition space, a 90 room boutique hotel, and a restaurant and bar, Proof on Main. As North America’s first museum devoted solely to the art of living artists, 21c Museum Hotel features a rotating program of curated exhibitions as well as site-specific, commissioned installations. 21c has garnered praise from many notable publications including Travel + Leisure, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, W, and Condé Nast Traveler, whose readers voted 21c among the top 10 hotels in the world in the annual Readers’ Choice Survey in 2009, 2010 and 2011. With the critical and financial success of the Louisville property and after having been approached by local partners interested in having a 21c Museum Hotel in their community, 21c Museum Hotels was formed in 2007 to oversee the development and management of 21c Museum Hotel properties in new markets. Hotels are under construction in Cincinnati, OH (opening the fourth quarter of 2012) and Bentonville, AR (opening the first quarter of 2013) and under development in Lexington, KY. The company plans to develop 15 properties over the next five to ten years.
For more information about 21c Museum Hotels,
Matthew McClure or The Hive contact:
Sarah Abell
Baltz & Company
sabell@baltzco.com
917.584.8567
or Camilla Ferenczi
Baltz & Company
cferenczi@baltzco.com
212.982.8300
