Tuesday night my friends Liz, Christy and I left the children at home with the husbands, and ventured to the "new" Mint Museum UPTOWN. We left the main level, home to the ever popular children's wing, and took the escalator up to the third and (gasp) fourth floors.
If you have been to the "old" Mint Museum of Craft and Design, then much of the work on the third floor will feel vaguely, if not totally familiar. Sadly, I can no longer confirm this as my patronage to most all museums has been recently put on hold by "post baby mush brain" and then by an "absolute lack of desire" to bring crazy todllers with me, to said museums. But I have good news for me. . .I am back and I might have more of a desire to learn than ever before!
Through the white walls and huge, expanding spaces, we move casually around the Glass and Wood section. We can and do, spend as much time as we want reading and taking notes. One new acquisition is the 1988 Etruscan Glass Chair by artist Danny Lane. At first it is hard to believe this piece is a product of the 80's. It's age is given away by the rough, rusted metal supports and legs, floating blue glass with a vintage sea glass feel. Totally 80's!
As an out of practice, ex-artist, possessing a somewhat formal and mostly unusable education in Art History; I feel amazingly comforted by the inviting, open feel of the front gallerys. The humble wood sculptures are so unassuming that I forget for a second that I am not at a local craft gallery. I desperately want to purchase the Lace Turned CocoBolo Rosewood bowl by William Hunter. Done in 1997, Kinetic Rythms embody's so much motion and energy, that it would appear to observers that it could possible begin to spin on it's own. Hunter quotes "My motive is to embody an essence of life and growth." Mission Accomplished.
In Studio Furniture, we learn about Irish craftsman artist Joseph Walsh, whose work embodies everything modern americans lack: purity, craftsmanship and quality. In Jewelry we study Emiko Suu, a Japanese artist, who displays kinetic motion in her 1996 neckpiece made of spun and sculpted stainless steel, wire and 24k and 14k gold-leaf.
Two hours fly by and we barely make it to the main exhibit Romare Bearden Southern Recollections. We cruised through, but our stomach were growling, and I make a promise to myself to come back and pay it the attention it deserves. The exhibition is in town until January 8th 2012.
We stroll next door to popular farm-to-table restaurant Halcyon Flavors From The Earth and grab a seat on the patio. One bottle of wine and three appetizers later, we vow to start our own art club and hit up as many openings and exhibits as possible. Liz suggests we call it "The Culture Club."
Cheers,
Tay
Please go to www.mintmuseum.org for more inforation.
Check out Halcyon Flavors From The Earth at
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