Yes...we DO in fact have an Art Musuem

A few weeks ago we had  field trip.  Turns out there is a local art museum - I had no idea honestly.  And so off we went.

The art museum opens promptly at 10 and not a minute before.  We were there slightly early - and so the kids starred at all the tour guides.  It kind of cracked me up.

We had a sweet elderly gentleman for our tour guide.  He had a true love of art and it was precious.

While the art museum did not hold many of the kids attention, I felt like Rebekah did pay pretty good attention.  She asked the tour guide questions and examined the art he discussed.  The below piece was a bunch of "dots"...and he told the kids if they started close, they would see only dots.  But if the backed up, they would be able to see the actual picture.  Rebekah got real close then backed up...several times...examining the art.

There was a kids playroom which was the highlight.  In the playroom, the kids had the opportunity to make their own art.

They could even hang it up if they desired.

Upstairs there is a giant glass piece that was disassembled in San Francisco and sent here to the museum.  I don't remember the artist name, but apparently s/he was famous.  Rebekah I think enjoyed this one too.

And there was a place where the kids could take their shoes off and walk around on top of some glass pieces.  Rebekah got a kick out of it.

My favorite piece I was not allowed to photograph...I don't recall the artists name but she was a woman who studied in France (and considered a French Impressionist even though she was American) in the late 1800s.  Even better, her father didn't approve but her mother did.  I always love stories about women doing what they wanted in era's where that sort of gusto was not appreciated.  This woman painted mother/children relationships...and this particular painting was a toddler sitting on a mother's lap.  I was fascinated by the fact that it was worth $5 million...and the fact it was unfinished.  In the bottom corner you could tell what it was supposed to be, but the details weren't quite there.  She just decided not to finish it!

I went back to the museum just last weekend.  A lot of pictures were already swapped out.  We had no tour guide...and I found that without someone to tell you the stories behind the pictures they simply aren't quite as interesting.  I guess I like the stories too?

I also discovered that a quiet art museum on a sleepy Saturday morning is probably not a good place for 3 rowdy children (we went with some friends).  The updside is that admission IS free on Saturdays.  :-)