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Tallahassee Old State Capitol and Museum

by Brian on March 22, 2011 in Florida

Someone forgot to tell the good folks of Tallahassee that ‘history is written by the victors.’ At far too many historic sites we’ve seen the unpleasant aspects of our collective past downplayed, marginalized, or covered with a glossy coat of bullshit. But in Tallahassee’s Old State Capitol and Museum they present a refreshingly blunt picture of Florida history. Covering everything from the lynchings that ushered in the 20^th Century to the presidential election debacle that closed it, the museum pulls no punches. They even highlight Florida’s failure to ratify the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution in a display headlined “Women Get to Vote (No thanks to Florida).” It’s an honesty that borders on self flagellation but is probably better described as mature self reflection. For our part, we appreciated a place that has the strength of character to admit its mistakes, instead of just extolling its virtues. Here’s to hoping that more places (and people) follow Florida’s lead.

Dalí World

by Brian on March 17, 2011 in Florida

Still Life Moving Fast, Salvador Dalí

Five surprising things about the Salvador Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida:

The crowds. I never knew Salvador Dalí was so popular. In fact, I didn’t know anyone was this popular. It was a Friday morning and the place was absolutely mobbed. Typically we have museums to ourselves on weekdays, but not here. The crowds were so thick we couldn’t get near the paintings. At one point it got so bad that we considered leaving. Instead, we pulled up a bench and decided to wait them out. Why not? We had all day. Read More…

Chi-who-ly?

by Brian on March 16, 2011 in Florida

Whether or not you’ve heard of Dale Chihuly, chances are you’ve seen his glorious glass sculptures somewhere. Along with museums, pieces are installed in libraries, hotels, hospitals, churches, department stores, and other locales in just about every U.S. state.

We’ve had teaser glimpses of Chihuly’s work, viewing a couple of pieces here and there at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Rhode Island School of Design Museum in Providence, and other places. In St. Petersburg, Florida, we felt like we hit the mother lode when we happened upon the Chihuly Collection, a space devoted entirely to his work.

What is so mesmerizing about his creations? They’re exquisite, imaginative, unique, and vibrant. Yes, that’s a lot of adjectives, and every single one is deserved. Chihuly has taken the ancient tradition of glass-blowing and put a modern spin on it, crafting series of works that draw inspiration from sources as varied as water and marine life, the art of Japanese Ikebana (flower arranging), and old Northwest Coast Indian baskets. The “Sunset Persian Wall” features exotic, spiraling forms in hues of red and orange. A 1,000-pound chandelier in varying shades of blue is made up of 400 individually crafted pieces. A boat filled with brightly-colored glass balls, reflected in a dark surface, evokes a Venetian canal at night (seen above).

I can’t do justice to Chihuly’s creations by describing them. You need to see at least one for yourself. Click here for a list of places where his works can be found, both public installations and museum collections.

The 70-year-old glass magician works with a team of artists in a Puget Sound-area studio. I’m hoping for an invite when the RV adventure takes us to Washington State.

Modern Masterpiece

by Brian on March 11, 2011 in Florida

Photos courtesy of stephenknapp.com

After visiting dozens of museums all over the world you might think I know a little something about art. And that is exactly what I know, a little something. Mostly what I know is what I like, and what I don’t. And my experience has taught me that visiting modern art museums focusing on works created after World War II is mostly a waste of my time. There are the occasional gems to be found, of course, like some works by Jackson Pollock, for example. But too often artists of this period focused more on creating something different than they did on creating something enjoyable. For many, the modernist emphasis on breaking with convention gradually devolved into meaninglessness and ugliness. Thankfully, that period may be at an end. I’ve noticed an increasing number of museum displays from contemporary artists whose work is both ground-breaking and beautiful. Add Stephen Knapp’s name to that list. Read More…

You Know You Have Too Much Money When

by Brian on November 8, 2010 in Virginia

You buy a house in another country, have it torn down, crated, shipped across the Atlantic, and rebuilt 3,600 miles from where it first stood. That is the story of Agecroft Hall, a 15^th Century Tudor estate originally constructed in Lancaster, England. By the early 1900’s, the estate fell into disrepair and was sold at auction to Thomas C. Williams, who had the house dismantled and rebuilt in Richmond, Virginia.

And that seems to be the entire available history of Mr. Thomas C. Williams. What happened after he bought the house, or how it subsequently became a museum, is nowhere to be found. What we do know, is that his timing was pretty terrible. He bought Agecroft in 1925, four short years before the stock market crash of 1929 and subsequent Great Depression. I wonder if such extravagances as importing houses had anything to do with the fact that the Agecroft Hall is no longer family owned. What might have been the William’s family misfortune accrues to our benefit, though, because now this authentic Tudor estate is open to the public, right here in the good old U.S. of A. No passport required.