go to more museums

April 26th this year we went to museum heaven – The Smithsonian.

I can’t adequately describe what a beautiful, heartwrenching experience this was.

We only had a day, so there was much I didn’t see. But I did get to see the great wave and the National Museum of the American Indian, both of which were deeply meaningful to me.

I will go back, when I’m in good shape, and see everything.

I can’t imagine anything topping this, museum-wise, so I’ll tick this done, and continue my museum passion throughout my life.

Shawn brought me here for my birthday last October. It’s a really beautiful museum, and I was treated to a Japanese exhibit that I adored.

I missed arts alive. We were in St. Pete but didn’t know about it until we got down there. Between the ankle sprain, having an appointment, and worrying about the heat’s affect on the vegies we bought at the saturday morning market, we opted out this year.

Something I’ll definitely have to keep in mind when it comes back around next spring.

Went to the DALÍ REVEALED exhibit, which was interesting, though surrealism really isn’t my thing. So while I didn’t see much that I “liked”, it was an enriching experience.

Very small, and not a lot to see, but cool enough for $2 each (it’s free on Sundays). The only downside is Finding Nemo has apparently made clownfish and regal tangs be the main attraction of any aquarium. There are OTHER FISH, people. It was a nice, short distraction. Also, outside the Pier, there is pelican feeding, which was pretty neat, too.

Went to the Museum of Science and Industry April 9th, and wow, would I not recommend it to anyone. IMAX didn’t impress me much (we saw the one about the Space Station), and many of the exhibits were boring or broken. It’d probably really impress a little kid, but for adults, I’d say no. Even science and sci-fi buff Shawn (my husband) was deeply unimpressed. The only part I found impressive at all were the dinosaur skeletons, and that didn’t really justify the time or expense.

Went to the Sunken Gardens on April 4th. Very nice. Lots of shade, water, & little creatures roaming about. I think we came a week or two too early, though, as a lot of things were in bud, but not blooming. The butterfly garden was especially inspiring. I love the butterfly’s sense of play. Oh, and I got to see Angel’s Trumpets and some tadpoles up close for the first time. One day I will have a house and a garden.

Saw Mary Margaret Pipkin’s Watercolors & Watermedia exhibit here April 2nd. It really shattered my concept of watercolor work. My favorite was called (I believe) White Maple Leaf. Grape Hyacinths (see image) was Shawn’s. Very detailed and lovely.

I went to our local fine arts center, which has about 2 rooms, one for exhibits, one student paintings, but realized how much I enjoy it. I browse art websites all the time, but there’s something different about standing in front of it. It speaks to something inside me.

St. Pete has so many museums (art and otherwise)—I would eventually like to visit them all. I wish I could visit the MoFA before Monet’s London moves on, but if not, I have Splendors of Meiji Japan to look forward to next August – October.

I’d also like to include botanical gardens, aquariums, and zoos, even though they are not technically museums, they are still a gallery of some of nature’s best work.