Visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art: a Few Tips

In July, I had the privilege of accompanying my son Nickolaus on a trip to NYC which included a stop at the highly acclaimed, Metropolitan Museum of Art. Today I’m sharing some of the tips that I learned while I was there at The Homeschool Classroom. If  you’re planning a trip now or in the future, you won’t want to miss my post, A Couple Tips for Visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  

Before you go, here are a few pictures from our day.

                                                    Greek and Roman Art

 

           19th- and Early 20th- Century European Paintings and Sculptures 

                                                                   Van Gogh      

                                                                       Monet

                                                                Egyptian Art

 

                                                              Arms and Armor

                                                        

                                                    The American Wing

Have you been to the Metropolitan Museum of Art? What was your favorite gallery? If you haven’t been there, what gallery do you think you’d enjoy the most?

Homeschool Days at the High Museum of Art, Atlanta

Last month I shared a list of  attractions that offer special discounts on certain days just for homeschool families. I’m excited to let you know that I’ve discovered another attraction that can be added to the list.

On four separate Friday’s beginning September 24th and continuing on December 3rd, February 25th  and April 29th  the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia will offer discounted walk-up tickets to homeschool families.

No advance registration is required, but you should be prepared to present verification of homeschool/non-traditional school status when purchasing your tickets. The website suggests some examples which include a homeschool letter of intent, verification of online school registration, or a letter or tuition bill from a co-op.

Admission will be $15 for adults, $6 for students and free admission to museum members. There are no additional costs for workshops or docent-guided tours offered on the Homeschool Days. Included in your admission, you will have access to all special exhibitions, the Permanent Collection, and the Greene Family Learning Gallery.

Homeschool families will also receive a voucher for $6 parking in the Woodruff Arts Center garage or the Boys and Girls Club garage as well as a discount on purchases made in the Museum Shop and a savings on a Museum membership at the Educator Family level.

Details on the Homeschool Days are as follows:

Friday, September 24
10:00 to 5:00pm ~ Visit Salvador Dalí: The Late Work and go on an audio-guided tour (audio guides are free for children, additional $3 for adult members, $5 for adult non-members)

2:00pm ~ Docent-guided Family Highlights Tour of the Permanent Collection

1:00 to 5:00pm ~ Drop-in Dalí hands-on workshop

You’ll find educator resources here.

Friday, December 3
10:00am to 5:00pm ~ Visit Titian and the Golden Age of Venetian Painting

2:00pm ~ Docent-guided family tour of Titian and the Golden Age of Venetian Painting

1:00 to 5:00pm ~ Drop-in Titian hands-on workshop

Friday, February 25
10:00am to 5:00pm ~ Visit Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Modern Century

2:00pm ~ Docent-guided family tour of Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Modern Century

1:00 to 5:00pm ~ Drop-in Cartier-Bresson hands-on workshop

Friday, April 29:
10:00am to 5:00pm ~ Visit Toulouse-Lautrec and Friends

2:00pm ~ Docent-guided family tour of Toulouse-Lautrec and Friends

1:00 to 5:00pm ~ Drop-in Toulouse-Lautrec hands-on workshop

Field Trip Friday: A Girl Named Howard

Once again, it’s time for Field Trip Friday and I have to say that when it comes to museums, this weeks field trip was one of the best that we’ve had in a long time.  Our destination was to The  Historic Weeden House Museum in downtown Huntsville. From the moment we stepped inside the air conditioned home and were seated in the parlor we were treated not as tourists, but  as guests.

We sat on the period furnishings enthralled by the tales of the museum’s director,  Barbara Scott. She got our attention right away when she claimed that there was a ghost or ghosts in the house.  Apparently they have been sighted on several occasions by different people. I can’t say that I was eager to see a ghost, but the stories did raise the hair on my arms.

The historic home was built in 1819, the same year that Alabama became a state, by a wealthy mercantile business owner, Mr. Bradford. At that time he paid $50 for a block of land and had the home built. The museum, which is located in what is  called the Twickenham District, is now worth $3-4 million dollars! It is the oldest home in the state of Alabama that is open for tours.

Mr. Bradford lost his fortune and the home was sold and passed through a couple families before settling with the Weeden Family in 1845. Dr. William Weeden had 1500 slaves, owned 3 other antebellum homes,  as well as the land that is now known as the Redstone Arsenal. He sold his property, moved in town and settled into the Weeden House with his family. Six months later, he died of a heart attack while on a business trip to New Orleans. Shortly after, his wife gave birth in the home to another daughter, Maria Howard Weeden.

The family continued to live in the home until April 1862 when the Yankees came to town and ordered them out.  The home was used as headquarters for Federal officers during the Civil War. The women fled that night with their slaves while Maria’s three brothers  enlisted  in the Confederate army. Remarkably, all three boys returned home after the war uninjured.  The family was now impoverished and in order to eek out a living, Maria, known as Howard, began to paint and sell her work. She would paint by the window in the parlor with a paintbrush consisting of three horse hairs. 

She was so near-sighted that her nose would nearly touch the paper as she painted, yet she painted beautifully often selling her note cards and dinner cards for a dime a piece. Today a single painting of hers could sell for $20,000!

In 1892 she visited the World’s Fair in Chicago and was upset that the paintings she saw of black people did not look like the people she knew. She began painting her dear colored friends and that is what she is most well known for today. Not only did she capture the faces of those she’d grown to love, but she also captured their thoughts, voice and personality in the poems that she wrote to accompany her paintings.      

Howard Weeden published four books, one of those, Bandanna Ballads was copied and used to design the slave costumes for the movie, Gone With the Wind, though she never received proper credit. She also created silhouettes for Charles Dickens.

It is unclear exactly how many paintings Howard Weeden created in her lifetime, but you’ll see over 20 on display at the museum today. 

Maria Howard Weeden passed away in poverty at the age of 57 from tuberculosis in the same room that she was born in.  The home remained in the Weeden family for 111 years.

Today the home is owned by the City of Huntsville and leased by the Twickenham Historic Preservation District Association. Not only is the home open for tours, it is also available for weddings and entertaining.

Our self guided tour concluded with a delicious glass of lemonade on the back porch while we wandered the yard , viewing the rose garden and slave quarters which have been renovated into bathrooms.

If you are ever in Northern Alabama, I HIGHLY recommend that you visit The Historic Weeden House Museum. It is very reasonably priced at $5 for adults and $2.50 for children under the age of 12. You can also pick up discount coupons at the Huntsville Visitors Center to save 20% . You’ll find additional information about the museum here.   Of course if you do find yourself in the area, make sure you take the time to explore Harrison Brothers Hardware Store too, it's only a few blocks away.

If you’d like to see more pictures of our field trip, you’ll find them on the Live the Adventure Facebook Fan page. 

Thank you for stopping by for this week's edition of Field Trip Friday. If you're just joining us make sure you take a peek at some of the other excursions we've taken.

Have a field trip that you'd like to share? Link up to Field Trip Friday below. It's not mandatory, but I'd be grateful if you'd include a link back here in your original post and feel free to grab your cute button:Until next week- Happy Field Trippin'!

Huntsville

Huntsville

Field Trip Friday: Gardens and Galleries in Nashville

I hope that you'll consider joining me each Friday as I share the field trips we've enjoyed as a family or as an organized group. I'd love to see where you've been and what you're learning!

This week’s field trip was to Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art, a beautiful sprawling private estate turned botanical garden and art museum; a union that compliment one another beautifully.

Let's start with a bit of background information about Cheekwood, home of the Cheek family. They made their fortune and secured their financial futures by investing in a family member’s coffee company which was later sold to a company that would eventually become known as Maxwell House. The proceeds were used to purchase 100 acres of land in West Nashville and construction began in 1929 on what is now the incredible Cheekwood Estate. I also found it interesting that every detail of the house and grounds was at the discretion of the designer and architect, Bryant Fleming of New York. They furnished the home with purchases made in Great Britain. It took four train cars to transport their finds to Cheekwood. It was the largest employer in Nashville during the Depression.

In 1933, Leslie and his wife Mabel, moved into the estate however, sadly Leslie only lived in the home for two years before his death at the age of 61. In 1944, Mabel deeded the home to her daughter, Huldah Cheek Sharp who lived in the home with her husband until 1957 when they gave the property to an art museum and botanical garden.

We began our visit in the Visitor’s center where I picked up a few brochures and determined how to spend our day. Though I originally thought we'd spend an hour or two, it was quickly evident that there was much to discover.

Our first stop was the Japanese Garden. This garden is designed to be viewed from one direction, the viewing pavilion. It is intended for the visitor to sit for awhile in quiet reflection, before moving on.

We also walked past the water garden, on the way to the mansion, though it was a pretty setting, the kids were disappointed that the water wasn't cascading over the rocks.

Continuing on our way, Joshua was delighted to have spotted a large snake sunning itself on some rocks near the home. I can count on him to pick out all the wildlife, he always does. Thankfully, he had no interest in catching it.

The main home has been transformed into a beautiful art museum. We especially enjoyed the Silver room which showcases 650 pieces that were created during the 18th-20th centuries. My daughter was excited to discover that a one of the pieces, a goblet was designed and commissioned by Thomas Jefferson. Originally at Monticello (which we have been to) it now rests behind glass with the sketches from which it was designed.

Across the hall we enjoyed viewing the Worcester porcelain collection. The third largest of its kind in the United States. Upstairs we found the Faberge collection that is visiting. I know that some people would really enjoy all the glittering jewels, but I'm just not a bling kind of girl. I'm more at home among, my favorite, the Impressionist collection that will be on display until September. To celebrate this exquisite collection, you'll even find gold frames located outside in the garden where guests can design their own masterpiece by spinning the frame to display a scene that they find particularly attractive. I really wanted my kids to pose for me so I could get a shot of them in the frame, but they just weren't going for it! Go figure.

I could have stayed in the galleries forever, but the kids were ready to walk along the sculpture trail, where we saw our second snake of the day, I might add! The sculptures all seemed to be pretty contemporary but fun.

This is a beautiful place to take your time, stroll through the gardens and galleries and pack a lunch to eat on the lawn. If you're in the Nashville area, I highly recommend Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art. We enjoyed this so much that we'll be returning in May as a field trip and I'm really excited because there will be a new Chihuly exhibit! Can't wait! I'd love to share more photos so if you get a chance, you can hop on over to the FaceBook Fan Page and take a peek.

Thanks for joining along on our trip this week! Now you can link up and share your own and please don't forget to tell others that you are a part of Field Trip Friday so they can get in on the fun!

For those of you who have participated, don't forget to snag this awesome button that Adori Graphics created just for you. Isn't it cute? Just don't forget to link it back here so Field Trip Friday can continue to grow! Until next week...Happy Field Trippin'!

Field Trip Friday: Jerry Brown Pottery

One of the first stops I made in Alabama last year was to a local Visitor’s Center. After all, I just had to know what this state had to offer. One of the guides mentioned a potter by the name of Jerry Brown that had pieces on display in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. Intrigued, I knew this was one stop we would certainly make and when I discovered that one of the homeschool groups had planned a field trip to his country studio, I was really hoping we'd still be around to attend. So when March rolled around and we were still here, I was thrilled to sign up!

Jerry Brown Pottery is located in Northwest Alabama in a small rural community called Hamilton. The kids and I drove right around two hours to get there, missed the road we were supposed to turn on, drove out into the middle of nowhere, literally! Thought we'd never make it back to civilization, realized our error (well, my error) and made it just in time for the show to start!

Jerry Brown was born into a pottery making, clay firing family. In fact, he's a 9th generation potter. He told us that he was working in his dad's shop before he was old enough to go to school! One day, his own son will takeover the family business and the Brown legacy, built upon unique folk art creations will continue.

Our tour of the studio began with a demonstration. Mr. Brown effortlessly molded three lumps of clay into a usable vessel waiting to be fired in minutes on his pottery wheel that was made from the rim of an old car and powered by a go cart motor. It was fascinating to watch the clay transform before our eyes.

Though the Brown's once fired their pieces in a wood burning kiln, that was just a bit too tedious and labor intensive so they now use a natural gas fired brick lined kiln. Running the kiln is a bit tricky because the pieces need to be heated slowly and cooled slowly so they aren't damaged. It normally takes about 15-16 hours to fire each piece. We also learned that the kiln will get so hot that the bricks will turn white.

The clay used in all of the pieces is found locally and processed by Blue, their friendly 20- year old, well-cared for mule. Blue was a hit with everyone when she demonstrated turning the clay and grinding the lumps out. It takes her about 2-3 hours to process 2,500 pounds of clay. Though this step removes the majority of lumps and impurities, it still requires a few more steps before it can be turned into the art piece you'll see in the studio.

The studio is full of the best selling Face Jugs, gallons jugs, popcorn bowls, bacon crisper's, egg separators, mixing bowls, coffee mugs, whimsical piggy banks and much more. Since I'm a nut when it comes to handcrafted pieces, I couldn't leave without purchasing one or...two items...after all, who could resist the folk art Face Jugs?

This was a great first stop on our Road Trip to Ohio and along the way the kids and I discussed what we learned and enjoyed about the trip. My oldest son shared with me that he really wanted to try his hand at making some pottery pieces of his own. I was thrilled. The field trip had done just what I'd intended. It had piqued an interest. After all, isn't that what field trips are all about? Exposing our children and ourselves to new things? Hopefully developing a deeper understanding or appreciation of the subject matter?

If you're ever in the area, I'd highly recommend adding Jerry Brown Pottery to your list of stops and if at all possible, call ahead for a tour. You won't be sorry! Oh, and for my RV friends, you won't fit in his parking lot, but there is plenty of parking along the road.

Well, stay tuned because I for one am really eager to see what pottery creations my children will come up with as they give the wheel a try.

Hamilton

Field Trip Friday: A Day at the Art Museum

It's Field Trip Friday, a chance for you to get involved and tell everyone in the blogosphere about an exciting field trip you went on this week or one of your all time favorite field trips! Of course, if you already posted a fun field trip on your blog you're welcome to link that too while we're getting started.

I don't really have rules, just a reminder that this is a family friendly site so if you have the absolute worst field trip you could ever imagine, you're welcome to vent, just refrain from profanity if you're going to link up. Nudity is a no-no but I don't think I really need to mention that, but I will just for good measure. Feel free to snag my button, but if you do, please link it to my blog and finally, if you could spread the word about Field Trip Friday, I'd be so grateful! Now, on to the fun! Where did you go this week and what did you learn?

I'll get things started.

You may remember that my vehicle broke down when we went to Ohio for Christmas. We couldn't wait for the repairs to be completed so we rented a car and drove back to our camper. The thought was that I would rent a car whenever I really wanted to go somewhere, but that seems to be a bit of a hassle and my husband has discovered that it saves us money if I don't have wheels. So, as frugal as I try to be, that gas money I spend each week adds up! Needless to say, we haven't had many field trips since Christmas but this week we were really itching to get out of the camper and the fact that I planned to introduce Field Trip Friday was certainly a motivator to get out and explore! My husband graciously offered to drop the kids and I off in nearby Huntsville so we could spend the day exploring downtown.

Our first stop and one I will talk about today was the Huntsville Museum of Art. Now I have to admit that I've heard mixed reviews about this museum and the negative reviews really kept us from checking it out sooner. I have heard that it was small and not much to see and for the most part, it isn't huge, though they are adding on to it, you could easily go through it in less than an hour if you're just doing a quick walk through. I guess it all depends on how fond you are of the current display, and how much you appreciate art.

We really enjoyed the exhibit currently on display: Paintings from the Reign of Victoria: The Royal Holloway Collection. This collection from the Royal Holloway, University of London, includes 60 canvases depicting images from the life and times of Victorian England life. This is the first time that many of the paintings in this collection have been outside of England. They were gathered by Thomas Holloway, a self-made millionaire who made his fortune by developing his own line of patent medicine, and donated to the college.

Walking through the gallery, The Princes in the Tower by Sir John Everett Millais, reminded us of Shakespeare and the mystery surrounding Richard III. Did he really murder or have his nephews in the tower murdered? The painter did a wonderful job of capturing the terror and emotion in the faces of the young lads. Seeing this painting, I was reminded of a book that I have tucked away called The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey. We were encouraged to pick it up and read it...possibly as a read aloud.


With the exception of one painting, we really enjoyed the exhibit. One piece that really struck all of us as a creepy, out of place and just plain odd choice to include in the collection, Man Proposes, God Disposes by Sir Edwin Landseer shows two polar bears present at the site of ship wreckage, ripping and tearing into the remains of the ship.

We found it unpleasantly placed across from one of our favorite paintings by Briton Riviere titled Sympathy. An oil painting of a sweet little girl sitting alone at the top of a flight of stairs with her beloved puppy resting his head upon her shoulder. Quite a contrast compared to the polar bears, isn't it?

With the exception of one large painting called The Babylonian Marraige Market that showed a couple women with bare chests, all of the paintings were appropriate for any audience.

The Royal Holloway exhibit is scheduled to appear in Norfolk,Virginia, Quebec, Canada and Palm Springs, Florida. If you live near one of these cities, you may want to view the schedule and have your own Day at the Art Museum. We enjoyed our outing so much that I bought an annual membership- and since they were having a special, I got a 15 month membership with access to over 40 other art museums in the Southeast, all for less than the cost of two visits for my family. Can't beat that!

Your turn! Tell us all about the field trip you went on this week or your favorite all time field trip. Just add your link to McKLinky below and don't forget to spread the word and stop back next week for some more field trip fun! Till then, Happy Field Trippin'!

The art pictures from this post are from the website of ASI Exhibition.