If you're in the mid-Atlantic/New England area, it's probably raining where you are. It's been raining so much this weekend you're probably wondering if you can reschedule or do something fun next weekend to live up the last few moments of summer, right?
That's pretty much where my mind was this past week. Cory and I traveled so much in July we have been taking a lot of time off to relax our bodies and our wallets. So we're staying at home, going to our community pool, and cooking in as much as possible. I love this because it means more time for books, more time for crochet, and more time to soak in peace and quiet before school starts back up this coming Thursday. However, earlier this week a little birdie (my friend Whitney) told me about a day trip she had taken to the American Visionary Art Museum. It had been a while since Cory and I had been to a gallery of sorts (...ok since early July...), so I knew it was a perfect Saturday thing to do!
If you're unfamiliar with Baltimore, trust me when I say that it is NOT 100% like The Wire. That is one of the most common things I hear and it is so frustrating. Baltimore actually has a lot to offer families, teens, couples, you name it! Sure, there are a few neighborhoods that are sketchy and really unsafe, but the bottom line is that if you're going there to do something cool, you're not going to end up in those areas anyway! Baltimore has a really amazing art and up and coming music scene. I have seen some incredible bands in the area when they were just starting out, that went big in NO time after the show (ie: Black Keys). Anyway, please know that Baltimore is an amazing city. It has a lot to offer! Sorry for the rant, I just felt the need to defent Charm City.
So, the AVAM is in the heart of Federal Hill, a really charming neighborhood in Baltimore near the harbor. The building itself will blow you away as it is covered in mosaic and screams GLITTER!
The Museum is comprised of three buildings. The glitter building is the main entrance where you see a lot of the galleries that are open year-round. Trust me when I say this isn't your average art gallery. It is so fun, quirky, and cool. They have a collection of every Pez dispenser ever made. EVER. It was right up my alley and provided me with so much inspiration. SO much. Right now, the exhibit on display until September 4th is "What Makes Us Smile?" which is all-around fun and so sweet.
When you walk into the building, you're instantly greeted by SMILE, a mosaic created by toothbrush parts! So creative!
Unfortuantely, photography isn't allowed inside a few of the buildings, but I tried my hardest to sneak a few for you ;). We encountered a massive downpour mid-way through our visit, so I apologize for the change in lighting and... well... the rain. Most of them are taken with my droid, but a few are taken with my Nikon D40 as well.
(Now you might be asking yourself...
WHAT is that pink fluffy thing in the bottom left corner!?)
In the main building there is a really great shop that has lots of wacky stuff. I picked up a new bag to use for my lunch bag at work. I also picked up a few of Twinkie Chan's Yummy You pins!
But I will admit... I did leave this beauty behind:
I hope you enjoyed a little peek into the AVAM!
xo,
Liz
Hi, I just found your blog and started reading... we have a crazily similar life! I am 25, I was a high school English teacher until the layoffs this year (I taught Juniors for 2 years, GT Freshmen for 1 and ESL for 1) and I love art as well.
ReplyDeleteSo I just thought I would poke around and say Hello.