This is it!

Its been a great 8 weeks. to sumarize I have been to the MET, Norman Rockwell, Florance Grizwald, Yale, Wadsworth and the Guilford Art center. I have posted my last blog for the class. Wishing a happy holiday from my family to yours!

Sixth Outing

“The Knights of Columbus”

December 17, 2008

The Knights of Columbus Museum was founded in New Haven in 1882. Knights of Columbus is the largest Catholic fraternal organization in the world. I actually stopped here during my one hour lunch today. I had Donald Adams the front desk service help me around. He showed me around and gave me some history on Knights of Columbus. He did mentioned that I should come again with more time and he can arrange a tour for me. He was great and so helpful!

THIS IS A HUGE DOLL HOUSE TO MY NIECE! It's adorable.

New Haven Christmas 1882 St. Mary's Church Hill House Avenue Birth place of Knights of Columbus

FGM

What a crazy week! Working on finishing class and getting Christmas done has been .. fun lol!!! I am posting my Florence Griswold blog tonight. It looked so nice with all the Christmas decorations. What did everyone think of that 20 ft tree! Holy cow!!! It was very cool that the ornaments were painters pallets with paintings on them. My sister took a pic of Emmy and I looking at the tree. Go to my blog to learn a bit about the history and see some paintings that I liked.

Two Blogs.....

I don't know what happen here! I added my profile twice on here. I'm sorry I was updating my pictures and for some reason, I added too profile. I can't find a way to delete either. so check out my profile here.

http://salsalicious.blogspot.com/

I will post some more pics over at my blog. Merry Christmas everyone.

took a trip over to New Britain yesterday. A very pleasant surprise

Jinnie's Visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art

I schedule two events this day, the museum and my annual Christmas dinner with friends. I had made plans to meet with friends for dinner atfter my visit to The Metropolitan Museum. This place was beautiful and enormous. It was very busy this day too. Among the crowd here, I was able to see the Annual Christmas Tree! The beautiful ornaments of porcelain angels and the lighting around tree was so bright that it brought life to this tree. Unfortunately my feet were killing me because I just purchased new boots and I didn't think in bringing my sneakers with me, dummy me. Overall I had a wonderful experience! I was able to manage my walks through the Modern Art Galleries, the Greek and Roman Art, Medieval Art and Egyptian Art to which all exhibitions were absolutely fascinating. Here I am in the Egyptian Art Exhibition and most of this work were actually embedded in the wall. It was so awesome to see in person!

Jinnie's Visit to Yale Center For Bristish Art

I finally arrived at Yale Center for British Art. I was greeted by Elisa at the front desk. I wasn't there too long, enough to enjoy some beautiful art work to later talk over dinner with my fiance. I found the facility to be very contemporary and the structure had a techno look to it too. However the lighting there was very dim. The security guards looked exhausted and were ready to call it quits, too funny! I had a great time and its funny how I lived in this area for nearly 8 years and never stopped in to visit this musuem. The fun doesn't end at the New Haven Green.

Jinnie's Profile Update

Please stop by to check out updates! Thanks.

http://salsalicious.blogspot.com/

Final Week of Classes

Hi Everyone....

This is the last week of classes... I just called the registrar's office and was told that the absolute final deadline for posting grades will be Thursday morning.  So please  have all of your work complete by Wednesday night at midnight.  I'll get started grading first thing in the morning on Thursday.  

To recap, I am expecting six total visits from you.  Two of the visits can be narrated photo essays that show  a large variety of work with captions, and the other four posts should be papers that work within the guidelines posted on your syllabus.  I asked you to choose a specific work that you could respond to in more depth backed up with Art historical information and personal observation.

Time has certainly flown by!  I hope you enjoyed this experience of traveling independently with your families and friends to discover the rich world that discovering art through the ages has to offer.  Take care and have a great Christmas season!

Springfield Museum of Art

I was pleasantly surprised that the Springfield Musuem of Art is comprised of four museums, the Michele & Donald D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts., the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum, the Springfield Science Museum, and the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum. It also has the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden in the Historical Museum with full-scale bronze sculptures of Dr. Seuss which happens to be the birthplace of Theodor Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss. For all of you with kids or if you are a Dr. Seuss fan, this is a must see.
Wouldn't you know, I forgot my camera in a rush to get there so I'm going to be downloading all my pictures from the web. The museum is only open from 11am to 4pm on Sundays. Ivisited the Michele and Donald D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts.

Yale Center for British Art

I visited the Yale Center for British Art and found the museum very interesting. It has the largest collection of British art outside the UK. The collection includes paintings, drawings, sculptures, rare books and manuscripts. The building is another Louis Kahn masterpiece as I described in my Yale museum experience. Here are some pics I took. I was disappointed that they didn't come out all that great. You can view my blog at http://kjsmuseumexperiences.blogspot.com/

Linda's Visit to the Florence Griswold Museum

Hi Everyone-

I went to the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme this weekend with my daughter, my museum buddy. We had a great time! Unfortunately, my camera decided not to work on Saturday, so I downloaded this picture from the museum's website. They had several nice exhibits, include one on Bessie Potter Vonnoh (1872-1955), a sculptor who created works of art that celebrate womanhood. The museum was decorated for Christmas, which as a special treat that put us into the holiday spirit. It was definitely worth the time and money spent on admission. I would definitely visit this museum again in the future!

Happy Holidays-

Linda

KJ's Trip to the Met

Hi Everyone

I just got back from the Met and I had a great time. I went with a friend. We saw the Annual Christmas Tree and Neopolitan Baroque Creche in the Medieval Sculpture Hall. The 20 foot blue spruce is decorated with candelight, angels, and cherubs. It is surrounded by figures and scenery of the Neapolitan Christmas crib with shepherds and their flock, townspeople, and animals. They hold a tree lighting ceremony Tuesday through Sunday also. Here are some pictures that I took outside the museum. My friend Debbie is in the picture on the left above.

These pictures were taken in the Medieval Sculpture Hall. These sculptures were amazing. The third picture below called Ugolino and His Sons created by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux. You can see the anguish and torment on the father's face. He was imprisoned and condemned to starvation and his four sons offer their bodies for his sustainance.

I will be posting more pictures on my blog at http://kjsmuseumexperiences.blogspot.com/

Hello All! Take a look at my blog. I just posted on Yale. I took Emmy and my mother. We had a great time and got some awesome shots. I am posting a few picks form the outside of the galary on this wall. To see the artwork check out my wall!

Hello Everyone,I was just checking the class blog for any new posts and looked my last post over and saw that my link to my blog wasn't working. Here it is again: http://kjsmuseumexperiences.blogspot.com/Also, it is definite that I will be going to the Metro this Saturday. I can't wait. I may also be going to the Springfield Museum of Fine Art on Sunday to finish up.

Hope everyone is healthy and having a good week.

KJ

Linda's Trip to the Met!

Hi Everyone!

My daughter and I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on Saturday and had a fabulous time! We couldn't have picked a better time to go, since the museum was decorated for Christmas; the tree was just breathtaking! I really enjoyed the current exhibitions, especially the one entitled "Choirs of Angels: painting in Italian choir books," which is where the picture on the left came from. This trip definitely put me in the holiday spirit!

Best Regards-

Linda

A Diamond in the Ruff

Who knew you can find a treasure in a small town. Saturday I visit the New Britain American Art Museum and was definately surprise and what they had to offer. A great experience, where you can find works in many different art movements.
Visit the blog for more great art!

The Knights of Columbus Museum

Hello class - Saturday, I went to the Knights of Columbus Museum in New Haven. For those of you who still need to visit a museum, this one is free with free parking and will really put you in the holiday spirit. They are currently offering an exhibition of Nativity scenes from throughout Europe as well as local Connecticut scenes. On the second floor, there is an exhibition of etchings by 18th century printmaker Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778). The etchings are all of Rome, the Eternal City, and they are magnificent. There are 135 views of the city and the etchings took him about 30 years to complete. Next to some of the etchings are photographs of the scenes as they appear today. The detail is absolutely remarkable. I am attaching a few of the etchings here. I invite you all to check out my blog at http://hmcole.blogspot.com/ where I will be attaching some of the nativity scenes. My thanks to Jess Mallory who was so helpful and friendly. He allowed me to take photographs where it was clearly stated "No photography allowed" and he even forgave me when my flash accidentally went off TWICE!

The Knights of Columbus was founded in New Haven by Catholic priest Father McGivney in 1882 to protect Irish immigrant families in the event the primary family provider passed away. The order has since grown to over 1.7 million members and Father McGivney is currently being considered for sainthood by the Roman Catholic Church.

On the outside of the building located at 1 State Street in New Haven is a World War II memorial dedicated to the members of the Knights of Columbus who lost their lives. I have included some of the Connecticut names here.

Happy holidays to all!

KJ’s Yale University Art Gallery Experience

Hello Everyone,

I had a great time at Yale University Art Gallery. Actually, I went a few weeks ago and have been sick so I'm trying to get caught up. I also went to Yale Center for British Art also. Here are some pics I took at the museum which I found very interesting.

Here is some African Art:

Picasso:

I will have more pictures on my blog at:

http://kjsmuseumexperiences.blogspot.com/
which will be featuring Renoir and other French artist's work.

Working on catching up!

Holy cow am I behind! So much for my A! Oh well you do what yo can when you have a baby I guess.

I have been to all but 2 of my museums now. Iv done the MET, Wadsworth, Norman Rockwell, Yale. I am going today to Guilford to see an exibet snd dont know if that counts. I also plan to hit New briton and Old lyme this coming week.

I just published my visit to Norman Rockwell that my family and I made the weekend after thanksgiving. Hope you like it!

I have also posted a pic that I found online of a Chrstmas additon of the saterday evening post that I was going to put on my paper but I missed it so Im putting it on this.

Linda's experience at the Yale University Art Gallery and the Yale Center for British Art

Hello Everyone-

This weekend, my daughter and I went to both the Yale University Art Gallery and the Yale Center for British Art. We went on Saturday, which turned out to be a nice, sunny, but cold day, and spent about 2 hours at each place. This was my first time at the University Art Gallery, so I did not know what to expect. I was really impressed with the extensive collections of African and Asian Art. I plan on including a picture of one of my favorite masks on my blog. Since I had already been to the British Art Museum, I was looking forward to seeing all of the magnificent paintings. What impressed me the most was how large some of the paintings are!! After spending the day at the museums, we had lunch at one of the many Thai restaurants in downtown New Haven. It was a great day!

Linda

Let each man exercise the art he knows.

Hey everyone, Hope your holiday was good. Friday I visit what had to be one of the coolest museum of this experience, The Guggenheim in New York. The museum has been transformed into an entire exhibit that interacts with the vistiors and leaves the interpretation of whats going on to the viewer.For $250 you can literally spend the night at the museum in a make shift hotel room with a bed, dresser, and black silk sheets and have access to the entire museum for your leisure and pleasure.

This is a must see!

Visit my blog for more pics.

Ron

Mars and Venus United by Love at the Met

Not taken with my camera but downloaded from www.metmuseum.org

This painting was done by Paolo Veronese (1528-1588). As I was visiting the museum with my boyfriend instead of my sister, it caught my eye. Notice how Cupid is tying the leg of Mars (God of War) to Venus (Goddess of Love) with a love knot!

Notice also how the horse of Mars is being restrained, promoting harmony and goodwill.

Veronese was considered a master of light and color. It is hard to tell by these pictures but Mars is wearing a beautiful satin cloak and Venus is wearing pearls around her neck and in her hair. It's also hard to see but milk is also flowing from the breast of Venus which symbolizes the nurturing effects of love.

My boyfriend was more interested in the Hungarian swords and shields of the 1500's in the Arms and Armor section - need I say more?

The Met!

Hello gang - hope everyone had a great holiday. I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Friday but I was so excited and overwhelmed I forgot to take pictures. I managed to get a few shots and I will post them on Sunday at http://hmcole.blogspot.com/ so make sure you check back. For now, here is a picture of the outside of the building.

Different View of Art

Hey Everyone,
I wanted to share something interested that I came across early this evening. There is an exhibit in Beijing which debut today where Ju Duoqi, young Chinese artist, used vegetables, yes vegetables such as tofu, cabbage, and sweet potato adding a some digital manipulation to recreate some of the masterpieces we may have came across in some our museum visits.

Here is an example of the artist work (the second photo) side by side with the original painting commission by artist Eugene Delacroix.
The title of the painting is call "Liberty leading the people"

Here is the link to the article if you like to check it out.

http://www.china.org.cn/culture/2008-11/25/content_16822043.htm

PS. Happy Holidays!'

Ron

Yale University Art Gallery and Yale Center for British Art

Good Morning All,

I visited the Yale University Art Gallery and Yale Center for British Art. I was very impressed with both. I will post my experiences this week. I plan on visiting the Met Friday.

Have a great week and have a great Thanksgiving!!!!

KJ

Hello Everyone-



Unfortunately, I was sick with bronchitis this weekend and was unable to attend the Yale University art gallery. Next weekend, I plan on visiting both the Yale University art gallery and the Yale Center for British Art. My daughter and I visited the Yale Center for British Art about six months ago and we really enjoyed it. I look forward to going back there next weekend and focusing on specific paintings. As soon as I get my blog straightened out, I will post my second paper about my experience at the New Britain Museum of American Art, along with some of the pictures I took that day. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Linda

KJ's Experience at New Britain Museum of American Art

Hello Everyone,

I visited the New Britain Museum of American Art last Saturday. I was a little disappointed because I wasn't able to get a tour. Please visit my blog to view my experience at this museum. http://kjsmuseumexperiences.blogspot.com/

British Art

This week, my visit was to the Yale Center for British Art. I have posted a photo gallery on my blog of my experience.


Ron

The New Britain Museum of America Art

If I knew this museum was 2 minutes away from a relative (who lives nearby) I would have visited sooner. This was a smaller museum, yet very nice. Jen at the service center, could not give me a tour. Apparently she was by herself this day. I also received a discount for two adults for the price of one!

I took a picture with the statue "Solon H. Borghim", 1868-1922, Sioux Indian Buffalo Dance. This so beautiful in person.

I also enjoyed the "wall of cups or should I say The Gravity of Colors"! OMG, this was absolutely a treat to see. The mount itself left me in awe! I just stood there and wondered how many hours, time these people put into this. This hard work surely paid off. I'm going to download the rest of my visit (photos) on my page.

The Florence Griswold Museum

Hello gang - today I went to the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, CT. It was cold and windy and at first, I was a little bit disappointed by it. It was so small compared to some of the museums I have been going to these last few weeks. Absolutely no pictures allowed of anything inside the museum and the presence of the casually dressed guards made sure you didn't get too close. I invite you all to read my blog at http:///www.hmcole.blogspot.com.

Many, many thanks to docents Lorraine Lieberman and Gerry Hallgren who spent 2 hours with me inside Florence Griswold's house explaining Tonalism and American Impressionism and telling me the story of Miss Florence's life. As Childe Hassam said in 1906 - "just the place for high thinking and low living" as they painted their landscapes along the Lieutenant River.

Take the time and check out the four beautifully decorated Christmas trees. I especially liked the silver and gold glass tree by artist Jeff P'An which is upstairs in one of the bedrooms. There is also a tree entitled "A Wooden Wonderland" by Craig Nelson, a woodworker and furniture maker. He used leftover wood from the common to the exotic to the historic - there were leftover pieces from the Amistad and the room just smelled so great - like an old cedar closet.

I want to go back in the summer to check out the gardens and if any of you are interested, I was a given a coupon to use before January 4, 2009. I am headed to the Met this Friday - can't wait.

Everyone have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.

Wadsworth Atheneum Museum, Hartford CT - 11/15/08

The Wadsworth Museum is by far my favorite Museum. I'm sure I'll change my mind when I go to NYC (based on what I have read from others message postings). I took so many photographs and wrote on my journal (nearly three pages long). There was so much to write. I was too excited and I got a little picture happy (took plenty of photos, will share on my page). This was a wonderful experience! However the rain did come down hard this day, and I was dropped off by my fiance because parking was a nightmare for me. I actually left my care at my finace's employment and he dropped me off at the Museum. I did not have a chance to eat something at the cafe but I'm looking forward to another trip here and will consider then their cafe for lunch.

The antique-furniture on the third floor really brought me back to my childhood! Some of this furniture actually looks similar at "IKEA" display. This picture below was a "chair/desk" designed by Frank L. Wnyte. This is the 20th century architecture design. It's funny on how he designed the 3 leg chair for those who slouched on job, it would actually tip over! So funny. May be we would use these today, keep our staff on our their toes! I'm downloading the rest of my pictures on my page.

Yale University Art Gallery

Hello Everyone!

On 11/11/08, I was able to visit the Yale University Art Gallery. The visit was short but bitter sweet. I only had one hour and I made sure I made the best of this trip. I was a little nervous on parking this day, but luck was on my side. I got a parking spot nearly across the museum. The weather this day was great, not too cold. Bryne from the front desk visitor services was very helpful. The Security guard on the first floor seemed very nice yet so protective towards these paintings. She gave me several pamphlets and guides. I was given instructions on the "no flash" for pictures. However, I used my old camera and the pictures were not too great. I was able to (finally) purchase a new digital camera.

The entire museum was beautiful, but what drew my attention the most was on the first floor. I am currently taking theology classes and after viewing the first floor it just made me want to learn more on the history of roman soldiers, during the crucifixion of Jesus. There were so many biblical history to several paintings on this floor. The details on theses drawings were woodcut printed. All made in block format too.

The second and third floors were filled with vivid colors. I really enjoyed the painting of "Osghog, Osun, Nigeria, born 1943. These birds were vibrant colors. The Artist was Jimoh Buraimoh. This pictular painting. The security "Kim" was very helpful and made sure I did not get to close, she also made a comment on how she really likes this picture as well

This is my first visit to Yale Art, and truly enjoyed it.

Hey folks. I just got back from NYC. The Metropolitan was great but I wish I had more time because there is so much to see.

Hi everyone, change of plans this week. I will be visited the Yale Center of British Art this weekend, The Guggenheim next weekend since I will be visiting my family for Thanksgiving in New York, and and my experience with the New Britain Museum of American Art.

One of my favorites... The colors are remarkable.

The artist is Stanton Macdonald-Wright. The title of painting is called American Synchromy No 1. Wright explains that Synchromy is to color what symphony is to sound meaning everything is done with color. This style extablish a new movement in the modern art world during the 19th century. You can find this work at the Wadsworth Atheneum museum in Hartford.

Hello Everyone,
Last weekend my visit was to the New Britain Museum of American Art. We had an enjoyable time. There was alot of local young artist work that was located on the second floor of the Museum. Very creative! This weekend, Saturday Nov. 22nd I will be heading down to New Haven to see the Yale Art Museum and the British Art Museum, that I have visited last year and very excited to see them again.

Linda

Heads up... Looks good!

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Andrew Carnduff Ritchie Lecture: "The Large Renaissance Print: Visual Culture and Display" + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +  Thursday, 20, 5:30 PM Yale University Art Gallery, Robert J. McNeil, Jr. Lecture Hall  This lecture will be presented by Michael Bury, Reader Emeritus in History of Art, University of Edinburgh.  Bury has worked on various aspects of Italian painting, sculpture, and architecture, from the fifteenth through the seventeenth century. His lecture coincides with the Yale University Art Gallery's special exhibition, "Grand Scale: Monumental Prints in the Age of Dürer and Titian."  "Grand Scale: Monumental Prints in the Age of Dürer and Titian" assembles a diverse group of European prints from the late fifteenth to the early seventeenth century that share one common characteristic: uncommon scale.  Andrew Carnduff Ritchie Lectures The Ritchie Lectures are jointly sponsored by the Yale Center for British Art and the Yale University Art Gallery and were established to honor the memory of Andrew Carnduff Ritchie, director of the Yale University Art Gallery from 1957 to 1971. The Ritchie Lectures are offered annually and bring to the University distinguished members of the international visual arts community. These lectures are free and open to the public, honoring Ritchie's belief that the art museum serves as a gathering place for all members of the community. 

Attendance Reminder

The College is strictly enforcing an attendance policy that requires me to take attendance twice a week and record it in campus cruiser.  The registrar's office sweeps through that record and makes a permanent record of that attendance log on a weekly basis...  As this blog is the classroom, each Monday morning, I look for two posts on this blog from you for the period from Monday through Sunday night at Midnight...  If I see one post, I put down 1 P (present) and 1 A (absent).... It is too hard for me to figure out attendance from comments or even your own blog... remember that you should be checking in here regularly, visiting each other's blogs Posting twice a week here and to your own blog about once a week...

A visit home

This weekend I was enjoyed two treats. The first was visiting my four year niece and two month old nephew who are always a joy to see and the second was my visit to 'The Met'.

This muesum is amazing! I have posted my experience to my blog.

If you haven't gone yet, please find the time to visit two of the special exhibits. One being works from Rabiq Shaw and the second exhibit call 'Provocative Visions' where you will find this intriguing pieces was the assemblage of women's shoes that form a man's mask. The piece was commission by Willie Cole.

See what you can do with your old high heeled shoes ladies!

The Yale University Art Gallery

Hi Gang - today I went to the Yale University Art Gallery. I invite you to check out my blog at http://hmcole.blogspot.com/. You are allowed to take pictures on the second and third floors which belong to the permanent collection but you cannot take pictures on the first and fourth floors. They have everything from African, Asian, and European art all the way up to modern art. I know Ron already posted some great photos of African art on his blog but I just got such a kick out of them, I wanted to add a few more.

I will post some more pics on my blog.

The following pics are from the Yale Art Gallery. Best, Ulysses

The following pictures are from the Yale Art Gallery. Best, Ulysses.

Hello Everyone,
There will be a change in my Museum Schedule, Saturday Nov. 15th I will be going to the New Britain Museum of American Art. They have a great web site, check it out. I will return Sunday hopefully with lots of pictures.

Linda

A day to remember

Ok, I finally got through the technical difficulties of cutting and pasting into the blog. So easy was the first time around, not sure why I had so much trouble this time around.

Anyhow, I had a great time visiting my second outing, this week.

Here is my link to my blog http://ronexperience.blogspot.com/

Ron.

Artist - Howardena Pindell.

The painting is title 'Water/Ancestors/MiddlePassage/Family Ghosts'

SimplyKish

Hello everyone, I would have to say that I was thrilled to go on my first Art Experience at the Yale Art Museum. The time that my children and I spent at the museum was priceless, and their behavior was exceptional. I don't know if anyone could relate to this, but when you walk into a structure that is filled with so much history and inspiration - it does something to you. It gives you this energy that I can't really put into words. It's as if you are witnessing some type of epiphany. I mean to be in the same room with art work that was created from the 15th century is amazing. I took a picture of the one piece of work that captivated me to the point that I had to pull myself away from the woman eyes. The creator was Alexandre Cabanel. It is a french painting called Miss Fanny Clap in 1881. I apologize about the rotation I can't seem to rotate the picture after downloading. But what really got me about this painting was the detail, the lifeless the woman's face. It was amazing how you couldn't even see the actual brush strokes. I researched Cabanel, I found that he was known to paint historical, classical, and religious subjects. He was a well know portrait painter, and if I am not mistaken the portait of Miss Fanny Clap had a romantic story behind it. I believe that her painting was done in secrecy for the purpose of marriage. However, I could be wrong and if I am, please correct me.

Lakisha.....

Lakisha... create your own blog and put your paper there, please....let us know the address so I can add your link to this blog... do check in here and post shorter posts about twice a week....

Jinnie's Blog

Hello Everyone! I think I got right this time, here is my link to my blog.

http://salsalicious.blogspot.com/

First Experience

Upon arriving at Yale Art Museum, my first impulse was to experience the African Art display. I found myself to be captivated by many of the pieces. In fact, I found my children to be even more intrigued by the entire art experience. At the ages of nine and six, they brought my attention to some of the pieces that they found interesting. The first piece that stood out to all of us was the D'mba Mask. The mask is a representation of a beautiful mother. It represents the mother of fertility, protector of pregnant women, and presides over all agricultural ceremonies. It is from Guinea and was created ca. (appx.) around the Mid-20th century. It is an abstraction of the ideal female and her role in society. It is made from wood and brass, and some of the features that are highly respected by the Baga people are the flatten breasts, the scarification of the face and breast, the beak of the nose, and the cornrowed hair. The flatten breast means a women who has nurtured many children until adulthood. The scarification of the face and breast means stability within the conditions of the environment. The bird beak is in relations to the belief that birds are messengers from the spirit world. And the hair is done in a parallel pattern showing the scarification on the head, it is in relations to the patterns of the agriculture grown in the African fields. The mask is publicly shown at wedding ceremonies - used to give direction to new union. It is shown at funerals to initiate the dead, and during harvest to celebrate productivity.

The work of art that my nine year old son was drawn to the the "Processional Cross from Ethiopia. The crosses were made during the 17th century, and is made out of Copper and Alloy. I believe that he was drawn the crosses because of the symbolic representation of Christianity. The Procession Crosses are metal crosses that have historically been cast through the "lost-wax" process to ensure uniqueness. The central motif, or idea of the Procession Cross was to show "no bounds". The cross is derived from the Ethopian Orthoox Tawahido (Tewahedo) Church. It is an oriental orthodox church in Ethopia and was part of the Coptic Church. The Coptic Church was an indigenous christianity that was established by the Apostle Mark in Egypt. It was created in the middle of the 1st century. In 1950, the oriental Orthodox Church was giving the status of a hierarchical church whose head bishop did not have to report to any higher-ranking bishop (autocephaly). The collection that caught my eye to the point of my getting lost in the art was the Miniature Masks (Maa Go). The collection represent Guinea, Ivoy Coast, and Liberia by the people of Bassa's, Dan, Gbi, Kpeke, Lama, Mana, Mau, and We. The tiny masks are portraits of their owners, the owner ancestors, or the nature spirits. And for some reason I felt the spiritual magnitude within the creations. The significance for the mask being miniture was so that people could carry them in their pockets. They were used as inspiration for ritual power. They were mostly owned by high-ranking male ritual leaders, and was served as a portable point of contact with the religious community.This last piece of African art that I was very intrigued by was the Headdress in the form of a female Head. Created in Nigeria in the late 19th to early 20th century, you could see the resemblence of our african women. The Hair represents the strength and creative style that could go hand -in-hand with some of the styles that black women wear today. The smooth brown skin shows the beauty in black women, and the teeth show the slight impefection (to some point fo view) that some black may have with their teeth. We call the space in-between the front teeth a gap, and to some it represent imperfection, but to others it represent the strong gene and uniqueness.

Hi all!

This is the link to my blog

http://stephanie-itbegins.blogspot.com/

I'm looking forwerd to this week! I am going to go to Yale this Tuesday. Nothing much to report until then.

It looks like everyone is starting to get into class! As a suggestion, if any one wants a road trip, drive up to mass and check out the Norman Rockwell museum. ITS AWESOME! I went last year. I think I may try and get up there with in the next few weeks. Its a blast. You can Make a nice day trip out of it.

Wadsworth Athenaeum

Wadsworth Athenaeum

My first museum experience took place on Saturday, November 8th 2008, at the Wadsworth Athenaeum in Hartford, Connecticut. This was a very exciting place for both my daughter and I to visit, since we had never been there before. Upon arriving at the museum, I was amazed at the size and the architecture of the building, which is in the shape of a gothic style castle. It felt very mystical and exhilarating, as if I was walking into the pages of an Arthurian romance novel.
Once we entered the museum, we were greeted by a very friendly museum staff member, who later turned out to be our docent. We were lucky enough to have had arrived when we did, or we would have missed that afternoon’s tour. The subject/focus of the tour was “a search for an identity in early American artwork.” Our tour started out in the main lobby, with a brief introduction about the museum. Next, we viewed several paintings from the past three-hundred years, from the late 1700’s up until the early 1930’s. It was amazing to see how the artists from these different time periods were able to capture the spirit and essence of American life and culture.
One of the first things I learned was that the Wadsworth is the oldest, continually operating museum in the country. It was built in 1842, by a man named Daniel Wadsworth, who was the son of a wealthy Connecticut merchant. He had started his collection in the early 19th century, with artwork ranging from Renaissance paintings to modern American master pieces. Also, this institution originally included additional Neo-Gothic buildings, such as the Connecticut Historical Society and the Hartford Public Library. Today, it houses over 50, 000 works of art in both permanent collections and exhibitions.[1]
One of the paintings that impressed me the most was the “The Declaration of Independence” by John Trumball, which I will describe in more detail throughout the rest of this paper. It was commissioned in 1817 by the United States Senate and was later hung in the Rotunda at the U.S. Capital in 1826. The purpose of this work was to commemorate this momentous historical event in our country’s history, when our founding fathers signed a document that would give Americans both personal and religious freedom. According to the Yale University Art Galley, Thomas Jefferson is thought to have given Trumball a first hand account of what happened on that historic day.[2] Although the scene depicted is not quite accurate (since not all members of the committee were present during the signing), it embodies the entire process that the colonies went through in order to gain independence from England, resulting in the formation of our country, the United States of America. It communicates a message of hope and promise to future generations, that all people have the right to live their lives the way they see fit, regardless of race or social status.
Trumball was born on June 6, 1756 in Lebanon, Connecticut and died in 1843. He was born into a wealthy and politically important family; his father was the Governor of Connecticut for several years.[3] He attended Harvard at the age of fifteen and it was here that he decided to pursue his love of drawing and painting.[4] After serving as an aide to George Washington in the American Revolution, he went on to study with Benjamin West, who is considered to be one of the most influential artists and teachers of art during the 18th and 19th centuries. [5] It was from his mentor, as well as his first-hand eyewitness accounts of important battles in the war, that lead this artist to cultivate his talent for historical painting.[6] John Trumball went on to become a very famous and accomplished artist, despite the fact that he lost sight in one of his eyes.[7]
In terms of the actual painting itself, the first thing I noticed was its size. The enormity of the piece helps to convey the magnitude of the event taking place on the canvas. One feels as if they are actually sitting in the Assembly Room in Independence Hall, while Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman presented the signed Declaration of Independence to Congress.[8]
What is also so striking about this painting is the fact that each of the forty-eight individuals is unique and depicts a real person who lived during this time period and was involved in this important process. The materials the artist used were oil paints and a canvas. His use of light helps illuminate the subjects in the painting, as well as draws attention to the colors and style of the men’s clothing, which is accurate for both the time period and their social class. The amount of detail involved in drawing and painting each person is amazing, given the fact that each one is drawn almost true to form, right down to the body-type and stature. It is interesting to note that several people from my tour group, including myself, were able to identify some of the men just by looking at the painting, which is a testimony to Trumball’s great talent and craftsmanship.

.




[1] www.wadsworthathenauem.org.
[2] http://artgallery.yale.edu /pages/collectionpopups1pc_amerps/details01.html.
[3] www.wikipedia.org.
[4] Ibid.
[5] www.artcyclopedia.com
[6] Ibid.
[7] www.wikipedia.org
[8] www.artcyclopedia.com

Hey Ron,

I really love your blog layout! I was trying to post a comment but I had some trouble, may be you can guide me.

Next Museum Visit

Hi Everyone,

I wasn't able to visit a museum this week due to transportation problems. I will be going to the Metropolitan next Saturday though and I'm hoping to fit in the New Britain Museum of American Art Thursday night hopefully.

New to the Blog.....

Hello team! Forgive me, for I am new to all of this. This week I will be visiting Yale Art, and Wadsworth Museum and (if approved) Peabody Museum. I truly enjoyed viewing your blogs and/or experiences to the museum. I can't wait to explore the wonderful art in these musuem. I am also looking forward in taking my two teenagers with me, since they practically live on the computer, I want them to see it in person not adapt to the virtual tours. My daughter was sick last week and I was held at home. However I am looking to busy week, wish me luck! Nice chatting with you all!

Wadsworth, Part Deux

I listed my incorrect blogspot address. Please check out my blog at http://hmcole.blogspot.com/. There you will find my adventures at the Yale British Art Center and the Wadsworth Athenaeum.

Helen

The Wadsworth Athenaeum Experience

I too went to the Wadsworth Athenaeum but I went on Thursday evening and boy oh boy, what an experience. I invite you all to check it out on Sunday on my blog at http://hmcole@blogspot.com. I will be posting some of my pictures there as well as discussing the craziness I saw. To be honest, it was an experience just getting there as it was pouring rain on Thursday evening. But once we got there, the staff was very friendly. The guard's name was Helen so we hit off right away. Before I went, a co-worker recommended I check out artwork by Giuseppe Arcimbolo, an Italian painter who created portraits by using objects such as fruits and vegetables but I was unable to find anything. I asked 2 guards but they too were not able to help me so I am wondering if maybe when he went, it was a temporary exhibit. I was unable to take a lot of pictures as it was not as clear what the permanent collection was and I felt very rushed.

Visiting to the Wadsworth Atheneum

Hello everyone,
Today is Saturday, and I will be visiting the Wadsworth Atheneum. I am looking forward to seeing the European Art, and the American Painting & Sculptures.

Linda

just a couple of pics from my trip today to the Wadsworth in Hartford. They do offer a couple of tours at noon and another at one but I opted to meander around the museum so that I could work at my own pace. There is plenty of parking, but the parking garages listed on the site are actually about 5 or 6 blocks away. I found it easier to just put some money in the parking kiosk (only change or debit card). 3 bucks got me 3 hours which is just about right. Try and save some time for lunch or an early dinner because the museum cafe (The Russell) is great. Looking at this artwork just never gets old. You can find everything from Picasso to Monet as well as some outstanding European and early American artwork.

Important

At this point, I have three students blogs accounted for... if you haven't created your blog by now you are losing extremely valuable time which will in fact impact your grade. We can't find you if you don't do let us know where you are if you have created a blog. Take time to read each other's work and to leave comments... that's an important part of the class as well.

Hey all,

I forgot to add my address to my blog in my last post..so here is it: http://ronexperience.blogspot.com/.

My journey this week will take me to the museum named in honor of the Greek goddess of wisdom Athena. One of the first American museums to exhibit Surrealism, which is a style of art that uses the subconscious as a source of creativity. Surrealism attempts to portray, or interpret the unconscious minds as manifested in dreams. I’m hoping my visit to the Wadsworth Atheneum museum this weekend will provide me the pleasure of viewing such works by world-renowned artist who was best known for the bizarre images in his surrealist work Salvador Dali.

This work of art is a portrait of Dali's wife known as Gala. The piece is called 'Galatea of the Spheres'.

http://www.salvador-dali.org/serveis/ced/articles/en_article3.html

Ron

Timeline for Museum Visits

I noticed I was "behind" and did not post my list of museums I expect to visit for this class. nothing is set in stone but here is the tentative list:

November 1 - Yale Center for British Art
November 6 - Wadsworth Athenaeum
November 8 - Yale Art Gallery
November 12 - Metropolitan Museum of Art or Florence Griswold Museum
November 28 - Metropolitan Museum of Art or Museum of Modern Art

I haven't decided on anyting else yet and this is very subject to change.

Hey all!!
I am a newcomer to the class and I am very excited to get started. I am a history major so this class is going to be very enjoyable for me. Visiting museums is one of my favorite pastimes and I am hoping to gain much insight through the educational aspect of the visits. I am planning my visit to the Wadsworth on the 6th to get the ball rolling. I am then planning a trip to Yale on the 13th followed by a visit to the Met on the 18th. During my visit to NYC, I am sure to visit another musuem to be determined sometime soon. I will supplement those visits with trips to New Britain and a possible trip to Boston. I will definitely be in touch and you can visit my blog at http://seawhite1.blogspot.com/ Best, Ulysses

The Links

After reviewing the links within our syllabus for AH 251: The Museum Experience, I found that some links were easy to navigate. Links such as Metropolitan Museum of Art, Timeline of Art History, was very informative and descriptive of the different art movements; as well as the different pieces of collection. The variety of art is massive and the link breaks down the time era, where the collection was created, and background on the creator (artist). However, I found some links to be difficult to navigate such as Art History Resource on the Web, I understand that the link is specifically used to resource, however; for a person to browse through the link seemed overwhelming if you didn’t know what you were looking for. It was a lot of different categories to link onto and I didn’t know exactly where to start. But it is good to know that once I do have an exact era or collection that I am researching that theses links will be very helpful. In fact all the links were very informative and will allow for me to provide an efficient piece of work.

Invitation to View My Blog

Hello Everyone,

Hope you had a great weekend. We had some great weather didn't we? Anyway, my blog is still under construction. I'm running a little late. I should be done by 9am.

I went to the Wadsworth Atheneum and found the museum employees at the information desk and guards very helpful. I think I mentioned before that I borrowed a digital camera from my daughter and forgot to ask her how to turn the flash off. As Jerry pointed out, you can't use the flash. Well all cameras are different so at first I covered the flash with my finger and then after taking a few more pictures, I figured it out. Also, an employee gave me a detailed map showing all three floors of exhibits.

Anyway, please visit my blog at http://kjsmuseumexperiences.blogspot.com/ and let me know what you think.

Karen (KJ)

A beautiful weekend for a visit....

Hi Everyone,

After a few attempts, well maybe more than a few..I was able to post to my blog, the wonderful visit I had this past weekend at Yale Art Gallery.

Please let me know what you think.

Ron.

Hello Everyone

Hello Everyone,

I'm really new to creating blogs and uploading pictures, etc. I'm embarrased to say that I don't even own a digital camera. I borrowed my daughter's digital camera and I'm learning how to use it. I know I will get a lot of practice, but I really should have considered taking a digital photography class before this one.

I am really excited about the whole museum experience. I can't wait to take a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I think this will probably be the most interesting and rewarding trip. I visited the website and I was in awe.

I did go to the Wadsworth Atheneum today, but wasn't able to go on a tour. The museum highlights would have been very helpful. For those of you who are planning on going now, here is a list of their current exhibitions:

Pop to the Present:
New Questions, New Reponses

Who was Anna Tuels? Quilt Stories, 1750-1900

Young Americans:
Photographs by Sheila Pree Bright

At Home with Gustav Stickley:
Arts & Crafts from the Stephen Gray Collection

Faith and Fortune:
Five Centuries of European Masterworks

I still want to go again sometime. I will post some of the pictures I took on my blog.

Any help or advise would be greately appreciated.

Karen

Hello Everyone!

My name is Linda, and this is my first time with this web site, so I hope I am doing this right. With being a little scared and excited about this class, I am looking forward to visiting my list of museums. I had to read the syllabus over a few times to get the concept of this class. It is very different from the other on-line class that I have completed. Well have a good week everyone.

Museum Schedule

Week 2: Wadsworth Atheneum & The Wordsworth Atheneum Hartford, CT
Week 3: Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme, CT
Week 4: The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, CT
Week 5: The Bruce Museum, Greenwich, CT
Week 6: Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC

OK...

As I said a few weeks back I went into the city with my sister in law. We had tickets to go see Reachal Ray but as it ended up they gave out to many tickets and they had no seats left when they got to us! Oh well more time for the MET!

For any of you that are plaing on going soon I wold say make it one of the last trips of the class. Not only may you want to save the best for last BUT they are doing a TUN of work right now and many of the rooms were closed.

My favorite rooms are of the impressionists. I am a big fan of Monet so to see his work up close is a great experience. Just knowing that HE was the one that made the brush strokes you see is very cool. Its a picture of history frozen in time. Its what he saw... well literally considering that he was near sighted. That is the reason all his images are blurry.

I am also incuding some great pics I got of the temple. This is a must see when you go

Hello All!

My name is Stephanie and I am a Sr at AMC. This is the 4 time I have taken one of Jerrys on line classes and they are great! I am a PSY/Art therapy Major and love anything to do with the arts.

I had a baby 3 months ago and as any of you mom(or dads) know, she takes up a tun of time so the online format is a great way to get things done. It also is helping me feel as if I am still conected to the rest of the world.

I had been working at a small company for over 2 years and went back from matunity leave on Monday to find I no longer had a job! Good and bad I guess... I get to stay home with my baby Emily longer but the $ thing is a bit scary now.

I do home dems of lia Sophia Jewelry and pampered chef so I am spreading the word that this is now my full time job in hopes that people will have Christmas shopping dems. S let me know if any one wants to have a party and get a TUN of free stuff form me ; )

Any way, enough about my problems! I went to the met about 2 weeks ago and got some AWESOME shots Ill put some of them up for everyone to see.

What is Due This Week?

Hi everyone... this is the week that we get our systems up and running, our cameras working, and your software installed. You have become a member of this blog and you've set up your Own blog to post your work to. On your blog, post a tentative list of your museum visits...

Albertus has a new directive that they would like me to take attendance two times per week. I'll be recording that in the campus cruiser attendance log. So be sure to post twice before Monday morning. One post would be your introductory hello and one would be a one paragraph statement in response to following the online links I have provided in your syllabus.

By next week, You have your first paper or photo essay posted. One post would be an invitation to view your blog and what you have been up to well and the other post would be also a one paragraph essay on some aspect of Art History, movements, styles, etc.

Each Monday morning then, I will go through the blog and record attendance in Campus Cruiser according to the posts I see. I'll experiment this mod and see about getting you a grade based on the rubric posted as a link in the upper right-hand part of the blog.

So... Paper 1 due Mon, Nov 3 then each Monday morning by 9 am onward until Dec. 15th.

Metropolitan Ceiling

Traveling to New York to go to the Metropolitan may seem like a bit of an ordeal... but rather you should treat it like a mini vacation. Prior to 9-11, I used to take ADP students each year to Europe to have this class, often times during winter break.  This museum is second to none in the world. When you go there you'll hear people from all over the world, anytime of the year.

When you enter through the front door you arrive at the great Hall. This photograph is of the ceiling of the great Hall... I took it from the second floor balcony overlooking the main staircase.  As you go out on your excursions, do try to photograph the architecture that houses each collection.  You might also spend a paragraph addressing who the architect was, why the building is important and so on.

As we head into the holidays, New York City really comes alive. So enjoy yourself and expand your horizons!

Hello Everyone

This is my first post to a blog, so I guess that makes me a rookie. I’m excited as well as somewhat nervous about the class; excited because I look forward to what the experiences over the next 8 weeks will bring. Nervous because this is my debut return back to school. Over the last 6 years this is my third attempt in completing my bachelors degree. In what field you ask, that I’m undecided. For now. I’ve been in the field of technology for nearly 10 years as a system analyst. The company I currently work for has contracted the disease called “outsourcing”…LOL. So, the return back to school provides me the opportunity to pursue a new career when my current life ends in a few years. I look forward to absorbing this culture we call “art,” as we share our weekly adventures with one another.

Ron

Hello

Hi Jerry and hello to the rest of the class too. I am looking forward to this class and I have already started planning my "treks" to the museums. I am hoping it will be to Yale this weekend with the Wadsworth Athenaeum next Thursday evening. Check out their website - the first Thursday of the month, they are open later and I think they may even be a bargain!!

Professor - can we use the Peabody Museum as one of our six museums?

Helen

Welcome to Class!

Hello everyone! and welcome to the class blog for the Mod2 class, AH251, The Museum Experience. Here we will post images and comments each week about your adventures on the road as you travel around in your search for the sublime! I will be emailing everyone instructions on how to post on the first day of class.

To get the most out of your online class this Mod, it is important to communicate regularly with other members of the class and with me in this forum..... in fact, it is part of your grade. Post often and post early, to paraphrase a famous statement. I'm looking forward to this experience with you. It is my sincere hope that this class will be a worthwhile and enjoyable experience for you.

I'd like you to create your own blog as well as join this blog. There you will post your papers and photos on a weekly basis. Be sure to post here as this is where we build the class community. Remember to put a link to your blog along with your post here. I'll build links to your blog in the upper right hand corner as soon as I know your addresses...

I tookthis photograph at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the Greek collection... notice she has a sketch book in hand and she is seated, taking her time to really study this relief...