Studying art includes getting out of the classrooms to galleries and museums. The combination of travel to an art destination with friends is one of the most fun activities on my agenda, and educational too. It is like two revealing, discovery opportunities in one: exploring the destination and the art.
This year we are targeting major art markets in the U.S., starting with New York City, NY and following it with Santa Fe, NM.
The New York trip was wonderful and at the same time, supersaturating with visual experiences.An experienced colleague put together a world-class itinerary including museums, artist’s historic homes, studios, shops and galleries in all the main burroughs of the city. We travelled by taxi and by foot to outstanding world-class art.
My main take-away is that by seeing collections of an artist’s work, for example the Guaguin at MOMA http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions/1418,
one comes to appreciate an artists’ creative and imaginative wholeness. Seeing his oil transfer prints, drawings and sculptures, all inter-related to his paintings, was such a positive experience. It was inspiring to me, encouraging me to complement my painting with more drawing, print making and 3D design work.
Towards the end of our week of NYC art, I also felt the law of diminishing returns. With each successive piece of art, the visual impact had to be greater than the numerous ones before in order to register in my brain as something I wanted to remember, recall and enjoy again. I was becoming happily, visually saturated.
When possible, travel with friends to art destinations. Discussing and ruminating on the art during and after the exhibits enriches the experiences all the more as you engage others in dialogue and share ideas.
Santa Fe, NM is next on my travel agenda to art destinations with friends. “Santa Fe is considered the third largest art market in the U.S. based on sales with over 240 art galleries and dealers in town. ”
– .See more at: http://santafe.org/Media_Center/Press_Room/City_Profile/
– .See more at: http://santafe.org/Media_Center/Press_Room/City_Profile/
Most importantly, in New Mexico, we will visit the museum, historic home and research center of my favorite woman artist, Georgia O’Keeffe. A destination not to be missed; can’t wait!
http://www.okeeffemuseum.org/
http://www.okeeffemuseum.org/