Lest you think my life in only eating…
While I was in Baltimore a couple weeks ago, I took a couple hours break from the conference to visit the Walters Art Museum. This lovely museum is free, working from donations, and I was surprised at the size and curation of the collection being so amazing for a free museum- I had vastly underestimated the amount of time I could spend here.
The reason I had visited was for a specific exhibit I had seen advertised, online called “Art Blooms”. For this short weekend (this year April 5-7- exactly the time I was in town by happenstance), floral arrangers participated and added to the regular art collection by creating and then exhibiting alongside interpretive floral arrangements of various art works of the museum.
The interpretations varied from echoing the colors and directions of forms and actions in the art to also being symbolic or being literal. For instance, one interpretation included the use of tobacco leaves because the portrait was that of man involved with a tobacco company.
Another arrangement used a vase that included 5 holders to point back to the painting in which a boy has hurt his hand and is having it wrapped over a bowl of water/blood.
Yet another had somehow found the perfect vase where a characteristic of the vase called back to the head in a sculpture, or a string of painted beads evoking the reins on a horse, or some cloth fluttering similar to an officer’s sash belt.
Here is a peek at some of what I was able to admire as I tried to cram in all I could. This year the exhibit focused on 19th century art, and included over 30 floral arrangements by various garden clubs in Baltimore area.
I also have included some other shots to show how lush the atmosphere of art was here at the Walters Museum, often I felt like not only was I looking at art, but just the way each room was arranged was also a work of art.
If you have the opportunity to go to Baltimore, I highly recommend this museum, and spending at least half a day here. Even if you have children, they created these remarkable Family Guides pamphlets which could make a visit more interactive by having them search for certain pieces of art treasures, and helping to make connections within a theme for a certain culture or period of time’s artifacts.
Did I mention again that it is a free museum that operates from donations (and you will want to after seeing how much this museum offers)? The fact this was free and the great reviews on Tripadvisor (which I will often use as a resource- the Walters Museum is ranked #1) helped make the decision for me to visit even while I was at a work conference since I knew I only had a brief time between sessions.
You can even walk here from a hotel in the Inner Harbor (which is where I was staying, and there quite a few hotels in this touristy area, so it is likely you might be too) – just walk on Charles St from Pratt St for about 1 mile.
