The American Museum of Visionary Art |
The United States is filled with cities that have run into
major economic problems, and that are still trying to recover. Baltimore falls
into that category. Even as it struggles to renew itself, there are still many
reasons to visit. At the top of the list is the fact that Baltimore has some
fantastic art museums.
Baltimore is the largest city in Maryland, with over 660,000
residents. It was founded in 1729 and has been one of the largest seaports in
the Northeast ever since. It was an industrial center, with steel and auto
manufacturing anchoring its economy for many years. Today Baltimore’s main
industries are service, government and tourism. Like many cities, this change
has caused economic problems as high paying jobs have been replaced with lower
paying ones.
But Baltimore’s industrial past has left us a few really good
remnants, its museums. When you visit, one museum that you should make time for
is the Walters Art Museum. It is located in the Mount Vernon-Belvedere
section of the city, across the
street from the iconic Washington Monument. The
Walters is a public museum, owned by the city, and it is free to all. It was
founded in 1931 when Henry Walters donated his extensive fine art collection to
the city, along with his mansion and several other buildings. Walters was
president of the Atlantic Coast Line Company, a railroad line, founded by his
father, that was one of the primary freight and passenger lines to Florida.
The Washington |
Henry Walters had inherited a large collection of European
and American art from his father. Over the years he expanded his holdings,
branching out to include Asian and Middle Eastern art. In 1909 Henry Walters
built an Italianate pallazo on North Charles Street which he used to display his
work. When he died, the Walters Art Gallery, along with its entire collection,
and his mansion were given to Baltimore for the “benefit of the public.”
African Venus - by Charles-Henri-Joseph Cordier |
Othello - by Pietro Calvi |
The museum’s collection has something for almost any taste.
Start your visit on the top floor of the museum. Here you will find European
and American Art from the 18th and 19th and 20th
centuries. Included is a gallery that has been arranged to look like Henry
Walters salon, complete with the paintings that originally hung there. As a retired educator, I have always appreciated the work that goes into creating good labels for art-work. This museum has some of the best labels I have encountered, especially in a smaller museum. As you
work your way down from floor to floor through the pallazo and a the main
building, which was built in the 1970’s, you will move backwards through time,
ending with ancient Greek and Roman art on the ground floor. There is also a
collection of Asian art in a third building that is accessible from the 3rd
floor of the museum.
The USS Constitution |
Some visitors to the Inner Harbor |
For a totally different experience of the art world, travel
one and a half miles, across the Inner Harbor, to the American Visionary Art Museum. Here you will find three buildings
and a sculpture garden dedicated to contemporary artists who are pushing the
boundaries. The main building has four floors of a collection that is visually
stunning, with permanent and temporary exhibits that grab the eye. On the other
side of the garden is a large barn-like building that houses a collection of
kinetic sculptures. One wall is filled with smaller items that you can watch in
motion by pushing a button. But the building holds some truly immense pieces,
including an airplane and a hot air balloon.
Black Icarus - by Andrew Logan |
Some of the kinetic sculptures |
Divine - by Andrew Logan |
This biker greets all of the visitors at the museum |
Baltimore has received a lot of bad press recently, but there
are many good reasons to visit. The Walters and the American Visionary Art
Museum are just two excellent places to visit.
Getting There:
The Walters Art Museum
– 600 North Charles
St, Baltimore MD
Open Weds – Sun 10 AM – 5 PM; Thursday until 9 PM
Admission – Free for Everyone
The Charm
City Circulator offers free transportation in the downtown, Inner Harbor and
Federal Hill areas.
The American Visionary Art Museum – 800 Key Highway, Baltimore MD.
Open
Tues-Sun, 10 AM – 6 PM
Admission - Adult: $15.95; Senior (60 and up):
$13.95; Student/Child: $9.95; Children 6 and under: FREE!
The Charm City Circulator offers free transportation in the downtown, Inner Harbor and Federal Hill areas. It stops at the corner of Light Street and Key Highway, 3 blocls from the museum.
I love off-beat museums--you know, fans, shoes, old cars. These look like interesting collections. Love the Divine statue. That alone may be worth the trip. The African busts are amazing. Remind me of the one in the lobby of the Schomburg Library here in NYC.
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