Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for art tourism
Underground Art in Copenhagen
By Linda Tancs
The Cisterns (Cisternerne) is a subterranean art museum in Copenhagen, Denmark. Once the city’s underground water reservoir, it now hosts contemporary art exhibitions that avail themselves of this dimly lit dripstone cave. Case in point: the current exhibition by the Argentinian-born artist Tomás Saraceno, which is experienced by boat and reveals artwork in and out of the environment’s darkness. The venue is located in Søndermarken across from the zoo and Frederiksberg Castle. Glass pyramids mark the entrance to your underground adventure.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Latin American Art
By Linda Tancs
The Latin American Art Museum of Buenos Aires (MALBA) sports an impressive collection of Latin American art amassed by Argentine real-estate developer, philanthropist and patron of the arts Eduardo Costantini. Its permanent collection features contemporary art from the 20th century and includes artists from across Latin America. Among those represented are Botero, Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and Xul Solar. Commentary is provided in Spanish and English. Take a few hours to enjoy the galleries, and get there early to avoid potentially long lines.
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As coronavirus proceeds, it is likely that the vast majority of us will be limited in our travels. But this, too, shall pass. Our love for travel remains, so Travelrific will continue offering travel inspiration in this medium. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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A Rocky Show in Australia
By Linda Tancs
You might say Australia’s Murujuga National Park really rocks. Designated the 100th national park in western Australia, the park lies within a larger National Heritage Listed place, created in July 2007 over the Burrup Peninsula and the Dampier Archipelago. The area is renowned for its extensive rock art collection, comprising shell middens, stone artifact scatters, quarries, stone arrangements, ceremonial and mythological sites, graves and petroglyphs. In fact, the site is thought to contain the highest concentration of petroglyphs of any known site in the world. The rock art has deep meaning for the local Aboriginal people; avoid taking photographs of humanoid rock art figures.
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Art Under Glass
By Linda Tancs
Chihuly Garden and Glass is a sculptural oasis in Seattle, Washington. Its centerpiece is the Glasshouse, a 40-foot-tall, glass and steel conservatory hosting a 100-foot-long suspended floral sculpture in eye-popping hues of red, orange, yellow and amber. You can learn more about the artist, Dale Chihuly, at the eight galleries and three drawing walls that offer a comprehensive collection of his work. Outdoors, the lush landscape is equally matched by floral installations. The facility is located next to the Space Needle (spectacularly visible inside the Glasshouse) at Seattle Center.
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Art Colony of the Midwest
By Linda Tancs
Impressionist painter Theodore Clement Steele found artistic inspiration in the scenic hillsides of southern Indiana in Brown County over a century ago. Others followed, creating an art colony in the Midwest. Steele’s life and works (not to mention five hiking trails on 211 acres) make for an interesting visit at T.C. Steele State Historic Site. Enjoy guided tours of Steele’s studio (where early morning light filters through floor-to-ceiling windows) and home, hike one of his well-trodden trails or stroll through Selma Steele’s restored gardens. The property is located in Belmont, midway between Bloomington and Nashville, Indiana.
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An Art Colony in Connecticut
By Linda Tancs
Overlooking the Lieutenant River, the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, Connecticut, is a National Historic Landmark. Once the home of a wealthy sea captain, the Late Georgian-style mansion became a boarding house under Miss Florence Griswold, hosting some of the most noted names in American Impressionism forming what became known as the Lyme Art Colony. This museum of art and history tells the story of how Connecticut played a pivotal role in fostering American artists.
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Indigenous Art in Paraguay
By Linda Tancs
Seventeen indigenous ethnic groups call Paraguay home, resulting in an array of indigenous art. Basketwork and feathered ornaments predominate, hallmarks of the Guaraní peoples. Feathered cloaks are particularly striking, once reserved exclusively for shamans. Other handiworks find expression in ceramics and wood carvings. Three museums proudly showcase the indigenous art form: Andrés Barbero Ethnographic Museum, the Guido Boggiani Museum, and the Museum of Indigenous Art.
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The Graves of Arles
By Linda Tancs
Southwest of the center of Arles in southern France is the ancient Roman necropolis, Les Alyscamps. Later a Christian burial ground, the path lined with numerous sarcophagi was a subject of paintings by Van Gogh and his onetime roommate, Gauguin. Van Gogh was quite prolific while residing in Arles; the Van Gogh trail is a self-guided walking tour highlighting points of artistic inspiration.
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Town of Storehouses
By Linda Tancs
Kurashiki, Japan is an old market town near the Golden Route linking Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima. Dating to the Edo Period, the picture-perfect city is prized for its preserved canal district, dotted with willow trees and old storehouses converted into museums, boutiques and cafes. Don’t miss the Ohara Museum of Art (Japan’s oldest museum for Western art) and the displays of Bizen-yaki pottery, an ancient pottery style perfected over 1000 years ago.
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Getting to Know Wallace
By Linda Tancs
If you were asked to name London’s best museums, what would be on your list? The British Museum? V&A? Tate? National Gallery? Chances are, you wouldn’t think of The Wallace Collection. Featuring the collections of the first four Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace, the son of the 4th Marquess, this national museum boasting 25 galleries is a real gem located in Hertford House, a London townhouse. Its most prominent exhibits include paintings by Titian, Rembrandt, Hals and Velázquez and eighteenth-century French paintings, porcelain, furniture and gold boxes. But don’t stop there. Be sure to view the stunning array of Limoges enamels and striking arms and armor. Beat the crowds and visit on New Year’s Day.
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