After laying around from my hard morning of work, I decided it was time for an outing. I got out my Lonely Planet city guide and thumbed through the "sights" section before deciding on the National Gallery of Art. I took the metro down to Constitution Avenue and then walked to the museum. A couple things occurred to me as I walked around in awe of the art, the building, and the people around me.
a) The art is beautiful. But who decided that these are the pieces that should be in a museum? There are so many talented artists in this world, but so few have their work displayed for any/everyone to see. Also, do artists want this many people to see their work? Did Monet even consider the idea that one day hundreds of 8th graders would walk by his painting while on a yearly field trip? Is that what he wanted? I love Monet. Alot! But I wouldn't even recognize his work if someone hadn't put his art in textbooks or donated his pieces to museums. I could go on, but I would end up talking in circles as I so often do.
b) Second to Monet, my favorite piece I saw was "La Condition Humaine" by Rene Magritte. It just makes me smile. Maybe because it resembles a photograph, maybe because it's clever, or maybe because it captures the sky on a beautiful day. Whatever it is, it will definitely bring me back to the museum soon!
c) While I was walking through a room of Picasso, I said hello to one of the men "guarding" the work. I'm not sure what those people are called... After asking where I was from, what I was doing here, why I moved to DC, etc, he told me about a free event that evening. The National Gallery of Art sponsors a free jazz concert in their garden on Fridays! How cool is that?!?!? Someone please come visit me so we can go to the garden and have a picnic while listening to music in downtown DC! :)
In summary, I love DC more and more everyday. I still don't have a job, but I'm confident that all things come in time.
Smiles and hugs!
2 comments:
michelle! i'm jealous of your day at the art museum--sounds fabulous! i'm glad you have this blog because i want to stay up-to-date on your city life in DC! miss you already, & love you as always :)
I hope you don't mind me browsing your blog. I just discovered you were in DC. I hope you're liking it there; it is definitely one of my favorite cities. But I had to say you should pop over to one of the jazz concerts even if you do it alone. Chapel Hill had random ones throughout the summer and it is a nice way to spend a Friday evening. Take a blanket, a book, and have fun. :)
Jillann
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