Dennis Dixon is heading West!

Saturday, March 5, 2016

Milwaukee Art Museum trip - Day 3

Saturday, March 5, 2016 - down to the Milwaukee Art Museum, then start the trip home - 538 miles today:

I had thought about going over the north side of Lake Michigan (through the Upper Peninsula), but it would have added too many hours and miles. So I just stuck to the plan. Left Font du Lac early (bad internet) and camped at a McDonald's for an hour doing yesterday's blog (paid the rent with a cup of coffee).

The Milwaukee Art Museum just completed a huge renovation/redesign - doubling their space, and they did a wonderful job! It sits on the shore of Lake Michigan, and of course has an excellent Nautical Flavor, like a boat out of Star Trek:

They are currently hosting an exhibition "Nature and the American Vision: The Hudson River School"

No Photography was allowed, which I found funny because high-quality images are available on the website for the New York Historical Society Museum:

Albert Bierstadt - Donner Lake From the Summit, 1873

Frederic Edwin Church - Cayambe, 1858

Jasper Cropsey - Sunset, Lake George, NY, 1867

Thomas Hill - View of the Yosemite Valley, 1865

And with other masterpieces from other Hudson River School artists, including the 5 paintings of The Course of Empire by Thomas Cole, and works by Asher Durand, John Kensett, Gifford, Haseltine, and Richards, it is a WONDERFUL exhibit!

Elsewhere in the Museum's Permanent Collection ...
Claude Monet - Waterloo Bridge, Sunlight Effect, ca. 1900

a JWM Turner-look-a-like
Edward William Cooke - The Pilot Boat (Trouville Fishing Boat in a Fresh Breeze), ca. 1839

People learn from the Master!
From the Tate in London, here are 2 by JMW Turner:
Dutch Boats in a Gale, 1801

and The Shipwreck, 1805

there were 4 beauties by Thomas Moran, including:
Grand Canyon of the Colorado, Arizona, 1912

Tranquil Day in Venice, 1900

Winslow Homer - Hark! The Lark, 1882

William Louis Sonntag - Autumn in New Hampshire, ca. 1865

detail:

Albert Bierstadt - Wind River Mountains, Nebraska Territory, 1862

Andrew Wyeth - Afternoon, ca. 1945

Thomas Hill - Merced River, Yosemite Valley, 1896

a FUN Paul Jenkins - Phenomena Blue Held Over, 1975

a lovely Ansel Adams photograph - The Tetons and the Snake River, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, 1942

and a final appreciation for the architecture, before heading down the road:

I left Milwaukee at noon, and 7 hours later arrived (8 PM East Coast Time) back at the Super 8 in Mentor, just east of Cleveland. WOW-What A Day! Thank you God!!

Music for today was albums from my green nano:

Sailor by The Steve Miller Band, 1968

Number 5 by The Steve Miller Band, 1970 (nice line: "When the wind blows you home ...")

Time-Life Classic Rock: 1966 by various artists, 1966

80's Dance Floor by various artists, 1980s (a lot of live versions of great 80s songs)

Ballads by John Coltrane, 1963

American Stars 'n Bars by Neil Young, 1977

line from "Will to Love":
I bought that ticket
and I'll take that ride.

Best of Dark Horse 1976-1989 by George Harrison, 1989

Best of Hot Tuna (2 cds) by Hot Tuna, 1998

Shameless Plug: if you enjoy this blog, you may like my other one about Hiking the 4,000 footers in New Hampshire (I have done 41-of-48 thru October 2015)
hyperlink: dixonheadingnorth
http://dixonheadingnorth.blogspot.com/

Friday, March 4, 2016

Milwaukee Art Museum trip - Days 1+2

Thursday/Friday, March 3/4, 2016 - a mid-Winter trip to Milwaukee (approx. 2,500 miles - 4 days):

There were a couple of reasons I wanted to do the trip - First, to celebrate the Bumper Sticker my lovely wife gave me for my Birthday!

and Second, I REALLY want to see the Milwaukee Art Museum! Not only do they have 13 of my favorite artists, but they are currently hosting an exhibition "Nature and the American Vision: The Hudson River School"

The first day (Thursday) was just driving 662 miles from home to the Thursday Morning Men's Breakfast in Boston, then out the Mass Pike. I-90 goes from Boston to Seattle, so I stayed 1.4 miles off it, just east of Cleveland, checking in at 6 PM. I always get a kick seeing the "Elevation Sign" on the Mass Pike:

Beautiful clear blue skies - a great day to be on the road!

Friday Morning - up and on the road at 6:45 AM to get out to the Fort Wayne Museum of Art. I had scheduled a 10:30 meeting with Sachi Yanari-Rizzo, their Curator of Prints and Drawings, to see a Thomas Moran, a Thomas Hill, and a Robert Scott Duncanson - all paintings in storage. They were having a major fund-raiser dinner this evening, but she was kind enough to allow me to see the works! Although they have a "No Photos" policy, images are available on the Internet.

Thomas Moran - A Glimpse of the Sea, Amangansett, n.d.

Thomas Hill - Yosemite, n.d.

Then west to see Valparasio University covered in snow.

They are on Spring Break, and their Brauer Museum of Art is currently closed.

I LOVE traveling west, because I get an extra hour as I go through Time Zones. In this case, I get an extra hour today, which means that I can hit Milwaukee and get in an extra museum-or-two! I was able to get to the Charles Allis Art Museum by 3 - a small museum in the former home of Charles Allis. A very nice collection - I was interested in paintings by Winslow Homer (watercolor and oil), William Trost Richards, and Thomas Moran. Only the Moran had an online image, so I didn't even know what I was going to see!

Unfortunately, all artwork was framed-with-glass, which means BAD Reflections!!
Thomas Moran - Sunset, 1903

Winslow Homer - Fisherman and Girl in a Rowboat Streaked Red, White and Blue, 1881 watercolor

Winslow Homer - Cliff at Prout's Neck, East Coast of Saco Bay, Town of Scarboro Maine, 1881 oil

William Trost Richards - Sunrise, 1898

You can see the horrible problem with reflection

I was able to get across town to the Haggerty Museum of Art at Marquette University. Although their Bierstadt was not available, there was a nice Albrecht Durer woodcut
The Glorification of the Virgin from Life of the Virgin, ca. 1500

Then northwest to the Paine Art Center in Oshkosh, Wisconsin - got there at 5, and they close at 6 on Fridays! Not only was their art on display, but they were also doing their "Art In Bloom" installation, so the place smelled fantastic.

a lovely Winslow Homer - Lake St. John, Canada, 1895 watercolor

Charles Francois Daubigny - Morning on the Oise, 1866

Back down 41 to the Super 8 in Font du Lac - Thank you God for a GREAT couple of days!

Music for these 2 days was albums from my nanos - Thursday:

Play All Night by The Allman Brothers Band, 1992 (2 cds)