817 Art

The 817 is taking over 512 for a post. Fort Worth is only a 3hour drive away, and currently it is a trip well worth the 3 hours because CARAVAGGIO is there. The Caravaggio. The bad boy of the Renaissance art world. The man deserves a post. And a road trip.

Well, I'm having a difficult time readjusting to the humdrum daily routine after an amazingly joyful weekend at the wedding of two college friends (hence why it has taken me 2 weeks to post!). They were even kind enough to get married in Fort Worth, Texas on the weekend the "Caravaggio and His Followers in Rome" exhibit opened at the Kimbell. Best...friends...ever.

A quick rundown:
The exhibit is broken down into four main parts: "Music and Youth," "Cardsharps & Fortune Tellers," "Saints," and "The Sacred Narrative."
The exhibit in terms of works of art? Marvelous! It's the second largest display of his paintings in North America.
In terms of flow? Not as obvious as it should have been - I'm a museum junkie and I inevitably ended up going against the intended flow at this exhibit.
In terms of information? Oh, boy...

Ok. Most exhibits I attend leave me wanting more since the texts that accompany the works are not detailed or informative enough. The "Caravaggio" exhibit did not commit this crime - quite the contrary. The curator clearly had a lot to say, to the point that the texts became a composite of various facts that weren't necessarily cohesive or did not answer my questions as a viewer in relation to the exhibit. However, there is a lot of information, which is refreshing, but I recommend spending a day just looking at the art, and then returning on another day to read the text.

Seeing the works of Caravaggio juxtaposed with his followers was incredibly interesting. In art history courses the slides of images of the works did not truly depict how obviously talented Caravaggio was when compared to those trying to mimic him. I spent an embarrassingly long time comparing the grapes in some of Caravaggio paintings to those of his followers. His followers' grapes certainly had the styling of paint like Caravaggio's grapes, but they always looked labored whereas Caravaggio's grapes looked effortless (and better). I did find a few new artists that I have since looked up to learn more about them after seeing 1 or 2 of their paintings (i.e. Nicholas Tournier & Valentin de Boulonge), so even the works by Caravaggio's followers is engaging.

I highly recommend going to see the Caravaggio exhibit. 3 hours in a car is worth it!

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Blanton Student Fest

Today is the Blanton Museum of Art's Student Fest in which University of Texas students receive free admission and can take part in various activities throughout the day. Have an hour or two between classes? Then stop on by!


A list of the day's activities:
10am-12pm: breakfast tacos & coffee specials at the Cafe
12pm-2pm: Choose Your Own Adventure Tours
2pm-7:30pm: Free-drawing activity
2pm-4pm: Scavenger Hunt through the Galleries (how cool?!) - with a participation prize at the end, too!
2pm-4pm: Retro cartoon time
4pm-5:30pm: Trivia Game - "Geeks Who Drink" style - winning team receives prizes
5:30pm-6:15pm: Monde Green Performance in the outdoor plaza
5:30pm-7:30pm: Snacks from Whole Foods
6:15pm-7:15pm: Student led tours of El Anatsui
6pm-8pm: El Anatsui inspired art making activity
7pm-7:45pm: Searching for Signal Performance


At times like these I am envious of students at large universities with fantastic resources and large museums affiliated with the schools. So many of those activities sound FUN.

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Opening of Anxiety of Photography

"Anxiety of Photography" opened tonight @ Arthouse.

Initial reaction from yours truly, a volunteer docent:

I love openings of exhibits at museums. It's a wholly separate experience from a typical museum visit. In place of the soft whispers is a welcoming din of voices (I'm sure serving alcohol at these events helps in that regard). I've found my experience of the art itself is changed by the difference in surroundings. Instead of an austere museum space, there are people everywhere; other bodies are close by, sometimes obstructing the view of the art, and it feels like much more of a communal activity than a singular viewing on a typical visit. I was hoping for some good "overheard" conversations, but the design of the building causes the conversations around you to turn into muffled white noise. I was really disappointed about this when trying to listen to an elderly man explain to his companions the way gelatin plates can be manipulated.

Also, openings bring such a diverse crowd! I'm always thrilled to see young children at museums (and this is coming from someone with a generally strong dislike for kids). It gives me hope for the future to see parents taking the time to expose children to art, to instill in them an appreciation for a museum visit.



The view from the top of Arthouse at night is stunning! They have a prime location downtown right near the capital off of Congress & 7th street. Go there. Climb the stairs. Be amazed. Oh, and bring your camera when you do.

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AMOA for Free

Art lovers with empty pockets...rejoice! Through September 6th Tuesdays will be FREE at Austin Museum of Art (downtown location). This will enable you to take advantage of their current exhibition, Good Design: Stories from Herman Miller, which focuses on the marriage of art and architecture.

If you're looking for a fun weekend activity for the family, AMOA is offering a Mini Art Furniture event from 1-4pm August 13th as a part of their program geared toward families on the second Saturday of the month. You and the family get to create your own artistic miniature furniture and/or take part in a family yoga class at 1pm.

For more info, check out AMOA's site

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