I’ve always loved going to the High Museum here in Atlanta. It’s a great way for those of us who aren’t traditionally schooled in art to pick up our own appreciation for it. The High likes to incorporate interactive and informative pieces into it’s exhibits, so it’s not like you’re walking from room to room staring at pictures of Jesus throughout his life and resurrection (I’m looking at you, Uffizi). Me and Victoria decided to take advantage of an online deal she came across and split a dual membership for the next year. A few weekend’s ago, we decided we’d spend a lazy afternoon meandering through the halls of the High to see what we see.
Like I said, the High doesn’t shy away from the interactive and the fun. During this visit, the first exhibit we came across was the Los Trompos (Spinning Tops) exhibit. A couple of Fridays a month there are actually performances within these bright spinning pieces, but while we were there, it was mostly families and the two of us.
The first exhibit we came to once we stepped inside the museum was a traditional European Art exhibit. Several of the marble statues were incredibly impressive with the detail that went into them. My favorite was one of girl who’s dress appeared to be blowing in th ewind; the statue had such fluidity. While the paintings started to run together a bit, there was one that I absolutely love and may need to find a good print of. Renoir’s “Woman Arranging Her Hat”. I loved the bright colors and the change of subject mixed in with the darker and moodier landscapes.
On the next floor, we found two different exhibits. One was of early American furniture. This stuff was amazing. I had to remind myself I wasn’t supposed to touch anything because I was at a museum, not an antiques store. The rocking chairs, chaises, and hutches were some of my favorite pieces. The other half of the floor was an exhibit called Bangles to Benches and focused on contemporary design. From a “sushi sofa” to a section on jewelry that would look best on me 😉 and other pieces that Victoria and I just simply didn’t understand but still found entertaining.
The next floor held an exhibit dominated by artists from in and around Atlanta. Sprawl! focuses on art that’s a bit more outside the box. I didn’t particularly understand most of it, but I enjoyed the attempt. Sprawl led us over to the High’s permanent collection. The first thing you see is a massive silver, concave dish. The reflections in the dish, as well as it’s amazing acoustic effect (if one person speaks while facing the dish standing only a few feet away, a person standing 20 feet away can hear what is said perfectly). I’m excited to get back to the High again soon to see some of their upcoming exhibits. Not to mention that even though we spent hours walking around during this visit, we still didn’t see even half of the exhibits the High is showing.
