Urban Tourists: The Minneapolis Institute of Art

Growing up in Minneapolis, I (Chris) never really took time to seek out the local "attractions". But as RVentures take us to new places, we enjoy discovering the unique local treasures. So, this past week while researching "attractions in Minneapolis", the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA) popped up as the #1 attraction. The reviews sounded fabulous ... the entrance fee was within budget (free) ... and it was easily accessible on our bikes. Time to become a tourist!

We drove to Hopkins and hopped on the bike path leading into Minneapolis. After getting off the Midtown Greenway and biking through some ordinary urban neighborhoods, we saw it ... The MIA is a huge, magnificent building inviting all to come in and enjoy art in all forms and spanning all ages.

The massive sculpture, The Doryphoros, greeted us as we entered. Now, while neither one of us will ever claim to know much about art, we were both humbled by the fact that we were able to learn about and appreciate a piece created by an anonymous artist approximately 100 years before the birth of Christ. Each piece of art in the museum included information on the artist, the year created, and the history and significance of the piece.

The MIA is massive ... where to begin? Some of the reviews that I read suggested starting on the top level and work our way down. My elevator operator handled to "old-fashioned" doors to get us on our way.

With hundreds of cozy exhibit "rooms", one could get lost in art of all kinds. While Doug would have liked to quickly walk through the whole museum to get the "big picture", I wanted to study each individual piece of art. My method proved to be difficult due to the sheer quantity of beautiful and historic works of art ... and the fact that I know very little about art! But, since I believe that there are more than a few of our readers who are as "art illiterate" as me, I will just post some of the pictures of the pieces that moved me.

The Denial of St. Peter, c. 1623 by Gerrit van Honthorst struck me with his dramatically night lit scene.

There were many beautiful depictions of Mary and Jesus, but this is one of my favorites which shows a visit from His cousin, St John the Baptist. It is fun to realize that Jesus enjoyed his family as much as we enjoy ours!

Ah, an artist that even this amatueur art lover is familiar with ... Rembrandt's Lucretia c. 1666 depicts a sad and solemn Roman noblewoman as she takes her life to preserve the honor of her family.

Thanks to the blog of our fellow RV friends, The Jacobsons' Journey, we both became familiar with the artist Georgia O'Keeffe. Doug spotted one of her paintings, Chestnut Tree - Gray. Wow ... he is becoming quite the "art know-it-all"!

As we strolled through the museum we enjoyed sculptures dating back to the birth of Christ ... 

as well as some fun modern creations.

We studied some greatly detailed paintings ...

and enjoyed the fun of the totally abstract ...

Yes, the Minneapolis Institute of Art has something for just about everyone ...

OK, maybe I have pressed my luck a little too much ... time to find Doug something that he can really relate to ...

LTD Brewing is located at the end of the bike path in Hopkins. Time to continue to Live The Dream ... I'm sure Michelangelo would have loved to join us if he could!

Until next time ... Live Your Dream ... and enjoy the adventures in your life!

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