One-Stop Holiday Shopping: Your Local Museum Store?
Looking for a unique place to find a Christmas gift for the art-lover in your life? (Or, let’s face it, a special gift for yourself?) Here’s a thought: try your local museum shop. Despite criticism by Banksy (whose film is derisively titled Exit Through the Gift Shop) and others, museum shops often serve a vital purpose: […]
“Loving Vincent,” The World’s First Oil-Painted Feature Film, Is Here (And It’s Stunning)
The world’s first feature film illustrated completely in oil paint is here…and, fittingly, it’s all about Vincent Van Gogh. Loving Vincent brings Vincent Van Gogh’s death—and the more mysterious bits surrounding his life—to life, through the medium which he is most known for. The film is one hour and thirty-five minutes of exclusively oil-painted illustration, in […]
Kids’ Art Reads: The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
You’d probably expect that the author of From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler would be able to write more than one stellar book featuring works of art at its center. And that’s true of E.L. Konigsburg. While From the Mixed-Up Files is a classic, it’s only one of Konigsburg’s novels in which art figures prominently. […]
Celebrating The Art & Icons of Día de los Muertos
In recent years, the Mexican holiday Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, has become increasingly popular. Simply look to the sheer amount of decor at Target or Pier 1 Imports: you’ll find sugar skulls and smiling skeletons in among the Halloween ghouls. Even Disneyland has an entire area of Frontierland decorated to celebrate […]
Kinesthesia & More at the Palm Springs Art Museum
In our last blog post, we mentioned Palm Springs Art Museum’s participation in Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA. After taking a look at the museum’s website, we figured we’d get started in exploring as many of the LA/LA exhibits as we can…starting with Palm Springs. Luckily for us, the museum proved a great place to ease in to […]
Time to Check Out “Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA”
First of all, let’s get this out of the way: no, LA/LA isn’t related to La La Land in any way besides the fact that the art show is also centered in Los Angeles. If you don’t live in Southern California, you might not have heard about the huge exhibition, Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA, currently taking place […]
Going for Baroque at the Norton Simon Museum
Odds are that you’re already familiar with Pasadena’s Norton Simon Museum, even if you’re not aware of it. Though you may not recognize it without the big rose emblem that generally adorns the building’s exterior during TV broadcasts of the annual New Year’s Day Rose Parade, the Norton Simon’s convenient location on Colorado Boulevard sets […]
Fun for All Ages with the National Gallery of Art’s Art Zone
The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. is renowned for its collection, as we’re all aware. But there’s now even more to be excited about, both inside and outside the museum. Our Head Director of the Art Docent Program, Amy Scherschligt, recently got to experience the NGA’s magic firsthand on a trip to D.C. […]
Audubon’s “Birds of America” Illustrations are Now Online
As the world becomes progressively more digital, we here at the Art Docent Program have been covering more and more stories about art going digital. Collections at places like the Met are now available online, and Google Maps even has a tool that can take you right inside some museums. The Audubon Society’s updated website […]
High Art on Lowriders at the Petersen’s Latest Exhibit
The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles is celebrating unique pieces of high art on what might at first seem like unlikely canvases: lowrider cars. Opened last month, The High Art of Riding Low: Ranflas, Corazón e Inspiración is currently running through July of next year. The exhibit celebrates lowrider culture and, according to the […]