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. […]
Exploring Laguna Beach’s Festival of the Arts
We’ve explored the Pageant of the Masters here at the Art Docent Program blog, but we’ve never dove into its sister event, the Festival of the Arts. The two events occur at the same complex in Laguna Beach, with the Festival of the Arts open to Pageant patrons to peruse. In its 85th year, the […]
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 […]
Art Shop: Do Art-Inspired Items Add or Detract from the Work?
So you can’t own your own piece by Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dalí, or Vincent Van Gogh: that seems to be a right reserved for today’s elite. But what if you could own a piece that’s straight out of your favorite painting? In recent years, we’ve seen many different items inspired by famous pieces of art. […]
Dynamic Duo: Klimt & Rodin Take San Francisco
The works of Gustav Klimt, in all their gilded glory, are coming to the Bay Area en masse for the first time. But they won’t be alone. Works by the artist best known as a “Vienna Secessionist” will join many of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco’s pieces by Rodin, creating a larger exhibition […]
Still Life Paintings: The Original #Foodstagrams
Still life paintings were one of the most popular genres of the 17th century and have only grown in popularity since. The sheer amount of still life paintings produced in the Low Countries (present-day Netherlands, Belgium, etc.) numbers to hundreds of thousands, with many still uncatalogued. Why so many? In addition to serving a quasi-religious […]
You Can Add to this Library of Sketchbooks
The phrase “The Sketchbook Library” sounds like a book title (specifically, the next big Elizabeth Kostova [or, if you imagined hard, possibly Dan Brown] novel. Honestly, it doesn’t matter–either one of those would make for an awesome read.) But for once in life, real life may have beaten the authors to the idea. The Brooklyn […]
Exploring Museums Online with Google Maps: Cheap Summer Fun
Looking to visit a world-class museum this summer with the family, but halted as soon as you saw the airfare prices? We’ve all been there. International, and at this point even domestic, travel comes with a huge price tag, especially for families. Is there a way to have cheap summer fun that also builds up […]