When my husband, Bobby, and I planned to do a day trip with his former co-worker, Linda Hall and her husband, Jon, we hadn’t set any specific plans in place. (Jon and Linda are also the creators of Walking Ohio with Jon and Linda Hall.) The week before our scheduled outing, Linda contacted us with the suggestion of going to the Cleveland Museum of Art and a meal at nearby Little Italy. I couldn’t remember if I had ever been to the museum and honestly, it never really was on my radar as a place to visit. Boy, am I glad she made the suggestion. I didn’t realize what I had been missing so relatively close to home.
First thing you should know, when you visit the Cleveland Museum of Art, you have to pay for parking, but admission to the museum is free — unless you are visiting one of their special exhibits. We opted to just visit the free portion of the museum. But understand when I say “just” I am not saying we didn’t have our breath taken away by what we saw.
For those of you who have been coming to my website, you might remember that last summer Bobby and I went to New York City with my sister, Randi and her husband, Shaun. While we were there we went to the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was big deal for me to see a real live Monet. Well, at the Cleveland Museum of Art there is a huge water lily painting by Monet. It caught me by surprise and took my breath away.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. When we parked in the parking garage and then climbed the stairs up to the mezzanine of the museum, I had no idea what I would be walking into. There is a covered courtyard that joined the buildings that represent the art museum together. I guess in years past it was open to the elements. Now, we were able to sit in a climate controlled atrium and investigate the museum map to determine where to start our visit. We grabbed a snack at the Provenance Cafe and took in the beauty of the atrium. We just got chips and water — well and a decadent brownie. But you can get Asian food or burgers or pizza, all cooked in front of you at the cafe.
As a group, we all had different types of art we wanted to see. I definitely wanted to see Monet, so we were going to head to the Impressionism gallery. Bobby wanted to make sure he saw the Salvador Dali that the museum has on display. He was also interested in the photography display by Danny Lyons. He photographed the Destruction of Lower Manhattan which took place in the 1960’s. Linda was interested in viewing the Renaissance and Medieval areas. Jon, I think, was open to anything, although he encouraged us to step out on the West and East Terraces. He said it was similar to The Getty in Los Angeles. Except that at The Getty you can see the sprawling city of L.A. below the terrace there. In Cleveland, you get a slight view of the city and the museum’s lawn.
Once our path was planned, we started our adventure of exploring the works of art. While we viewed the paintings, sculptures and photographs, I definitely found that I was drawn to the paintings that portrayed reality — or things that I could recognize. While some of the impressionist were interesting, they didn’t hold my attention for too long. Although, I still do like Monet’s work, I found that the artwork of actual people drew me in. I was amazed at the artists’ abilities to capture expressions and depth of light and shadows that we see in photos everyday, through their brushes and paints.
The vastness of the museum was also striking. I think there is every kind of art at the museum. While the newer, or should I say Contemporary, art was interesting, I wasn’t moved by it as I was by the extraordinary paintings that have existed for centuries. I think that is the point of art. While one kind of style might not appeal to me, it appeals to another person. And the Cleveland Museum of Art has something for everyone.
Another thing that I never thought of as art, but now look at totally differently, is the pottery through the ages. We saw serving dishes and casserole pots that depicted the hunt of game that would eventually end up in the dish. We saw figurines and teapots. Furniture and rugs were also on display. The craftsmanship it took to make some of these things — intricate weavings and etchings and carvings — were amazing. There was an elephant tusk that was carved into a cross that depicted the lowering of Jesus into the waiting arms of Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. Every little detail seemed to be captured in the carving, including the discarded nails and the holes in his arms and feet. While I was sort of saddened that the artist used an Elephant Tusk to do the carving, I had to remind myself that in the days that the carving was made, that use of medium was acceptable. And whether you liked it or not, you can definitely appreciate the artistry and skill it took to accomplish the task.
As I write this, I am surprised by how much I want to return to the museum. Maybe I’ll do that and just sit in front of Monet’s water lily painting. Or maybe I’ll get a refreshment and just take in the atrium. Or maybe I’ll explore the rooms that I missed in my first visit to the museum. I guess what I do doesn’t matter, it is the fact that I can have access to these masterpieces in Cleveland, Ohio. And you can too.
