January 2nd, 2012

American Visionary Art Museum, AVAM, The Official National Museum and Education Center for Intuitive, Self-Taught Artistry, Non-Traditional, Outside the Box, Charm City, Baltimore, Maryland

“Visionary Art begins by listening to the inner voices of the soul, and often may not even be thought of as “art” by its creator.”     american visionary art museum

The last time I was in Baltimore, just the buildings caught my attention; I wondered what surprises the inside would bring.  Not disappointed in the least.  I want to go back and see more of it; every piece of art regardless of its size has a story behind it.

American Visionary Art Museum, AVAM, started with a concept and its own visionary, Rebecca Alban Hoffberger, in 1984 as she held the position of Development Director of People Encouraging People, which was a program of the Dept. of Psychiatry at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.

There are several buildings, one of such the 1913 former offices of the Baltimore Copper Paint Co., other building is a historic whiskey factory, Four Roses Whiskey. 

AVAM opened in 1995.  The location is 800 Key Highway, Baltimore, MD, 21230.  Tel. 410-244-1900.  It is easy to find; at the base of Historic Federal Hill, adjacent to the Inner Harbor.

It has the neatest website with all this information and more, www.avam.org.

AVAM is the largest of more than 40 museums and major art environments around the world.

What is Visionary Art?  AVAM’s Mission Statement is: “Visionary art as defined for the purposes of the American Visionary Art Museum refers to art produced by self-taught individuals, usually without formal training, whose works arise from an innate personal vision that revels foremost in the creative art itself.”

This museum is for the whole family; kids would love it.  The main building is recycled mirror, glass and china chards.  It is 3 stories high.  This work is the product of a program started in 2000 by AVAM, which was America’s largest youth-at-risk and youth incarcerated, mosaic apprenticeship program, called “Shining Walls/Shining Youth”.

For obvious reasons, no photos were allowed inside the buildings.  Other exterior walls of buildings show you how “outside the box” AVAM is.

The Mosaic Bus is called “The Gallery A-Go-Go”.  It was created in 1996 by Nancy Josephson.  It is a beacon for visionary art lovers; has traveled from Chicago to Baltimore and it is a mobile mini-museum.

I really do want to go back and see it more in-depth; a tour might be the thing to do.  There is so much to see.  The Museum makes you feel so good inside; happy.

For info. on hours of operation, current exhibits, directions, history, etc. etc., please do visit www.avam.org.  Oh, and guess what?  Over 70 weddings are held at AVAM every year!!

 Note:  Information for my post was taken from the American Visionary Art Museum’s website.

New Year….full of new experiences, expectations…looking forward to it, definitely!!

January 1st, 2012

The Excitement of Putting up the Holiday Decorations; The Dread of Taking Them Down…Already?

I can’t believe it is already that time of the year when the decorations are coming down.  As excited I was to put them up, I dread the thought of taking them down.  I felt much better when visiting Baltimore last Thursday, I went through the neighborhood of  Hampden. 

Some of the decorations have seen better days but they were still hanging on.  It was too bad I did not see them at night, because that is when they “shine”.  If you are interested in seeing some of the photos at night, just put on your search Hampden Christmas Lights Displays to find some sites with great pictures.

Hampden is located northwest of the city of Baltimore, Maryland.  It was originally settled as a community for workers in the mills many years ago.  Since then, artists have discovered it; restaurants and shops, as well.  Their website is www.hampdenmerchants.com.

During the Holidays, this neighborhood is the talk of the state.  People from all over come to see the decorations on 34th St.  Get it? As in Miracle on 34th St.  The Christmas lights displays begin at dusk until 11 p.m.  On Christmas Eve they stay on all night.  The actual location is the 700 block of 34th St., between Keswick Rd and Chestnut St.  Check them out next year.

When I saw all the decorations, all I could think was where the heck to they store all this stuff?

The first one that attracted my attention was the “palm tree”. 

Someone loved National Bohemian Beer.  The Natty Boh was originally brewed in Baltimore, Maryland.  The iconic face; the “official beer” of Baltimore. 

But, my favorite was the hubcap tree. 

The Manger did not stay far behind, either.

My decorations usually do not come down until the end of next week-end.  Even though my kids are grown up, I still observe one of the most beloved traditional and religious holidays in Puerto Rico; Three Kings Day.  After that, they do come down fast.

Happy New Years Day!!