A museum with a sense of humor
The smiling face of one of the "World's First Family of Robots" on display at the American Visionary Art Museum(Washington Post photo by Mark Gail.)
Scott Weaver’s 100,000 toothpick wonder, "Rolling Through The Bay," part of the “All Things Round: Galaxies, Eyeballs & Karma” exhibit at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore. (Washington Post photo by Mark Gail.)
“Wowww,” said Justin Hudis, 11, of Bethesda, Md., looking through a case of old, rare and just plain adorable dispensers of Pez candies. “I can tell not all of these are from America.”
Hudis had come to the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore with his mother. “It just has a lot of interesting things. Like, where else would you see a dinosaur like that?”
Justin pointed to a large stegosaurus made entirely of “found objects,” or, put another way, trash. It’s just one of the many unusual items at this funky museum that will expand your definition of art — and perhaps of museums!
The museum’s artists are called “visionary” in part because they didn’t go to school to become artists but also because each had some particular inspiration that led to their creativity. “It was something that spoke to them in their life,” explained Nick Prevas of the museum, such as a religious experience or a tragic event. “Or it could be that one day they woke up and found they wanted to do something.”
That last explanation applies to the intricate faces that Mark Swidler carved from plastic-foam cups, which are among the objects on display. Swidler began making the sculptures after he started playing with a cup at a backyard barbecue.
The museum also pays special respect to parents and the role they play in inspiring their kids. Many of the artwork labels at the museum start with information about the artists’ parents!
Other remarkable items include a sculpture of San Francisco made with more than 100,000 toothpicks, clever sculptures that move when handles are cranked and a huge rubber-band ball that isn’t made with rubber bands at all — but with bras. That’s right, the kind your mother wears.
The American Visionary Art Museum has a sense of humor. Kids wouldn’t want to miss some of the non-art elements at the museum, such as the flatulence machine by the restrooms downstairs, the fun-house mirrors upstairs near the restaurant and the wacky and inexpensive gift shop where someone is almost always walking around doing magic tricks.
Chloe Hull, 12, of Baltimore visits a lot of museums but said she had never seen one like this. “It’s really, really cool, and some of the artwork here is really amazing.” She was especially thrilled to find a piece of art titled “Chloe,” by Maryland artist Candy Cummings. It is a colorful, mixed-media sculpture made of numerous dog-related objects that Cummings made for her parents in honor of their beloved dog, Chloe. Cummings gave the dog to her parents and was amazed how much it “transformed their lives,” she said.
As an artist, Cummings said she is excited there is a museum that shows such personal, creative works of art. As a visitor, it’s great to have a place to see them.