Be Inspired (or Re-Inspired) by the Exhibits Featured at Atlanta’s High Museum of Art
Thursday, February 18th, 2010
By Nikki D. Bosompem.
This was my first visit to the High Museum of Art since I was a small girl and it’s been 20 years since I stepped over its threshold. I have always wanted to go back to the High (as we Atlantans call it) because my experiences were enthralling but as adulthood ensued, I never made the time. I was born in the 70’s, raised during the 80’s. I was bathed in culture with such exhibits featured at the High like the “China Exhibit” in which I can recall a memory of a huge card-catalog – like box filled with drawers of Asian spices one could pull out and sniff. During field trips we frequented the museum when the “Sensations” exhibit came and we would stick our hands in holes filled with various items to heighten sensory awareness. Not knowing what was at the end of that hole was what kept us loving when “Sensations” was at the High. My early contact with the High garnered life-long memories and now it was time for me to pass some of that on to my four-year-old and my girlfriend’s 15 year old daughter.
Therefore, on a day in late January, the three of us trudged through the cold and drizzle in search of artistic displays that could warm us at least visually and aesthetically. After checking our coats, (which is free!) paying the for the ticket (only $18, and tickets were buy one get one free on that day) the enthusiastic guide handed me a map of the museum and asked us, with even more enthusiasm if we were going to see the Leonardo da Vinci Exhibit which was one of the featured attractions and one of the artists recently covered in my young friend’s art class. We headed up to the second floor of the immaculate space and made our way to see what gifts the great Italian artists and scientist left behind for us.
We were all excited to see authentic pieces of the work of the one of the most famous artists in the world. The da Vinci Exhibit, which will be at the High until February 21st, contained about 50 works but boasted only 20 pieces that were actually done by the hand of the artist himself. Most of these were drawings done in the early stages of his career. At that time, according to the information written on the wall signs next to the pieces, da Vinci was very interested in horses and equestrian arts and many of the pieces displayed exemplified that. One of the most impressive features of the exhibit were the huge statues made by Giovan Francesco Rustici, giving evidence to the influence Leonardo da Vinci had on the younger artists following him. Moving through the exhibit, we could see three stages of Leonardo da Vinci’s career: the beginning, when he himself was a student, the phase when he was perfecting his craft as a sculptor, and finally, as a teacher, when artists inspired by him learned from his expertise and benefitted from his guidance.
The High had so much to offer that the different exhibits felt as if they would never end! As soon as we thought we might be done discovering, we stumbled upon more to see. Our observations ranged from the John Portman Exhibit on Art and Architecture showing models of buildings from around the world to paintings highlighting local culture by Hale Woodruff featuring the consequences of erecting “housing projects” like Hearndon Homes on Northside Drive. A beautifully colorful and moving political piece, the painting entitled, “Results of Good Housing,” speaks to the era in American history when housing projects were seen as the solution for the poor (which equaled out to blacks) to receive adequate places to live during the Depression. In actuality, this undertaking further pushed blacks into the bondages of racism and stereotyping. Right now, Hearndon Homes is being demolished for many good reasons. One of the positive effects will be eradicating racial scars of the past.
Some of the most amazing paintings were of the Civil War era from the American Art exhibit. On the walls were expansive portraits depicting the beautiful landscapes of the southern most regions of America. The beauty of the pictures contrasted with the desolation of deserted farms and plantation houses as the War swept through the land and the slaves ran for freedom.
The African Exhibit featured many different examples of the rich culture of the African peoples and was refreshing after viewing paintings that were both pleasing to the eye and painful reminders of a shameful past the Civil War can evoke. My daughter, whose father is from Ghana, was excited to observe pieces from his home land and we marveled over huge masks made from wood used by the Bwa peoples from Burkina Faso. Pieces from Nigeria, the Congo, Rwanda, and the Ivory Coast were also proudly displayed.
After three hours and complaints from my daughter that her feet were hurting, I turned to my friend and asked her if she was ready to leave. She looked at me, gave me a hug, and told me she was glad we came. She said she learned a lot and that she was anxious to get to school to let her art teacher know how much she had learned over the weekend. I asked my daughter what she liked the most as we left the building and she said, “The Ghana stuff.”
The visit made an impression on all of us and definitely made me realize that going to the High is a great way to instill knowledge and culture within us without even leaving the city. Take an afternoon, grab a friend or co-worker and check out all the wonders the High Museum of Art has waiting for you.
Tags: Art, Atlanta, Exhibition, exposition, Galleries, museums, Nikki D. Bosompem
More articles by Nikki D. Bosompem
