Monday, July 14, 2014

FOURTH OF JULY ADVENTURES IN ART

The Fourth of July brought rain ~ not heavy, but present and annoying.  I opted out of the Parade ~ it is available on the tele anyway, I like it for the crowds of people, which was cut down to at least a third of normal attendance from bright and sunny days.

I hung around, made some salad and computed and wondered if I was going to be going to Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, MA. after all that day or not.  I decided that it was a 50/50 shot and went up to read some of my book which was due at the library on the 11th.

I was just settling into my story when the phone rang and plans were made.  Since I was still in my jammies I had to move without distraction to get ready.  My friend also had to get ready and still make the 20 minute drive to pick me up.  By the time they arrived I was just about ready to step out the door and off to my North County Adventure.

I had only been to the Clark Art once for my birthday back in 1999/2000, never even making the adventure when I lived in Williamstown in 2008 ~ my time in Williamstown was short lived much to my dismay ~ it was a wonderful place to live if you forget the crazy landlord and all that happened there and the ending results ~ but I digress.

When we arrived at the Four Corners in Williamstown (passing by my old house a couple of miles back), instead of going straight up the hill or right on the low road, my friend took a left and then a quick right up a road I had never explored (how???) which intersected at Sloan and  Oblong Roads and led to Cricket Creek Farm.

Cricket Creek Farm is a working Farm with a cute little Farm Store and one where you can watch the workers make cheese, and milk cows.  The Farm Store is unmanned with a basket to leave your money and make your change and there are chickens walking around outside and barns which you can walk into and check out the pigs, calves and cows.  You can also Apprentice at the farm!  Back to basics is the way to go indeed!

It was a bit wet and drippy so we just went in the store before heading up to Williamstown towards our destination.  It was a nice ride ~ we backroaded it until we came out on the "High" Road ~ beyond the High School and Nursing home across from Scott Road ~ now I knew where I was!

The adventure is not always in the destination ~ sometimes it is along the way!  Ours began at the circle.  The driver was like "Where is it?"  I was like "I don't know ~ you are driving." and we both were laughing as we missed our turn (it was the first right off the circle) and had to turn around and go back around to get back to where we began!

There have been some serious updates and development to the Clark Art ~ it was free and open to the Public and packed!  We found parking and walked in a different way than I have been in before which I think added to my confusion when we got into the Museum.

That and everything was not where it was the last time I was there.  With renovations come change and my memory and the new layout were completely different.  I did manage to find everything that my eyes wanted to see.

I love the collections of Sterling and Francine Clark and am very grateful that they have the money and generosity to share their collections with the world!  I am also glad that they own them so I can photograph them!!!

I did learn something new while I was there ~ we had to ask Jeanne and Steve ~ acquaintances whom I visited Larry Lazure's Studio with last year with a group who also had been touring the Museum that day and who I wasn't too shy to ask and they were wonderful to look it up!

Some of the visiting collection was very old ~ listed as BCE which is the politically correct way to say Before Common Era ~ which to me is funny!  This world of ours!  Those I wasn't allowed to photograph but they were amazing vessels and such.  It is amazing to see such wonderfully crafted artifacts in such good condition after thousands of years.  It makes me wonder what has happened to us with our modern technology ~ why can't we make things to last thousands of years anymore?  Why is everything so cheap and disposable???

Anyway ~ we all had a good laugh and went our separate ways and my friend and I continued on through after admiring the new pool and learning there was going to be music and a fireworks show later.  It seemed like a little confusing the layout.

I am not sure if it was because there were so many people or because I came in a different door.  Regardless, we did not want to miss anything so I am sure we saw some things more than one, and I am also sure we did not miss anything!






















I don't know how but after looking again I missed a couple of my favourites!!!  But I do have 20 of my favourites anyway!  I was so overwhelmed with the wondrous beauty by all of these amazing artists that I took pics with my brain instead of my camera!

After we were certain we had seen everything in the main Museum  we hopped on a golf cart and got a ride up the hill to the Contemporary building which also had a Cafe.  There were about 8 or 10 pieces of Sculpture in the gallery from the 60's.  It was a quick walk through which worked out well since they were closing in 10 minutes!

We decided to walk back down ~ hopping on one of their paved walkways down the hill and through the woods.  It was nice.  A very pleasant day indeed!  I could not think of a better way to spend my Fourth of July!

By the time I made it home my son was awake and ready for some grilled hot dogs (and so was I!) I was pleasantly exhausted and happily so!

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