January, Week One

For this new year, I did not make any resolutions, but I did set up a fun task for myself: my task this year is to do something artistic each week. The parameters for said task are very broad, and I invite anyone who chances by this blog to join in, either by activity or by comment. Or tutorial. Or suggestions.

Anything goes!

This week's artistic activity was planned last night: The Grad Student, hereafter referred to by her given name Gillian, is home for a couple of days. Gillian is a grad student of museum studies.

Well! That information simply points to the obvious: we must go a' museum-ing while she is in town!

So our plans were laid: hit the Beach Museum of Art, on the campus of Kansas State University, then off to the University Rec Center for some sort of exercise, and then off to lunch to offset any caloric loss we might have incurred at the Rec. (Gillian is the only one in this party who might need to address caloric loss and reclamation; I am in good stead in the no-need-for-reclamation-of-calories department.)

We drove to the Beach Museum, and lo and behold: Closed till January 11th, due to "budget cuts".

Well, that was a big boo, but we had a lightbulb moment (not really: my bank teller had mentioned the Goodenow Museum only a half hour before we read the Closed sign on the Beach Museum...) and we headed across town to the Goodenow Museum.

Guess what? The Goodenow Museum is also closed, for an unspecified time, while they refurbish and also wait for financing.

What to do, what to do? We walked across the parking lot to the Riley County Museum. It was open! And so we entered and spent "a spell" (because isn't that what one says when one is in a county museum?) viewing its exhibits.

The exhibits were not overly remarkable, although they were glimpses of historical Kansas. But they had a rolling pin. I have a rolling pin. They have lots and lots of china and crystal. (So do I, thanks to many generations of genteel descendants.) They have many pianos. (OK, I only have one piano, and it is electric.) But you get my drift. Gillian had some good observations as to what might improve the exhibits and she was not at all critical, she was just pointing out what might "work" better in this little museum.

And that sums up January Week #1 of my art world. Local museums: so-so.

Happy postnote: Andy Warhol Exhibit coming up next week at the Beach Museum.

When it re-opens.