Author: Linda

If you are visiting the St. Petersburg area in Florida, you will want to see the Dali Museum. Created by A. Reynolds and Eleanor R. Morse over a 40 year period, 96 of Dali’s oil paintings are the basis for this outstanding collection. The Morses were friends with Gala and Salvador Dali from the early 1940s through the 1970s and their collection has examples of work from every period of Dali’s career. Today, the collection has more than 2,100 pieces and an archival library devoted to Dali’s works.
 

The Morses wanted to donate their entire collection to an art museum but because of the restrictions of their gift, museums shied away from their collection.  Community leaders of the city of St Petersburg offered to build a museum and care for the collection. The museum was opened in 1982. The collection found a new home in 2011, in a museum designed by Yann Weymouth. The museum’s architectural staircase is the focal point and center of the museum, and references Dali’s obsession with spirals and the double helix shape of the DNA code.
 

In 1943, the Morses purchased their very first Dali painting in New York: “Daddy Longlegs of the Evening-Hope!” (1943). It was also the first painting Dali completed in New York after fleeing Europe. Melting oozing figures–the artist playing a defunct cello, a plane on the ground and a child retracting to the horrors of war, are the many images and symbols to be analyzed in this iconic work. No wonder the Morses felt Dali’s work was remarkable.
 

A very large, extraordinary painting that takes one’s breath away is titled, “Gala Contemplating the Mediterranean Sea which at Twenty Meters Becomes the Portrait of Abraham Lincoln (Homage to Rothko).” At first glance, this painting is an abstract work focusing on Gala’s back, the  sun in the sky with boxes of colors in the background. Approached from different angles, one sees a large image of Abraham Lincoln looking out from the painting. Bearing Dali’s trademark wit, it is brilliant and kitschy at the same time.
 

This premiere collections features many wonderful, large paintings and historically important works. The gift shop is terrific, you can find something for everyone. Don’t miss the Dali designed jewerly and the perfume bottles (https://www.artprivee.org/private-museums-and-foundations/north-america/united-states/st-petersburg/dali-museum/).

If you like glass, be sure to check out the Chihuly Collection at the Morean Arts Center not far from the Dali Musem (www.moreanartscenter.org/content.php?id=90).
 

Visiting Rob Pruitt in his large studio in Brooklyn was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday morning.
 
Pruitt was warm and articulate explaining to us his own “art history” and how he started using Panda imagery in his works. As a boy, Pruitt would often visit the Washington, D.C. Zoo with his father and look at the Pandas—that sweet image has stayed with him and appears frequently in his work.
 
In one of my photographs, Pruitt is standing in front of a compilation of smaller versions of every picture that he has painted of Pandas.
 
As for the colored background with happy faces, it is a 2 step process. Pruitt sprays the background of the canvas in glowing colors. He uses plain “Staples” paper and draws many, many faces, and when he likes an image that he has drawn, he then transfers it onto the canvas.
 
As we were leaving, we walked in front of a multicolored dinosaur on our way out… a lovely ending to a morning with art.

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San Francisco is a beautiful city and it is expanding culturally in many exciting ways. The SFJAZZ Center just opened in a $64 million performance space—the first stand-alone building designed for jazz in this country. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art will be closed for two years beginning in June in order to add 235,000 square feet of space to house the Fisher Collection.

Private Collections at SFMOMA

For more than 35 years, Donald and Doris Fisher, the founders of Gap, amassed a collection of over 1,000 works by contemporary artists. The Fisher family has arranged a long-term loan of their extraordinary collection to the museum for the next 100 years. The collection, previously housed at the Gap headquarters, includes prominent artists such as Gerhard Richter, Richard Serra, and Andy Warhol. While the museum is closed, SFMOMA will be showing their collection at other Bay Area venues.

On view now, the spectacular exhibition “Don’t Be Shy, Don’t Hold Back: The Logan Collection at SFMOMA” features works by Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons and Ed Ruscha. This exhibition of nearly 40 works from the 1960s to the 1990s celebrates the 15th anniversary of Vickie and Kent Logan’s gift of some 330 works of art from their collection.

The Fraenkel Gallery: “Unphotographable”

The Fraenkel Gallery is presenting a glorious show titled “Unphotographable.” It features artists such as Hiroshi Sugimoto, Alfred Stieglitz, Sophie Calle, and Tom Friedman. The standout artist for me was Idris Khan. His large photograph referencing CyTwombly’s blackboard circular painting is memorable. The concept of the show is that there are some things that one can never capture in a photograph. It is a remarkable show.

Berggruen Gallery: “The Picture Collection”

Taryn Simon’s show at the Bergguen Gallery is worth a visit. There are two floors filled with her photographs. The show’s title, “The Picture Collection” is based on the images she sourced from the New York Public Library’s picture clipping files. As a former librarian who worked at the New York Public Library, I was very much drawn to these works.

More San Francisco Adventures

The Paris-based collective’s exhibition, “Claire Fontaine: Redemptions,” at Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts in San Francisco—a small gallery with a big wallop—takes over the gallery in a HUGE way.

When we visited the Asian Art Museum it was between shows, waiting for the “China’s Terracotta Warriors” show to open (February 22 to May 27th). There were enough works from their collection on view to be amazed at how the Asian Art Museum enhances the city and how well the museum is curated.

The newly opened SFJAZZ Center is the place to go to listen to jazz. The building was only opened a month ago and it was a great experience listening to Dave Holland and Kenny Barron together in this incredible venue. There was no bad seat in the house. After the concert, I would recommend The Hayes Street Grill for a delicious dinner.

Nothing is nicer on a beautiful Saturday morning than to walk to the Ferry Building to see all the fabulous food products from the surrounding Bay Area. From pork sandwiches to sprouted beans and seeds, there is something for everyone. Another fun activity in the city is taking a stroll on Fillmore Street and walking in and out of the many boutiques. A favorite for lunch is Via Veneto for a lovely pasta and a glass of wine.

San Francisco offers so much to its visitors—endless vistas, delicious food, fascinating art, and great music. Search our Directory for more private art collections and museums in California and around the world!

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The Barnes collection is so visually rich and dense with masterpieces that one can barely navigate all the rooms without feeling “art dizzy.”

Since its move to downtown Philadelphia, art lovers are flocking to see this amazing collection. The new building, designed by architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, created a gorgeous exterior to house a mammoth interior collection of 800 paintings, plus iron works, antique furniture and accessories. The rules of the move were that the art had to be hung in the exact same manner that Dr. Albert C. Barnes dictated when the Barnes Collection was first built in 1922.

As one travels from room to room one can be overwhelmed by the many, many masterpieces. Some of the highlights of the Collection are:

In the Main Room
Look for Paul Cezanne’s, The Card Player and George’s Seuart’s Models.

In Room 2
You can find Vincent van Gogh’s, The Postman.

In Room 14
You will see Henri Rousseau’s, Attacked by a Tiger.

Room 19 houses Pablo Picasso’s
Acrobat and Young Harlequin.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s, Leaving the Conservatory can be found in Room 23.

The Barnes Collection
Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday: 9:30 am – 6 pm, Friday 9:30 am – 10 pm, Tuesday Closed.

A short walk across the street from the Barnes Collection, you will find the Rodin Museum, which houses a collection of 150 pieces by sculptor Auguste Rodin. Jules E. Mastbaum collected these works over a period of years, ultimately donating both the museum and art works in 1929 to the city of Philadelphia. Newly renovated after 3 years of work on the building, gardens and gallery, this museum is a jewel and I highly recommend a visit.

The Rodin Museum
Hours: Wednesday-Monday, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m, Tuesday Closed
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Early risers may have an advantage when planning a day trip to Crystal Bridges from the New York area.
 
Ben Whine, the head of The Patron Circle of the Guggenheim Museum, planned a perfect day trip for its members (bwhine@guggenheim.org). We woke up with the sun to catch the morning United flight from Newark, and arrived a few hours later at the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport. After a 30 minute ride, we found ourselves immersed in a structural and artistic marvel. Alice Walton, daughter of Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club founder Sam Walton, created Crystal Bridges and open the museum in 2011. Walton funds the museum with an $800 million dollar endowment from the The Walton Family Foundation.
 
The museum collection emphasizes American Art and spans five centuries, featuring many iconic pieces such as George Washington (ca. 1780-1782) by Charles Wilson Peale, Asher Durand’s, Kindred Spirits (1849) and Rosie the Riveter (1943) by Norman Rockwell. My personal favorite is Dolly Parton (1985) by Andy Warhol — with her big blond hair and red lips, she represents the warmth and sweetness of the South.
 
I was immediately stunned by the architecture of the museum — a knockout in every way. The glass, stone, and wood structure was designed by architect Moshe Safdie. It is situated on Crystal Springs, which acts as a beautiful mirror reflecting the building in the water. Large curved glass windows are a prominent feature throughout the buildings and one sees nature — water, trees and sky, at every angle.
 
The pavillion in which we had lunch quickly became my favorite. Eleven, the restaurant at Crystal Bridges, is the “center core” of the surrounding structures. Enveloped by walls made of curved glass, we ate lunch while admiring the wooden beams that arched across the ceiling. Eleven is spectacular in every way.
After viewing the art in the interior of the museum, we took a walk on the Crystal Bridges’ Art Trail, ending up at the site-specific commission by James Turrell, The Way of Color (2009.) This “Skyspace” is a circular stone building with an opening at the top through which to marvel at the sky. It is a delight to sit on a bench and watch the sky’s shifting colors and shapes. On the way back to the airport, we stopped in Bentonville and visited the Walmart Visitor Center that one enters by walking through the original 5&10 which Sam Walton opened in 1950. The Visitors Center highlights Walton’s business life, even displaying his iconic 1979 Ford F 150 pickup truck.
 
Many goodies will tempt you as you exit the Visitors Center. Of course, I could not resist buying Made in America, Sam Walton’s autobiography. This entrepreneur’s guiding principles of life are to “Work very hard and live below your means.”
 
Walmart Visitors Center is free and is open 6:30 am – 9:00 pm Monday-Saturday and 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm on Sunday. (105 N. Main Street, Bentonville, AR)
 
Crystal Bridges is open Monday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday from11 am to 6 pm, and Wednesday Friday from 11 am to 9 pm. (www.crystalbridges.org, 600 Museum Way, Bentonville AR, 72712)
 
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Crystal Bridges
600 Museum Way
Bentonville, AR
72712
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The Panza collection is a study in contrasts. Old and new, classical and contemporary – the collection’s dichotomies offer an interesting space for the art lover to explore.
 
The Minimal art collection of Giuseppe Panza is housed in a 17th century villa in Varese, Italy. As one walks through the villa, works by minimal artists David Simpson, Phil Sims, Ruth Ann Fredenthal, Robert Therrien and Max Cole hang in baroque rooms, some of which were designed in the 19th century. Massive crystal chandeliers, patterned marble floors, and frescos from the mid 18th century adorn the rooms of the villa as well as the private family chapel.
 
The real surprise is the added gallery space built to house the installation by well-known contemporary artists such as James Turrell, Robert Irwin and Dan Flavin. This gallery has the largest collection of continuously exhibited works by Dan Flavin. These artists’ site-specific installations are a tribute to the legacy of Giuseppe Panza, who had the brilliance to recognize how important these works were in the context of mid-20th century contemporary art history.
 
I suggest buying an exceptional book by Giuseppe Panza, Memoirs of a Collector. It describes Panza’s life and his love affair with America and American art in the most beautiful and elegant way. The book also showcases 37 pages of colorful plates that show the interior and exterior of the villa as well as the garden and fountain. The photographs of the rooms give one a real sense of what an incredible experience it is to visit the Villa.
 
The Villa also houses a lovely restaurant, Luce, which I would suggest you try. If you would like to explore the old town of Varese, you could eat at Ristorante Teatro near the Duomo. The old town area is charming, offering an array of international boutiques as well as delicious coffee houses for your post-art-viewing enjoyment.
 
Ristorante Teatro (Closed Tuesdays. Via Carlo Croce, 3, Varese 21100, +39 332 24.11.24)
 
The Panza Collection (www.visitfai.it/dimore/villapanza, Hours: Open Tuesday – Sunday from 10am-6 pm. Admission: Adults 8 Euros; Children and Students 3 Euros.)
 
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Collezione Panza
Piazza Litta, 1
Varese,
Italy
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