Russian Art and History Intrigue at The Museum of Russian Art in Minneapolis

Russian Art and History Intrigue at The Museum of Russian Art in Minneapolis

The Museum of Russian Art in Minneapolis opened up to us quite the treasure trove of Russian and Soviet art on exhibit. None of us were too familiar with Russian art, so we were really unsure of what to expect. After leaving, I can say that The Museum of Russian Art is one of our favorite museums. We loved the art and the layout! We also learned so much!

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Large Scale Art Inspires at Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

**Disclosure: Thank you to Visit Roseville for hosting our incredible visit to Roseville, Minnesota! Views are 100% my own.

The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden looked absolutely stunning on our visit during a bright and sunny day. The beautiful skies and intriguing sculptures beckoned for exploration.

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Get Behind The Arts Weekend Celebrating Local Art in Kenosha and Racine, Wisconsin

**Disclosure: Thank you to Visit Kenosha for accommodating my stay in order to bring a detailed review of Get Behind the Arts to my readers. Views are 100% my own.

Kenosha and Racine, Wisconsin are nestled along the mesmerizing shores of Lake Michigan both having vibrant local art communities. Local artists breathe quite a bit of spirit into the community and serve as a vital part of the fabric making the area unique. Together, Kenosha and Racine invite the public each year to meet their artists, learn about their methods and even peek into their studios during the Get Behind the Arts weekend. We spent last weekend immersed in Get Behind the Arts and left with new appreciation of the creative forces in Kenosha and Racine. The weekend was full of creativity, ingenuity and inspiration!

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Elmhurst Art Museum

Last Friday, my husband and I took advantage of the Elmhurst Art Museum's Free First Fridays to explore the suburban museum's current exhibitions. On our visit, we were fortunate to enjoy the Hebru Brantley exhibit "Forced Field" towards the end of its run. "Forced Field" centered around Brantley's character Flyboy so it really spoke to children as well as adults.

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Inspiration at the Racine Art Museum

Racine Art Museum located footsteps away from Lake Michigan in Racine, Wisconsin holds a truly impressive amount of art. We capitalized on a recent gray day to explore the museum. Since this was our second visit, we were quite surprised by how many different pieces from the museum's collections were on display. The museum was entirely transformed and ready to inspire us! We were fortunate to visit during the holiday season, so did enjoy the treat of viewing the tree!

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Working with Glass at Patterson Glassworks in Mundelein, Illinois

Patterson Glassworks in Mundelein, Illinois offers hands-on experiences creating glass art. The hot glass studio offers classes, open houses and team building. Of course, the local artists create fabulous glass art as well! The studio provides the community with an incredible opportunity to understand how glass art is made not only by seeing it in action but trying it as well.

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Exploring Colored Squid Gallery in Barrington, Illinois

We had some time to spare on a recent to visit to Barrington, so we made a visit to a new to us gallery -- Colored Squid Gallery.  Colored Squid Gallery is an amazing cache of artisan items made locally and across the USA.

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Origami in the Garden Enchants at The Morton Arboretum

The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois treats visitors to a stunning new Origami in the Garden exhibit. The exhibit weaves incredible metal renditions of origami art into scenic natural surroundings. The event features 25 large scale metal sculptures based upon folded paper creations.

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The Artsmiths of Pittsburgh

On our road trips east to New Jersey, we often find ourselves spending a little time in Pittsburgh. The city has quickly become one our favorite cities to explore. The city itself is striking especially from a perch upon Mount Washington where you can soak up the skyline surrounded by rivers and bridges.

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Art in Nature Nocturne at Crabtree Nature Center in Barrington, IL

This weekend certainly was as picture perfect as they can be in late October -- great temperatures and plenty of sun! Late Saturday afternoon we capitalized on the weather and visited Crabtree Nature Center for the Art in Nature Nocturne Event.

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Exploring Art Through Observation and Action at Tacoma Art Museum

Vibrant and intricate Chihuly Glass Art

The Tacoma Art Museum lives right on the other side of the Chihuly Bridge of Glass from the Museum of Glass. The proximity of the two provides for a lovely day of igniting your creative flame! With a mission of connecting people through art, the TAM infuses engaging exhibits with elements inspiring full sensory exploration.

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Two Days Exploring Lovely Tacoma, Washington {for Families}

We kicked off our summer vacation with a visit to beautiful Tacoma, Washington! Nestled on Puget Sound, we uncovered a city affording picturesque views along with a wide variety of family activities. Two days exploring, investigating, wandering and tasting revealed some real treasures! This week I will be sharing our discoveries. We were simply wowed by the city and found it to be an ideal location for a family trip to Washington!

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Wednesday Weekend Windup {A Country Fair, Art,Birds, Pizza and More}

Summer, summer, summertime! If you are like me, you are spending a good chunk of your days thinking about summer weekend fun! Here are my local picks for the weekend:

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Art Walk Throughout Naperville

Naperville Riverwalk

On its own, the Naperville Riverwalk provides for a charming meander along the DuPage River. While walking along the Riverwalk, you will quickly discover more of Naperville's charm. Threaded throughout the village are works of art including mosaics, statues, reliefs, murals and more. These pieces comprise Naperville's Century Walk, a public art initiative which began in 1996.

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Skokie Northshore Sculpture Park

Isolation #5 by Sharon Loper

Sunny weather and delightful temperatures last weekend provided us with an ideal afternoon to visit the Skokie Northshore Sculpture Park. The park began in the 1980's as a mechanism to mitigate a neglected stretch of land along the north channel of the Chicago River. Together, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the Village of Skokie and concerned citizens worked together to rehabilitate the area creating not only a recreational space with jogging and biking paths and benches but also a space to display large scale sculptures. Today, the cultural treasure is home to over 60 sculptures.

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Beautiful Views of Pittsburgh

As I end my series on Pittsburgh, I am reflecting on the beauty of the city. Pittsburgh has long been one of my favorite cities aesthetically. The city thrives at the confluence of the Mongongahela and Allegheny Rivers---forming the Ohio River. Water views and glorious bridges throughout create spectacular scenes!

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Family Visit to the Museum of Contemporary Art

On our recent trip to Chicago, we ventured into the Museum of Contemporary Art for the first time. None of us know too much about contemporary art, so our curiosities were definitely piqued. We wondered if the art would speak to us and I am happy to say that some of the art truly did!

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Inspirational Walk through the Grand Rapids Art Museum

One of the biggest and most pleasant surprises of our Grand Rapids vacation was our discovery of the Grand Rapids Art Museum. The museum is steps away from the downtown hotels, so very convenient for a visit on any trip to Grand Rapids.

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Chicago Athenaeum International Sculpture Park {Hidden Treasure in Schaumburg}

A week ago, my daughter was enjoying a summer camp at Volkening Heritage Park in Schaumburg. Whenever she is in camp, I try to arrive to pick her up a little early so that I can get some walking in before she gets out of camp. On one visit, I spied a sign for the Chicago Athenaeum International Sculpture Park. In all of these years of visiting the farm, I had never seen this sign before, so I was inspired to explore this new discovery.

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Celebrate Local Artists with a Self Guided Art Studio Tour in Racine and Kenosha April 24-26

There is nothing like a trip to a working art studio to show you the creativity and innovation thriving in our country. I love to support local artisans and they really add a particular uniqueness to a community. Whenever I travel, I bring back something that was created in the place that I visited. That way, I bring a piece of that place home with me!

Our neighbors in Wisconsin, Kenosha and Racine have a neat weekend celebration of their local artists coming up April 24-26. The 2015 get bEHIND the aRTS Studio Tour will give visitors access to over 48 studios featuring 90 artists in 22 locations. This tour sounds like pure heaven for all of us that support local art!

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