Listening to art

[ceitfianna]

Today I spent two hours in the University of Michigan Museum of Art to help some fellow SI folks with a project but it ended up being just what I needed. Yesterday I sent off another job application and this morning woke to feeling afraid that perhaps I'm setting my goals too high. I decided when I went to the museum that I would keep myself open and hopeful as I've been falling too easily into spirals of doubting myself. I'm so glad I did go, because as with every museum, I found pieces I'd forgotten, saw new ones and remembered the power of beauty.

There's a quote I want to use for this entry from Rosanne Cash's Composed that I recently finished about how we need music and art, but I can't seem to find it. That's how I feel today, I feel like I stepped back to when I sat quietly in meeting and found a measure of peace. Today I walked through a museum and I opened myself to beauty and hope.

One painting that I kept coming back to was of Abraham Lincoln as a young boy reading by a fire, it reminded me of what I wish to do. I want to find those children who aren't sure about reading and get them excited, I want to open doors to other worlds.

Below the cut I'm going to put an image of the painting as it connected with me and I want to share it.

Comments

[innerbrat]

Wow, that's a beautiful painting.

[ceitfianna]

It's even better in person as its right near the foot of some stairs and has wonderful light.

I took some pictures of it but even those don't really capture it.

[bjornwilde]

That is a lovely piece!

I miss going to art shows. The wife and I went to a recent showing on Impressionists and the spawn just motored through. We tried to get her to slow down and appreciate each piece but she wanted to see everything now!

I loved her enthusiasm even if it did mean I couldn't examine each piece closely.

[ceitfianna]

You might see if the local museum's have kid's programs to teach her how to think about and approach art or even look into a hands on museum. Then she can enjoy them but you might also see about ways to get to them with your wife as museums are fairly cheap ways to have time to yourself.

Ann Arbor has so many museums but I forget about them, this was a wonderful reminder of how happy they make me.