Thought and emotion (Week 20)
"I derive genuine pleasure from touching great works of art. As my fingertips trace line and curve, they discover the thought and emotion which the artist has portrayed."
If a blind person like Helen Keller can find value in visiting a gallery or museum, who in the world cannot? Maybe even me! So, rather than wait 'til my next European vacation for some cultural exploration, I spent the week touring some of the countless museums and galleries in Victoria. By the end, I too felt like I'd connected with some thoughts and emotions.
I started with a family trip to the BC Provincial Museum, which included the museum itself and a pretty fantastic IMAX film called The Great Bear Rain Forest. Stunning stuff. Next day it was the Robert Bateman Centre, home to the ultra-realistic nature artist's finest works housed in Victoria's old steamship terminal. On the third day, I was off to the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, which is attached to the beautiful Spencer Mansion. There, I lost myself in a mystic collection of Emily Carr paintings, and some Group of Seven works that included an iconic Lawren Harris landscape.
There's more to doing stuff like this than just being a tourist in your own town. Studies have shown that visiting galleries and museums can boost your health and wellbeing. Feelings of optimism and hope begin to swell, you feel more connected to your community and less isolated. The serene environments turn up the calm while turning down the anxiety. I can vouch for all of those.
Museums take it a notch further for me. There's a chance for learning and the feeling that you're building some serious brain power. I stopped in at the Maritime Museum of British Columbia, where I dove into the seafaring history of the province. I even picked up a book by my friend and museum volunteer Judy Thompson, Those Who Perished, which chronicles the harrowing tale of the SS Princess Sophia. It's both tragic and fascinating.
From the sublime to the ridiculous, I couldn't pass up the chance to have some fun at another of Victoria's other downtown institutions, The Bug Zoo. Granted, I was the only adult there without a passel of kids in tow, but the "museum" is just plain entertaining. If you're like me, you should just admit that you do really want to hold a 6-inch beetle in your hands. On days that I might otherwise sit in the office eating leftover pizza at my desk, I spent a few completely diverting lunch breaks just feeling like a kid again. Next week, I'm going to Miniature World!
Museums and galleries don't need to be large or imposing to be worth the visit. I learned that at the Madrona Gallery downtown, where I gaped for 15 minutes at a life-size grizzly made out of nothing more than driftwood. I also visited the art deco Legacy Gallery just a few blocks away, which showcases University of Victoria artists along with many others.
After a week of filling my time with cultural goodness, I realized I'd just scratched the surface of what was possible, and I think that's true for almost any decent-sized city. Hey, even my own hometown of Wetaskiwin, Alberta (population 10,000) has an amazing institution called the Reynolds Alberta Museum that's filled with all things mechanical from a bygone age. History, art and culture are everywhere. The potential they hold for thought and emotion lies within us all.
NEXT WEEK: Bike to Work Week!
If a blind person like Helen Keller can find value in visiting a gallery or museum, who in the world cannot? Maybe even me! So, rather than wait 'til my next European vacation for some cultural exploration, I spent the week touring some of the countless museums and galleries in Victoria. By the end, I too felt like I'd connected with some thoughts and emotions.
I started with a family trip to the BC Provincial Museum, which included the museum itself and a pretty fantastic IMAX film called The Great Bear Rain Forest. Stunning stuff. Next day it was the Robert Bateman Centre, home to the ultra-realistic nature artist's finest works housed in Victoria's old steamship terminal. On the third day, I was off to the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, which is attached to the beautiful Spencer Mansion. There, I lost myself in a mystic collection of Emily Carr paintings, and some Group of Seven works that included an iconic Lawren Harris landscape.
There's more to doing stuff like this than just being a tourist in your own town. Studies have shown that visiting galleries and museums can boost your health and wellbeing. Feelings of optimism and hope begin to swell, you feel more connected to your community and less isolated. The serene environments turn up the calm while turning down the anxiety. I can vouch for all of those.
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| Emily Carr at AGGV |
From the sublime to the ridiculous, I couldn't pass up the chance to have some fun at another of Victoria's other downtown institutions, The Bug Zoo. Granted, I was the only adult there without a passel of kids in tow, but the "museum" is just plain entertaining. If you're like me, you should just admit that you do really want to hold a 6-inch beetle in your hands. On days that I might otherwise sit in the office eating leftover pizza at my desk, I spent a few completely diverting lunch breaks just feeling like a kid again. Next week, I'm going to Miniature World!
Museums and galleries don't need to be large or imposing to be worth the visit. I learned that at the Madrona Gallery downtown, where I gaped for 15 minutes at a life-size grizzly made out of nothing more than driftwood. I also visited the art deco Legacy Gallery just a few blocks away, which showcases University of Victoria artists along with many others.
After a week of filling my time with cultural goodness, I realized I'd just scratched the surface of what was possible, and I think that's true for almost any decent-sized city. Hey, even my own hometown of Wetaskiwin, Alberta (population 10,000) has an amazing institution called the Reynolds Alberta Museum that's filled with all things mechanical from a bygone age. History, art and culture are everywhere. The potential they hold for thought and emotion lies within us all.
NEXT WEEK: Bike to Work Week!
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