Vacation Day Three

I like to remind myself this is a working vacation. I got new brake pads installed on my car this morning, did my income taxes, and delivered more of Chloe's Girl Scout cookies she hadn't been able to hand out before she left. I was able to get a run in around lunch time leaving myself some afternoon time to dapple in my exploration vacation. I chose a museum today. I also check the hours on the web so as not to have to wander aimlessly again. I headed to the Flemming Museum at UVM.

I had technically been here once before. Chloe's second grade class had a field trip there. The trip ended up being on the same morning of an appointment she had. So I dropped her off there after her appointment and stayed for a little bit. Most of my time was spent in the classroom down stairs where the class was working on creating a  water color picture.

I walked the mile or so up the hill to the museum. I don't know why I feel like I should go see art this week. Maybe I am seeking out the very thing I would not be able to take my kids to any time soon. At any rate I paid my five dollar fee and set out to explore. It is a nice size museum with two floors and several rooms. There was an exhibit on smoke. featuring a variety of paintings and sketches of everything from fires to Turkish men smoking hookah in the 1800's. There were even a variety of pipes of all sorts. One room was devoted to images of Iran. That was a really interesting exhibit. Most were photographs, some really disturbing. The photographs were done in a variety of ways. Some were developed to be slightly blurry. I found myself looking closer at this woman and the baby she was holding asking where is the rest of that baby? Until I realized there was no rest. I am sure I will see that one in my nightmares tonight.

There were the usual variety of landscapes, still lifes, and portraits. They have an exhibit on ancient Africa and Egypt. There was a mummy in the Egypt exhibit. I steered clear of that one. I have memories of visiting the museums in Philadelphia when I was a kid. I have always been a bit freaked out by the mummies. My favorite was the Norman Rockwell painting, "The Babysitter". That painting is fun enough in and of itself. Classic Rockwell that we can all relate to. What I really liked about it though was the story. Apparently the sixth grade class at Taft School in Burlington (back in the 1940's?... I have the date wrong I am sure. I meant to bring a notebook to write things down as I didn't think I could take pictures inside the museum) raised $48 dollars to purchase that painting in memory of their classmate who had died from leukemia. I love that is was going to sell for that much. Anyhow they sent the money to Rockwell (a Vermonter). He sent the money back and gave them the painting. It hung in the hall at Taft School until the school closed. Where it was transferred to the Chittenden Bank for safe keeping. Back in the mid 1990's the Burlington School District was facing some serious budget issues and was thinking about selling the painting. The original class of 6th graders (don't you love that?) and other agencies raised money for the districts needs else where. The painting, having now been saved, hangs at the Fleming for everyone to see and enjoy. I love that.

Tonight and tomorrow we get snow. At some point I have to tackle a pile of grading. I think I will have to combine that with my efforts to explore.