Bangor High School art teacher, Susan Bryand’s trip to MFA
While not sandy or tropical, I took a fun day trip with my Mom to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The MFA is one of my favorite places in the world ( I will confess that I am not terribly worldly, but it’s a favorite none the less). My first visit was as a young girl (along with the Ice Capades) and I credit this visit with igniting my love of art.
My mom and I took the Downeaster from Portland and took advantage of a relaxing ride to look over the map and plan our attack. My secret to enjoying a museum day trip is to enter with no intention of seeing everything. We stuck mostly to the Art of the Americas wing. We both really enjoy the decorative arts and I like to check in on the paintings that lit a fire in me when I was little.
- Copley’s A Boy with a Flying Squirrel (Henry Pelham) http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/a-boy-with-a-flying-squirrel-henry-pelham-34280. for one (all those textures!) and, of course,
- “Watson and the Shark” http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/watson-and-the-shark-30998 and Sargent’s
- The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit. http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/the-daughters-of-edward-darley-boit-31782
- I also loved the “Think Pink” exhibition featuring fashion in one if my favorite colors. https://www.mfa.org/exhibitions/think-pink
We had a bit of a laugh in the contemporary art section when my mother was admiring a metal screen. When I took a second look and declared that it was a giant cheese grater, we had to check the gallery tag to be sure. After reading a bit about the artist’s intent, we agreed that Mom “got it”, as she appreciated it as a beautiful object because of the change in scale. (Although, we didn’t find it “sinister” as the museum suggested we might.)
We spent some time ( and money) in the bookstore before grabbing a taxi back to the station. I found a few postcards (and temporary tattoos!) featuring work from the collection that was created by some of the artists my students just researched. I also posed for a few photos, standing next to masterpieces to give my students a sense of scale (and maybe a laugh, too).
When we slumped back into our seats on the train, my mother and I were exhausted, but cheerful. It’s nice to take a day sharing one of my favorite places with one of my favorite people.
me arts ed 