Neither Amy nor I are artist-types, whether our own talents or swimming in the art scene. But it's obviously something worth exposing our kids to. So when a fundraiser I was going to take them to happened to be next door to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, I decided we would head over early and putter around one of the city's (the world's) great cultural institutions.We were not disappointed. The kids were wide-eyed at the size and realness of all the works; after seeing so many pictures, they kept rubbing their eyes that the actual originals were right in front of them. There were a few famous pieces that were worth going into the back story on, like Eakins' "Agnew Clinic" (done 14 years after "Gross Clinic") and "The Annuniciation" (by the uncle of the woman whom Jada and Aaron's school is named). Jada loved the gaudiness of the rooms decorated with all the finest things from the 1500s or 1800s. Aaron digged the knights in armor. There was pretty much something for everyone.
We capped off the afternoon with a visit to the museum store, where Jada scored a "10,000 Years of Art" book for a reasonable price. It contained information on famous pieces throughout history, and represented the perfect gift for her, given her voracious appetite for almanacs and encyclopedias. All in all, it was a great afternoon basking in art. We'll have to do that again.
