First Thursday

A balmy autumn day, and a beautiful one for seeing art art the BMA. First Thursday, for those of you who don't know, is the first Thursday of each month when the BMA (and other museums and galleries) are open for free. I love free! Since I was feeling energetic and revived this afternoon, I decided to bundle all three kids into the car and head downtown. I couldn't have planned it better. They behaved wonderfully, didn't knock anything down or even touch anything they weren't supposed to. Of course I had to remind them a bit, but that was okay. We took a break from visiting the great works of the Cone collection to eat some dinner under the tent in the sculpture garden. It was truely lovely. I rarely take all three of my children somewhere to eat by myself, because it can be overwhelming, but I took the chance tonight, and am glad of it. I even splurged on a glass of wine, to compliment the fair evening. After our meal, we went back inside to do the family art activity, but we couldn't stay much longer, because L really needed to go home to bed. D fell asleep on the way, and I just plunked him in bed, clothes and all. K and I finished up his "artist's studio", made of tag board, colored paper and clippings of masterworks. It is cute, a little orange walled studio, with tiny paintings and one wall covered in a print of clear blue plastic bead strands.

It was so motivating to be in the art museum again. It has been a while since I have been there, and I used to have a steady diet of art museums in college. I have missed it. I feel like the BMA and I are old friends. I remember my mom taking me there for my birthday a couple different times as a child. I celebrated my 19th (or was it 20th?) at the big Monet exhibit they had showing one year. And during my T.U. days, I spent many days there for my "Writing about Art class" as well as all the art ed. courses. So, it was good to see my old friend again, you know the BMA is celebrating 90 years, so it really is old (by American standards anyway.)