Thursday, July 25, 2013

Oh, the Paine

One of the day trips we planned for this summer was to visit the Dale Chihuly Venetians exhibit at the Paine Art Center and Gardens in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.  We went there last Saturday, and it was exquisite!

And here is where I wish I had stunningly beautiful photos of the Chihuly Venetians on display, but on arrival we were advised that no indoor photography was allowed.

In a word:  Bummer.

There was camera surveillance and official looking people roaming the gallery, so it's not like I could even sneak one (not that I would have...okay, maybe).  But come on, no photos?  Ugh.  And did I mention bummer?

So this middle-aged gal, who can barely remember what she had for dinner last night, was forced to stare intently at as many exhibits as I could to try to burn them into memory.  Because who knows when, if ever, I will see them again, right?  Unfortunately, that does you no good, dear blog reader, so here is a representative sample.

This image is from the website of the George R. Stroemple Collection, of which part is on display at the Paine.  You can follow that link if you'd like to see more, although I didn't recognize any of them as being the exact ones I saw in Oshkosh.  There must be a ton more; either that, or my memory is worse than I thought.

In the center of the gallery were Chihuly's Laguna Murano chandeliers, also a part of the Stroemple collection.  Simply breathtaking to see up close (and they were arranged more dramatically than depicted here).

All bellyaching aside about the restrictions (and I totally get the reasoning), it was a wonderful exhibit.  If you live near or are traveling through Wisconsin anytime this summer, consider a stop in Oshkosh to experience close up a fabulous Chihuly blown glass collection.

And the Paine is a marvelous place to visit in and of itself.  Outside (where you can take all the photos you want, of course), the gardens and grounds are a joy to explore.

The mansion was built by a lumber baron in the late 1920s to early 1930s.  In addition to the art galleries, the house serves as a museum.  I see something new every time I go (and that's been at least a half dozen times through the years).  I love the place.

Through the lens of the Garden Kaleidoscope (above).
And love was definitely in the air, as there were two weddings taking place on the grounds on Saturday.  We sort of felt like wedding crashers, but since the gardens stay open to the public, we did our looky-loo thing while they did theirs, and just tried to avoid bombing the wedding photography.

Oshkosh Public Museum
Kitty-corner across the street is the Oshkosh Public Museum, and we also ventured over to check out the steampunk exhibit.
Norm is into the steampunk thing.  Me, not so much, although it's cool to see the unique contraptions and costumes.

We toured the entire museum, which is laid out very well with interesting interactive displays throughout.

Had to get a picture of this Victorian table made of spools!

How about you?  What floats your boat as a summer day trip?

6 comments:

thea said...

My niece and I were at a museum once where no pictures were allowed and she had her camera around her neck and sneakily took pictures ...

http://thankfullga447 said...

What a beautiful place. Our museum has lots of his pieces and our museum did very well with his expedition.

Marti said...

Do they not allow photos because of the flash? Bummer, I agree. I do like the garden photos you took though. Looks like a nice one to walk through.

Shay said...

The gardens and grounds look fantastic. So well maintained ! What a pity you couldnt take photos.

Hmnnnn Summer Day trips ...we live very close to a major wine region and thats always fun to do.

MomWaldsPlace said...

Hubby took me to see the ocean for the first time in my life! It was great. We are only four hours away. He said he had to take me at leas once before we head back to Wisconsin. You read that right, we are coming back. Permanently, which is a real bummer for me. Hey, maybe this exhibit will still be there after Labor Day. (Hey, this is a secret. Don't say anything on my blog. Thanks.)

Elizabeth said...

Those gardens were beautiful! That looks like such a lovely place to visit. I loved the garden kaleidoscope! So cool!

It was fun to see a peek of the Chihuly Venitias, too. Those were beautiful! I'll bet it was great place for a day trip.

Steam Punk is an interesting trend. It definitely makes for some interesting "life imitating art" costumes.

xo -E