Since prior commitments kept us from attending the Hartford Symposium, I took a cue from the April 2010 issue of American Woodturner and adjusted our itinerary to include a visit to see the turned works on exhibit at the Mobile Museum of Art (see Google Map).
Without question, any woodturner who resides or travels within a few hours' ride from Mobile should take the time to go visit this museum. There's something about seeing the pieces close-up that simply cannot be conveyed on the printed page (magazine OR forum post). Even though dimensions are given in the article's picture captions, I was bowled over by the reality and beauty compared to expectations based on memory from reading the article. Going back and reviewing the article after seeing the exhibit lent a new perspective to the images shown there.
There's plenty of other exhibits too, so no one should go away disappointed, and if you already belong to another museum with a reciprocal arrangement, you can see it all for free. The biggest downside--the prohibition on taking pictures--is common at museums everywhere
and almost enough to make a woodturner cry . . .
There's nothing like a club meeting or good symposium with an Instant Gallery if you want pictures, but this exhibit is a great way to catch some fine work by masters--some of whom are no longer with us. Those of you who knew them are fortunate, indeed, but any turner viewing this collection should come away filled with appreciation, inspiration, and possibly a new level of aspiration.
Without question, any woodturner who resides or travels within a few hours' ride from Mobile should take the time to go visit this museum. There's something about seeing the pieces close-up that simply cannot be conveyed on the printed page (magazine OR forum post). Even though dimensions are given in the article's picture captions, I was bowled over by the reality and beauty compared to expectations based on memory from reading the article. Going back and reviewing the article after seeing the exhibit lent a new perspective to the images shown there.
There's plenty of other exhibits too, so no one should go away disappointed, and if you already belong to another museum with a reciprocal arrangement, you can see it all for free. The biggest downside--the prohibition on taking pictures--is common at museums everywhere
and almost enough to make a woodturner cry . . .There's nothing like a club meeting or good symposium with an Instant Gallery if you want pictures, but this exhibit is a great way to catch some fine work by masters--some of whom are no longer with us. Those of you who knew them are fortunate, indeed, but any turner viewing this collection should come away filled with appreciation, inspiration, and possibly a new level of aspiration.