Bennington Museum - Milton Avery's Vermont

Collection of paintings by modern American painter Milton Avery.  Special exhibit that focused on his time spent vacationing in Vermont.  Interesting analysis of Avery's creative process and great selection of his watercolors.   

Rhode Island School of Design Museum

Excited to see the current exhibit "All of Everything: Todd Oldham Fashion".  65 full ensembles on display.  Playful and unexpected.  Also enjoyed viewing the permanent collection with highlight by Henri Matisse, Rothko and Alice Neel.

 

 

Art Institute of Chicago

One of the most popular art museums in the world and second in size only to the MET in New York.  Perhaps the finest collection of paintings produced in Western culture.  One could take a week exploring this museum and I only had one morning.  I look forward to returning.  My favorites in the modern wing included works by Henri Matisse, Maurice Vlaminck, Jackson Pollock,  Mark Rothko, Marc Chagall, Ellsworth Kelly, Max Beckmann, Joan Miro, Picasso, Alexei Jawlensky, Karl Schmidt-Rotluff, Emil Nolde, Christina Ramberg, John Currin, Richard Prince and Alex Katz. 

Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago

One of the largest contemporary art venues in the world.  A gallery style museum with an extensive permanent collection of Post-World War II fine art.  Two exhibits of interest during my visit included Kerry James Marshall: Mastry and Surrealism: The Conjured Life. 

Whitney Museum of American Art

Currently on exhibit is "Human Interest: Portraits from the Whitney's Collection".  200 plus works of portraiture from the early 1900's on.  Perfect for today's selfie obsessed culture.  Enjoyed seeing pieces by Elizabeth Peyton, Alice Neel, Alex Katz, Sally Mann and Marsden Hartley.

The Met Breuer

The Met Breuer recently opened offering an expanded collection of modern and contemporary art on exhibit.  Fortunate to catch the current exhibit, "Unfinished, thoughts left visible".  As a self taught artist I often learn from studying the work of those that I admire and this exhibit provided an in-depth analysis of the process of some of the world's best painters.  I was drawn to the works of Lucian Freud, Alice Neel, Elizabeth Peyton, Van Gogh, and Klimt. 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Modern and Contemporary

My favorite section of the MET is the Lila Acheson Wallace Wing (galleries 900-925).  Good selection of works by members of the School of Paris and early American modernists.  Many great paintings by Marsden Hartley, Max Beckmann, Modigliani, Balthus, Alice Neel, Franz Marc, Manierre Dawson, Picasso and Arthur Dove on exhibit.  Especially interested to see Picasso's early experimentation with Cubism and African sculpture and a symbolic portrait by Arthur Dove.  

MOMA - New York City - Degas - A Strange New Beauty

Extensive collection of monotypes and related drawings and pastels.  Very large exhibit and a must  visit for fans of Degas' work. 

MOMA - New York City

One of the best collections of modern and contemporary art.  My favorites include works by Andre Derain, Henri Matisse, Picasso and Alice Neel.

Toledo Museum of Art

Special exhibit "Degas and the Dance" with active ballet studio in the exhibition space.  Permanent collection highlights include works by Henri Matisse, Georges Rouault, Pable Picasso, Edward Hopper and Fernand Leger. 

Detroit Institute of Art

I regularly visit the DIA during the holidays while visiting family in the area.  Happy to catch the special exhibit "30 Americans" - contemporary art by African Americans including Kehinde Wiley and Jean Michel Basquiat.  Always enjoy revisiting the permanent collection with works by Paul Gauguin, Max Kaus, Otto Mueller and Erich Heckel. 

Flint Institute of Arts

The FIA contains the second largest art collection in the state of Michigan and one of the largest are museum schools in the country.  Great selection of contemporary art however my favorite painting was by Henri Matisse.  

College of Saint Rose - Albany NY

I first became familiar with Ms. Werner's work at the MASS MoCA exhibit "Oh, Canada".  Janet is based in Montreal.  I was very excited to learn of her latest solo exhibition, "Zero Eyes" nearby in Albany, NY.  The exhibit showcased her work in fictional portraiture and the relationship between beauty and the grotesque.  

Herbert Johnson Museum of Art - Cornell University - Ithaca NY

Stopped by this museum on a visit to the Finger Lakes region to see the works of one of my favorite painters, Milton Avery.  Some of the best work of his that I have seen. 

Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art - Hartford CT

Kind of a hidden gem based in Hartford, CT and the oldest continually operating public art museum in the country.  Excellent collection of European art and contemporary American art.  Favorites include pieces by Alex Katz, Edvard Munch, Henri Matisse, Abbott Handerson Thayer, Marsden Hartley and Milton Avery.

Yale University Art Gallery

The oldest university art museum in the western hemisphere, Yale takes their art pretty seriously.  Incredible collection and my favorites include works by Marsden Hartley, Emil Nolde, Ernst Kirchner and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff.