Columbus Museum of Art, 7/26/2015

The Columbus Museum of Art opened in 1931 in the current building. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

Initially the focus of the museum was on European and American art to the early modern period. In more recent years, the museum has expanded the collection to more contemporary art as well as a permanent photography collection. Temporary and traveling exhibits are featured on a regular basis. 

The museum now has a collection of approximately 10,000 pieces but only the original 10 galleries that existed when it opened in the 1930s. A very large (50,000 square foot) expansion is underway and the museum is scheduled for the grand reopening with the new wing in October. It will open to the public October 25, 2015. To prepare for the event, the museum will be closed from September 9 to October 24.

Here are some of my favorite pieces that we saw during our visit.

Jan Brueghel, 

Flowers in a Vase, 1610

Aristide Maillol, 

Torso of Venus, 1920

Elijah Pierce, Monday Morning Gossip, 1934; Watergate, 1975

Unknown artist, Ocean Waves
(Amish quilt), 1925

Tim Lewis, The Catcher, 

1997 (sandstone)

Dale Chihuly, Isola di San Giacomo in Palude, 1996

Kaname Takada, Plate No. 23125, 2013; Masu Series No. 2461, 2012 (earthernware)

Brian Port, Ammonite, Daughters of Midas

Ryland Wharton, Partial Palace
Reconstruction, 2015

Auguste Rodin, The Burghers of Calais, First Maquette, 1884 (Musee Rodin case 5.12 1973)

Georgia O'Keefe,

Autumn Leaves, 1924

Norman Rockwell,
Soda Jerk, 1953

Joe Jones, Threshing
No. 1, 1935

Thomas Cole, The Cascatelli, Tivoli Looking Towards Rome, 1832

Unknown Chinese artist, Pair of Jardinieres, 1890; and the beautiful ceeiling in the lobby.

The extensive photograph collection, entitled Remembering Marvin Hamlisch by Len Prince was truly memorable. It is on display until September 6, 2015. Photography, however, is not permitted in all galleries, including this one. 

I was disappointed, however, that works by Cezanne, Degas, Monet, Matisse, and others were not on display when we were there. The new wing, will, however, enable them to display a much wider array of their collection. 

On the lower floor of the museum we saw this beautiful display of a diverse set of pieces. 

Behind it is the Center for Creativity, a gallery designed with many interactive activities to foster imagination and experimentation with the arts. We saw lots of families engaged in the various stations here. 

Admission is $12/adults; $8/seniors. We visited on a Sunday with my brother, Jim, and his wife, Nancy, when admission is free. See the museum's website for additional information about their collection, the Center for Creativity, hours of operation, and current and upcoming exhibits. We will want to come back to this museum during our next stay in Columbus when the new wing is open. 

Website: www.columbusmuseum.org