For Memorial Day weekend, Pem and I went up to Baltimore for a day trip. The main destinations were the American Visionary Art Museum and the Hampden area for eating and shopping.
The drive, albeit a relatively short one, got us thinking about lunch so we started off at vegetarian cafe
Land of Kush for some finger-lickin' good BBQ ribs. Yep, you read right, vegetarian
ribs. And boy can they do BBQ.
Next up was the
American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM) which I think is one of the most fascinating art museums I've visited. It tends to be eclipsed by the more well-known museums in nearby DC and New York though it has a truly important mission in finding and sharing visionary art. AVAM defines visionary art as "art produced by self-taught individuals...works that arise from an innate personal vision that revels foremost in the creative act itself." The exhibits display art by theme rather than artist and the works there are made out of a range of materials - broken glass, toothpicks, sock thread. Some if not most of the artists endure physical, mental or economic afflictions. It's evident in many cases that the creative process was the focus rather than the final product, yet all the resulting works speak volumes about their creators. For me, this museum made me reconsider completely how I interact with art. If you find yourself in Baltimore, this is a must.
As we continued onto Hampden, the hot afternoon and full bellies were wearing us down so we only took a walk down W 36th St. Before heading home, we popped into
Trohv, where I wanted to buy absolutely everything in the store. Crippled by indecision, I ended up buying nothing at all, but perhaps next time...Yes Baltimore, there will be a next time!
