Royal Ontario Museum: Day trip to Toronto, Ontario

Last Sunday, we headed off to the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Ontario.  Bill was performing at a wedding, and so he thought it would be fun to spend the day together at the ROM.

Neither of us had been to the ROM before, so it was another first experience to share together.

The place is absolutely gorgeous and so I had fun taking photos of so many unique pieces. Here are some of the galleries to explore: http://www.rom.on.ca/en/exhibitions-galleries/galleries

I really loved seeing all the Roman sculptures, which you can see from a couple of photos I took below.

No idea who the guy is in the photo, but it looked neat. He was a living statue! :)

I also loved the Bat Cave. It was actually a realistic portrayal of the St. Clair Cave in Jamaica. Although, I felt a bit claustrophobic as everyone piled in. Also, as you enter, it's pitch black and there is a dramatization of bats in flight on their nightly search for food.

More photos of the Royal Ontario Museum can be found under my Facebook albums:

Photos of the ROM - Part 1

Photos of the ROM - Part 2

Admission is not too bad, but you know me, I like to save wherever I can. The day before, I found a great promo code online that was still valid, so we bought our tickets online at a discounted price. The only downside is that there is an additional fee for printing online tickets, but a few bucks to save is better than paying full price.

Also, make sure that your address for shipping matches your address for your credit card, otherwise it gets flagged and you cannot proceed.

Visit the ROM website for more information and to see all the cool exhibits happening!


Finally, you can't have a proper trip to Toronto without taking the subway!

                            

 

An Urban Space Experience: Akron Art Museum

 Akron Art Museum
All photos by: Melissa Arditti

Running a little behind schedule, our next stop was the Akron Art Museum.

The architectural structure of the building is quite modern, broken into three sections (the Crystal, the Gallery Box and the Roof Cloud) with a combination of glass and steel and was designed by Viennese architectural firm, Coop Himmelb(l)au.

After admiring the outside, we met up with our guide, who reminded me of a really chic/bohemian-styled woman who hailed from the fashion district of New York City, with thick black-rimmed glasses. Her name was Carol Murphy, and she is currently the Chief External Affairs Officer. She was waiting for us by the i-Q Café, named after the museum’s sculpture; Inverted Q by renowned American Pop artist Claes Oldenburg.

The museum has a vast collection of over 5,000 works of art and you can walk through these beautiful loft-like galleries with 16-foot ceilings, and enjoy contemporary pieces, to sculptures, photography and much more. Here are some photos that I took for your viewing pleasure.

A lot of galleries can often feel pretentious, but there is a real free-spirited attitude and appreciation for all kinds of people who walk through the door. The best part about the art museum here in Akron is its adaptability and versatility to change. It is also wonderful to know about all the creative programs that they provide for inquisitive minds of all ages. I wish I was 5 again so I could take part in a Firefly Tea Party or perhaps some Shadow Dancing. :)

Before or after you tour the gallery and pop into the museum store, you can enjoy a delicious snack and beverage without even having to walk out the door. Carol also mentioned that they pride themselves on serving their patrons local and whenever possible, organic products.

So whether you’re a professor, a student of the arts, an art connoisseur, or simply just wandering downtown Akron, stop in and see all the unique galleries that makes Akron Art Museum a destination to further explore.

For more information, you can visit the gallery here: akronartmuseum.org