Exploring Museum London

This was our first time checking out Museum London in the busy city of London, Ontario. It's about a two hour drive (pending on traffic) from Windsor. 

It is also home to more than 5,500 artworks and nearly 50,000 historical artifacts. The gallery has 3 floors of exhibits, including a quaint cafe on the main level and gift shop. 

These particular exhibits showcased were thought-provoking and quite visually stunning. I love the way a few of these were curated to not only display art but tell such important stories that impact our identities and lives today.  

👉"All Around Me, All Around You" - Bernice Vincent

👉The Elusive Dancer - Marcio Melo

👉"you don't understand, sharing is the law, the land owns itself" 

-James Nicholas and Sandra Semchuk

👉Cloudburst - Billy Bert Young. 

👉Word Search - Jamelie Hassan

👉Tropi-X Exhibit: "Proteja oque nos resta" 

which translates to "Protect what we have left" - Bruno Smoky

These were a few of my favourites and you can find more information about them at the link below. 

Many more exhibits are coming and it would be fun to go back for another day of exploration.

💜 Visit Museum London

Musing At The Museum: Chimczuk & AWE

May is Museum Month and after having a great time visiting the historic Maison François Baby House, it was a good reminder that we still needed to take a trip to the Chimczuk Museum and Art Windsor-Essex.  

There was so much to explore on all 3 levels, so I just compiled some of my favourites art pieces and exhibits that really caught my eye. 

-Windsor Essex Underwater display

-Flowing Forces is an interactive immersive experience

-A to Z Wall - Chimczuk Museum Exhibit

-Windsor's Cycling History

-Emma McGee

Bouquet, 2023

oil on board

-Sara Graham

Solivagant Findings (Threshold) 2022-23

dye sublimation on cut aluminum panels

Courtesy of the artist and MKG127

-Sara Graham

Where the Points Meet (1-4), 2021

collages and ink on paper

Courtesy of the artist and MKG127

-Daphne Boyer

Hung Out to Dry, 2019

photographed maple leaves, printed on Japanese paper

and hand-coloured with pigmented pencils, handspun paper thread

Courtesy of the artist

                                                       

-Jennifer Willet - When Microbes Dream, 2020-2023

Project Assistants: Domenica Mediati, Angela Awada, Jude Abu Zaineh, Lisha Laing, Aleeza Tariq, Kadila Adili, Phil Habashy, Justin Elliott, Michael Lucenkiw, Gillian Hughes, Ashley Hemmings, Megan Andrews, Hadia Nadeem, Lyndsay Mckay, Brodie Macphail, Dunia Roba, Garvin Chinnia, Cri Kosti. 

wall installation including adhesive wallpaper, collage material,  living microbes and algae.

-Ruth Cuthand - From the series Don’t Breathe, Don’t Drink, 2016
E.coli/Giardia/Typhoid Fever
glass beads, thread, cloth backing
Collection of the University of Saskatchewan, 2020

Plan your visit: 

💜AWE - Art Windsor-Essex 

💜Chimczuk Museum

A Little Piece of History: Touring Museum Windsor

It was a fun day exploring inside the Maison François Baby House at Museum Windsor, which is filled with many exhibits and artifacts that showcase the history of Windsor, as well as the greater Essex County, Ontario region.  

We had a lovely staff member greet us, as we entered to tell us a bit of what we'd find in here and she'd be available to answer any questions we might have. 

Below are a few photos that caught my attention as we were roaming around.

These are Miniatures by William and June Borre who lived here in Windsor, Ontario.  They were created to show different room settings. All of these miniatures were behind glass, so the photos don't do them justice in showing its beauty, but I absolutely loved them with all the details.  Fun fact: the Steinway piano took 150 hours to construct!

Really interesting look at this Acme Electric Washing Machine. I'm curious to know how much laundry could fit in there!

Acme - Early Electric Washing Machine (manufactured after 1926)

French Fête - A representation of an early French settler's cabin. The idea is to imagine having your family here and inviting friends over for a party. 

You could play various French songs while looking at the display too.

There are many other displays to see here.  If you're in the area and haven't visited yet, I would highly recommend stopping in for a historical break.  I look forward to checking out the Chimczuk Museum at another time.

💜Visit their Facebook page for more information: https://www.facebook.com/MuseumWindsor

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