The weather forecast was for clouds and rain today. Indoor activities seemed like a good plan. Colorado Springs had a couple of museums that looked promising. First up was the Fine Arts Center.
Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center has a "free day" on the third Friday of each month. How cool is that?
I don't think I had ever seen a "Tactile Gallery" before. All of the art was meant to be experienced by touch. Information about each work was presented in braille so blind patrons had the chance to enjoy the collection. I would have liked to learn more about the 3D printed sandstone technology.
The Sweetness of Life, by Sean O'Meallie, born 1955
3D printed sandstone, 2018
There were only a few galleries that I really found interesting. Much of the modern art and multi-media displays did little for me. I think Joani and I have pretty similar tastes and some of our favorites are below.
The Old Castle, by Phil Lear
oil, 2018
Jar (Eye Dazzler), by Frederica V. Antonio, born 1968
clay, slip, mineral paint, 2017
Black Bears in Aspens, by William Herbert "Buck" Dunton, 1879-1963
oil on cardboard, undated
Mt. Sneffels, San Juans, Colorado, by Charles P. Adams, 1858-1942
oil on canvas, 1897
La Plata Mountains, by William H. Bancroft, 1860-1932
oil on canvas, 1901
Orange Hornet Chandelier, by Dale Chihuly (born 1941)
hand blown glass on metal armature, 1993/remade in 2007
384 pieces of glass weighing a total of about 1200 pounds
I feel the need to mention that Joani, in her quest to capture close-up detail in the glass, triggered a panic in the security staff. They quickly made their way to the room to make sure she kept her distance. Of course, she would never have touched anything but they did not know that.
Persian Wall Installation, Dale Chihuly, born 1941
hand blown glass, 2006
Walking With Giants, by Deb Komitor
oil on panel, $3,900
4:5 Selfie 2, by Elizabeth Selby
oil on linen, 2018
After a leisurely couple of hours amidst the fine art, we headed next door to the Money Museum.
The Harry W. Bass, Jr. collection of coins was incredible but not easily photographed. (Joani included a link to a video tour.) Information on each coin listed its rarity on a scale of one to eight. Rarity eight meant there were only 1 to 3 known in existence. There were so many coins I had no idea ever existed.
"Harry W. Bass Jr. was an American businessman, coin collector, and philanthropist. ... He also amassed one of the world's great coin collections and served as the president of the American Numismatic Society." Wikipedia
Error Notes from the Bebee Collection
Oops! Look at the bills at the top of the photo. One denomination on the front and another on the back.
Below was the largest balance beam scale I had ever seen (9.5 ft high and 8 ft wide). It could weigh up to 685 pounds (10,000 troy ounces). It was used by the Bureau of the Mint to weigh gold bars in the early 1900s.
I learned that there are 12 troy ounces to a pound. We also learned that the air conditioning can make a scale this sensitive constantly hum with vibration.
We made a quick run through the history of money exhibit but growling stomachs kept urging us to leave and we did without even setting foot in the numismatic library.
As we headed out we realized it never did rain, at least not on us. Back up the mountain in our coach Sam heard the patter of drops which probably did not make him happy. We were forgiven for leaving him alone, however, when we brought him a doggie bag after lunch.
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