SAM

Silas and I took the opportunity to visit the Seattle Art Museum yesterday, and had a lovely time. I had never been there before, unbelievably, and took the opportunity to round out our spring break with a trip there.

There were a couple of interesting displays from out of town that caught my eye. One was American Art from the Yale University Art Gallery. It was amazing to see those paintings I have seen in textbooks and commercials all my life depicting George Washington, or the signers of the Declaration of Independence, or others. The other showing was by Titus Kaphar, a modern artist of whom I had never heard. His work is gutsy and colorful, and I was glad to have seen it.

Silas enjoyed the trip, I think, and made a splash wearing one of his artistic and expressive outfits. I wish I had a photo, but I don't. Many visitors to the museum let him know they liked his leather 3-corner hat. He took it in stride, as always.

Si was funny. He proclaimed much of the modern art "crap" very loudly. There were a couple sculptures covered in cut up thrift-store sweaters, and another that had a (in Si's mind) desecrated fencing mask. None of it was art to me, but if it's in the SAM it's art to somebody!

After the trip Silas said his favorite painting was Trappers' Camp by Albert Bierstadt. I remember looking for him from another room and noticing him standing in front of it for a long time. After he was finished taking it in I sneaked over to see what had him so mesmerized. The painting looked like someplace Si would like to spend some time.

There was a neat exhibit called Tack and Jibe, too. If you watch the minute and a half video you will see the painting Si and I both liked best, Malcolm Roberts' View of Aurora Bridge.

Thanks to Mary Ann Sullivan for permission to use her photo of the Seattle Art Museum, 2008.