Wednesday, October 1, 2008

The Museum

On September 13 Cheysuli featured a picture of herself sitting on top of the Milwaukee Art Museum. She had stopped by to visit and then checked out a few of the lovely sights in town.

There are two distinct architectural elements to this new part of the museum, the Calatrava designed Windhover Hall in the Quadracci Pavilion at the museum and the Burke Brise Soleil.

This is a picture mum took from what would be the side of the building showing the brise soleil open.
The view is from the south, looking north, Lake Michigan is to the right.
As you first enter, this is the view you will see, a beautiful, open and airy space.
Looking up into the hall from the facing the same way as the picture before.
Turning and facing the other way to the entrance.
Looking up and seeing the open brise soleil through the windows of the building.
This is the building from the back side, the view above is a long hallway that connects Windhover Hall to the rest of the museum.
This is the inside of the hallway seen from outside. The arches are like ribs, the space is white throughout. Except one time they had two ribs painted orange when they had some Harley stuff inside.
There is some art here, a huge Alexander Calder mobile.
A Dale Chihuly glass sculpture, which being so colorful really stands out with the white surroundings. Mum thinks this is so cool and wishes she had enough money to buy some of this artist stuff. She loves people who do stuff with glass.

Now for the Burke Brise Soleil, a brise soleil is just a sun shade or screen, this one is a work of art as well. The brise soleil is opened when the museum opens at 10AM. So mum was there early enough to take pictures as it opened. The pictures cover about 5 minutes of time.
As the museum opens the fountains in the garden start to work as well. As the wings go up the water goes higher. The gardens were funded by a man who had a company that got sold to a big mega company. He has used his money to make the community better. Mum used to work for his company and then the big mega company.
You can see the bridge above with people on it. That takes you from a terrace above a parking area and across a busy road.
This picture, which is the only one mum didn't take of all of these, is from the terrace, looking back at the museum with the brise soleil fully open.

Now the brise soleil opens when the museum open and closes when it close. At noon they do a "flap". They will also auto close if it gets too windy, which might damage the wings. While mum and her friend were sitting outside eating lunch during the flap and down came the wings.

So you can get an idea of how all of this fits together mum took pictures from areal shots off the 'puter from Google and yahoo earths.
Sort of looking from on top, northwest to southeast, Lake Michigan is on left with a crescent rock breakwater.
Looking south to north, soft of where mum would have been from the first picture she showed if she could be a bird and fly way up high.

I hope you enjoyed seeing our museum, if you visit Milwaukee stop by. You can look around this part of the building without paying for admission to the art museum.

Phew! Long post, thanks mum for helping me. I need a nap.

18 comments:

  1. Derby that was absolutely fascinating! What an amazing place. I know my extended family hasn't been there--I should go and push them into it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow~ That is so seriously cool. Mom is an Art Lover and she says Milwaukee has always had a great Art Collection, now she is trying to figure out how and when to visit.

    ReplyDelete
  3. That is a beautiful museum. Thanks Derby and mum for a very interesting post.

    ReplyDelete
  4. How lovely!
    Thanks for the tour!

    ReplyDelete
  5. That was wonderful, Derby! Such a fabulous combination of architecture and art! Artitecture?

    ReplyDelete
  6. That's really cool!!! Very beautiful. Fanks fur sharing!!
    ::purrs::
    ~Meeko & Kiara

    pee ess- We's sorry that the Brew Crew lost. So did Momma's Cubbies.

    ReplyDelete
  7. That is one cool museum!!!!!!!!

    We gave you an award...stop by and check it out. We don't know if you have received it before or not!

    ReplyDelete
  8. We would love to visit that museum! Thanks for giving us a tour. Enjoy your nap.
    ~The Creek Cats~

    ReplyDelete
  9. That really is a beautiful building, and perfect for a museum!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Love the photos very beautiful and interesting :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Way cool building! Next time mom is in Milwaukee she wants to go see it. One time she got lost going up there so the next time somebody else better do the driving. Our Grampa and Gramma are buried up there in the Wood National Cemetary.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Derby, I would love to interview your owner for my website. If you know how I can get in contact with her please let me know! You can email me at jonathan [at] petdoc.com.

    Thanks for showing us the museum! It's gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Cool! Thanks for sharing your pictures :-)

    ReplyDelete
  14. That was a great tour, Derby. I'm going to tell my Mommie she needs to take a road trip and visit.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Very cool photos. Mom says she & Dad have been to that place.

    ReplyDelete
  16. You look cute & cuddly, Derby.

    That building is very fascinating; I remember when Chey was in Milwaukee. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  17. That was absolutely gorgeous!!!! The PM was very impressed. She loves that type of stuff!

    Glad to hear you didn't yak after your grass snack. I don't normally but Shade does all the time!

    Purrs Goldie

    ReplyDelete
  18. that museum is stunning!

    The inception of my international lover affair with the glass creations of Dale Chihuly dates back five years and spans across three countries; how sordid!
    http://winstoninwonderlandart.blogspot.com/2008/10/dale-chihuly-my-international-love.html

    ReplyDelete

Don't be shy, we loves to hear your meows and mews.