A DAY AT THE MUSEUMS

HIGH and FERNBANK

It’s always a treat when you can return to a museum that you’ve visited before, only to find new and intriguing exhibitions. We’re fortunate in our town that we have some hard working and creative staffs who are dedicated to luring us back to them.

HAPSBURG SPLENDOR, an exhibit of masterpieces from Vienna’s Imperial collections is opening in a couple of days, featuring almost a hundred objects from the Hapsburg dynasty. These kings collected a lot of interesting works, including paintings by many old world masters such as Titian and Caravaggio, as well as loads of objects of art such as ivory and gold tableware. The ladies of The Court indulged themselves with lavish costumes, and not to be ignored the gents wore plenty of fancy attire when not parading in armored suits. You’ll love the royal carriage which is displayed. While the carriage is real, the horses pulling it have dried out a bit.

This exhibit, was brought together by a collaboration with the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts, the Houston Museum of the Arts and the Kunsthistorisches Museum of Vienna.

And you can make a total Museum Day for your family if you add in the current exhibits and the IMAX at the Fernbank Museum, which is a quick drive down Ponce from mid-town. In addition to the dinosaurs who await you, you will enjoy two special exhibits. Searching for the Queen of Sheba which has interesting relics from various venues and religions; and adjoining this exhibit hall is a photographic exhibition, Women of Vision, dealing with the works of women who shot for the National Geographic magazine. They were among the first to break some glass barriers and pursue their dreams.

The IMAX theatre is currently showing two films. Robots obviously is as the title suggests, while Wonders of the Arctic will take you on an excursion that you could not imagine, and probably would not elect to sign on for. But it is a very compelling cinematic presentation.

You can find plenty of more info and hours for these wonderful museums at High.org and FernbankMuseum.org