UMMA! Oh, MY! (Our Trip to the U of M Art Museum)

 Kindergartners ventured out to the UMMA (The University of Michigan Museum of Art) last week and were treated with a VIP Tour!  Outside, we  "swung" into action right away then were greeted by ...who else?  Six of the "25 cats named Sam" by Andy Warhol on display in the museum store!



Immediately we were warmly greeted  by our SK Daddy and family- our special tour guides!   Dad explained about some of the UMMA's large permanent collection and also showed us a temporary exhibit of elaborate, organic, and architectural whimsy whose creator was inspired by, of course,  Alice in Wonderland  and Mr. Warhol himself!  One Kindergartner noted  the "symmetry" in design of ornate African ceremonial masks and another pointed out a head dress made with hundreds of cowry shells that was once used as currency and denoted a sign of great wealth for the owner.   We also observed an intricately carved  wooden chair  that even told "whittled out" stories on its foot rest.

One surprising discovery was made inside of tidy wooden drawers that centered several rooms.  Treasures, literally treasures were fastened to cushions in each of compartment.  Kindergartners were in awe of all of the gorgeous beads and necklaces, exquisite tiny containers and bejeweled belt buckles, and delicate paintings that rested there.  

We tore ourselves away to admire Indian sculptures, Japanese kimonos that depicted ancient stories, and even a platinum vase!
  

 

The museum's elevator, we discovered, has to be as big as it is to transport and store all of the massive paintings and sculptures that are acquired and in rotation from time to time  as well as hold all of the many visitors.

Contemporary  Art  in the museum enlightened us on how the use of very ordinary household objects can invoke extraordinary thoughts and opinions.

Also, the point of view from inside the museum looking out appeared just a captivating. 

After reluctantly saying our goodbyes, Kindergartners admired the outdoor sculpture garden briefly then a bit of serendipity happened!  We came upon a structure that looked much like a cannon that caught our attention.   Last week, we discussed Memorial Day, Maya Lin (the Architect who designed the Vietnam Wall  in Washington D.C. and also the U of M "Wave Field.")   We also read The Wall by Eve Bunting.  We learned  about how the Vietnam Wall, a large granite slab that is tucked in to  the little hillside of the National Mall is engraved with the names of  fallen soldiers from the Vietnam War.  We learned that because of the engraving process,  visitors can even feel the letters  with their hand.  Patrons can also receive a "rubbing" of a name with the assistance of  the National Park Ranger like I did.

This structure outside of the art museum, inscribed with a dedication,  gave us a very good example of how an engraved memorial might feel. 

Upon our return to SK,  Kindergartners were asked about the part of the museum visit they found the most interesting. They commented:

"The black and white face made out of wood .  It was a mask!"-W.

"The man that's made out of shooters!" -B.M.

"Everything!  The man with broken parts!" -C.R.

"Andy Warhol's Cats"!-C.F

"So, the chair did not look very comfortable...(on) the back part,  a head sticks out!"-C.S.

"The chair!  People were on it!" -E. B.

"The symmetrical headrest!  I like how there were a bunch of different things  but they did not look like a headrest.  It would be a surprise!"- E. B. M.

"The elevators were like..bumpy!"- S.L.

"The symmetrical headrest!  I liked the animals inside."- E.R.

"I liked the neck rests and the headrests."-S.S.

During afternoon "Choice Time," Kindergartners decided... (Well, the conversation went something like this...)  "What if we had our own art museum?....  We could put ourselves on display.... and people would come... and we won't move.... and they will think that we were paintings... ! And we would fool them....!"  They then began feverishly  cutting away frames from paper.  They scoured the room and set up a Plexiglass sheet, props from the Gilgamesh play, a blanket from the quiet area,  the  word wall board into the  museum facade and "trompe l'oeil" (trick of the eye) ensued. 

 
Just FYI, we have  been talking about Leonardo da Vinci (Mona Lisa) and   Giuseppe Arcimboldo (Vertumnus) as some artists who included the painting  technique  of trompe l'oeil and used optical illusions- realistic looking objects like flies and painted violins on doors, upside down hidden images, and  portraits made of fruits, vegetables and other vegetation- into their artwork to fool the viewer. 
Kindergartners celebrated these tricksters with a yummy "Arcimboldo" fruit and hidden vegetable salad for snack!  

Our current "Andy's Cans" for charity count: 21.  

Our Kindergarten Class' goal: 100 CANS!