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| Ernest H. Brooks II (image source) |
When you first buy tickets to the exhibit the museum workers kindly direct you to start on the third floor and work your way down. This was a much appreciated suggestion. You can grab an elevator or just take the short walk up a winding staircase while enjoying a few paintings along the way.
The first part of the exhibit featured the artists listed above who were sharing their love for the environment through waterscapes and their experiences living in a coastal region. There were also some examples of cameras that Ansel Adams was working with located throughout the floor. It was organized by type: ice formations, waterfalls, sea life, sea plants, etc. The artist's pictures and bios were conveniently grouped together at the very start so you could refer back to them easily if you had questions. After working your way through the top floor you wind your way down to level two and discover the Great Flood of 1921 documents and photography. There were charts and timelines that took you through the events of the terrible day backed up by many photos that documented the tragedy. The final stop in this part of the photography exhibit was the Ansel Adams teaching section that had a very informative museum guide helping answer questions. Polaroid had produced large teaching panels to aid Ansel Adams in his teaching and writing endeavors. In the center of it all were two giant metal carrying cases for transporting the panels.
This photography exhibition was well organized with an easy to navigate layout. The museum guides were friendly and helpful which added warmth to the experience. There was ample space to spread out, and it was set up in such a way that you could start anywhere and never lose your place. This would be helpful if there was a lot of foot traffic (there wasn’t). The elemental grouping at the main exhibit was a nice touch and I really took advantage of the bios being listed at the beginning. The museum guide on the second floor was super helpful and friendly. He was eager to point out the timeline chart of the Great Flood and we debated whether or not some of the structures were still around town. I especially enjoyed the Ansel Adams teaching aid panels. They had a lot of insight into the photographer's process which I found really interesting.
If you enjoy photography, especially the landscapes of Ansel Adams, then this exhibit is a must see. Even if you have never heard of any of the photographers, but would like to get out of your house for some culture, it is a worthwhile ticket. It’s a poetic environmental ode to the most important resource on the planet, water.
I am biased, the picture we took looks amazing! Love the filters. I just wish there was more Hands-On interactive exhibits. There are a lot of people with disabilities who would benefit from that approach. I would have loved it personally it would make it a little bit fun. The second floor haunts my memory I felt bad for all those people affected by the flood. I am glad you enjoyed yourself and glad to get to meet you in person too!
ReplyDeleteA "poetic environmental ode" that is a perfect way to describe the exhibit. This post is so organized and informative I loved it.
ReplyDeleteI also got the opportunity to see this exhibit and loved how you wrote about it.
See, I didn't read the photographers bios until the end so then I circled back and relooked at some of my favorite ones and got to understand them a bit deeper. Was there a particular photographer that stood out to you? I noticed you shared Ernest Brooks photo, his work really jumped out to me as well as Ryujie and Camille Lenores. Also, Scott Campbell is a pueblo native which I found interesting.
You balanced the post very nicely it sounded and felt like a professional review but it was personal and approachable. I don't really have improvements.