But why should you — with your busy days, stressful job, growing kids, dinners to make, dishes to wash, and plenty of binge-able TV to keep you entertained — care?
Hear hear! I am a show musician on tour almost constantly for years at a time, and the greatest advantage of such a life is the ability to visit whatever art museum exists in the town you’re visiting this week. No matter how small or undistinguished, every art museum has something worth seeing — or that’s been my experience, and a tremendously rewarding one. I also am of the philosophy “SEE IT NOW.” We tend to assume great works of art will always be accessible for us to enjoy, and it may not be so. 20 years ago I visited Assisi. Many would consider the Upper Basilica of St. Francis a religious edifice, and they’d be right, but I considered it one of the world’s great art galleries. And many of its treasures were destroyed in an earthquake shortly after I saw them. I’ve never been so glad of anything as that I made that pilgrimage to Assisi when I did. Two weeks ago in Ascoli Piceno, a charming town in central Italy near the Adriatic, we ducked for an hour into the Galleria d’Arte Contemporanea after passing it every day as we walked to the town’s many piazzi. There we unexpectedly discovered the paintings of Osvaldo Licini (1894-1958) who was born in or near Ascoli. His art is so fresh and invigorating even today that I was captivated and uplifted by it. Even now I can’t get it out of my mind. How could there have been such a marvelous and imaginative artist, and I not know about him? Bring some of his paintings up on Google Images and you’ll see what I mean. But to encounter his work, I had to stumble on it down a cobblestone street. It reaffirmed my determination to poke around wherever I go and see what hidden treasure lies just out of sight for our enrichment and joy.
Thank you for your story, Wayne. It’s such a wonderful lesson to keep looking for art in unexpected places. I love little, random galleries, just for that reason… And that recent earthquake in Italy scared me, not only for the people, but for the art, too. Keep traveling! 🙂
Wonderful comments, wonderful art choices. Our book club at our CCRC reviewed your wonderful book. I am fortunate to be the moderator. We had 37 participants all of whom had viisited David & Mona Lisa. We are looking forward to your next book. I know Vanderbilt is very honored and proud to have you as n alum.
Thank you, Don! I’m glad your book club enjoyed Oil and Marble. It’s still so strange — and wonderful — that people are out there, reading my novel… Please tell your book club I said, “Hello and happy reading!”
Hear hear! I am a show musician on tour almost constantly for years at a time, and the greatest advantage of such a life is the ability to visit whatever art museum exists in the town you’re visiting this week. No matter how small or undistinguished, every art museum has something worth seeing — or that’s been my experience, and a tremendously rewarding one. I also am of the philosophy “SEE IT NOW.” We tend to assume great works of art will always be accessible for us to enjoy, and it may not be so. 20 years ago I visited Assisi. Many would consider the Upper Basilica of St. Francis a religious edifice, and they’d be right, but I considered it one of the world’s great art galleries. And many of its treasures were destroyed in an earthquake shortly after I saw them. I’ve never been so glad of anything as that I made that pilgrimage to Assisi when I did. Two weeks ago in Ascoli Piceno, a charming town in central Italy near the Adriatic, we ducked for an hour into the Galleria d’Arte Contemporanea after passing it every day as we walked to the town’s many piazzi. There we unexpectedly discovered the paintings of Osvaldo Licini (1894-1958) who was born in or near Ascoli. His art is so fresh and invigorating even today that I was captivated and uplifted by it. Even now I can’t get it out of my mind. How could there have been such a marvelous and imaginative artist, and I not know about him? Bring some of his paintings up on Google Images and you’ll see what I mean. But to encounter his work, I had to stumble on it down a cobblestone street. It reaffirmed my determination to poke around wherever I go and see what hidden treasure lies just out of sight for our enrichment and joy.
Thanks for your blog,
Wayne Green
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Thank you for your story, Wayne. It’s such a wonderful lesson to keep looking for art in unexpected places. I love little, random galleries, just for that reason… And that recent earthquake in Italy scared me, not only for the people, but for the art, too. Keep traveling! 🙂
LikeLike
Wonderful comments, wonderful art choices. Our book club at our CCRC reviewed your wonderful book. I am fortunate to be the moderator. We had 37 participants all of whom had viisited David & Mona Lisa. We are looking forward to your next book. I know Vanderbilt is very honored and proud to have you as n alum.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Don! I’m glad your book club enjoyed Oil and Marble. It’s still so strange — and wonderful — that people are out there, reading my novel… Please tell your book club I said, “Hello and happy reading!”
LikeLike