Summer trip Art Stops

 Art museums are always a treat for me when traveling. I plan my summer road trips based on family members who I want to re-visit, and national parks I haven't yet visited. Then I look at the closest art museums I can stop and see in route for a perfectly balanced vacation experience. 

This summer my family drove from my sister's house (in the middle of Kansas) and my in-law's house (in norther Illinois) by breaking up the 10 hours into two half days of driving. This  allowed for Art Experiences in Kansas City and Des Moines, both of which have stellar, and free art museums!

The Nelson-Atkins has 35,000 works of art that attract half a million visitors every year. It opened in 1933 and was financially stable enough (thanks to the two founders who left their fortunes to a trust for the museum in their will) that they were able to buy up much of the artwork from other museums who were needing to sell in order to raise funds and stay afloat.

There's a nice collection of Impressionist Art, Midevil, Greece, and Egyptian treasures. There's also modern and special exhibits. I was thrilled to see the Andy Goldsworthy stone wall that meanders in and outdoors, and of course, the iconic Shuttlecock sculptures by Claus Oldernberg surrounding the museum. Don't miss the Gates of Paradise upstairs, around the corner from the café. There were no lines and crowds there like the ones in Florence Italy.

We spent a few hours at the museum and didn't see everything. We'd stopped for lunch at Woodyard BBQ before coming, which satisfied our physical appetite, before all those tasty treats for our eyes!

The Des Moines Art Center was really fun morning stop. Firelei Báez is a contemporary artist who was having an enormous exhibition filling several galleries.

But the center also had some really strong modern art like Hopper, and there were Diebenkorn etchings and paintings skattered throughout. 

Lunch at the Manhatten Deli was the best! It is just a few blocks from the Art Center. Good luck finding a parking spot if you are going at noon, but you only need to wait a New York minute for your tasty Des Moines sandwhich.

Lynden Sculpture Garden is in norther Milwaukee and contains over 50 large sculptures among a beautiful landscaple.

They have an indoor gallery that had a photography exhibit when we were there, but obviously most of is is outside: a prairie area, a garden, a couple ponds, and a collection of Bonzai trees. My favorites included a Henry Moore and the Deborah Butterfield horse. Summer was a little hot in the afternoon, but I imagine it being a great place for spring or summer picnics, walks, or photoshoots.

After camping and hiking on the Upper Peninsula and spending a day on Mackinaw Island the family was ready to come down the the other side of Lake Michigan until we ended up at the Ann Arbor Art Fair. I had no idea is was such a big deal! 30 city blocks and 1,000 venders! Lunch at Zingerman's Deli made for a perfect afternoon with the family.

Don't ever think you have to go to the coasts to see amazing art. After all,  I just had 4 fun and free art stops in 4 mid-western states!

Summer time is always a great time to find art wherever you find yourself!