Art “lifts me out of myself on the wings of rhythm.” – Duncan Phillips
I am excited to start a new series on American Nomad focused on Art Museums and Galleries. Art is a passion – I love to explore galleries and get inspiration from painters like Cezanne, Monet, Degas and others.
Outside of my travel blog and writing, I am an artist – focusing mainly on contemporary impressionism and landscape paintings. I actually named by sweet kitty – Cezanne after the artist.
While we explore countless miles of wilderness spaces and urban cities on this blog, my home base is Raleigh NC.
Raleigh is truly alive with the arts and culture and we’ll be exploring the City of Oaks and neighboring areas soon.
Today I wanted to kick off my art feature by giving you an inside look The North Carolina Museum of Art’s newest exhibition – A Modern Vision: European Masterworks from The Phillip’s Collection.
The NCMA is a crown jewel of Art Museums – designed for the people of North Carolina. It houses one of the finest collections of art spanning thousands of years of history from Ancient Greece and Egypt to Modern Masters.
We’ll focus on the permanent collection in a future post, but today we’re exploring the fabulous exhibition from The Phillip’s Collection.
Duncan Phillip’s was one of the most prolific collectors and promoters of Impressionism and Contemporary Modern Art.
Featuring more than 50 paintings by master artists including Vincent van Gogh, Edgar Degas, Edouard Manet, Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet and Paul Cézanne from the world-renowned Phillips Collection. A Modern Vision showcases amazing paintings by legends of impressionism, postimpressionism, expressionism and cubism – carefully collected by founder Duncan Phillips.
About The Phillips Collection: opening in 1921 in Washington DC, it was America’s first museum of modern art. Learn more about the history here.
The NCMA is hosting this fabulous collection through January – and it is a MUST – SEE. Each painting is a treasure that begs the viewer to explore, ponder and wonder in the color, lines and beauty of the art. Not to mention the talent featured rivals the best collections you can find almost anywhere.
Reserve your time on the NCMA website. The exhibition has a small entry fee – but the rest of the museum and the permanent collection is free to explore.
I really enjoyed the way this exhibit was set up…it starts with a good overview of The Phillip’s Collection – the vision of the founders (Duncan and Majorie Phillips) and the convergence of impressionism to post modern art.
Interactive exhibits help visitors learn about the varying styles and influences of the artists.
Familiar Favorites:
The curated selection from the Phillip’s Collection features an all-star display of famous painters and their artworks…which obviously drew me in.
While I love all art, stylistically I’m most influenced by Cezanne and his use of lines and color, Monet and Van Gogh…each time I get to see their works in person it is an awe inspiring experience. There is nothing quite like just sitting in front of a painting and enjoying it’s color and depth in person. You get a keen sense of the color and light, layering and purpose.
A few of my favorites:
And while I could share all the photos and stories from this collection – the best way to experience it is LIVE and in person at the NCMA.
After the exhibit, wander the recently reinstalled permanent collection (also featuring Monet and other major artists), enjoy lunch at the Museum Cafe and treat yourself at the gift shop…
You won’t be disappoint.
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