Museum Weekend

Robb and I both had Labor Day Weekend off and decided to take the time to get in a lot of local activities that we have been meaning to get to. It was a rainy and cool weekend, so we did the museum thing.

On Saturday we hit up the Tacoma Glass Museum. Robb and I had been told by multiple people that this museum was incredible and we would be impressed. Even so, while we knew we needed to see this local attraction, we couldn't actually imagine loving a museum of glass. I mean, how exciting could a building full of glass actually be? Well, the Tacoma Glass Museum is beyond impressive. It was an amazing museum with awesome exhibits. I never knew glass could be so versatile and beautiful. The glass museum starts outside. You have to walk over a bridge that is lined with pieces of glass work (by the famous Dale Chihuly) to get to the museum, which is surrounded by glass sculptures. Once you go into the museum, there is a glass-blowing room where you can watch the artists create their craft. And in the permanent gallery, the exhibit shows the contrast between different styles of glass. (For example, glass can be perfectly smooth or textured. Glass can serve a scientific purpose or be a piece of abstract art. Glass can be big and bulky or tiny and delicate.) Another gallery featured an exhibit by Preston Singletary. This artist features his Tlingit Indian roots in his work. This glass work didn't even look like glass; it looked like wood carvings or stone. The entire museum was fantastic. On Sunday we went to the Seattle Art Museum (otherwise known as SAM). Robb and I really aren't "art" people, but we thought we should see our local museum. Some of the exhibits were impressive. I really, really liked the Andrew Wyeth collection and the photographs by Imogene Cunningham. And the museum had a little bit of everything, including Monet, Warhol, and some freaky weird modern art. Overall, it was a nice museum, and much larger than what we expected. But we really ended up preferring the Tacoma Glass Museum during our museum weekend.
The last big event of the weekend (not museum-related) was Robb's purchase of a Utilikilt. He has been saving money and planning for quite some time to buy a kilt from this Seattle-based company. These kilts aren't your traditional, plaid Scottish kilts. These are kilts made out of modern, hardy material (think khaki and Dickies) meant for wearing everyday. I've seen quite a few men in Seattle wear these kilts. It's kind of a punk fashion statement. Don't ask me why my husband decided that a kilt was a fashion statement he wanted to make. But, overall, I support the purchase. I'm a little uncomfortable with him wearing the kilt any place but Seattle, (like our Federal Way suburb), but I suppose I'll get used to it - just don't mind the permanent furrowed brow I have. Stay tuned for kilt pictures...