Today we visited the Hillstrom Museum located in the lower level of Jackson Campus Center. After a brief self guided tour of the Fluid Chromatics: Epoxy Paintings by Patrick Blaine exhibit, we were first educated of the history and facts of the museum by Don Myers, Director and Senior Curator. We were informed that the museum was created in the year 2000 with great support from Richard Hillstrom ’38 who had a great passion for art. Reverend Hillstrom passed just last month at the amazing age of 99 and a half.
Dr. Myers informed us of the proper do’s and don’ts when visiting a museum. Of the many tips he provided, one that resonated well with the group was the advice to make your own interpretation of what you see; and not solely base it off of the description provided. His advice was to look first, and read second. He encouraged us to get as close to the paintings as the guards would allow to connect better with a piece of art. He even brought up the growing “selfie” trend and its acceptance within museums. As our tour of the Louvre will be guided he recommended listening to the guide, but not being afraid to venture away to other pieces of art around us to make the experience your own.
Dr. Myers concluded with recommendations for various museums to visit throughout our trip. Among those mentioned were the National Gallery in London and Musee d’ Orsay in Paris. Nefertiti Bust was recommended for us to observe in the Neues Museum in Berlin. As we left we each selected a favorite piece from the current exhibit mentioned above to prepare us for observing future exhibits and taking a special piece with us. We thank Dr. Myers for his time, and wisdom on how to approach museums and art, and look forward to
Aryn Eckstrom, Steve Eiden, Matt Bettes