Post Punk Kitchen Forum

How many times have you been?
What do you love?
What do you hate?

I love the art museum and try to go at least once a year. Recently we were able to see The Gross Clinic by Thomas Eakins.

I love most of it, but Its so huge that I am exhausted after only seeing a couple floors.
but I do really really love the museum.

I love dancing in the fountain at night. Also, I love Temple Hall and the Japanese art exhibits.

i like the weapons and the japanese art

Nooooooo! I hate it when people go in the fountains.

Me too. We should be curmudgeons together.

This place makes me swoony but I haven't been nearly as much as I'd like. I never see everything, it's too huge. The only thing I always, always visit is Degas' "Little Dancer Aged 14."

Ha, we should be! Ugh I get so heated when I see kids in the fountains.

I always feel like Brodie in Mallrats. That kid is on the escalator AGAIN!

YES!

so, there's a newish art museum affiliated building across lincoln drive. is it open to visitors? anyone know?

Newish? Do you mean the Perelman or the new new Barnes that they are moving to the Ben Franklin Parkway?

Huh. I hate it when people don't go in the fountains. It seems like a waste otherwise...

I love it but I haven't been there in a long time!

I like the architectural sort of exhibits. Like there used to be a... Japanese garden? And a tea house?

Also, the Easter Island-y sort of heads.

there isn't a japanese garden anymore? shiitake. I loved that exhibit.

She must mean the Perelman; the Barnes is at 20th and the Parkway and they've made real progress with it. The Perelman is part of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and you can either use your museum ticket or get a combo, I forget which.

A museum ticket includes the Perelman building, which I still haven't been to. I like the modern and contemporary art and prints drawings and photographs. I love the Japanese tea house...I just want to jump in and hang out! Same with the fountain.

I am glad a few more of us fountain jumpers are coming out of the woodwork.

I'm a member of the museum but don't get there as often as I'd like. I did go to the Perelman building right after they opened it. There were some sculptures, and a really interesting textiles/fashion exhibit, and an Ansel Adams photo exhibit. It's worth checking out.

One of my favorite things in the museum is the Chinese room with the "well of heaven" dragon ceiling. http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/ ... 44151.html
It's from a 14th century monastery in Beijing. I wrote a whole 25-page paper on it for a Buddhist Art class I took, but I don't remember all the details. In the early 20th century the monastery had to start selling off parts of its buildings for lack of funds, and the ceiling was very nearly sold to coffin makers because it's made from a kind of hardwood that is very good for coffins. But someone from the museum bought it just in time and it was saved.

In the same room in the corner is a wooden statue. If you shine a flashlight in its eyes they reflect the light which is sort of creepy. It has some sort of glass eyes that you can't really see unless you shine a light at it.

I also love the medieval art, particularly a set of four paintings of monks with knives sticking out of their heads. They were martyred and the knives are symbolic of that, but they're just so weird looking.

Ok, lets make a deal all you fountain jumpers. You can dip your feet in the art museum fountain all you want. But keep your asparagi out of the Logan Square fountain! Sound good :)

I think my favorite section of the art museum are the actual rooms from Europe. I'm not sure what section they are in. I love all of the really super old European art.

The Perelman is cool, I think your ticket gets you into both places and the shuttle is free.

The Japanese garden and tea house are still in the museum, I love that section too. It is beyond peaceful. Can you imagine living in that environment all the time?

Last year I went with my two BFF's and we had a picnic down by the water under a tree. It was delightful!

I've never seen the Japanese garden and now I'm really sad about it. Must plan a museum trip asap.

There is also a Japanese house and garden in Fairmount park. It's very beautiful and worth seeing, although maybe in the spring would be better. You can also participate in a tea ceremony there, which is fun.

http://www.shofuso.com/

We plan to do this every year and never make it! I have seen it, but it was closed.

Can I be in the curmudgeons club, too? I do make one exception: really small kids. Not because they're cute or because they don't know better, but because they might drown. One less screaming brat in the museum. I'm not a bad person.

Love the museum. Love my $40 student membership. Love Art After Five, especially when I sit next to people who get all huffy expecting a museum-quiet level of talking at what is essentially a music performance and restaurant. Love the way the landscaping and gazebos and Waterworks looks like Second Life. Love sitting on the Rocky steps late on a Summer evening eating water ice from Philly Flavors.

I like the way you think. You are welcome in the Curmudgeon Club. Also in the Bad People club, of which I am a card-carrying member.

Oh yes we are some evil people hating people. Welcome! And for the record, I kind of hate kids. Shhhhhh, don't tell all of my friends with kids.

I managed to miss all of the Art After Five events. Hopefully they will keep doing them.