The “Farm to Table” exhibit, which highlights the Age of Impressionism in France through art and food.
Gabrielle Barnett|Marlin Chronicle
The Chrysler Museum of Art, located at 1 Memorial Pl. in Norfolk, Virginia, is a free art museum that is open Tuesday through Sunday. In addition to the myriad of informational exhibits, the museum also offers fun events and a peaceful place to hang out.
On Oct. 9, the Chrysler Museum hosted one of their free, all-ages events called “Second Saturday Art Pop-Up”. The event was run by Museum Educator Grace Martin and is the latest in an event series that has been running for several years.
“It’s been a few years now, but it’s been evolving,” Martin said.
The event was an opportunity for visitors of the museum to express their artistic side by decorating sponges with spackle “frosting” to look like cakes. The event, which ran from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 a.m., was quickly visited by a lively crowd of all ages.
“This activity brings a lot of joy,” Martin said. “So it’s nice to just bring your family, or just yourself.”
Martin has been leading the Second Saturday Art Pop-Ups at the museum for the last few months. Originally, it was a paid event, until the museum received a grant that allowed for it to be a free, drop-in event. Martin is highly appreciative of the grant that makes the event free, saying that she believes it opens the museum even more to the public.
Claude Monet’s “The Haystack,” a featured display in the “Farm to Table” exhibit.
Gabrielle Barnett|Marlin Chronicle
“I love this because it makes art more accessible to the community,” Martin said. “Anyone can just show up, no pressure, and learn a new material to work with.”
The idea for the “cake” decorating came from the Chrysler Museum’s current exhibit, “Farm to Table: Art, Food and Identity in the Age of Impressionism.”
“Farm to Table” is an exploration of French art and cuisine, featuring a famed Claude Monet piece titled “The Haystack.” Anna Besch, a local amateur artist and Philosophy professor, came to the museum with her friend, Leanne Currie-McGhee, an author and activist, to see “The Haystack.”
“I took, like, an entire class on it,” Besch said. She explained that “The Haystack” was her favorite piece of the exhibition, because of how it showcased Monet’s skill and expertise.
“Farm to Table” has a deep historical background, exploring French cuisine in the context of 19th century French society. As explained in the museum’s description of the exhibit, food is a prevalent part of French culture that was affected by the end of the Franco-Prussian War of the 1870s. “Farm to Table” gathers works that show the process, creation and consumption of food in the context of a country struggling to recover after a devastating war.
“Even though I’ve been coming for 25 years, there’s always something different to see,” McGhee said.
The Chrysler Museum of Art is home to many interesting exhibits which include paintings, sculptures and ceramics.
Gabrielle Barnett|Marlin Chronicle
Museum senior docent Cindy White gives free public tours of the Chrysler Museum as part of her job. Because the museum is free, White gets to interact with a wide variety of visitors.
“You can bring anyone you want,” White said. “Because it’s free, and we’re open every day except for Monday.”
Recently, White has been giving tours of the “Farm to Table” exhibit, but that’s not the only new or exciting exhibit that the Chrysler Museum offers. The museum has a large permanent collection featuring sculpture and ceramic historical artifacts, as well as rotating exhibits including “Farm to Table” and Peter Bremers’ glass exhibit Ice to Water.
“It sparks conversation,” McGhee said. “A lot of really interesting conversations based on the different art we saw.” A local of the area, the ever changing exhibits of the Chrysler make it a spot she enjoys hanging out at.
A busy day spent at the Chrysler Museum should also include breaks. Luckily, the museum has a central plaza that provides a calm, peaceful atmosphere, with seats and tables that are perfect to take a load off. Besch describes the plaza as a place where she can go to work away from the distractions of her home.
“I run into cool people here,” Besch said. “It’s just so beautiful.”
In addition, the Zinnia Cafe is a delicious spot for a meal and a chat with friends. Located near the gift shop, the cafe features both to-go and sit down options, as well as a bakery and alcoholic beverages. It serves southern American food such as the “Chrysler BLT,” which has fried green tomatoes between layers of bacon, lettuce and avocado aioli on multigrain bread. The cafe is elegant and relaxing, fitting for the peaceful museum.
And of course, an essential part of any museum visit is the gift shop and the Chrysler Museum boasts one that caters to all visitors.
“I love museum shops anyway,” White said. “But ours is exceptional because…the things that are in our shop fit the current exhibits.”
With events and tours that are open to the public, rotating exhibits that provide in depth looks at art and culture, and a calming, peaceful atmosphere that permeates the whole museum and the cafe, the Chrysler Museum is a wonderful place to explore alone or with friends.
By Gabrielle Barnett
