American Visionary Art Museum

Come take a trip with me to a land of no boundaries, and no rigid pre-conceived ideas about art. I promise you will have fun!

You are going on a great googly-moogly trip to funky fun-town!

Let's ride down the river of free imagination. Let's get surprised, 

and fill our heads full of wonder and awe. Play, play, play!

Allow the shiny happy things in life to shimmer and shine their way into your heart. Watch and run through the sparkles and rainbows that scatter in all directions from this 'Universal Tree Of Life.' This is just like the Queen's own room of natural rainbows, gotten from stringing all manner of crystals in every window. The sun and earth together can make magic happen! So can you! Feel your lightness!

Yes just let your mind go. Be free to think silly thoughts and smile loudly! Now how often do you see a nest full of people? We are in a wonderland of ideas made manifest. 

We are happy like wax lips!

Yes, there are real peeps in that nest.

Where in the mad hatters world are we my dear? We are at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore Hon! There are no rules here...no boxes...and no formally trained artists.

Since they don't allow cameras inside the buildings my photos are taken in their outside spaces, which happen to have a few funtastical sculptures that I can share with you. I do wish I could have shown you the beautiful blue bottle covered hearse in the Jim Rouse Visionary Building. Elvis would have adored it!

Feast your eyes on this eight foot mosaic egg! The Queen loves eggs... and sparkly things...so I really wish for this sculpture to be in my castle! I just want to hug it! Gorgeous from every angle and when the sunbeams hit it look out! The mosaic design is based on the photos taken with the Hubble Telescope of our beautiful galaxy.

The museum sits next to Federal Hill where crowds come to watch movies on this wall with the giant hand over the big movie screen. Imagine that the hand is going to reach down and pluck someone right out of a movie scene. Bwah-hahahaha

It's time to go and see the crazy funkyfide art that lives inside The American Visionary Art Museum. Oh there is that egg again! Can't get enough of it!    Speaking of Galaxies, the show inside AVAM right now is called  'All Things Round - Galaxies, Eyeballs, and Karma!'  You have to visit the AVAM website as it is a wonderment in itself, plus you will get a peek at some of the things going on in the museum.

After going through all the levels of the museum we were hungry! So we went to 'Mr. Rain's Fun House' for lunch located on the top floor of the museum. Since it was a very warm October day we decided to eat outside on the patio over looking Federal Hill and the giant whirligig kinetic sculpture that constantly spins and moves in the breeze.

Oh My! The food is just as fantastic as the exhibitions of AVAM! Let's eat! While we waited our server brought us some soft pretzel bites and honey mustard. This Philly girl was extra happy when they brought us a second round of these fun little delights!

Wowie Zowie the food here was soooooo good! This is no museum cafe folks, 'Mr Rain's Fun House' is a really awesome restaurant!
Our first course was Butternut Squash Soup. Mmmm a fall favorite!

Then came one the best sandwiches I have ever eaten! I am getting hungry just looking at this salmon fillet sandwich again! Look at that bread all full of holes. So good!

Ben had an Asian salad and veggie sandwich combo.

Of course the art work does not stop at the restaurant door. They have big funky bottle cap n' pearled animal-like heads hanging out on the walls of the patio Fun House for your viewing pleasure.

Ben and I usually share a dessert and this was a yummy work of art!

As we stare deeply into all the mosaic walls covering the AVAM's exterior walls, we think we are so glad to have taken this trip through time and space and arrived at such a place of artistic freedom. I may love the 'old masters,'  but I also know when it's time to indulge my inner child! This museum is the perfect outlet for a zany zippy toothy grin-fest! You certainly will remember the pieces of art that immediately made you say, "How cool is that!"

If you are ever in Baltimore a trip to AVAM funky fun town should be a priority. The museum is filled with all kinds of inventive pieces from tramp art to phantasmagorical paintings. It is located between the Inner Harbor and the Federal Hill area at 800 Key Highway. There is also a fun spirited museum shop called Sideshow that will keep you busy looking at all the loony and kitschy gifts.

Just watch that Egg... there may be other worldly beings transporting through this galaxy gateway to check out the joint during your visit!

PQ found this universal message in the parking area. Spread the Love!