Amaranthine Museum Baltimore, Maryland

Touring through the Amaranthine Museum is equivalent to passing through the mind of an astounding artist, and a brilliant person. The walls and halls are lined with over 200 pieces of work from artist Les Harris. A man who lived an extraordinary life. He served under General Patton during World War 2, danced onstage at the famed Metropolitan Opera House, and also studied with famed Realist painter, Charles Rain. 

Art and teaching eventually became Les' passion. He had an undesirable thirst to educate his fellow man. He first began teaching art at Albany Academy in New York. He encouraged his students to look outside of the scope. To break traditions and see "beyond the vase." His love of art and teaching eventually brought him back home to Baltimore, where he continued to pursue his own further education. Eventually receiving a Master's degree from Johns Hopkins University. He resumed teaching for several more years before retiring in 1977 to pursue his own art on a more frequent basis.

Instead of selling his art to make a profit Les kept his collection and opened his own private museum. He would show great pride in his work as he led visitors through his 2,000 square foot gallery. Visitors from all over the globe were greatly intrigued by the artist and his unusual works of art. 

Les wasn't afraid to experiment and incorporate several mediums into one piece of art, and his style ranged greatly. His works could be described as visionary, surreal, hallucinatory, contemporary, and classical. And to say you're just looking at art, would be an understatement. Passing through the halls is almost like passing through millions of years at one brief time. You may find yourself discussing the beginning of life or the creation of earth. The next minute you may be questioning humanity and the whole reason for life. Symbolism, religion, physics, astronomy, numerology, and romance can be found in every piece of art you encounter here.

The Amaranthine Museum is named after the amaranth flower, the unfading flower. While visiting be sure to check out the multiple frames Les painted. The represent a collage of various famous paintings throughout history. At first they appear to be a kaleidoscope of colors, but upon closer examination you marvel at the details and meticulous work that went into the creation. The same way the artist wants us to interpret our own worlds. As long as this labyrinth of beauty remains for the world to see, the work of Les, and art in general will never fade away.

American Visionary Arts Museum Baltimore, Maryland

 Visionary art is often described as art that crosses boundaries. The artists rarely have any formal training, yet create personal visions for themselves that manifest into some of the most unique and creative pieces of work. No museum is more proud of these artists and their accomplishments than the American Visionary  Arts Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. 

The museum itself was the creative vision of a non artist, but a woman with a passion for helping people. While working with psychiatric patients in a local hospital, Rebecca Hoffberger, became enthralled with her patient's artwork. She chose to focus on the patients strength as people, as opposed to the weaknesses that got them there. On a trip to Switzerland she visited a folk art museum and was inspired to create a home for the outsider art she so adored back home in Baltimore. Several years, numerous petitions, and millions of dollars later she would witness her dream come to fruition.

In November of 1995 the museum opened to the public. It's first two visitors were a pair of visionary artists. You could even say the building itself is a piece of art, and difficult to miss. Just look for the large shining mosaic, located only blocks from the busy harbor. The outside is a spectacle of glass, mirrors, and other mediums patterned together to create a unique building, and a piece of art. Surrounding the grounds of the museum, artwork is abound everywhere. Kinetic sculptures dot the skyline, hands protrude out of the building, mammoth birds nests hang above, and trees sprout out of the concrete.

Once inside there's a plethora of raw art to be found everywhere. The museum has a revolving permanent collection that consists of over 4,000 pieces. The day we visited we encountered sculptures made of matchsticks, unusual collages, and varying degree of unusual works of art. The museum is consistently changing their displays to feature the variety of art they own. Giving each one of these unique artists a chance to shine for a period of time. In fact that artwork at the museum is so much on the move that some actually does. Every year the museum hosts a kinetic sculpture race. Artists create movable pieces of art that race 15 miles through the streets of Baltimore. Several past winners are housed within the walls of this unusual art museum.

While in the museum it's hard to grasp a few pieces. Some of them are so complex in such a simple way, it becomes difficult to comprehend. Others are some of the most amazing works of art I've seen. But all are completely ingenious. It can quickly become quite difficult to realize these amazing pieces you're looking at were created by farmers, housewives, prisoners, psychiatric patients, not trained artists.

The museum and the pieces of art housed within, show there is a creative side in everyone of us, we just need to find a way to unleash it. That there is a uniqueness in all of us that needs to be released. A way against the normal, that can be an inspiration for all.