Sophisticates

We went yesterday to the Phoenix Art Museum for just a short time, and we all had such a great time that we went back for several more hours today.

The girls were given scavenger hunt sheets, and we looked for art using various media (paint, cloth, video, yarn) and in various forms (sculpture, paintings) and even six specific art pieces from throughout the museum.  Here, Steve was teaching the girls that this piece was both a sculpture, and something ceramic.

Our favorite section ended up being the modern art section.  Steve and Christina were both struck by this installment in the middle - hundreds of pieces of petrified wood, hung from the ceiling by transparent filaments.

The girls' favorite was "You who are getting obliterated in the dancing swarm of fireflies" by Kusama, which was really amazing.  It was a dark room, covered on walls, ceiling, and floor with mirrors.  Much like the picture above, there are filaments hanging all over the room, but instead of petrified wood there are LED lights at the bottom of each, and they blink in different colors (and are sometimes completely dark).  You walk in, and are, indeed, completely disoriented and lost.  There is a much better write-up of this here.

The really interesting thing for us was seeing how the girls reacted - when they first saw what was in the room, they both backed out and said they were scared.  We told them they didn't have to go in, but then they said they wanted to go in, holding our hands.  They would call to each other and to us to make sure we were all still there together.  Then, before we knew it, they asked us to leave, and wanted to be in by themselves and 'teach' us how to go through!

We went to eat at the museum cafe, which we though was cafeteria-like and turned out to be more fancy-restaurant than we had anticipated.  Elena and Clara did fantastic though- no breaking their glassware, no spilling anything, and wonderful manners and behavior the whole time.  Fancy girls (even if they did just order PB&J!).

One of the exhibits we saw after lunch was of Philip Curtis' work - we are big fans.  While Steve and Christina were looking around, Elena and Clara sat at this desk to play school - note Clara raising her hand for Elena to call on her.

We also stopped by the Asian art section, and Clara quickly pulled us over to the camel (her symbol at playschool).  She was so excited!

At the end of our visit, the girls were invited to visit this large outside sculpture, and were allowed to go in the cage with the dinosaur!  Here's Clara, springing Elena from imprisonment.

So long, art museum!  We'll definitely be back!

When we got back to Nana and G-Daddy's house, Steve made the girls some cocktails to relax with.

Despite the fun glasses, we promise that these were just mocktails - lingonberry fizzie drinks.  But for our sophisticated girls?  Only the fanciest.