Sure, its name may trigger a memory of your favorite prairie skirt from 9th grade, but this place rocks.
I've been here once before and was so enamored by the gift shop that I only had enough time to run through the exhibitions. It carries gorgeous items from around the world: jewelry, stationery, clothing, bags, etc. It's a great place to find a unique gift for that person who has everything. And you might even feel good about your purchase, as many of the items are made from recycled or sustainable materials, and/or made by local/global artisans.
I didn't know much about the current exhibitions before visiting this time around but was blown away by both. They run until September 11th, and there's no doubt I'll visit them again. That'll be a first for me. Usually I see an exhibit once, or maybe just half of once. I breeze through most rooms and try to make it look like I'm heading for the bathroom, then stop in the ones that have those really uncomfortable but feet-saving benches. I sit there and gaze in the direction of the art, trying to look interested, but really I just people-watch. Have you ever noticed how many couples appear to be on their first date at a museum? The woman is wearing high heels, and they're both feigning interest in every single painting, holding their chins just so. I imagine a conversation in front of some modern painting that resembles my own symmetrical butterfly blotches made in the first grade might go something like this:
Boy: "So, what do you see in this painting?"
Girl (or Boy) replies nervously, hoping to give the "right" answer: "Well, when I first looked at it, I saw a human pelvis, but now I see so much more..."
When I go to a museum with someone, even my husband, I always feel like I've got to reach deep into my brain for those long-lost terms from my Art History 101 class to discuss the exhibit. So much work.
But visiting CAFAM is not work. I can linger in their exhibits and express my appreciation for the art with words like cool, really cool, and really f#*!ing cool. That's not to say the art isn't worthy of more specific, descriptive adjectives; it's just that the art is stuff I can relate to. It's mostly stuff people have made with other stuff. And that's cool.
For example...
The two current exhibits feature cardboard and insects.
When I saw the giant cardboard sculptures, I thought, "Wow, this woman did a lot of Dumpster diving." Seriously, though, her sculptures are truly beautiful and inspirational. I'd totally love one in my house. Hey, now I know what to do with all those empty boxes that used to house baby gear...
I'm not really a bug person. When I find one in the house, I usually kill it. I don't examine its beauty first, nor do I think about the possibility that its death puts its kind one bug closer to extinction. This exhibit, though, may have transformed me. I left it having a new appreciation for bugs and their usefulness as objets d'art. This installation is simply beautiful. Vividly painted walls adorned with colorful dead insects and beeswax molds, all arranged in patterns that resemble textile prints. If you stand far enough away, the walls look covered in wallpaper. One of the employees of the museum said the artist orders dead insects and rehydrates each one, then shapes them just so in preparation for her installations. Hundreds - if not thousands - of insects make up this installation. Now that's patience. And she pins them to the walls in straight lines, be they vertical, diagonal, whatever. I could see holes in the wall where she took out an insect because it wasn't placed just right. The OCD in me totally appreciated this.
This visit to CAFAM was a total success. Babe and I were both wowed by the the installations - so much so that we'll definitely head back to see them again before they move on.
Here's a link to the current exhibitions page on CAFAM's website: http://www.cafam.org/current.html
Stroller access: Yep, entrance to the museum is at street level, and there are elevators inside.
Nursing privacy: It's a small museum, so not really. You can see everything in under an hour and make it to the car in time for a feeding.
Kid friendly: Yes!
Food: N/A
