Thursday, November 28, 2013

Mission: Alpha Centauri

I popped into the Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA) the other day to catch their newest exhibition, but a spaceship caught my attention before I got to the exhibit. 

Mission Alpha Centauri, Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)
Mission Alpha Centauri, Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)
The Design Bar at MODA is serving at the exhibit space for Mission: Alpha Centauri,” a mini exhibition spotlighting the work of first year graduate students at Georgia Tech School of Architecture.

Mission Alpha Centauri, Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)
Mission Alpha Centauri, Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)
The assignment: solve a design problem...in the future:

"Following a catastrophic world war in the late 22nd century, Earth becomes largely uninhabitable. The remaining nations form an alliance to save mankind by seeking other habitable planets around Alpha Centauri, the closest solar system to our Sun. In order to carry out this research, however, they need self-sustaining spaceships with renewable energy sources that can carry the fleet throughout the universe."
Mission Alpha Centauri, Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)
Mission Alpha Centauri, Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)
This is totally an assignment that's totally up my alley! Remember, I've been an aerospace enthusiast since I was a toddler, and I worked in aerospace for nearly a decade--the coolest two things being a trip to Kazakstan to see a live satellite launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, and visiting the Kennedy Space Center for a Shuttle launch as a VIP guest of NASA. I've done some cool stuff!

Mission Alpha Centauri, Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)
Mission Alpha Centauri, Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)
Well, I don't know how many of the Georgia Tech architecture students are space enthusiasts, but they did a brilliant job designing spaceships! Their results are the exhibit.
Mission Alpha Centauri, Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)
Mission Alpha Centauri, Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)
While the Georgia Tech students' work is displayed above the Design Bar, the Design Bar itself is a "work place" for Museum visitors wanting to take advantage of the super cool opportunity to design and make their own spaceship! I'll be going back before the exhibition concludes on January 26 to design a ship or two.

Mission Alpha Centauri, Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)
Mission Alpha Centauri, Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)
I wonder what MODA's next mini-exhibit will be...

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Oh, What a Knight!

"Be swept away to an age of bravery and honor and witness epic battles of steel and steed. From ringside seats, discover a feast of the eyes and appetite with all the splendor and romance of 11th Century Spain." 

Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament delivers on its promises! 


Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament / Atlanta
Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament / Atlanta
I'd wanted to go to Medieval Times for years—my list of things to see and do is surprisingly long, even after blogging for more than three years. Recently, I was graciously invited to Medieval Times as a guest and I brought three lady friends along with me. One had been a number of years ago and the other two had never been before. We all were excited and not quite sure what to expect.


Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament / Atlanta
Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament / Atlanta
The greatest majority of my Medieval experience has been in cinema. Unless you count the Renaissance Festival I went to in Washington, DC a number of years ago (with a great friend who had 15 years worth of costuming—yes, I wore tights and a funny hat! LOL). I know, I know...those are separated by centuries, but they both evoke grand fun!


Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament / Atlanta
Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament / Atlanta
As we were approaching Medieval Times, I became downright giddy, which my lady friends found amusing—although, truth be told, I think their laughing at me was a cover up for their own excitement. They'd been talking about it all day long and in the end, they too had a wonderful evening—I think especially during the photo ops with the Knight's after the show.


Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament / Atlanta
Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament / Atlanta
So..."dinner" and z "tournament". I wasn't expecting too much. This is a tourist attraction and as much as I love being a tourist, some have the reputation of being tourist traps. I wasn't sure what to expect here, but having met the beautiful and charming Alyson, with Medieval Times, I was hopeful and excited about visiting. 

Wow! When they say "dinner", they mean an extremely filling dinner—four courses of great food! And how much fun that—just like in 11th Century Spain—you have to eat with your hands! How often do you get to do that in public? 

Our server, Wench Kristy, was funny, attentive, brilliant and an absolute delight. The servers' performances are amazing in themselves. I promise you, this is a dining experience unlike any you've enjoyed before...I can hardly wait to go back! By the way, don't feel like you have to eat every morsel that's served...they'll offer a box so you can take home leftovers. I didn't need a box.


Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament / Atlanta
Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament / Atlanta
I'd read that the show—the Tournament—was two hours in duration. I didn't know if that was from the point we walked in or from the main lobby or from the King & Queen (or was she the Princess?) announcing the start of the Tournament. 

Oh my goodness, thinking that we were approaching two hours into the Tournament, I looked at my phone to see what time it was, just because I felt like I'd lost track of time. We were only an hour into the show...there was so much more to come!

There's a lot to take in—and I mean a LOT—and I won't give it all away here, but know that you'll see heart-pounding jousting, sword fights, spectacular horsemanship, gallantry, fantastic costuming, super-cool lighting and smoke effects, and music with an rock influence that's been specifically choreographed for this show.

When you arrive, you're aligned with a particular Knight. Our credentials indicated we were allies and fans of the Blue Knight


Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament / Atlanta
Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament / Atlanta
Again...Wow! The Blue Knight won the tournament!!! And he went through a LOT to win said Tournament...seriously, there's ceremony and competitions galore! In my book, they all won, because everyone in the audience was having a blast!



Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament / Atlanta
Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament / Atlanta
The "main lobby", which I'm assuming they call the Great Hall, is where we started and where we finished. The lobby is HUGE! They have one of the largest fireplaces I've ever seen. I think the only fireplace even approaching this one—that I've seen—is at the Biltmore Estate in Ashville, North Carolina.  

There's also a bar that's open before and after the Tournament, seating tables, a gift shop, there's a photo-op with the King & Queen on your way in, and about a bazillion suits of armor...there's actually a lot going on even before you get to the Tournament!



Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament / Atlanta
Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament / Atlanta
Immediately following the Tournament, the King, Queen, and the Knights are in the main lobby (seriously, it must be called the "Grand Hall"...I feel silly calling it a lobby), for photo ops. And every single one of them are charming, friendly, gallant, and quite happy to pose for photos with guests. We made quite a few, many of which you can see on the wanderlust ATLANTA Facebook Page.


Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament / Atlanta
Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament / Atlanta
I've loved suits of armor since I was a kid...a young kid. And some things last a lifetime, including my love of armor. Actually, friends I've mentioned on the blog before have an incredibly handsome, historic suit of armor that overlooks the Atlanta skyline. I've not been around this much armor since visiting the Met in New York City


Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament / Atlanta
Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament / Atlanta
Your ticket to Medieval Times includes the four-course meal and the two-hour Tournament. Cocktails are available for purchase and please remember to tip your servers (gratuity is not included in the ticket price).

This family-friendly attraction is also a popular special occasion destination. There were guests who were celebrating anniversaries and birthdays ranging from seven to 53 (the range could be wider, but those are the ones I remember). And I can say with certainty that they had a wonderful time celebrating with the Knights, squires, wenches, and the Princess, as did I and my friends.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

An Evening With Rhett & Scarlett

On the 113th birthday of Margaret Mitchell, famed author of Gone With the Wind, I had the honor of being a guest of the Road to Tara Museum and the Clayton Country Convention and Visitors Bureau at their Rhett & Scarlett Reunited...For the Evening event. It was the first in a series of events celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Gone With the Wind movie.


"Rhett & Scarlett Reunited...For the Evening", Road to Tara Museum
"Rhett & Scarlett Reunited...For the Evening", Road to Tara Museum
I've attended a lot of events, as a guest and otherwise, over the years, and this one was quite the wonderful experience. The hospitality and graciousness of everyone in attendance was remarkable. The guests and attending dignitaries were all charming, and there were genuinely friendly politicians, too!

And one of the treats enjoyed by attending fans, myself included, was the opportunity to have a photograph made with Rhett & Scarlett (more about them in a moment), which were posted to the Museum's Facebook Page...some great stuff here!


"Rhett & Scarlett Reunited...For the Evening", Road to Tara Museum
"Rhett & Scarlett Reunited...For the Evening", Road to Tara Museum
So, the centerpiece of this VIP Reception was the unveiling of a new exhibit and an expansion of another. The new exhibit is the above "roudels", and this reception was the first time they'd been viewed publicly in Georgia since Gone With the Wind debuted in 1939!

These four roudels, portraits of the four main characters in the film, hung on the Richardson Building across the street from the Loew's Grand Theatre during the movie premier—the largest ever in Atlanta up to that point. There was even a parade!


"Rhett & Scarlett Reunited...For the Evening", Road to Tara Museum
"Rhett & Scarlett Reunited...For the Evening", Road to Tara Museum
The roundels had been in storage, after an amount of time of being exposed to the elements, but even with that challlenge the restoration is remarkable—we're fortunate to have them at all! Each is 5' tall, large enough to have been enjoyed by the thousands present at the film's debut in downtown Atlanta.


"Rhett & Scarlett Reunited...For the Evening", Road to Tara Museum
"Rhett & Scarlett Reunited...For the Evening", Road to Tara Museum
I have to say, I'm impressed that the Museum focuses on so many areas of the book and film. One could easily create a Scarlett O'Hara Museum designed around only Scarlett herself (surely there's one somewhere), but Road to Tara has masterfully balanced their collections to ensure a total experience for its visitors. So, when you visit, you'll certain find what you're looking for...and so much more!


"Rhett & Scarlett Reunited...For the Evening", Road to Tara Museum
"Rhett & Scarlett Reunited...For the Evening", Road to Tara Museum
The Mayor of Jonesboro, Joy Day, was among the visiting dignitaries and offered words of excitement and encouragement...she's quite proud of what the Museum has done for the City of Jonesboro, and for good reason. I shared with Mayor Day that, after decades, Road to Tara was the sole reason that brought me to Clayton County, and it keeps me coming back.

There were also delegates from the state's office of tourism who shared with the audience that Clayton County is the fourth most contributing county in the State of Georgia...no small task give that we have more counties than any other State in the nation. (The top three are Fulton, Cobb, and Chatham)


"Rhett & Scarlett Reunited...For the Evening", Road to Tara Museum
"Rhett & Scarlett Reunited...For the Evening", Road to Tara Museum
The other exhibit that brought us all together that evening was an expanded exhibit on Ann Rutherford, and her Gone With the Wind character, Scarlett's youngest sister. With not one, but two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Ann Rutherford visited the Road to Tara Museum back in 2004, at the age of 85. She passed in 2012 at the age of 94.

The exhibit expansion contains "one-of-a-kind memorabilia, including an original oil painting by Joseph Yakovetic, a decorative pillow adorned with Walter Plunkett's dress design, and Gone With the Wind themed colorful miniature truck, with signatures from many Gone With the Wind favorite actors." A lifelong aerospace enthusiast, I'm particularly fond of the large-scale plane photo.


"Rhett & Scarlett Reunited...For the Evening", Road to Tara Museum
"Rhett & Scarlett Reunited...For the Evening", Road to Tara Museum
One of my favorite artifacts in the Museum is a 16' x 8' mural by Atlanta artist Del Nichols depicting near life-size renderings of Rhett and Scarlett. Surrounding them are another five original oil paintings of movies scenes of the story's progression. But Nichols is no ordinary artist...


"Rhett & Scarlett Reunited...For the Evening", Road to Tara Museum
"Rhett & Scarlett Reunited...For the Evening", Road to Tara Museum
One of the unique tendencies of Nichols is to include Elvis in his paintings, which he did here, as well. If you look closely—you can see it better in person—you'll note that the soldier carrying the Confederate flag bears the face of the King of Rock & Roll. This is in the upper right corner of the mural.


"Rhett & Scarlett Reunited...For the Evening", Road to Tara Museum
"Rhett & Scarlett Reunited...For the Evening", Road to Tara Museum
Rhett and Scarlett were absolutely charming. And it turns out that I've worked with Scarlett before, rather I worked with Marilyn Monroe, both portrayed by the beautiful Cynthia Evans. And Rhett was as charming as he is handsome (the ladies were all about him!). It turns out that Rhett, portrayed by Chad Sanborn, is also an accomplished magician! 

The two of them were magical together as Rhett & Scarlett and a wonderful highlight to the evening. Truthfully, I had more than one photo made with them...they were that fun, and so real!


"Rhett & Scarlett Reunited...For the Evening", Road to Tara Museum
"Rhett & Scarlett Reunited...For the Evening", Road to Tara Museum
The Road to Tara Museum keeps bringing me back to Clayton County, which I'd not been to in decades before visiting the Museum for the first time earlier this year. A lot of that is because of the enthusiasm and kindness of Danielle Conroy with the Clayton County Convention & Visitors Bureau. She gets "community" and has made me feel welcome in hers, for which I'm grateful.

I believe what will lure me back next are the tours that the Museum offers. There's the "Southern Belles & Whistles Tour" and the "Gone With the Wind Tour", both of which "will immerse you in the area's history and its connections to Margaret Mitchell and Gone With the Wind."

See you soon!

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Preview: An Evening with Rhett & Scarlett

On Margaret Mitchell's birthday, just more than a week ago, the Road to Tara Museum debuted a new exhibit and an exhibit expansion at a VIP reception with Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara in attendance, as well as quite a few other dignitaries.

Rhett & Scarlett, Road to Tara Museum
Rhett & Scarlett, Road to Tara Museum
I'll share more about the event and photos from the event in the near future. In the meantime, the truly great news is that this was the kick-off event of a year of celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Gone With the Wind movie at Road to Tara Museum!

Atlanta Beltline Bus Tour

Last Friday, November 8, I'd been planning to take off work a couple of hours early to attend an event that started at 5:00 p.m. When I was also able to schedule an Atlanta Beltline Bus Tour, I asked for the whole day off. What a great day that turned out to be!


Atlanta Beltline Bus Tour
Atlanta Beltline Bus Tour
I'd tried to get on this tour a long, long time ago, and had resigned myself that it would be even a lot longer before I could get a tour slot...this is a wonderfully popular tour. I'm thrilled that there's so much interest and that the Beltline folks are teaching citizens what's going on and what to expect.

So, when I just by chance found an open slot on that same Friday, I immediately reserved it and asked for the whole day off. 

Once on the tour, I quickly realized that it was indeed a "bus" tour and that there would be minimal stops. I also realized rather quickly that I would learn more about the Atlanta Beltline on this tour than I had even hoped. 

Our tour guide, Shantā, was brilliant—again, exceeding my expectations, she has extensive knowledgeable of Atlanta, its neighborhoods, and all the wonderful hope that the Atlanta Beltline could bring the 45-48 communities along the 22-mile project.


Atlanta Beltline Bus Tour
Atlanta Beltline Bus Tour
One of the few stops on the Bus Tour was at Bellwood Quarry, which will be the future site of Westside Reservoir and Park, destined to become Atlanta's largest park at 320 acres. It's also a site used for filming of The Walking Dead and Hunger Games.

The volume of the Reservoir will required four years to pump it full of water, which tells that it'll be a few years yet before the Park is open to the public. In the meantime, this tour is the only public access to the Reservoir...a super cool opportunity to see a future major destination for Atlantans and tourists alike.


Atlanta Beltline Bus Tour
Atlanta Beltline Bus Tour
One of the pauses (bus stops, participants stay on) on the Bus Tour was at the Historic Fourth Ward Park, which I'd visited before, except for the skateboard park, one of the three sections of this park and the one that is most removed. 

We were told that Tony Hawk himself donated $1,000,000 to help build the skateboard park and he himself was present—and skated—for the opening ceremony. How cool is that?!

Even in the middle of the morning on a Friday, the skateboard park was busy. And off in the distance I spied Iron Column, an Art on the Atlanta Beltline installation I'd seen in the news only a few days prior. I came back here after the three-hour bus tour was done.


Atlanta Beltline Bus Tour
Atlanta Beltline Bus Tour
One of the great beauties of the Atlanta Beltline project, now it its ninth year of a projected 20-25 years to complete the entirety of  the Beltline's scope, is the plethora of opportunities afforded so many communities and citizens by such a project.


Atlanta Beltline Bus Tour
Atlanta Beltline Bus Tour
I can't express just how much you'll learn on this tour. If you have any chance of recanting what you learn, I highly recommend note taking. Unless, of course, you have an eidetic memory...and I do not.

And there are other tours, as well as a self-guided tour of the now-scheduled-in-the-fall Art on the Atlanta Beltline. Of course, if you'd like to explore the entire Beltline, you can walk the 22-mile expanse in a mere 10 hours, during which you'd take in the extensiveness of the art installation.


Atlanta Beltline Bus Tour
Atlanta Beltline Bus Tour
My next Beltline exploration will be the Art on the Atlanta Beltline. As you already know, I'm an art lover, and I'd already seen a few pieces of the Beltline installation, but Iron Column is the piece that makes me want to see the entire exhibition.

And check this out, Iron Column (2013) by Phil Proctor is constructed of iron railroad track—how befitting that a sculpture is so telling of the coming of a new rail system. Of all the pieces I've seen on the Beltline thus far, this is my favorite!

Well, I wish I could share with you everything I learned on the Atlanta Beltline Bus Tour, but I don't have a publisher lined up (there's that much to share!), and I'm sure Shantā could have shared much, much more if given the time. Go with questions...she's a Beltline encyclopedia  and she has a great sense of humor.

I will however, leave you with a few tidbits of what I personally found fascinating:
  • Inman Park, where the bus tour begins, was Atlanta's first suburb
  • The Atlanta Beltline will be a two-way system
    • Cars will travel in opposite directions on separate rails
  • The Atlanta Beltline originates from Ryan Gravel's Georgia Tech Masters Thesis
  • The Atlanta Beltline features its own arboretum
  • The Atlanta Beltline will intersect with four MARTA stations
Okay, that's all I'm going to tell you right now, but know that there's so much more to learn and glean, and I especially recommend you go on this tour if you happen to live in one of the more than 40 communities the Atlanta Beltline will directly benefit.

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Gibbs Gardens' Japanese Maples

There more than 2,000 Japanese Maples at Gibbs Gardens, so you can imagine just how incredibly beautiful the Gardens are right now—during their first annual Japanese Maples Festival.


Japanese Maples Festival, Gibbs Gardens
Japanese Maples Festival, Gibbs Gardens
This weekend is peak, however I can't imagine the Maples being more beautiful than when I saw them only a week ago. 


Japanese Maples Festival, Gibbs Gardens
Japanese Maples Festival, Gibbs Gardens
Gibbs Gardens has a remarkable Japanese Garden that's more than 40 acres, the largest in the Southeast! However, the Japanese Maples are throughout the more than 220 acres of display gardens.


Japanese Maples Festival, Gibbs Gardens
Japanese Maples Festival, Gibbs Gardens
I'd heard about Gibbs Gardens, but wasn't told how incredibly remarkable and stunning it is. Nor was I told of the scale. This particular trip was my second visit, and this time I purchased a "Four Seasons Pass" (membership), so I'll be returning for the Daffodil Festival in the spring, which features 20 million—yes, 20 MILLION—daffodils!


Japanese Maples Festival, Gibbs Gardens
Japanese Maples Festival, Gibbs Gardens
If someone asked me what I like most about Gibbs Gardens, I'd be hard pressed to answer...there's so much to like! Of course the Japanese Garden is one that I've spent hours in during both of my 2013 visits there, but I think I'm most impressed with the kindness and knowledge of the volunteers. They're first-class people!


Japanese Maples Festival, Gibbs Gardens
Japanese Maples Festival, Gibbs Gardens
If you're anything approaching the tourist that I am, your camera is practically a living appendage, one that pains you to be without. I made 757 photos on this trip, but the friend I visited with beat me by nearly 500 photos...together, we made 2,026 photographs!


Japanese Maples Festival, Gibbs Gardens
Japanese Maples Festival, Gibbs Gardens
I was thrilled to learn that a few other friends were in Ball Ground, Georgia, to experience the Japanese Maples Festival, and very excited that more and more people are learning about Gibbs Gardens.


Japanese Maples Festival, Gibbs Gardens
Japanese Maples Festival, Gibbs Gardens
When you visit, look all around...forward, upward, backward...there are more photo ops than you can possibly imagine!


Japanese Maples Festival, Gibbs Gardens
Japanese Maples Festival, Gibbs Gardens
Keep an eye out for art in the Gardens, including quite a few lanterns throughout the Japanese Garden, of varying styles.


Japanese Maples Festival, Gibbs Gardens
Japanese Maples Festival, Gibbs Gardens
And keep in mind that not all photos of the Japanese Maples are on the trees...


Japanese Maples Festival, Gibbs Gardens
Japanese Maples Festival, Gibbs Gardens
If you have time, the Japanese Maples Festival is technically still going on for a few more days. And definitely put the Festival on your radar for next year. As a matter of fact, Gibbs Gardens has flower festivals throughout most of the year. See you there!

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Preview: Japanese Maple Festival

I guarantee you will be beyond amazed and in a state of awe when exploring Gibbs Gardens during their "Japanese Maple Festival"—this being their first annual of the extraordinary event. 

Gibbs Gardens' Japanese Maple Festival
Gibbs Gardens' Japanese Maple Festival
Barry and I went this past Saturday, for quite a few hours...we had an incredible day! 

Since then, it's been an super busy week and it'll be a little longer before I get to post photos (between the two of us, we made more than 2,000 photographs!), but I wanted to give you at least a single-photo "preview" and let you know that this weekend is the "peak" of the 2,000 Japanese Maples in Gibbs Gardens...most of them in the 40-plus acre Japanese Garden, but they're throughout the Garden, and there's more than 100 varieties.

Several of our friends and colleagues are going to be visiting Gibbs Gardens this weekend...I hope you'll be among them.

In the meantime, you can expect quite a few photos—quite a lot indeed—in the not-too-distant future and a story about a wonderfully magical place...not too far from Atlanta.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Paris on Peachtree

Late last week I had the privilege of attending the Media Preview of The Art of the Louvre's Tuileries Garden, which is considerably beyond what I'd expected. At the High Museum of Art's preview breakfast, Executive Director Michael Shapiro asked of the nearly 100 attending who had been to Tuileries Garden. I was one of the few who have not yet been...but it's on my list.


"The Art of the Louvre's Tuileries Garden", High Museum of Art
"The Art of the Louvre's Tuileries Garden", High Museum of Art
On the 400th birthday of Andre Le Notre's commissioning by Louis XIV in 1664 to expand and transform the Tuileries into a formal French garden, Atlanta is home, for a while, of more than 100 works from the Garden.

Many of the artifacts in this exhibition have never traveled outside of Paris, making it an extremely rare and a unique opportunity.


"The Art of the Louvre's Tuileries Garden", High Museum of Art
"The Art of the Louvre's Tuileries Garden", High Museum of Art
During the Media Preview breakfast, I had the pleasure of chatting with Sue Rodman of Field Trips With Sue, one of Atlanta's preeminent bloggers! Sue blogs largely about things to do with kids—she has two sons—but is well-rounded, and she is someone I aspire to emulate!

In the photo above, Sue is modeling one of the barets that High volunteers were wearing...so that visitors could easily identify them should we have had questions. Clever, yes?


"The Art of the Louvre's Tuileries Garden", High Museum of Art
"The Art of the Louvre's Tuileries Garden", High Museum of Art
In the photo of Sue and I, we were standing in front of a model of the Tuileries Palace, which I was to discover is a modest model...not nearly the full scope of the Palace. It was considerably larger, which you can see in some of the drawings on a nearby wall.

The Palace was originally part of the Louvre (the only segment still standing being the "tiny" piece at the left in the above photo), which was destroyed following the Franco-Prussian War, In 1670.

The Tuileries Gardens became Paris' first public garden, and remains so today.


"The Art of the Louvre's Tuileries Garden", High Museum of Art
"The Art of the Louvre's Tuileries Garden", High Museum of Art
The exhibition starts in the Sifly Piazza..."Paris on Peachtree"! Tuileries Gardens is 63 acres, but of course the High doesn't have quite that much space for an exact replica exhibition, however they've done a remarkable job reproducing a portion of the Garden.

Turns out, the chairs in the piazza were sourced from the company that made the chairs in Tuileries Garden, which has a distribution center here in Georgia! However, the color of the chairs and planters is not quite the same, but very close, because the company that sells the Garden the paint has an exclusive contract with Tuileries Garden.


"The Art of the Louvre's Tuileries Garden", High Museum of Art
"The Art of the Louvre's Tuileries Garden", High Museum of Art
During the Media Preview, which was for Tuileries Garden AND Go West!, there were tour guides on each track. If you're a member of the Media and you're not on the High's list, I highly recommend contacting them...let's all spread the word of everything Atlanta has to offer!

If you're an Atlanta tourist, visiting or local, you're in the right place to discover what's going on...her on wanderlust ATLANTA. And there are many, many other resources (like Field Trips With Sue)...discover the ones that best suit your style and interests. I hope I'm one of them.


"The Art of the Louvre's Tuileries Garden", High Museum of Art
"The Art of the Louvre's Tuileries Garden", High Museum of Art
The exhibition is presented in four levels...the first being Paris on Peachtree on the piazza. Elegantly formatted, the piazza is lined with plantered boxwoods, and two life-size sculptures, showing the way to the wing that houses the Tuileries Garden exhibition.

Once in side, the first floor features sculptures from the Garden, prominently featuring a remarkable statue of Zeus, titled "Hercules Battling Achelous as Serpent", 1824. We heard from Guillaume Fonkenell, curator of sculpture and museum historian at the Louvre, who also shares insights on the ArtClix smartphone app.


"The Art of the Louvre's Tuileries Garden", High Museum of Art
"The Art of the Louvre's Tuileries Garden", High Museum of Art
While the statuary and other artifacts are brilliant, I personally was most fascinated with the hot air balloon paintings in the exhibition, particularly the one pictured above titled, "The Ascent of Charles and Robert in the Tuileries Garden on December 1, 1783". There are several and they're every one absolutely beautiful...and fascinating for me. I've always wanted to go on a ride.


"The Art of the Louvre's Tuileries Garden", High Museum of Art
"The Art of the Louvre's Tuileries Garden", High Museum of Art
Having not yet visited Tuileries Garden, I was truly impressed with the model of the entire Garden...of course I'd heard of the Garden, but I had no idea it was quite the size it actually is. This model helps convey the impressive scope of the Garden.


"The Art of the Louvre's Tuileries Garden", High Museum of Art
"The Art of the Louvre's Tuileries Garden", High Museum of Art
Unique of this exhibition, 35 of the 100-plus works are directly from the Louvre...which is no small task! The exhibition features large-scale sculptures, paintings, photographs, drawings and more.


"The Art of the Louvre's Tuileries Garden", High Museum of Art
"The Art of the Louvre's Tuileries Garden", High Museum of Art
"Paris on Peachtree" is on display only through Saturday, January 19, 2014. So, unless you have a winter trip to Paris planned, get yourself to Paris on Peachtree at the High Museum of Art

And there is quite a lot of programming associated with the exhibition...go explore!