There is so much wonderful art in the world and a vast number of museums worth seeing. Here are a few to make an extra effort not to miss.
1. The Smithsonian Museum of Art
See America’s national collection of American art in Washington, D.C. The collection ranges from the colonial era until now, with artists from Christo to John Singleton Copley all on show for visitors of the museum. Fine art, folk art, photography, and crafts are all on display at this national landmark, and the public is also permitted to observe behind the scenes in the Luce Conservation Center.
2. The American Visionary Art Museum
This museum in Baltimore showcases work by visionary, or self-taught, artists. This is art that comes purely from within by people you’ve probably never heard of. Works in all media by both living and deceased visionary artists range from the moving to the colorfully fun.
3. The Louvre
It’s trite to say so, but an art lover has to make the journey to Paris to see the Louvre. You can’t miss out on 15 acres of ancient and Renaissance treasures, including some of the most famous paintings and sculptures on earth.
But, if you’re certain you’re never going to make it over, you can take the website tour.
4. The Art Institute of Chicago
Overlooking Chicago’s Grant Park, one of the largest art museums in the US has a great collection of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism. It’s also noted for its armor court and its Frank Lloyd Wright furniture.
5. The North Miami Museum of Contemporary Art
Although you love art museums for their historic, established treasures, it’s good to also see what artists are doing now. This contemporary museum in North Miami has a young permanent collection of only 600 pieces, but there’s a lot going on here in terms of exhibits, education, and regular jazz concerts.
Seeing what contemporary artists are working on is very important, and an easy way to do it from the comfort of your home (much like the online tours of the Louvre) is in these online videos by Park West Galleries.
6. The Cleveland Museum of Art
This museum is known for its collections of ancient and medieval relics and especially for its Asian collection, featuring sculptures, jewelry, and painted scrolls from all over the continent. It’s also fresh off a major renovation of a few years ago, so it’s fun just walking around.
7. The Museum of Modern Art
A part of the wonder of art is its diversity, and the modern impulse is especially full of variation. You cannot leave out one of the world’s greatest collection of modern art — in the heart of Manhattan.  This is the home of the other great masters — Van Gogh, Dali, Warhol, and many others.
8. Mingei International Museum
This collection in San Diego is devoted to preserving the art of the people — folk art, crafts, and design — from all cultures of the world. Exhibits are themed around a type of everyday object or a motif, and often drawn from the museum’s own 26,000 objects from 141 countries.
9. The British Museum
When you find yourself traveling, as in all the way to London, this is one of the world’s great museums dedicated to the art and culture of humanity. They’ve got millions of artworks from all over the ancient world. It’s a large place, but make sure you see the “Elgin marbles,” which are sculptures from the Parthenon and the Ottoman empire collected by Lord Elgin.
There are so many other museums worth visiting, but the above are just nine of the must-sees. What are your favorite art museums?
Sources:
http://www.
http://www.avam.org/
http://americanart.si.edu/
http://traveltips.usatoday.
http://www.artic.edu/visit
http://www.clevelandart.org
http://www.mocanomi.org
http://www.moma.org
http://www.mingei.org
http://www.britishmuseum.org
