Famous museums offer virtual tours of amazing exhibits

By Anita Widaman

Although art museums are closed across the country, many have opened their collection to the public through virtual exhibits. The Covid 19 “stay-at-home” order is the perfect time to visit local, national and international museums. Below are a few suggestions to lure you away from Netflix.

If you missed the exhibit, Queen Nefertari: Eternal Egypt at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art earlier in the year, you can catch it online. The exhibit closed two weeks early due to the pandemic and Nelson-Atkins Director Julián Zugazagoitia hosts an exhibit highlights tour. The exhibit looks at the role of women in ancient Egypt. There is also an exhibit online: Ready for Art: The 1933 Opening of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art that looks at the history of the Nelson-Atkins. It is a great resource to learn of our city’s history.

Summer, the Gleaners, 1853
Jean-François Millet, French, 1814–1875

Millet and Modern Art: From Van Gogh to Dalí is online at the Saint Louis Art Museum. The collection looks at the peasant workers and the French countryside. The exhibit reminds us of a simpler time. Millet and Modern Art: From Van Gogh to Dalí is organized by the Saint Louis Art Museum and the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, with exceptional support from the Musée d’Orsay, Paris.

Many of our readers are schooling their children at home. If you are looking for a fine art project for your kids you may want to view Bridging the Gap: A Series of Digital Art Engagements. These videos produced by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas connects you to works of art for the classroom or family enjoyment.   If you have not been to Crystal Bridges, it is a great day trip once the pandemic is over.

As a child, a Sunday afternoon activity was rummaging through my Grandmother’s attic. One item I played with often was a “cage hoop” which is included in Fashioning a Nation, an online exhibit from the National Gallery of Art, Washington DC. The exhibit looks at American fashions from 1740–1895. The exhibit presents “fine” clothing that was passed from generation to generation. The exhibit addresses how technology and politics influenced fashions.

The Israel Museum in Jerusalem is providing several self-guided tours including Pharaoh in Canaan: The Untold Story Christians know that the Israelites spent time in Egypt, but few realize that Egypt ruled ancient Canaan. The exhibits examine how the two cultures influenced each other. Be sure to click “English” when you begin the tour.

Information is more academic and interesting when spoken by someone who is British. An interesting behind the scene look at British Museum is provided by the curators. A few titles include: 5000-Year-Old Tattoos, Portraits and Propaganda of Elizabeth I, Assyrian Envelopes, and more. You will possess information that will impress your friends when you view each Monday the much-loved British Museum Curators Corner

During the next few weeks, one can be inside his or her home, but learn from experts the world over. Start now learning of these great museums and begin plotting a road trip to see the exhibit in person.