American Visionary Art Museum is ranked #4 in the country for a reason!!! I encourage everyone to go see "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" now through 9/5. If you are an artist, into politics, history, all ages all races!! It was absolutely breath-taking to see self-taught artists convey their vision using any and everything. From human rights, gay rights, racism, religion, individuality, and a host of other social issues. Truly inspiring!

We unfortunately had to respect the artists' wishes and could not take pictures of the exhibit. We did however, get some pictures of the museum itself. Located 800 Key Highway with a great view of the Inner Harbor and Federal Hill. I suggest making a day of your visit. Directly across the street is Rusky Scupper and Pier 1. For the kids, journey up to the top of Federal Hill or take a walk around the Harbor.

View more photos of the museum on Facebook.

More on the exhibit:

Artists from across the country came together you convey their thoughts on various social issues. Some still alive and well, other dearly departed. What I found most inspiring was that they chose different quotes about liberty and life and based their work around that. This approach gave you a visual into what each quote meant to the artists and their inspiration. I went to the museum with my 7 year old son who was surprisingly more captivated than I. It was truly validating, to see his appreciation for art and imagination. Please don't let this exhibit pass by without seeing it. I also suggest alloting atleast 2 hour to view the entire museum and additional sculpture garden and children's museum.

Here are a few quotes and artists that I was able to jot down on paper before my son pulled me to the next exhibit

"Individuality is Freedom Lived."-American Visionary Art Museum

"Imagination is more important than Knowledge" -Albert Einstein

Sermet Aslam's acrylic canvas' of Struggle with Self:
"We all go through feeling absolutely trapped before we can truly break free."
"Finally we stop fighting and we see that reality just is."
Jean-Pierre Nadau's drawing in India ink (30 feet long)
"A Journey of a Thousand Miles begins with a single step."-Las Tzu

Ernest Patton's Right to Life (Hospital Birth Scene), carved & painted wood:
"If there were in the world today a larger number of people who desired their own happiness more than they desired the unhappiness of others, we could have Paradise in a few years."-Bestrand Russell
Jim Bloom's acrylic and mixed media canvas about Gay rights:
"If you mind your own business, you won't be minding mine."-Hank Williams

Danny Hoskinson's Totem Pole, stacked and melted PVC plastic baskets.

My 7year old son's response to this, "Each face is showing it's oppression." I thought, "WOW this boy is a genius." and then he said, "I mean expression." Either way in my book he was sooo right! Please take your kids. They will love it!

John King's mixed media of Martin Luther King, Jr and Rosa Parks:
"Justice denied anywhere diminishes justice everywhere."-Martin Luther King, Jr.

Esther Nisenthal Kunitiz's embrodiary and fabric collage about her feelings when arriving to America after escaping Nazi concentration camps:
"If you want to be free, there is but one way; it is to guarantee an equally free measure of Liberty to all your neighbors. There is no other way." -Carl Schins

Althlone Clarke's mixed media collage of African American women to changed the lives of many African Americans:
"Mirror Mirror on the wall, another sister answered the call."
"The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on the door, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love instad see all of us as one."-Bill Hicks

http://www.avam.org
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