Grandma Moses

Today was another adventure of the what has come to be called the Sacramento Adventurers - a group that is roughly organized under the Relief Society women's group of our local church ward. Carolyn has been responsible for several outings of this group. This time our goal was the Crocker Art Museum and the special exhibit of works of Grandma Moses.

It isn't easy to find "the Crocker" recently because of the construction on the museum itself as well as on some of the neighboring city streets. And once we found a decent parking place we were faced with another puzzle: the sign on the curb clearly indicated that there was 3 hour parking 8 to 6 except Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. Otherwise the parking is unlimited and free. But right beneath the sign are parking meters which also clearly state 3 hour parking 8 to 6 except Sundays and holidays. Today is Saturday. Do we put money in the meter or not?? While all seven of us debated the situation, Carolyn fed the meter... for the car next to ours.

Here's the group (minus me) on the front steps of the Crocker Museum. As I mentioned, the draw today was the art of Grandma Moses, an example of which is shown here.

I don't know much about art but this gal had a great publicist. Her pictures are colorful and full of images of the American scene but her images are also very representational, almost resembling a child's painting. For example, she painted people's faces with two dots and a curved line just like a smiley face. Her perspective is all out of whack so that she'll paint the side of a bridge that is really fading into the distance as if you are broadside of the bridge. Still, she somehow captured the heart of the nation. Was it her age at starting to paint (76) or the Americana topics of her pictures or the bright colors and easy to understand motifs? Whatever it was, she had it.

It was a fairly small exhibit which allowed us time to wander around other areas of the museum. Here, a group of us are viewing a gallery that has been hung in the "salon style" where virtually every square inch is covered with a painting. It looks to me more like the style that would be used by a picture salesman who wants to get the maximum usage of his display space with a minimum of pictures not on display.

A great time was had by all. We capped the adventure with lunch at a new Logan's Roadhouse which has opened in Natomas just a little past where Carolyn used to work. Great food and great fun shelling peanuts and throwing the shells on the floor.