Sculpture Park

Thursday
A museum day today as the forecast called for on and off storms for much of the day. We visited the Art Museum in City Park. We arrived just in time, since as we were going up the stairs to the entrance, it started to rain, and in no time it was throwing it down. We explored the lower two floors of the museum, then seeing that it appeared to have stopped raining more or less, we went out into the beautiful Sculpture Garden, which is adjacent. Having got outside, we found there was still an intermittent drizzle, but we figured that was as good as it was going to get. It is a wonderful setting, amidst the old live oaks and southern Magnolia trees, and centered around a tranquil lagoon. We managed to get around a good part of it, before a rumble of thunder warned us we should get back inside. Unfortunately, however, we didn’t turn round soon enough - the rain returned quickly, and heavily, and by the time we got back to the museum we were soaked - I had an umbrella so my top half was dry, but my trousers were soaked! By this time, it was almost 2pm, so we headed for the cafe. We decided we didn’t really have time to go on to the World War 2 museum, which was my original thought, and which is supposedly excellent, but they unfortunately closed at 5 pm and it meant another drive to get there. So we did the top floor of the museum, then returned to our B&B, and relaxed on the porch for a bit with a glass of wine. By this time, around 5 pm the skies were finally beginning to clear, and the sun was coming out, so we were able to go for a walk in the adjacent Audubon Park. My collage of the sculpture park shows at the top a view across the lagoon back to the art museum. Under that is Hercules the Archer, by Antoine Bourdelle and Reclining mother and child, by Henry Moore. The bottom row is Sitting figures by Lynn Russell Chadwick, Overflow by Jaume Piensa and Pablo Casals Obelisk, by Armand Pierre Fernandez. Next month they’re going to be opening an extension to the garden, adding about another 20 sculptures I think I read.