Start your travel with art

I noticed before that the San Francisco airport has a lot of interesting art on display. Did you know that there is a museum located at the international terminal? It is only open till 4:30, so we missed the opportunity to go in last time we flew. But don’t worry there are different exhibits all around the airport.

 

Chinese opera shoes. Part of the Stepping out: Shoes in World Cultures exhibit at the SFO MuseumWe saw the funky shoes from around the world, a quick glance at Ancient Rome and examples of arts and crafts. For a complete list of the different exhibits you can check out the museum’s website.

Stepping Out: Shoes in World Cultures, at SFO International Terminal

There is also the SFMOMA store for your after art shopping fix.

 

Have you noticed the art at SFO?

Monopoly in the park, San Jose

Play a game in the park

There are so many great parks around the Bay Area and they offer many possibilities for games. You could play bocce in Cuesta Park in Mountain View, or pickle ball in Mitchell Park in Palo Alto. I’m sure there a many places for chess and horseshoes.

Monopoly in the park in San JoseBut the most amazing, and might I add Guinness World Record Book worthy, is the Monopoly in the park. You can find this attraction across from the Children’s Discovery Museum in San Jose. To play it you will have to book it and pay the rental fee. But I’m sure everyone will have fun

Senet Game at the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, San JoseAnother option, that is free, is to play a game of Senet, the Egyptian game that is said to be the model for backgammon. At the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose they have a great outdoor park with a Peace Garden, a Labyrinth and a Senet game.

Do you know of a great outdoor game?

Entrance to the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose

Walk in the Egyptian

The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose has the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts in the western North America. The entrance is framed by goats similar to the Avenue of the Sphinxes in Luxor.

Egyptian king When entering I had to adjust my eyes; the light was dim which gives it an eerie atmosphere. The exhibits are going off in four different directions on multiple levels and are organized by themes, (burial practices, gods and religion, kings and pharaohs, daily life, trade, and neighbors) rather than time periods, so you can pick your favorite direction.

A lot of school groups were there at the same time. This allowed me to listen in to some of the guidespresentations. I enjoyed the story of the senet game, which was so popular that no one bothered to write down the rules!

Tomb entrance at the Egyptian Museum in San JoseThe most spectacular exhibit is the replica of a tomb. Not necessarily wheelchair accessible, it guides you into an entrance room and further down a staircase into the tomb.

To keep the kids engaged they have a passport program in which they can collect stamps.

Have you walked like an Egyptian before?

Murmur Wall by Future Cities Lab

Experience code:Art

I love how devoted Palo Alto is to public art. Their latest installment will only last through this weekend code:ART.

Eight installations starting at City Hall are meant to involve the audience and inspire the dialogue of passerbys.

Advertised as a laboratory for urban experimentation the artists reimagine public spaces through interactive sound, light and motion installations.

The Murmur Wall, the first installation at City Hall, displays search terms from Palo Alto on multiple LED screens connected with lights. On the website: http://www.murmurwall.net/Whisper you can enter your own “whispers” that will be displayed instantly. This will be the only piece that will remain after June 3rd. Since it is LED lights I bet it is better viewed at night.

The soTomo Saito's Save and Soundund installation of Tomo Saito is active twice a day at 2 pm and 6 pm.  It is a concert made by the people that sit down in the chairs.

Across the street you can be part of the art making and let Palo Alto know what your dream city will look like.

Sensory Garden by Elaine Uang, Sandra Slater & Megan Stevens

 

My favorite piece is the Sensory Garden. In an alley next to Bell’s books the artists try to evoke all of your senses. You can touch moss, smell herbs, admire the chalk mural or rattle some cow bells. 

Will you check out code:ART?