The first thing that greets visitors at the entrance to the Bruce Museum is the King Kong-sized bronze ape, lounging in the sun, palm open for visitors to plop themselves into for a souvenir photo.
Although the exhibits occupy one floor, the rooms seem endless. In a clever and practical floor plan, visitors can experience a great deal of extraordinary artwork and sculptures by masters, and replicas of enchanting creatures existing MYA, the acronym for “millions of years ago.”
Stunning fossil specimens
There are exhibits describing long-ago insects and the ones who continue to keep the planet’s ecosystems in balance; we can see what goes on during the 17-year lifespan of the infamous cicada and view life-size structures of dinosaur skeletons that continuously draw a crowd, no matter how young or old.
Highlights include the galleries depicting the extinctions that have taken place, a 250th anniversary salute to the art of American food; and rooms dedicated to fossils, minerals and gems. Two stations are set up with art supplies for visitors who feel inspired to try their hand at their own masterpiece.
Works by Andy Warhol
Enjoy pieces by Andy Warhol, Auguste Rodin, and never before seen art by the “tactile space” artist George Braque, who collaborated with Pablo Picasso to create Cubism. There are surprises at every turn.
With rooms visually appealing, items are spread out to avoid “museum overwhelm” and with large panels describing the gallery theme, visitors will understand the artist’s intent, and why the objects are considered highly celebrated.
It was wondrous to see the kinds of creatures that existed MYA, like the “helicoprion” shark with its spiraled teeth resembling a circular saw; or learn that 80% of all food crops rely on insect pollinators; and that the sandstones, or sedimentary rock, from Connecticut were used to create New York City’s brownstone townhouses.
King Nyani (Swahili for “gorilla”) lazes in the sun
Oh, and here’s the story about the super-sized greeter at the entrance: King Nyani is a 5000-pound bronze ape, created by the husband-wife artist team of Gillie and Marc Schattner. “They were inspired,” we read, “to create the piece after witnessing the kindness and protective nature of a mountain gorilla silverback in the wild. The one here at the Bruce Museum is one of three in their series; the others are in Australia and Chicago.
In a museum project meant to inspire young artists, viewers will see the incredible works chosen from over one hundred submissions from high schoolers across Connecticut. But what may have been the most fun to view were the pieces of art created by visitors proud to show off their favorite food, dishes that represent their individual or national identities. Examples were pizza, apple and blueberry pie, and an avocado bacon burger.
After that exhibit, yup, it was time to get a bite at the Museum Café.
Visit brucemuseum.org
Explore the Bruce Museum using their free digital guide available through Bloomberg Connects. The guide provides additional information about their exhibitions and takes visitors behind the scenes with exclusive multimedia perspectives from artists, curators, and more.
Top photo: Monoliths created with resins, carbon fiber and light-refracting pigments
All photos by MJ Hanley-Goff
