The Orlando Museum of Art is one of the Best Orlando museums!Orlando Museum of Art 2416 Mills Avenue Orlando,Florida 32803
The Orlando Museum of Art is a great way to spend the day. The cost is very reasonable at $8.00 per adult and $5.00 per child. Your whole family can go and not spend a small fortune. The parking's free and there’s plenty to do at my new favorite Orlando museum.
That’s what I love about writing this website. I get to rediscover Orlando Florida all over again! (or in some cases for the first time). So I recently took a day to explore it for myself. Walking up to the museum you'll see a sculpture that doubles as a fountain in the front. When you walk inside you’ll see a gift shop to your right and the admissions desk straight in front of you. The front entrance has grand ceilings and is very inviting. Plus it's very clean and well maintained.
Walk to the front and pay and then walk through a hallway leading up to the exhibits. On the left wall you’ll see a bunch of little plaques with names on them.
These are the people that contribute to the Orlando Museum of Art. Maybe you'll love it so much that you'll decide to do the same. Go through the doors straight ahead and this is where the exhibits start. No photography is allowed after this point. But you can keep a mental image like I did. Some pictures I don't think I'll ever forget! When I walked in, straight in front of me was a huge sculpture made out of glass. It reminded me Chihuly art. It's basically blown glass made to look like something. A flower, lily pad, tree, etc.... This particular work of art look like a beanstalk of beautiful blue and green glass. It was very interesting. Next I went into a room filled with old Aztec art. Bowls, mini statues, jewelry, pictures of Africa and African women and men. All with descriptions of what I was looking at. The Orlando Museum of Art has tons of opportunity to keep kids busy. After I exited the Aztec room I entered into an activity room. This room had crayons, colored pencils, stamps and building blocks. The crayons, stamps and colored pencils were there so you can design your own vessel.
After you’re done coloring and stamping up your sheet it tells you to go back through the exhibit to see if you can find the actual piece that has your stamp on it. I couldn’t find any but one. But it was a fun scavenger hunt that I think would keep the kids occupied. I took a picture of my masterpiece for you AFTER it fell in the toilet (before I had the opportunity to go, thank goodness). Anyway it was a fun way to kill a little time. Plus you can take your finished masterpiece and hang it on the bulletin board for all to see. This’s sure to be a hit with the kiddies! Also in the activity room was building blocks and a picture of a Mayan temple. Your supposed to take the blocks and make your own temple. I was never very good at building things. But I gave it my best try.
The craft room has two walls that are floor to ceiling windows. These windows look out over a lake to the left and Mills Avenue straight ahead. So it makes for a nice, relaxing place to have a little fun.
Next I decided to check out a little bit of the art. Oil paintings of oceans, gardens, ships, landscapes and snow. This type of art isn't my favorite but some had interesting brush strokes. Makes me wonder how someone even knows how to do that? I can't paint or draw to save my life! I wandered into another activity room that was dealing with color. Talking about using complementary colors verses monochromatic colors. Plus color harmonies and seasonal color. Basically just every different color scheme that artists use. Just another opportunity to learn while you play. My favorite paintings were those that depict actual people and events. One of which was the building of the Manhattan Bridge. I’ve always loved the famous shot of a crew of men eating their lunch on a beam of the Empire State building. This painting reminded me of that. Just a moment in time captured forever by someone's paint brush. Some of the paintings were so vivid and real it was hard to believe the people weren’t standing right in front of me! Another cool exhibit was black and white photos of the Big Cypress located between Naples and Miami, Florida. Vivid pictures of alligators, blackened skies, beautiful and rare ghost orchids, a field of wild flowers. Some things I may never have the opportunity to see if they weren't captured in these images. There was a black and white picture of a crumpled tree that had been destroyed by hurricane Andrew. It sat in the sun for so long it turned white. It had to be one of the most interesting trees I’ve ever seen. It’s amazing how everyday things can really be some of the most beautiful and compelling works of art. The photographer had snapped a photo from the parking lot of the Big Cypress that was absolutely breathtaking. It had an alligator floating in the lake and a crane perched above him in a tree. It was a picture filled with such a feeling of awe. Like seeing nature at its most calm and serene.
When asked by people who visited the Grand Cypress “where's the best place to take a photograph?” The photographer was quoted as saying “you just have to open your eyes to find the beauty.” Most of the exhibits at the Orlando Museum of Art are only there for a season. You’ll have to check the website to find out what’s happening while you’re here in Orlando Florida.
These have been painted by students who took classes at the Orlando Museum of Art. If you have time you may want to take a class or visit during a special event. The museum offers a variety of interactive activities every month. Just check out the website to see what's coming up!
Everything was so vastly different it kept it interesting. From Aztec art to modern art and even black and white photos. The Orlando Museum of Art is one of the most well rounded Orlando museums. I was able to see the entire museum in about an hour and a half. I went around 2pm on a Tuesday so there weren’t many people there. This was nice because it allowed me to see whatever I wanted without having to wait (patience isn’t something I’m known for.) The museum itself is not very large but it has a nice layout making it easy to navigate. So you don’t have to miss anything. Remember this isn’t a huge museum so it doesn’t offer as many exhibits as some of the larger Orlando museums. But it’s a nice, quaint museum that has a little something for everyone. Finally before you leave you’ll want to check out the gift shop for some cool souvenirs. If you’re up for it, when you exit the building there’s a large grassy area to the left that would make for a great place to relax and have a picnic. Or to just let the kids run around and exert some energy.
The Orlando Museum of Art will offer a fun and educational experience for kids and adults. Make sure to add this to your list of things to do while you’re here!
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I’ve always seen the sculptor outside of the museum and wondered what it was like inside. I’ve just never made the time to see it.
There were copies of different vessels on paper for you to color. Plus they had stamps that matched some of the vessels in the Aztec exhibit.
When you exit the museum where the exhibits are you’ll pass the wall of names again and then you’ll see a little hallway on your right. There you’ll find pictures lining the wall.
