Of the three building, the middle building is used for special events with a little sculpture garden on the side. The third building is the Jim Rouse Visionary Center and home to some more of the museum's permanent collection--most notably some of it's larger pieces. There is also an education center with classroom space and I believe offices. If you've never been before (or been dozens of times like me) you must save time to explore this component of AVAM, too. And don't be afraid to go upstairs to the second and third floors. You may even be able to taken a great panorama of Baltimore the "nest" balcony. You've paid for admission--don't waste it.
Baltimore's one and only world famous drag queen, Divine is immortalized in the museum's most recognizable piece of sculpture. As one of the young girls attending a summer arts camp observed, "She scares me!" Hun, I think Divine would have been delighted by that response.
This collection of sculptures are made by found objects--trash really--and clay and are among the hundreds created by Pakistani/Indian artist Nek Chand (1924-2015). He worked as a road inspector during the day and at night toiled away creating a secret garden full of landscapes with people and animals that he sculpted. It was done on public land without permits and when it was discovered, the government was so impressed that they dedicated the area as a park and paid Nek a pension to do nothing but create his art.
AVAM sponsors annual kinesthetic sculpture races where the works complete for fabulous glory and recognition and definitely bragging right using vehicles like this with the horse and fish. The key, they can use no motor and battery power! From locomotion to special effects it's all power by human exertion.
Member of the Robot Wedding party. One of the favorite pieces in the JRCV exhibits.
An homage to the tradition of painted screens, this exhibit features several examples. The works show off home pride and create an optical barrier to peering through a plain screen without keeping the people inside from seeing the world outside. Pretty nifty.
THE VIEW FROM THE CATWALK
The John 3:16 balloon, religious zealotry is celebrated in many works throughout the museum.
Step out of the elevator on the third floor of the Jim Rouse Visionary Center at AVAM and you will step into a little focus show of paintings by a former artists in residence, Matt Sesow. I will be completely honest here--I LOVE HIS WORK. In fact, I own an original piece of his as part of my own original Art Collection.
The American Visionary Art Museum is not simply a place to see art. It's a place where art happens! Adorning the hallway outside of the education library and classroom/studio--which was abuzz with activity, possibly by the same group (all girls)--wa a series of icon-like tributes to famous women. They are attributed to the "Members of he Lower East Side Girls Club" and were created in 2003. Here are just a couple of them.
Of the three building, the middle building is used for special events with a little sculpture garden on the side. The third building is the Jim Rouse Visionary Center and home to some more of the museum's permanent collection--most notably some of it's larger pieces. There is also an education center with classroom space and I believe offices. If you've never been before (or been dozens of times like me) you must save time to explore this component of AVAM, too. And don't be afraid to go upstairs to the second and third floors. You may even be able to taken a great panorama of Baltimore the "nest" balcony. You've paid for admission--don't waste it.
Baltimore's one and only world famous drag queen, Divine is immortalized in the museum's most recognizable piece of sculpture. As one of the young girls attending a summer arts camp observed, "She scares me!" Hun, I think Divine would have been delighted by that response. 
An homage to the tradition of painted screens, this exhibit features several examples. The works show off home pride and create an optical barrier to peering through a plain screen without keeping the people inside from seeing the world outside. Pretty nifty.
