Today’s phrase comes from an article about the difficulties faced by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but could as well describe large stretches of my life (which is probably why it stuck in my brain):

“… the issues were compounded by a surfeit of dreams and a deficit of focus….”

http://www.vulture.com/2017/04/what-broke-the-met-museum.html

Details of the Met’s woes can be read in the link above, but I thought I’d rather offer more uplifting fare. I came across three articles on museums recently that made me smile, curious and (should that be possible) even more eager to travel.

The first is about a photographer who – or so it is claimed – patiently waited in all kinds of museums for the kind of shot we all dream of: a match between two subjects that is coincidental but happens to be right there in front of your viewfinder. The link offers many of his images, I culled a few below  just to give you a taste of what awaits. (They say his name, the rest are mine.)

Photo by Stefan Draschan

Photographer Spends Eternity Waiting For Museum Visitors To Match Artworks And The Result Is Worth The Wait

 

Photos by Stefan Draschan

The second gives you glimpses of various collections now displayed online by different museums.  I should be more precise (focus, Heuer, focus!): the video clips offer information on background stories, tricks of the trade, all kinds of things associated with what is going on in a museum behind the walls that display the art. There are some fascinating tidbits.

 

Go Behind the Scenes of 9 Museums With These Great Online Web Series

And then there are these secret museums, some of which actually do allow visitors, while others don’t, and some are simply hard to get to. But they all are way beyond run-of-the-mill and enticing, if you ask me (dream, Heuer, dream!)

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/essential-guide-secret-museums

And as a tribute to US Poet Laureate Richard Wilbur, who died last week, here is his poem:

Museum Piece