San Antonio Museum of Art

I’m loving living in a new city and exploring it when I have the chance. San Antonio has so much to do and see! Today my friend Erin and I went to the San Antonio Museum of Art.

It’s located in an old brewery downtown on West Jones Avenue with easy, free parking directly across the street.

The museum has 4 floors of permanent exhibits and a separate special exhibit that can been seen for an additional fee.

The first floor boasts an Egyptian collection.

And an area of Roman and Greek statues.

There is an Asian art wing.

And an Oceanic section.

The contemporary art  was probably my favorite. It included an electric chair, some abstract paintings, trash turned into art, and a giant fish. (??)

There’s so much to see that you can easily spend 3-5 hours there. We were there for about 3 hours, and it wasn’t quite enough. Regular admission is $10, children get in for free, seniors pay $7, and students and military have a discounted rate of $5. This museum is full of history and art and worth every penny. If you’re ever in San Antonio, be sure and stop by!

A Teacher Has to Entertain Herself

Well, it’s finals week at my university. It’s hard on the students, but it’s also tough on the teachers. We’re all busy; we’re all stressed. Therefore, I have to think of ways to entertain myself and keep myself sane this week.

In my college composition course, our final exam ended up adding up to 99 points. Normally, I would just give my students the 1 point. However, this time, I made them earn it. They were instructed to draw a picture of me to earn that last point.

It was hilarious to watch them when they read that last question. The tense shoulders loosened. The giggles began. And then, as they seriously began their artistic work, they all started staring at me in order to really capture my likeness.

The results made my day.

I suppose she thinks more of me than her poor drawing skills will allow her to express.

This is the Asian me.

That is some curly hair, and those are some big ol’ eyes!

In the running for my favorite. I am a queen! *flips hair dramatically*

I think I look like another race in this one. Like my ever-present podium?

Good ol’ “no nose Ashley”

Apart from the football player shoulders, this it’s pretty good! (I’m going to have a complex now…)

I had a LOT of stick figures like this one.

No arms and no nose, but I love this one.

This one is probably my favorite. One question though- do I have a tail??

Oh man. I love my college freshmen. Now I think I can survive the rest of finals week.
Be sure and tell me which one is your favorite!

Huntington Museum of Art

I’m a big believer in being a tourist in your own city. When I visit my family, I always try to do this in my hometown area. During this visit, I was determined to finally make it to the Huntington Museum of Art. My mom and sister volunteered to go with me.

The Huntington Museum of Art just celebrated its 60th anniversary in November. Located in Huntington, West Virginia, the HMOA is the largest museum in WV. It’s open every day of the week but Monday. Admission is only $5, and on Tuesdays it’s free. Luckily, we accidentally went on a Tuesday!

Some of the exhibits we saw were antique firearms, glassware, Near Eastern art and rugs, and American and European paintings, sketches, and sculptures. My favorite was the Near Eastern collection full of beautiful items from the Arabic world.

 The conservatory also had a piece by Dale Chihuly. I’ve always seen photos of his work but had never had the chance to see it with my own eyes.

Not only does the HMOA display artwork, but it also has a conservatory filled with so many rare plants and even a few animals.

A pomegranate tree from Iran. 

I’m glad I went, and I definitely recommend going if you’re around the Huntington area. Be a tourist in your city!