Way Back When-esday: Art History is Not Linear

Dateline: May 2010
Twins' Age: 8

Theories abound that playing classical music to babies in-utero results in intellectually stimulated children. Tangentially perhaps, Darren and Sarah---through no choice of their own, nor any prenatal, pending-parent protocol of mine---toured our local fine arts museum, VMFA, innumerable times while wombmates (I've been a tourguide there for nearly 20 years!).  As toddlers and young children, it was always a "go-to" destination, in the double stroller and once out.

Then it happened. A long-awaited, much-needed expansion closed our beloved museum for over a year. Their withdrawals were as pronounced as mine. One day driving by the construction site, a then 6-year-old Sarah in the backseat announced, "Darren, we will be EIGHT when the bigger museum opens!" It seemed an eternity away.

Then it happened. The expansion was completed. As Sarah and Darren took in the newly commissioned Ryan McGinness created especially for VMFA (the title of which was copped for this post), I nearly wept behind them.

This weekend, as part of our museum's 75th anniversary year, Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musee National Paris opens. The only East Coast venue. Knowing my family will drink it in with relish equalling my own warms my heart this mid-week.

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