Chicago Countries Travel USA

Smith Museum – In Pictures

While resting in the Navy Pier entertainment complex, after coming from the wonderful architectural boat tour (Read: Chicago architectural boat tour), I saw many people walking inside the complex in one particular direction. It made me kind of curious seeing people walking somewhere away from the crowded pier and its ticket counters (which I thought was the only attraction there).

I decided to follow them and very soon, came across a beautiful painting made of glass. Colorful and beautifully lit. Bright and lovely.

A colorful X-mas tree smith museum
A colorful X-mas tree

I realized I was in a ‘Stained Glass Museum’ only after I had walked through the dimly lit ambiance of the place for couple of minutes or so and came across a board declaring its name, “Smith Museum of Stained Glass Museum”.

smith museum chicago
Beautiful Patterns

The Smith museum has four galleries namely, Victorian, Prairie, Modern, and Contemporary and has 150 pieces of glass paintings. To me, each one of them was a masterpiece. Be it one depicting a famous personality like Michael Jordan, be it one honoring the Inland Printer Technical School and its founder Henry Olendorf or be it a snapshot from the Bible.

smith museum chicago
Snapshot from history

Each of the paintings deserve their own time to be watched and their workmanship appreciated.

smith museum glass painting
Another colorful piece of art

What I liked the most here was the feel of the place (of-course after the beautiful paintings themselves) the ambiance there, which was just perfect for witnessing the type of art that was being shown there.

smith museum
Lovely bright colors

The joyful brightness of the reds, the yellows and the greens coming out from the paintings hung on the wall, dimly lighting-up the area around them create an environment that makes you become oblivious of the outside world and get lost. However, as much crowded the place gets be assured to be brought back from your oblivion sooner than you would want to. I enjoyed every bit of being lost here for a good couple of hours or so after which I finally came out to the cacophony of the ‘tourists’ outside.

Women of Massachusetts
Women of Massachusetts

Have you been to the Smith’s museum? Or any other museum which you liked? Why not tell me a little bit about it 🙂

6 thoughts on “Smith Museum – In Pictures”

  1. I was reading other travel blogs… and this art and architecture is different anywhere. For instance, there was a temple visit in I think Chinese or Tibetan place…and that temple was not a temple with God to pray… it had some gate that was arched and a forest walk then some colourful atmosphere with people just happy no religious conotation… and it was happy and peaceful it seems. In India art is not appreciated , only historical museums and science museums… visited last year Vishwareshwara Technology Museum, it was fun… just some curious interesting science working models… in Pondy visited Pondy museum…was pretty boring that…here fish aquariums are the best art stuff that can be appreciated… but when you go around check out Chanapatna toys, I think they are worth seeing and buying a lot(:… anyway the glass painting experience looks to be nice and different… requires lot of patience and skill to paint and all not for us restless forks(:

  2. Nice… such a awesome pictures. I never get change to visit at Smith Museum but this post made my day with greate pictures.

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