Thursday morning I was at a stand still with the work project I’d been doing this week as I had to wait for out IT guy to give me some extra permissions. I decided to grab the opportunity while I waited, to go into the city and get some shoes for E’s wedding. While I was out I also wanted to look for a summer dress.
Walking to the station I popped into a small boutique on the way and they had the perfect dress. I continued to the station and a train was pulling in just as I go to the bottom of the ramp so I had to sprint up to the train. I just had time to tap my MYKI and hop on. Once on the train I realised I was going to arrive in the city in time to join the free NGV: Australian Collection Highlights Tour. Since I already had my dress I decided to pop in. They have a new curator and some different pieces have been bought out and everything rehung. It was a lovely interlude in my day.
After the gallery I went shoe shopping. I tried on five different styles of gold shoes (my dress has touches of gold) and settled on these, with a small heel and enclosed toe so I can be lazy and not do my toe nails.
When I got back from the city I had enough time to finish my project and put it into test mode for the next few weeks. (It needed some tweaks on Friday but fingers crossed everything will run smoothly now)
I love that the NGV is free so I can pop in for a quick look without feeling like I have to make the most of my entry fee. This is the first time I’ve done one of their tours, but I think I’ll probably do some of their other tours. It’s an easy way to get a bit more insight into the collections.
I often use audio tours when I visit museums and galleries, which are good because you can select what interest you and control your own timetable but you forego the opportunity to ask questions. The last few guides I’ve had have been so passionate about the art that taking the tour has been a little bit like being invited in to see the artwork through their eyes. I’ve really appreciated that. Sometimes it is also good to just wander around and enjoy slow looking.
If you visit a gallery, how do you like to experience it?
Comments
17 responses to “A Half-Day in the City”
I haven’t been at an art gallery since the Louvre in March. That’s way too long!
Love those shoes. So classy and they look like they’d go with all sorts of dressy outfits in the future, too.
I am fortunate to be so close to museums and galleries. I can’t imagine I’ll need to buy anymore dressy shoes in my life, these and the silver ones I already have should see my through.
Love the gold shoes and how amazing that you found a summer dress in what feels like from my perspective- record time? I did an art museum tour as a bucket list adventure with mini and my uncle when he had stage 4 cancer and he was the boss of that adventure- so we let him lead the way.
That’s two out of two dress hunting expeditions where the first dress I tried was the one. I was very happy to find something so quickly. That is wonderful that you were able to go with your uncle on his bucket list experience.
I love those gold shoes! And how fun to visit a museum. I was at a museum last week with the boys but it was not the most enjoyable experience as their energy levels were a bit too high. Yesterday Paul and I went to the grinch. The children’s theater is attached to the Minneapolis Institute of Art which is free. In hindsight we should have gone to the museum for a bit after the show instead of sitting in a line to get out of the parking ramp for 20 minutes.
Visiting the museum while everyone was fighting to get out of the carpark would have been a good idea. Museums with kids can be hit and miss. I did take my kids and my niece on one school holiday to the Titanic exhibition, and that went down well, but as adults, my kids aren’t keen on galleries and museums. That’s fine with me though because I like to go by myself.
Oooh I love those shoes!
I recently got interested in those audio tours and now I can’t go back! I love them. Not that there are museums in Kelowna!
The NGV audio tours for their winter masterpieces exhibitions are usually so good with heaps more information than on the little plaques next to the works.
This sounds like such a perfectly balanced half-day! I love how you combined errands with a bit of culture — that NGV tour sounds like a lovely, unexpected bonus.
Finding the perfect dress on the first try is incredible! Do you know the boutique well, or did you just stumble across exactly the style you love?
I’ve bought a top there before, but it only has a very small collection of clothes so it was a lucky find.
What a lovely opportunity to explore the NGV. I haven’t been to a museum in a long time.
Those shoes are so pretty! I hope they’re comfortable for a long celebration.
I think the shoes should be comfortable; they are a brand that prides themselves on being better for the feet, but I’ll throw in a pair of flat sandles to switch out if I need them.
An easy dress shopping experience, a free gallery show, AND the perfect shoes? That’s the trifecta of a perfect day!
I think the last time I went to a gallery was the Dali Museum – I like to pick out an object and see how many of said object I can find throughout the museum!
That sounds like a fun way of noticing more in the museum.
[…] A spontaneous visit to the NGV. […]
The last museum I went to was when Engie was here in August. I love museums though, and am lucky that we have some good ones not too far away (San Francisco)
Those shoes look great, and not uncomfortable, which is key, right?
Yes, not uncomfortable is the key, but I think I will still throw in my salt water sandles for later in the day if I need them—I don’t wanr to not be able to dance.