I think Baltimore gets a really bad rap. It may be a little bit dangerous, and the workload at Hopkins makes it tough to get out and investigate the city, but I’ve found that once you begin exploring Baltimore, you won’t want to stop. Every weekend, I try to explore the city and check out what it has to offer.
Baltimore has a phenomenal art scene that I find to be very under appreciated. As an English/Political Science major, I used to feel a bit isolated amongst the engineers and science majors here at Hopkins. Once I discovered that Baltimore is a literal treasure chest of museums, concerts and bookstores, I realized that I was in the right place after all.
I decided to check out the Walters Museum after I enjoyed a visit to the (free!) Baltimore Museum of Art.
When I told my professor, she encouraged me to explore the Walters. She told me that it’s a bit smaller than the BMA but definitively funkier.
The museum is a beautiful sculpture court, and each of the exhibits are housed in rooms aligning the walls of the court. Each room is very eclectic and has its own quirky personality.
The layout is somewhat unconventional as far as art museums go — the works are all arranged in rooms according to the period in which they were created. However, this arrangement sometimes seem arbitrary — for instance, there was a leopard skin near paintings of Helen leaving Troy. While I could see this being irritating for some, I found it charming. It made me think about the relationship between seemingly unrelated pieces of art, which made me like the Walters even more.
For instance, the “Chamber of Wonders” is a cornucopia of bizarre natural wonders. There are tables full of exotic butterflies and cabinets upon cabinets of seashells. In the next room, there is an entire exhibit of suits of armor.
The Walters also has an amazing collection of Asian Art.
The vastness of the collection is truly breathtaking. Other impressive collections that The Walters also offers include impressive Ancient and Medieval World exhibits.
You definitely won’t want to miss the Manet paintings in the 19th Century Art exhibit (especially At the Cafe). The Egyptian Mummy Mask of a Woman, located in the Ancient World area on the second floor, is also a wonderful sight.
The Walters Museum is a great place to start exploring if you’re into museums and artwork of any kind. It’s conveniently just a short walk away from the Mt. Vernon bus stop.
In just a ten minute shuttle ride, you have centuries and centuries worth of art free to explore at your fingertips.
Next time you have a free afternoon, be sure to check it out!
