It’s Easter Sunday and the Waffle House in Fredrick Maryland is packed. Oddly there was no huge sign visible from the highway but we had googled and knew where it was. Gotta love the Waffle House

Some well done hash browns with onions and a sweet tea. A bit of heaven. And the smell of waffles coming off the griddle just signals a good morning and the start of a good day

We are in agreement that we didn’t love our visit to DC but remain a bit curious and so want to go back , how we do it is the question.

We are here for a simple single reason.  I want to visit the Glenstone.  It’s a private museum over dozens of acres with a small collection of outdoor sculpture by the likes of Rishard Serra, Jeff Koons and a few others.  But the main draw is the new Gallery.  What an amazing architectural feat.  Loved it. We walked through and back again, stopping to look at the center court which was a pond.  The entire place is done in grays and, according to one of the guides, the inside is slightly lighter than the outside.  The 1 foot high by 6 foot long gray bricks appear groutless adding to the light effect.

There are no photos allowed inside the building and rather than signage there are dozens of grey suited guides stationed to answer any and all questions. And I did, and they did.

The grounds were beautiful, the day was perfect and this is what we saw.

Upon entering the property a relaxing feeling washed over me, open space, careful planning and an abundance of care was evident. The welcome center was the first thing we saw after parking our car. Once inside we were checked in ( all tickets are free and available on the first of the month online – no walk ins) and given a run down of the place and its guidelines. Nothing big, be respectful mostly. On the pathway as we entered the property after leaving the welcome center and up a high hill is a huge Koons, at the end of the winding outdoor tour you get close and can see that it is fabric.

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According to the guides they will plant it in mid april, it will bloom in June and look like this which is a photo I snapped of a post card in the gift shop..

Above is one of three small huts built into the landscape. We saw a group of people coming out of one but didn’t realize for a long bit of time that they were art??

There were two pieces by Rishard Serra. The top you could walk into and in this bottom photo you can see the house where it is believed the Rales live. They are the couple who created this place.

Inside the galleries there were no photos allowed but a sampling of what we saw

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You can’t really appreciate this painting. If you stand close and skim a look from the side you can see what i thought of as the ‘original’ painting, before it went to black. It was one of the most interesting and unique pieces that I was drawn to.

I don’t get the Cy Twombley, and that makes me want to learn more.

Now this piece by Michael Heizer was amazing. A 16 foot deep whole in the ground hidden from the outside world. A piece that was orginally conceived long before it was purchased guests were allowed out to view it three at a time. You were escorted by a watcher ( required by the county in lieu of a glass safety partition, and a guide who answered our questions. What did we find out? That Heizers dad ws an archaeologist, that our guide Becky loved the piece and her mom was visiting Glenstone today. That it took months to instal, it was pre-rusted, there is drainage in the bottom, and another piece can be found outside the gallery building

Inside the gallery there were a few more pieces Found appealing or interesting.

The date is of the moon landing, the photo is copied from the Glenstone website, there were two more pieces on the side walls form the same year. What I learned was they are done freehand and each painting was completed on the date it is titled in the 24 hours of that day. Becky and I discussed them, as I don’t get why they are worth millions. We talked about the thought that perhaps one day is different from the next, or not? so thought provoking they are. Different, unique.. art.

This is a list of some of what we saw that I think is worthwhile (for me) to take a further look at.

Hmmmmm, Gober…sinks…aids….bars on the windows, newspapers stacked against the walls. But look more closely at the papers and they are social commentary, about the times of the aids crisis, the moral majority… I cant say I get it, but the process that the museum uses where you are forced into conversation with someone knowledgeable who can guide you to see, to look differently made an impression on me in this room, as did the work.

What little I know about Glenstone: The artists are not up and coming but established and recognized. We saw about 10% of the holdings, they change regularly, Cy Twombley was consulted on the design of the room and there is a library – with a bench and a viewing window and the books were curated by the staff and artists whose works are seen at the glen stone…. I could have sat there for hours.

and then it was the ride home….

Worlds greatest miniature indoor village on the way to queens city diner in Allentown. Directly on highway 78 at mile marker. 22.8

And then all the billboards for Dietrich meats where all wild game is processed naturally

And home