Baltimore Museum of Art

I asked my sister why she didn't go to Camp Whippoorwill. She said, "You know, I was the one who was not supposed to like organized activities." That says a lot about us, the labeling of people even at that early age, in our family and in the 40's and 50's world in general. I was always labeled the opposite of whatever was her label of the day, thus I did get to enjoy lots of organized activities, not knowing that maybe my sister might like to as well. We did very little together, although we were only two years apart. 

But she reminded me that we did go together to the Baltimore Museum of Art's summer art day camp. I'd forgotten it, and what I do recall now are a few bright shards of memory. First, it was cool in the museum. In Baltimore in the summers before air conditioning, being in a cool place was a physical thrill. It was probably 99 degrees outside, and that much humidity, and walking into the museum was treat enough for the whole summer. The rooms were quiet, marble, huge, cool. There was Rodin's Thinker outside, and his Ballerina in the entry hall. The Thinker was just there, but the Ballerina, with her tulle skirt, seemingly made from bronze cloth amazed me. I wanted to touch it, but I had been taught to hold my hands behind me in museums as well as in stores. Much later, when I saw both statues in other museums, I was astounded. I thought they belonged to Baltimore only.

I remember none of the works of art that I must have produced during those out-of-time days in the basement of that museum. I only recall being covered in colored chalk at the end of the day, and drinking cold water from the water fountain and watching the color swirl from my face and hands down the drain.