Last Spring, I attended a convention in Baltimore. While threre, I had the good fortune to have enough free time to go to a wonderful place called the American Visionary Art Museum.
Actually, my friend Monica and I played hooky from the meeting to go. But otherwise we were pretty much model citizens. (well, except...never mind).
We spent the afternoon combing several floors in two buildings. By their definition, visionary art..."refers to art produced by self-taught individuals, usually without formal training, whose works arise from an innate personal vision that revels formost in the creative act itself." The difference between art and folk art is that folk art usually follows a tradition. "Visionary artists don't listen to anyone else's traditions. They invent their own."
In addition to the main museum, which holds six galleries with separate themes, there is an 
adjacent Sculpture Barn, which has a 45-foot ceiling and houses the very big pieces.
The Sculpture Plaza between the two is the home of the 55-foot tall, windpowered sculpture, "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" by mechanic, farmer and visionary artist Vollis Simpson.
The AVAM has 4000 works of art in its permanent collection, of which eighty are on display at any given time, on the first of three floors in the main building. In addition, there are also large, thematic exhibitions. Thus an art lover could go frequently without ever seeing the same thing twice.
The art in this museum is weird and wonderful, the like of which I had never seen before. Much of it appeared to me disjointed and bizarre, perhaps psychotic, while affecting me greatly with its beauty and poignancy, its depth of feeling. It was a tremendously moving afternoon.
The gift shop features many unique gifts you will not find elsewhere. Many are handcrafted. All are reasonably priced. A great place to pick up a few presents to salt away.
On the top floor is the Joy America Cafe, which features what I have been told is delicious New World Cuisine. Unfortunately, the one day we could have eaten there, the restaurant was reserved for a private function.
This museum is on my very short list for next time I am in Baltimore. And this time I plan to try out the restaurant, too.
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