A must see/do when in Cleveland or in the University Circle neighborhood
By A Yahoo! Contributor, 3/21/05
The Cleveland Museum of Art is one of the finest art museums I have ever been to, and am shocked that more people don't give it the credit it deserves. I have visited the Prado in Madrid, the Louvre of Paris, the Uffizi in Florence, the Metropolitan in New York, the Vatican in Rome, and the National Gallery in DC. I am convinced the Cleveland Museum ranks right up there. The collection spans 5,000 years and contains works by extremely notable artists. Botticelli, Picaso, Monet, Rembrandt, El Greco, Warhol are just some of the artists whose work should be recognized by those with the most minimal background in art history. Painting, Sculpture, Egyptian, Asian, Islamic, Medieval and armor, Contemporary and textile arts create a fine variety in the museum. Recently aquired is the legendary scuplture Apollo Sauroktonosros (original copy) and is one of the finest examples of Greek sculpture. The museum is not too large however, and it is quite possible to see the entire musuem in a resonable amount of time, although I always find something new everytime I visit. The other great aspect of the museum is that admissions is free, and contributions are encouraged but not strongly enforced (for instance the Metropolitan in New York assumes and expects you to contribute $15 for a single admission). A gift shop, cafe, and ample on site parking makes it very visitor friendly- and there are numerous other museums and cultural institutions within walking distance.