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Vincent van Gogh's Letters To His Brother Will Be On Display in Amsterdam

June 26, 2009 at 2:22 PM | 0 Comments

Be careful what letters (or emails) you write: if you become famous, like Vincent van Gogh, the letters might end up on display for thousands of people to see. That's what's about to happen at the impressive Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, with a new exhibition including 120 letters written by van Gogh opening in October this year.

Most of the letters are from van Gogh to his younger brother, and it sounds like they give you some insight into his mental illness and his passion for art. The hundred odd letters they've picked will be displayed next to artwork that they refer to; in fact, there are another 800 letters around and many of them are about to be published in a book.

You can get into the Van Gogh Museum every day between 10am and 6pm – or until 10pm on Fridays – and at the moment the adult entry fee is €12.50 ($17.50). The letters – sensitive as they are – will only be on display for three months so don't leave your planning too long. Whether or not the letters solve the cutting-off-his-ear mystery is something we're keeping secret.

Related Stories:
· Van Gogh Museum Amsterdam [Official Site]
· Van Gogh Letters To Go On Display in Amsterdam [AFP]
· Amsterdam Travel Guide [Jaunted]

[Photo: Van Gogh Museum]

Security Guard Wounded in Shooting at The Holocaust Museum

June 10, 2009 at 4:44 PM | 0 Comments

UPDATE: More tragic news. The museum has released a statement saying that the security offier, Stephen Tyrone Johns, has died after being shot today. The museum will be closed tomorrow in his honor.

Despite heavy security and metal detectors present at The Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC, an 89-year-old man walked into the museum this afternoon and fired off shots, wounding at least one security guard before he was shot down by a second security officer. According to the NY Times:

Preliminary reports indicated that the gunman was carrying either a rifle or shotgun and possibly a pistol, and that he fired five or six shots before being wounded.

The man has tentatively been identified as James W. von Brunn, who has been known to have conspiracy theories (and a website detailing them) about minority groups. However, the Washington police chief has not confirmed his identity. He's since been taken to the hospital. The shooting victim is a security guard, who's identity was also not released and who reportedly in grave condition.

The Holocaust museum sees an annual amount of 1.7 million visitors a year. At the time of the shooting, "a couple of thousand" visitors were inside, according to museum's chief of staff. The museum and roads surrounding it remain closed during the investigation.

Related Stories:
· Two Shot at Holocaust Museum in D.C., Police Say [NY Times]
· Shots Fired at The Holocaust Museum [CNN]
· The Holocaust Memorial Museum [Official Site]

[Photo: NY Times]

Northwest Gets Its Own Moment At Delta's Heritage Museum

May 29, 2009 at 2:37 PM | 0 Comments

Not satisfied with just talking over the skies, Delta now has its eyes focused on museums. At the Delta Heritage Museum just outside Atlanta, the staff recently debuted an exhibit dedicated to the role that Northwest Airlines has had in the history of commercial air travel at home and abroad.

The exhibit, Red Tail Flying: Voices and Images of Northwest Airlines, will feature vintage advertisements and commercials from the airline, onboard amenities, and even a model of a 747. All of these artifacts, notably from the former competition, snuggled right up close to some of Delta’s pieces of history.

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Spend a 'Night in the Museum' in D.C. This Weekend

May 22, 2009 at 10:59 AM | 0 Comments

"Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian", the follow up to Ben Stiller's 2006 hit "Night at the Museum", opens across the country today. The movie, set in Washington D.C., was mostly filmed on a Vancouver sound stage. That isn't stopping D.C. from doing its best to capitalize on the potential family tourism dollars the movie can bring in though. Here's a look at the best "Night at the Museum" promotions in D.C. this weekend.

Where to Stay:
The Liaison Capitol Hill is offering a “Day at The Museum in D.C.” package that includes accommodations for one night, a map of Smithsonian museum locations (the museums are free), two all day metro rail passes and two movie theater tickets to see "A Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" (or any other movie of your choice). The package starts at $169 a night and can be purchased by calling the hotel at 1-866-246-2203 and mentioning the promo code, MUSEUM.

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Finally, A Walt Disney Museum With Academic Chops

May 12, 2009 at 3:36 PM | 0 Comments

In the unforgiving world of public opinion, there are pushbacks, there are pushbacks, and then there's what the Disney empire will do to protect its brand. Remember that scene from South Park? Yeah.

The personal image of Walt Disney has taken more than a few hits over the last decade. In response his heirs are opening a $112 million museum in San Francisco, the purpose being to dispel some of the wilder myths about Walt Disney the man. The Walt Disney Family Museum, set to open in Fall 2009, will be run by the former deputy director of the Harvard University Art Museums, Richard Benefield.

The museum, made up of three buildings located in San Fran's Presidio, will be dedicated entirely to Walt's life. It will have 215 video monitors and feature all manner of unique Disney memorabilia. The exhibits will cover everything from the conditions of Walt's childhood to the production of Snow White to the political controversies that swirled around him.

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Finding an Oasis in the Flinders Ranges of South Australia

May 7, 2009 at 2:53 PM | 0 Comments

Every good mountain range needs a big town for a base, and the Flinders Ranges of South Australia have theirs in Port Augusta. Situated exactly two hundred miles north of Adelaide, Port Augusta likes to think it's a crossroads town because those crazy enough to drive across Australia from east to west are almost obligated to stop by.

Up until recently, Port August has been relatively devoid of such travelers, but the last decade or so has seen the town jumping on the tourism bandwagon to reinvigorate itself. A highlight of the image renovation is the Wadlata Outback Centre, a multimedia museum explaining all about life in the South Australian outback.

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Museum Directors Are Not Happy About Madonna Concert

May 6, 2009 at 5:02 PM | 0 Comments

According to the New York Post, Madonna is planning a concert in St. Petersburg, Russia this summer in the main square next to the Hermitage Museum. The historic art and culture museum is part of the royal Winter Palace which served as the home for Russian Tsars Nicholas I and Nicholas II.

When Madonna arrives in August, the museum will be showcasing its "Treasures of the Great Moguls" exhibition. And the museum officials are none too pleased.

[B]randing the event a "natural disaster," the museum's director Dr. Mikhail Piotrovski said, "We want guarantees that there will be no blasphemy."

Uh-oh, now that you said that, Madonna's gonna cook up something blasphemous for St. Petersburg. Unless you consider her dating a 22-year-old Brazilian model to be blasphemous enough and to be honest, we kind of do.

Related Stories:
· Russian Authorities: Madonna Concert a Natural Disaster [NY Post]
· Heritage Museum [Official Site]

[Photo: Anirudh Koul]

The Experience Music Project Brings Back Fond Memories of Grunge

May 6, 2009 at 3:23 PM | 0 Comments

This week Jaunted editor Juliana will be sharing her experiences from a recent field trip to Seattle where she wasn't afraid to do all the touristy things in town. Any questions or tips? Let us know.

Once we fought the urge to buy space noodle pasta at the Space Needle we moseyed on over to the Experience Music Project, an interactive music museum within the fanciful building designed by Frank Gehry. It's also attached to the Science Fiction Museum, making it the perfect stop for geeks. Kidding!

The tickets for the EMP/SFM are $15 and while we didn't pick up an audio tour, they do have them on iPod Nanos for $3 which we thought was cool. That said, the Experience Music Project is very navigable without an audio tour.

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Hogwarts Fever Hits Chi-Town

April 30, 2009 at 9:11 AM | 0 Comments

No, that's not at all like swine flu, for anyone left on the earth unfamiliar with the Harry Potter series. Chicago is getting in on hogwarts mania early this summer season, with a museum exhibit tied to the upcoming film Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

The exhibition is the latest trick from the Museum of Science and Industry, which specializes in attacking the whole "museums are boring" perception by making museums more like pop culture. Following past exhibitions based on Star Wars and CSI, the Harry Potter show will feature artifacts from the movies, including Harry’s original wand and eyeglasses, and explore the artistry behind the films' elaborate sets, recreating locales like Hagrid's hut. There are even a couple of props from the upcoming film, which opens July 15.

The exhibit runs through September 7. Oh, and as you might expect, this one will cost you more than a regular old boring museum—tickets are $25 a pop.

Related Stories:
· Harry Potter Exhibition [Official Site]
· 'Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince' Keep It In England [Jaunted]
· Movie Travel: Harry Potter Rip-off in India OK [Jaunted]

[Photo: Harry Potter Exhibition]

Pirate Bay's Server Now On Display in Swedish Museum

April 22, 2009 at 11:32 AM | 0 Comments

At least their handiwork will live on: As the creators of file-sharing website the Pirate Bay head off to prison, a Swedish museum will put its trusty server on display for the world to learn the wages of modern piracy.

The Tekniska Museet or National Museum of Science and Technology in Stockholm has added the server to an exhibit on intellectual property called "Inspiration Imitation," and since it's co-sponsored by the Swedish Association for the Protection of Industrial Property, we're guessing it's going to come out pro-IP.

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This Weekend in the World: Markets and Museums, Oh My!

April 17, 2009 at 4:16 PM | 0 Comments

· New York City: Can it be true? Is New York finally going to enjoy some 70-degree weather this weekend? Since this spring will find more urbanites with less cash for indulging their al fresco fantasies, we turn to the opening weekend of the outdoor Brooklyn Flea Market in Fort Greene, Brooklyn on Saturday. From 10am to 5pm on the grounds of Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School, 200 or so vendors will pitch their tents and hock everything from vintage vinyl and handmade baubles to churros and organic everything. Read all about this weekend's deals and the fun for the rest of the summer at the Brooklyn Flea's website.

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Why the Los Angeles County Museum of Modern Art is Worth a Visit

April 9, 2009 at 2:31 PM | 0 Comments

We kind of alluded to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art last week in that story about Pasadena art museums, but it really deserves its own post.

The museum is the largest encyclopedic museum west of Chicago, with over 250,000 works of art - and from every inhabited continent - spread over an ever-growing maze of buildings and pavilions. Plus it's one of those LA destinations that's actually accessible by Metro. Plus they have free WiFi. So off we go.

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