For those of you who are David Macaulay fans (The Way Things Work, Cathedral, Pyramid, Black & White, The Way WE Work) there is a must-see exhibit at the Tacoma Art Museum right now. It runs through June 14, 2009 and it’s fantastic. Set up to show the progression of Macaulay’s work from “envelope sketches” to finished work, the exhibit is so great I’m going back to see it again—and this time not on a “free night.”
The only thing I missed in the show was a glimpse at the final-final version of the various sets of work—in book form. Next time, I’m tempted to bring my own copies of the books into the gallery for comparison. But trust me, authors and illustrators and curious minds of all sorts will love this intimate view of Macaulay’s studio process. Just don’t do what I (as a notorious museum geek) always seem to do and make the security guards nervous by getting so into it you inch too close to the irreplaceable art.
The Tacoma Art Museum, like all the museums in the downtown Tacoma “museum triangle,” is open for free every Third Thursday evening. But if you want a more immersive and exclusive experience, go see the show on a weekday afternoon when the galleries are a bit more quiet. It’s worth the cash.
Lastly, if you want to meet David Macaulay, come on down to the “Big Draw” Community Festival on April 19, 2009. For twice the fun, you can also check out the “With Our Hands” Folk Art Festival at the Washington State History Museum just two blocks away that same day.
