No need to shun the sun while soaking up art in Fla. hot spot
Hello, Dali! That museum turned out to be a perfect start to a three-day getaway in St. Petersburg, Fla., where I knew I’d find lots of sun and sand — but also discovered an abundance of vibrant and surprising art. Doubly so at the Salvador Dali Museum (thedali.org), a waterfront gem devoted to the eclectic career of the world-renowned painter. The Spanish surrealist is as famous for his trippy dreamscapes and melting clocks as he is for his kooky signature curlicued mustache.
It felt just right, then, that the museum boasts dramatic twists and curveballs of its own — both inside and out. Cookie-cutter, it’s not.
A massive wavelike bubble made from more than 1,000 triangular pieces of glass envelop the exterior walls, which are 18-inch-thick hurricane-proof concrete.
Inside, a sinuous spiral staircase leading to second- and third-floor galleries celebrates Dali’s famous mania for the molecular shape of DNA.
So there’s eye candy galore before you even hit an exhibit. But of course, I still had to take in some of the 96 oil paintings, plus drawings, prints, photographs or videos and curios here that were done by Dali before his death in 1989 at age 84.
It all adds up to one of the most acclaimed collections of a lone modern artist in the world.
So I wondered, what’s it doing in St. Pete? Long story short: Ohio-based husband and wife collectors Reynolds and Eleanor Morse bought their first Dali in 1943 — “Daddy Longlegs of the Evening - Hope!” — a work that spoke of war and optimism. Bit by bit, the couple built a worldclass collection.
When they announced in the 1970s that they were looking for a permanent public home for their treasures, St. Pete stepped up — first in 1982 in another space. The more dazzling Dali Museum opened in 2011, and it’s been a destination for art lovers since.
But it’s not alone in this Gulf Coast city. The Chihuly Collection (moreanartscenter.org/