Art Shop

Though some people assume that Cancun is full of nothing but overpriced souvenirs, there are plenty of great values to be found. Some of the best bargains in Cancun – for both entertainment and distinctive souvenirs – are provided by the vibrant local art community. Art is everywhere you look in Cancun. Wherever you travel in the Hotel Zone or downtown Cancun, you will spot artists selling their work on busy street corners or in outdoor markets. Meanwhile, the galleries of Cancun represent both the best work of the region and internationally-recognized artists. Regardless of your budget, you will be able to find the right piece to add to your collection in Cancun.

One of the most popular places to view the fruits of creative labor is Cancun’s folk art museum, known locally as Museo de Arte Popular Mexicano. Located on the second floor of El Embarcadero Marina in Cancun’s Hotel Zone, the folk art museum showcases everything from traditional Mexican masks and costumes to religious artifacts and handmade toys. With nearly 15,000 square feet of exhibition space, the museum is able to tell many stories about both the local culture and the history of the Mexican people. Besides all of the artistic objects on display, the onsite gift shop is also a great place to shop for locally made oddities. Furthermore, the folk art museum provides a fun and affordable nighttime activity, remaining open to the public until at least 9 pm each day.

Some of the best places to shop for art in Cancun are the large shopping centers located throughout the Hotel Zone. The best selection of both commercial art galleries and individual vendors is at the sprawling Plaza Kukulcan. Known primarily for its number of upscale clothing and jewelry stores, Plaza Kukulcan is also a bustling art marketplace. In the common areas of the shopping center, local artists are allowed to display their work and sell directly to the public every day. On any given day, you will be able to find artists selling everything from handmade jewelry and crafts to pottery and oil paintings.

Plaza Kukulcan is also the place to find the work of renowned local artist Sergio Bustamante. Represented in Cancun by the Xaman-Ek Galleries, Bustamante’s uniquely surrealistic work is collected worldwide. Though he trained as an architect in Mexico, Bustamante has spent years combining his Chinese and Indian influences with the Mexican art tradition. The result is a body of sculpture and ceramics exhibiting a distinctive sense of humor, spiritually guided realism and superior workmanship. With additional locations at Plaza Caracol and La Isla, the Xaman-Ek Galleries also sell all types of locally-made products including jewelry, painting and folk art sculpture.

As you tour the galleries and museums of Cancun, you can also expect to see work inspired by the ancient Mayan culture. As the city is located amongst scores of ancient ruins in the heart of the Mayan Riviera, the imagery of the ancient civilization has always found its way into local museums and galleries. For souvenir hunters and art collectors, some of the most sought after items in Cancun are the expert reproductions of Mayan artwork. One such artist working in this style is painter and Mayan scholar Miguel Castro. Known for his masterful reproductions of Mayan paintings, Castro also uses traditional tools and methods to create his pieces.

Before venturing out in search of galleries and local artwork, check the local guides available at your hotel or resort. Besides offering descriptions of individual galleries and providing directions, many publications detail the most current exhibitions. If you are hoping to find a specific type of artwork at one of the outdoor markets, ask your concierge for suggestions; they often know where the best artists sell their products.

By: Justin Burch

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The study of liberal arts is a classic discipline, intended to provide general knowledge and intellectual skills instead of focused professional or occupational skills. The scope of the liberal arts has changed with society. It once emphasized the education of elites in the classics but, with the rise of science and humanities during the Age of Enlightenment, the scope and meaning of “liberal arts” expanded to include them. A degree in liberal arts can provide the basis for career advancement as it trains students to write effectively and think analytically while also allowing them to explore the nature of the various liberal arts fields of study. Some popular liberal arts fields of study include the following:

Early Childhood Development If you are interested in early childhood development and want to become a public school teacher, you must complete a bachelor’s degree. All states require a bachelor’s degree as a prerequisite for a teacher’s license. An online degree in Early Childhood Education provides academic requirements for various career levels in occupations related to childcare and early childhood education in the public and private sectors. The bachelor’s degree generally takes four years to complete. The bachelor’s degree courses typically focus on classroom issues and Pre- Kindergarten through third grade instructional methods.

Sociology Sociologists study human behavior as it pertains to human interaction within the guidelines of an organizational structure. Human behavior is greatly influenced and governed by social, religious, and legal guidelines. A sociologist studies these behaviors and the influences that preserve certain behaviors and change others. Sociology is also a broad science that covers many different disciplines in the social sciences. Sociology also studies more tangible measures of human behavior such as class or social status, social movements, criminal deviance, and even revolution.

Philosophy A philosophy major is the most general type of college degree you can obtain. It focuses on the “nature of being”, knowledge, and contemplating right and wrong in moral issues. A philosophy degree trains you to become both regimented and creative, learning to reason through abstract questions. Students will apply their knowledge to form an argument for debate. The principles of philosophy affect other fields of study such as physics and religion. Every religious belief and field of science is subject matter in philosophical inquiry. Skills that are helpful in your philosophy program are puzzle solving skills, debating, critical thinking and reading skills an organized thought process, and the ability to think outside of the box.

Education for Liberal Arts

Online Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies or Bachelor of Science degrees consist of an integrated core curriculum in the arts and sciences combined with student directed specializations. The liberal arts degree is popular for those with higher career ambitions, as well. Many future law or foreign services professionals find that getting a liberal arts degree such as political science is a great starting off point in their academic pursuits – it’s both personally rewarding and beneficial for the courses they will take as they progress. A BA in liberal arts can also provide the foundations for careers in medicine and business.

Students with a degree in liberal arts enrich their existing knowledge of the world and develop a broader framework for understanding social change in a global context. If you think a liberal arts degree is what you are looking for, search our database for an online degree program today.

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By: Samantha Sebring

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It is said that Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) never painted an unhappy picture. The Impressionist Renoir specialized in happy, joyful scenes depicting candid body profiles and smiling facial features. The youthful exuberance of his paintings is complemented by luminous hues, varying brush strokes and a dynamic interplay of light and shadows. The buoyant charm evident in Renoir’s paintings all helped to propel him to the top of the Impressionist movement.

The Dance at Bougival is just one magnificent example of Renoir’s masterful style. However, many art historians consider Dance At Bougival to be an exception to Renoir’s traditional happy sceneries. Although the painting shows a couple dancing, the pair does not seem particularly cheerful. When you look at the girl, you will see that her mouth is closed, almost as if in a grimace. The man’s face, while not visible in the painting, does not seem to be formed even in a half-smile. The painting suggests that Renoir was aware that even in such joyous occasions, such as fairs and festivals where there is dancing involved, people can still manifest other emotions such as boredom or apprehension.

Still, that does not negate the fact that Dance at Bougival is still one of Renoir’s most famous paintings. The beauty of the colors and creative use of brush strokes make this painting a truly sought-after work of art. In fact, it’s been frequently made into tapestries or wall-hangings, whether by art collectors or just simple homeowners who want to add a touch of class and elegance to their own homes or offices.

Tapestries are wall hangings woven from such materials as pure cotton and silk. They feature works of art made by famous artists and are usually used as wall fabric decoration. Most tapestry sellers include other materials such as hooks and tassels along with the tapestry itself. Sizes vary too, so it would be wise to measure the wall on which you plan to hang your tapestry.

By: Alex Hanson

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The Museum’s mission is to foster within society an awareness, understanding and involvement in the visual arts through policies and programmes which are excellent, innovative and inclusive. One of the leading museums in Ireland, IMMA presents a wide variety of art in a dynamic programme of exhibitions, which regularly includes bodies of work from its own collection and its award-winning Education and Community Department. It also creates more widespread access to art and artists through its Studio and National programmes. The current director is Enrique Juncosa, who was previously Deputy Director of the Reina Sofia National Museum Arts Centre (MNCARS) in Madrid.

Museum Ireland: How was the Irish Museum of Modern Art established?

The Irish Museum of Modern Art was established by the Government of Ireland in 1990 as Ireland’s first national institution for the presentation and collection of modern and contemporary art. The Museum was officially opened on 25 May 1991 by the, then Taoiseach Charles J Haughey. Since its opening the Museum has rapidly established itself as a significant and dynamic presence in the Irish and international arts arena. It is widely admired by its peers throughout the world for the range and relevance of its exhibitions, for its innovative use of its growing Collection, for its award-winning education and community programme and for its visitor-centered ethos and facilities.

The Irish Museum of Modern Art Today

IMMA has proved to be a valuable and popular addition to the country’s cultural infrastructure, attracting more than 400,000 Irish and overseas visitors from diverse social backgrounds each year, both to the Museum itself and to events organised throughout Ireland by our National Programme.

Irish Museum of Modern Art’s Exhibitions

The Museum’s temporary exhibition programme regularly juxtaposes the work of leading, well-established figures with that of younger-generation artists to create a debate about the nature and function of art and its connection with the future. Exhibitions presented at IMMA include – Francis Alÿs, Alexander Calder, James Coleman, Dorothy Cross, Lucian Freud, Ann Hamilton, Howard Hodgkin, Juan Miró, Hughie O’Donoghue and Elizabeth Peyton. IMMA originates many of its exhibitions but also works closely with a network of international galleries and museums.

The Collection

The Collection of the Irish Museum of Modern Art, which comprises some 4,500 works, has been developed since 1990 through purchase, donations and long-term loans, as well as by the commissioning of new works. The Museum purchases contemporary art but accepts donations and loans of more historical art objects with a particular emphasis on work from the 1940s onwards.

The permanent collection reflects some of the most exciting trends in Irish and international art with lens-based work by Gilbert and George, Marina Abramovic, Willie Doherty and Paul Seawright, installations by llya and Ameila Kabakov, Rebecca Horn and sculpture by Dorothy Cross, Kathy Prendergast, Damien Hirst and Stephan Balkenhol; also paintings by Francesco Clemente, Tony O’Malley, Peter Doig, and Peter Halley. Major donations include a wide variety of modern and contemporary art, including a number of 1930s works by Picasso, paintings by Sean Scully, a large sculpture by Barry Flanagan and a film by Neil Jordan.

Education and Community Programmes

An extensive range of programmes has been developed at the Museum with the intention of creating and increasing access to the visual arts, as well as engagement in their meaning and practice. The programme operates on many levels – with research projects, with community-based programmes within the local catchment area and with the general public in a gallery-based initiative through the provision of Explorer.

A number of programmes have been developed for groups who wish to have contact with specific exhibitions or artists, including gallery discussions and practical studio work. The ongoing primary school programme creates access for individual teachers, staff groups and children.

The Museum’s Artists Work Programme, a studio/residency programme, is open to artists in all disciplines and of all nationalities. Artists participating in the Programme make themselves as available as possible to meet with visitors to the Museum, providing access to the process of making art and giving the public an additional layer of experience to that available in the Museum’s galleries. A series of slide talks, studio visits, panel discussions and open days are organized around the residencies, all of which are free and open to the public.

The National Programme is designed to make the Museum’s assets, skills and resources available to centers outside Dublin. Through the lending of exhibitions and individual works, and the development of collaborative projects with other organizations, the National Programme establishes the Museum as inclusive, accessible and national.

The presentation of such a wide range of activities offers a richly diverse experience to both general visitors and to those interacting with the Museum on a more long-term basis.

Museum Ireland: The home of the Irish Museum of Modern Art

As one of the leading museums in Ireland IMMA’s activities are greatly enhanced by its magnificent building and grounds. The Royal Hospital Kilmainham, the finest 17th-century building in Ireland, was built in 1684 as a home for retired soldiers and continued in that use for almost 250 years. Its style is based on Les Invalides in Paris with a formal facade and large elegant courtyard. The Museum site also includes a formal garden, meadow and medieval burial grounds. In addition to its striking setting, the Museum also has an excellent cafe and bookshop.

By: Monica Cullinane

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An abstract art gallery or museum usually hosts art exhibitions and is also used as a location for the sale of art. Some of the abstract art form represented in such museums includes fauvism, cubism, surrealism and abstract expressionism.

Some famous abstract art galleries in the world are Centre Pompidou, located in Paris, Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, and the Pecci Museum of Contemporary Art and Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Italy. England hosts some famous abstract art museums like Annely Juda, Estorick Collection, Modern Art Oxford, Serpentine Gallery, Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Tate St Ives, Tate Liverpool and Pier Art Gallery. The United States also boosts two popular art galleries, the Museum of Modern Art and Whitney Museum.

Centre Georges Pompidou, commonly known as Pompidou Centre, houses around 50,000 art works including paintings, sculptures, drawings and photographs. On the other hand, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection is a small museum on the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy, which primarily contains the personal art collection of Peggy Guggenheim. However, the museum also displays collections of other prominent American modernists and Italian futurists, and includes work based on themes of cubism, surrealism and abstract expressionism. The museum has gained prominence in Italy for its collection of European and American art of the first half of the 20th century.

England houses some well-known art galleries. Modern Art Oxford and the Tate Gallery have some amazing abstract art collections. Modern Art Oxford was established in 1969 by a small group of Oxford dons and hosts works of renowned artists like Tracey Emin. Tate Gallery encompasses Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool, Tate St. Ives and Tate Modern, and houses some of the best abstract art in the world.

In the US, the Museum of Modern Art and Whitney Museum exhibit some famous work of abstract artists. The Museum of Modern Art houses some best modern masterpieces in the world, like Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon by Pablo Picasso, The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dal