The Weisman Art Museum on a Summer Evening
Artwork and text by Daniel Green, AIA | February 9, 2023
The Frank Gehry–designed Weisman Art Museum, in pen and watercolor. Artwork by Daniel Green, AIA.
POSTCARD
I see this sketch and recall the sounds of the light-rail train passing below me and feel the warm evening sun on my back.
The dynamic surfaces of the Weisman Art Museum lure both photographers and sketchers. I first toured the building during its construction in the 1990s. More recently, I’ve gotten to know it well as an architect working with the University of Minnesota to preserve its integrity. The play of light on the stainless-steel panels reminds me of moving water: The facade is always changing, filled with reflections.
The perspective in a drawing of the Weisman is complex. It’s best to think of the building as an organic object like a flower. To capture the iconic exterior with any accuracy requires starting in one spot and moving around the facade while attempting to keep everything in proportion to that first shape. I look forward to sketching the Weisman again soon.
Our Postcard department presents artworks and photos that capture indelible architectural scenes from across Minnesota.
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