My husband and I visited the new Salvador Dali Museum last weekend in St. Petersburg. We are both creative people in regards to our backgrounds and careers, however just because we work in creative industries, doesn't mean we always are motivated.
Staying inspired and keeping our motivation as designers, we are always seeking the world around us to gain new perspectives. We both had experienced the former Dali Museum and had also had taken our students for field trips. Now that the new museum opened, we wanted to see what all the hype was about.
My husband fortunately had the opportunity to take his class for a behind the scenes tour prior to me visiting. They showed them the inter-workings of the museum. They mentioned the Dali painting called the "Santiago el Grande," was there on loan until later this year and was worth seeing.
My husband said he was told by the guides that it was one of Dali's most exceptional pieces and since it was on loan from a museum in Canada, it is one of those paintings that not everyone has the opportunity to see unless they are in Canada.
What a great way to gain some inspiration! We toured the brand new, two-story museum that had a whimsical spiral staircase leading up to the galleries and beautiful breath-taking views from the web-like windows that may have been inspired by the Santiago el Grande painting.
We were able to view Dali's work from his early to mature time period of being an artist. We also saw his most accomplished pieces including the Santiago el Grande. The painting is huge and is definitely extraordinary! You have to see it for yourself!
Not only does the Dali Museum still provide a space for local elementary and high school art shows, but the grounds outside of the museum also have a place for exploration and introspection. The Dali Wish Tree is just outside behind Dali's Cafe. You can take your Dali Museum wrist band off and write a wish on the band. Once you make a wish, you can tie it onto one of the long strings coming off of the Dali Wish Tree and see if your wish comes true.
We walked away being inspired by Dali's work and by the new museum! We recommend checking it out - even if you think you are not creative, it may spark something inside you.