American Visionary Art Museum, Baltimore

A lot of unique conversational works are displayed. Painings, sculptures, some interactive displays and some short films. Many will make you laugh or say wow!

You can only picture the items that are in the garden unfortunately the most beautiful pieces are inside.

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Baltimore's golden years may had been over, but the city prides itself at being the forefront of alternative, self-taught art, thanks to AVAM, officially America's national museum for self-taught art by virtue of Congressional legislation.

The museum opened in 1995, initially to showcase art created by psychiatric patients. Today, it comprises two main exhibition spaces - the Main Building and the Jim Rouse Center, which opened in 2004. The latter is my favorite with the larger-than-life exhibits and the "un-museumy" feel of the place. The outdoor installation depicting a giant egg and a futuristic looking bird with a cello for a body - the "Cosmic Galaxy Egg" by Andrew Logan (picture 5) - is worth a few minutes of admiration.

Between these fascinating exhibits, the museum's message is not lost: that everyone has an artist within him/her and that with our imagination, we can create works of art. Cheesy but true.

A fun, provocative, offbeat museum full of wild and sometimes disturbing art. Some great folk art pieces that you will remember for a long time. Some of this art pushes the envelope in uncomfortable ways, other pieces make you smile against your will. Fun and eclectic gift shop. To reach the museum from the inner harbor, take a water taxi and get off at the Rusty Scupper stop. (That is a restaurant with a great balcony overlooking the harbor where you can have a drink and watch the sunset.)

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Very unique collection of folk art. Many of the artist have tripped that fine line between genius and madness. The bios intrigued me as much as the art did.
Many of the exhibits encourage touch and manipulation.
Fantabulous!

Offers a great display and unique and contemporary art to stimulate the mind. The museum houses 3 floors of unusual and imaginative pieces by non-mainstream artists. The art extend to and decorates the outside of the museum.

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This is a wonderful art museum, the catch is, very little of the work here is created by artists. It is primarilly created by ordinary citizens who express themselves in many creative ways.

The exhibits rotate often, I'd consider buying a membership if you live nearby.

This museum is so unpredictable and wonderful: a room size model of old Coney Island amusements, tapestries by a dressmaker who survived the holocaust, using leftover pieces of cloth, a 9 foot pink poodle on wheels! It also has one of baltimore's best restaurants, Joy America cafe, on top of the museum.