Lisa Browder

I’ll get to the point right up front: I loved this museum. In fact, I’d put it on my all-time favorites list.

This was an expansive, light, fresh space. The museum has two floors divided into galleries – Native Life, Early West, Native Artists, Frontier, and New West. There is an auditorium, an event space, a “quiet room” for anyone with sensory-processing needs, and a small, combined gift shop and cafe.

I’m not sure what I expected but bronze works were not in my sights. I was mesmerized from the get-go. I can’t imagine what it takes to produce a bronze statue. Wasn’t it Michaelangelo who said something to the effect of just chisel away everything that doesn’t belong? That doesn’t work with bronze because apparently this art form starts with a mould. The whole process is incomprehensible to me.

And then to end up with the finished products below certainly takes an artistic vision I wish I had but never will. The details in the faces, bodies, clothing, etc., are nothing short of stunning.

And then to incorporate color? Several of us practically had our noses touching the beadwork and would’ve sworn they were individual beads. The guide assured us it was all painted bronze.

There was also this warrior, Addih-Hiddisch, a Hidatsa Chief. The artist, John Coleman, carefully reproduced the geometric tattoos on his body.

“The Honor Dress” by Dave McGary (2006) shows a widow honoring the death of her husband by wearing a rare, hand-painted ceremonial dress. She is holding his bison robe, shield and war bonnet. Looks like suede, doesn’t it? But no – bronze.

Indulge me with a few more bronzes and then I’ll show you some of the beautiful paintings. The first shows what it might have looked like if Gall, Sitting Bull, and Crazy Horse, all principals in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, had posed together. The second is an Old West saloon poker game and the third is a cowboy saying goodbye to his favorite girl.

On to the paintings of the Wild West. The are filled with vivid detail and vibrant color. One of my favorites was the cowboy sharing his sandwich with his horse.

And then, of course, there were the clothing artifacts and the jewelry.

The James Museum also a room for special exhibits. The one I saw was “Un/Natural Selections: Wildlife in Contemporary Art.” I sent a picture of the hippos to a friend of mine who commented that they must be cheerleaders.

This is a gorgeous museum and well worth your money. It is centrally located in St. Petersburg in the arts district. Stay for lunch. There are tons of restaurants nearby. In fact, one of my favorites, the Parkshore Grill, is only a couple of minutes away.

• 150 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, Florida
• 727-892-4200
• thejamesmuseum.org
• Daily 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Tuesdays until 8:00 PM)
• $18 for seniors