An Intern’s Perspective: A Few of My Favorite (Michener) Things

Without fail, each year around the holiday season, one day, unbeknownst to me, I awake with the beautiful, melodious voice of Julie Andrews joyfully singing of a few of her favorite things.  This morning was that morning and these words were still going around in my head, on repeat, as I walked into the Michener today and got me thinking.  Here are a few of my favorite things about the Michener:

1. I love all the outdoor sculpture, greeting visitors and foreshadowing the beautiful experiences one will have upon entering the museum.
2. I love how the natural elements (sunlight, raindrops, snow) enhance and constantly transform these sculptures, so that every time one sees the same sculpture, the experience is completely different.
3. I love seeing James A. Michener’s office and memorabilia on the left upon entering the museum, as it always reminds me how important the community members are to Michener.  When Michener’s things were brought to the museum from their original location, volunteers transported each and every item. The amount of trust and love the community has for the museum and vice versa is definitely one of my favorite things about the museum.
4. The warm and amazing staff that greet visitors joyously, graciously.
5. Spending an afternoon in the sculpture garden, sipping on some of the finest coffee in the area, from the Michener café.  With each new hour, as the sunlight shifts, I feel like I am transported to a new location, without ever having to move.
6. I love that this building has gone from being a place where freedom of thought and expression were virtually banned, to the ultimate abode of creativity and free-thinking that it is today.  This gives me a lot of hope, always, about how the universe works.
7. Not one day goes by without my visiting my favorite gallery in the entire museum which houses Michener’s collection of Pennsylvania Impressionism.
8. And, I absolutely adore the focus on art education and experience for people of all ages that is a part of Michener’s mission.

These are just a few of my favorite Michener things.  What are your favorite things about the Michener? Share them with us!

-Sumreen Z Chaudhry, Michener Intern

 Email This Post

 Print This Post