When I first walked into the Harn Museum I was amazed with how nice and pleasing the atmosphere was. There was a large open area, with paintings and other art pieces surrounding the walls. While in the middle of it all was a sleek staircase leading downstairs, and adjacent to it was one statue propped up in the middle of the hallway. It gives visitors a great first impression of the museum. It's one of those feelings when you walk in and just say to yourself, "wow."

To me, the hardest forms of art to get the full experience of not in person - say on TV or online - are sculptures and 3D art. The art piece I selected that represents how seeing works in person is better is a fancy dress from Ghana. As I was walking through the museum, this struck out to me because of its vibrant plethora of colors and interesting design. I knew it wasn't American, but I was interested to see where the piece originated, which I then learned to be Ghana. These dresses were worn at masquerades and other festivals and competitions.

The piece of art I chose for the core values section is called "Gate #2" by Ross Bleckner. I saw this large gate from across the room and my eyes were immediately drawn to it because of its illusionistic look. Some would say the piece is just a gate but its remarkable shade of blue/green and use of horizontal and vertical lines make it much more than "just a gate." This relates to my core values because when I think of gates I think of opportunities. There's a reason why there is a key hole and not everyone is allowed in, and because of that I value perseverance and dedication. This art makes me think about perhaps the gates of heaven - you have to earn your way to that and the inside is incredible.

I thought this painting was an excellent example of the good life. In it there is a man and a dog, roaming the woods, perhaps hunting and looking for their next meal. This somewhat reminded me of Walden. There are many ways to interpret this photo, but because I'm optimistic I like to think this man may be on his own trying to find a sense of the good life without any other humans. Instead, the companion he chooses is a dog - ironically "man's best friend." This man is seeking something, both figuratively and literally. He's lonely, yet his dog will never leave his side and that is what comforts him the most.

Note: All images inside the museum were taken by me, Kyle Levy, except the first image outside of the museum. That was found at https://www.visitgainesville.com/ai/b/96-1414.jpg.