Happy end of the school year! I keep hearing the Elle Woods in my head squeak, “We did it!”
We conquered the weirdest school year ever! Way to go, guys! Now it’s time for parents everywhere to say those magical words: “I’m not cooking tonight. We have an Open House.” Graduates are trying to plan their futures in these super bizarre times- some are headed to college, some are taking a gap year, maybe going to a trade school, and some will skip all of these things and move to their parents’ basement to live out their fantasy of playing “Animal Crossing: New Horizon” for the rest of their glory days. Whatever summer or life plans you have, maybe you will find yourself in a college town and good news- colleges have great art.
If you follow me on IG, you may remember a couple months ago, I posted a few pictures from a walk around Michigan State’s campus. Here are a few of my favorites:
Do you ever get the feeling someone is watching you? 
She is right outside El Azteco, so you can have a margarita after visiting this sweet sculpture! 
So delightfully creepy!
I’ve also had the pleasure of perusing art at Notre Dame, Oakland University, and Brown University, to name a few. There is no denying it: college campuses have fantastic art! Here are a few pictures from said universities:
Notre Dame: I wrote in this post about the extremely perfect layout of the school, including the ice arena, a Starbucks, and a sculpture walk/art museum/Touchdown Jesus all within a short walking distance of each other- a glorious little triangle of my favorite things. We’re planning to go back to that same tournament next hockey season, and I’m busting into that art museum, come hell or high water (a saying they take very seriously there.) In the meantime, here is The Word of Life (aka: Touchdown Jesus) ND’s most famous piece of art.
At another hockey tournament near Detroit, I was delighted to find Oakland University has a little art gallery! I took six hockey players with me to “check” it out (hockey humor!) I think the museum staff was really happy to see us roll in. All the kids gamely told me their favorite pieces of art there. The blue chain (it represents falling tears) was a crowd-pleaser, so were the paintings by Dick Goody. And of course, there were some giggles over part of Susan Evans’ installation, Artist’s Panties (not pictured). Underwear: never not funny.
This was actually hung straight. I take crooked pictures. 
Chain gang of hockey players. 
Athletic and cultured!
Charlotte and I visited Rhode Island a couple years ago in the dead of winter (I’d rethink that move next time). Luckily, the art was big enough and bold enough on Brown‘s campus, it didn’t get lost in the snow. Hands down, our favorite piece was Urs Fischer’s aptly named Lamp/Bear. It is one of three 20-ton bears Fischer made, but the only blue one. The mural below is technically not on campus, but pretty darn close and you know I can’t resist a sweet mural. This was one of three in a row, each cooler than the next!
My photo of Lamp/Bear didn’t stand the test of time, so I borrowed this more summery picture from brown.edu 
Edgy!
If you are graduating, congratulations! Way to matriculate! If you’re just attending Open Houses this year, let me give you permission: go back for seconds.
Love it! Never even been to any of these campuses!