I've always been an art kid. I love going to galleries and looking at things that people have made whether it be from modern times or from long long ago. Art is something that can be dated but appreciated at any point in time. So being able to visit the Victoria and Albert museum and the Nelly Duff Gallery in London were both sites I was excited to see.
The Victoria and Albert Museum, or V&A, is massive! and when I say massive, I mean it. Like WOW! It is literally jam packed full of so much stuff. I could have spent an entire day, maybe even a couple of days wondering around looking at the huge collection of artworks. But obviously we didn't have time for all that. After I had used up my time to wander around the museum I was sitting with my classmates, journaling about our time there. I started thinking about this huge place I was sitting inside of as I stared at a large glass display case. It must have been at least 10ft tall (if not more), full of shelves cluttered with glass dishware and figurines. A strange sense that this was normal came over me. I felt like I had been here before. The V&A was like any other art museum. Of course, certain things are particular to this one museum but let’s be real, all art museums have the same vibe to them. I could have been back at the Baltimore Museum of Art and would have felt exactly the same. I'm not trying to discredit the museum in anyway. It was beautifully designed, and the exhibitions were amazing. Sheer size alone makes this Museum unlike all the rest. I highly recommend seeing this site if you're ever in London. But it was a big building, full of art, with a gift shop, and lots of tourists.
The Nelly duff Gallery was very different. It was this quaint little gallery on a small street full of other shops. On the outside there was a big light up sign that said, “Nelly Duff”. It did not remind me of any art gallery I had been to before, it felt more like someone’s overly decorated house. When we went inside it was crammed. The walls were covered from top to bottom with different pieces. I felt like I was in a creative wonderland. So many things stood out to me and caught my attention right away. There were lots of people standing in the main entrance admiring different artworks around the room, granted a lot of them were probably trying to avoid the rain and hail mixture that was coming from the sky outside. But it did not feel like a tourist attraction. It felt like more of a local attraction. As I listened to the conversations of the people around me I heard many different accents and interesting exchanges of words. This cute, fun, chaotic art gallery wasn’t just a place to buy and sell work. It was a place for people to gather, share experiences, and enjoy the creativity of the space.
The Nelly Duff Gallery was right up my alley. I loved the aesthetic and the overall feel, which is why it stands out in my mind from my trip to London. The V&A museum was beautiful and interesting to see, but just another art museum. And would take a lot of time to actually spend in and see all the work. Going through the Nelly Duff Gallery and being able to see everything in probably an hour depending on how long you spent with certain, just seemed better to me. Seeing both of these places, spending time inside them, and seeing works from all different types of people was inspiring. Each place in it’s own way. So depending on what atmosphere you are looking for either of these are for sure worth seeing if you’re ever in London.