Tour, or tour with, the Bayly Art Museum

By Rebecca Arrington

The Bayly Art Museum not only brings the art and culture of distant lands to its visitors through exhibits and lectures, it also has begun offering guided tours to various destinations far beyond its walls.

The new venture, which ties into the international initiative of the University's Virginia 2020 strategic plan, started last fall with a trip to Spain, followed by a summer jaunt to Montreal and Ottawa. This fall, a trip to Mexico is set to coincide with the Day of the Dead festival, followed by an art history tour of Northern India, from Dec. 26 to Jan. 14.

The Bayly is celebrating Mexico's most famous festival with a trip to Oaxaca, Mexico, from Oct. 30 through Nov. 5, in conjunction with the Corcoran Gallery of Art and the Chrysler Museum of Art. Featured in the tour will be: a reception of chocolate y pane de muertos (Day of the Dead chocolate and bread) at the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo; lunch in the home of world-renowed Mexican artist Rodolfo Morales; private receptions at the Galeria Quetzalli and the Galeria Arte de Oaxaca; and a special tour with an expert in Colonial art, archaeology and indigenous cultures of the Oaxacan Valley.

The tours also tap the wealth of resources here, said Bayly Art Museum director Jill Hartz. For example, art history professor Daniel Ehnbom, who is also the adjunct curator of South Asian Art at the Bayly, helped design the tour to India and will be its study tour leader.

The trip begins in Bombay, and includes explorations of the Ajanta Caves in Aurangabad and the caves of Ellora, one of the most impressive art historical sites in India, Hartz said. Also on the itinerary are Udaipur; the Jain temples of Ranakpur; the 15th century fort of Jodhpur; the red sandstone city of Fatehpur Sikri; and Agra, home of the Taj Mahal.

The trips are open to Bayly Art Museum members only. Anyone may become a museum member. The annual membership fee is $35. For a brochure or more details on either trip, call 924-3592.