My first ever museum was the glorious University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) in Ann Arbor. UMMA has always been a magical place for me. As my hometown museum, it was a cabinet of curiosities for my young self. I saw things there unlike anything I had ever seen: intriguing objects from Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Europe. During a trip this month to see my family in Ann Arbor [...]
Read MoreExactly four years ago, I found myself in Denmark. I had just survived my first semester at the École du Louvre. The term had culminated with eight exams in five days; each exam was basically a choice between two broad questions with three hours to answer one of them. I celebrated my birthday with an exam [...]
Read MoreMarch can be a really awkward month. Before the scent of springtime comes wafting in on April breezes, the last snowfalls of March must be endured. When I feel like I can't take one more minute of slush and ice, my mind wanders to far-off places. I dream of beaches in Bali or the mild grey of Paris. Even [...]
Read MoreI've been in Montreal for only four months, but my life in Paris already feels like another lifetime. I recently traveled to New York City (to visit the lovely Sara, another 'Expat American-Expat-in-Paris'), which obviously meant dedicating a significant amount of time in the Metropolitan Museum of Art [...]
Read MoreValentine's Day is upon us again. Commercial though it may be, I have always liked this holiday. I'll take any excuse to celebrate love! This year, I am organizing a Valentine's Day get together at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. I've crafted some love-themed activities and mapped out the paintings that depict love in various forms [...]
Read MoreI am (still) in the midst of furnishing my new Montréal apartment. I have spent hours searching for fun and functional furniture and decorations to make this nest feel like home. After spending a recent morning assembling furniture, I decided to treat myself with a visit to the Montreal Museum of [...]
Read MoreI've been thinking a lot about the concept of home lately. In the five years I spent in Paris, being an American Expat in Paris became a huge part of my identity. I agreed with Gertrude Stein that America was my country and Paris was my home town. So, what becomes of that after my recent move [...]
Read MoreThis painting, this fête galante, full of lovers in a garden, is a celebration of flirtation and love. While the young lovers are the focal point of the painting, a full half of the painting is dedicated to the landscape, to the architecture, to the physicality of the scene. As I looked at this painting by Nicolas Lancret, newly [...]
Read MoreMerry Christmas! One December, when I was living in Paris, I got the idea into my head to make a Christmas-themed audio tour of the Louvre. I recorded commentaries on artworks in the Richelieu wing that featured scenes of the Nativity, the Visitation of the Magi, etc. While the final product was less than [...]
Read MoreThis month's Creativity Theme is CELEBRATION. So, with Christmas approaching, I gave myself a challenge for my visit to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts: find a way to celebrate Christmas inspired by artwork seen in the museum. I figured the most literal way to be inspired would be by [...]
Read MoreI had been waiting all morning for the Creativity Factory to open. I was visiting the Montreal Science Centre with two of my favorite kiddos (and their mom and dad), and we had spent the morning learning about the human body. But I was anxious to get to an exhibit called Fabrik - Creativity Factory. "What [...]
Read MoreThe Montreal Museum of Fine Arts has a great collection of Dutch Golden Age paintings, from Gerard ter Borch’s satiny skirts to Rembrandt’s moody lighting. On a recent visit of these galleries, as this month's creativity theme is CELEBRATION, I considered how best to celebrate these marvels. I [...]
Read MoreThis month's creativity theme is CELEBRATION. For my first December museum visit, I went to the Redpath Museum, McGill University's natural history museum. The museum feels very old school: temple-like stone façade, lots of carved wood, the occasional hand-written label... The museum also [...]
Read MoreIt's December! And, for reasons that I imagine do not need an explanation, this month's creativity theme will be CELEBRATION! All month, I will be visiting museums with this lens. I am having a lot of fun coming up with different ideas, and they are all joyful! Not only will I be looking at depictions of [...]
Read MoreSeptember always feels so full of potential. As summer ends and autumn arrives, I remember the excitement of starting a new school year. Growing up, my mom would always take me to select new school supplies, a task which would take me hours. I would wander down each aisle [...]
Read MoreGarlands in Paris in the midst of a creativity series on the theme of Love. Today, I’m excited to introduce you to Sara, who reflected on this month's theme in New York City. Sara is one of the most creative and caring people I know, so I was excited to get her take on love in a museum. Here's Sara: Bonjour! I’m Sara of Simply Sara Travel, my [...]
Read MoreMuseums can be very romantic places. My favorite museum dates have been in quiet, off the beaten track institutions with eclectic collections. These places facilitate good conversations and set a mood for the whole encounter. You can really get to know someone by hearing his or her reactions to an artwork or artifact [...]
Read MoreThis is an installment of Creative July on the theme of Love (f you missed it, check out a description of the project here!) One of the most beautiful expressions of love is touch. So, I went on a photo safari in the Louvre's Ancient Egypt galleries, on the hunt for touch. A photo safari is a visit to a museum focusing on details found [...]
Read MoreThis month’s creativity theme is… LOVE! Throughout the month of July (in preparation for a certain upcoming wedding), Garlands in Paris will be looking at art and museums through the lens of amour. I am very excited for this theme, and have some fun surprises in store for the month. Feel free to join me! Share your creative [...]
Read MoreIt's the last day of June, and the end of this month's creativity series on the theme of the Outdoors. All month, Garlands in Paris has been looking at art and museums through the lens of this theme: representations of the outdoors in art, objects that were created to be outdoors, the relationship between interior [...]
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This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer.
IMAGINIBUS is a blog about playing in museums, with a focus on imagination and creativity.
This blog is a place to be inspired to use your imagination around artworks—and to see the art of your daily life.
When we engage creatively with art, museums can become playgrounds and laboratories to experiment with attention, mindfulness, and imagination. Interesting things happen when we use that museum gaze to look at our daily lives like a work of art.
Find more inspiration for playing with new ways of paying attention to your daily life here.
Hello! I'm Marina Gross-Hoy, a writer, Museum Studies PhD candidate, and mother currently living in Quebec. I take playing in museums very seriously.
Read more about the blog here.
Check out my newsletter on Substack to be inspired to see the art in your daily life.
