Atlanta escape: An artful getaway to the South

Art on high: Visit Atlanta’s High Museum to view famous pieces on loan from the Museum of Modern Art. Credit: Sapoague.

By Erin Behan

With the High Museum of Art’s “Picasso to Warhol” exhibit showcasing more than 100 world-famous works of art through April 29, 2012, it’s time to make a modernist-inspired weekend trip to Atlanta.

The first stop is to the High for a look at some truly famous pieces on loan from The Museum of Modern Art, New York, for the exhibition. Brancusi’s “Bird in Space,” Leger’s “Three Women” and Bearden’s “Patchwork Quilt” are among the head-turning works by 14 big-name artists from the 20^th century. While at the museum, don’t miss the High’s collection of folk and self-taught art — a painted bicycle, a throne fashioned from chicken and turkey bones and a drunkard’s devil sculpture are among the quirky finds.

There’s a lot of art inAtlanta, and not all of it hangs on the walls. Thanks to the city’s recent foodie revolution, much of it shows up on the dinner plates. Just a few blocks south of the museum sits South City Kitchen, which was one of the first restaurants in Atlanta to elevate Southern cuisine to a higher level. That means fried green tomatoes, shrimp and grits and buttermilk fried chicken that look as good as they taste. If you’re going for dinner, reservations are recommended.

Of course, art and drunkenness have gone hand-in-hand since the first cave drawing, and the gastropub Tap — like South City Kitchen — is within walking distance of the museum. As the name implies, there’s a rather lengthy list of beers on draught, including some local works of art — Red Brick Brown, Sweetwater IPA and Wild Heaven Ode to Mercy. Oenophiles might be interested in the sauvignon blanc and pinot noir, which also come from a keg.

End your stay at either the Four Seasons Atlanta or the W Atlanta Midtown. It’s an extra treat to digest art and life without ever setting foot in a vehicle (a rather artful feat in Atlanta) — and both Atlanta hotels are just a couple of blocks from the museum.

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Erin Behan is a freelance writer and editor out of Brooklyn, N.Y., who counts good food, intoxicating drink and adventurous travel among her favorite things.

Tagged: Family time, Hotels