Buckle Up VirginiaBy Madelyn Miller, the TravelLadyEverywhere you travel, people tell you to buckle up. Whether in a car or airplane, your seatbelt is a travel universal.
And this is a big compliment coming from a Texas girl who collects cowboy boots and belt buckles. The Kreuzer Collection
The collection went unremarked by her husband, Dr. Karl Kreuzer (himself an art collector), until he noticed his wife's unusual accessory one evening at a concert. From that moment on, he became an even more avid buckle collector than Mrs. Kreuzer. The Kreuzers stopped building their other collections to devote themselves to researching and acquiring Art Nouveau buckles.
Now part of the Museum's permanent collection through a gift/purchase arrangement, the buckles represent many of the major designers, movements, and motifs that gave Art Nouveau the universal appeal it enjoyed between 1890 and 1914. The buckles presented here represent a cross section of this amazing collection.
All images by Katherine Wetzel (c) Virginia Museum of Fine Arts OTHER BEAUTIFUL THINGS TO DO AND SEE IN RICHMOND, VIRGINIA WHERE TO STAY The Jefferson Hotel is loaded with Southern charm and hospitality. WHERE TO DINE Zeus Acacia Julep’s New Southern Cuisine BEST BREAKFAST Plant Zero Cafe BEST CHOCOLATE STORE For the Love of Chocolate BEST PLACES TO BROWSE ARTWORKS Studios & Galleries With over 70 artists represented in ARTWORKS Studio and Galleries, you are sure to find just the right thing to suit your style and taste. Or to give as a gift. I went to Plant Zero for breakfast (which is in the same building) and left with an original photo print, a necklace, a handmade paper card and a holiday ornament. And most of the galleries were not even open yet. Imagine what damage I could have done if everyone was open. The huge gallery space offers original works of art by Virgniia artists—paintings, drawings, illustrations, photography, ceramics, sculpture, mixed-media, clothing, jewelry, gifts and much more. Best time to go is for the Fourth Friday Art Openings 7-10 pm. You can tour the studios, meet the artists and enjoy live music. Artworks is conveniently located ½ mile from downtown, just over the 14th Street bridge. 320 Hull Street Artists to View I loved the hand painted stools by Ellen Burns Art Work. She also makes other groovey furniture. But by the time I got to Richmond, I had filled my suitcase with so many Virginia purchases; I could not even consider anything bigger than my purse. I will always treasure my holiday crystal ball filled with colorful, whimsical ribbon. Stop by her studio, even if you only have a little room left. She offers things in almost any size or color. Next time I will have to remember to drive a truck. Ellen Burns Shelia M. Gray Krishanna Spencer, Altered Artist Krishanna’s specialty is assemblage - putting together articles into works of art. She is also a writer. Maybe that is why I liked her work so well. We have professional karma. I hope she likes my writing as much as I like her art. Her art making and writing studio is dedicated to helping women heal and empower themselves through their creative spirit. In addition to clay sculpture, assemblage and collage, Krishanna is a freelance author and also currently hosts Goddesslore at BellaOnline.com, a column that explores women's spirituality through the feminine. You can reach her through Artworks 804 291.1400. Victoria Dye MOST ARTISTIC THING TO DO ON A THURSDAY NIGHT Thursday evening at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts enjoy Art After Hours BEST PLACE TO GET YOUR FEET RUBBED IF YOU HAVE BEEN WALKING TOO MUCH Slip Salon. Have Michael do a reflexology treatment on your feet. They offer lots of other great services—but I could get addicted to Michael’s reflexology treatments if I lived in town. Slip Salon FOR MORE INFORMATION HELPFUL WEBISTES
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In all my travels, I have never seen better looking buckles than at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art. These people obviously know how to buckle up with style. If you are ever in Richmond, Virginia, be sure to get to the museum to see their belt buckle collection, it nothing else.
Over twenty years ago, Munich art collector Gisela Kreuzer purchased an Art Nouveau buckle to add to her wardrobe. It was designed by Ludwig Knupfer for the German firm of Theodor Fahrner. Mrs. Kreuzer continued to acquire these pieces of wearable art for several years.
Some five hundred pieces later, the Kreuzers' passion has become the largest assemblage of European and American Art Nouveau buckles and related jewelry in the world. Impressed by the presentation of the Sydney and Frances Lewis collection of Art Nouveau, the Kreuzers knew the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts would provide an appropriate setting for their own collection. 
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts 200 N. Boulevard Richmond, VA 23220
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