Banner Destinations: A visit to the Dali Museum

Either way, thousands flock to the museum dedicated to the artwork of Salvador Dali to gaze at the largest private collection of his work in the world.

The museum, which sits on the banks of Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg, opened March 7, 1982, and today still awes visitors with an insight into the mind of the master painter.

Born in Figueres, Spain on May 11, 1904, Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dali i Domenech began painting as a young boy and continued throughout his life.

He experimented in different styles, though he is most well known for his work as a surrealist.

But visitors to the museum will see much more than bimorphic figures, draping clocks and mind-riddling paintings.

His early works are also hung, his impressionist works, his paintings of his homeland and the religious works of his later years.

There are different sizes, different textures, different themes, but all are paintings from the depths of Dali's mind.

Peering into Dali's mind seemed to be the objective of Brian Olson of St. Paul, Minn., last weekend.

As he wandered around the museum, he would take off his glasses, step up close to the paintings -- there are no barriers to restrict visitors from getting up close -- and really look into the paint and canvas.

"I like to look at his draftsmanship and his brushstrokes and style," said Olson, who studied Dali in his younger years.

As for favorites, they have changed over the years, but now they are the older works, the ones that don't leave the viewer feeling so alone.

"I like the stuff he made when he was older," Olson said. "It is more interesting to me now. It's more mature. It just appeals to me, it's less isolated and more present."

The feelings each painting evokes vary from person to person. The museum encourages people to sit and contemplate -- the museum provides folding chairs one can carry along for just that purpose.

Then there are the brushstrokes, the use of texture Dali used to draw attention. The amount of paint, the colors, the lines, the curves. Other times the paintings and drawings are flat as if to make a statement.

Heather Henson believes each painting makes a statement.

"He's awesome," she said. "It's amazing. It's intricately detailed and there is all this neat stuff in it and with all his surrealism it looks realistic. There's a lot of hidden things in the pictures. He always paints people and they all look weird, like he didn't like people very much and there are always ants and there are always different things going on in each painting."

Although Henson lives close by in Tampa, last week was just her second time at the museum.

"Anyone that lives here, it's definitely a must-see," said Henson, who said the $12.50 admission price is a bit pricey, but did say she had been viewing for two hours and was planning on going back through.

Henson and her party are just some of the 200,000 visitors who walk through the museum each year. Each year they walk away confused, awed, baffled and fascinated with the artist.

Many stop in the gift shop on the way out. There they can purchase T-shirts, pens, magnets, clocks, prints or glasses with either a likeness of Dali or one of his famous paintings. Many purchase a book describing his paintings or life in an effort to gain an understanding of the man and his art.

Many take the tours the museum offers to help those understand the confusing man and his even more befuddling artwork.

That's what Barry and Sonya Santiago did last week.

After hearing about the museum from a friend, they decided to see what it was all about. They hopped on a tour, then wandered back through the museum afterward to see the paintings up close without the crowded tour.

IF YOU GO

To get to the Salvador Dali Museum, take Interstate 75 north to I-275 northbound across the Sunshine Skyway to St. Petersburg. Follow I-275 to I-175 E exit, exit 22 toward Tropicana Field. Take that exit and take a right onto 4th Street South. Turn left onto 11th Avenue South. Turn left onto 3rd Street South. Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays; and noon to 5:30 p.m. Sundays. The museum is closed on Thanksgiving Day. Check the Web site or call for special holiday hours. Admission: $12.5o for adults; $10 for seniors 65 and older and members of the police and military; $6 for students 10 and older; $3 for students ages 5 to 9; and free for children under four. The cost is $5 on Thursdays after 5 p.m. For more information, call (727) 823-3767 or log on to www.salvadordalimuseum.org.

As the couple, from Orlando, roamed back through the museum, they mused about the paintings hanging from every wall.

"I would say he's a genius just by his works," Barry said as they walked off only to stop and stare some more, joining the throngs of others doing the same thing.

Contact Features Editor Kristen Smith at 213-6043 or kmsmith@naplesnews.com