How I Actually Went Hunting for Them Photos
Okay so today I decided I wanna see where you can actually go look at Niemanns art stuff without feeling like a tourist trap. Kept seeing folks online say “oh this gallery” or “that spot” but never really believed em. Gotta check myself.
First thing I did was make a dang list. Searched online forums, skimmed through some old articles, even asked that weird art-loving guy at my local coffee shop. Wrote down every single place people mentioned. Ended up with like 15 spots. Way too many.
Then came the annoying part: cutting it down. Decided my rules: gotta be open to the public mostly, no “private viewings only” nonsense, and reachable without renting a helicopter. Crossed off like half the list right there. Then looked at travel time – if it took more than an hour on the train? Gone.
Hit the streets early. First stop was supposed to be this gallery downtown everyone raves about. Parked miles away cause city parking is a joke. Walked up, super excited… only to see a sign: “Temporarily Closed for Renovations.” Seriously?! Shoulda called, I guess. Felt dumb just standing there.
Second try was across town. Bus took forever. Got to this fancy museum place. Nice building, huge windows. Paid the entrance fee – ouch, my wallet. Wandered around. Saw some nice paintings, sure… but only TWO actual Niemanns pieces? Buried in the corner? Man, felt kinda ripped off. People hyped this place way too much for two pictures.
By now, getting hungry and grumpy. Grabbed a greasy slice of pizza from a street vendor. Third stop was a library. This one was different, kinda cool. Free to get in, which was awesome. They had this whole hallway dedicated to him! Big prints, old sketches pinned up, even a draft he threw away once. Staff lady was super nice, told me some funny stories about him visiting once. Felt like finding treasure.
Number four was unexpected. Remembered someone mentioned a cafe. Went purely because my coffee had worn off. Place looked normal. Sat down, ordered a latte. Started glancing around while waiting… and boom! Right there on the wall behind the counter – a signed, framed collection of his smaller work! Like someone just casually hung it there next to a “Cleanup Station” sign. Got my coffee and just stared at it for ten minutes. Owner came over, we chatted. Said Niemann sometimes hangs out there. Coolest surprise ever.
Last one was a trek. Almost skipped it cause I was tired. Got to this sculpture park way out. Paid another fee, kinda groaned. Walked through gardens, saw big metal things. Almost missed it. Turned a corner near a pond, and there it was – one single huge photo he did, printed on metal, just sitting there reflecting the water. Sun was setting, hitting it just right. No crowds, just me and the ducks. Stood there quiet for a long time. Best one.
So, after all that legwork and some fails, here’s MY top 5 spots that actually delivered:
- The downtown library hall (Free & feels real!)
- The cafe with the surprise wall art (Coffee + art!)
- The sculpture park piece (Peaceful & perfect)
- A small college gallery across town (Small but packed!)
- This quirky bookstore basement downtown (Tiny but gems!)
Moral? Don’t trust random “Top 10” lists blindly. Gotta put on your shoes, mess up, get surprised, and find your own best spots. Half the fun was getting it wrong first!
