Weekend and More

[lydamorehouse]

This last weekend my parents came up for a visit, something we called "Christmas in May," and maybe we shouldn't have, given that it seemed determined to SNOW on Sunday, it was so cold and miserable. The idea, however, is that the road (and even the train) have become un-fun ways to travel for my folks, for reasons of age and weather. And, no one in my family is Christian, so there's no particular reason to celebrate Christmas at all, but certainly there's nothing binding us to to the traditional time. Though, everyone likes getting presents.

We exchanged gifts on Saturday. My folks came up late in the day because Mason works at the Science Museum. Normally, he's out by 2 pm, but last Saturday they went on an excursion to a hydroponic basement "farm" at a local restaurant and didn't make it home until almost 3 pm. That was fine because we all eat ridiculously early so by the time we all made it to my folks' hotel and did a little chatting, we could walk over to a nearby restaurant for dinner.

On Sunday morning, we set off for MIA. This is second time in so many weeks that i've been to that particular museum, but there is so much there that it's impossible to not see something new each time. Ironically, my mom also loves contemporary and modern art, just like my visiting Canadian, so we ditched Mason in the "Asia" galleries and booked it to the Modern/Contemporary galleries.

I got a great shot of my dad being captivated by a piece of art:



My art savvy friends have told me that the name of this piece is "The Father of Aviation II" by Santos Dumont. (The link should take you to MIA's page about it.)  It's very striking. I'd love to see more of Dumont's stuff, honestly.  

For me, that's my favorite part of any museum trip. Having a "wow!" moment. It's almost never a piece that anyone remembers from the one art history class they maybe took, except the first time I went to the Chicago art museum I was dumbfounded when I saw Seurat's famous pointillism piece, "A Sunday Afternoon..."  But, usually, it's some side gallery piece that makes me stop and take a moment to think, "Wha?? How is that so...???" This time, for me, it was a picture of pots and pans made of copper that just... there was something about how the artist had showed the light and reflections that took my breath away. I'll post the picture, but there's an extremely low chance that it will hit you the same way. Next time I go, I'll probably walk right past it. That's how museums work for me, anyway.



Yep, just a bunch of metal pans. 

So, that was my weekend. I spent yesterday running around like crazy. I sent back the contract for Unjust Cause (Whoo! I am officially contracted again!!) and spent some time frantically working on the first chapter at my favorite coffee shop. Then, I went to the bank to get cash from the change in my piggy bank because I joined an office bet at the library for the women's world cup and I wanted to be able to bring the cash in when I went to do my data practices training. (Fun times, though I'm always amused when it is mentioned that one can not delete records without permission from the state archives, to which I ALWAYS mentally add, "Or, as I like to call it, my wife.")

So, that was me over the past few days. I will try to be better about this.

But, hey, do you have a museum experience you want to share? I want to hear it.

Comments

[minnehaha]

Where, please, is there a machine that translates piggy bank change into folding money?

My thing with change is this: I steal it. I take a penny (or all the pennies) every time I go to the gas station counter, or whatever. "Need a penny, take a penny." Once or twice I have gotten *severely offended* clerks to yell at me. Just once, a clerk heard what I was doing, and gave me all the pennies. Mostly I just quietly remove as many pennies as I can. If I want to, I explain why.

I put them in the change bank, and when it is full, I give it to the food shelf at the Sabathani Center on 38th Ave. We also add pocket change from shopping, and it's about $50 a year. I round up, and send a check.

K.

[lydamorehouse]

I have no idea where those machines have gone. Someone told me Walmart, when I last asked.

When I say I took my change to the bank, I mean I went to the bank and they sat me in a corner with the little sleeves and one of those stacking moulds (I don't know how to describe it. It's just a heavy plastic box with groves that match the coins so it's easier to tell if you've counted them right when you put them in place.) So, I had to do all the counting and rolling myself. I was very disappointed that the machine went away. I have no idea what prompted Wells Fargo to get rid of it, outside of my usual grumbles about corporate banks.

[oracne]

Some paintings, especially, hit me a lot harder "live" than in reproduction. The texture of the paint, or the depth of the paint, or something, gives it more life and sometimes this glowy lustrousness.

A friend is wanting to visit more of our local museums, so I promised to be her Social Calendar Domme and drag her out with me to exhibits.

Congratulations on the contract!

[lydamorehouse]

Thanks. I definitely need one (I'm very sad that way.)

That's awesome that you have an art buddy, as it were. I'm just really grateful that I seem to have an endless supply of visiting friends who have realized that I LOVE playing tourist in my hometown, so I keep having excuses to go check out museums (and other fun things. Cat Cafe!!)

[pegkerr]

I love the MIA and get hypnotized in front of things there on a regular basis.

[lydamorehouse]

For real. I LOVE that moment, like I said.

What is cool about MIA is that they're really working the idea of being "the people's museum." I notice both times I've gone recently, just how many people go there and hang out and chat in various galleries. There's hardly a room in that massive building that didn't have a small clot of people, heads together, talking about things, or even just resting and staring at art. I really LOVED that. None of it was disruptive at all, but, instead, it gave the whole place a very casual, it's okay to just sit and enjoy yourself vibe.

[silverusagi]

it was a picture of pots and pans made of copper that just... there was something about how the artist had showed the light and reflections that took my breath away.

I get what you mean. I've never seen one in person, but the way Vittorio Reggianini painted satin makes me amazed. The light and the texture and it looks like you could just reach out and touch it, even through Google image search... Like this!