Claude Monet’s gardens and home in Giverny, France, offer a peek into the famous Impressionist painter’s world. Wandering Monet’s gardens and more in Giverny Painter Claude Monet moved to the village of Giverny in the Read More …
This month the Minnesota Museum of Art in Saint Paul is hosting David Hamlow’s Mirror Stage. David Hamlow’s Mirror Stage at the M In psychology, the “mirror stage” is that period when an infant first Read More …
Northern Spark is an overnight art festival held in Minneapolis – and sometimes in Saint Paul too. A night at Northern Spark 2017 in Saint Paul I’ve been eagerly awaiting Northern Spark 2017 At its Read More …
Art-a-Whirl, the annual Northeast Minneapolis festival of all things handmade, is happening this weekend. I’m exhibiting at Art-a-Whirl! While I can’t actually be there in person this year, I’m participating in Art-a-Whirl through the Twin Read More …
Until the end of the month, visitors to Western Spirit, Scottsdale’s Museum of the West, can take a look back in time through the work of the Taos Society of Artists. The Taos Society of Read More …
I’ll be in Phoenix for part of March, so it’s a good time to take a look at what will be happening during the month. The following is a round-up of some things that interest Read More …
Established in 1579, Lithuania’s Vilnius University is among Europe’s oldest universities. It is also one of a very small number where the historic campus remains largely intact. This makes it a wonderful place to explore. Read More …
If you are looking for something bright and cheerful to counteract a cold dark winter day, head over to George Washington University for Bingata! Only in Okinawa at the Textile Museum (through January 30, 2017) Read More …
The traditional Vietnamese villages of Duong Lam, Vietnam, have many treasures hidden within their ancient walls, but the largest collection – both in number and physical size — reside within the quiet confines of Mia Read More …
The Renwick Gallery features contemporary American craft and decorative arts from the Smithsonian collections, exhibiting “the most exciting works by artists exploring traditional and innovative approaches to making, emphasizing craft as an approach to living Read More …
The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial has long been one of my favorite spots in Washington DC, but right now seems like a particularly good time to visit. We must scrupulously guard the civil rights and Read More …
Land use data as art While in DC the other week, I discovered the work of Norwood Viviano, a sculptural artist working primarily in glass who appears to be fascinated by land use, demographics, and Read More …
I don’t really keep a bucket list, but one of the things I have always wanted to do is to see the cherry blossoms on the Mall in Washington, DC. I finally got to do Read More …
Photography and more at the Carnegie Art Center The area around Mankato, Minnesota, has an active visual arts community and the Carnegie Art Center is a great place to see some of their work on Read More …
Like many other European cities, Vilnius offers a pass that covers admission to many of the city’s attractions. Unlike many other European cities, the Vilnius City Card is pretty affordable. (But then, everything in Vilnius Read More …
Watching the Milwaukee Art Museum open its wings It’s not every day you can watch a building take a morning stretch, unless, of course, you are in Milwaukee. Here visitors and residents alike have that Read More …
I love wandering in museums, aimlessly moving from one item to another based more on what intrigues me than on any logical structure. The New Arsenal location of the Lithuanian National Museum was a perfect Read More …
While the ships were supposed to be the featured attraction at this summer’s tall ship festival in Duluth, a giant rubber duck made a serious attempt to steal the show. Sure, there are plenty of Read More …
I was surprised the variety of items on display at the Arizona Copper Art Museum, but none surprised me as much as the museum’s exhibit of military art – a room I almost skipped. I Read More …
With its location in the watery world of northern Minnesota’s border lakes, visitors to Voyageurs National Park likely expect to find a wilderness of sparkling lakes and wooded islands. They won’t be disappointed, as they Read More …
I finally made it to Northern Spark! I’ve planned to attend this annual (the first one was in 2011) all-night art festival in previous years, but always let things like drenching rain (2.5 billion gallons Read More …
May 18 is International Museum Day around the world. Here in Minnesota several museums are participating in International Museum Day with special discounts. American Swedish Institute Current exhibit: The Watercolor Worlds of Lars Lerin includes Read More …
Moody fishing villages, lost-in-time Indian and Iranian architecture, bird studies, a seemingly endless birch forest, dusty library shelves, and so much more can be found right now in the galleries at the American Swedish Institute Read More …
Each spring a group of potters with studios in Minnesota’s Saint Croix River Valley invite a few of their colleagues from around the country to join them for the weekend. Together they put out a Read More …
Mesa, Arizona, is awash with art and color around the downtown light rail station. This vibrant and inviting nucleus of culture and the arts is much more than just a commuter stop along the light Read More …
Usually when one plan goes awry, something more interesting comes along. Recently that more interesting something turned out to be the Arizona Copper Art Museum in historic Clarkdale, Arizona. (What do think you would find Read More …
Modern copies of ancient water puppets for sale at the Temple of Literature in Hanoi This post is linked to Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) at image-in-ing Inside the Temple of Literature 2015 Vietnam itinerary All Read More …
As if wandering the golden streets of Izamal weren’t enough to make a visitor smile, this little town in the Mexican Yucatán has another treat hiding behind those yellow facades: a cultural center bursting with Read More …
The Temple of Literature (Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam) in Hanoi is a relic of a quieter, more structured and orderly time. The complex dates back to the early days of Hanoi’s founding, when Van Mieu Read More …
If you are anywhere near Minneapolis, Minnesota, you are fortunate to have a couple more weeks to see the truly wonderful show Re-Riding History: From the Southern Plains to the Matanzas Bay at All My Read More …
Rockefeller Plaza. What images flash through your head when you hear those words? My mind immediately glides to a blissful scene of ice skaters gracefully moving across an outdoor rink. There is an elegant concert Read More …
I spotted this couple guarding the heritage gardens at the Grand Portage National Monument last summer. Surely they are lovers. Happy Valentines! Grand Portage National Monument
When I think of old-fashioned duck decoys, I think of carved wood floats that may or may not be painted to more accurately portray the ducks they are intended to draw in. However, when I Read More …
In the heart of the Bronx, far beyond the skyscrapers of Manhattan, the New York Botanical Garden offers 250 acres of old growth forest, manicured lawns, and gardens – all built around a glorious Victorian Read More …
I just got back from a week in New York City. I did all sorts of cool stuff while I was there (more on that in future posts), but I did NOT ride the Sea Read More …
We are fortunate to have friends who invite us up to Bayfield, Wisconsin, to sail on their boat. Usually we spend that time sailing within the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, visiting the islands or hanging Read More …
Come along Back to the 50s with me About this time last week nearly 12,000 (11,955) vintage vehicles (1964 and earlier) were headed to the Minnesota State Fairgrounds for the annual Back to the 50s Read More …
If you look south at just the right moment while zipping along I-94 through central Minnesota, you may glimpse a cluster of odd-looking structures off in the distance. Structures might be too strong a word Read More …
My next door neighbors are artists – serious artists who show their work in art museums . . . except they don’t actually show their work in the MSP area very often. And they aren’t Read More …
Spring tends to play hide-and-seek in Minnesota. A string of sunny days in the 70s may unexpectedly appear in March, followed by weeks of cold rain and snow. It can be hard to know from Read More …
I didn’t have many specific plans for my time in Albuquerque this winter, so the idea of seeing Ann Dunbar’s Where-Wear show at the April Price Projects Gallery was actually something my friend came up Read More …
Pinos Altos, New Mexico, feels like a rough and not-necessarily-welcoming old west town, but with a weird artsy edge. It’s a place where you might find an artistic display of found objects with a “no Read More …
Seen in a shop on Isla Holbox, Mexico: Linked to Wordless Wednesday at image-in-ing All Isla Holbox posts
A sweet bit of street art in Mérida’s historic core: This post is linked to Travel Photo Thursday at Nancie’s Budget Traveler’s Sandbox. All Yucatán State posts All Mexican Yucatán posts
During Mexico’s Spanish colonial period, homes in Mérida were built with utilitarian courtyards that provided space to do chores, store supplies, house small livestock, and even prepare meals. Today those courtyards are often transformed into Read More …
Mérida is one of those cities where private life is well-hidden from passers-by. Streets in the city’s historic neighborhoods are lined with doors and windows, but they give little hint of what lies within. This Read More …
I’ll be in Phoenix, Arizona, this spring, so it seems like a good time to do a quick round-up of what will be in the some of the art museums when I arrive. At the Read More …
Main Street in Chatham, Massachusetts, is lined with interesting shops and galleries that feature the work of local and regional artists. It is a place where it would be easy to lose oneself for an Read More …
Intricately detailed bronzes from Benin allow visitors at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston to peek into a very different time and place. Housed together in the intimate Benin Kingdom Gallery, these 15th and Read More …
The area around Old Town Scottsdale is overflowing with glitzy galleries. When you’ve had enough of that scene, the nearby Shemer Art Center and Museum provides a change of pace. Housed in a historic home, Read More …
The Shemer Art Center is a small arts education center and museum near the foot of Camelback Mountain in Phoenix. It is a welcoming place with a large, sculpture-filled yard. Part of that yard includes Read More …
Tucson’s beautiful Saint Augustine Cathedral stands just outside Tucson’s downtown core. The exterior has a stunning Mexican baroque façade, complete with southwestern details. It is a 1928 remake of the original (unfinished) 1897 structure. But Read More …
History is a fickle lover, turning against the great leaders she once adored when the tides of fate bring new leaders and new ideas to power. Evidence of this rests in a nearly hidden patch Read More …
I wandered down to St. Paul’s newly restored Union Depot the other night to get a few shots during the blue hour. To my surprise, I found an eternal blue hour inside the building, as Read More …
I’ve been raving about both my daylight and evening visits to the Chihuly exhibit at the Desert Botanical Garden, but I don’t want anyone to get the idea that it isn’t worth a visit after Read More …
The sculpture in the Chihuly in the Garden exhibit at the Desert Botanical Garden is lit at night, but that lighting makes it look very different. Visiting after dark is absolutely magical. A rising full Read More …
Here’s a taste of what you might see if you make a daylight visit to see the Chihuly in the Garden exhibit at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. These photos were taken in mid-February, Read More …
I love the Desert Botanical Garden, with its mix of carefully designed desert plantings and open desert. It’s a great place to see the beauty of desert vegetation at any time of year, although, of Read More …
You’ll never look at one of those cut-paper snowflakes the same way after seeing Papercut! The Incredible Psaligraphy of Karen Bit Vejle at the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis. Psaligraphy is the art of cutting Read More …
My mother wants to see the Chihuly show at the Desert Botanical Garden, so we return today. ( I would have been happy to go there every day, so I am pleased to have an Read More …
It’s hot and even a little humid today. We should have gotten up early and gone for a hike, but we didn’t. Instead we visit the micro dwellings on display at the Shemer Art Center. Read More …
For the most part, today is garden day. The Desert Botanical Garden has a Chihuly show that looks very different depending on the time of day you visit. So we visited a couple of times! Read More …
This sweet show at the University of Minnesota’s Katherine Nash Gallery almost came and went without our noticing. Almost. As it happens, late in the week I came across a short notice on the show Read More …
The Hjemkomst Center is tucked into a leafy corner of Moorhead between an apartment complex and the Red River. If you miss it and find yourself crossing the First Avenue Bridge into Fargo, just take Read More …
The Weisman Art Museum at the University of Minnesota has been celebrating 20 years of collecting great art since moving into the shimmering Gehry building on the Mississippi River. While the building itself is entrancing, Read More …
This fall has been insanely busy at my “real” job, but the view out my window at home indicates that winter is here. That usually means that Christmas isn’t far behind. Thus far my Christmas Read More …
A morning architectural tour takes us to Oak Park to check out the home and early work of Frank Lloyd Wright. The neighborhood includes a wide variety of styles tucked in among the more traditional Read More …
Milwaukee seems a bit lacking in coffee shops. This isn’t all bad though, as my search for a good spicy chai brought us to City Hall (I was clever enough to go inside and check Read More …
The Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, Ohio, is home to a number of striking orchids, but one stands out. This enormous, perfect phalaenopsis is actually a work of art by Mark Lagergren and Anthony Ball Read More …
We arrived at the Franklin Park Conservatory late on an afternoon when the conservatory was undergoing frantic preparations to prepare for both an event later that evening and the forthcoming opening of a Bruce Munro Read More …
The Scioto River runs through the heart of Columbus. Much of the riverfront is now parkland, a key section, the Scioto Mile, is a linear park running through city’s historic downtown. We start our walk Read More …
After a few days spent exploring the city, it was time to get out and see some of the surrounding area. Previous post: Daily Snapshots – Day and Night in Columbus All Columbus, Ohio posts