Behind the Scenes

It was interesting to watch the installation of a piece of art in one of the galleries at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

“There is no must in art because art is free”

Wassily Kandinsky

Tangled-ABC WEDNESDAY "T" & Art in Bloom #2

On Friday the 25th I showed you a floral arrangement at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, which was part of the annual Art in Bloom festival. Here is another sample that a florist designed to imitate the painting shown.


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Tatra T87 Sedan- ABC WEDNESDAY "T" at MIA

The Tatra 87 is a car built by Czechoslovak manufacturer Tatra. It was praised by German officers in World War II for the superior speed and handling it offered for use on the Autobahn. It was powered by a rear-mounted 2.9-litre air-cooled 90-degree overhead cam V8 engine that produced 85 horsepower and could drive the car at nearly 100 mph (161 km/h). It is ranked among the fastest production cars of its time, competing cars in this class, however, used engine with almost twice the volume and consumption of 20 liters. Thanks to aerodynamic shape it has consumption of just 12.5 liters.


The car above is on display at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts


To see more ABC WEDNESDAY  posts, click here.

Examples on display

• A T87 is on display in the United States at the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. The museum displays 13 Tatra, including a 613 ambulance. It was this car, used to pick up comedian Jay Leno from the airport, that prompted him to purchase one as well, and become an advocate for the brand.
• A 1948-built silver T87 is exhibited at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

CREDIT:  Wikipedia

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The Weisman Art Museum #2

Both of these pieces of art by American artist Charles Biederman are painted aluminum. The predominantly red piece is entitled "#4, Diaz" and the other is called #27, Giverny."

The Weisman Art Museum

A great place to spend some time over the Memorial Day weekend is the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum designed by Frank Gehry on the University of Minnesota campus.  

It is one of the major landmarks on campus, situated on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River at the east end of the Washington Avenue Bridge. The building presents two faces, depending on which side it is viewed from. From the campus side, it presents a brick facade that blends with the existing brick and sandstone buildings. On the opposite side, the museum is a playground of curving and angular brushed steel sheets. 

Architectural Style

Much of Gehry's work falls within the style of Deconstructivism, which is often referred to as post-structuralist in nature for its ability to go beyond current modalities of structural definition. In architecture, its application tends to depart from modernism in its inherent criticism of culturally inherited givens such as societal goals and functional necessity. Because of this, unlike early modernist structures, Deconstructivist structures are not required to reflect specific social or universal ideas, such as speed or universality of form, and they do not reflect a belief that form follows function.

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Lexie on Mother's Day-Camera Critters

Because she is terrified of cameras, our sweet Grand-dog Lexie scurries away whenever we try to take her photo.  We have to be quick on the shutter button to record her image.  Lexie is a rescue dog who was found on the dump at Rosebud Reservation.  Before she was one-year-old she had puppies, both of whom died.  Fortunately for us, Lexie was taken by a kind soul to a rescue site where her health was checked and maintained.  Our son saw her photo on the internet, and the rest is history.  She spends lots of time at our house, keeping our own Maggi young and on the run.

To see how other bloggers interpreted Camera Critters, check here.

Art in Bloom

Every April the Minneapolis Institute of Arts has an event called "Art in Bloom," which features floral arrangements next to a piece of art.  The objective is to have the florist produce an artful bouquet that complements a work of art.  In this case the florist used bark and marigolds to replicate the Chinese horse behind it.  We flock to the museum during the three days of the event to see art in many shapes and forms.

To see how other bloggers interpreted Camera Critters, go here.


Incidentally, this is my 1,500 post on Visual St. Paul.  Thank you to all my loyal followers, occasional  visitors and lurkers who check my blog.  It's been a great ride, supported by a warm and friendly group of photographers. It's been a distinct pleasure meeting some of you face-to-face, and I hope to meet more of you.  What a terrific group you are!!

Little Library

Todd Bol wanted to honor his mother, a former teacher and book lover who died a decade ago. So Bol built a miniature model of a library, filled it with books for anyone to take, and placed it outside his home in Hudson, Wis. He says people loved it. "People just kept coming up to it, looking at it, patting it, saying 'oh, it's cute,' " Bol recalls. From that idea, hundreds of similar Little Free Libraries are popping up on lawns across the country. They're tiny — no bigger than a dollhouse. Some look like miniature homes or barns. Others just look like a box on a post.


Since its humble beginning, the idea has grown and now the idea has been organized, and Little Free Libraries are appearing throughout the United States and some foreign countries.


                            Our Mission (http://www.littlefreelibrary.org/)

• To promote literacy and the love of reading by building free book exchanges worldwide.

• To build a sense of community as we share skills, creativity and wisdom across generations.  
• To build more than 2,510 libraries around the world--more than Andrew Carnegie! 

Lucky me...there's one in my neighborhood!

Serendipity-ABC WEDNESDAY & Minnesota Workers

 Yesterday I posted a photo of pollution warnings painted at sewer openings in our neighborhood.  The following day I opened our front door, and lo and behold, there waving at me was a former colleague who was out with a group of her advisees, doing community service.  I loved seeing the students hard at work with their friendly and vivacious French teacher.  Sometimes I really, really miss teaching these great kids and seeing my wonderful colleagues.
Terrific Minnesota Workers!
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Sewer Alert-ABC WEDNESDAY "S"

In an attempt to halt pollution, many sewers in our area carry this sign.  Often they are painted by students on school activities and community service assignments.  Good reminders.

To see how other bloggers interpreted ABC Wednesday, go here.

Minnesota Worker

A number of years ago I published several blogs under a "Minnesota Workers" theme, and I think it's time to do that again.  Kathy has been a receptionist in my dentist's office for as long as I can remember.  She keeps the office running smoothly and organized.  I cannot imagine the place functioning without her efficient organizational skills and her friendly yet professional manner.  He'd be lost without her!!

Exchanging vows

Meet newlyweds, Jill and Max

You met them here on my Sept 11, 2011 blog when I first realized that this was a SERIOUS romance!

One of the best things I did after we returned from our Southeast road trip was to attend the wedding of two of my former students.  They graduated from high school the same year that I retired.  Nine years later, how our lives have changed.

Meet the bride and groom tomorrow (although they already have been on my photo blog).

Recumbent Trikes

On our way out of Charleston we stopped at a filling station before we returned to Florida to take our flight back to  Minnesota. I noticed these unusual tricyles and knew there must be a story behind them.  We chatted with the owners, two retired adventurers from Oregon who were on their 3-month-odyssey touring the South.  Chuck and Susan indicated that it took about one month to plan their trip, began it in Houston and will end in Kannapolis, NC.  Because they are avid backpackers, the energy they needed for the trip was second nature to them.  Chuck made sure that I identify their vehicles as recumbent tricycles, which apparently are more stable than bikes.

Meet some South Carolina bloggers.

Part of the fun when visiting another city is meeting new people.  My husband and I were pleased and happy to visit with two bloggers from the area of Charleston and Mount Pleasant, SC.  Jim and I met Joan of Charleston Daily Photo one fine morning at the Market on Marion Square.  Suzi of Charleston and the Low Country and her husband Kirby met Jim and me for dinner at one of their favorite restaurants.

Suzie and her husband Kirby

(Kate and Joan below)

Kettle Korn, Anyone?

If you like kettle korn, that, too, is available at the market at Marion Square in Charleston, SC.  What more could you ask for...friendly people, entertainment, crafts and food!

A Southern Treat

If you like boiled peanuts this is the man to see at the Saturday market on Marion Square.  Matt sold me several packages to take back to Minnesota as gifts for the uninitiated.

History

Boiling peanuts has been a folk cultural practice in the lower Southern United States since at least the 19th century, where they were originally called goober peas. The practice of eating boiled peanuts was likely brought by slaves from Africa.  In July and August, when the peanut crops would come in, unsold and surplus peanuts would be prepared in a boiling, and extended families and neighbors would gather to share conversation and food. Like a fish fry, peanut boils have been organizing principles for social gatherings. Like okra, black-eyed peas, collard greens and pork barbecue, boiled peanuts are symbols of Southern culture and cuisine. (Credit:Wiki)

Max or Kyle?

On a recent trip to Charleston, SC, my husband and I met Joan Perry who posts on her blog from that fair city.  One fine morning we went to the Market on Marion Square with Joan and met the two purveyors of Holy Smoke Olive Oil whom you can meet here on her blog. I picked up their business cards, but don't know if this person is Kyle or Max.  In any event, both of them have been immortalized on Joan's and my blogs.  Check out their photos (see link above) on a group picture on Joan's blog.

Mother's Day

This post is dedicated to all the mothers of the world...for those of you who have children of your own and for those who have acted as mothers for other children, whether part of your immediate family or not.

May your day be as bright and sunny as these flowers!


"Some mothers are kissing mothers and some are scolding mothers, but it is love just the same, and most mothers kiss and scold together."  Pearl S. Buck

Mascot-Camera Critters

This is an interesting gift left by a graduating class of The Citadel in Charleston, SC.  There must have been a great deal of affection for the ferocious-looking canine.

To see more Camera Critters posted by bloggers across the globe, go here.

Top Ten List

Eating at Jestine's Kitchen is an experience all its own.  Here is the waitstaffs' Top 10 List, questions asked by inquisitive but unenlightened patrons.

Impromptu Concert

While walking back to our car after leaving the Hominy Grill in Charleston, SC, we heard some foot-tapping music.  In a narrow passageway between two buildings we met these four young musicians who were practicing for an upcoming gig.  All talented Southerners, of course!

Quintessential-ABC WEDNESDAY "Q"

DRAYTON HALL

"Drayton Hall is the oldest unrestored plantation house in America open to the public. It stands alone as the only authentic survivor of the Ashley River's colonial past - intact and in near-original condition.  Renowned  for it Palladian-inspired architecture and undisturbed, historic landscape, Drayton Hall is a living timetable representing centuries of change and continuity in the American South."

Credit:  National Trust for Historic Presentation brochure distributed during tour.  To learn more about 

Drayton Hall, go here.

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Lodge Alley Inn

No, we did not stay at Lodge Alley Inn, but I think I would like it if I  had.  Tucked in a small area between two streets in downtown Charleston, I decided that I liked the place!

Take a step back in time at The Lodge Alley Inn. A collection of 18th century warehouses, the buildings have been restored to preserve their history while also providing modern-day comforts and conveniences.

The Lodge Alley Inn is conveniently located in the heart of charming downtown Charleston.

Arcade

After listening to Porgy and Bess for years, I knew I'd have to find Catfish Row, and indeed I did.  This is the arcade between the double house on Church Street that's known as Catfish Row or sometimes Cabbage Row, which was the setting for the Gershwin's opera.

Location Information 89 - 91 Church Street, downtown Charleston

By the 1920's, much of Church and East Bays Streets had degenerated into slums, and these buildings were crowded tenements with the residents selling produce on the street.  Sammy Smalls, a crippled black fish vendor who drove a goat-drawn cart and had a propensity for settling arguments with a gun or a knife, was known to frequent "Cabbage Row".  Just down the street lived DuBose Heyward, a scion of planter aristocracy (reduced to selling insurance) and an aspiring novelist.  The "Catfish Row" of his novel, Porgy, was patterned after this neighborhood, and his title character was a romanticized version of the foul-smelling fishmonger with the long criminal record.  Heyward later collaborated on the opera Porgy and Bess, renting for George Gershwin a house on Folly Beach from which the two ventured by boat to the isolated sea island religious services for inspiration.

Excerpt taken from; The Charleston Walking Tour by Alan Hartley

Camera Critter Twins

With the Hawaiian motif on one dog's shirt, I do believe he is not aware that today is Cinco de Mayo.

To see more Camera Critters today, check here.

What kind of basket?

While waiting for the ferry to take us to Fort Sumter, I noticed a woman weaving baskets.  She declined my request to take her portrait but she said that I could photograph her while she was weaving, which I did, and my camera captured her hands at work.  I don't know enough about sweetgrass baskets so I don't know if this one is or isn't one. After seeing some sweetgrass images on the internet and checking out a photograph of Suzi's from her blog, I don't think it is...but, what do I know?!

Terrific Choir

One of the many soloists at the free concert of spiritual and gospel music at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church.  A highlight of the trip!!  The children joined the adults for the finale, and they stole the show!