Spiralis Gallery was planning a show called Cryin' Out Loud and asked represented artists if they had appropriate Blues related work. How could I not suggest Blues Chapel? This was one of the first installations I ever created and it is still one of my favorite works of art. Okay ... it really doesn't fit the available space but what does that matter? All twenty-four early female Blues singers are hanging! My fingers and toes are crossed that the work (all 24 as I am not willing to break the set!) find a permanent home.
Steve and I delivered the work on Monday afternoon. To do this, we were up and on the road at 3:45 AM. It was necessary in order to arrive with time to install before heading up the road for a good night's rest. After all, we had to get up early the next morning too (though at a more reasonable hour ... like 6:00 AM!) We were in Pittsburgh soon enough. The Lace Forest was already deinstalled from Fiberart International and in boxes. We loaded it into the van and headed to Washington, DC.
We wanted to attend the opening reception for Cryin' Out Loud and especially to talk to the many people who showed up. Yet, the opening was scheduled for "First Friday" in Easton. It only made sense to spend time during the week doing things we'd never done before ... like stopping at the Flight 93 Memorial in the farmlands of Pennsylvania. I wasn't going to cry. I cried. The memorial truly brings the individual lost lives and the hideous terrorist 9/11 attacks into solemn focus. The stop was well worth the visit and the vivid memories Steve and I recall of that horrible day. Yet, that day was twenty-four years ago. Most college graduates have no memory of that day. This place is such an important way to share an experience that touched the world.
The next day we went to the National Gallery of Art, one of our favorite places in Washington, DC. We also stopped by the Textile Museum before heading to Dupont Circle. We booked tickets for a tour of the Heurich House Mansion. Tours are limited to eight people. There were only six on our tour! The guide was friendly and knowledgeable. We were never rushed. Each room seemed more luxurious than the last one. Truly, this German-born brewer spent his fortune well! The place is a gem from the Gilded Age.
We thoroughly enjoyed the tour but we also enjoyed the outside grounds! Believe it or not, Heurich beers are still being made. The outside area is a beer garden, open to the public!
This really was an excellent way for us to unwind during the week!
The next morning, we boarded an Amtrack train for Philadelphia. Despite our various visits to this city, we'd never been to the Barnes Foundation. Unfortunately, most of the rooms on the first floor were closed in order for the hardwood floors to be refinished. We only saw about 60% of the collection but it was amazing! We will definitely have to return. We went to one of the gallery talks. It was excellent and explained how the collection was started and the philosophy behind the arrangements of artwork. Identification labels are not posted on the wall. Most rooms don't have a laminated pamphlet with information (though there seems to be slots on the benches for such a booklet.) Visitors are encouraged to use their cell phones to scan for website pages. The reason for this is simple. Visitors are supposed to spend their time LOOKING, not reading labels. The place is an educational institution that focuses on the way artwork functions together through line, color, light, and space. It was a unique experience that confirmed my own, intuitive way of hanging the artwork we own.
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