Much as I love museums, eventually I become “museumed out”. After several days of art, history, and enough cultural enrichment to last a month, I decided to spend today at the Berlin Botanical Garden. The weather wholeheartedly approved of my plan: warm temperatures, a cloudless blue sky, and just enough breeze to make being outdoors delightful. I did have a … Read More
Berlin – Day 5
I spent the better part of today at Berlin’s New National Gallery. The building is as much a work of art as the collections inside. Designed by famed architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and completed in 1968, it was his final major project. The soaring steel and glass structure feels open and elegant. Matt and I started with the … Read More
Berlin – Day 4
Teufelsberg, Devil’s Mountain, was on my list of must see sites in Berlin. It is located in the middle of the vast Grunewald forest. I went there thinking the main attraction would be the street art. While the street art is extraordinary, the history proved just as compelling. Teufelsberg was built from the rubble left behind after WWII. It was … Read More
Berlin – Day 3
Today we visited the Brücke Museum, which had come highly recommended by one of Matt’s colleagues. It is devoted to the German Expressionist group Die Brücke. Nestled in a wooded area near Grunewald, the museum is pleasant enough, light-filled and modern. But the visit was disappointing. The current exhibition is about the handcrafts of this art movement, including metal, wood, … Read More
Berlin – Day 2
I first saw the Reichstag Building shortly after the Wall came down. At the time it stood scarred and grimy, its stone walls pocked with bullet holes from the Battle of Berlin in 1945. It felt less like a government building than a wounded monument. At the time, the government was operating in Bonn. Later I returned after its dramatic … Read More
Berlin – Day 1
After many visits to Berlin over the decades, beginning about a year after the wall came down, I have returned to this fascinating city. I thought I’d seen a lot of Berlin, but I’m staying in a neighborhood entirely new to me, the Grunewald district. It’s a very green area, dotted with artificial lakes and very expensive mansions. My nephew … Read More
Grounds for Sculpture, NJ
Just over an hour from New York City, Grounds for Sculpture is one of the most joyful and unexpected art experiences I know. I’ve been there many times and each visit reminds me how much fun it is. Spread across 42 landscaped acres, it combines “serious” art with whimsy, humor, and surprise. This is not a place where you walk … Read More
Longwood Gardens, PA
A very short entry, since the photos speak for themselves. The only thing I will say is that since the last time I was there, the new greenhouse opened. It is airy, light and beautiful.
Menomonie and Wausau, Wisconsin
First, a weather report. Yesterday, it was raining but warm. I woke up this morning to frigid conditions, 28 degrees to be exact. I went out the door and could see my breath. I wasn’t happy. I set out this morning to spend time at the Franconia Sculpture Park. When I arrived, it became obvious that wasn’t going to happen. … Read More
Minneapolis and Northfield, Minnesota
Before taking Judy to the airport, we squeezed in visits to two more Minneapolis art venues. The first, The Northern Clay Center (NCC), had been a client many years ago. None of the people I know still work there, but it was fun to revisit it. NCC is a working and teaching studio, with a gallery and shop. I still … Read More