Top heavy

Magnet #1309 - Whitney Museum

Another one of my architecture collection.

If you haven't visited the Lyonel Feininger: At the End of the World exhibit, like I told you a while ago, best to get going soon before it ends.

Such a good exhibit. Even as the gift shop merchandise always leaves something to be desired.

The other reason to visit the Whitney is for the awesome building. Built by Bauhaus-trained Marcel Breuer, the giant slab of granite on Madison Avenue is like an upside-down pyramid of sorts.

Both impressive and imposing, you're almost afraid to walk inside. You're instantly rewarded when you walk through the galleries, and spy a glimpse of light through the trapezoidal windows scattered throughout the building.

When you visit, take a moment to hang out on the lower level, where the giant windows give you this wonderful sense of openness you don't often feel when you're essentially belowground.

Pretty genius, methinks.

Please hold for San Francisco

Magnet #1291 - de Young Museum

Argle. San Francisco's calling me, too!

Here's yet another museum I haven't been to, the de Young Museum! A friend of mine brought this one back for me from her trip out there.

As I look around my apartment, I have to admit that I'm lucky to have been able to travel as much as I have - with repeat visits to multiple fun destinations. But I don't think I'll ever sit back and say, yeah, I'm done with travelling. There's just too much out there to see and do, than just sit at home in NYC.

Following on yesterday's post, I really did start my spreadsheet of future vacation destinations and activities. No real itineraries just yet obviously, but so far Russia and LA have the longest list of things for me to do.

And, because I rediscovered this magnet in my collection, I had to add San Francisco to my list, and specifically this museum. You can't tell in this from this shot (indeed, wait til I use one of the several other magnets in the set), but it's the coolest building ever!

It's designed by Herzog & de Meuron, the same folks that did the Bejing Olympic Stadium, and who re-purposed the Tate Modern in London, and the Allianz stadium in Munich.

Shoot. Germany. I have to go add that to my list!

Bau-chicka-bau-bau

Magnet #1277 - Bauhaus

What? I couldn't help it.

This magnetpost is my own little reminder that I need to hit the Uniqlo roller rink over on the West Side soon, and most definitely hit up the @CoolhausNY ice cream food truck. Seriously. Between the fresh ice cream flavors and awesome cookies, that truck is amazing. And they crack me up, having somehow connected ice cream to the Bauhaus movement, my second reason for this magnet.

The Bauhaus movement, in a nutshell, was this utopian-esque enclave of designers, architects, artists, and other notable folks in Europe, banding together to create an art school in Germany, sandwiched in between the two World Wars. And when I say notables, Albert Einstein was involved at some point, as well as Vassily Kandinsky and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. What came out of this movement, was some very interesting art and design in several different fields, including the little known (to me) artist on exhibition at the Whitney, Lyonel Feininger.

Yes. The Whitney Museum of American Art. Folks. I've now been to the Whitney on the Upper East Side multiple times. I don't always agree with their collection or their art, but each time the museum both over- and underwhelms me.

How can the museum own 2,500 Edward Hopper pieces...and then only have one on display. How does that work? The one they have is part of their Breaking Ground: The Whitney's Founding Collection is amazing - both the art and the images and the exhibit. But really? One Hopper up on the wall?

On top of that, I can't show you what that Hopper is on a magnet...because the museum does not sell magnets. You know that's why their "shop" underwhelms me to no end - every time. Never changes.

They don't have magnets. At all. One could argue that their artists are often alive and or so recent that maybe they have to pay licensing rights to estates to develop any swag to sell in the museums. If that's the case, I get it. But man. Not even any museum merchandise - even with their strong Whitney brand? Get on that, marketing folks!

The latest latest exhibition, however, you must make time for: Lyonel Feininger: At the End of the World, and take the docent-led tour. It's amazing. An American who moved to Germany for most of his life before coming home to Manhattan in his later years, he started out doing cartoons and ended up one of the leaders of the modernist movement.

It took five years to pull together, which is amazing, because seriously, in a time where most museums are just re-staging pieces from their own collection and calling it an exhibition, the scale of this one is amazing - pulling pieces from major museum collections everywhere. Indeed, they only own one piece in this collection! That's almost unheard of in these last few years!

But, through the genius way they've set up the exhibition, you can truly see the evolution of his work from the cartoons, through his time at the Bauhaus, and beyond.

Not that I can show you on a magnet.

Because outside of a few books about the exhibition? No merchandise. Seriously. Grandest exhibition in years, five years in the making, the first time in decades Feininger's work's been shown in America...and no merchandise?

Really?

London, what up?

Magnet #1264 - Houses of Parliament and Big Ben

I'm not a Londoner.

No matter how much I want to be.

So I can't pretend to get what the hell's going on over there, no matter how much coverage I find myself watching this week.

But, it's upsetting nonetheless.

Survey course

Magnet #1259 - Sydney Opera House

Remember yesterday's post? Yeah, here's architecture magnet 53 of 63. The Sydney Opera House, designed by Jørn Utzon in the 1950s, and finally dedicated in 1973.

Love this magnet set!

Come the fall, I've a feeling no one's going to see me - I overscheduled myself, so that I'd keep busy doing fun things in NY, including this architecture survey course starting in October. Should be great fun, and I totally can't wait.

It's a class that speaks to how we experience architecture, and it covers all the great masters. I was a little worried about being out of my depth, but at the very least, I recognized all but one or two architects listed on the description, so I think I'm good.

Of course, now that I'll have some sort of actual knowledge, I might be a little dangerous on the blogging about architecture front.

Eh. Probably not.

Readers for life - #RWA11

Magnet #1222 - Public Library of Los Angeles

A friend sent me this supercool magnet of the art deco Central Library built in 1926 in downtown Los Angeles. It's supposedly the 3rd largest library collection in the US.

Pretty neat seeing it without any major buildings around it. Because this is what it looks like now. Crazy, right, seeing it dwarfed by its glass and steel surroundings?

The library is definitely going on my ever-growing LA to-do list, they give docent tours of the building, which is apparently filled with cool details out the wazoo.

Using it for today because I'm sad I'm not in New York this week for RWA 2011. Tonight's Readers for Life autographing event usually the only night I attend when the Romance Writers of America are in town. It's their big event to benefit literacy, where they fill a giant ballroom of 400 authors and their books, and everyone gets in long lines to get their books signed.

Even if you don't want the autographs, it's always fun to meet your favorite authors and see the latest book they have to offer.

So, someone needs to go for me, and enjoy. Please and thank you.

All that, and a bag of grits!

Magnet #1211 - Out of this World, British Library

Today was another one of those loose and flowy days, where in time got away from us. Time, and a bag of grits, anyway. Heh.

When we left the hotel, we actually had a plan - New London Architecture, Pollock's Toy Museum, British Library, St. Pancras and King's Cross. All before lunch.

Stop laughing. I can hear you.

Well, despite intense shopping along Oxford, we managed to accomplish all of the above, only by about 3:15ish, when we had to run back from King's Cross all the way back down to our Earl's Court hotel, to grab my imported grits for my friend, whom we were meeting in Trafalgar Square at 4ish. Whew!

But, I wouldn't trade the muss and fuss for anything, as we had a good time at HMV looking for a million Brit music CDs and Simon Pegg's Nerd Do Well book. And at the soccer shop (no really, it was called the Soccer Store, presumably to draw in us dumb Americans). And at the touristy souvenir shops (had to pick up Wills/Kate magnets). And at a place called JOY (yes, I know!). And window shopping. And saying hello to FDR and Winston on Bond Street.

We finally managed to get on with our schedule round about 11 or so...with a fun trip to the Toy Museum, all Victorian with its overwhelming collection of both creepy and cool toys. Seriously, that place must be a madhouse when all the humans go home - you just know all the toys are totally raving afterhours.

My fave part of the trip thus far has been the New London Architecture space - which has a supercool London diorama. Ya'll know I love a good diorama. I mean, it wasn't on the level of the Queens diorama of New York, but nothing gives you a better feel for the layout of a town than a fantastic diorama. Whoa. Ya'll didn't think I could be this dorky, huh. (Well, you are reading a magnetblog! Hmph!)

We also loved the supercool Out of This World science fiction exhibit at the British Library. I mean, the library itself was an awesome building - but the exhibit, despite being overcrowded, was really well done. It basically went through the science fiction genre from several different aspects and POVs, and through books and music and television and film. So good! We weren't able to do the tour or the Library treasures exhibit, but I suppose we should keep some stuff for future visits.

After a quick trot in the rain past St. Pancras, and a quick snap at Platform 9 3/4s for the sister, it was back to pick up the grits for my friend. No, really. She lives with her hub in South London but grew up with me in NC, and that was her one request. It's the one thing she can't find in London. I feel her pain, man. It's hard to get good grits in New York, too.

Well, like they say, you can take the girl out of North Carolina...

Bumble forward*

Magnet #1201 - Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall

Ok folks. My list for Things to Do in LA is always so very long, but this building is definitely in my top 3 to visit. I've seen it from afar, but haven't managed to go in...my friend brought this back from their gift shop, though...so yay!

Frank Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall, dedicated in 2003, is the home of the LA Philharmonic, and is arguably one of the coolest buildings around. It's one of Gehry's most recognizable works, and he almost didn't get the gig.

Back in the 1980s, Lillian Disney gave $15 million to help build a world-class performing arts institution to Los Angeles. The Walt Disney Concert Hall committee wasn't on board with Gehry, because at the time, he hadn't done the Bilbao in Spain or any major local work - locals knew him as the guy who had a funny house down in Santa Monica.

In the end, it took Lillian Disney's backing to get the committee on board with using him. Several years later - after much drama (that you can listen to here) - they finally managed to get the supercool building with the curvy-curvy stainless steel exteriors built.

And, bonus, they do tours!



*“You've got to bumble forward into the unknown.”

- Frank Gehry

I just love the quote, because if there's anyone who does that, it's Gehry...crinkling papers to see what shapes he can come up with. Building with materials that don't always exist in nature and have to be custom-built, etc.

Also, it's just a great quote for life, at least for me...given how I seem to be constantly bumbling forward into great unknowns this last calendar year.

"British Culture with an American Accent"

Magnet #1200 - Agecroft Hall

BBC-America's @anglophenia, one of my favorite blogs, did a great series of US/UK culture comparison posts last week that had me giggling in more or less agreement:

• Five Great American Things the British Ruined
• Five Great American Things the British Improved
• Five Great British Things the Americans Ruined
• Five Great British Things the Americans Improved

Loved this series, because it's one of those fun debates that are never-ending, depending on who you're talking to.

What's that have to do with today's magnet from my sisters and BIL, you ask?

Well, Agecroft Hall is a Tudor manor sitting on the James River riverbank in Richmond, Virginia. But we're not talking architecturally-speaking Tudor, like that house in Salisbury, NC, that my sister loves that was built in the last 50 years.

No, it's an authentic Tudor-era manor built in the 1400s, that some wealthy American dude from Virginia bought at auction in the 1920s.

And then had it shipped over from its original foundation in Lancashire, England.

I mean, it's common practice for folks to go abroad and have stuff shipped back. It happens all the time, right? A statue or ceiling frieze here, a mantelpiece or a chapel there. And, while I understand it's not the entire estate, it's still a vast majority of the original estate that was purchased and moved.

We're talking someone had to dismantle it, crate it up, ship it across the Atlantic, uncrate it and rebuild a whole manor house. Jeepers.

I can't tell if this is another Great British Thing an American Ruined. Ultimately, I'm torn.

There's a part of me that's glad someone saved it from disrepair, and stopped it from becoming just another set of ruins in England. A part of me that's glad more generations are able to enjoy and learn about the Tudor era, and not have to travel to England to do it, if they can't get there.

But there's another part of me (the part of me that wishes the Met's Temple of Dendur were in its original setting, rather than sitting in a glass-enclosed atrium on the Upper East Side of New York City, and thinks that the Elgin marbles should go back to Greece) that thinks it's such a shame that some American stunted 500 years of history, and replanted it elsewhere.

A friend said something the other week about loving standing on well-worn marble steps. It's true. I'm always saying, one of my favorite things to do is to step where history happened, to walk where so many other feet have walked.

So it begs the question, does it physically matter where on Earth those stairs are, or just that they still exist 500 years later for more people to walk upon?

LEGO Buildings and Lions - Escape Home to NYC, Part 2, Day 4

Magnet #1185 - LEGO

While I love LEGOs, I'm not like the hugest LEGO fan out there. I didn't really grow up putting them together, and played with them only once in a blue moon. In fact, I think that's why I have so much more fun with them now as an adult.

I inherited a LEGOs set at my old office, so when the kids come in, they'd playdate with me on my cube floor, and we'd build fun stuff. The box wasn't a full-on set, just randoms, so we'd really have to get creative with what we built.

Lemme tell you, if you think advertising creative folks are hard to get along with? Try getting in the way of a 4-year-old's LEGOvision.

If you've read anything from this blog, you know that I'm a big architecture buff, so of course, I'm loving all the architectural sets LEGO's released over the last couple of years. Naturally, my two fave sets are Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim and Fallingwater. I had so much fun putting them together - even as friends and family sat and wondered how old I was. Still. C'mon. They're superduper cool!

My other LEGO fave is the touring Towering Ambition architecture tour that we saw in Chicago. It's currently at the National Building Museum in DC, so if you get a chance to go, you must. It's a cityscape of tall and taller famous buildings from all around the world, all made of LEGO blocks. Freakin' fantastic. And don't even get me started on LEGOLand - I just walk around for ages looking at all of their outdoor diorama displays!

It's been a LEGO-filled weekend, too. Today, I finally braved the Rock Center crowds again to visit the store - they have a new tiny Andy Warhol display, which is superdupercute.

And this weekend, I basically hung out at the New York Public Library for their Centennial Celebration. They commissioned a LEGO artist to put together half-sized Patience and Fortitude, the library lions. Even with 60,000 pieces, they were a tad bit on the small side, but still, damned cool.

I just love my shot below of the awesome Library Lion, reading @MichelleKnudsen's Library Lion, flanked by the LEGO Library Lions. So funny.

It's like the Best. Shot. Ever.

Words by Rice, building by Piano

Magnet #1050 - Times Square/42nd Street

I once fell into the N/R/W/Q subway tracks in the Times Square/42nd Street station. This is not that magnetpost.

I'm just using it for today, because I just got back from Times Square, and seeing the Sir Tim Rice and Friends performance.

I've been looking forward to this event, mostly because of my obsession with watching all of those (very late to the U.S.) BBC/BBC-A, Andrew Lloyd Webber reality shows casting parts in the West End's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Sound of Music, then Wizard of Oz, and now Oliver! So when I didn't see any of Rice's work with ALW on the program, I was a little sad.

But, it was quickly explained by the funnier than I'd have expected Tim Rice, that the evening was being devoted not so much to him, but to Disney on Broadway's songbook. Being a Disney fan, color me sooo not disappointed!

And it was so much fun!

After Sir Tim did a tongue-in-cheek reading of all the not-so-great NYTs reviews of Disney shows, we were treated to fantastic numbers sung by seven original cast members of Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, AIDA, Tarzan, Mary Poppins, The Little Mermaid, and King David (which you've likely never heard of, but the two numbers from it were fabulous, so I hope we will hear of them again).

The first song was Be Our Guest, and all I could think of was that it sure did not sound like when my sisters and I play Wii Disney Sing It. And for the whole song, all I could think was man, I bet that dude would rock out on Wii. What? It's true.

From then on, it was quite amazing watching these Disney vets as they performed their songs without sets, without costumes, with a two-piece musical accompaniment...and still they managed to place us in every single show. Maybe because it was on such a small stage, and we were all so close up, but it was truly uncanny how I felt like I was watching Belle and Mary Poppins and Rafiki and Ariel, and shoot, even Tarzan. In street clothes.

And now I finally understand what ALW and all the judges were trying to teach all those reality contestants - how to act out a song, feel the emotions, connect with the words. I had pooh-poohed that criticism, before but honestly, I got a little goosebumpy listening to several of the songs tonight. I guess that's how the pros do it.

But wait. There's more!

Last week, I used a magnetquote by architect Renzo Piano, where I surprised myself with all of the Piano museums/additions I'd been to. Tonight's NYTs Arts & Leisure Weekend event was held at TimesCenter, at Piano's New York Times building just off of Times Square.

I've been to TimesCenter before, but hadn't realized just how ingeniously multi-use they've managed to make this building. While I was sitting in the audience of a state-of-the-art, 378-seat auditorium, through the stage backdrop glass, I was able to see New York Times employees leave their office space across the indoor courtyard, dinner patrons dining at the gorgeous Montenapo Restaurant, and a chick shopping at supercool Muji.

All that, and, it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the incredible performances of Sir Tim Rice's merry band of friends.

Pretty. Damn. Cool.

Losing one's head

Magnet #1041 - Renzo Piano Museum Quote

Ya'll know I love my architecture. Ya'll know I love my museums. In Renzo Piano, I have a double-double!

Ask anyone and they'll tell you that Italian architect Renzo Piano is one of the premiere museum designers in the world.

I've now seen his work at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Morgan Library in New York, Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the Menil Collection and Cy Twombly Gallery in Houston.

Sadly, my timing was off to see the full renovation for the High Museum of Art in Atlanta and the forthcoming work at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.

I've yet to see anything of his that I don't like, but one wonders if it's because I'm just partial to museums in general.

Anyway, I picked this magnet up last week at yet another museum, the National Building Museum here in Washington, DC. Yes, I've been there before, and even blogged about it before, but they have some really great exhibits.

Currently, they have the Lego Architecture exhibit that I saw over at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry a couple of summers ago and a really interesting Palladio exhibit. They also have an ongoing Washington Symbols of Power exhibit, that I wish they'd add a panel to for the WWII Memorial story.

But, the piece de resistance for me and this museum right now, is their World's Fair exhibit, focusing on the America's World's Fairs held in the 30s. I rushed through it quickly last week, and then took a docent tour right afterward. But now, I'd like to go back this week to actually take my time walking through it. And that's when I'll actually do the magnet for it.

For now, Renzo Piano's words ring true for me - museums for me in the last several months have proven the places where I can definitely lose my head. Wandering around the hallowed halls of knowledge, art and history has been a soothing avocation to my usual daily job hunting.

Halls of Justice

Magnet #1035 - Supreme Court of the United States

No tour here, at the Cass Gilbert Supreme Court Building. And you don't get to see the actual chambers. But it's - say it with me - free!

Situated behind the Capitol, it's an equally impressive building to visit. You could probably spend hours exploring the exteriors (when it's warm) and some of the interior details, like the coolest self-supporting spiral staircase ever, coupled with gorgeous elevator banks.

There's a really good exhibit on the history of the Supreme Court, and how Taft led the charge to get the Country's highest court out of the Capitol, and into some fresh digs of their own.

Toward the back of the hall is the auditorium with the CNN-produced backgrounder movie on the Court, plus there's a really cool exhibit on Sandra Day O'Connor. And bonus, there's an excellent little gift shop, too.

My favorite piece in the whole place was the Family Circus cartoon that Bil Keane presented to Justice O'Connor, where the little Dolly's wearing a gown, and tells her brothers,

"You be the old guys, and I'll be Sandra Day O'Connor!"

Perfect storm

Magnet #1024 - New York Botanical Garden

Trains. Architecture. New York City.

Together, they're my perfect storm.

So who knows why it took me this long to get back up to the NY Botanical Garden to see their Holiday Train Show. But, I loved it.

No, seriously. I was completely floored. I mean, I've always heard about it, but let's be honest, unlike my mother who loves wandering around gardens, pen and paper in hand taking notes, I'm not exactly a botanical gardens kind of chick. But, as I made my way via Metro North, I didn't know what I was in for.

I didn't realize that the buildings and bridges on display were made mostly out of organic materials - nuts, leaves, trees, bark, and other plant materials. Gorgeous structures with even the tiniest of architectural details attended to. With acorns! And twigs! And gumball plants!

I also didn't realize that Paul Busse and his team had created old world New York. It's truly a love letter to demolished buildings of long ago - from the old mansions of Fifth Avenue to my beloved old Penn Station. The structures they've built make you want to find the actual pictures of the buildings to compare, and then curse the decision-makers (again) for razing the buildings in the first place.

The trains were probably third on my list. You know I love my model trains. Love seeing tiny dioramas with the trains wending their way through small town and big city America. But, these G-scale trains are a little different. They had some cool trains, to be sure, Santa Fes and B&Os and Penns, and trolleys, etc., running through each section and on each bridge. But, the inclusion of Thomas, ladybugs and butterfly trains kind of throws it off for me. Clearly, they're for the kids, but it took away some of the "realism" for me.

And speaking of. Oh. My. Word. What I wouldn't give for time to wander through the Enid Haupt Conservatory by myself, without tons of screaming, rambunctious toddlers and big groups of adults. You'd probably never see me again. Ever.

Though I love this historical postcard magnet, it's really of the museum building that's up in Bronx Park. I've now been to the botanical gardens twice there - years ago, for the Chihuly exhibit and then for the trains this week, but I've never actually made it to this building.

Oh well, I guess there's always next year. And there will be a next year if I'm still in New York.

I have years to make up for, having missed so many years of the holiday train show. I'd actually take advantage of the EXPRESS code that gives you a $14 entry fee (until the 17th) again this week, but DCsis shared with me that the U.S. Botanical Garden has a Garden Railway exhibit, too, showcasing Busse's work of DC buildings, and on a larger, global scale!

Oh, yes. Expect there to be a second magnet on garden railways. In the meantime, here's the ubersuperdupercool photo album from this week's trip. Some gorgeous stuff, and well worth the visit uptown!

Walk. Freeze. Eat. Repeat.

Magnet #1020 - Disney, New York City

Fact: I paid way too much for this magnet. But. It was opening day at Disney's new Flagship store in Times Square a few weeks ago, and so, was totally worth it.

Plus, look at it! So darn cute! If they had a second one, with a complementary set of Disney ones (they could so do one with just the princesses!), I would totally have gotten it.

Spent the day playing tourist again in my city - one of my favorite things to do here. One of my former clients from Italy is here this week with her boyfriend, so we went wandering around Queens and midtown.

Yes, Queens. They wanted to go, so I brought them all the way out to Corona Park and the Queens Museum of Art, to see all the World's Fair stuff. You know I love it there.

Her BF is an architect, so he was totally interested in the architecture out there, and in midtown. So I picked up a copy of Francis Morrone's Architectural Guidebook to the City for him - remember him? The dude who gave the Plaza tour?

I firmly believe that all visiting architects should have that book in hand while wandering around town. We wandered through Grand Central, up Park Avenue to visit the Seagram Building, Lever House and the Frank Lloyd Wright showroom, over to Madison for the AT&T/SONY Building - such a pleasure to wander around with someone who appreciates the buildings themselves! We followed that by a quick trip into Cartier, St. Patrick's, Rockefeller Center, and Times Square for Disney, M&Ms and Hershey's, and Toys R Us.

Yep. All day. Loved it. Walking, freezing and eating. My kind of day.

Well, without the freezing, maybe.

Surveys and renderings

Magnet #987 - Museum of Science and Industry

The magnet is from the supercool Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. So much fun to be had there! And epiphanies, as well.

The museum building was originally built for the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, otherwise known as the World's Columbian Exposition, as the Palace of Fine Arts. The 140-room building housed 8,000 exhibits, and was one of the great buildings of the fair. (Ya'll know I love my world's fairs. STWsis emailed me about the National Building Museum's world's fairs exhibition that I'm totally gonna see between Christmas and New Year's. I can't wait!)

I won't lie - I love this magnet because it's pretty and blue, and it reads like architectural renderings for the building. Don't worry - even on the real magnet, you can't read the type on the magnet. I tried. With a magnifying glass. (Sheesh, between being deaf last night and not being able to read this puppy, I'm decrepit, I tell you!)

I picked this guy for today, because it's part of what I've learned recently. Art comes in three forms: pictures, sculptures and architecture, which is what I've raved about for the last couple years on this blog.

That's part of why I decided to start a little independent study class for myself, running out and buying an incredibly heavy art history textbook (thank you Barnes & Noble Textbooks!). Each day I'm doing a little bit of reading and notetaking, to at least have some basic knowledge of art history.

Yes, yes, you can't learn everything from books, but I feel like I visit enough museums and galleries, and lectures to count as a well-rounded survey course. Plus, I have an in with the professor!

Stone's throw from Boston

Magnet #914 - Maymont

Yep, my second Maymont magnet. I've magnetblogged about that house before, so I'm using this one for today's visit to yet another obscure historical house.

This time it was Robert Treat Paine's Stonehurst, in Waltham, Massachusetts, designed by Henry Hobson Richardson, with a little landscaping help from his friend, Frederick Law Olmstead.

Some consider Richardson to be one of the greatest American architects - born in Louisiana, most of his work is scattered in New England, and the Midwest, from Trinity Church in Boston to the original Marshall Field store in Chicago, to having a hand in the NY State Capitol. And of course, everyone knows Olmstead for his work in Central Park and Chapel Hill and myriad other places.

Stonehurst was pretty bare, but man, was it gorgeous! Wood paneling, stone facade, giant hall, several parlors, fantastic. And of course, we were the only ones inside, and while we only did the self-guided tour, we ended up bombarding the poor lady with question after question after question.

Eh. It's what we do. It's who we are.

Oh. And we knocked on some wood, too.

"I hated him, of course."*

Magnet #898 - Frank Lloyd Wright Finger Puppet

So yesterday, a friend and I went to visit the Philip Johnson Glass House out in New Canaan, CT. Sadly, their cute little gift shop at the Visitors Center didn't have any Glass House magnets (Note to Visitors Center, magnets are the #1 purchased souvenir, worldwide - I'm just sayin'.). But, they did have a good collection of the finger puppets that I love so much (but refuse to collect).

As it turns out, Frank Lloyd Wright and Philip Johnson weren't the bestest of friends, though they had a healthy respect for each other's work. So, apparently, FLW was at the Glass House for dinner one night, and throughout the night, he and Johnson ended up arguing over the placement of this papier mache sculpture. Because it was so light, FLW would move it to where he thought it should be. And then shortly after, PJ would go and move it back. After a couple of times, the situation came to a head, and Johnson grudgingly agreed that FLW's placement was correct.

For some reason, thinking of these two men arguing over this sculpture makes me giggle. A lot.

Anyway, the 2-hour tour was fantabulous - well worth the several months' wait for our tickets. It definitely ranks in my top 10 tours of all time. Not surprisingly, my favorite part of the tour was the Painting Gallery, where several of the PJ/David Whitney collection are left.

I would talk more about this tour...except that I seriously spent a couple of hours captioning the hundred photos I took. So, you can take a look at the entire FB album here.

Enjoy! Then hurry up and book a tour next year, so we can compare notes!



*PJ quote, about FLW in the Ken Burns FLW film: "I hated him of course. But that's only normal when a man is so great - it's a combination of hatred; it's a combination of envy, and contempt, and misunderstanding - all of which gets mixed up with his genius."

Music in motion

Magnet #848 - Dega's Dancers Resting

Today's magnet is Dega's Dancers Resting - which is currently not on view, but is part of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts collection.

I have to confess, I've never been a fan of Degas. There's always something a bit skeevy about him, the man. It's something that always colors my view of the painter.

But today, watching the New York City Ballet company twinkletoe their way across the stage, I feel like I really see and get Degas and his dancers now.

I finally went to the New York City Ballet at Lincoln Center. No, it's not because I'm cultured. It's because I like architecture, and the NYCB invited renown architect Santiago Calatrava to set designs a few of their commissioned Spring season ballets, in a program called Architecture of Dance.

Such a great idea. Such a great partnership.

When I told the nice lady next to me it was my first ballet, and that my own background was more music-oriented, she was just so excited for me. She said I picked a great program, explaining to me how ballet was really just music in motion.

And how, nice lady. And. How.

The set opened with Donizetti Variations, a piece first performed in 1960, choreographed by George Balanchine, a co-founder of the NYC Ballet, and music by Gaetano Donietti. In a word, delightful.

The music was so airy and light, and it carried the dancers to the tops of their tippy toes. I'm fairly sure that feet just don't go in those directions naturally.

The company was dressed in (what I've always considered it to be) standard ballet dress of the turquoise family - the girls in fitted bodices with flouncy tutu-y skirts and tights, and the boys in fitted jackets and tights.

In such pretty contrast were the ballerina and ballerino (what, I looked it up!) were dressed in the same, only in pink! So cute! I loved it. So wonderful that 30 minutes went by, and I didn't even realize it.

The second set was Luce Nascosta (Unseen Light), choreographed by Mauro Bigonzetti with music by Bruno Moretti. In a word? Powerful.

This was commissioned by the NYB, with Calatrava's set design. Simple, understated, gold discs in the sky, forming both an ominous and hopeful orb(s) over the starkness of the company dressed in black. This was hard to sit through - the first several minutes was performed in silence, then as the music opened and swelled, I was reminded of a Hitchcock score.

This was a more earthy, guttural ballet - at times sexy, at times angry, but all times powerful. Seriously. The dancers undulated and wrapped themselves around each other in such a visceral way, you couldn't help but watch.

The final piece was The Concert, choreographed by Jerome Robbins, with music by Chopin. In a word, hysterical.

I know! You're thinking, what? But I think the best part of this piece were the sounds of the kids sharing the Fourth Ring of Exile giggling uncontrollably at the farce onstage. Fun costumes, a pianist at the forefront, very funny staging, and excellent dancing.

I was completely taken aback at how three hours at the ballet could take me from light to dark to laughter. What a great performance, and congrats to the NYC Ballet for introducing ballet to a new audience with the Calatrava work!

Room with a view

Magnet #841 - FLW Robie House Window

So, I've lived in New York since 1995, and I've been to the Met countless times. Seriously, doesn't it feel like I'm always writing about it?

Earlier this week, the Met Tweeted something about their Frank Lloyd Wright room. Dudes. I didn't even know they had one of those! And, ya'll know how much I love my Frank Lloyd Wright!

Totally don't have a clue how I've managed to miss it, but I totally rectified that this evening. It was pretty cool, though, really, in the end, it was just a room. Heh.

I think what I love about FLW houses is the fact that he designed not just the house, but much of the interior and furnishings as well. In some cases, he was pretty OCD about his furnishings being used.

I have to wonder if I'd be able to take it, if he dictated everything that could go into a house I lived in. Even if he did design it. From the chairs to the lights to the screens to the windows - I'd imagine it could be quite overbearing.

Clearly, I say this with a little bit of sour graping, as I also wouldn't turn down a FLW house, even if I think I couldn't live in it.

I will say, though, that I do love his windows. They're really very cool - with subtle differences in colors and patterns. This magnet is of one of the 174 glass patterns of the Robie House, one of the grandest of his Prairie Homes, in Hyde Park, IL. They're celebrating its centennial this year and is currently under a lengthy process of restoration and preservation.

I was so glad I detoured from our Met Scavenger Hunt to see the FLW room tonight. Love those scavenger hunts, they force you to notice the details of what you're seeking...even when you're running from one end of the museum to the other.

So, yay, for @metmuseum Tweeting about tonight's Internet Week event. Fun had by all!

Oh! Speaking of which - apparently, the New York Times has decided to disallow use of the word Tweet in their stories, because it's not in the dictionary. NYTs, you're one of the world's most venerable papers. But seriously. There's a reason why the dead tree industry is dying. But, ignoring the digital future won't make it go away. IJS.