Nevada Heat
September 15th, 2008
Nevada is hot. Well, at least it was hot this past weekend. It felt like the water was being sucked out of my eyeballs.
While I was visiting Reno I learned some things.
The name of the state is pronounced Ne-vad-a, like I had a bad time in Nevada. I didn’t know there was another way to pronounce it. There are a lot of pitbulls in Reno. I met a lot of them. The capital of Nevada is Carson City. And the state nickname is The Silver State. Nevadans are really into the Second Amendment. They also don’t care for Californians much. But like all stereotypes the last two items are just that. Sunscreen is a must for those who are used to living in the fog at sea level.
Other than that it was just really hot. Really, really hot.
On The Road To Reno
September 12th, 2008
It’s been a long time since I’ve left town. I’ve been getting wrapped up with personal projects and web sites, and people pulling me this way and that. So today, with a goal in mind, one that somebody else has pulled me to do, I hopped into a stranger’s car and drove for about six hours from the Bay Area to Reno Nevada. I have to say that we are no longer strangers and there is a lot of work to do here in Reno this weekend. I’ll write more about that tomorrow, but there you have it.
On the way here, I tried out my new earplanes while going over the hill (The Sierras). I’ve been having altitude problems with my ears and was actually just a little terrified of making this trip. But the earplanes worked fine and now my next experiment will be with an airplane.
I love the ruggedness of the Sierra Mountains. Even while driving in a modern car, the landscape feels prehistoric, ancient, and it’s only the few lanes of highway that cut through it. I watched the altitude markers pass 1000, 2000, 3000, feet. The almost full moon rode side by side with us, over the top of the pine trees, all the way to Reno.
Photo Of The Day: My Homeland
August 29th, 2008
At this time of year I sometimes pine for home. It’s August. It’s hot. It’s the end of summer. Where I live now I can wear turtleneck sweaters all year around. Sometimes I just crave the heat of the summers of my childhood.
My cousin David sent me this photograph to use as my Photo of the Day. His old oak tree, the corn fields and the setting sun on his farm in Western Pennsylvania, just north of Pittsburgh.
As I look out the window here and out to the Pacific ocean, I can watch the fog roll back in after a nice sunny morning. I think I need to put on my sweater.
In Denver This Week: Art and The Convention
August 24th, 2008
What’s to do in Denver this week? Besides the Democratic National Convention?
Hey, even the most enthusiastic of Democrats need a break from politics on occasion. So why not check out some of The Mile High City’s cultural events?
Clyfford Still Unveiled: Selections From The Estate features 13 paintings created by this leader among first-generation abstract expressionists. Clyfford Still is considered to be one of the most important painters of the twentieth century. This exhibition features a 1940 self-portrait, several never-before-seen works on paper, and five 1940s and 1950s masterworks that show the evolution of Still’s mature, purely abstract style.
The Age of Impressionism is running through September 7th. The exhibition features 40 works of art from 19th and 20th century European and American artists including Claude Monet, Eugene Boudin, Frederick Childe Hassam, and John Singer Sargent.
Varied Voices is a works on paper exhibition that includes works by 18 contemporary American artists and runs through December 31.
Vote is an exhibition in honor of the convention and is a collaborative project put on by the museum and the AIGA. Get Out the Vote, AIGA’s Design for Democracy initiative, invited designers from across the country to create posters to inspire Americans to participate in the political process. 50 of these digital posters will be displayed on the atrium’s screen through August 31.
Museum of Contemporary Art Denver:
THe MCA Denver has a number of exhibitions this week that look interesting. Artists included in individual shows include Jane Hammond, Adam Helms, Omar Fast, Suzanne Kuhn, Brad Kahlhamer, and Jack Balas.
What Dialog:City has to offer this week looks to be some really interesting work by some very contemporary artists. They have invited internationally renowned artists and designers to create participatory, interactive, and dialogical site-specific works in neighborhoods across the city of Denver. From Political Karaoke, digital projections of Veteran stories from a Humvee, and a technology hip-hop opera on the climate impact on Antarctica - this event will be a cutting-edge convergence of art and public life. Participating artists are Charlie Cannon, Minsuk Cho, Luke DuBois, Ann Hamilton, Sharon Hayes, Lyn Hershman, Daniel Peltz, DJ Spooky, spurse, and Krzysztof Wodiczko.
An historic symposium uniting 3,000 women, advancing their political leadership and participation. This is happening on August 25th from 8am til 2pm at the Buell Theatre. Check web site for a list of speakers.
Democracy in film out at the Red Rocks amphitheatre.
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Extreme Ice is the work of award-winning photographer James Balog. This photographic exhibition features some of the most beautiful and remote environments on Earth.
Also on exhibit at the museum are the science of mummies, gems and minerals, an exhibit of Native American everyday objects, tracing evolution, discovering the universe, and wildlife exhibits. There is also a Discovery Zone for the kids.
It looks like it might be an interesting week in Denver even if you aren’t going to the convention. If you know of an event that I missed, please leave it in the comments area!
