A Day Away part 1

The weather forecast for Monday was no snow, no impending snow, and clear roads!  So I got up early, blew the snow that had accumulated on our road and parking areas, changed clothes, and WENT AWAY!

First stop was Oryana in Traverse City for a scrumptious lunch of vegan chili and a spicy peanut tofu wrap, all freshly made at the Lake Street Cafe located within Oryana Natural Foods Market.  Sorry, no pictures because I was too hungry!

Next, I was off to an art museum, but it's been a while since I'd been there, and I didn't turn on the right road, so I ended up in Acme along Grand Traverse Bay.  What a wonderful accident!

The snow is starting to recede along the beach.  How fabulous to see sun and sand, even if the open water is way far, far away!

After basking in the few minutes of sun that appeared, I headed back toward the Dennos Museum Center on the campus of Northwestern Michigan College.  They had two temporary exhibits and their two permanent exhibits. I was allowed to take pictures without flash throughout the museum, so, woo-hoo! I get to take you along!  First, Japanese Bamboo Art, a temporary exhibit.

This wall hanging is about 2 feet in diameter.  It has the illusion of motion.  This was a theme I noticed in the whole of the collection: a sense of movement.

Wind Vessel by Uematsu Chikuyu 2010

Here are two other wall hangings, again with motion woven right into them!  This one is about 5 feet wide and 3 feet tall.  Its inspiration is from the ridged patterns created when wind blows across sand.

Pattern of Wind by Uematsu Chikuyu 2002

And this one, "Sound of the Cello," has the joints of the bamboo carefully placed to represent notes on a musical staff.

Sound of the Cello by Uematsu Chikuyu 2000

The Japanese title for this sculpture in bamboo literally translates as "Sea Crossing."  The information plate told me...I don't speak or read Japanese!  I love how it looks like a sail, yet also makes me feel as if I am moving on the water under the power of the wind.

Sailing by Sugiura Noriyoshi 2010

Here is an unusual fruit basket.  The inspiration was "the image of something flying gracefully through the sky."

Asuka by Tanioba Shigeo 2002

And at the entry of the exhibit, this wonderful arrangement by Elinore Yard of the Ohara School of Ikebana in Tokyo, Japan. It feels so clean, crisp, and meditative to me; so much like the Spring for which I am longing. I sat in front of it for a long time and just breathed.

The other temporary exhibit finishes this week.  It is called: "THEM: Images of Separation" and is a traveling exhibition on loan from the Jim Crow Museum on Ferris State University in Big Rapids, MI. It showcases items (t-shirts, license plates, postcards, photographs, posters, signs, games, costumes, souvenirs, toys) from popular culture and history that are and have been used to stereotype people who are different from "us."  I didn't take any pictures since I didn't want to proliferate that content, but I highly recommend checking out the museum at FSU.  It was eye opening for me how much negative imagery is still being produced and sold which, as the exhibit stated, "promotes stereotyping against such groups as African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Hispanics, Jews and poor whites, as well as those who are 'other' in terms of body type or sexual orientation" and also women, people from the Middle East, and those of varied religions and ethnicities.

More on my day away next time!  I am so grateful for all those who create and present their work to the world and all those who make that possible.  It energizes my creativity to see others' work.