Boys in the Boat: Cherished Artifacts on Display at Seattle's MOHAI Museum of History & Industry

 

I spent an evening at Seattle's MOHAI (Museum of History & Industry) last month and was thrilled to see artifacts from the University of Washington men's rowing team that won gold in the 1936 Olympics. 

Their triumphant story was told in the novel Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown and then on the big screen in a major motion picture directed by George Clooney. I loved the movie and I am anxious to read the book, which my husband Dan said is far more captivating because when reading there is more space and mental bandwidth to go in depth. He loved it.

 

Bob Moch's blazer from the 1936 Oympics

Bob Moch's megaphone from the 1936 Olympics

American Flag (made in Germany) from the 1936 Olympics

Shirt betting is a tradition in rowing where the losing team gives the winning team their shirt after the race. This British shirt is included in the display because an American crew member received it after beating England in one of the races in the Olympics.

This display window is brimming with memorabilia from University of Washington's rich rowing history, including a 1936 crew sweater.

If you zoom in, you can see that this crew shell says "Husky" on the side and I learned from the website that in October 2023, "the UW men’s rowing team rowed the Challenger across Lake Union to MOHAI, where it now serves as the focal point of the exhibit." Isn't that wonderful? That the current team could honor their predecessors by bringing the shell to the place of honor, by water no less? I just love it. 

Please click this link if you'd like to learn more about the MOHAI museum & exhibit, right on Lake Union in Seattle. 

#boysintheboat #mohai #seattle #greatstory #rowing #universityofwashington

Tropical Butterfly House: A Warm & Peaceful Escape

I have a suggestion for a great date. Take someone to the Tropical Butterfly House at the Pacific Science Center.  Dan and I were both downtown on Sunday for events and when we met up afterwards, I suggested that we stay downtown and visit the Tropical Butterfly House at the Pacific Science Center. 

I had seen a spotlight on the butterfly exhibit in Seattle Magazine last year and had told myself that it would be a great way to spend a rainy winter day. 

I was right! It was warm, humid, quiet and inspiring. The number of people allowed in the 4,000 sq ft greenhouse at any one time is closely monitored. I enjoyed hearing the children whisper and react in awe of these delicate flying wonders.

We found it to be very relaxing to sit on a wall and watch the flurry of activity in the air. The yellow bloom is a hibiscus and the cluster of coral is Crown of Thorns. The butterfly looks to be a Scarlet Peacock.

The room is warm, humid and well lit. An environment we could all benefit from in January.

I can't determine the name of this one from the butterfly chart, but look at that beautiful wingspan. 

 This monarch shows off wings that look like stained glass.

I believe this is a Paper Kite butterfly on a Jungle Flame blossom. See if you agree by reviewing this botanical chart.

There is a window displaying chrysalis as they develop. It gives both children and adults a glimpse at the wonder of development. When they are ready, those same butterflies are released into the Butterfly House each week. It is a lovely lesson about patience and metamorphosis. 

We spent about 45 minutes looking around and soaking it up. No rush. No music. It was the kind of educational vacation I needed. I highly recommend it. The Pacific Science Center itself looked wonderful. We were drawn to the replica of Puget Sound, complete with water levels and ink-highlighting currents. Time well spent, I say. Give yourself the gift of wandering a museum; taking time to think and consider will always be well spent.

LaConner: Quilt Museum

Once my mom heard that there was a quilt museum within reach of the tulip festival, she really started looking forward to our tulip trip.

It was a gorgeous day and we were surprised at just how quickly we could drive to La Conner from the tulip fields. The La Conner Quilt and Textile Museum is located in a the 114-year-old Gaches Mansion. I love that their mission statement:

"The mission of the La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum is to present exhibitions and educational programs in all fiber arts that enrich and inspire, honor cultural traditions, and celebrate the creative spirit." - La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum

The temporary exhibit on display when we visited all sewn by Donna Hanson Eines. Needless to say, she has an eye for color and pattern. It takes a special kind of person to spend this many hours handcrafting an heirloom.

There were two other quilts that spoke to me as we wandered from floor to floor. The first was a small piece made entirely from the silk ribbons that were wrapped around boxes of cigars in the late 1800's. Someone thought the colors and lettering looked beautiful together and sewed the ribbons into a quilt, of sorts. An early example of upcycling, wouldn't you say?

And this wonderful example of a crazy quilt (below). It was made (prior to her marriage and move out West) by Annie Pickens and her friends in Little Ferry, NJ in 1885. I bet they found hours of delight talking and sewing together. Would have really liked participating in a sewing bee, knowing that for a certain period of time every week I'd be with my friends and neighbors working on a craft together.

The Gaches Mansion was finished in 1891 and has a staircase that I want to show you. 

Each flight of stairs is separated by a wall. The servants used the stairwell on the left. If you look closely, you'll notice that the staircase for the family has smaller, closer steps to accommodate a grateful gait. The servant steps are father apart and are made for hustling up and down in a hurry.

We really enjoyed our time in the La Conner Quilt and Textile Museum. They have a wonderful gift shop (look for the Rebecca Barker Quiltscapes greeting cards - they are beautiful!) and even sell a few old quilts and pieces of lace and piecework. Then walk across the street and admire the Butterfly Garden.

The Burke: Washington State Museum of Natural History and Culture

I have been doing my best to participate in social events hosted by organizations that I belong to. I can think of no better way to make friends and learn about my new turf. The Junior League of Seattle hosted a private evening for sustainers (alumnae) at The Burke, the Washington State Museum of Natural History and Culture one evening this winter.

We were honored to have Dr. Julie Stein, Executive Director of The Burke give us a tour of some exhibits and an overview of the big plans for building a New Burke museum over the next five years. She is incredibly personable and clearly passionate about bringing education and inspiration to the public. I am looking forward to many more experiences at The Burke. I couldn't resist including this photo (above) where the dinosaur seems to be gabbing along with the girls.

The Burke is a research and collections-based museum loaded with thousands of examples from our natural world. One exciting benefit of the new Burke is that the building has been designed to make far more of their massive collection of artifacts accessible to the public. My favorite piece on display was this 50 million year old fossil flower. Delight goes waaaay back.

The evening included wine and appetizers and was a really wonderful venue to meet others volunteer-focused women and be inspired. Notice that most of the serving platters and utensils are made of bamboo: sustainable and very Seattle.

Museums are traditionally quiet and after these women had busy work days and a dash of Seattle traffic, standing among the flora and fauna of yesteryear gave the gathering a relaxing feel.

I really enjoyed exploring The Burke and channeling my inner Wilma Flintstone. Some exhibits are replicas to give us a sense of scale, while other are actual artifacts discovered in the Pacific Northwest. Don't wait for the New Burke, I recommend you take time to visit The Burke now and enjoy a quiet glimpse into the past.

Seattle Art Museum: Intimate Impressionism

I visited the Seattle Art Museum for the first time last week to see the Intimate Impressionism exhibit on loan from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.  I am sharing this photo represent the collection because Oysters, 1862, Edouard Manet is featured on the home page of the art gallery. I have no intention of reproducing the collection without permission, so I'll show you this glimpse above to encourage you to seek out these glorious Impressionist artists on your own.

The limited engagement (October 1, 2015 - January 10, 2016) at the Seattle Art Museum posed a challenge for many art lovers. I know that I tried to make plans with a group of women to see the exhibit together, but the timing was difficult over the busy weeks leading up to the holidays. I made it downtown with Dan and my mom the last Friday night it was open and I am so glad we did.

The exhibit included 68 intimately scaled paintings displayed across many large rooms to accommodate the crowds. There were images that were familiar in style, like Claude Monet's ARGENTEUIL, CA. 1872, that had soft blue skies and white sailboats on a summer day. See some examples of Monet's Argenteuil paintings here. 

I didn't realize that the subject matter of this collection would be so broad. When I think of Impressionist, I always think of landscapes. However, this exhibit covered people, pets, food and Degas' ballerinas. I enjoyed the mix and was interested to see how many times I confused Monet, Manet and Pissaro.

I'm sorry to say that the exhibit has closed and that this beautiful collection is on its way back to our nation's capital. It should be on display again as soon as the renovations in the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art are complete.

City Series: Dallas: Bush Center: Cafe 43

What a way to spend the day!  Carol and I had a leisurely lunch at Cafe 43 (George W. Bush was the 43rd President!), the museum restaurant at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas.

I ordered an entree salad of tiger shrimp, quinoa, arugula and feta with a roasted lemon vinaigrette.  They had me at "roasted lemon." It sounded delicious and it married the flavors of the sweet shrimp and peppery arugula perfectly.

We had a lovely table by the window and enjoyed catching up in the bright and friendly restaurant.  As we were leaving, Carol bought some of Laura Bush's famous "Cowboy Cookies" for us to snack on.

Do you remember the famous "bake off" in Family Circle magazine between Mrs. Bush's Cowboy Cookies and Tipper Gores' Ginger Snaps during the 2000 Presidential campaign?  I do! I thought it was a really cute idea and think that Mrs. Bush's cookies could have won by name alone.  The cookie recipe is printed on the Cafe 43 card and was published with slight modification here in The Washington Post.

After lunch, we looked through the museum gift shop and I passed up my chance to get a really neat souvenir.  Then I drove back the next day to buy it. Have you ever done that?

The souvenir was a Christmas ornament with a photo of a cardinal painted by George W. Bush.  I kept thinking about it afterwards and not knowing if they had an online store, I took a sudden detour when I saw "SMU" on a highway exit.  I made my way back to the little parking lot, walked to the gift shop and got my ornament.    When I left, I showed the parking attendant my new treasure and he too thought it was worth the trip back.  He also told me to "say Hi" to Michigan for him.  Done! 

City Series:Dallas: George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum

Some experiences are a little too big for a blog...do you know what I mean?  I have been mulling this over for a week now and will do my best to give you a concise and meaningful description of my visit to the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum.  

First of all, I loved every minute of my visit. I was invited to tour the museum and have lunch at Cafe 43 by my friend, Carol, who I met back in 2009 in the Patricia Wells' cooking class in Paris.  We have stayed in touch and I have been trying to get to Dallas to see her for ages.

We met here on the plaza, went through security and then started to make our way through the museum.  In the area called Freedom Hall, you can see beautiful gifts given to the Bushes by American citizens and Foreign Heads of State during his presidency.  A giant IMAx-style 360 video plays along the second story of Freedom Hall.  Vistas of the American Plains, citizens living out their lives in our great country moves into images of the U.S. Presidents.  It is mesmerizing.

This museum is beautiful - full of photos, artifacts, video and hand-written notes commemorating George W. Bush's Presidency. I remember watching the dedication ceremony on the news (the five living Presidents of the United States were there!) and I was so happy to be able to visit less than a year after it opened.  

We had about an hour and a half to walk through the museum before our lunch reservation and we paused to take pictures and read the signs and documentation whenever something caught our eye.

Any interested visitor could spend hours reading and reflecting on the quotes and images related to George W. Bush's presidency.  It was hard to pick and choose which exhibits I should give more attention to.  That is until I rounded the corner and saw the actual twisted steel beams from the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center on display.  I caught my breathe, tried to articulate how I felt and started crying.  Yes, old friend that I haven't seen in 5 years, I am crying in the middle of the day in the middle of a museum.

Thankfully, Carol understood my feelings completely and suggested that we sit and watch the video presentation for a while, Kleenex in hand.  It was just the time I needed to compose myself.  The beams are huge and ruined and the fact that they were there effected me in a way that I hadn't expected.

The museum was fairly busy, but not so crowded that we didn't have a chance to take photographs without strangers walking into the frame.  Look at my pristine photo of the Oval Office as it was decorated during the Bush Presidency.  

Carol asked if I wanted to have my photo taken behind the desk.  A line was forming for those that were interested and we both decided that it would be a fun memento from our day.

Afterwards, we went out into the beautiful Texas sunshine (did I mention that the George W. Bush Presidential Museum and Library are on the grounds of Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas?) and walked around the Texas Rose Garden.

There are no roses blooming in January, of course, but we noticed some of the native grasses and plantings and were happy to spend a little time out in the fresh air. 

This was my first visit to a Presidential museum and I highly recommend that you visit this magnificent tribute.  Tomorrow I will tell you all about lunch at Cafe 43.

City Series: Dallas: Nasher Sculpture Center

I couldn't have asked for a prettier day to wander the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, Texas.  Having just arrived a few days earlier from Michigan (which was in the negative temperatures -14!), this sunny 66 degree day was a gift in itself.  Look at the beautiful water element (above) and the precise plantings of trees, grasses and planters to create lines and structure.

The museum has a beautiful indoor gallery and gift shop, but frankly I just didn't want to spend any time inside.

The variety of art - in style and scale - was impressive.  I will showcase a stream of my images here, but will leave the description and interpretation to the official Nasher website.  I hope you enjoy this post and mark this unusual metropolitan collection on your "must see in Dallas" list.  Though many of the pieces have a glum vibe, the open air gallery is a wonderful respite from the big city bustle.

 "Quantum Cloud XX (tornado)" by Antony Gormley

Can you see the human figure in the middle of this swirl of metal bits?

"Garden Fork" by Michael Craig-Martin 

(from the collection of Christen and Derek Wilson)

 "Rush Hour" by George Segal

A look at the lives of those slogging to and from work in a city.

"Working Model for Three Piece No. 3: Vertebrae" by Henry Moore

"Head of a Woman" by Pablo Picasso

"Music: Everything I Know I Learned The Day My Son Was Born" 
by Alfredo Jaar 

This was by far my favorite piece.  A temporary square pavillion with high walls made of varying shades of green plastic panels with an open-to-the-sky ceiling.  Canvas directors chairs line the perimeter inside and Dan and I sat for quite a while relaxing and reflecting.  You can see more of the structure in the distance - look at the Henry Moore image above.

Then we heard a newborn baby cry.  About that time another family wandered into the space and the husband and I were sure that the baby cries were part of the exhibit, while his wife insisted that it was just sounds from the park being amplified in the room.  Her husband and I were right.  The baby's cries are part of a soundtrack piped in at varying intervals - all recordings of babies born in Dallas between October 1, 2013 and February 1, 2014 (they were still being recorded when I visited!)  You should read the link above to understand the artist's intent.  It is very positive and interesting.

Ernest Hemingway and Lunch at Hemmingway's Bistro in Oak Park, Illinois

When Kim and I were in Oak Park, Illinois visiting our friend Aberdeen, we found ourselves surrounded by Hemingway.  First, Aberdeen took us to Hemmingway's Bistro for a French-inspired lunch.  Everything on the menu sounded delicious and my Crepes Gratinée filled with ham and Gruyére was as rich and delicious as it looks.  This bistro is the perfect place to sit and catch up with your friends over a long lunch.  Naturally, since we were eating at Hemmingway's Bistro (an extra "m" was added avoid any copyright issues), Ernest Hemingway himself came up in conversation. Kim said that Hemingway "the man-the myth-the legend" turns up everywhere she goes on vacation!

When she was in Spain, she felt that every place she visited, Hemingway had been there first.  In honor of unwittingly visiting his birth place (and the "Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park"), we climbed the steps of this grand museum...and headed straight for the gift shop. Kim wanted a souvenir.  

The woman running the shop told us a funny story about a customer asking if they carried "3XL" size t-shirts. When she found one in stock and handed over the giant shirt to her, she commented that she must have a very big man in her life.  "Oh no, she said, it's going to be a nightshirt for me.  I've always wanted to sleep with Hemingway."

So here we were in Oak Park, Illinois, three friends laughing and paling around like we were in high school all over again.  Priceless.