Alexander Calder at the Seattle Art Museum and Taste

Seattle is blessed with a wonderful art museum that I had the good fortune to visit with my friend Jill just a few days ago. Jill works at the museum a few days a week, so a good thing got even better when we received free admission because of her employment there. We went with the purpose of seeing the amazing Alexander Calder exhibit that is on display right now. It features work in the Shirley’s private collection, major benefactors of the Seattle Art Museum. There are around forty outstanding pieces to be seen including the huge “Red Curly Tail”, “Spider Web”, and my personal favorite, “Bougainvillea”.

Calder worked mostly in the first half of the twentieth century. He is single-handedly responsible for the creation of the mobile genre. He was heavily influence by Joan Miro, with whom he maintained a life-long relationship. There is also quite a bit of similarity to Piet Mondrian in terms of his use of color, and his earliest works on display at SAM reminded me of Picasso. We had the benefit of one of SAM’s knowledgeable docents leading us through the galleries and telling us about each of the works on display.

I was struck by the playful character of Calder’s work. It had a child-like simplicity to it that belied its sophisticated balance and rhythm. While many of his works have a space-age minimalist look to them, there is a certain organic warmth that evokes nature and the elements. That coupled with a strong sense of energy and movement made for a dynamic and engaging collection of pieces to be seen at SAM.

Walking through the rest of the museum, Jill showed me some of her favorite highlights. There was a giant suit of armor made from dog tags, a wood carving showing remarkable soft-looking folds of fabric, and a terrific exhibit of the Pacific Northwest’s Native American people. I was also quite taken by an exhibit of Australian Paintings on the ground floor in a smaller tucked-away gallery. The museum has quite a lot to offer, much of which we did not have time to see.

We ended our afternoon at SAM’s elegant restaurant, Taste. It reminded me a lot of The Modern, which is attached to NYC’s MoMA. We ordered from their inexpensive lunch menu. I had a nice grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup that was warming and satisfying. There was even a little Calderesque garnish floating on the top of my soup.  Jill had a delicious spaetzle dish with grilled chicken, and we shared a deviled egg. Their comfort food offerings were just what we wanted on a chilly damp Seattle afternoon.

The wine list at Taste is excellent and features plenty of small local producers. We chose a semi-sparkling Riesling from Chehalem in the Northern Willamette to go with our afternoon repast. It was light, refreshing, beautifully aromatic, and complimented our food very well. We were both pleased to find out that it was only eight per cent alcohol, because we were sure to finish the bottle since it was so tasty. The lower alcohol didn’t leave us feeling tired and sluggish, and we were glad because it was only the beginning of our adventure-filled day.

I should also mention the impressive cheese plate at Taste. On the day of our meal there it featured: River Valley “Valley Girl”, Quillisascut “Curado”, and Samish Bay “Black Mambazo” all from Washington. They were delicious, and I engaged our bartender in a discussion about them. It ends up that she was just as big a “curd nerd” as myself, and she had quite a bit to say about cheese in the Pacific Northwest. The more I learn about Washington’s budding dairy industry, the more impressed I am with what it has to offer. I especially enjoyed the “Black Mambazo” which was rubbed with Chipotle pepper, cocoa, and cinnamon. I keep hoping the Washington cheeses will make it out to the East Coast soon.

Visiting SAM was a real treat. The Calder exhibition was magnificent and the permanent exhibits are equally engaging. It was also refreshing to visit a museum that had such a different viewpoint than what I am used to seeing at the MFA here in Boston. I anticipate a return to SAM, and look forward to visiting the Asian Art Branch in the near future.

Museum of Art in Portland, Maine

I've visited Portland now a few times, and I wanted to make it a point to see the museum on my most recent visit.  Since I've been on my museum kick, I've discovered how fabulous it is to spend an hour or two wandering around them.  The Portland Art Museum has a wonderful collection that Annie and I enjoyed seeing very much.

For starters, the building that houses the collection is a work of art itself.  It's an IM Pei building.  He is the architect also responsible for the famous glass pyramid in front of the Louvre and the Kennedy Library here in Boston.  His works are visually stunning and take advantage of the natural elements that surround the structure offering amazing views.  What I liked best about the layout of the museum was that the galleries flowed easily from one to the other.  Even when you are in one gallery, there are overlooks and windows that connect you to the previous gallery.  It gave a cohesive feel to the museum's entire collection that I feel is often lacking when I've visited other museums.

We blew through the entire museum wanting to get a feel for it as a whole in about an hour and half, but I'm looking forward to going back and spending more time in each of the galleries.  There are some really nice pieces to see.  I'll include some photos here of a few of the highlights:

ICA, Boston

At about 1:30 today, I received a phone call from my manager at work asking if I'd like the night off.  My initial instinct was that I should work, but then as I thought about it for a second, my sense of adventure began to get the better of me... and I need to clean my kitchen too!  Anyhow, inspired by the beautiful crisp day outside, I set out to the Institute of Contemporary Art here in Boston.  I had been putting off making it there for a visit for far too long, and given this unexpected free evening with no plans, it seemed an obvious choice for a way to spend my afternoon.

I arrived there and bought my ticket for general admission.  The guy at the front desk let me know that the main gallery was being renovated and as a result, they were offering free admission after the 19th through the 21st of March with the ticket that I purchased today.  WIN!  I will definitely plan on heading back in a couple of weeks with my two-fer ticket that I bought today.  He stressed to me that there would be a lot more to see when I returned.  I got the feeling that what I saw today was a very small part of the collection indeed, but it was a rewarding experience nonetheless.  In truth, it was nice to be able to pop in and out and not feel as though I had missed a substantial part of what there was to see.

My first stop was an installation by Krzysztof Wodiczko called Out of Here: The Veteran's Project.  It was basically a dark room with basement window projections on the wall near the ceiling.  A soundtrack of an engagement of war played in the room and made you feel as though you were hearing what was going on just outside your own window.  It was eerie and powerful and made me question the validity of war.  It was a shocking and visceral first impression of what the ICA has to offer.

Marlboro Musicians at The Gardner

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museums is one of the gems of Boston's arts scene, but did you know that it boasts and equally wonderful concert series?  I was fortunate enough to hear one this past Sunday performed by musicians from Vermont's Marlboro Music Festival.  The program consisted of Bartok's second string quartet, a Haydn quartet, a Mozart concert aria, and Schumann's Liederkreis.  It was a lovely program performed in an intimate and warm setting on a cold afternoon in Boston.

I bought the tickets some time ago in hopes that Dan would be able to join me since his quartet, Arneis, is also working on the Bartok second, but he actually had to perform a house concert in Western MA that same day.  I was happy he had work and they managed to raise nearly a thousand dollars for their group, so it was definitely worth missing the concert!  Luckily, my friend, the pastry ninja, from work was able to come with me.  It's always more fun having someone along to talk about the program with during and after the concert.  Beth and I had a great time together.  We ate a quick lunch near the museum and she really seemed to enjoy the whole afternoon, especially the Haydn quartet which was beautifully and elegantly played with Ida Levin on first violin.

Harvard Museum of Natural History

My day off brought me to the Harvard Museum of Natural History this afternoon.  I must admit that I don't make it over the river nearly often enough, but every time I cross the bridge over to Cambridge, I'm glad I went.  The museum today was a truly unexpected surprise and I can't believe that I have lived in Boston as long as I have without having visited there.

My first stop in the museum was the glass flower exhibit.  This is really the reason why I made it there today to check it out.  A friend had told me about how amazing it was and it certainly met and exceeded expectations.  The collection represents work by Leopold and Rudolph Blaschka.  They were active over a century ago in Germany and were commissioned by Harvard to create this exhibit for scholars of botany.  They worked as costume jewelery makers, and adapted their skills quite successfully to amazing lifelike representations of North American flowering plants.

The Spaulding Collection, MFA

One of the most fun parts about my membership at the MFA is that I have discovered so many new parts of the museum from just wandering around that were previously unknown to me.  Yesterday, after seeing the wonderful Melendez show, I poked around in the Asian wing.  Tucked away in a small corner I found a sampling of Japanese prints from the Spaulding Collection.  This huge collection of original Japanese block prints was donated to the MFA by the brothers Spaulding with a unique stipulation.  Due to the fact that these prints tend to fade quickly in sunlight, the brothers asked that the collection not be shown to the public.  With the invention of UV protecting glass, however, the museum is now able to show some of these stunning graphic works which are now on display.

Here a couple of my favorites that I'd like to share with you.  There are quite a few more to see. You can view low-res scans of these prints online at the MFA's website by clicking here.

Luis Melendez at the MFA

I stopped off at the MFA yesterday to see the Luis Melendez exhibition that just opened.  I didn't know a thing about the artist until I first read about him in the morning before heading out of the door.  From my research, I learned that he is highly regarded for his still life paintings.  What drew me to the show in the first place were the pictures the MFA advertised of his food paintings.  I figured that any artist who is as obsessed with food and wine as me would be someone whose works I would like to know more about.

The show was a real treat.  It started at the National Gallery in DC, and is on display here in Boston for a few months.  Melendez aspired to be a court artist for the Spanish royalty in the 18th century, but instead was recognized by the Prince for his skill in rendering food and culinary implements.  He painted the same objects and foods over and over again, and as you can imagine, became very good at it.  You can even see some of the original implements on display at the MFA.  The prince commissioned him to paint a series of the indigenous foods of Spain, which in turn defined Melendez's output from that point on.  There were even a few still-lifes that had been painted over portraits that he never managed to sell.

Dürer at the MFA, Boston

Armed with my new membership card to the MFA here in Boston, I headed over to the museum yesterday to see a couple of things I found on their website. I’m determined to get my $100 worth out of it, and at this rate, I’ll have accomplished my goal by March! My strategy is to keep things fresh by only staying for an hour or two and to hit up a couple different exhibits each time rather than trying to digest the entire museum in one day. They have such a huge collection that I would feel overwhelmed if I tried to see it all in one trip. So far, my series of short visits have left me craving more. Success!

Ancient Egypt and Toulouse-Latrec at the MFA, Boston

By looking out the window where I work, I can always see what the latest special exhibit at the Museum of Fine Art is here in Boston. There are these handy ads that hang from the streetlights that I can read from one of our dining rooms.  I've seen past exhibitions like the "Tintoretto, Titian, and Veronese," "El Greco to Velazquez," and "Madame X" and they have always been wonderful.   The announcement of "The Secrets of Tomb 10-A" has been taunting me for the past month or two, so I decided it was high time to get out of the house and see it on my day off.

Our Trip to Seattle, or CQ's Big Foodie Vacation

Last June, Dan and I took a little trip to visit some friends of ours in Seattle. Jill and André, now married, had just become engaged. It was a great time to escape a very busy time at work for a week and I also wanted to meet this new man that had swept my dear friend, Jill, off of her feet. After some chat on Facebook, Jill and I had set the whole thing up about eight months ahead. She agreed to let us stay with them, so how could I refuse. I bought plane tickets with my tax refund in late January and anxiously awaited our departure day.

Two Great Meals, a Museum, and an Opera all in 48 Hours!

Recently, Dan, Melissa, Chris and I decided to take a little jaunt to New York City to see some friends and get a little culture in while we there. Online, I discovered an incredible deal at the Metropolitan Opera - $20 seats in the "family circle". Basically it's the nosebleed section of the top balcony, but there seem to be few bad seats at the Met. It works out to be cheaper to see the opera in NYC than here in boston with cheap transportation on the Bolt Bus.