Catching Up

I graduated!!

Not to say that the work gets less now, as I'm working on a small project that is coming out of the program, and have another new (and monstrous) project at the office, but small things. My class of 25 officially completed our requirements and graduated last Wednesday, December 12. Woohoo!

So of course, now I'm sick. It's honestly the nastiest cold I've had in years. Nothing like a little time at home to catch up on things though. So here are some doings from the summer.

This was a rough year in many respects, not the least of which was the loss of the last three grandparents. The funeral for the second found us is western Pennsylvania, not an hour's drive from Fallingwater. We'd not been and always had very much wanted to go. Odd time to do it, but schedules permitted, so we three set off.

 No photos allowed inside but it is remarkable. Being there in the late summer meant full greenery. I can imagine how beautiful it looks in the winter, although the roads would not be much fun.

 Yes, every detail was planned. FLW built the house to his size specifications, so there are lots of narrow doorways, low ceilings, etc. We were disappointed to leave two siblings behind because of the no-children-under-6 policy, but they really would not have been able to carry the baby through here.

 And outside, why the house has its name. It is built INTO the landscape. This probably would not be allowed today, but I'm glad it was then. Every terrace provides solitude from the others and so everyone can partake of the natural beauty, alone if they desire. Love it!

There was also an incredible exhibit at Smithsonian that my mentor mentioned to me. I only had the chance to run through it once, and I very much wanted to go back. However, I'm glad I got the one chance!

Pushing Boundaries: Portraits by Robert Weingarten was in the underground Ripley Center, and it was remarkable. In short, he wrote famous people and asked them how they would define their lives in a series of things. He took those lists and compiled portraits of these people. They included Hank Aaron, Alice Water, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Dennis Hopper, and others. Here are two:

 Hank Aaron

 Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

For more info, check the website: Pushing Boundaries. The correspondence between artist and icon was with the photos, which made it that much more interesting.

And then we had new sculptures installed on the museum grounds for the 8th anniversary, and as part of a new wayfinding initiative we're undertaking. (Even though the building is very distinctive, people don't know it's the American Indian museum, don't know it's part of Smithsonian, and don't know how to enter it. Really.)

These sculptures are by Rick Bartow (Wiyot). Called We Were Always Here, they use motifs from his North Pacific Coast heritage, including bear, raven, and salmon. They mark the northwest corner of the museum grounds.