Troika_Palindrome from Troika on Vimeo.

No, it’s not my Dad’s birthday. That was a couple of weeks ago, and I sent him a card that cracked a joke about him being old. Rather, today is Papa’s birthday: the legendary Ernest Hemingway was born July 21, 1899. If he were alive today, he would be 101 111 and way more deserving of an “old guy” joke than my dad.

Hemingway is a fascinating man. Bullfighting aficionado, Nobel Prize winner, deep sea fisherman, war correspondent, world traveler and, of course, writer are just a sampling of the activities he undertook in his full life. Hemingway was a complicated man. Opinionated, irascible, prone to wanderlust, passionate and narcissistic are some of the characteristics that made him a man with many friends, many enemies and many wives. Reading his life story is arguably more captivating than some of his books, although they are pretty good too.

That said, here are some museum-related ways you can celebrate Papa’s birthday…

• Hemingway was born and raised in Oak Park, Illinois. He was an energetic, active and popular student at Oak Park River Forest High School (just a few blocks from my own high school alma mater). Swing by the Hemingway Museum and Birthplace on Oak Park Avenue for an illuminating look at the childhood years of this larger than life man, then I would highly recommend grabbing an Oberweis milkshake just two blocks south of the museum.
• Key West was home to Hemingway for over 10 years. A Farewell to Arms was written during his tenure here and his island friends make appearances in To Have and Have Not. Sloppy Joe’s bar is an essential stop on your Hemingway Key West itinerary, but even more important is Papa’s house on Whitehead Street. Take a tour of the home and marvel at the six-toed cats that roam the property.
• Havana, Cuba was one of the many places that Hemingway called home. Check out his favorite room at the Hotel Ambos Mundos, where he wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls and which is preserved as a museum. Just outside of town is Papa’s homestead Finca Vigia, also a museum and the writing venue for such works as The Old Man and the Sea, A Moveable Feast and Islands in the Stream.
• Bullfighting was one thing Hemingway was particularly passionate about. He encountered the sport during his travels to Spain. Want to check it out for yourself? Head to the Bullfighting Museum of the Royal Cavalry Order of Ronda or Madrid’s Museo Taurino.
• Want to see Hemingway’s Paris? Then take a stroll along the Left Bank of the Seine, stop in St. Germain, visit Montparnasse, drink at Harry’s New York Bar near the Opera, and consider countless other hangouts reminiscent of Paris between the wars.

And, if you find yourself unable to pay a visit to any of these Hemingway haunts, you can always just head down to your local bar. Drinking was possibly Papa’s favorite pastime. However, heed the man’s advice: “Always do sober what you said you’d do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.” What can we say? The man had a way with words.

Just because I haven’t been around for a while (almost two months!), doesn’t mean that there haven’t been interesting things happening in the museum world…

• The art community finally, unanimously, agrees on something: they hate Bravo’s Work of Art.
• James Franco continues his omnipresence. Holding his own gallery show in NYC and bringing General Hospital to L.A.’s MOCA.
• The security system was “outfoxed” at Paris’ Musee d’Art Moderne, where theives stole five paintings worth millions, including a Picasso and a Matisse.
• Protests over BP sponsorships have popped up at several museums: including Tate Britain.
• Caravaggio’s bones may have been found.
• The new owners of Polaroid donated 10,000 company artifacts to the MIT Museum. And Lady Gaga (the company’s new creative director) showed up to have her picture taken.

While all of these are cool/interesting happenings, there is one museum-related occurrence that really caught my eye. I find it so interesting, because even though it occurs outside of a museum’s walls, it is, at its heart, exactly what museums are about: visitors and their interaction with the collection. What is it? It is the new Overheard at AIC Twitter feed.

Some Art Institute of Chicago interns have gotten together to operate a Twitter account that posts random gems they overheard from museum visitors.  Some of these quotes include:

• “The museum collects lots of interesting objects from around the world. What things do you collect.” A 6-year-old replies: “I collect money!”
• Me: “This story took place during the Medieval time period, does anyone know about Medieval times?” 10-year-old girl: “I’ve been there!”
• “Is this supposed to be amazing? Because this is NOT amazing.” -Boy to his mom during an AIC event.
• “You know what artists make?” 1st grader: “Boobies!”
• “If I could marry this museum, I would!” -2nd grader.

They have only been tweeting since June 30th, so I am interested to follow along and see how the account grows. And, between tweets, you can check out their blog for a more in-depth look at the behind-the-scenes intern experience.

What awesome things have you overheard people saying in museums?

Your mission, should you choose to accept it…

1) Open Photoshop;

2) Take a famous (or otherwise) piece of art;

3) Make it AWESOME!

The call to Make Art More Awesome has been raised here. Many a brave soul has taken up the challenge, and while not all have succeeded, more than a fair few have actually triumphed in their quest.

There are more than a few American Gothic, Mona Lisa, and Last Supper remixes, and quite a few people think phallic symbols are just the thing to spruce up the Old Masters, but there are some truly inventive and entertaining ones as well.

For example, check out this modern take on a Boticelli classic…

Here’s one way to celebrate your last meal…

There’s this revisionist history gem…

Now you can paint like Rothko too…

You know who can make art most awesome? Chuck Norris…

These are just a few taken from the over 38 pages of humorous, strange, and intriguing art mash-ups submitted in the Make Art More Awesome Challenge, which means that you are bound to find at least one that tickles your fancy. But even more important than the entertainment value of this adventure, I think it is fascinating to see how multiple people can look at one work of art and envision so many different stories. It’s a testament to the importance and power of art in fostering creativity.

Oh, it also goes to show that even the Old Masters have room for improvement.

What famous work of art would you attempt to make more awesome?

A dot, you say? Yes, a dot. But this is no ordinary dot. This is a dot from Georges Seurat’s famous A Sunday on La Grande Jatte 1884, which is 125 years old this year. You can choose from six colors (three of which are limited edition): like sun-catching Light Green, understated Orange, wind in the sails White, sky is the limit Light Blue, burst of brightness Red, or blushing beauty Pink. The cost for adopting these color swatches? 1 for $10, 3 for $25, or all six shades for $50. What does your Mom get out of this adoption? Well, an awesome commemorative button of her beloved dot as well as a description of the role it plays in the painting as a whole. Oh, and you get that warm fuzzy feeling of having helped fund the conservation of one of the great art masterpieces.

Adopt your dot online at the Art Institute of Chicago. And if you’re too late to get one for Mother’s Day, don’t worry, Father’s Day is just around the corner.

Interior of the Palais des Beaux Arts in Lille, France by Belgian artist/photographer Ben Heine.

Spotlight on Seattle Series: Part 3

Dale Chihuly is a big name in the art world. His glass sculptures have been featured in exhibits around the globe: the Corning Museum of Glass (NYC), the de Young (San Francisco), Franklin Park Conservatory (Columbus, Ohio), Victoria and Albert Museum (London), the MCM Grand Casino (Macau), and the Tower of David (Jerusalem) to name a few.

However, being well-known comes with a fair degree of criticism. His works have been noted for walking the line between art and craft. Some, like Kenneth Baker of the San Francisco Chronicle, claim his glassworks are too showy, that they lack the substance of serious art: “Perhaps dreamy color, glossy surfaces and flamboyant design – the signal qualities of Chihuly’s work – should be enough. But in a culture where only intellectual content still distinguishes art from knickknacks, they are not.”

Another commenter suggested that there is something vital in Chihuly’s work: “I’m not going to make a case that Chihuly is a great artist (how many deserve to be called that?) but I do make the case that it’s of some importance to consider his art seriously. Why? Because Chihuly is a leading proponent of the idea that art is still about beauty — that the search for the pure, the ideal, is still essential to the role of the artist.”

For what my opinion is worth, I think Chihuly’s work is captivating. Is there some deeper meaning behind those vibrant colors, impossible shapes, and glistening glass? Maybe yes, maybe no. Although  Navajo baskets, Italian art deco, and Japanese glass fishing floats have all been sited as inspiration for various series. But his sculptures are appealing like a bright, shiny object, and there is something to be said for art that appeals to your inner raccoon or magpie. There is definitely a place for distraction and the blatantly beautiful in the art world – it’s not earth-shattering, but it’s worth a look.

Love him or hate him, here is a little more information on Dale Chihuly:

• 1941: Chihuly was born Tacoma, Washington.
• After beginning his college life at the College of the Puget Sound, Chihuly soon moved on to the University of Washington, the institution from which he received a BA in interior design in 1965. Subsequent degrees followed, including a Master of Science in sculpture from the University of Wisconsin and a Master of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design.
• He studied under Studio Glass movement leader Harvey K. Littleton.
• In 1971, he founded the Pilchuck Glass School near Stanwood, Washington. Legendary Seattle art patrons, John Hauberg and Anne Gould Hauberg (daughter of Seattle Art Museum architect Carl F. Gould), provided the necessary support.
• A serious car accident in 1976 left the artist blind in his left eye. Three years later, Chihuly found himself unable to blow glass on his own following a bodysurfing incident. Hiring others to do the glass blowing, he described his new role as “more choreographer than dancer.”
• His various studios include The Boathouse (an old racing shell facility) and buildings in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood and Tacoma. These studios serve as meeting places for artists, work spaces, and museums unto themselves.

Ladies and Gentlemen, please allow me to introduce SAM. SAM is a rather handsome octogenarian that has three homes in the Seattle area: a lovely 1933 Art Moderne building in Volunteer Park, a somewhat industrial looking complex on the western edge of Downtown, and an airy waterfront space in Olympic Sculpture Park. He counts Robert Venturi and Carl F. Gould as his favorite architects, and while his particular interests include Asian, African, and Native American art, he always loves when his interesting American and European friends pay him a visit. His favorite restaurant, TASTE, features a revolving seasonal menu with a focus on sustainability and fresh-from-the-market ingredients. Also, SAM is the proud owner of an impressive research library. If you’re in the area, you should pay SAM a visit – he loves new and old visitors alike – all he asks is a suggested donation.

By now, I am sure that you know that SAM is actually the Seattle Art Museum. In 1931, Dr. Richard E. Fuller, a member of the Seattle Fine Arts Society brokered a partnership with the city of Seattle: if the city promised to maintain the facility, Fuller would donate the funds and a substantial portion of his Japanese and Chinese art collection in order to create the Seattle Art Museum. Two years later, the museum, designed by architect Carl F. Gould (that Art Moderne building we mentioned above), opened to the public. Fuller would go on to serve as director of SAM until 1973, never once collecting a salary.

In 1986, the museum put forth $35 million, which joined a $29.6 million levy agreed to by the city’s taxpayers, toward the construction of a new 150,000 square foot facility. The new building, designed by the firm Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, was completed in 1991. Described as “seriously whimsical,” Venturi claimed, “We want [the museum] to be pretty…and appeal to children.” Now, whether it is pretty or appealing to children is a matter of opinion, but one thing that catches every Downtown visitor’s eye is the iconic “Hammering Man” sculpture in front of the museum. With its opening, SAM played a significant part in revitalizing Seattle’s downtown.

As the Downtown location opened, the old location in Volunteer Park closed for renovations. It re-opened in 1994 as the Seattle Asian Art Museum. As the name would suggest, SAAM is home to the museum’s extensive Asian art collection, including Japanese screen prints, Chinese marble sculptures, and beautiful ceramics. SAAM also houses the McCaw Foundation Asian Art Library and the Ann P. Wyckoff Teacher Resource Center.

The Olympic Sculpture Park, SAM’s third location, opened in 2007. The nine-acre park, which is enough to qualify as Seattle’s largest green space, occupies the northernmost portion of the city’s seawall and boasts magnificent views of the waterfront. Significant sculptures like Alexander Calder’s Eagle and Richard Serra’s Wake reside here.

Here are some noteworthy numbers and events in SAM’s history…

• 300,000 people visited in the museum’s first 6 months in 1933.
• 1940: SAM’s first “blockbuster,” Japanese works from the collection of Manson F. Backus, draws 73,000 visitors.
• During World War II, 650 of the museum’s most precious works were transported to Denver for safekeeping.
• 1944: First large-scale traveling exhibition, “India: It’s Acheivements of the Past and of the Present.”
• 1959: An exhibit of paintings and drawings by Vincent Van Gogh sees 126, 110 visitors.
• 1978: “The Treasures of Tutankhamen” charts 1.3 million visitors.
• 1997: “Leonardo Lives” brings in 236,000 visitors.
• SAM opened with 1926 items in its collection. As of 2008, the collection was totaled at 25,000 items.

Some exhibits you should definitely not miss…

• Everything Under the Sun: Photographs by Imogen Cunningham – through August 29, 2010. Cunningham is one of the Northwest’s most well-known photographers.
• Fleeting Beauty: Japanese Woodblock Prints – through July 4, 2010. Katsushika Hokusai’s iconic In the Well of the Wave off Kanagawa is just one of the incredible works featured in this exhibition of 18th and 19th century ukiyo-e artists.
• love fear pleasure lust pain glamour death: Andy Warhol Media Works – May 13, 2010 through September 6, 2010. It’s Warhol, should be interesting.
• Kurt – May 13, 2010 through September 6, 2010. The grunge music movement is intertwined with the identity of Seattle. This exhibit examines how the life and work of Kurt Cobain influenced the creativity and processes of artists.
• Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musee National Picasso, Paris – October 8, 2010 through January 9, 2011. In a real coup, SAM has scored this one-of-a-kind exhibit of works from Paris’ Picasso Museum, which is closing for renovations.