Seattle - coming and going...

On  day one in Seattle (before embarking) The Museum of Flight took our breath away...
planes, planes and more planes, old and new...

'The Newsboy Plane delivers not just mail

 A WW I plane looms overhead

Speed and altitude of an SST

SST- ready for take off to Paris? Naw retired, alas.

And this is the one in which previous Prezzies flew!
The current one has a new AF ONE!





Space Needle and

Monorail  Track

Just a rather eye catching ad?  as seen from above



Seattle Waterfront

 And Dinner at Pikes market

 after all that, we were NOT "Sleepless in Seattle' at all... LOL.

After the cruise a visit to Seattle ART Museum a must, lunch included and strolling back to hotel up and  down those steep streets...good exercise after the cruise, eh?

Protesting - or just gossip huddles?

 Lumiere.. but no son!



African Jewelry and artifacts

Watchdog with key to wind up LOL?









A real stick figure reflected inside the  this coat of many 'dogtags'.



but my real favorites were the "Caterpillar Suits" by South African Artist Walter Oltman

"Leaves" kinda look like waves- but then we saw so many of those!

And last but not least.. some textiles and furniture

Man and Black Square... my tongue in cheek title of these 2 pieces.

And to round it all out... we have to have well rounded trips, don't we?
a Hockey Game by 16-20 years old  'boys' what fun.. full house and - fans there, too, did not like the on ice officials.. all 4 of them (FOUR at a Minor Game?) 
So they screamed THAT chant that Aeros fans here use for opposing goalies....
just hockey lore I guess ;-)!
The Everett Silvertips vs Kelowna Rockets.

Boys - quick on skates, some more so than others.
Goalies lanky and agile.


How the fans feel about him!



Coach Love

Brown

Adam Brown for Kelowna, won the shoot out for them.

Kent Simpson a bit slow in getting up for rebounds, seemed to me

Skaters with promise (in my eyes anyway) Cody Chikie,

good sense of where to be effectively,center of the Rockets;

and of the Silvertips Josh Birkholz (20) , RW , a speedy skater; and Ryan Murray (19) on Defense did quite well in penalty kill.



That one went in past Simpson



 Brown pushing puck out and away and after a OT and Shoot Ourt the Rockets went home with their first win of the season

But as our knowledgeable host (below in deep thinking mode!) said, the Tips have a new coaching staff, lots of new players that need to be welded into a team yet,

and the Rockets had several returning players used to their coaching staff!

Not all is lost, judging from the onslaught of fans waiting in huge lines to get into the shop the TIPS are well liked and supported. I could NOT believe my eyes seeing all that merchandise with Silvertips emblems.. key rings, glasses, hands, sweat shirts, Tees, Jerseys, gloves, scarves, flashlights... you name it was there.

Also  player packets and some even had Kevin Constantine still on it - after all those years - he is not forgotten.

All photos in these three posts by artandhockey

Artful Tuesday

Do You chers readers believe that classical music could be envious of the visual and tactile arts?

Since Better Half and I go to MOFAH often and see the crowds there,  

this question popped into my mind recently.

Thousands throng to Art Museums, gallery openings, and exhibits of stuff..

 but only few attend modern (Schoenberg etal)  concerts and operas. 

Can a comparison even be made? 

Maybe not, because the art world today isn't really like today's musical world.  "Artists" who create a type of art that would be accessible (mentally and fiscally) might be largely self-taught. Their works might be popular one year, but sunk into oblivion the next.  And yet, these artists may be wealthy. They may have fan-zines, be pursued by papparazzi, become famous as talking heads :-)!

Have their own reality shows - LOL!

It's rather true, in music our world appears utterly dominated by what some may call deviant genre -
acid rock, heavy metal, rap, country etc. all presented by ever more outrageously clad - or not clad - performers with voices heavily augmented even completely changed by digital techniques!
True vocal talent is not necessary, methinks. Other talents - sure!

The 'classics' and their so-called inheritors of the classical tradition, have already or may soon become totally unimportant in our today's culture. What culture, you may ask ;-)?
So how come that music ends up in such poor straights?  
Educated people (yes Virginia - these are elitist thoughts) of the past saw equal benefits in attending art museums and concert halls. A rounded education including art, music and literature was seen as the necessary cornerstone for a life! But slowly the Classics became immovably THE classics and any attempts to widen the field was resisted by the fans. Then.

Take JAZZ. This musical form became quite sophisticated and popular after some humble beginnings.

Jazz flourished despite classical music lovers contempt for it. Then.

Now it appears that it, too, has to contend with the same diffidence that the classics encounter.
It is no longer considered a truly popular art form.  It has become 'highbrow' seemingly surviving only through financial support by foundations, arts councils and private entities. As do Opera, Symphony, Chamber Music and such-if lucky. Vide reports about orchestras going bankrupt, opera companies shutting door, recently.

"Highbrow art"- may it be the 'classics' or 'jazz' - becomes of lesser and lesser importance as the 'popular music' turns out to be economically very successful and widespread via the web and other means. And it is this kind of music most people mean when they say "music".
Classic 'modern' music is despised/misunderstood by conservative listeners even more than 'popular music'.
"I can hum popular music, but I can't do that with 'that modern stuff" is heard in the streets.

In opera to me at least, it seems that Mr and Ms. J. Q. Public goes to the movies, watches overabundant TV and has less and lesser imagination.  Everything is pre-chewed for their easy consumption.
In the past Pavarotti and Caballé, etal came on stage, stood still, sang like Gods or Goddesses and everyone was happy.  Today, well...everything must be like a reality show! Duh, really!
Could the reason contemporary art stays en vogue be because there is no true popular alternative?

Could art photography take its place? I don't know.

With digital cameras that almost do everything....
what IS art photography today?

Do people really love modern art? 
Or are most simply too afraid to admit they have no clue what 'modern art' is all about?
I do include art critics in that statement - none want to be seen as pedestrian or philistine or worse, proletarian, when it comes to art - any kind of art.
So they rant and rave, use obscure words of praise in description, but say....little, really.

Do I have to like stuff scattered on the floor?
As so many may...gullible souls!
Well,  I don't - so does that make me what :-).
Some of us still do think as individuals.
And not as lemmings streaming to their death following a 'charismatic' leader!

INSTALLATIONS?HA!
Hmm,  that one at least has some 'humor' - I think :-) although...

But then 'modern' artist could care less as long as Mr. and Ms. Public show up at galleries to buy, right?

There is an old saying from the bible and perhaps should serve as a warning:

 "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall"



Flowers and Art AND UPDATE AEROS WIN game 4!

MFAH had a great idea! It invited garden clubs to display all kinds of plants, flowers and arrangements.

Some arrangements seemed to have been designed for just that painting on the wall.



Baroque Bouquet -Clay Statue

Some flowers are accompanied by 'themed' Photographs.

Roses in front of photos

It was a delightful day at the FLORESCENCE at the MFAH.

What joy for visitors.

Due to the nature of the show, it only is on for one more day-Wednesday!

Until the next time!

Matching arrangements to  paintings?  above and below 





 and on front of museum collections



 

  

Contrast in 3 D  and flat as also in colors

Flowers paying hommage to more Cruz Diaz 's - physicromies installations
totally awesome those, even without the flowers!



Prairie Eco scape

And here are some more photos by artandhockey to tempt you to go see it!


A nod to the permanent MFAH Asian Exhibits, perhaps




Phantasy woodland scape with pond?







Flower Power-wheel and Side mirrors?



2 GOALS :-)! by Aeros

Meanwhile in Peoria

Aeros 2 - Rivermen 1

The Aeros are the winners with a three game sweep!

Now they are coming back for some rest before facing the ?? in the next round.