Sunday, October 31, 2021

Immersive van Gogh (10/31/2021)

Sunday, October 31, 2021
Visiting with daughter, Brynne:
Boris, the cockatiel, stares down Randy, the cat
Boris sits on a knee while Roger, the other
cockatiel, thinks he is staring down Brynne
Remember that there are five versions of van Gogh digital art presentations? On a whim, we decided to check out another version that was showing in Cleveland.
The Cleveland venue was Lighthouse ArtSpace Cleveland
Instead of informative displays about Vincent van Gogh,
the Lighthouse Immersive van Gogh had photo-op sculptures
Sherwin Williams is headquartered in Cleveland,
but van Gogh did not paint from cans
Iconic Cleveland lettering and a version of Stayin' Alive
nine-foot electric guitar from GuitarMania
Kent and Brynne with tube of oil paint
Transition between Piles de champs de blé avec
Moissonneuse/Wheatstacks and Reaper
(1890)
and Meules de blé/Wheatstacks (1888)?
This venue was interrupted by columns within the room,
and the mirrors surounding the columns did not
help improve the immersive feeling (KSS)
This version did project many more of the works of
van Gogh, such as Oliviers dans un paysage montagneux/
Olive trees in Mountainous Landscape
(1889) that morphed
into several versions of olive trees painted by van Gogh
L'iris/Irises (1889)
The irises are starting to morph (KSS)
A video showing the transition from Irises:
The transitions were fast and although more paintings were shown, the views were fleeting. The transitions also did not have the technical innovations of the Philadelphia digital art show.
Champ de blé aux corbeaux/Wheatfield
with Crows
(1890) as seen on
a pillar mirror (KSS)
Hmm, I wonder what the other immersive van Gogh performances are like?

Saturday, October 30, 2021

Bedford, PA III+ (10/30/2021)

Saturday, October 30, 2021
A foggy overcast day...
We are now traveling the former Forbes Road that was blazed through the forests of Pennsylvania in 1758 during the French and Indian War. General John Forbes led an expedition from Philadelphia over the Allegheny Mountains to capture French-occupied Fort Duquesne, at what later became Pittsburgh. Among the British and colonial troops was a young 26-year old colonel with the Virginia militia, George Washington. Washington returned in 1794 to quell the Whiskey Rebellion.
Forbes Road later became part of the Lincoln Highway, the first transcontinental road that began in Times Square in New York City, NY and ended in Lincoln Park in San Francisco, CA. Now much of the Lincoln Highway, especially in Pennsylvania, is designated as US Highway 30.
Dunkle's Gulf Station (1933, by Edward Joseph Weber
in Art Deco style) and is still owned and run by the family
The Coffee Pot (1927, by Bert Koontz)
Jean Bonnet Tavern (c 1762) opened as an inn in 1779,
and was a gathering place for protesting farmers during
the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion, and then was where the
federal troops under George Washington camped
An outbuilding at the Jean Bonnet Tavern (KSS)
Goat paddock at Jean Bonnet Tavern
Near Manns Choice, PA:
Herline Covered Bridge (1902) is a 136-feet long Burr Truss
bridge, the longest covered bridge in Bedford County 
Turner's Covered Bridge (c 1892) is an 89-foot Burr Truss
 bridge with open sides; the Herline and Turner's bridges
cross the Raystown branch of the Juniata River
Turner's Covered Bridge
Colvin Covered Bridge (1894) is a 66-foot long
multiple king post bridge crossing Shawnee Creek
Next in Scheelsburg, PA:
The Pied Piper, the last remnant of a
children's fairy tale park, Storyland (1950s-1980s)
Old Log Church (c 1806 as Union Church) served both
the local Lutheran and Reformed congregations
This appears to be the front of the church
Next, in Shanksville, PA.
Flight 93 Memorial Chapel (1902, as a Lutheran Church)
was started soon after 9/11/2001 and was dedicated on the
first anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks by airplane
Maggie's Tower with an 1860 "Thunder Bell,"
donated by Maggie Hardy Magerko and
Harold Knupp for the first anniversary
Heroes Garden at the Flight 93 Memorial Chapel
in Shanksville, PA
Flight 93 Crew Monument (2006) in Heroes
Garden where there are also benches inscribed
with the names of the passengers on Flight 93
A beam from the World Trade Center was donated for the
dedication of the United Airlines Flight 93 Crew Monument
on the fifth anniversary of 9/11
Coins left on the World Trade Center beam are
collected for maintenance of the Heroes Garden
Children's Peace Garden sculpture was donated in 2008
by the Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania
The Flight 93 Memorial Chapel served as a sanctuary where family and friends of the passengers and crew of Flight 93 could gather to remember and reflect, and for visitors to pay their respects during the ten years before the Flight 93 National Memorial was opened. (We visited the National Memorial on 6/25/2019.)
Today the chapel was closed, but contains all the memorabilia left at temporary memorial sites, plus additional gifts that continue to be received.
Statue (2009) of Jackson the Elephant standing in a
parking space at the Eat 'n' Park in Somerset, PA
Jackson the Elephant was in the circus for 20 years before joining the Pittsburgh Zoo in 1994. He was a prolific sire, leading the zoo to create the International Conservation Center (2007) in nearby Fairhope, PA as a breeding, conservation, and research center. 
This alley leads to the Ravenna, OH movie theater
Stopped for lunch at Guido's in Ravenna, where the
sandwiches can be accompanied by "Jojos" (potato wedges
that are breaded and fried, often along with fried chicken!)

Friday, October 29, 2021

Bedford, PA II (10/29/2021)

Friday, October 29, 2021 (continued)
Continuing the walking tour of the Historic District of Bedford, PA.
Former Common School Building (1859) now houses
the National Museum of the American Coverlet (2006)
A mural inside the Common School Building
Now to explore the National Museum of the American Coverlet.
Barn frame loom and two woven coverlets: the top coverlet
is folded over the bar to show the winter and summer sides
of the coverlet signed Delhi 1848, attributed to Asahel Phelps;
the lower coverlet is also a double-weave blue and white
(1836, by Archibald Davidson for Emily Jenks)
His and Hers double-weave blue and white coverlets
(1848, for Peter Dale and Sarah Dale) with large trademark
blossoms and motifs typical for Bergen County, NJ
A green, red and white coverlet designed with
a four block Lover's Knot variation pattern;
the bottom corners are cut out to
accommodate a four-poster bed
Part of a double-weave blue and white coverlet with a
technically clever "Op Art" design and Space Needles borders
Double-weave blue and white with Cathedral
borders was likely made on a back harness loom
One of the display rooms with loom and coverlets (KSS)
Sample of flax; coverlets were made with
wool, cotton, flax or linen, or a combination
Double-weave blue and white with Tree of Life motif
was probably made on a back harness loom
Double-weave madder, white and indigo with
a Windowpane design including white Roses
in the four corners and a Tree border
(c 1810-1830, attributed to Pennsylvania
German weavers due to the use of color)
Double-weave red, blue and white with
Leopards & Monkeys side border and
grape leaves in the bottom border
(by unidentified weaver in Ohio) (KSS)
Continuing the walking tour of the Historic District of Bedford, PA.
Gump Mansion (1875, for Dr Simon Gump)
Barclay House (1889, in Italianate style with
jerkin-head gable roof and dormer)
Mann House (c 1842-1844, by Solomon Filler,
in Greek Revival style with inset door)
Solomon Filler House (c 1826)
Russell House (c 1816)
Bedford County Courthouse (c 1828,
by Solomon Filler in Greek Revival style) 
Bedford County Veterans Memorial
United States Post Office (1915, by Oscar Weneroth
in Neoclassical style with Tuscan columns)
Man on the Monument (1890) faces
Gettysburg to honor the Civil War dead
Bedford Presbyterian Church (c 1839, by Solomon Filler
in Greek Revival style)
McCauslin Mansion (c 1830)
Former Johnstown Bank and Trust Building
(1915, in Beaux Arts style)
S Juliana Street
G C Murphy Building (c 1875, in Italianate style)
W Pitt Street, including the former Union Hotel (1835)
Fort Bedford Museum (1958)
E Pitt Street with some fall foliage color (on Evitts mountain)
We stayed at Judy's Motel ("PA Dutch") in Bedford, PA
Next: Bedford, PA III+.