Day Twenty-Three: Pittsburgh, KS - UKansas Spencer Museum of Art - Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art - Columbia, MO

Kansas has a lot of corn


and you sure don't see that on the back of a truck very often:


I don't know if you can tell, but the "7" and the "5" are peel-on stickers - maybe we could do that in Massachusetts?


The reasons I wanted to visit the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas are twofold: First, my research indicated that they had a Thomas Cole ("In the Simmental, Switzerland", 1843) and a Thomas Moran ("The Morning After (Montauk, Long Island)", 1891), and I wanted to see them, and Second, they have a painting by modern Chinese-American artist Li Huayi "The Silence of the Pines on Remote Peaks", and I certainly wanted to see it! It is not on display, but I met with the Curator of Prints. She was very apologetic and said that because of its size (71" high, 35" wide) and the way it is stored (it is a "hanging scroll" - all rolled up when not on display), I would not be able to view it. This low-resolution image is from their website:


There is a fun piece of modern art - "Violet Persian Set with Red Lip Wraps", 1990, by Dale Chihuly


There is a fascinating etching/engraving by Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778) - a map - "Ichnographiam Campi Martii Antiquae Urbis (Plan of the Campus Martius of the Ancient City)", 1762


You can see that, like almost all maps, it was folded when stored. It is also an engraving, which begs the question: why can't they print another?

But I think my favorite (on display) from the Spencer Museum of Art is "Cloud Shadows", 1890, by Winslow Homer:

and don't be concerned - that God-like creature in the clouds is really not in the original picture!

Quick Note: As I drove through Lawrence, Kansas, THE TOWN WAS HOPPING! I think it is because it is a "college town", and businesses can cater to students/parents/alumni - it was a nice contrast to MANY towns I have passed through (d-e-a-d).

Sometimes I wonder, when they say "ROAD CLOSED", maybe I can get through

and sometimes it really means "CLOSED"!

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri is VERY IMPRESSIVE. High on a hill (many museums are), the grounds are populated with sculptures by Henry Moore


I remember attending an auction at Sotheby's when I was living in New York City. The high point was a Henry Moore sculpture, and a gasp swept the room when bidding topped $1 million (I think it sold for 1.25 million, and applause broke out).

Similar to Wendy's Dad, there was a group of men, a cappella singers from Princeton, and with the marble in the entryway/front hall, they sounded GREAT (and I was able to tell that to their "leader", the gentleman in the orange jacket)


This is one of a trio of "Water Lilies", ca. 1916-1926 by Claude Monet. The other two are at the Saint Louis Art Museum and at the Cleveland Museum of Art - hopefully I can see them too!!


Not to count, but they have

one of Camille Pissarro's "bright/colorful" paintings (the kind I like from him),
another Claude Monet,
a Vincent van Gogh,
a very nice Chinese "mountain landscape" hanging scroll by Xu Longsen ("The More Transparent, the Weightier", 2012),
a Jacob C. Ward ("Natural Bridge, Virginia", ca, 1835),
a Thomas Cole,
an Asher Durand,
two by Martin Johnson Heade (including one of his "salt marsh" pictures),
an impressive John Kensett ("A Woodland Waterfall", ca. 1855-1865),
a Winslow Homer,
a beautiful "Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives", 1870 by Frederic Edwin Church,
two Painting by Thomas Moran ("Venice, the Grand Canal with the Doge's Palace", 1888-1889, and "Grand Canyon", 1912),
a Floor Lamp from Tiffany Studios,
a special Rodin exhibition,
a Jackson Pollock (from 1952),
and an Andrew Wyeth.

But I think my favorite pic is of this guy standing between the Church and one of the Moran's (or at least that is what my wife would say)


I stayed at the Super 8 in Columbia, Missouri, and that town was ALSO HOPPING! It is the home of the University of Missouri, which gets me back to my thinking that educational institutions are real "drivers" of local economies, at least here in the US in 2013. I had a Great meal out at the Texas Roadhouse - sat at the bar, half-rack of ribs, 9 tvs around me (baseball, football, and hockey), and the music blasting!

Apology: the Super 8 I stayed in over the weekend did not have any internet connection, so these postings have gotten postponed/bunched up

Friday, Oct. 4
Super 8, Pittsburgh, KS
2 hours -- UKansas Spencer Museum of Art, Lawrence, KS
1 hour -- Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO
2 hours -- Super 8, 3216 Clark Lane, Columbia, MO

here is today's playlist:

Jamie Cullum - The Pursuit


Fr. Tim Clayton - 9/29/2013 sermon "Renunciation or Stewardship"


Jackson Browne - Late For The Sky [from last night's viewing of Bruce's speech]


Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin (1st album) [LOUD - still sounds great - I still remember dancing at the EYC Tennis Club to the Leaves of Grass (a band from Oak Bluffs) playing "How Many More Times"]


Johnny Cash - The Legend of Johnny Cash [lyrics to "I've Been Everywhere" are below]


David Bowie - Let's Dance


lyrics to "I've Been Everywhere"

I was totin' my pack along the dusty Winnemucca road,
When along came a semi with a high an' canvas-covered load.
"If you're goin' to Winnemucca, Mack, with me you can ride."
And so I climbed into the cab and then I settled down inside.
He asked me if I'd seen a road with so much dust and sand.
And I said, "Listen, I've traveled every road in this here land!"

[Chorus:]
I've been everywhere, man.
I've been everywhere, man.
Crossed the desert's bare, man.
I've breathed the mountain air, man.
Of travel I've had my share, man.
I've been everywhere.

I've been to:
Reno, Chicago, Fargo, Minnesota,
Buffalo, Toronto, Winslow, Sarasota,
Wichita, Tulsa, Ottawa, Oklahoma,
Tampa, Panama, Mattawa, La Paloma,
Bangor, Baltimore, Salvador, Amarillo,
Tocapillo, Baranquilla, and Perdilla, I'm a killer.

[Chorus]

I've been to:
Boston, Charleston, Dayton, Louisiana,
Washington, Houston, Kingston, Texarkana,
Monterey, Faraday, Santa Fe, Tallapoosa,
Glen Rock, Black Rock, Little Rock, Oskaloosa,
Tennessee to Tennesse Chicopee, Spirit Lake,
Grand Lake, Devils Lake, Crater Lake, for Pete's sake.

[Chorus]

I've been to:
Louisville, Nashville, Knoxville, Ombabika,
Schefferville, Jacksonville, Waterville, Costa Rica,
Pittsfield, Springfield, Bakersfield, Shreveport,
Hackensack, Cadillac, Fond du Lac, Davenport,
Idaho, Jellico, Argentina, Diamantina,
Pasadena, Catalina, see what I mean-a.

[Chorus]

I've been to:
Pittsburgh, Parkersburg, Gravelbourg, Colorado,
Ellensburg, Rexburg, Vicksburg, Eldorado,
Larimore, Admore, Haverstraw, Chatanika,
Chaska, Nebraska, Alaska, Opelika,
Baraboo, Waterloo, Kalamazoo, Kansas City,
Sioux City, Cedar City, Dodge City, what a pity.

[Chorus]