After the big trip to De Smet we are staying put for a few weeks. Originally, we had planned a trip to Oklahoma to see my side of the family. The 100+ temps, wildfires, price of gas and motels, etc. influenced our decision to stay put until our next camping trip (yes, I'm giving tent camping another try).
With several destinations on our in-town summer bucket list, we are opting to try some weekend stay-cations.
Take the Walker Art Center, for instance. We had never been, so we decided to give it a try after learning that admission is free every first Saturday. Yes, I know it's a modern art museum, but I've learned to appreciate some modern art. It's not my favorite, but like modern orchestral music, sometimes I can at least understand and appreciate where it's coming from. So off we went to give the Walker a try.
Oh my. I am very sorry our family crossed the threshold of the Walker. Not a family-friendly place. We made our exit and crossed the street to the Sculpture Garden and spent a few hours there amongst iconic images well known to Minneapolitans.
Actually, before we crossed the street to the Sculpture Garden we were handed a plastic bag along with an invitation to select organic produce from a bus - for free!
I am still amazed by this food share project known as Sisters Camelot.
Before long, the kids spotted The Pedestrian Bridge that crosses over I-94 to Loring Park.
Little did we know that an art festival was taking place! A few booths drew me in, and by the time I felt like we should be moving along it occurred to me that I might ask permission to take photographs to share with readers on my blog. All of the artists I asked were more than happy to let me do this! So here they are, my favorite three:
Martina Celerin's Dimensional Weavings
Aren't these an amazing blend of weaving and wool felting? I learned from poking around her website that Martina is a native of Prague, educated in Canada, and currently resides in Bloomington, Indiana. Her art reminds me of Salley Mevor's Felt Wee Folk and Pocket Full of Posies fabric relief only on a large scale.
A neighboring booth held these intriguing little dolls by Betsey Harries of Sweetgrass Trading Company in Virginia, MN. My girls were especially fascinated by the description of each doll's personality and the details of costume, right down to the necklace each doll wears.
A third favorite booth that drew me in like a magnet was Garden Papers by Thomas Siciliano of Eden Prairie, MN.
These are actual flowers and herbs embedded into handmade papers, and the flowers are hand painted so the colors will not fade.
Gorgeous!
After we had our fill of the art fair we headed over to Our Lady of Lourdes for the 5:30 Saturday Mass. This is the beautiful little French Church in the St. Anthony Falls Historic District. The visiting priest was a Crosier who told some hair-raising tales of missionary work in Papua New Guinea and the Congo.
A beautiful end to a beautiful day.
Next up: Valley Fair!
