Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the Lord and did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. And the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook. (NIV) (2 Kings 18:5-7)
VIEWS OF A FARM BOY
I'M OUTTA HIBERNATION
It has been cold in Iowa and I have not had many winter adventures. I decided it is time to get out and see some of the things happening around town. I am going to invite you to join me.
APRIL--2018
I like to check out the temporary art exhibits at the Polk County Heritage Gallery--located in the lobby of the Polk County Administrative Office Building, 111Court Ave. in downtown Des Moines. It often displays unique collections by Iowa artists and this month certainly fits that description. Take a peek at the pics--then I will tell you why "It's All Connected."
This cold-windy Iowa winter actually worked out to my advantage. It gave me the incentive to stay indoors, read, relax and catch up on some projects and activities I had planned to do earlier in my retirement years. But now spring is here and I feel like I'm back in my element--these are some of the new happenings around Des Moines the past 30 days. Like I said--I have had a good indoor winter, but now it is springtime and I am glad to be out of hibernation.
This month (February 19-March 23, 2018) the Polk County Heritage Gallery exhibit features this unique industrial art exhibit by Brian Bickel, Pleasant Hill, Iowa. Each piece is put together with pre-purposed hardware fittings. I think each piece is connected into a beautiful and powerful work of art. Now you see why "It's All Connected."
PUMPKIN LARGE
IT'S ALL CONNECTED
GYRE of WANDERLUST
THE Pappajohn Sculpture Park in downtown Des Moines ranks very high on my favorite places to visit. I get very excited when I hear about a new piece that meets the criteria to join the family of fine sculpture art already on display. Here's the news--a new art sculpture called "Pumpkin Large" (created by sculpture artist Yayoi Kusama) is about to take up permanent residence at the park. Today, February 27, 2018, is moving day and I was there before the crane and the big pumpkin arrived. Let's see what's going on!
This is my kind of day--cool and sunny--and out on a new adventure. Let's follow the sequence of events. When I first arrived the pedestal was there but no pumpkin. Now the big crane is on the scene moving the sculpture on to a temporary platform. The skilled team of workers drilled holes in the concrete which would secure the steel pins. The crane did the lifting and the work crew supervised the transport of the sculpture to its new home. Pumpkin Large--welcome to Pappajohn Sculpture Park. You are a real complement to our community. We hope you enjoy your new home and will be there for centuries to come.
Wanderlust is an exhibit at the Des Moines Art Center--February 17-May 13, 2018. Actually the full name is "Wanderlust: Actions, Traces, Journeys, 1967-2017." It is billed as an "exhibit of artists stepping out of their studio and creating art in the world." It is an interesting collection of photographs, drawings, sculptures and other art media--but I'm not going to spoil your fun as I think you should explore it yourself. Therefore, I am just going to show you one thing called "Gyre ."
This junk art display by Marie Lorenz, hangs down three stories in the atrium of the Richard Meier Building at the Des Moines Art Center. I think Marie must be the epitome of a wandering artist--as she has traveled many waterways around the world in handmade boats. During her adventures she collected 1200 pieces of debris floating in the water. She created molds to create the porcelain sculptures you see here. What a good reminder of the importance of recycling! This exhibit will be on display until May 13, 2018, so it's worth a trip to the Des Moines Art Center. While you are there you might as well "wander around" and see the rest of "Wanderlust."
THE ANSWER
"The Answer Comes When Pressure is On" is a balloon art display by Jami Milne. It was on display at the Des Moines Social Club, March 08-18, 2018. Each of the 164 helium filled balloons sprouts up from the floor. This display represents the number of elementary school shootings beginning with Sandy Hook in 2012, until February, 28, 2018.
Here is the somber reminder this display conveys. As each balloon loses helium and falls to the ground, it becomes a reminder of another child's death in a school shooting incident.
WHAT'S NEW AT THE ZOO?
This morning--Thursday, 03-14-2018--I was watching the 6:A.M. news and it was good news. The new little triplet baby lions at The Blank Park Zoo are 3 months old and would like to introduce themselves with an open house (or maybe and open lions den) today. The gates would be open to the public at 10:00A.M and you will not be surprised that I was waiting at the gate at 10:00A.M. Here they are--it was love at first sight!
RETURN TO HOMEPAGE>>>>>>
Left and right: A protective mother--I am glad I took these pictures through a very thick glass window.