Visitors from Hiroshima

This past weekend, my church (All Souls Unitarian) welcomed a delegation from the Roshi Kosei-Kai (RKK)  Hiroshima Dharma Center. Some of us had visited them in August 2014 and experienced the "radical hospitality" of this Buddhist congregation.

The Japanese guests arrived Friday afternoon (November 6) and we had a welcoming reception for them at All Souls Church.  I met the tow guests who would stay with me in my home and I instantly liked them.  They are a couple--Yoshinobu and Kaori Takayama.  I didn't take as many pictures as I wish I had, but above is a picture of them at my house for dinner.  They are on the left.  As you can see, Louisa's family joined us.  We also had an interpreter, Davon Collins, who is in the next picture:

Before the dinner, we went to the National Arboretum and viewed a bonsai that had survived the Hiroshima bomb and was donated to the Arboretum during the Bicentennial.  Other members of the Japanese delegation joined us, and I was charmed by how they posed with this precious bonsai.

The author of a book (The Peace Tree:  The Little Tree With the Big Story) about this bonsai also joined us.  That was fun because she had done a lot of research and was very knowledgeable about its history.

On Saturday, the Japanese guests had a bus tour of Washington DC and then we joined them at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum (Udvar-Hazey campus) to see the Enola Gay.  We had a little time to reflect on peace and reconciliation.  I had never been to that museum, and found that it was very interesting--well worth going back again.  It was special to share this moment with our Hiroshima guests, one of who is a survivor of the bombing and many of whom had family members affected.  This is a picture of the Enola Gay.

The plane is large, and dominates the area where it is displayed, but it evokes a lot of shame and grief from me.  We reunited with the Takayamas and took them to their hotel that night.

The church service on Sunday morning was very moving.  Reverend Rob Hardies, our minister, and the Reverend Kotaro Suzuki gave a joint sermon on "Peace in the World, Peace in the Heart."  The reality of Hiroshima is that it gave impetus to those who fully understand the threat of nuclear war to refuse to endorse any use of nuclear weapons.  The issues are too complicated to address here.  The texts of both sermons will be available on the All Souls Church website.  Here's a picture of Reverend Suyzuki in the pulpit:

You might recognize him from the picture with the bonsai at the arboretum....and also because he looks like Colonel Sanders!   His sermon was very moving because he brought the truth of Hiroshima to us.

After the services (there are two each Sunday) we had a program about "Peacemaking, Nuclear Disarmament, and Nuclear Non-Proliferation."  It included a talk from the hibukusha (survivor of the nuclear bomb) as well as others involved in current activities regarding peace.  Again, too much information to put into a blog....but, if you are interested, google "Peter Kuznick, Ph.D. and Director of the Nuclear Policy Institute at American University; Bruce Knotts, Director, Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office, UUA; and/or Kevin Martin, Executive Director, Peace Action--National.  I heard the presentations but had to miss the discussion because I had to help set up for a Thanksgiving dinner for our guests.

The dinner was a fitting end to a great weekend.  We had turkey and all the fixings plus more pies than could be consumed.  There was a band and the Hiroshima guests sang some songs.  I was particularly enchanted by Kaori Takayama using hand signs when the group was singing.  

It was a good weekend, filled with the hope for Peace that is typical of the people of Hiroshima.  My hope is that I can visit them again and that my Japanese will be better. 

Understanding Contemporary Art-From Pop to Pluralism

This was actually my favorite class of the current Art History series, and I almost didn't make it.  I had been sick and hadn't been looking at my calendar.  I got a message that the class was starting 10 minutes before it was scheduled.  It is about 20 blocks from my house, and there is no parking in the area.  I have walked, but I didn't have time for that.  The Metro would take a little over 30 minutes.  I called Uber. The driver was here in 2 minutes, BUT many downtown streets were closed for a marathon and my driver could not get through to the area where the class was being held.  He kept trying to find alternative routes, but couldn't get through and he finally had to leave me at a stop where I had an eight block walk.  I am still glad I made the extra effort.

I arrived 45 minutes late.  The outline at the reception desk was very good and so I could pick up right away.  It seemed I hadn't missed much.  The lecturer, Dr. Nancy Heller, started with Pop Art.  Andy Warhol was on the screen when I came in....Campbell soup cans.  Of course, there was also some Marilyn Monroe stuff.  The message, though, is that what we take as everyday stuff is art if we choose to look at it that way. We then went into Roy Lichtenstein and I learned that those dots I find so interesting in his work are called Ben-Day dots.  In comics, they were used as transfers, but Lichtenstein painted them all individually.  I had never really thought about that. She also talked about Claus Oldenberry and some others.  Oldenberry is the one who did the huge typewriter eraser at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden.  It is one of my favorites though, of course, they are obsolete.

When Ms. Heller went on to discuss Minimalist Art, I learned how to look at something that seems to be nothing and appreciate it...even if I don't actually like it.  She was very frank in her discussion of "white on white" particularly the work of Robert Ryman.

Ryman worked in a square format, with white paint, and used the framing or hanging elements as part of the composition.  I am still not sure I like it....but I see that a minimalist approach has a place in art discussions.  Ms. Heller shared a memorable quote about work like this, "What is that supposed to be and why isn't it?"  I didn't get the source of that quote, but find it very useful!!!

We also spent some time on Ellsworth Kelly and Gene Davis.  I learned that Davis was interested in the intervals between colors.  Since this class, I was at the Smithsonian American Art Gallery and found my new way of looking to be very useful....and calming.  Davis painted vertically rather than horizontally because horizontal work would invoke landscape comparisons, and he didn't want that.

The term "Pluralism" refers to the fact that a lot of different types of art started being produced in the sixties and seventies.  There were several movements, not any one category.  For instance, Chuck Close was (at that time) painting very realistic portraits that almost looked like paintings, but were huge.  It is referred to as photo realism.  Audrey Flack also painted in a photo realist style, and did still life paintings that have references to vanitas paintings---they are focused on the idea that "beauty fades" and incorporate flowers and fruit that are fading, clocks, and things like that.  Her work is also very large.

The work of Duane Hanson was also discussed.   His work is life-sized body casts that are set in everyday scenes.  The one at the Smithsonian American Art Museum is of a woman eating.

  

I recently saw that this work is undergoing conservation.  It is interesting because Hanson used actual clothes and they of course deteriorate over time and they are trying to determine how to conserve the hair.  I feel like I should check on her regularly.

In the same general era, some graffiti art was considered as legitimate art---examples are Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring.  Keith Haring's work continues to be a source of fun for many.  I particularly like the radiant babies.  Here's an example of one:

There was a good overview of performance art but, of course, that kind of art is temporary.  The artists discussed were Spaulding Gray, Laurie Anderson, Eric Bogosian, Karen Finley and Pat Oleszko.  I think to enjoy performance art....you need to be there when it happens..

Environmental or land art was (and is) a very interesting direction.  A great example is Robert Smithson's installation of the Spiral Jetty in the Great Salt Lake.  It became submerged and was thought to be lost, but now has resurfaced in some spots...though it is now completely different from the initial installation.  Of course, Ms. Heller talked about Christo and his wife Jeanne-Claude.  Christo is still working, though Jeanne-Claude died in 2009.   Christo funds his work by selling preliminary sketches.  Of course, his works are temporary, too.  Here's islands surrounded by pink cloth:

Ms. Heller also talked about directions in feminist art, including Judy Chicago.  Anyone who has ever seen "The Dinner Party" will never forget it, but she has a lot of other interesting work.  

I have actually seen it twice--once in Benicia, CA, and once in Washington DC.  It is impressive.  Each place setting is personalized to a woman Chicago thought important in women's history.  Well, that is an over-simplification.....but this is getting too long.

It was a great day of learning art history...particularly contemporary American art. I am glad I made the extra effort to get there.  In case you're wondering, this was a day-long class.

Congressional Cemetery with Sophia

Last Monday my granddaughter Sophia had no school.  It was parent-teacher conference day.  I had planned to go on the stroll at Congressional Cemetery and so I took her with me.  The weather was a little cold so she was gladly wearing her new jacket.  I think she had more fun than she thought she would.  It is very interesting.

I was particularly interested in showing her a sculpture of a girl with a butterfly.  I didn't get a good picture, but got this one off of the web:

It was taken when the monument was dedicated.  Elizabeth Reeves Eydt died when she was eight years old.  She had been sick for some time.  If you google her name, there is a blog that talks about her hospitalization and suffering.  I don't actually recommend reading it.  It is very sad.   

The statue is very pretty, and the butterfly is golden.   One of the charming things about the monument is the bronzed sandals behind it, as if the girl had left her sandals. 

We strolled around the cemetery and enjoyed the warming day and the clear blue skies.  It is always good to get out and Congressional Cemetery always has something interesting.

Village Hikers on Anacostia Trail

Last Saturday, I went for a hike with Village Walkers.  The photo above shows a few of the hikers on the Anacostia Trail, which goes along the Anacostia River.  It is a long trail, and we only hiked part of it.  This picture was taken at a point where the trail was near the road, but there were stretches where it was just trail.  It is paved and is used a lot by bikers as well as joggers and pedestrians.

We actually met at the local Lincoln Park and then walked East on East Capitol Avenue to RFK Stadium.   We went through a parking area to connect with the Anacostia Trail.  Here's the view of the stadium from the parking lot:

It was a beautiful day!  After we picked up the trail, we got some nice river views.

The view above looks like it was early in the day, but actually it was about 9:30 am.  It was peaceful and we saw quite a few rowers.  I thought about my friend Chantel Sheaks, who regularly rows on the Anacostia.....but she goes out much earlier in the morning than our hike.  In fact, along our walk we saw the boathouses I had visited earlier in the year with Chantel.

As we got close to the Navy Yards, I was excited to see a snowy egret--looking for a tasty treat.  It was good to see such wildlife in the city.   Bill Matuszeski, who is active in watershed restoration activities, briefed us on efforts to clean the Anacostia, including huge pipes to transport the runoff water to a treatment facility instead of letting it go into the River.

We continued along the now-urban trail, through Yards Park and by Nationals Stadium.  There are numerous huge apartment and condominium buildings that have gone up or are going up.  The area used to be virtually abandoned, and now it has restaurants, housing, grocery and drug stores, and (of course) the baseball stadium.  I was particularly impressed with a building designed to reflect the skyline.  The picture does not do it justice.  

We finished up with a visit to one of the new restaurants, Nando's Peri Peri, where we had delicious Portuguese flame broiled chicken and other treats.

It was a beautiful hike filled with a lot of variety.  Thanks to Ed Missiaen for  great work with this group.  We will miss him and his wife Margaret when they move to San Francisco.

Congressional Cemetery Stroll....All Ages Welcome!

It is Thursday already and I am finally posting about the Congressional Cemetery Walk on Monday. It has been a busy week and more blog posts are to come.

We had a full range of ages on the walk Monday.  The youngest was three and the oldest was 93.  Not only are all ages welcome, but everyone is welcome.  It is not necessary to be in the Capitol Hill Village organization or the neighborhood.  No signups are needed.  Just show up at the gatehouse at 9 am.  It is less than an hour's walk and there is a lot of flexibility for some to go faster or slower than others if they wish.

The picture above shows one of Congressional Cemetery's most unusual sights.  It was a donation for the Lummi Nation (Northwest) and is part of a special walkway memorializing the events on September 11.  I heard that it was originally meant for the Pentagon, but could not be placed there.  The plan is for it to be part of a bigger memorial on Kingman Island in the Anacostia River eventually.  I personally think it will fit in better there.  It seems a little out of place at Congressional Cemetery.  It was carved by Jewell Praying Wolf James and has a lot of symbolism.  The two poles are called healing poles and signify Liberty and Freedom.  The crossbar is for sovereignty.  It was carved from a single Western ceder tree.

It was a beautiful day and we all marveled at the glorious blue sky and the clear air....not so much humidity.  Fall is here.

American Art--Landscapes

I began a new art class through the Smithsonian Associates today.  It should be very interesting.  The first session was on landscapes....primarily the Hudson River Valley School.  I would like to have seen a broader approach, but the time frame is pretty tight.  The class lasts 1 hour and 45 minutes.  It seemed to me like she could have covered a lot more than she did.  Evidently, I was was not the only one disappointed.  I got a message this morning that her presentation was not up to Smithsonian Associate standards and another instructor will be in charge for the next three sessions.  There is also a tour at the American Art Gallery and it will also be the new instructor.  I just found it amazing that they acted so quickly.

I still did learn from the class.  The painting above is by Thomas Cole and is commonly known as "The Oxbow."  It is a a post-thunderstorm view of Mount Holyoke in Northampton Massachusetts.  It is classic because it shows the American landscape painters were interested in the wildness of the American landscape and also concerned with the impending settlement and loss of that wildness.  This painting, completed in 1836, shows both.  It is also interesting to juxtapose the damage to the tree at the left front with the damage by clear-cutting in the valley view.  The storminess on the left with the relative calm on the right also is interesting....not to mention, of course, the interesting configuration of the river flow.  The original is on display in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

We did also learn about Alfred Beirstadt, and his "monumental" work.  However, the instructor was wrong about how he funded his work.  She said he had patrons, but a guy sitting by me pointed out that he primarily held exhibitions and charged entrance.  He encouraged people to use magnifying glasses to look at the work and generated a lot of interest in landscapes and in the West.  The instructor conceded that was true.  I will be interested in how many are in the second class.  The first class had about 60.

There are three more classes, but we have to cover all of American Art....so I am not too optimistic that there will be more on landscapes, but I will continue to explore it on my own.  I love the California impressionists and also am a fan of Wayne Thiebaud's San Francisco views.  Thiebaud is known for cakes, but I love his landscapes.  Here's some Thiebaud "eye candy" but not cakes.

Wayne Thiebaud Ripley Street Ridge

This painting sold for over 1 million dollars in 2009!

I am not sure, but I think this image is reversed from the original.  More research needed for that.  I think I have seen it at the National Gallery of Art earlier this year.  Always more research needed!

Weekly "strolls" at Congressional Cemetery

I have been meeting up with a few friends for a stroll in Congressional Cemetery for a few weeks. It's a nice group, led by Vira and Bill Sistosik on Monday mornings.  Every week I see something new that I hadn't noticed before.  It really is an interesting cemetery. My plan is to write a post about markers in the cemetery each week that I go.  Some of the people buried in the cemetery are famous...some not so much.  The other interesting thing is that quite a few of the markers are for people who haven't died yet.  I am familiar with that happening in a couple when one dies before the other but, at this cemetery, there are examples where neither has died yet.  They just have reserved a spot--maybe in a special spot or by a special tree. I'll post more about that later.

This week I am featuring a marble cube set an an angle.  It is very artistic, at least I think so. It is for two men, who are both deceased. They were both involved in the arts.

Apologies that the pictures are not better.   Charles Fowler wrote and frequently spoke about the arts and was Director of Natural Cultural Resources Inc.   He was a champion of arts in education.


Kenneth Dresser was also very involved in the arts.  I learned that the reference to his creation of artistry that "enchanted millions" referred to his creation of the Electric Light Parade at Disneyland, the Water Pageant at Epcot and the Fantasy of Lights at Calaway Gardens in Georgia.  I have seen the Parade in Disneyland but not the other sights.

We walked all through the cemetery and it was a beautiful day.  I plan to go again next Monday.


























These men were obviously very connected to each other and left a marker that remembered their lives  together and their relationship.

Oh, yes, I will talk in the future about some of the more traditional headstones, but this one spoke to me because the headstone itself is very beautiful.