I love public art projects and all of the murals that are popping up around our town’s Main Street thanks to the Belleville Mural Project, as well as the other, unaffiliated projects that have been inspired by it. I saw this one for the first time when we went downtown for Oktoberfest, and I love it, not only because it’s of one of our area’s most famous bridges, but also because the car parked in front of the building looks like it’s about to drive right across the river!
When we travel, I’m always on the lookout for a cool fountain, and this one in Toledo of rain falling from clouds did not disappoint!
I already shared a look at “Chihuly in the Garden,” the Missouri Botanical Garden’s summer exhibition…now it’s time for a look at “Chihuly Nights,” the special ticketed event they’re hosting Thursday through Sunday nights through August. It was a thrill to get see these beautiful glass pieces lit up as the sun went down!
First, a look at the indoor sculptures that I didn’t previously share, beginning with the pieces hanging from the rafters of the Linnean House:
There are many displays inside the Climatron:
I especially enjoyed the glass Ikebana:
There were also some pieces in the new Emerson Conservatory:
Including some unexpected neon:
We saw the installations throughout the garden at varying light levels…they all looked amazing! The evening events at the Botanical Garden are rare, but they’re some of my favorites, because I love seeing how the light changes as the sun sets!
And finally, a look at an old favorite from a previous exhibition that is permanently displayed at the Missouri Botanical Garden…we don’t usually get to see it lit up by anything other than the sun!
I doubt we’ll have another opportunity to see the nighttime exhibition, but I’m really looking forward to seeing all of this artwork during the day throughout the summer!
On Monday, we visited the new “Chihuly in the Garden” exhibition at the Missouri Botanical Garden, and it’s amazing! We’re looking forward to going back next week to see the displays lit up at night!
Today is the opening day of the “Chihuly in the Garden” glass exhibition at the Missouri Botanical Garden! Chickadee, Ladybug, and I visited the Garden yesterday, and while they were putting a few finishing touches on the displays, for the most part, it looked like everything was ready to go. Here’s a look at some of the outdoor pieces (we’re going to take a look at the indoor glass in the future):
And a closer look at a few of my favorites, starting with a display featuring a boat on the Central Axis:
Speaking of boats, another one appears in the lake in the Japanese Garden:
The pink color of the piece in the Boxwood Garden is lovely, and I also love how it’s displayed:
But the Chinese Garden, which has elegant blue glass, might be my favorite display of all!
Next week, we’re going to “Chihuly Nights” to see the installations lit up…I can’t wait!
One of the things I was most excited about doing when we were at Disney World was stopping at the Contemporary Resort so we could see the Mary Blair Grand Canyon mural:
The mural is 90 feet tall (!!!), consists of 1,800 hand-painted tiles, and took 18 months to create. It is really hard to comprehend just how massive and detailed it is without seeing it for yourself!
Here’s a zoomed-in (and therefore slightly blurry), look at one of the most famous parts of the mural…the five-legged goat. Mary Blair included it reflect a Southwest Native American belief that nothing made by man can be perfect because man is imperfect. This reminded me a lot of the way quilters will often turn a block in their design, and I think it’s a really cool way to acknowledge the beliefs of the original inhabitants of the area the mural represents!
The scenes representing daily life in the Grand Canyon are whimsical and beautiful:
My only sadness (ok, two sadnesses) is that A.) I didn’t have someone take my picture in front of it; and 2.) That I didn’t photograph the signature tile with Mary Blair’s signature on it. I guess I’ll just have to go back and see it again someday!