Spring break or bust!. . .or how I found some culture

Hard to believe that the spring break trip I'd been planning since February has come and gone. In spite of our best intentions, it is never a surprise when some drama interferes with our visit whenever we all get together. Usually it involves the hospital--an untimely flareup of Dave's cellulitis, somebody with a bad cold or me with an imagined heart attack. The exact manner of the drama always eludes us until later when we realize we've been had again! This much-anticipated trip included the last days of our dear Pashka on the earth, an event I kept at bay, at least in my mind, by subscribing to the Scarlett O'Hara school of denial: 'I'll just think about that tomorrow.'

'Enough already with the camera!'

More about the trip, however. Audrey and I met Erica in Washington, D.C. where Georgetown was on spring break. We had perfect weather--cool with bright blue skies, some sprinkling of early spring crocus and daffodils as well as the tentative first blush of the famed cherry blossoms. It only rained once, my last day. No need to explain that we ate our way around the city for 4 or 5 days, mostly ethnic choices like Afghan, Indian, Native American, French and really wonderful pizza. Deciding we needed to get our culture not just from yogurt, we visited the new Katzen Art Center on American University campus, Erica's alma mater. We saw an exhibit of Chicago Imagist Roger Brown's work from the late 1960's and a large showing of mixed media of southern artist William Christenberry. The Katzen is a full service venue: dance, art gallery/peformance art space, interesting design, and lots of windows.




William Christenberry 'Untitled', June 11, 2006

Roger Brown, 'Lake Effect,' 1980

Roy Lichtenstein 'Brushstroke' sculpture, Hirshhorn Museum

Ellsworth Kelly, Red White, 1961

Another day we visited the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn art museum. Audrey wanted to see an exhibit of current oil paintings by Brooklyn artist Amy Sillman. These were large, colorful (read: atomic orange, green, turquoise!) with a style that reminded me of Richard Diebenkorn. We also saw small Calder mobiles all in one room, seemingly suspended in air and real life Ellsworth Kelly.

P', 2007 by Amy Sillman

Next installment will include the Native American Museum where I got the 'discount' without even asking!