Places matter to us and what happened there. I know one family of you spent time in Scotland, a place I can picture. Another of you have summered in Bend, Oregon, maybe not as exciting except for a just walking granddaughter. On the over the top list is the group who went to the Oberammergau Passion Play, a memory of traveling some of us share. My addition to the list is four days in New York, exciting enough to give worth, as well as an escape moment, to Houston in July 2022.
The decision to be in New York came slowly over the spring. I know Winslow Homer as an American artist and like his work on New England seascapes that depict foaming surf and windy beaches so that the smell of salty air is almost real. The MFA mounted an exhibit of his work this summer. I kept clipping articles on the offering and sending them to middle son until it seemed almost imperative to say, “We need to go!” We chose a time and he became a trip organizer. He planned how to get there and also printed out all background material from MFA. We felt we had taken the course Art 101 in Homer.
Tied into the trip were a visit with long time friends in Hoboken who provided some transportation and a meal. You read last week about Central Park time. Add to that hitting gongs in the Reuben, an offering of Himalayan art, and a spontaneous visit to an art studio in Chelsea.
First and foremost was the MFA at 9:00 on Thursday morning. The second floor entrance was constructed to frame The Gulf Stream, the centerpiece of the exhibit. Doug had written to the curators to tell how helpful their presentations had been, and they came down to offer some more background about various pictures. For almost three hours we moved slowly among paintings, savoring how each was unique yet all alike. To be the creators of these was not our gift, yet they gave to us another of the blessings that God offers through individuality.
6 “And I, indeed I, have appointed with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you:
Exodus 31:6
Let Me Tell Ya 