Uncomfortable Art

The setup tonight at Orchestra Hall for the Minnesota Orchestra and a 90-voice choir. It’ll take time to process a piece written in 2015: “Seven Last Words of the Unarmed,” the last words of seven Black men who were killed by authority figures.

International Style

On my cycle ride, stopped to walk around the outside of this abandoned grain elevator to take in its undulating form. Silos like this started to be built in the early 1900’s. Their forms strongly influenced the International Style that emerged in the 1920’s and 1930’s. I’ll miss this bold structure when it’s replaced with… Continue reading International Style

Minimalist Website Design

Deployed a new version of tomwilson.com. It may not looks so different, but under the hood it’s a modern approach to WordPress. I was motivated by “Less is More.” “Less” turned out to be more work. Next up: fix loose ends, Search, and improve Mobile Responsiveness.

Categorized as Design

Settling in One Place for a Month

This winter we stayed in an apartment in Palm Springs for a month. Until this year, we’ve never settled in one place for that long when traveling. The number one reason we went to Palm Springs is easy access to hiking trails: we walked to mountain trails right from our front door. The daytime temperatures… Continue reading Settling in One Place for a Month

Shut Off Your Phone

Capped off the day with a short concert by the Minnesota Orchestra. Here, they’re warming up, and the “shut off your cell phone announcement” has yet to be made.

Categorized as Arts

The Tempest

At the Guthrie tonight, a violent storm was followed by a lesson for our times. In The Tempest desire for revenge became compassion for adversaries.

Categorized as Arts

Helpful Art Gallery Meal

While Dwight volunteered at the U, I took in David Hockney at the Walker, ready to like everything. Reminded, yet again, likes and dislikes are fluid and ultimately irrelevant. His pool scenes are easy to like; other works take effort and openness. IPA in the restaurant helped.

Categorized as Eat, Arts

Consistent Vibe

The last day of Modernism Week in Palm Springs: visited five recently remodeled homes. This home retains some original 1957 features, including the fireplace. The homeowners have gone for a consistent mid-century vibe with furniture choices. Nice, but I prefer to mix it up a bit.

1955 Cree House

Walked through architect Albert Frey’s 1955 Cree House. The appliances are original and still working; the refrigerator is behind the three upper doors to the right of the range. The house is perfectly aligned to minimize the effects of the sun’s rays. It’s still privately owned.