Traveling Fool

I had a wonderful Sunday out last weekend with my pal and we attended the "Keith Haring: Art is for Everybody" exhibit at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. The exhibit runs through September 8, 2024, and I really recommend it to anyone interested in pop art. I was familiar with Haring's work, as in I knew the name and recognized some of his art, but I was not an expert or very well-versed in his career, but there was something about what I did know, that made me want to know more.  The exhibit covers Haring's career, which was a lot more than painting, or even just painting on canvas. He created and performed in performance art with dancers; he collaborated with rappers; he made sculptures and videos; worked with kids at a residency at the Walker; and he made protest paintings and other artwork to raise attention to growing AIS/HIV crisis in the 1980s.   In addition to paintings, there are various three dimensional art works, music videos featuring Madonna and Gra...

  Posts, and events worthy of a post, have been far and few between, so I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to have something so wonderful to post. The Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit is making it's way across the country and is in the Twin Cities through the end of October (it was recently extended). It is a beautiful digital presentation of Van Gogh's works, like Sunflowers, Starry Night, The Postman , various self-portraits choreographed to a soundtrack that includes Edith Piaf, Thom Yorke and other atmospheric pieces, classic and modern.  The exhibit is in a great warehouse space on Central Avenue in Minneapolis. We availed ourselves of the valet parking in the front of the entrance and had our masks and electronic tickets handy and walked right in. The tickets are for a specific time, and my friend got us premium tickets which included a seat cushion, which we turned in at the end for a groovy poster from the exhibit. Apparently, we were fortunate in that our Minneapolis host ...

I put over 15,000 steps on my pedometer today walking out to The Basilica of St. Mary on 17th Street, and Minneapolis Community and Technical College and then all the way over to the First Covenant Church. Of course, it was probably the hottest day of the summer so far, but probably better than rain. I think I have located all of the pianos. I liked the new locations and some of the designs were very creative. In spite of the construction and detours downtown, I enjoyed tracking them down.  Until next year then. At the Basilica of St. Mary, 17th & Hennepin  This piano had it going on all over, the back, the sides, the seat. It is at 1501 Hennepin on the campus of the Minneapolis Community and Technical College. It was quiet and cool, away from the busyness of Hennepin Avenue. Two young people were playing this piano at the Convention Center.  This was the last one on the list. It's on the side of the First Church of the Cov...

The quest continued this past week as I made my way down Hennepin Avenue, and over to the Gateway District and then to the park area near U.S. Bank Stadium. I was a little disheartened to find that some citizens have decided to use the pianos as receptacles for their trash. Are people that lazy that they couldn't turn around 180 degrees and walk less than five feet to the garbage can? Clearly the answer is in the photographs. As a friend of mine says "this is why we can't have nice things". There some things I said, but this is a family blog, so I'll refrain. I covered a lot of ground on Friday, and it was a spectacular first day of summer. People are pigs. Piano on Hennepin.  The yellow piano below was also used last year, this year it's on Nicollet Mall. It's a tribute to Minneapolis bands and artists.  I had to uncover this one myself. I got some weird looks. And trust me, I was not the weirdest thing out that day. 222 Hennepin Avenue...

Today was a good day, knocked out three more pianos by taking a walk down to the Stone Arch Bridge and the Mississippi River, and shared information on the pianos with some visitors. That was fun. I'm pretty happy with the progress on the pianos, but I still have around 15 to go (I'm not good at math, so it could be 10). I forgot (see how that happens?), I also got a couple of pianos earlier in the week, one by First Ave, and one on 5th Street and Hennepin. First Avenue Ramp A, a new location this year 5th Street and Hennepin A nice walk to the Stone Arch Bridge American Academy of Neurology MacPhail Center for Music There have been one or two Prince-themed pianos each year. Where's one for my Jayhawks? More to come next week. Don't wait too long to get out there.