Isabel Stewart Gardner Museum

My friend, Mark Slawson, organist at 2nd. Parish Church in Hingham, and with whom I have performed many times, said he had not been to the Gardner since it was renovated, so off we went.
It is one of the darkest museums ever, but using my I-phone, I took a few rewarding shots.

I focused more on furniture and objects, mostly because so many of the 

paintings are so dark, I would need a good camera and tripod to succeed. 

One of the many monumental fireplaces.

A ceiling

I found more Islamic art this trip than before.  

Islamic (helmet)

Islamic

A rare painting with enough light to do it justice. 

This is a Botticelli

A table top inlaid with ivory

Some wallpaper

One of many huge tapestries

detail of above

Islamic

I think this was Mark's favorite

Islamic

Islamic

The Gardner is such a precious place.  Even though it is hard to see inside, the rewards of 

constantly finding treasures everywhere is truly a gift to Boston.  

The furniture is worth a visit alone. 

The orchids are real! (I had to ask)

They are rotated out into light on a regular basis.

There are hundreds of them.

Cheeky kid (get it? get it?)

Currier Gallery, Manchester, NH

A superb small museum, and an exceptional permanent collection.
I was up in Manchester  to meet with Barbara, Bill, Matt, Katie, and friends, and I stopped by the museum first.
Here is some of the collection.

Peter Voulkos

"Anstom"  1973

Rick Ayotte

Rafael Lozano-Hemmer

"1984x1984"  2014

"Big Brother is Watching You"

The lighter figure is myself, caught by camera and inserted in the image.

Faig Ahmed

"Siddharta Goutoma"  2017

I simply can't imagine how this was done.  The carpet on the wall is real, but

as it decomposes, the colors wind up as flowing rivers of color.

How did he do that?

Betty Woodman

"Janome Pillow Pitcher"

Theodore Roszak

"Cradle Song"  1956

Hannes Beckmann

"Ruine" (Ruin)  1935

Hans Otte Orlowski

"The  Proud One" (Die Stolze)  1931

Ethan Murrow

"Hauling"  

Ethan Murrow has taken the bare walls of this room at the Currier, and using a 

Sharpie pen, had created these very large works on the walls.  

It is fascinating, and brilliant. 

(detail)