Safari #29: Boston Waterworks Museum

Today, I visited the Boston Waterworks Museum to learn more about the history of Boston's municipal water system.  The museum itself was once the high service pumping station responsible for pumping nearly 15 million gallons of water per day to the residents of Boston.


In the mid-1800's as Boston's population continued to grow, the need for clean drinking water also increased.  Pollution, industrial waste, and disease were all threats to general health.  The pumping station and associated network of reservoirs helped to provide residents with clean drinking water - straight from the tap.

If you have visited Trinity Church or the Boston Public Library, key aspects of the museum's design will appear somewhat similar.  Built during Boston's Golden Age, the museum and nearby grounds incorporated city planning, beautiful architecture, and natural materials.

I'm fairly certain that your reaction upon first glance at the pumping system will be exactly the same as mine.  It is an awesome and beautiful sight to behold.

Good to Know:

• Free Admission.  Admission is free to all visitors but donations are always welcome.
• Enjoyable Multimedia.  Interactive kiosks provide an amazing overview of the museum's history from engineering, architecture, and clean water health.   
• Convenient Location.  The museum is near 3 Green Line routes (B, C, and D) and the 86 bus.  There are also a number of restaurants located in the area.
• Take a Walk.  The Chestnut Hill Reservoir is conveniently located right across the street.  One lap is about 1.6 miles.

Safari #28: Boston CyberArts Festival - Trace with Me

On Saturday April 30th, a friend and I visited Zsuzsanna V. Szegedi’s installation “Trace with Me :: An Audience Participatory Performance,” part of the larger Boston CyberArts Festival, at the SubSamson gallery in the South End. 

In this exhibit, Zsuzsanna wanted to explore the idea of tracing a piece of art and then allowing others to attempt to re-create the piece with trace paper.  To trace the work, Zsuzsanna recorded her movements and then used glowing dots to mimic the movement of her hands.  The glowing dots were projected onto trace paper, allowing participants to follow the dots and recreate the image.

In the end, we saw many different images in our drawing, and in the process of creating, we saw first hand the role interpretation plays in the viewing and understanding of art.  The fact that we used different colors and shading techniques took our piece in an entirely different direction.

Even though I’m curious to know what Zsuzsanna’s original piece was, I don’t think it matters.  We created meaning for ourselves in this process, and perhaps this is what she had in mind.

• The Boston CyberArts festival runs through May 2, 2011.  To learn more, visit http://bostoncyberarts.org.
• Learn More about Zsusanna - Visit her website at http://www.zsuzsanna.com/ to view her works and find information on upcoming shows.  She told us about an exhibit opening June 10th near Fenway that will present the tracing idea to a larger audience.  Stay tuned.

*Special thanks to Jen Flynn, my art partner in crime!

Safari #27: Boston CyberArts Festival - Demo Shows and Chiptunes

The April 24th Demo Show and Chiptune concert, part of the Boston CyberArts 2011 festival, left me in complete awe.  It was truly an experience like no other.  Both visually and musically appealing, the show was a combination of electronic music, graphic design, expert computer programming, and a large dose of creativity.

Demos are computer programs written to exploit the limits of an older computer system such as Commodore 64 or Amiga.  With a restricted file size and other constraints, programmers, graphic designers, and musicians compete to create the best multimedia performance.  Some examples of the excellent work on display:

• Fairlight and CNCD “Agenda Circling Forth” -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5w7Gh7WBjw
• Andromeda Software Development (ASD) “Midnight Run” -http://www.youtube.com/user/TheDemoTube#p/c/9B1F8F30333AE512/36/9W7x6AGm8g4

Chiptunes, a subgenre of electronic music, use video game system sounds, synthesizers, and other sound effects to create music.  Two local groups gave brief performances demonstrating the ability to create music with old Game Boy consoles, synthesizers, and live vocals.

• Bright Primate – Boston-based duo Bright Primate showcased 4 of their most popular songs including both instrumentals and vocals.  Visit http://brightprimate.bandcamp.com/ for more information.
• Attic Bits – This New Hampshire based duo played songs from their most recent album. Visit http://www.myspace.com/thefloppybunchto hear and learn more.

Safari #26: Trinity Church in Copley Square

Just like the Boston Public Library, you may pass Trinity Church in Copley Square on a daily basis without ever thinking about stepping inside.  There are many reasons for you to visit - too numerous to list here.  I will however share two of them - architecture and stained glass windows.    

Architecture.  Trinity Church was the birthplace of a new architectural style known as Richardsonian Romanesque named after architect Henry Hobson Richardson.  Characteristics of this style include a large central tower, polychromatic rough stone, and heavy arches. This style became so popular that it was used as a basis for a number of public buildings in the United States.  It was also the first American architectural style imitated in Europe and Canada. 

Stained Glass Windows.  John La Farge was commissioned as the muralist to paint the interior of Trinity Church.  As the church was being built, stained glass windows were commissioned replacing the plain glass windows.  La Farge felt that some of these windows clashed with his murals, and he decided to design four windows himself.  With these windows, La Farge not only established himself as a stained glass artist, but he also raised the bar for stained glass as an art form.  He was the first to use opalescent glass along with a technique of layering the glass to allow for more depth and richness in the amount of color present.  The overall effect is amazing.  As the light changes over the course of the day, each of his windows takes on a different hue bringing an element of light and movement not found in any of the other windows.

Tips

• Visit the website to find more information about taking a tour.  My tour was with docent Anulfo Baez, who has volunteered at Trinity Church for the past four years.  His tour was informative with a keen eye to the art and architecture. 
• Visit the basement.  Not only is the remodeled basement the location of a gift shop, classrooms and other offices, it also highlights the architectural and structural engineering feats the church overcame to be built in Back Bay.  You can get a small glimpse of the stone foundation which supports the four large pillars in the church.
• Keep your tour booklet and visitor's tag.  These will allow you to gain re-entry.  Be sure to come back as La Farge's largest stained glass piece, Christ in Majesty (pictured above), is soon to be re-installed.  At the time of my visit, it was offsite for a cleaning and light restoration work.
• Attend a Friday afternoon organ concert.  The acoustics in the church were built for music.  Concerts are free every Friday from 12:30 to 1pm.  Seating is limited so plan ahead.

Image Credits - Image of Christ in Majesty borrowed from http://nbmaa.wordpress.com/2010/02/12/collection-highlights-lady-of-shallot-by-john-lafarge/

Safari #25: Mixing It Up with the Boston Shaker

How many times have you had a great cocktail at a bar and wished you could make the same thing?  Enter the sentiments of Adam Lantheaume, owner of The Boston Shaker, who simply wanted to explore his passion for creating amazing cocktails - at home.   Knowing how difficult it can be for everyday consumers to purchase bar quality supplies and ingredients, Adam saw the opportunity for a new boutique store.

Located at 69 Holland Street in Davis Square, The Boston Shaker offers an amazing selection of bar supplies, measuring utensils, stirrers, and the like.  You'll also find a hard to beat assortment of bitters, syrups, and other cocktail accoutrement.

My travels last week brought me to the Shaker's doorstep to attend a Brugal rum tasting (that's Dominican rum for those of you not in the know).  The Shaker offers similar events either in the store or in other spots around town.  The event also featured cupcakes from local Somerville great Kickass Cupcakes (you're missing out if you haven't tasted them before).

Tips:

• Take Classes - Do you want to know more about bitters?  I do.  Visit the website to view upcoming class schedules.  
• Strike up a Conversation.  Adam is knowledgeable and friendly.  Strike up a conversation with him, ask questions and get informed answers. 
• Follow The Shaker on Twitter.  Learn more about special events and other great goings on.

*The Boston Shaker logo graciously borrowed from the website.

Safari #24: New Year's Lion Dances in Chinatown

According to our calendar, we're nearly three months into 2011.  However, if you're looking at the Chinese calendar, the new year began on February 3rd.  In Chinese communities around the world, celebrations have been taking place in the form of festivals and parades.  One such celebration happens every year right in Boston's very own Chinatown.

Firecrackers, banging gongs, and excited crowds drew me to Chinatown to watch the new year's lion dances.  These traditional dances are performed to bring good luck and fortune to local businesses and to showcase the martial arts skills of the lion dancers.  Kung Fu practitioners from local martial arts schools compete in the hopes of receiving a prize from each business.

Vegetables and fruit are left dangling from outside the doors of each business, enticing the lions to visit.   Two dancers perform the dance, with one controlling the head and the other controlling the tail.  Three musicians playing cymbals, drums, and a gong and accompany the lion.  To top it off, a little Buddha escorts the lion as it visits each business throwing firecrackers and causing mischief.

If you're interested in visiting Chinatown for next year's lion dances, here are some tips:

• Drink Tea and Eat Dim Sum.  Since you're in the heart of Chinatown, visit a local restaurant to partake in Yum Cha, which is the tradition of drinking tea and eating small plates of rich foods like pork dumplings, noodles, or chicken feet (if you please).
• Take Your Time.  The dances last all day (typically 10am to 5pm) with different martial arts troupes making their way through the neighborhood.
• Bring Earplugs.  If you're sensitive to loud noises, you may find the firecrackers to be a little intense.
• Check out Banksy's Graffiti.  Update - it's no longer there.  As is the nature of graffiti art, it was painted over.  Yes, the one and only put one of his stenciled images on a wall in Chinatown.  The graffiti is located on Essex St between Washington St. and Harrison Ave.

Safari #23: The MFA's New Wing - in Context

Context is everything - the time, the place, and the setting working together to bring you a well-rounded understanding of an object or event.  I recently visited the new Art of the Americas wing at the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) alongside a docent from Context Travel, a company that specializes in unique tours which do exactly that.

I had the pleasure of taking a stroll through the new wing with Tricia Hastings, an engaging and knowledgeable docent who made the experience of visiting the new wing take on a different dimension. In the three hours I spent with Tricia, I learned more about the museum than all of my individual visits combined.

As a non-Massachusetts native, Tricia's tour of the John Singleton Copley gallery was incredibly informative for me.  While Copley was initially known for his idealized portrait paintings of wealthy Bostonians, his political tendencies came to light in his famous portrait of Paul Revere who appears to foreshadow the coming revolution.  Placed near the portrait is Revere's Sons of Liberty Bowl, which was brought to the MFA thanks to contributions from local school children in 1949.  As a courtesy to young viewers, the bowl has been placed on display at the eye level of a child - a nice touch.

If you're looking for a more than meets the eye view of local art and other Boston sights, be sure to visit Context's website for more information.  With spring just around the corner and potential guests heading to town for a visit, there's no better time than the present to plan your outings now.

Other Thoughts:

• Don't miss the Behind the Scenes Galleries.  These special galleries are located on each floor in the rear of the new wing and offer a more detailed installation based upon a theme from one of the larger viewing rooms. 
• Note the furniture arrangement in the new displays.  To allow viewers to come into closer contact with objects, museum designers created displays that would mimic the interiors of the day including, furniture, textiles, and lighting.   
• Learn more about the MFA's benefactors.  With updated displays and informational kiosks, it's easier than ever to learn more about how the museum acquired its famous pieces and the individuals who selflessly donated them.

*If you have time, visit the 3rd floor of the new wing and view the modern art.  In the photography room, you'll have the opportunity to view my favorite piece - Edward Weston's Pepper no. 30