As we swung back westward through New Brunswick (NB) inorder to ultimately re-enter the U.S. through Northern Maine, we decided to pay a visit to Fredericton aka the “Freddy”. Freddy appeared to meet our usual city selection criteria — small to medium in size, coffee options, art, live music, bike trails and a city waterfront.
St. John River, Fredericton, New Brunswick
We thought we would need two days but the weather was excellent and so much was happening that we ended up staying four nights; before departing on our wood lands ramble into remote northern New Brunswick (Wood Lands Ramble post coming soon).
Bicycling
A coalition of volunteers (Fredericton Trail Coalition) began to mobilize after the Canadian Northern Railway abandoned a number of lines in New Brunswick in 1989. The first trail was opened in 1993. In 1996, 377 additional kilometers of abandoned railway was donated to the province by the Irving Family allowing Freddy to connect a number of trails and create today’s connected network of over 120 kilometers of trail. A key aspect of the donation was the inclusion of the 906 foot railway bridge that spans the St. John River — connecting the trail systems on both side of the river.
Fredericton Trail Coalition Map
As a result, folks in Fredericton have a plethora of riding and walking trail options. It is not surprising that Fredericton was named Canada’s 6th most-walkable city in 2019, one of 5 “Great Canadian Bike Cities” in 2021 by People for Bikes, and was #9 on Canada’s Best Small Cities as ranked by World’s Best Cities.com in 2022. We took advantage of the trail system and delightful weather to explore a number of the trails during our stay in Freddy.
fika
Combining biking with coffee is a double delight. Mill Town Coffee Roasters is conveniently located on one of the trails and we were able to take a coffee break on our way out and back during each ride. Pretty good, eh!
Street Art
In our humble opinion, public art adds a great deal to a city’s environment. We were glad to find that Freddy has several notable street murals in the downtown area, although we would have loved to find more during our walks through town.
Fine art
Freddy is very fortunate to have, in our opinion, a very impressive art museum, especially in light of the fact that the city population is barely 60,000. Much of the good fortune is owed to the generosity of one Lord Beaverbrook — who in 1959 gifted the museum building and 300 valuable works of art to a museum foundation he created for the benefit of the public. Did we mention that the museum is named the Beaverbrook Art Gallery?
Lord Beaverbrook
The son of a Presbyterian minister in Miramichi, New Brunswick, the future Lord Beaverbrook, Max Aitken, enjoyed early success in Canadian business. In 1910, he left Canada for England, where he was knighted and elected a Member of Parliament, eventually serving as Minister of Aircraft Production in Churchill’s wartime government. No slouch Sir Max!
The museum is noted for it’s collection of renowned Canadian artists but also has works by Dali (not fans but still impressive to see a gallery of Dali paintings in Freddy) and Gainsborough and as well as other internationally acclaimed painters. The Beaverbrook became the official provincial gallery of New Brunswick in 1996.
Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dali (Spanish, 1904-1989) La Turbie: Sir James Dunn, 1949 oil on canvas On Loan from the Beaverbrook Canadian Foundation
Medrie MacPhee (Canadian / Canadienne, b./n. 1953) Locke (1987) oil on canvas / huile sur toile
Carol Hoorn Fraser (Canadian / Canadienne, 1930 – 1991) The Guardians, 1976 oil on canvas / huile sur toile
Lucy Jarvis (Canadian / Canadienne, 1896 – 1985) Iris Swamp (1961) oil on board / huile sur panneau
Montreal-based painter Michael Smith (directly above and below) is known for his fluid and impasto surfaces as well as his ability to strike a poetic balance between representation and abstraction. Inspired by art history as well as historic and current events, Smith pulls from various sources to create his energetic landscapes and seascapes. His Sea of Change series includes massive canvases exploding with colour and energy, as well as smaller studies on paper. These were inspired by a serendipitous encounter with a 19th-century painting of the Arctic expedition ship H.M.S. Terror during his time as artist-in-residence at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in 2018. Layering texture and colour, the familiar with the unfamiliar, Smith’s paintings convey (as the artist writes) “a mix of excitement and anxiety of a land [that] although at times bucolic, is riddled with shadows.” Curated by John Leroux
A little bit of history
We often find that the early history of a city is intertwined with the creation of the dominate religion of the ruling class. Fredericton is no exception to that pattern. The city was named for Prince Frederick,son of King George III and Queen Charlotte. Subsequently, Queen Charlotte declared Fredericton a Cathedral City (even though its population was too small) so Christ Church Cathedral could be built. The Anglican Church at that time was utilized as a way to impose British custom and law (and to counter Acadian Catholicism) on the inhabitants be they British, Acadian or First Nations.
Christ Church Cathedral, Fredericton, New Brunswick
The Cathedral sits on its own park like island of green at the edge of downtown. The surrounding neighborhoods consist of stately and beautifully maintained homes. By many accounts the movers and shakers in Fredericton were members of this parish and much business was conducted and deals made between the businessmen and politicians who belonged here.
We always seem compelled to add a little bit of history (and an opinion or two) when we report on our travels — oh well!
Music
We closed out our stay in Freddy with an afternoon and evening of food and music. The River Jam Music Festival was taking place all around us at our hotel with four or five music acts performing in different areas of the facility simultaneously. We took in a couple of acts, had dinner and camped at the bar (surprised?) to take in the performances in the lobby which ran to midnight. We were treated to primarily traditional music from the Maritimes and the local crowd was up singing along and dancing. So good!
That’s it from Freddy! We had a great visit and look forward to sharing more of our travels soon.
Yes indeed, Halifax was named in honor of George Dunk (1716–1777), Second Earl of Halifax and Chief Lord of Trade and Plantations. We will include more history later in this post to keep our readers on the edge of their seats! We think the photo below provides a good indication of the dramatic nature of this post and will allow you to stop watching The Crown on Netflix once and for all.
We arrived in Halifax in the afternoon fresh from our stop in the photogenic, post card perfection of Peggy’s Cove (no—we don’t know who Peggy was and no one else does either). Halifax is the largest city in the Canadian Maritime Provinces (population apx. 440,000). It’s modern, bustling and growing by leaps and bounds. Construction cranes are visible everywhere you look—there have been between 25 and 35 cranes across the area for the last several years! More on the growth topic later.
Halifax, from the Citadel
Halifax harbor is the second largest natural harbor in the world. Additionally, it is deep and ice free which has helped the port become the fourth largest by volume in Canada. Because one of us is like a child when it comes to big ships, trains, machinery and planes, we ventured to the south end of the compact waterfront to see the intermodal container operation.
Okay lets get to the truely important stuff….street art, fine art, coffee and food…..
Halifax has been home to an annual week-long street mural since June of 2022. We were able to check out some of the murals from the 2022 and 2023 festivals. The 2024 festival will not take place until mid July.
Artist—@BLAZENTATTOO
The festival brings together a mix of local and international artists. Many of the murals are on Quinpool Road, a diverse and lively area of shops and ethnic restaurants.Some of the murals we photographed on our walkabout are pictured below. Some of the murals were difficult or impossible to photograph as they were painted in very narrow alleyways. Still great to see all the work!
In addition to street art, Halifax is home to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia which is a provincial fine art museum. On our second day in Halifax the rains came so we donned our waterproofs and walked down the hill to the museum.
When we visited there were two major exhibitions taking place. We both were enamored of the exhibit of the Trinidadian-Canadian artist Denyse Thomasos (1964-2012). Thomasos began her career as a figurative painter and evolved over time to produce inceasingly abstract work. Thomasos was born in Trinidad and grew up in Canada and studied in Toronto before earning a MFA in Painting and Sculpture at Yale University. Sadly, Thomasos died unexpectedly during a routine medical procedure at the age of 47, ending her brilliant career prematurely.
Self Portrait—Denyse Thomasos
Haligonians are blessed with a plethora of excellent specialty coffee shops spread across the town. We visited five different shops during our four-day stay. We can report that each shop was quite good but each also demonstrated a unique personality.
We had been dining extensively on seafood during our trip—why not when you are touring the Maritime provinces of Eastern Canada where the seafood is ridiculously fresh and delicious? We tend to avoid Italian cuisine (including pizza) when we travel outside the northeastern U.S. However, after several weeks without pasta, a fix was definitely in order. Fortunately, a solution was within our reach at The Bicycle Thief on the waterfront in Halifax.
The Bicycle Thief describes their offerings as North American food with an Italian Soul. Assolutamente! We were able to acquire a late afternoon reservation on a rainy Saturday (after our visit to the art museum). The restaurant was absolutely packed but the service was impeccable and our cocktails, appetizers and entrees were delizioso! Please dine there if you go to Halifax.
There are of course many other things to do in Halifax beside art, coffee and food. The harbor is spectacular and a walk along the boardwalk will provide you with views of several of the small islands situated in the harbor as well as cargo ships, navy vessels and cruiseliners entering and departing Halifax.
The Citadel, which overlooks the city, is a good attraction for history buffs. This fortress is the fourth version to be built on the hill overlooking the harbor. The last and current fortress was constructed by the British in anticipation of a possible attack (1820s) at Halifax by the United States. That of course never happened and none of the four fortresses was ever part of a military conflict. Today the fort is a national historic monument operated by Parks Canada. For more information: https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/ns/halifax/culture/histoire-history/citadelles-4-citadels
Another worthwhile stop on a sunny day is the Halifax Public Gardens. The timing of our visit was a tad early for everything to be in full bloom. Regardless, the garden is an oasis of quiet and serenity in the middle of a bustling city. P.S. added bonus—Apartment3 Espresso Bar is directly across the street from the gardens on the Park Street side.
We mentioned the growth ocurring in the city earlier in the post. The economy in Halifax continues to be robust with significant population growth fueled by emigration to the province. This growth has fueled the need for housing which is clearly under construction. How much of the housing is affordable we cannot say. The one facet of all the growth we did observe is that the city has been increasingly building skyward. Previous height restrictions have been relaxed and zoning seems to be relaxed as well with high rises going up in the midst of blocks once dominated by two story “jelly bean” houses (brightly painted wood frame residences). The view of the harbor from above is now largely obstructed (unless you live in a highrise). Oh well, just an observation by visitors—perhaps without the necessary context. Regardless, an interesting, lively and fun city to visit.
We are off to Cape Breton to explore the beauty and rich culture of the highlands where the “mountains meet the sea”.
We had been in Texas and New Mexico several times prior to our most recent trip, but for some reason had steered around El Paso (EP). Perhaps the timing was just not right or we were concerned about conditions there based on the reporting regarding the immigration issues at the border. Regardless, we were ready to explore EP as part of our OTR 9.0 adventure and draw our own conclusions about the city.
El Paso, Texas and Juarez, Mexico viewed from Scenic Drive
We made the decision to stay in the city and booked a hotel in the University district for three nights. We are glad we chose this area as it enabled us to walk to a number of casual but excellent restaurants and coffee shops dotting the university neighborhood. This was especially nice as EP is a sprawling metropolis that requires some driving in order to explore the city.
Of course, the first entry point for any worthwhile city visit is COFFEE! We were traveling from the east after our recent visit to Guadalupe Mountains National Park, therefore we were able to vector directly to an excellent specialty coffee shop and roaster on the east side of the city. We were most fortunate that the founder and owner of Global Coffee, Erika, sat with us for quite awhile. She shared with us her family history and the ties with Mexico that exist in a border town that has been a major immigration point for centuries(El Paso del Norte). Erika is a delightful and talented young woman and we wish her all the success she deserves with her business and family. https://globalcoffeeco.com/
After refueling we went directly to the tank museum, officially known as the 1st Armored Division & Fort Bliss Museum. The United States Army has had a post in EP since 1849, which has served as an infantry post, a cavalry post, an air defense artillery post and currently operates as a maneuver training post. The size of the Fort Bliss training area (965,00 acres) and its mountainous desert terrain have made it a vital training location for the many forces that have been deployed to the Middle East over the last three decades.
The museum chronicles the history of the post and the units stationed there from the the initial mission of patrolling along the Rio Grande before the Civil War through the current mission of the units stationed within the base. From a Western United States history perspective this includes the Indian Wars and the Mexican Punitive Expedition.
The Indian Wars is an umbrella term for the United States Army prosecution and ultimate decimation of the Native American peoples across the Western United States. The Indian Wars were waged throughout the Civil War until 1890 when the last of the Native American bands were imprisoned or sent to reservations. Many of the actions by the federals were in direct violation of treaties negotiated between the federal government and the Native Americans (standard operating procedure).
Another interesting piece of history is the Mexican Punitive Expedition. Between December 1916 and February 1917 American forces under the command of General “Black Jack” Pershing crossed into Mexico in pursuit of Mexican Revolutionary leader Pancho Villa. Villa had attacked a town in New Mexico killing a number of U.S. citizens. The incursion into Mexico was ostensibly in retaliation for the raid. However, the main motivation was to support the Mexican leader, Venustiano Carranza, whom the U.S. was backing. The Mexican Revolution was destabilizing Mexico and jeopardizing U.S. corporate interests. Pancho Villa had to go! The U.S. Army, however, did not capture Pancho Villa and returned to the U.S. after several skirmishes with Mexican Federal soldiers who greatly resented the incursion into Mexico. An early example of the numerous unsuccessful and unwarranted interventions by the U.S. government in the internal affairs of another sovereign nation! P.S. Pancho Villa survived the Mexican Revolution and was granted amnesty only to be assassinated three years later.
After checking in at our hotel we walked a couple of blocks to have supper at a popular local eatery – The Shack. The restaurant is owned by two brothers – Adrian and Michael Soto – they grew up in the restaurant business working and learning at their mother’s restaurant, Mima’s Cafe. The Shack has a wide array of dishes but we went for the Mexican inspired dishes and had a great dinner at this casual and friendly spot. https://theshackwings.com/
Since our hotel was a considerable distance across town from Global Coffee we opted to try our luck at Casa Cafetzin which was just a five minute drive from our hotel. Erika from Global Coffee had recommended Casa Cafetzin, so we were fairly certain that we would be starting our day on a great coffee and tea note. If we are being honest, we might admit that we would have passed by this cafe due to its location attached to a modest motel. Fortunately, due to the recommendation from Erika, we did not pass up a great coffee and tea experience. Cafetzin was excellent and the baristas were all terrific! Thank you Erika!
After departing Casa Cafetzin we headed downtown for a day of viewing fine art and street art. Our first stop was at the El Paso Museum of Art (EPMA). The EPMA came into existence in 1959 as the result of a large donation of European art by a private foundation. The donated collection became the impetus to build a first class art museum serving the El Paso – Juarez Borderplex. Today the museum houses over 7000 works. The museum has also operated an art school for the last twenty years. Fittingly, the EPMA operates as a bilingual institution, reflecting the heritage and diversity of the Borderplex (75,000 people cross back and forth between El Paso and Juarez on a daily basis).https://epma.art/visit
Artist: Fremont Ellis, El Paso Smelter at Night, 1919
We really enjoyed the portraiture works on display. The painting top left, below, The Telephone Operator (The Weaver of Public Thought), was our favorite. The artist Gerrit Beneker, is probably most well known for the posters he created during World War One in support of the war effort.
The museum’s collection also demonstrates an impressive commitment to diversity and regionalism based on the works on display when we visited. Fritz Scholder (top left, below) is one of our favorites and well known for his insightful depictions of Native American stereotypes. Scholder was a member of the Luiseno tribe.
We were also surprised and pleased to see a portrait, Mrs. Viola Andrews – My Mother (bottom left) by the figurative painter, Benny Andrews. We had the fortune of seeing a number of his works several years ago at the Ogden Museum of Fine Arts in New Orleans (see our post, Fine Art Tourist: Ogden Museum of Southern Art ).
We also enjoyed the works of American art featuring West Texas and the Southwest. The museum has works by El Paso native Tom Lea and many other noted western artists including the self-taught Fremont Ellis.
After departing the EPMA we stopped for some tacos and then went in search of street art downtown. We have included a few of the murals we found there. The art works below are all located on walls on Leon Street, all by different artists.
Dinner was another great find for us, a short walk from the hotel, in the University District. Kaedama serves outstanding ramen dishes! We did not think that we would be greedily shoveling awesome Japanese noodle soup dishes into our faces when we arrived in EP. The business started as a food truck owned by two friends – Garbiel Valencia and Andres Romero – and became popular very quickly. The friends decided to open a brick and mortar location and were able to open relatively quickly in part to an enthusiastic response to a crowdfunding campaign. The restaurant even gathered a visit from Food Network Chef and TV host Guy Fieri while he was visiting EP. A great way to finish day two! https://www.facebook.com/Kaedama915/
Artist: @DEKO_UNO, Kerby Avenue, El Paso, Texas
On our final day in EP, we journeyed across town to visit La Mision de San Antonio de la Ysleta de Sur. The Ysleta mission is the first permanent mission established in Texas. The mission was founded in 1680 by Indian and Spanish settlers who fled New Mexico as a result of the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. The revolt was the culmination of more than 100 years of incursions by Spanish soldiers and, of course, missionaries. The indigenous Pueblos killed 400 Spanish soldiers and drove about 2000 Spanish settlers out of the Albuquerque area.
The original mission was built by the Tigua Indians in 1862. The mission has been rebuilt several times due to flooding and fire. The last time was in 1908 after a fire destroyed the roof and bell tower. The Tigua Indians are still active in the mission, celebrating traditional holidays and the Tigua Feast of San Antonio, their patron saint.
As with many other missions along what is now the border, the mission was located in Mexico until the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo transferred this territory to the United States. While the mission was technically in the United States, it continued to be administered by the Mexican church until 1872.
After visiting the mission we found our way to the El Segundo Barrio near downtown to view the many notable murals. As the name suggests the Segundo was the second neighborhood in EP. Since the 1830s this area has been a major entry point for Mexican immigrants coming into the United States. The majority of the immigrants in the barrio were and still are migrant farm workers.
Artists: Jesus Alvarado and Victor Casas, El Segundo Barrio, El Paso, Texas
The Segundo still reflects its Tejano culture and traditions very proudly (we hope the murals we have featured reflect that same sense of tradition, culture and aspiration). At one point, the city planned to demolish much of the barrio as a way to eliminate the significant substandard housing stock instead of addressing the root causes in a humane fashion. Fortunately, civic groups formed and defeated the city’s plan to demolish the historic area.
Unfortunately, the preservation of the barrio has not improved the economic conditions significantly. Many of the Mexican-American residents and immigrants still toil as farm workers. The barrio is poor by any measure, albeit rich in culture, tradition and pride in its heritage.
On our final night in EP we took in a ballgame. The El Paso Chihuahuas are the Triple-affiliate of the San Diego Padres and compete in the Pacific Coast League. This team has been located in a number cities (Spokane, Albuquerque, Portland, Tucson) prior to arriving in El Paso in 2014 to play in their brand new stadium. The stadium is very attractive and sits right in downtown.
The Chihuahuas are not having their best season, but to the delight of their very enthusiastic fans, the club rallied late in the game to defeat the division leading OKC Dodgers. Go Chihuahuas!
We departed EP and Texas the following morning to head across the Chihuahuan Desert of New Mexico. We enjoyed our time in Texas and EP and have no reservations about recommending visiting EP. This was our third time traveling across the state and we still have not explored several areas within the state. Everything is bigger in Texas!
We hope you enjoyed this post. Be seeing you! 2023 May OTR 9.0
P.S. You have probably read much about the immigration issues along the Texas/Mexico border. While were in the city we witnesses significant Border Patrol activity along the border fence on the United States side of the Rio Grande. We also observed the large military presence patrolling along the Rio Grande on the river side of the border fence utilizing Humvees and foot patrols.
And yet, we could clearly see immigrants massed on the Mexican side as well as detainees on the U.S. side. Currently around 900 immigrants per day are crossing from Mexico into the EP port of entry and allowed to legally enter the U.S. The city works with a number of non-governmental agencies to provide the immigrants with shelter, food and water. It is quite apparent that the city is doing everything it can do to ensure the immigrants are treated humanely. The majority of immigrants currently entering at EP are from Central and South American countries and Cuba. Venezuela accounts for approximately 70% of the immigrants.
We can only imagine how bad conditions must be in Venezuela and the other countries for individuals and families to risk everything to escape the poverty, crime and repressive governments in their respective countries.
The famous Brick Lane Market was high on our list of must do experiences while in London. The market operates at full tilt on Sundays – accordingly, we made our way there on a chilly, gray Sunday. Of course, of special interest was the opportunity to see and photograph some of the plethora of street art located on and around Brick Lane.
Brick Lane is situated in the heart of the East End in the Borough of Tower Hamlets. The area has been a home to immigrants from many countries over the last 300 years. Most recently, the area has become home to a Bangladeshi community. If you look in the photos above you can see that the street signs are in English and Bengali!
7th Pencil @7thpencil, London-Weavers
Apparan @apparan, London-Allens Gardens
Benzi Brofman @benzi_brofman, London-Weavers
Jill Vigilion, London-Brick Lane
As you can see from the photographs, we found plenty of great street art – it is literally everywhere! We also sampled food from several stalls, did a bit of shopping and made our way over to the Columbia Road Flower Market.
Benzi Brofman @benzi_brofman, London-Brick Lane
Artist Unknown, London-Tower Hamlets
Artist Unknown, London-Weavers
Apparan @apparan, London-Tower Hamlets
The whole area was absolutely jammed with people – a diverse mix of tourists, hipsters, locals, musicians and vendors. In addition to the food vendors, there was a wide range of restaurants offering ethnic cuisines.
The borough is still quite obviously an area of economic diversity. There are sections that are experiencing gentrification interspersed with blocks that appear to be suffering from little or no maintenance.
Sheppard Fairy @obeygiant, London-Tower Hamlets
Artist Unknown, London-Weavers
We had a great day exploring the East End and definitely recommend exploring the borough when you visit London. We hope you enjoyed this post ; in an upcoming post we will share some of the culinary highlights from our Londontrip.
We originally planned to visit the Black Canyon of the Gunnison (BCG), Rocky Mountain Nation Park (RMNP) and Great Sand Dunes National Park(GSDNP) while in Colorado. But as we monitored the conditions in Colorado during the trip (and spoke with some fellow travelers who had recently been in Colorado) it became apparent that we would not be able to access significant portions of our original itinerary due to this winter’s abundant snowfall in the Rockies.
So, after several excellent weeks touring western New Mexico, we departed Farmington, New Mexico to traverse Colorado in a northeasterly direction to visit GSDNP in southwestern Colorado, while forgoing the BCG and RMNP.
Durango – Four Corners – Route 550, Colorado
Of course, custom requires that our first meal after crossing a state line consist of burgers, fries and, if possible, a milkshake.Happily (and perhaps unhealthily) our tradition remains intact!
South Fork – Eastern Rockies – Route 160, Colorado
After refueling with burgers and diesel we continued our drive to the town of Del Norte. Prior to Euro-American settlement, this area was occupied by the Utes who migrated to the area from the south during the warmer months of the year. When this territory came under Mexican rule during the early 19th century, Hispanic settlers migrated north to take advantage of land grants offered by the Mexican government. Subsequently, this area was ceded to the United States by Mexico.
In 1859-1860 gold was discovered in the San Juan Mountains in what had been Ute territory for 500 years. Never mind, the Kit Carson Treaty (Ute Treaty of 1868) was negotiated in order to remove the Utes from the gold rich Central Rockies in exchange for land on the Western Slope of the Rockies. This treaty, as with most other treaties between the federal government and Native Americans, was eventually violated by the federal government and after the Utes rebelled they were driven out of Colorado entirely (Meeker Massacre).
Del Norte, Photos, Courtesy Denver Public Library
Today the small town of Del Norte (pop. 1600) is mainly an outdoor recreational hub with rafting on the adjacent Rio Grande and a plethora of rock climbing, mountain biking, hiking and camping options.
After a quick tour of the small downtown we headed west a short distance to find a camping spot in the Rio Grande National Forest. We found a great spot in a meadow which afforded us a panoramic view of Del Norte Peak.
Rio Grande National Forest
Del Norte Peak, Elevation 12,400′
The following morning we set our course due west for the one hour drive to visit GSDNP. The park was declared a national monument in 1932 in order to keep the dunes from being damaged by gold mining or concrete manufacturing. The monument was elevated to full national park status in 2004.
Great Sand Dunes National Park – Sangre De Cristo Mountains
GSDNP presents a fascinating landscape with grasslands separated from a thirty square mile sand desert by Medano Creek. The dunes are tucked in against the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains–quite spectacular! The sand dunes at GSDNP are the tallest in North America. Some are as high as 700 feet (Star Dunes is the tallest at 750 feet).
The dunes here are constantly changing as winds from the mountains drives sand down onto the dunes. Weather and erosion form the sand into distinctly identified and ever changing shaped dunes – parabolic, transverse and barchan – as examples.
Unfortunately, our opportunity to explore the dunes was limited due to an approaching lightning storm. One of the park rangers was kind enough to point out the obvious – not smart to be standing on top of a 600 foot dune in the middle of a lightening storm!
Medano Creek
In addition to the fantastic scenery, we were looking forward to driving the Medano Pass Primitive Road. The road is a sandy and rugged 22 mile 4WD road which runs from the base of the dunes up and over the Medano Pass (10,040 feet). The road was not fully open due to the conditions at higher elevation. The road crosses the the creek nine times and the water flow was still too deep due to this years snowfall.We have included a short video clip (below) from our drive on the road to provide a feel for the road and scenery.
Medano Pass Primitive Road
The NPS video below by is about the Navajo (Dine’) People, their four sacred mountains and their relationship to the land that now constitutes GSDNP.
We enjoyed our brief visit at GSDNP and we look forward to returning on a future trip to explore the dunes in depth, boondock up on the mountain and traverse the entire Medano Pass Primitive Pass Road.
Walsenberg, Colorado
On departing GSDNP, we decided to push straight on through to Colorado Springs. Our previous trips to Colorado Springs were business related and we stayed at the world famous Broadmoor. We would not be staying at the Broadmoor on this self funded visit!
The Broadmoor
Colorado Springs sits at just over 6000′ above sea level at the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains. Snow covered Pikes Peak (14,100′) looms over the city to the west creating a stunning backdrop. We did not travel up to the peak on this trip as we had taken the nine mile cog railroad trip on a previous visit (we definitely recommend riding the railroad to the top if the weather is clear -which it usually is in this part of Colorado). The train ride is fun and the views are phenomenal.
Pikes Peak
From our pre-trip research we knew that Colorado Springs held promise for specialty coffee and a vibrant street street art scene. Our first stop was Building III Coffee Bar and Roastery – B3 is located, along with a number of other occupants, in a former public school building now known as Lincoln Center – great to see the building repurposed. Excellent coffee, great breakfast sandwiches and uber friendly staff! Extremely popular – it can be hard to get a seat even with the large amount of seating capacity – but it is worth the wait. https://www.building3coffee.com/
Building Three Coffee
Well fortified with caffeine, we ventured out into the uncharacteristically gray, chilly day in search of street art. We decided to start our pic hunting session in the Knob Hill neighborhood, located a short distance northeast of downtown. We were pretty certain the neighborhood would be street art rich based on reading about the Knob Hill Urban Arts District. The District is a “nonprofit organization dedicated to putting art up on every damn wall we can get our hands on.” Love it!
The photos below are a small sample of the street murals we found in the Knob Hill neighborhood. This group is not kidding about putting art on every wall. We found art in every alley and available nook and cranny. So good! To see more of the street art we photographed during OTR 9.0 in Colorado Springs and other cities see our WordPress blog @streetartfromtheroad: part two.
There are also a number of large scale murals in downtown. The photos below are a few of our favorites we captured while strolling through downtown.
With the cloudy, drizzly weather persisting into our second day in Colorado Springs (coincidently nicknamed “Little London” although not for the weather – there was a large British population in the 1870s) we decided to visit the Fine Arts Center (FAC) at Colorado College. The FAC is located in the Old North End neighborhood – an area of stately late 19th and early 20th century homes and tree lined boulevards.
The Fine Arts Center is home to the art museum as well as a theater school and performing arts venue. The museum was opened in 1936 as an outgrowth of the Broadmoor Art Academy. The Colorado Springs area had become a hub for art on a scale commensurate with the more well known artist colonies in Taos and Santa Fe.
Charles R. Bunnell (1897-1968) March Snow, 1940, Oil on canvas
Victor Higgins (1884-1949) Santa Fe Hills, Date Unknown, Oil on canvas
As with many museums of this size, the collection is regionally (although not exclusively) focused. We have included photos of several paintings which reflect the southwestern focus (and which we really liked). The museum is definitely worth a couple of hour visit when you visit “Little London”.
On our final day in Colorado Springs we ventured out to Red Rock Canyon. We had held off visiting earlier in our stay due to some cloudy weather. Unfortunately, it appeared that everyone else in Colorado Springs had done the same (it was also the weekend) and this popular open space was quite crowded.
Still, we managed to find some quiet spaces and uncluttered views as we walked between and around the rock formations. Additionally, there are a number of moderate and longer trails for the more adventurous which usually provide solitude regardless of when you visit.Do visit when the sky is clear in order to see Pikes Peak rising above the red rock formations.
Interestingly, Red Rock Canyon is a city park consisting of 1474 acres of land. The park was pieced together with the multiple purchases of parcels over a period of years during the 1920s and 1930s by private citizens. It was acquired by the city in 2003. What makes the park’s history all the more remarkable is that many of the parcels were formerly quarries, gravel pits and industrial sites which have been reclaimed. There is little evidence of the past use of the space – without reading about the history you would most likely not think that to be the case.
After our walkabout at Red Rock, we popped over to the nearby Old Colorado City neighborhood. The neighborhood was at one time a separate town that prospered as a coal mining town and in the late 19th century as a gold refining location after the discovery of gold nearby. Typical of so many western mining hubs, the boom ultimately became the bust. The final straw was the prohibition of liquor sales in 1914. In 1917, the town was annexed by Colorado Springs.
The brothels and saloons that once lined Colorado Avenue have long since been replaced by art galleries, restaurants, wine bars, coffee shops and clothing stores. After a bit of browsing in several of the art galleries and book shops we took lunch at La Baguette Cafe and Bakery. Yum – the best bread!http://labaguette-co.com/
We were uncertain what lay ahead in regard to specialty coffee as we were about to venture into more rural territory; so we stopped in downtown for coffee, tea and breakfast at Loyal Coffee. First rate in all regards!https://loyalcoffee.co/
The photo below is of our unanimous choice for best vehicle OTR 9.0!
From Colorado Springs we traveled north – camping near Sterling, Colorado for our last night in the state. In future posts we will chronicle our trek across the midwestern plains en route to Connecticut.
Hello street art fans. This is our second of three planned photo posts featuring street art and murals from our most recent road trip. This post will take us through to our stay in El Paso. We continue to be awed by the amazing artists sharing their talent and creativity with everyone in their communities to enjoy. These works often make a remarkable difference in what might be an otherwise drab or desolate urban landscape. We hope you enjoy the art (we have included attribution for the artists wherever possible).
Artist Unknown – Columbus, Ohio
Sarah Hout @sarahthehout – Columbus, Ohio
“Dream Together” Jeremy Jarvis @jarvjer – Columbus, Ohio
Artist Unknown – Cincinatti, Ohio
Michael Roy @birdcap – Memphis, Tennessee
Emily Molly Wood – Argenta Mural Project – North Little Rock, Arkansas
Roland P. Burnham III @balstovision – Argenta Mural Project – North Little Rock, Arkansas
Artist Unknown – Argenta Arts District, North Little Rock, Arkansas
Jes Weiner @magicatmuralist – Texarkana, Texas
@chelsie310 – Texarkana, Texas
“The Highwaymen” – Stylle Read – Marathon, Texas
Monty Welt @montywelt – Alpine, Texas
@deko_uno – El Paso, Texas
Artists Unknown – Leon Street, El Paso, Texas
Artist Unknown – Alameda Avenue, El Paso, Texas
Latino Icons: Don Tosti, Art Lewis, Abraham Chavez, Los Largatos, Rocky Star, Cinta De Oro, Tin-Tin, Rosa Guerrero and Sin Cara – Jesus “Cimi” Alvarado, Martin “Blaster Zubia and Victor “Mask” Casas – Downtown – El Paso, Texas
All of the remaining photographs in this post were taken in the Segundo Barrio. As the name suggests the Segundo was the second neighborhood in El Paso. Since the 1830s this area has been a major entry point for Mexican immigrants coming into the United States. The majority of the immigrants in the barrio were and still are migrant farm workers.
Artist Unknown – Segundo Barrio – El Paso, Texas
The Segundo still reflects its Tejano culture and traditions very proudly (we hope the murals we have featured below will reflect that same sense of tradition, culture and aspiration). At one point, the city planned to demolish much of the barrio as a way to eliminate the significant substandard housing stock instead of addressing the root causes in a humane fashion. Fortunately, civic groups formed and defeated the city’s plan to demolish the historic area.
El Corrido del Secondo Barrio – Jesus “CIMI” Alvarado and Victor “Mask” Casas – Segundo Barrio – El Paso, Texas
Jesus “CIMI” Alvarado – Segundo Barrio – El Paso, Texas
Unfortunately, the preservation of the barrio has not improved the economic conditions significantly. Many of the Mexican-American residents and immigrants still toil as farm workers. The barrio is poor by any measure, albeit rich in culture, tradition and pride in its heritage.
This post is all about the fantastic street art found throughout the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinatti. We have included a brief history of the neighborhood for context. Please find below a sample of some of the great street art on display throughout OTR. We hope you enjoy the art as much as we did.
The Over-the-Rhine (über den Rhein)neighborhood in Cincinatti traces its roots to a large German population that settled in the area. The area was home to mana significant number of breweries (at its peak there were 36) which employed many of the German migrants. The workers had to walk over the Miami and Erie Canal each day on their way to and from work and they began referring to the canal as the Rhine in reference to the Rhine River in their native country.
After World War 2 the neighborhood began a long decline as the original German residents again migrated – to the surrounding suburbs. Many of the industries that once provided jobs in this working class neighborhood also left or closed. Of course, to add insult to injury, the Miami and Erie Canal was capped!
By the late 1900s the area had deteriorated to one of the poorest areas in the city and was rife with crime. Fortunately, around the turn of the century the city and several organizations came together to create a comprehensive plan to revitalize the neighborhood. Based on our visit and the number of people visiting the area there has been much progress, although it is clear that this is still an area in transition.
Public art has also been a significant piece of the revival of OTR. ArtWorks and other community organizations have invested in the area and sponsor aspiring and accomplished artists. We have included the artist and sponsor information wherever available. Our apologies to any uncredited artists.
See our Sights & Sounds reels on Facebook or Instagram to experience a snapshot of our visits to Cincinatti and Arkansas. Be seeing you
P.S. Cincinatti is a first rate specialty coffee town!
“Stevie Wonder” Richard Wilson @richardwilsonartwork(2019)
@streetartfromtheroad and @finearttourist traveled to Detroit (DTW) in early December to see the Van Gogh in AmericaExhibition at the Detroit Institute of Arts(DIA).This exhibition was originally scheduled for the summer of 2020 but was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Fortunately, the DIA was able to gain access to the majority of paintings scheduled to be part of the original exhibition. An upcoming post by @finearttourist will showcase this spectacular exhibition.
Of course, while in DTW we took full advantage of the good weather to explore the outdoor museum of street murals scattered throughout the Eastern Market District.In this post we will share some of the fantastic street art on display in the Eastern Market. Disclosure: some of the mural photographs have been edited to eliminate peeling paint and graffiti.
Ndubisi Okay @n_du_time
Brandan Mike Odums @bmike2c(2017)
“Dreamers” Jeff Soto @maxxer242 (2015)
The Eastern Market has been in existence for over150 years. After World War 2, the market became a major hub for food processing and wholesale food distribution. The market covers approximately 43 acres just north of downtown DTW.There are still 80 standing structures ranging from fully occupied to abandoned and decaying.
Today, the Eastern Market is the largest open-air flower bed market in the United States. Additionally, there are over 150 firms sellingmeat, spices, vegetables, jams and poultry. There are also a number of restaurants, bars and non-food retailers located within the market district.Lastly, if you are hankering for a corned beef sandwich, a pastrami sandwich or Detroit’s (in)famous “coney” this is the place to go.
Victor Quinonez @marka_27(2016)
Tylonn Sawyer @tylonn.j.sawyer(2016)
Ashley McFadden @mcfadden_ashley (2019)
Sydney G. James (A girl raised in Detroit) @sydneygjames(2017)
Enough SAID (Enough Sexual Assault in Detroit)
Tatiana Suarez @tatunga(2017)
The Murals in the Market (MM) organization has been actively supporting the transformation of the Eastern Market from a wasteland to a cultural destination within Detroit. The organization sponsors an annual mural festival in the Market District. To date, the organization has supported the production of 100 muralsin the District and 200 murals across the city. Additionally, MM supports a number of other arts events (including live music) throughout the year.We hope that this organization continues to receive support from the DTW community as part of the revitalization of DTW.
Arlin @arlin_graff(2017)
Birdman @ed_Irmen (2019)
Joey Salamon @joeysalamon (2019)
Osunlade(2019)
“Mama Maiz” by Ivan Montoya @imontoya_ (2019)
Sydney James (A girl raised in Detroit) @sydneygjames (2016)
Of course, a day of mural hunting requires sustenance. Fortunately, we were able to start and end our pic shooting at Anthology Coffee, which is located conveniently in the market. Anthology roasts their own coffee on the premises.Anthology Coffee.com | Always Tasty
In keeping with the meat packing history of the Market, our mid-day replenishment was taken at Franks’s Deli and Grill. We feasted on a Detroit staple – Wigley’s Famous Corned Beef!https://www.facebook.com/FranksDeliandGrill/menu/
Fine Art Tourist:OTR 8.0: Mississippi Museum of Art: New Symphony of Time
Jason Bouldin (1965) Portrait of Medgar Wiley Evers, 2013, Oil on canvas
Hystercine Rankin (1929-2010) Baptism in Crow Creek, 1996, quilted fabric, with appliqué and embroidery
After several days in Vicksburg, immersing ourselves in Civil War and Mississippi River history (see post – ctsprinterlife: OTR 8.0: Mississippi Part Three), we decidedto head east to visit Jackson, before continuing our journey south along the Mississippi River.
Our timing turned out to be impeccable asMMOA was just opening a new exhibit entitled New Symphony of Time. The exhibit is ongoing and part of the permanent collection of the MMOA. The exhibit consists of 170 works by noted artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe, Albert Bierstadt and Benny Andrews.Additionally, the exhibit includes many works by talented Mississippi artists.
msmuseumart.org
Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902) A Scene in the Rockies, Lake Silva Plans, not dated, Oil on canvas
New Symphony of Time expands and illuminates the boundaries of Mississippi’s narrative. Exploring the themes of ancestry and memory; migration, movement, and home; shared humanity; the natural environment; and liberty for all, the exhibition is inspired by Margaret Walker’s epic poem, “This is My Century: Black Synthesis of Time.” (Above paragraph is taken from the curator notes.) The poem is interspersed in the post below.
Throughout the exhibit certain ideas resonate: personal and collective memory, history and the connection to place, as well as the roles artists play in pursuit of civil rights and racial equality.
Helene Canizaro (1911-1997) Stafford Springs,1974, Oil on canvasGeorgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986) The old Maple Tree, Lake George, 1926, Oil on canvasMildred Nungester Wolfe (1912-2009) The Old Studio, 1957, Oil on canvas
This is My Century: Black Synthesisof Time by ---Margaret WalkerO Man, behold your destiny,
Look on this life
and know our future living
our former lives from these our present days
now melded into one.
Hale Woodruff (1900-1980) Mississippi Wilderness, c. 1944, Oil on canvas
Queens of the Nile,Gods of our Genesis,
Parade of Centuries
behold the rising sun.
The dying Western sky
with yawning gates of death,
from decadence and dissonance
destroying false and fair,
worlds of our galaxies,
our waning moons and suns
look on this living hell
and see the rising sun.
Theora Hamblett (1895-1977) Walking, Meditating in the Woods,1963, Oil on canvas
This my centuryI saw it grow
from darkness into dawn.
I watched the molten lava pour
from red volcanic skies;
Islands and Mountains heave
into the sea
Move Man into the spiraled axis turn
and saw six suns and sunsets rise and burn.
Karl Wolfe (1903-1984) Xanadu (View from Studio Window), c. 1960s, Oil on board
Osiris, Isis, black and beautiful gods,
When came your spectacle
of rythmed life and death?
You gods of love
on pyres of sacrifice
our human hearts become
old hearthstones of our tribal birth and flame:
the hammer and the forge,
the anvil and the fire,
the righteous sparks go wild
like rockets in the sky.
The fireworks overhead
flame red and blue and gold
against on darkened sky.
O living man behold
your destined hands control
the flowered earth ablaze,
alive, each golden flower unfold.
John McCrady (1911-1968) Rural Symposium, 1964, Acrylic on board
Now see our marching deadThe tyrants too, have fled.
The broken bones and blood
Have melted in the flood.
Clementine Hunter (1886-1988) Untitled, 1980, oil on canvas board
Cinque.O man magnificent.
The gods endowed you well.
Prince of our innocence
The stars move round your head.
You stride the earth to tell
your sons and daughters young
from island, sea, and land-
a continental span-
how men are made of gods
and born to rule the world.
In majesty with monumental hands
you bridge the Universe
and centuries of desert sands.
Bequeath to us your handsome dignity
and lordly noble trust.
George Morland (1763-1804) Execrable Human Traffick, 1789, Oil on canvas
Gods of compassion, rise
In mortal human form.
The splendor of your eyes
Streaks lightening through the storm.
Noah Saterstrom (1974) Road to Shubuta, 2016, Oil on canvas
This is my century-Black synthesis of Time:
The Freudian slip
The Marxian mind
Kierkaardian Leap of Faith
and Du Bois' prophecy: the color line.
These are the comrades of Einstein,
the dawning of another Age,
new symphony of Time.
New liberties arise;from Freedom's flag unfold;
the right to live and be
both stronger and more wise.
Each child, a prophet's eyes;
each place, a priestess stone.
This Beast no man denies
the godly-human throne.
Each generation cries
to touch divinity
and open up the sunlit splitting skies.
Ruth Miller (1949) The Evocation and Capture of Aphrodite, 2014, hand-embroidered wool
I have had a good time singingthe songs of my fathers
the melodies of my mothers
the plaintive minor notes of my grandmothers.
I heard the drums of Africa
and I made the music of Spain.
I gave rythym to the world
and called it syncopation.
All the Calypso brothers
have dance music in my head
and all my beautiful jazzy greats
like old Satchmo,
the Duke, the Count, the Duchess, the King
the Queen, Prince, and Princesses
they were the sons and daughters of royalty
in my dynasty.
I am a black shoeshine boy
made immortal by Barthe
and I am a black mother
running from slavery.
Ernest Crichlow (1914-2005) Underground III,1990, Oil on canvas
Look on my bronzed and black-red-mahogany face
and know me well.
For I am the seed of the earth,
the broken body of the Son of God,
and the Spirit of the Universe.
Drink wine in my memory
and pour water on stones
singing Libation songs.
I came out of the sunand I swam rivers of blood
to touch the moon.
I will not flinch before the holocaust
for I am a deathless soul,
immortal, black, and free.
The MMOA started as a state art association in 1911 and has grown in size and stature. Today the museum collection includes 5800 worksand contains works by notable artists including Andy Warhol, Robert Henri, Georgia O’Keeffe and George Bellows.
The museum and the community are clearly demonstrating a commitment to confronting the legacy of racism in Mississippi and to moving forward to help foster a better present and future. Our hats off to the organization and community.
We hope you enjoyed this edition of OTR with Maria and Stephen.
Our first stop in Tennessee on the outbound leg of OTR 8.0 was Knoxville. We have chronicled portions our visit to Knoxville in two previous posts (Street Art Tourist OTR 8.0 and Fika with Fiona:OTR 8.0). This post is focused on our visit to the Knoxville Museum of Art (KMOA). https://knoxart.org/contact/. (Photos of the museum below courtesy of the museum)
The KMOA is a regional art museum with a focus on the art, artists and culture of the Southern Appalachians, particularly Eastern Tennessee.The museum opened to the public in its current modern 53,000 square foot facility in 1990. Today the collection includes 1500 pieces of art in a variety of media.While the museum collection extends beyond works from Eastern Tennessee, we were most interested in seeing the paintings of several of the most noted Tennesseans, on display in the Higher Ground exhibition.
Higher Ground : A Century of the Visual Arts in East Tennessee
Marion Greenwood (1909-1970) History of Tennessee, 1954-55, Oil on Linen
Higher Ground is the first permanent exhibition devoted to East Tennessee’s artistic achievements. It includes objects from the KMA collection supplemented by important works borrowed from public and private collections. Many of the featured artists spent their entire lives and careers in the area, while some moved away to follow their creative ambitions. Others were drawn to the region by its natural beauty, as the wealth of landscape imagery in this exhibition attests. Together, these artists’ works form the basis of a visual arts legacy in East Tennessee that is both compelling and largely unheralded. Higher Ground allows viewers to follow the history of artistic activity in the region over roughly a century of development and learn about the many exceptionally gifted individuals who have helped shape the area’s visual arts tradition.
Catherine Wiley
Anna Catherine Wiley was one of the most active, accomplished, and influential artists in Knoxville during the early twentieth century. She taught art at the University of Tennessee, helped organize area art exhibitions, and was a driving force in the Nicholson Art League, a prominent local art association. Wiley studied with Frank DuMond at the Art Students League in New York and spent summers in New England working with Impressionist Robert Reid. She returned to Knoxville following her studies and brought with her a mastery of Impressionism. Wiley specialized in scenes of women amid their daily lives rendered in thick, brightly colored pigment. Morning features a more expressive variety of brushwork often seen in her late paintings.
Wiley’s work is represented in museum collections around the country, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her promising career ended in 1926 when she was confined to a psychiatric hospital where she was without access to her studio supplies. The exact nature of the artist’s illness remains unconfirmed.
Catherine Wiley (Coal Creek [now Rocky Top], Tennessee 1879-1958 Norristown, Pennsylvania) Young Woman Reading with Parasol, circa 1918, Oil on canvas
Catherine Wiley (1879-1958) Untitled (Woman and Child in a Meadow)1913, Oil on canvas
Untitled (Woman and Child in Meadow) represents Knoxville Impressionist Catherine Wiley at the height of her career. She won the top award for regional painting at the 1910 Appalachian Exposition in Knoxville, and evidence suggests the artist selected this canvas for inclusion in Knoxville’s 1913 National Conservation Exposition. In a review of the 1913 exposition, one Knoxville Journal & Tribune critic wrote that “Miss Catherine Wiley’s work has attracted general comment and praise. She has three pictures on exhibition, two of which are new examples of her art. The most pleasing of the three is a study of a woman and child out-of- doors. The figures are sitting in strong sunlight, while a dark wooded hillside forms the background. The piece is strongly handled, and shows originality and force.”
Catherine Wiley (1879-1958) Boats and Water, circa 1915, Oil on canvasCatherine Wiley (1879-1958) Morning Milking Time,circa 1915, Oil on canvas
Beauford Delaney
Beauford Delaney (Knoxville 1901-1979 Paris) Blue-Light Abstraction, circa 1962, Oil on canvas
Born in Knoxville in 1901 to a Methodist Episcopalian minister, Beauford Delaney and his younger brother Joseph demonstrated early artistic talent. Their parents supported the brothers’ creative aspirations, and Beauford’s talents came to the attention of painter Lloyd Branson, who served as an early mentor. Facing the additional hurdle of racism, the brothers left Knoxville in the mid-1920s to pursue their art careers in larger arenas, but followed very different artistic paths. After studying in Boston, Beauford chose New York and later Paris as the ideal settings for his experiments with expressive abstraction. He attracted a host of distinguished friends including Georgia O’Keeffe, Alfred Stieglitz, Willem de Kooning, James Baldwin, Henry Miller, and Louis Armstrong. He became known for his radiant portraits and landscapes in which he explored color—luminous color—applied with explosive brushwork. Visible references to the outside world began to fade as the artist sought what he believed were the healing powers of light as embodied in the brilliant hues of his palette.
Beauford Delaney (Knoxville 1901-1979 Paris) Self-Portrait in a Paris Bath House, 1971, Oil on canvas
Joseph Delaney
Joseph Delaney (Knoxville 1904-1991 Knoxville) Vine and Central, Knoxville, Tennessee,1940, Oil, pastel and charcoal on canvas
Joseph Delaney, like his brother Beauford, was born in Knoxville, but left for Chicago before settling in New York, where he established himself as a tireless and prolific painter of Manhattan’s urban scene. Over the span of his 60-year career, Joseph displayed a remarkable ability to convey a vibrant modern world in transition while representing an unvarnished record of his energetic painterly process. He returned to Knoxville to visit his family over the years and eventually moved back to his hometown in 1986. The Knoxville Museum of Art has worked diligently to call attention to the artistic accomplishments of both brothers by hosting or organizing such exhibitions as Beauford Delaney: From New York to Paris (2005), Beauford Delaney: Gathering Light (2017), Joseph Delaney: On the Move (2018), and Beauford Delaney & James Baldwin: Through the Unusual Door (2020). The KMA owns the world’s largest and most comprehensive institutional collection of Beauford Delaney’s work, and an extensive selection of paintings and drawings by Joseph Delaney.
Joseph Delaney(1904-1991) Marble Collegiate Church,1974-75, Oil on canvasJoseph Delaney (1904-1991) Untitled (Saguenay, Quebec),circa 1945, Oil on canvas board
Lloyd Branson
Lloyd Branson (Union County, Tennessee 1853- 1925 Knoxville)Going Home at Dusk,1920, Oil on board
Enoch Lloyd Branson was one of the most talented and versatile East Tennessee artists of his era. Under his lasting influence, the local art scene reached a new level of activity and quality. Branson received artistic training at East Tennessee University (later renamed the University of Tennessee) and the National Academy of Design in New York. Upon the artist’s return in 1878, he established a successful portrait painting business with photographer Frank McCrary at 130 Gay Street in downtown Knoxville. Branson devised a method of producing vivid portraits based on photographs, which provided his primary income as an artist. However, he earned greatest recognition for heroic genre scenes such as Hauling Marble, which portrayed East Tennessee’s thriving marble industry. The painting won the gold medal at the Appalachian Exposition of 1910. In addition to his studio work, Branson was active as an art teacher, training and inspiring a new generation of talent including Catherine Wiley, Adelia Lutz, and Beauford Delaney, whose works are included in this exhibition.
Lloyd Branson (1853-1925) Hauling Marble,1910, Oil on canvas
The Tennessee marble industry began during the late 1830’s with the discovery of major veins in Hawkins County. Around 1850, Tennessee marble was discovered in Knox and Blount Counties where, with greater access to rail, the stone industry took off. By the 1880s, Knoxville became known as “The Marble City,” and its extensive quarries supplied stone used throughout the region and in the construction of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., New York’s state capitol, the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, New York’s Grand Central Station, and the New York Public Library’s famous stone lions. The Knoxville Museum of Art is also clad in pink Tennessee marble.
Despite its name, Tennessee marble is not a true marble due to its sedimentary structure and lesser hardness that are more akin to limestone. However, its high density, low porosity, water resistance, and range of color contribute to its distinguished history as a highly attractive building material.
We enjoyed the KMOA and recommend spending a morning or afternoon at the museum on your next visit to Knoxville. The KMOA is conveniently located at the site of the World’s Fair Park (1982) on the edge of downtown.Lastly, we would like to acknowledge that we drew heavily from the excellent Higher Ground Exhibition notes in preparing this post.
