Art – Page 11 – Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics

A Monumental Day in Washington, DC

Following an epic day in the National Gallery of Art, we wanted to also fit in a trip along the National Mall. Given the size of the Mall, we knew this would be a challenge. But we were motivated, and we were determined, so we looked back on the Capitol–the major site we could see looking East…

…and set out for the first stop on our Mall tour: The Washington Memorial.

Washington Memorial

Cinthia Villarreal

The Father of His Country, The American Cincinnatus, and the Sage of Mount Vernon. These are all nicknames that George Washington has been called throughout history. For millions of Americans, the prestige for Washington does not stop at his title as first president of the nation or as commander of the Continental Army. For millions of Americans, Washington represents freedom and courage, and he was a trailblazer. It was an honor to witness the monument built in remembrance of the man that founded the nation.

The Washington Monument towered over the busy city as we walked to it.

As we got closer to the memorial, our excitement grew and our ability to form sentences vanished.

From up close, the 555-foot marble obelisk is absolutely incredible and left all of us in awe.

The monument was built in two phases, starting in 1848, the use of different types of bricks is visible from afar.

Around the obelisk, dozens of American Flags decorate the exterior of the monument, flapping through with the wind’s breeze, reminding us of Washington’s central role in forming United states.

Vietnam Memorial

Olivia Discon

Making our way further down the Mall, we took a stroll through the Vietnam Memorial. The structure is not without controversy, especially at its inception. Like all commemorative art, there is incredible importance in doing the subject justice, and when it comes to the perils of war, honoring the lives of those who have fallen is a difficult task. To learn more about the origins of the Vietnam Memorial, I read “A Rift in the Earth” by James Restin Jr. prior to our trip. The title is extremely fitting, as both the appearance of the memorial and the Vietnam War caused a rift in many senses of the word.

Designed by Maya Lin, the striking memorial has numerous symbolic elements. The granite sculpture protrudes from the ground in the shape of a ‘V’, with the 58,000 names of the men and women who lost their lives in the Vietnam War (in chronological order). The mirrored nature of the 200-foot-long memorial evoked a profound sense of loss in what felt like a never ending list of soldiers. This monument is paired with two other sculptures, “Three Servicemen” by Frederick Hart and the Vietnam Women’s Memorial by Glenna Goodacre.

Walking through the list of names, we saw a small crowd of people surrounding part of the display. As we approached the scene, we quickly realized that Maya Lin herself was at the memorial!

To hear from the artist regarding some of the triumphs and struggles she endured while working on this project was a surreal, completely unexpected moment.

We were extremely grateful for the rare opportunity to speak with the artist alongside her work. And also, to snap a quick photo with her!

The odds of such a meeting were astronomical, and the excitement of meeting Ms. Lin combined with the sobering substance of the Wall was overwhelming.

Lincoln Memorial

At the far west end of the National Mall–we had made it half way!–we met with what turned out to be one of our favorite monuments: the Lincoln Memorial.

Architect Henry Bacon designed the memorial, drawing inspiration from the Greek Parthenon. The giant temple form is adorned with 36 Corinthian columns–one for each state in the Union at the time of the Civil War.

Daniel Chester French designed the actual statue that looms so grandly in the Memorial’s interior. It is 19-feet tall, and it’s impossible to walk into the temple without feeling small in the face of the statue and all that Lincoln meant to American democracy.

The view from this Memorial is amazing…

…and, in fact, this was such a momentous experience for us, we returned to the Memorial after dark.

Korean War Memorial

Cinthia Villarreal

The Korean War took place from 1950 to 1953, where 36,574 Americans and more than 7,200 members of the Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army gave their lives for democracy. In commemoration to the war, the Korean War Memorial displays 19 stainless-steel soldiers in the deadly grounds of the war. Next to them, the Wall of Remembrance shows the name of the thousands of servicemen and the portraits of those unidentified.

The memorial simulates the experience of the troop on the battle ground. Their facial expressions were masterfully done, reflecting a mix of worry with fear and the heavy-looking bags on their backs, and wearing ponchos which they used during the cold winter nights.

Additional to the Wall of Remembrance, there is another granite wall with the quote “Freedom is not free” and around it, the Pool of Remembrance provides a place of reflection.

Even though this was very different from the other monuments and memorials that we visited, this spoke volumes to me. The Korean War Memorial reminds the day-to-day citizen that the freedom we enjoy today is a privilege and did not come out of nowhere. Millions of people have volunteered and died for the rights that we have today and it should not be taken for granted.

MLK Memorial

Michelle Cardenas

Washington DC is known for all of its memorials and dedications to different significant American events and leaders. Amongst these is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s Memorial, a timeless tribute to the iconic civil rights leader. The granite monument was unveiled on August 28, 2011, and was designed by Lei Yixin. The memorial features a couple of Dr. King’s famous quotes, but the most spectacular part of the memorial is the great carving of Dr.King on what artist Yixin calls the “Stone of Hope”.

When we saw the great statue we stood there in awe due to its grandeur. The statue is carved onto the “stone of hope” which is rising from the “mountain of despair” symbolizing the triumph over adversity and relentless pursuit of justice. We walked around and read all the quotes that were on the crescent-shaped granite walls behind the statue, drawing inspiration from his words as well as from his legacy.

FDR Memorial

Olivia Discon

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR), the 32nd President of the United States, has a longstanding legacy of service and heart for the American people. Having served 4 terms, during World War II and The Great Depression, FDR’s initiatives were instrumental in navigating America through some of its darkest days. The memorial features a series of outdoor spaces, each representing one of his four terms in office and the trials he and the country faced during his tenure.

One of the prominent sculptures is a statue of Roosevelt seated in a wheelchair, while wearing a robe, which largely obscured his wheelchair. At the time of FDR’s Presidency, disabilities were not widely accepted, and he took pains to hide the extent of his disability from the public.

FDR’s Memorial is laid out as more of a linear park, allowing visitors to explore different aspects of his presidency. We learned about World War II, the rise of media–especially radio (and his fireside chats)–and, of course, the Great Depression.

In fact, one of our favorite sculptures on the Mall was of the soup lines during the Depression. Forged by George Segal, these sculptures looked right in place alongside similar media used throughout the memorial…

…while also evoking many of the images we had seen by Dorothea Lange earlier in the day in the National Gallery of Art.

Jefferson Memorial

We found the location of the FDR Memorial, which was located along the Tidal Basin, allowed for great views of the Mall.

We could see the Washington Monument as well as the Jefferson Monument.

Eventually, we decided to make our way to see the Jefferson Memorial, which we hoped would begin to shine some light on a man whose life we would come to know over the course of the trip.

Designed by John Russell Pope (who also designed the National Archives and Constitution Hall), the Monument was completed in 1943, the 200th anniversary of Jefferson’s birthday. With grounds designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr a large statue designed by Rudolph Evans (completed four years later, owing to material shortages during WWII)…

…and a front pediment featuring the Declaration of Independence designed by Adolph Wienman, there is much to admire in this neoclassical marvel.

We would learn much more of Jefferson later in the trip, as we visited the Library of Congress, Monticello, and the University of Virginia, but this was a wonderful introduction to Jefferson–and to the National Mall.

Concluding Thoughts

There are few sites as majestic as the National Mall, even in a City that is full of marvelous sites.

We differed in which monument we liked most, but we all agreed that the National Mall was one of our favorite sites among all trips we had taken, and it whet our appetite for days full of additional site-seeing.

Art in the Nation’s Capital: The National Gallery of Art

With an open day in the Nation’s capital, we opted to tackle the National Gallery of Art (NGA), which was conceived in the 1930s and completed in 1941. The brainchild of Paul Mellon–who served as Secretary of the Treasury to four Presidents–the NGA has grown to be one of the largest in the world. Not counting the six-plus acre sculpture garden, the NGA has two discrete wings, with a total of more than a quarter million square feet of gallery space. Nonetheless, we saw it all, taking some six hours to do the entire tour, and coming to a better understanding of why the NGA is the most visited art museum in the United States.

Olivia Discon

There wasn’t a single gallery in the National Gallery that didn’t elicit an audible gasp of admiration within our group. The loudest of these gasps was emitted by myself when I saw Rodin’s “The Thinker”.

While this piece is famous, I have a particular affinity to Rodin’s work. To my pleasant surprise, there was a gallery entirely filled with his work!

I also had the chance to view some of my favorite artists from particular art movements. Among the Renaissance artists, I saw Albrecht Durer…

…Sir Anthony Van Dyck, and remarkably, Leonardo da Vinci, whose “Ginevra de Benci,” is his only work on display in the Americas!

We also saw Rembrandt’s famous self-portrait!

I saw some of Jean Honore Fragonard’s work in the Rococo style…

…and among the Surrealists, I saw works by Max Ernst, Rene Magritte…

… Francis Bacon, Yves Tanguy…and Salvador Dali. It may be only March, but it felt a lot like Christmas!

The NGA also had an entire gallery devoted exclusively to Mark Rothko, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Rothko’s art, similar to many of his contemporary counterparts, are considered controversial in the art world. His simplistic style of colored canvases is not necessarily meant to capture an engaging moment, but instead serve as an engagement between the art and the viewer.

Interestingly, many of the paintings on display were never completed or shown during Rothko’s lifetime. This gave us the rare opportunity to see new Rothko’s work, while also exploring works in various stages of completion. We even saw the giant easel he used to do his art work!

While many may recognize this signature style, we also had the chance to view some of his earlier works, including some landscape and portraits.

Especially interesting was the inspiration for some of his earlier work, which was primarily drawn from famous Impressionist paintings.

While some of us may have enjoyed this exhibit more than others, I believe that everyone was able to take something away from the work that spanned the course of his life.

Michelle Cardenas

In preparation of this trip, I did a bit of “homework,” including watching the documentary, “Dorothea Lange: Grab a Hunk of Lightning.” I undertook this knowing we would be seeing a special exhibit exclusively devoted to her work. So, it was with much excitement that I explored the NGA’s special exhibit, “Dorothea Lange: Seeing People.”

Lange’s photography was technical proficient, but she also took photographs to make social statements. In fact, she used her technical skills to make people more aware of the economic, cultural, and social issues occurring across the United States and the world. The exhibit featured some of Lange’s most famous photographs, among them my personal favorite, “Migrant Mother.”

I saw many of the photographs I had learned about in the documentary, including “White Angel Bread Line,” “Ex-Slave with Long Memory,” and “Children of the Weill Public School.” We also saw a photograph she took in Bryan, TX, as well as some of her less famous works taken on her international travels in the 1950s and 1960s.

Of course, the Museum’s permanent collection was just as exciting for me. And while I am always interested in learning about a new artist, I remain drawn to the painters associated with the “Hudson River School,” such as Albert Bierstadt…

…Thomas Moran, and Thomas Cole.

So it was exciting to see many of their works on display, and I particularly enjoyed “Lake Lucerne” by Albert Bierstadt…

…and “Green River Cliffs, Wyoming” by Thomas Moran.

Cinthia Villarreal

Knowing I have had little exposure to art, I decided to do a bit of research prior to visiting Washington, DC. That research consisted of drilling down on the Impressionists such as Monet, Cezanne, Braille, Renoir, and Degas. I did this knowing that the NGA is famous for its Impressionist paintings in its permanent collection.

So it was with great interest that I approached these areas of the NGA, examining these artists’ works characterized by large brush strokes, often unmixed paint, and vivid colors. Among these, Monet is perhaps the purest example, and I was able to see “Japanese Footbridge,” one of the most famous of his paintings and one he returned to throughout his life.

We also got a large fill of Edgar Degas, and not only his paintings, but also his sculptures. Most famous among these is his “Little Dancer, Aged Fourteen,”

…which was featured prominently in the sculpture gallery, surrounded by other versions of the “Tiny Dancer.”

He used clay, metal, beeswax, and other materials to make his sculptures, and he often then added adornment in the form of silk ribbon or cotton fabric to add to the realism of the work.

Also in that gallery was “Veiled Bust,” one of the artworks we all liked. Interestingly, the Museum is not certain who did the piece, noting only that it was possibly based on a model by Giuseppe Croff. Whoever it was, it was a fascinating work, with the artist somehow making marble look delicate and gossamer.

Concluding Thoughts

The sheer number of artists we saw was staggering. We saw many of artists we already knew, such as Georgia O’Keeffee…

…Jackson Pollock…

…Seurat…

….Childe Hassam…

…Mary Cassatt…

…and some old favorites from a different perspective.

We also had a chance to see the largest Calder we’ve ever seen, as well are more Calder than we’ve ever seen.

But we also had a chance to see artists we weren’t familiar with, such as George Bellows…

…Saint-Gaudens…

…Leo Villareal…

…and Katarina Fritsch, famous for her giant blue chicken, which split the group into very different feelings…

The idea of a national gallery, which was initiated by Paul Mellon, was for a repository of the greatest art works ever created to be made accessible to the general public–and free of charge.

It would be, as President Roosevelt noted when he dedicated the building in 1941, “a living institution…[for] the use and enjoyment of the people of the United States.”

That was certainly true for us today. We had access to art we would never be able to see if it weren’t for Museums such as NGA, and it gave us the opportunity to learn more about history, art, and beauty in one place.

Exploring the Nation’s Capital: A Day in DC

It was, for all of us (students), our first time in Washington, DC. So, despite the rain, wind, and cold, it was an exciting morning, promising adventure and wonder.

That sense was deepened on our very first stop of the morning: the White House. We did not know it, but our brief stop on Saturday morning was a foreshadowing of things to come!

And as we made our way to the Holocaust Museum, which would be our first official stop of the morning, we also passed the Smithsonian American Art Museum, where we saw one of our favorites: Luis Jimenez!

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

by Michelle Cardenas

As we continued our journey through Washington DC, we made a stop at one of the most significant historical institutions, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Of all of the historic landmarks, the Holocaust Museum stands as a testament to the resilience of humanity and a reminder of some of the darkest chapters of human history.

As soon as you step foot in the museum the solemn atmosphere instantly engulfs you. The building itself is designed to make you feel like you’re a part of the industrial 1930s, everything from the elevators to the layout of the museum transports you to the times of World War 2 and Nazi Germany.

The museum is displayed in chronological order, effectively tying in personal stories of survivors, artifacts, and video presentations. The different kinds of media provided a new, deeply moving understanding of the Holocaust. The museum began with information about Adolf Hitler and the formation of his ideology and vendetta against Jews…

…moving swiftly into the discrimination Jews faced during 1933 due to their patriotism. Jews were being singled out since the beginning of the German regime and by 1939 most of them had already been prosecuted and taken to concentration camps where they would be either killed or worked to death.

There were many interesting and sobering artifacts on display at the museum. One that particularly caught my attention was the train cart where Jews were stuffed in and transported to concentration camps and gas chambers. It is one thing to read about these atrocious events but it’s completely different to see the items in real life and grasp the full concept of how awful this genocide was.

As we made our way through the museum we found something new that we had never really heard of. The Night of Glass was repeated throughout the museum and it referred to the day that Nazis burned down and destroyed all of the Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues that remained. On a display, they had rolls and half-burned remainders of the Torah that had survived the Night of Glass. Along with this was a door frame that belonged to a Jewish synagogue; the frame was cut up and the Nazis made sure to carve out any writing that was on them. This was incredibly interesting and peculiar to see because you could sense the feeling of hatred the Nazis had towards these people, that they went to the extent of destroying something so holy and pure to them.

The museum concluded with America’s response to the genocide and killings of all the Jews. In this part, there were many exhibits of all of the findings and evidence that these concentration camps were indeed real. There were piles of hair, dentures, jewelry, and other personal belongings that were stripped away from Jews.

Interestingly, art by Ellsworth Kelly, Richard Serra, Joel Shapiro, and Sol LeWitt is incorporated into the museum, adding to the sense of the sublime, while also suggesting a sense of hope. And this was made more vivid by the fact that the Jewish prisoners also sensed this, often creating art in the form of paintings, sketches, literature, or poetry as a way to alleviate or express the horrors of their experiences.

One of the more interesting finds for us was the photography of Roman Vishniac, who captured many scenes of Jewish culture from before the Holocaust. Because photography is a theme of sorts of this trip, this was particularly captivating for us.

It was very sad to see how much the Jewish community lost and the pain they suffered through. But this also underscored the importance of museums such as these, highlighting past atrocities and, we hope, making them less likely in the future.

Indeed, Dwight Eisenhower–whose forces liberated Europe–seemed to suggest this when he ordered his troops to film the horrors of the concentration camps, so that the tragedy would be preserved in history.

Union Station

by Cinthia Villarreal

After walking through Washington D.C.’s beautiful streets and admiring its impressive collection of art, we headed into Union Station D.C. Before going inside the building, we were able to marvel at the striking architectural design of the building. The towering columns and the Roman-inspired arches gave the station an intimidating yet alluring character. Nonetheless, when we walked inside the building, we became completely speechless.

Washington’s Union Station, which was opened in 1907, is a restored train station and shopping center and during its most thriving moments, it would transport up to 42,000 passengers daily. Even though it deteriorated over time because of high usage and low budget, the awe-striking creation by the architect Daniel Burnham was designated an historical landmark in 1969. Several rehabilitation programs throughout the years have worked on the station in order to keep attracting both alike tourists and locals.

The ceiling, which is what captured most of our attention, has been recently renewed and beautified. The contrast of the white and the 23-karat gold leaf of the design is extremely intricate. From the second floor, life-size statues overlooked the lobby we were standing in and the windows throughout the building truly amplified the space, even though not necessary.

After walking around the station and seeing the variety of stores they had, we settled down to have a great dinner to finish our eventful first night at the national capital.

Empty Bowls: The Arts, Culinary and Otherwise, for a Good Cause

Every spring, the Wynne Home sponsors “Empty Bowls,” a program that manages to promote ceramics, the culinary arts, and to fight hunger–all in the same event. This year, the event–organized by Angela Robinson–was particularly successful, with a record number of attendees and a lot of fun! And for approximately the 15th year in a row, the LEAP Ambassadors were there to help.

The primary purpose of the event is to raise funds to fight food insecurity. The program, which is international in scope, is administered fully by local communities, and in Walker County, the program is administered by the Wynne Home, and the funds raised go to the “Meals on Wheels” program at the Senior Center.

Wynne Home staff reach out to businesses and other organizations to donate soup while HEB also offers finger foods, giving “customers” many food options. This year, soups were donated by Sam’s Table, City Hall Cafe, Huntsville High School, Fives Loaves Deli and Potato Shack.

Each customer, then, buys a lunch for a suggested donation of $15, and these funds are then donated to the Senior Center.

If this is all there was, it would still be a worthwhile program, but there is much more to it. Throughout the year, ceramicists offer training courses, helping local residents shape and glaze materials into pottery. Some locals reserve their pottery, which means they can pick it up on (or around) the Empty Bowls date, while others donate their product to the event.

LEAP Ambassadors Prepare Their Bowls for Glazing

Then, as “customers” purchase soup at Empty Bowls, they receive one of the pieces of pottery, not only as a work of art to keep, but also as a reminder that some people face empty bowls every day.

Those with the most skill at crafting bowls–many of SHSU Professor Lauren Clay’s students, for example–donate their bowls for silent auction, which raises additional funds.

Beyond the record crowds this year, much fun was involved. People enjoyed the decor in the wonderful Wynne Home as well as the art from the latest exhibit featuring the work of Mary Ann Vaca-Lambert.

Aron Kulhavy, the City Manager, was in attendance…

…and his fun-loving staff were sure to pick out a bowl for him.

Speaking of his staff, they were, as usual, hard at work, while being surrounded by all their friends and supporters.

For everyone else, the companionship and satisfaction of joining a good cause was enjoyable…

…as it was for the LEAP Ambassadors.

Congratulations to the Senior Center, and many thanks to the Wynne Home for strengthening our Huntsville community through this noble cause!

An Evening at the Alley: “The Nerd”

While many may think the LEAP Ambassadors can be nerdy, we pale in comparison to playwright Lary Shue’s character, Rick Steadman in The Nerd. The Ambassadors, with guests Chrissy Biello and Yajaira Gutierrez Marin, met Alums Victoria and her boyfriend Nick, and Megan O’Flaherty and her son, Declan, for a wonderful night at the theater.

With Houston traffic being variable, we were early, and thus decided to stop by Jesus Moroles’s “Houston Police Officer’s Memorial.”

Not all of us had seen Moroles’s work, and this is a great introduction!

After a great dinner at Post Market, we then made our way to the Alley for the much anticipated show!

Much like the character Axel Hammond, I was the designated drama critic for the evening.

But unlike Axel I stayed through the entirety of the play, so I think my review will be a bit more accurate (editor’s note: not necessarily).

The set brought audience members to Terre Haute Indiana in the 1980s and we were introduced to Willum, an architect; Tansy, an aspiring weather girl; and to Axel, the slightly aloof, above mentioned drama critic.

As the group gathers to celebrate Willum’s birthday, he first checks his answering machine and becomes ecstatic to hear a message from Rick Steadman, the man who saved his life in Vietnam–but who is otherwise a complete stranger. Willum vows to Rick that as long as he is alive “you will have somebody on Earth who will do anything for you.”

These words would come to haunt Willum, albeit in a way that was amusing to the audience. Rick and the crew kept us laughing for nearly the entire play, while Rick derailed the lives of the other characters with his deficient manners, his tambourine, and his utter obliviousness to social queues.

After the play and thanks to LEAP Alum Megan, we were extremely fortunate to meet one of the stars of the show, Christopher Salazar, who played Willum.

It was a great chance to learn more about the play, including some of the behind-the-scenes action.

The evening was a trifecta plus, with good food, a bit of exposure to art, a wonderful play, and a nice evening with wonderful friends.

A LEAP Week in the Life of a LEAP Ambassador

With today being Leap Day, we thought it only appropriate to reflect a bit on what a week in the life of a LEAP Ambassador looks like. We get a lot of questions about what LEAP Ambassadors do, and the answer isn’t easy, because our activities are diverse and numerous. Perhaps a look at our last week will provide some insight!

The LEAP Center has only two staff members, so our job is to assist the Center with the events. In the process, we have the benefit of networking, gaining professional skills, and learning new things. So, here’s our week leading up to LEAP Day:

Monday: Every other week, we begin with a general meeting, which usually lasts around three hours. Much planning goes into this meeting, and it allows us to maintain an every-other week meeting schedule (we have advisor-less meetings on off weeks) and be prepared for our upcoming events.

Tuesday (Afternoon): We offered a Mock Law class taught by South Texas College of Law Professor, Val Ricks. You can read about it here, and as usual, Professor Ricks did a great job teaching. This event also gives an insight into the LEAP process.

Note: The above event provides some insight into how LEAP works. More than 45 students attended the event, plus a local judge and a teacher from HHS. All attended without being given credit, “service/engagement hours,” or extra credit. Moreover, some had to take off work, and all had to do readings before hand. If you offer quality programs, people will attend without artificial inducements, and they will get more out of the program.

Tuesday (Night): That evening, a few of our Ambassadors volunteered at the Reagan Dinner, enjoying dinner with Judges Smith, Moorman, and Johnson and seeing some old friends, while others did additional preparations for our upcoming photography exhibit at the Sam Houston Memorial Museum and Republic of Texas Presidential Library.

Wednesday: We had our first Pre-Law Society meeting of the semester. With a record 96 members (!), we showcased LEAP Alumni, including first-year attorney Victoria McClendon, 3L student Quinn Kobrin, and Blake Roach. Afterward, we had a chance to catch up additionally over dinner. We also did a photo-op for a recently established pre-law scholarship following donations of $25,000!

Thursday: This was just our regular day of classes, office hours, and work. Among the five LEAP Ambassadors, they have 7 jobs–and a collective 3.70 GPA!

Friday: On Friday, we attended “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead,” written by Tom Stoppard and performed by SHSU’s Theatre Department.

Saturday: We joined 25 other community members to plant trees at Huntsville Elementary. This event, which you can read about here, was with our friends at Trees for Houston. And we met new friends at Huntsville Elementary, where we discussed with Principal Cross the possibility of returning in the fall to do social studies presentations to students and a “Mock Election.”

In all, we participated in events with more than 750 people, we hosted a program for the University, and developed our (and others) knowledge of pre-law, politics, theatre, the sciences (the environment and botany), landscape architecture, and event planning! A typical week in the life of a LEAP Ambassador!

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead at SHSU!

by Christina Biello

Following a long week, LEAP students headed to the theater to decompress by watching SHSU’s rendition of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. This group, in particular, had varied tolerance for theatrics. Regardless of our backgrounds, we waited with anticipation for the curtain to open and allow ourselves to be immersed in the fictional world.

The story takes place in Denmark during the Elizabethan era and focuses on Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, lesser-known characters from Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Even though it appears light-hearted, it profoundly touches the audience; leaving a significant impact, its exploration of human nature and existential questions left me thinking throughout the night.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern frequently find themselves in predicaments, unsure of their location or identities. Further, the actor’s line delivery elicited plenty of laughter from the audience. This quickly turns when the narrative causes viewers to ponder the pointlessness of trying to rationalize a world lacking logic or purpose.

The two attempt to control their destiny as the crisis worsens but are trapped in a cycle of events beyond their influence or understanding. As the characters fall to an unavoidable end, the audience is saddened as we realize what has happened to the characters we have come to adore.

Art in the US HeARTland

In many respects, the last activities of our trip were a perfect bookend to our initial activities on the trip. We began by visiting an art museum and attending a law-school tour, and we ended it the same way. Our first stop on the art leg of this adventure was the Oklahoma City Museum of Art.

Oklahoma City Museum of Art

We were immediately met with a tremendous 55-foot Dale Chihuly piece in the entryway of the museum.

It was tempting to jump directly into the Chihuly exhibit, but we restrained ourselves and, instead, saved Chihuly for last.

We enjoyed looking through their permanent collection, which had some of our favorite artists on display. Cinthia especially enjoyed the works by Moran, whom she learned about on this trip. By the end of the trip, it seemed to be second nature for her to recognize a Moran on sight!

In fact, it was a great chance to see many of the artists we had seen on the trip or had reinforced on the trip.

The much-awaited Chihuly exhibit did not disappoint. LEAP Ambassadors have had the privilege to see Chihuly in numerous capacities, each of which are uniquely beautiful. This was the first time, at least in our case, to have seen his pieces in a gallery with lighting designed to complement his works.

This allowed for the glass to shine in ways you couldn’t fathom. My favorite work, “Orange Baskets” won me over with the casted reflection of the light hitting the glass…

…which made a warm, wave-like image on the wall behind it.

Cinthia’s favorite, “Putti Installation”, had beautiful angelic figures made of glass atop a transparent, hollow vase. It was a first for us to see these detailed figures in his work, composed with his signature medium, and it was both eye-catching and exciting!

But in a larger sense, we had the opportunity to view and learn the scope of Chihuly’s work. This included some paintings…

…more chandeliers, and other styles, including his famous Persian ceiling.

But even as we left the Museum, we had one more art-related stop in Oklahoma City. The City has done a wonderful job revitalizing its downtown, and this includes a river walk adorned with art. One stop we had to make was to see the City’s statue of Sisyphus, a must-do since one of Olivia’s favorite books is Camus’s “The Myth of Sisyphus.”

Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art

Unbeknownst to Cinthia or me, OU students don’t have to go off campus to see fantastic art–they have an art museum of their own! In fact, the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art was one Cinthia’s favorite museums of the entire trip. This University museum had works of art from renowned artists such as Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Degas…

…Van Gogh…

… Pisarro….

…O’Keeffe…

…John Steuart Curry…

….and Monet, the latter of which is a favorite of LEAP Ambassador Jessica Cuevas. They even had a copy from the 1800’s of Giorgio Vasari’s “Works of Vasari: The Lives III”, the first known art history book, in their ‘Treasures of Tuscany’ special exhibit!

We also saw more of key “LEAP” artists, such as Luis Jimenez…

…and Allan Houser.

Amidst all of the southwestern and prairie themed art, the Andy Warhol almost looked out of place–except, of course, it was of John Wayne!

After a trip of learning of various artists and their signature pieces, recognizing their work in museums was beginning to feel like running into an old friend. However, I almost didn’t recognize one of my go-to artists, James Surls!”–whose “Big Standing Bird” was different than what I had seen previously.

We didn’t have any firm expectations coming into the museum, but it was a very favorable surprise!

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