EXTRAORDINARY BEADED TAPESTRIES by HAITIAN ARTIST CONSTANT MYRLANDE: Fowler Museum, Los Angeles, CA

Art of Myrlande Constant (detail), Fowler Museum, Los Angeles, CA

Myrlande Constant is a Haitian textile artist whose works reflect the vibrancy of life in Haiti--from family celebrations to religious traditions. As you enter the gallery at the Fowler Museum atUCLA in Los Angeles where her works are currently exhibited, you are struck by the explosion of color. The tapestries literally shimmer on the walls. 

Myrlande Constant: The Work of Radiance, gallery at the Fowler Museum

Created with thousands of tiny beads that capture and reflect the light, it is almost impossible to convey their beauty and complexity in a still photo. Even a short video barely does them justice.

  

The exhibit, on view from March 26, 2023 to August 27, 2023, is a retrospective, showcasing examples of Myrlande Constant’s work from the time she was a young woman working in the factories of Haiti, to today when her work is collected in museums around the world. Early works are smaller with simpler designs, but her recent creations are complex scenes with dozens of images woven together on large pieces of fabric, resembling, at times, the scale of medieval tapestries.

"Elaborate narratives and compositions characterize her work and distinguish it from that of earlier drapo artists who focused more on pieces used in Vodou ceremonies. … In her drapo, Constant illustrates stories of healing, justice and celebration. She depicts her reality, in which everyday life coexists with the sacred and transcendent, and the intimate and monumental mingle fluidly."

Constant's textile designs originate in the Haitian tradition of beaded flags, or drapo, and include images from Haitian daily life and from Constant’s ancestral religion, Vodou. But the beading technique introduced by Constant allows for greater detail and scale than traditional drapo Vodou, which typically use sequins. Constant's tiny beads, sewed on one by one, create a rich three-dimensional surface..

Detail from Grande Alouba. Grande Alouba is a revered female elder Iwa, regal and accompanied by her attendants. The Iwa are deities who are deeply enmeshed in the lives of individuals and families--in their dreams, struggles, fate, temperament, as well as their power to heal and defend themselves.

The fighting cock is a symbol of Ogou, the warrior Iwa.

In all Constant's works, her name becomes part of the design--with the "n's" sometimes inverted.  Many are "framed" with elaborate borders.

Erzulie Dantor, 1995-2020. 

Constant spent 25 years working on her portrait of Erzulie Dantor. Erzulie Dantor is credited with launching the Haitian Revolution, which overthrew colonialism and abolished slavery, creating the first independent Black republic. She is revered as a symbol of Black working class motherhood.

Detail of Haiti, Tuesday, January 12, 2010.

Political and current events are also the subject of some of Constant's pieces. In the year after the catastrophic 2010 earthquake, Constant created this tapestry, filled with scenes she had witnessed in her own community.

The above photos are just samples of the dozens of works on display in the Fowler Museum exhibit. In addition to the textiles on the walls, a video interview of Constant Myrlande in her studio plays in an adjacent room, providing insight on her method and purpose. The exhibit at the Fowler ends August 27, 2023. If you cannot see it in person, you can read about it in the book Myrlande Constant: The Work of Radiance, Katherine Smith and Jerry Philogene, editors (Fowler Museum UCLA, 2023). She is a remarkable woman. This is the first U.S. museum exhibition devoted to the work of a Haitian femaile contemporary artist. 

Baron Vulgaire, Baron Ravage.

THE ROYAL TYRELL MUSEUM, Drumheller, Alberta, Canada, a Prehistoric Treasure Trove

Royal Tyrell Museum, Drumheller, Alberta, Canada

In early May, Art and I were in Canada, landing in Calgary, then driving about an hour and a half across the Alberta wheat fields to the town of Drumheller, located in the Canadian Badlands, where some of the world’s most impressive dinosaur fossils have been found. Our goal was to visit the Royal Tyrell Museum of Paleontology, a treasure trove of fossils from the Dinosaur Age.

Dinosaur fossils at the Royal Tyrell Museum, Drumheller, Alberta, Canada

After buying our tickets at the museum entrance, we followed signs to the first room, which we found filled with life size models of dinosaurs and an introduction to life in Cretaceous Alberta. We felt as if we had stepped into another world.

Cretaceous Alberta. Seventy million years ago, eastern Alberta was warmer and wetter than it is today and was teeming with wildlife—dinosaurs of all sorts of shapes and sizes!

Dinosaurs lived from about 230 to 64 million years ago, during the Mesozoic Era.

A visit to the museum is a trip through time—3.9 billion years of evolution. 

While some skeletons are displayed in life-like poses, assembled as they would have been in the living animal---

Camarasaurus. The mounting of the skeletons in real-life poses recreates the drama of life in the past.

--or even as whole skeletons as they appeared when first discovered---

This T. rex skeleton is known as “black beauty". The bones became darkened by the element manganese during fossilization.

--it is more typical for fossil bones to be scattered, needing to be reassembled like a jigsaw puzzle.

A typical bonebed.

And not only are there fossils of dinosaurs at the museum, but also of plants, insects, fish, amphibians, birds, other reptiles.

Fossil impression of an early bird Confuciousornis sanctus (125-120 mya) from Liaoning Province China. Donated by the Chinese Academy of Science.

While most exhibits are just to look at, some invite participation. Standing next to this Camarasaurus hind limb, I look miniscule. In real life Camarasaurus grew to be 60 feet long and weighed 32 tons.

Camarasaurus right hind limb.

Albertosaurus sarcophagus hand--and my hand!

The remains of Borealopelta markmitchelli, found at a mine north of Fort McMurray, are of the best-preserved armored dinosaur in the world.  This dinosaur is named after Mark Mitchell, who worked on the specimen to prepare it for study and exhibit.  Analysis of pigments found with the skeleton suggest that the dinosaur was reddish-brown in real life.

Borealopelta markmitchelli

Most of the fossils on exhibit at the Tyrell Museum have been found in Canada, but some are from other places. A slab of fossilized ferns from a coal mine in Pennsylvania is mounted at the entrance to the Cretaceous Garden, a greenhouse with ferns, cycads, and other plants typical of the Dinosaur Age.

Ancient ferns preserved in coal.

Every day scientists are learning new things about dinosaurs. The large flat plates along the spine of Stegosaurus were probably used for display and species recognition, but traces of blood vessels suggest they may also have been used to help regulate body temperature.

Stegosaurus. This slow-moving, plant-eating dinosaur was about 20-25 feet long and weighed 2-5 tons.

 

Shonisaurus skeleton.

One whole room of the museum is devoted to the giant fossil of a sea reptile called Shonisaurus, the biggest and best-preserved giant sea reptile fossil ever found. I wrote about its discovery in my book Giant Sea Reptiles of the Dinosaur Age. It was a thrill to meet it in person--and to see all the other amazing fossils that fill the museum. (You can read more about Shonisaurus in a separate blog post at my Art and Books blog.)

The path through the museum winds its way through many rooms (including some on the second level) finally exiting through the gift shop. Among the many souvenirs for sale I was pleased to see a large selection of children's books about dinosaurs and the prehistoric world. We visited on a Saturday afternoon and the museum was filled with families of dinosaur enthusiasts. As we left the last room of the museum we were reminded of the importance of learning about the Earth's past:

Understanding ancient life and the circumstances in which it flourished or died, helps us recognize our place in nature, and how our decisions affect all life on Earth.

Royal Tyrell Museum seen from viewing platform.

During our visit we spent several hours in the museum, pausing for lunch in the museum cafeteria. We ate inside but on a warmer day one can sit on the patio overlooking a pond. At the end of the day, before going back to our car, we climbed the stairs to the top of the hill across from the museum for a panoramic view of the Red Deer River Valley. The next morning we returned for a hike around the Badlands Interpretive Trail and a visit to the hoodoos. (See my blog post of May 15, 2023.)

To plan a visit to the Royal Tyrell Museum of Paleontology, visit the museum website.

Daspletosaurus skull.

HIPPOS IN THE POTOMAC? George Washington University Statue, Washington, D.C.

GW's River Horse, George Washington University, Washington, DC.

Did hippopotamuses once swim in the Potomac? No. But at the entrance to the campus of George Washington University in Washington, D.C. there is a charming statue of a hippo with a marker suggesting that they once did. The story was invented just for fun in 1996 by then University President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg when he presented the bronze statue as a gift to the University's Class of 2000. 

The hippo's nose is slightly worn by passersby rubbing it.

Text on plaque next to the hippo: 

Legend has it that the Potomac was once home to these wondrous beasts. George and Martha Washington are even said to have watched them cavort in the river shallows from the porch of their beloved Mount Verson on summer evenings. Credited with enhancing the fertility of the plantation, the Washingtons believed the hippopotamus brought them good luck and children on the estate often attempted to lure the creatures close enough to the shore to touch a nose for good luck.

Gate to Kogan Plaza

As one proceeds past the hippo through the gate to Kogan Plaza in the central campus, large sculptures line the walkway.

Walkway to Kogan Plaza.

The focus of Kogan Plaza is a classical dome surrounded by gardens and seating areas, providing a pleasant place for students and visitors on their way to the library or other university buildings.

Suffusion, sculpted by Arthur Carter.

Joyce, sculpted by Sam Martin. Dedicated to the Memory of Joyce Brady Yaeger.

While George Washington may not have observed hippos in real life, he is present in the garden, seated on a bench as a bronze statue, looking as if he has just stopped for a moment to admire the scenery or to chat with passersby.

George Washington, Gary Lee Price, Artist.

After my walk through Kogan Plaza I continued down 21st street and stopped for a short visit at the George Washington University Museum, currently featuring an exhibit of Islamic prayer rugs.

Prayer carpet, Caucasus, 1890-1910.

I happened to pass by the GWU campus on my way to my hotel during a recent visit to Washington, D.C. I had not previously had the opportunity to visit the university. It was a pleasant surprise in the midst of a busy city.

Dome, with Gelman Library in background.

 

FROM MAI TAIS TO MAHI MAHI: Eating Out on the Big Island of Hawaii

Mai Tai at Jackie Rey's, Kona, Hawaii

When you get a slice of pineapple in your drink, you know you are in Hawaii. For a long time Art and I have been making regular trips to the Big Island of Hawaii, where he attends a meeting every three years. (While he is at the meeting, I enjoy being a tourist.) In our search for good places to eat we have tried out various restaurants, returning to our favorites. 

Hilo

Sushi at the Hilo Bay Cafe

Our favorite restaurant on the whole island is the Hilo Bay Café, located in a former boat house on the bay in Hilo. We had dinner there on the first night of our recent trip to Hawaii. (We made a reservation a week ahead of time.)The food is fresh and the menu original, featuring, not surprisingly, seafood.

Our hotel that first night was The Inn at Kulaniapia Falls, about a fifteen minute drive outside of Hilo past fruit and nut orchards and fields of purple sweet potatoes. Breakfast, which was included, was served on a deck overlooking their own private waterfall. We chose our food from the menu the night before (eggs, bacon, toast, fresh pineapple.)

Breakfast patio with view of waterfall below.

The next day, after a morning at the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, we headed for the food stand where we have eaten on previous trips called What's Shakin just a mile up the road, but when we discovered that it is closed on Sundays, we went back to Hilo and got tasty pork barbecue sandwiches from a shop across from the Hilo Farmer’s Market.  

Kona

Our hotel in Kona, the Royal Kona Resort

The rest of our trip was spent in Kona, where most of the restaurants, especially on Alii Drive, the main street along the waterfront, cater to tourists. Our first night, after enjoying complimentary mai tais at our hotel, the Royal Kona Resort, we ate at a nearby restaurant, Thai Rin, sitting on the outside patio watching the sun set. We ordered fresh spring rolls and pad thai and had more than enough food. 

Crab cakes at Jackie Rey's

Two of our dinners in Kona were at Jackie Rey's Ohana Grill Kona, a more upscale but casual restaurant located away from the tourist strip. (There is also a Jackie Rey's restaurant in Hilo.)

Linguini with clams, Jackie Rey's

Another night on this trip we met friends at Sushi Cocoro, a small hole in the wall café, just off Alii drive, chosen because it was near the conference hotel. The food wasn't that great, but at least the restaurant wasn't noisy, so it was fine for talking.

Ba-le Kona Restaurant was our discovery of this trip. Located in a strip mall just a few blocks from the beach, the atmosphere is like a diner. Both times we ate there all the other customers appeared to be locals. The main dishes they offer are Pho (large bowls of noodle soup) and delicious pork sandwiches Vietnamese style, made on freshly baked French rolls. 

Across the street from Ba-le in another strip mall are the Island Corner Café (75-5595 Palani Rd STE A-10, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740) and Land L Drive Inn--L and L Hawaiian Barbecue, where we went for breakfast. Both are open early, an advantage when coming from the U.S. and waking up early because of the three hour time difference--or more if you are not from the West Coast. 

Waiting for the sun to set at Lava Lava Beach Club.

On several of our previous trips we ate dinner at Lava Lava Beach Club, the perfect place to watch the sunset and listen to Hawaiian music while enjoying our drinks and meal. Some of the tables are literally on the sand. It is in Waikoloa Village, about a half hour drive from Kona.

You can't go to Hawaii without having poke (pronounced PO-kay), raw fish cut into small cubes and flavored with various spices, often served with rice and vegetables as a poke bowl. In Kona we have gotten poke at Umeke's, both to take out from their fish market, and to eat in.

For snacks to eat in our room, we went to one of the convenient ABC stores along Alii Drive. And at the Farmer's Market in Kona (Wed-Sun), we bought a supply of macadamia nuts to bring home as gifts and souvenirs. 

Hawaiian food is basically American food, with a tropical twist. There is no shortage of places to eat or buy food in Hawaii. You may have your favorites. These are some of ours.