MARY CASSATT AT WORK, Legion of Honor Art Museum, San Francisco, CA

A Kiss for Baby Ann, No. 3, 1897, pastel by Mary Cassatt. Legion of Honor Art Museum, San Francisco, CA.

Mary Cassatt, known for her sensitive paintings of women and children, was both the only American artist and only woman artist to exhibit with the Impressionists. In a stunning exhibit at the Legion of Honor Art Museum in San Francisco, the breadth of her work is displayed—drawings, prints, oil paintings and lustrous pastels. 

Woman in a Black Hat and Raspberry Pink Costume (detail), pastel, ca. 1905.

In December, when I was in the Bay Area, I went to the exhibit with my family. Although I was familiar with some of the paintings from my art history classes in college and from visits to other museums, I had never had the opportunity to see so many pieces up close and to appreciate Mary Cassatt’s work over the span of her lifetime (1844-1926).

Under the Lamp, aquatint and soft ground etching, 1883.

Before entering the galleries, we prepared ourselves by watching an excellent video playing in a room just inside the ticket area. (Timed tickets are required to see the exhibit.) In the video we learned about Mary Cassatt’s background as the daughter of a wealthy Philadelphia family. Like many young women of the time, she attended to art school. But unlike other young women who went on to become matrons of society, Mary Cassatt was determined to become a successful professional artist. She moved to Paris and pursued her career there. She never married.

At the Loge, 1878.

In the video, selected pieces of art were discussed by experts. We learned, for instance, to look carefully at the painting of the woman at the opera to see the gentlemen in the opposite box just as intently looking at her!

Portrait of Mrs. Robert S. Cassatt, the Artist's Mother, ca 1885. 

We also learned about Mary Cassatt’s relationships with her family, who initially disapproved of her art career. Later they joined her in France. Her mother and sister appear in some of her paintings.  Mary Cassatt also used paid models for her work.

Clarissa, Turned Right with her Hand to her Ear, 1890-1893, Pastel.

Detail.

While much of Mary Cassatt’s work is in oil paint, many of her most vibrant portraits are drawn with pastels. The advantage of pastels is that the color is pure pigment, not diluted with oil or another medium. A close-up look at her pastels reveals the freedom and looseness of the strokes and shimmer of the overlapping color. In contrast, the faces of her figures are more carefully modeled.

Prints, dry point and color aquatint.

I had not previously appreciated Mary Cassatt’s skill as a printmaker. In the exhibit we see examples of dry point engravings as well as aquatint prints. Cassatt believed that printmaking was the ultimate instructor in drawing. She said, "That is what teaches one to draw."

Family Group Reading (detail), 1898.

Many of the Impressionists focused on outdoor scenes in their paintings and worked in "plein air". While most of Mary Cassatt's art depicts of interior scenes, in some cases, as in Family Group Reading, she places her figures in an outdoor setting.

On a Balcony, 1878-79.

The most impressive thing about Mary Cassatt’s depictions of people is the expressions on the faces. She manages to capture their inner feelings and interpersonal connections. In Mother About to Wash a Sleepy Child, we sense the tenderness between mother and baby.

Mother About to Wash her Sleepy Child, 1880.

On the day of our visit, after viewing Mary Cassatt at Work, we ate a tasty lunch in the museum cafe, and then explored the permanent collection in the main floor galleries, ending in the room with paintings by Mary Cassatt's comrades in art--Monet, Manet, Renoir, Cezanne, Pissarro, Degas. Mary Cassatt at Work is an enlightening exhibit.  I gained a new appreciation of her as an innovator. I saw a talented woman who was determined to forge a career at a time when women were not encouraged to do so. If you don't get to see the Mary Cassatt exhibit at the Legion of Honor before it closes January 26, 2025, there are many other museums where you can see her work.

The Long Gloves, 1886. Pastel.

REMEMBERING WILL ROGERS’ HOUSE-- Lost in the Palisades Fire, Los Angeles, CA

Will Rogers' House, Will Rogers State Historic Park, Los Angeles, CA.

“I never met a man I didn’t like.”—Will Rogers, cowboy, humorist, film star and commentator of the 1920s and 1930s.  He was a quintessential American.

Will Rogers’ house in Will Rogers State Park in Los Angeles, California, was one of the many victims of the recent catastrophic Palisades wildfire, which burned more than 23,000 acres and destroyed more than 1000 homes. It is gone forever. The park, with its historic house, horse stables, polo field, picnic area and hiking trails has been a favorite place to visit during the almost fifty years I have lived in Southern California. I loved the exhibits in the Visitor Center and the black and white films of Will Rogers doing rope tricks for the movies and telling jokes as a popular public speaker and commentator. I loved the guided tours of his home, filled with artifacts of his life—his saddle, colorful blankets, sculptures, and comfortable furniture. Every volunteer docent had their own stories to tell of Will Rogers and his family as they led the tour through the rooms of the house. I loved watching polo players on the field in front of the house. I loved hiking on the trails past the horse barns and corrals up to Inspiration Point, with its spectacular 360 degree view—from the Pacific Ocean to downtown Los Angeles. The wildflowers and native shrubs in the park will grow back in time, but the house and mementos of Will Rogers’ life can never be replaced. They remain only in pictures and our memories.

I have written about Will Rogers’ State Park twice on this blog, in March 2014 and June 2020. I am reposting here my report from 2014. 

Will Rogers House, Will Rogers State Park

When I have visitors in Los Angeles, one of my favorite places to take them is Will Rogers State Historic Park, the former home of the famous cowboy, humorist, film star and commentator of the 1920s and 1930s.  Tucked into the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains just north of Sunset Boulevard, the ranch style home looks out over a broad lawn (once used by Will’s friends to practice golf) and a large field where Will and his friends played polo. The field is still used for weekend matches and occasionally we take a picnic and sit on the sidelines and watch. A short walk from the house leads to the stables where Will once kept his horses.  According to Will, “A man that don’t love a horse, there is something the matter with him.” Today one can go for horse riding lessons and trail rides in the park.

Horses in one of the corrals

On a recent Sunday when my brothers were in town, we spent an afternoon at the park.  We began at the small museum adjacent to the house.  People of our parents' generation have fond memories of listening to Will Rogers on the radio, seeing him in movies, and reading his newspaper columns, but for most of us today Will Rogers is a historical figure. Will was born in 1879 of Cherokee and European descent. He was raised on a ranch in Oklahoma where he learned to ride and rope, skills that led him to perform in Wild West shows, and eventually brought him to Hollywood. He died in an airplane crash in Alaska in 1935. In the museum are photographs and exhibits and a wonderful video showing his amazing rope tricks and clips from some of his speeches. 

At Christmas time the house is decorated by volunteers

Thursday through Sunday, volunteers lead free tours of Will Rogers’ house, providing an opportunity to see his collection of Western art, hear some of the many stories about his life, and get a sense of the casual and comfortable style of life he preferred.  Despite his fame and wealth, Will did not live the glamorous life of other movie stars of the time. Instead, he entertained with casual barbecues and sing-a-longs and decorated his house in a homey, ranch style. 

View of Los Angeles from Inspiration Point, Will Rogers State Park

After our tour we set out for a walk on the loop trail up to Inspiration Point.  Following the dirt path past the stables, we wound our way uphill.  As we passed the corrals, a few friendly horses came over for a pat on the nose. Although the trail is not strenuous, I chose to loop the other way and met the rest of the group on their way back down.  I have been to the top many times and the view of the city and Pacific Ocean is impressive.

Will Rogers lived on the ranch from 1926 to 1935

Perhaps Will Rogers’ most famous quip was: “I never met a man I didn’t like.” His house and ranch reflect his generous spirit and love of the outdoors. After Will Rogers died, his daughter donated the house and ranch to the state of California so that it would be preserved as a state park. We are lucky she did.
For directions and information about visiting the park go to www.parks.ca.gov/willrogers .

ASTRA LUMINA – MUCH MORE THAN A LIGHTED GARDEN, Guest Post by Caroline Hatton

Astra Lumina exhibit, Seattle, WA. Start gate or "Astra Archway."

My friend Caroline Hatton, a children’s writer and frequent contributor to this blog, took these photos in Seattle in December 2024 on a phenomenal walk at Astra Lumina, an "enchanted night walk among the stars," at the Seattle Chinese Garden. The same exhibit is apparently available in Dallas, Gatlinburg, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Seattle until January 31, 2025.

What sets AstraLumina a galaxy apart from other lighted garden events is the bold vision behind an exuberant music-and-lighting show. Everything is big and nothing is static. This gives the experience its power to lift the spirit. A 3-minute video overview shows a sample of every art installation along the one-mile night walk. The video does such a good job giving an idea of what to expect, especially if it is played with the sound on and the volume up, that I share only still shots.

The "Stellar Visions" uplifting visuals and pulsing music sweep away two visitors.

My favorite of the nine art installations was “Stellar Visions.” In the screenshot above, the silhouettes of two visitors on the right give an idea of how big and how high the giant lens-like screen was, as if pointed at the heavens. Projected onto it, a cosmos-inspired video to uplifting celestial music swept me away on a virtual journey through space.

My next favorite was walking through the utterly cool special effects of “Stardust Rays.” It felt like floating through interstellar currents even though my feet never left the Earth.

Cosmic Choir, detail.

With nine areas sufficiently different in mood, visuals and sounds, chances are everyone can find favorites and count on feeling transported to distant star fields. The many photo opportunities along the way were a nice bonus.

In the Cosmic Choir, I saw a red lantern, but this is what my phone captured.

The lantern turned purple, but this is what my phone captured.

For me, Astra Lumina was an exciting, stirring experience, not one to bring me serenity. The bigness of it all boosted my ambition, optimism, and happiness. At the Astra Lumina website, tickets seem available only until January 31, 2025, but this is not the first year of the show, so perhaps it won’t be the last.

A lit plant as I saw it.

SANGRE DE NOPAL/BLOOD OF THE NOPAL: Exhibit at the Fowler Museum, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA

Sangre de Nopal exhibit at the Fowler Museum, UCLA.

One of my favorite museums in Los Angles is the Fowler Museum on the campus of UCLA, with its focus on art and material culture, primarily from Asia, Africa, and the Pacific, as well as the Americas. In mid-December I made an excursion to the Fowler to do some holiday shopping in its excellent gift shop, and while I was there made a quick visit to the exhibit Sangre de Nopal/Blood of the Nopal: Tanya Aquiniga and PorfirioGutierrez en Conversacion/in Conversation, which is on view in one of the four museum galleries. While we were there we saw two groups of school children who had come to see the exhibit and participate in the hands-on displays.

Somos una tela continue (We are a continuous cloth), 2023 by Tanya Aquiniga, 2023. Found objects and stones from the Los Angeles River, low-fired terra cotta, cotton dyed with terracotta, and cotton rope.

The exhibit features fiber artists Tanya Aquiniga and Porfirio Gutierrez as well as Oaxacan textiles from the Fowler Museum collection. 

Oaxacan textiles from the Fowler collection. Installation inspired by the temporary devotional structures called Lis Dxan erected during Holy Week in Zapotecan communities.

Here are some of the items on display.

Somos Mujeres (We Are Women) by Tanya Aquiniga, 2024. Terra cotta, nickel, epoxy, cochineal dye, cochineal insects, cotton rope. 

Nopal by Tanya Aquiniga, 2017. Abaca pulp, clay, alpaca, flax, succulents, iron, horsehair, cochineal, copper, gold, human hair.

Emotional Body by Tanya Aquiliga, 2023. Cotton rope and low-fire terra cotta. Video.

Detail of Emotional Body.

Sangre de Nopal/Blood of the Nopal: Tanya Aguiñiga & Porfirio Gutiérrez en Conversación/in Conversation is organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara and developed in collaboration with the Fowler Museum at UCLA. It is a multi-site project offering an expanded understanding of the scientific and Indigenous origins of cochineal, a red dye developed by the Zapotec peoples.

What is cochineal?

First cultivated by the Zapotec peoples around 500 B.C., cochineal is derived from an insect that lives on the opuntia (prickly pear) cactus. Its chemical ingenuity, stability, and chromatic intensity changed the course of art around the world. Despite the global scale and impact of cochineal, its spiritual, medicinal, and technical origins within Indigenous Mexican communities remain little understood. Sangre de Nopal offers a case study in multi-generational innovation, acknowledging the scientific knowledge and cultural heritage embedded in the cultivation of cochineal. (From the Fowler Museum website.)

The exhibit will be on view at the Fowler until January 12, 2025. I am glad I got to see it before it closes.

Entrance to Fowler Museum of Cultural History, UCLA

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2025 from THE INTREPID TOURIST

Caroline, ice skating at Bottineau Park in Northeast Minneapolis, 1950.

"By New Year’s Day, the pine needles of the Christmas tree are dry and brittle. It is time to take the tree down. After the lights and ornaments are removed and boxed for next year, we take the tree outside to the roof deck, propping it up in the snow. Decorated with strings of bread cubes and cranberries, it is ready for the birds to enjoy. With the excitement of Christmas over, it is now time to write thank-you notes and to enjoy skating at Bottineau Park, sledding at the Columbia Park golf course, and other winter activities."

From Chapter 7: Family Christmas at NENH, SETTLEMENT HOUSE GIRL: Growing Up in the 1950s at North East Neighborhood House, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

I have fond memories of celebrating the holidays when I was a child in Minneapolis. Now, many years later, from my home in California, I send best wishes to you and all my faithful readers.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2025