StringGrrl sees the World

This work from the DIA sits outside the Grosse Pointe Public Library Woods Branch. This painting captures the kind of spontaneity of a moment that one might usually think of as only possible with cameras. Actually, capturing this kind of action with a camera is pretty difficult as well. A moment where the amusement of the lady in the foreground, mixes so easily with the joy of exploration in the child, and interest of the other two women is something that in today's over exposed photographic society would still be a trick to capture. The lighting and coloring of this work is such that from the distance one could easily have assumed it was a pre-texted Kodachrome shot. Thank you DIA for making this one available for viewing while out for a walk today.

 With the extended stay in the Detroit area for the past months StringGirl and Amber have been able to enjoy some of the sights around Metro Detroit and Southeastern Michigan for a change.  Most recently a trip to Downtown Detroit for dinner with the gang from AutoForm.  Dinner at the Coach Insignia starts with a trip up the exclusive express elevator up to the 72nd floor. The elevator located on the 3rd level of the labyrinthine Renaissance Center can only be boarded if the concierge at that level confirms your reservation and key cards the elevator into service. The ride up the elevator is close to be being worth the price of dinner. Zooming passengers up the nearly 700 feet to arrive in the restaurant. With glass on three sides of the elevator anybody with vertigo will be left clinging to the doors.  We arrived just a the sun was setting treating us to beautifully lit views of the Windsor and Detroit skylines and the flat state of Michigan stretching out ...

Just outside the Grosse Pointe Woods municipal buildings this portrait is on display as part of the DIA (Detroit Institute of Art) Inside-Out special event. All spring they will leave these reproductions posted outdoors in an effort to make art more accessible (both figuratively and literally) to the members of the greater Detroit Metro area. This location also happens to house one of the areas oldest single room school houses, which was moved less than a kilometer to reside here from it original location further north on Mack. There it was an active school house until 1920, and sat unused but kept up until the turn of the millenia. The Cook school, as it is known, is architecturally significant for the "gingerbread" adorning its gables. 

StringGirl and Amber find "Fisherman's wedding party"   Inside|Out  is a special event run by the Detroit Institute of Arts that "brings 80 reproductions of masterpieces from the DIA's collection to the streets and parks of metro Detroit". Additionally, they offer free admission to the residents of the communities that host these reproductions. Grosse Pointe Residents can get into the DIA free on May 6th, 2012 with their Drivers License or State ID that indicates their residency. Alex and Issa enjoyed the big ride out to the Shore Municipal Building and the art Other communities and the Dates for their free admission (if known at time of posting): Bloomfield Area Clarkston (May 20th) Eastpointe (April 22, 2012) Farmington Farmington Hills The Grosse Pointes (May 6th, 2012) Mt. Clemens (June 24th, 2012) Roseville (April 22nd) Southfield  Taylor (April 29th) Wayne (May 20th) Wyandotte  I look forward to having some longer bike rides ...

The Detroit Institute of Arts, a gem in the rough and tumble town of Detroit has an interesting community out reach program running this summer. Inside|Out — Events & Exhibitions at The Detroit Institute of Arts During the event replicas of artwork in the DIA collection are placed in participating communities public spaces for the enjoyment of the public and raise awareness of the treasures housed in our local museum, which is truly one of the best in the midwest (Detroit once surpassed Chicago as the cultural capital of the middle lands, until the riots of the 60's). Little did I know that this was on. In fact I walked passed two installations today and was none the wiser. I guess i need to extend the walks as well if i want to mark all of them.

Getting locked out of work is not really the best start to ones day, but today it did afford me the extra few minutes to be able to wander away from the office to visit the caches near the office. I could just hang in the lobby, forlorn until everyone else shows up.... On the campus of the Troy Civic Center

So if you're out in the desert scrub in Mexico, exploring the canyons of Costa Azul, what do you do for fun. After all just sitting at the beach and drinking in the Palapa bar is not all there is to do. Well one thing to do for sure is to head out to the Zipline adventures of Canopy Costa Azu l.   They suit you up fully professionally with the needed safety equipment; harness , helmet , zipline pully.  Midway through the ziplining we pause to go rappelling, and the kids who might be tool light to rappel get to use the "tarrzan slide" to do a little bit of upside down zipping.  The entire tour takes just short of 3 hours. In that time you get to make about 6 crossings over the canyon and the one rappelling descent. You also get a taste of the Tequila that they distill on the grounds. In all for the $96/67 (adult/child) fee it is a fair amount of fun. Would gladly do it again. The whole family is ready to go. Search for Tra...