Day 19: Meijer Sculpture Garden

The setting for our Holiday Inn in Grand Rapids is very interesting and rather attractive as well. Across Pearl Street, one of the oldest and most used city streets, is the Gerald R. Ford Museum, which is planted at the rear of a green city park with fountains and a little sculpture. Across Front Avenue from the motel is the Grand Rapids Public Museum, a handsome newish building containing various historical artifacts. Down Front Avenue behind the hotel is a branch of Grand Valley State University. These institutions have paths of various types down to the Grand River, which is modest but swiftly flowing. Beyond the river is a metropolitan skyline, though compact: a very imposing glass tower houses the J.W. Marriott Hotel, and there are a dozen other impressive high-rises. It is a great area for a morning walk.

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is a huge asset to the community of Grand Rapids. It offers art, nature, exercise, and a special garden for the kids. At 133 acres, it has enough space for a lot of people to recreate in different ways without interfering with each other. And the sculpture collection is top-notch. The park was founded by Frederik Meijer, the owner of a supermarket chain, based on his own collection. (Note: Fred Meyer of the Oregon chain was not related to Frederik Meijer of Michigan.)

Frederik and Lena Meijer, founders of Meier Sculpture Garden
by A. Joseph Kinkel, b. 1950

The day we were there was warm and relentlessly gray. The humidity made walking a challenge. We started with a guided tram tour. The guide was well-informed, succinct, and patient.

Guide with sample of Desert Rose

Disk in the form of a Desert Rose, 1994
by Arnaldo Pomodoro, b. 1926

The tour gave us an idea of the size and organization of the park, and got us excited about the photo opportunities, so we re-did the whole place on foot.

The entrance hall and the cafe had wonderful works by Dale Chihuly.

Dale Chihuly, b. 1941

The entrance to the park was marked by this dramatic work by Tony Cragg.

Tony Cragg, b. 1949
Bent of Mind, 2005

Each sculpture has a special setting, with complimentary planting.

Deborah Butterfield, b. 1949
Cabin Creek, 1999

Mark di Suvero, b. 1933
Scarlatti, 2000

The centerpiece of the park—located on its own vast lawn, and a gathering place for children and picnickers as well as art lovers—is a monumental horse. It is a recreation of Leonardo's legendary model of a horse that he did for the Sforza palace in Milan.

Nina Akamu, b. 1955
The American Horse, 1998

The sculptor Roxy Paine is well-known for his shiny replicas of trees. But the work shown here, in a garden full of trees, depicts the branching form of a neuron, using discarded tubing from laboratories.

Roxy Paine, b. 1956
Neuron, 2010

Here are a few more examples.

Sean Henry, b. 1965
Lying Man, 2003

Jim Dine, b. 1935
Large Parrot Screams Color, 2007

Alexander Liberman, 1912-1999
Aria, 1983

Andy Goldsworthy, b. 1956
Grand Rapids Arch, 2005

Day 18: Milwaukee to Grand Rapids

269 mi; 4:15 hrs
Indiana Dunes State Park, Michigan

The big question was whether to take the ferry from Milwaukee to Muskegon or to drive around the southern end of Lake Michigan, through Chicago and up the other side. Initially the ferry seemed like the ideal solution, but when he considered the cost of $271 for the two of us plus the car, with the fact that the ferry doesn't leave Milwaukee till around noon, and that cars have to wait in line for a long time before they can get on the ferry—making the total ferry process take as long as driving it out—Dan decided to take the highway.

Fortunately it was a Sunday so traffic wasn't too bad. We could have got through Chicago pretty quickly except that highway construction reduced the number of lanes. Getting through the metropolis was also something of a navigational challenge because of the number of times we had to change highways; using the iPad, I helped Dan figure out which lane to chose from the constantly changing green highway signs.

The big reward of all this was that in the afternoon on the southern end of Lake Michigan we got to visit the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. After a short hike through the grassy sand dunes, we reached a sandy beach packed with sunbathers. What a photo opportunity! Not only the scantily clad family groups at play, but the gray-blue skyline of Chicago spiking on the horizon, and the industrial complexes on either side of the lake. The lake is so vast that it is like the ocean, except that the waves are smaller and have a faster cycle. It must have been fairly warm because lots of young women were swimming. The scene was calm and friendly. The weather was pleasant and clear. We enjoyed walking both the beach and the dunes.

I took lots of video but only one still shot.

Indiana Dunes on the southern end of Lake Michigan

Day 17: Milwaukee Art Museum

Our Ramada Inn City Center is in the most remarkable location. Early in the morning, when there was a lot of fresh light, I went exploring with my iPad, not for the mapper, but for the video camera. Our hotel is practically under a freeway at one of those giant interchanges where one freeway connects to the other. Seconds from the hotel I passed under the freeway and onto a pretty white two-lane bridge with pedestrian walkways. The bridge went over a street and some nondescript area and eventually the Menomonee River. On the other side of the river was St. Mary's Cement, a favorite of the numerous seagulls in the area. Beyond that is the Lonestar Brewing company, with its big grain elevators. I crossed the street to the corner of the Harley-Davidson Museum; I observed the spacious and well-tended grounds but did not approach the museum. I went back across the bridge observing that a central sorting office for the Post Office was right near the railroad tracks; Amtrak and Greyhound have stations there as well. This area is a churning hub of activity.

Onramps next to our Ramada Inn

I walked down the hill to Silver Creek Coffee Roasters; a pleasantly off-beat place with very bad latte. Then I walked up to the Hilton hotel, a huge brick building that probably started in a different era with a different name. Dan had told me that it had 700+ rooms and that, like our little motel, it was completely booked. I walked through the lobby and admired the crystal chandeliers and the gold filigree decorations. I found the Starbucks on the other side, for future reference. A policeman was planted outside Starbucks as though he had no intention of moving. I wondered if he were a beat cop or something. I said, "So you're just hanging out here?" He explained that there was a Governors' Conference in the convention center across the street—a blocks-long brick building with faked up old-time architecture. He didn't seem inclined to chat, so I came back to the motel.

The Milwaukee Art Museum is charming both for its structure and for its collections. The structure has two parts. The art is exhibited in the War Memorial building, which is actually quite modern and stylish, because it was designed by Eero Saarinaan, who is most famous for the Arch in St. Louis, in the 1950's. The exterior of this building is barely visible from the usual entrance to the museum. The entrance is in the spectacular new building designed by Santiago Calatrava for the purpose of housing guest services. This building is unique in having a huge, wing-shaped sunscreen that opens in the morning and closes in the evening—the only building I know with major moving parts. This is the sort of extravagance that critics love to hate, but it is beautiful to observe, and it put Milwaukee on the map for fans of architecture and art. The structure extends toward Lake Michigan and its shape recalls both a ship and a sea bird. Inside, the swooping curves and cathedral-like spaces prepare you for Art.

Milwaukee Art Museum

Sunshade beginning to lower

Sunshade almost closed

The Entrance hall 

Corridor to the War Memorial Building, where the art is exhibited.

The collections wowed me because they feature some of my favorite artists. There were two rooms full of works by Georgia O'Keeffe, who was born in Wisconsin. The selection showed the various stages her work went through in her long career. Around 1920 she did an exquisite, and very innovative, series of abstractions.

Georgia O'Keeffe, 1887-1986
Series I, No. 3, 1918

By the 1930s she had turned to nature as her primary subject, especially the desert of New Mexico.

Georgia O'Keeffe, 1887-1986
The Cliff Chimneys, 1938

In the 1940s she got into close-ups of bones she had found in the desert.

Georgia O'Keeffe, 1887-1986
Pelvis I, 1944

Many of O'Keeffe's paintings bring out the abstract form of flowers. This one comes from the middle of the 20th century.

Georgia O'Keeffe, 1887-1986
Poppies, 1950

There was a gallery devoted to Gabriele Munter, the largest group I have seen. She is a German artist who was famous during the first few decades of the 20th century.

Gabriele Münter, 1877-1962
Portrait of a Young Woman, 1909

Gabriele Münter, 1877-1962
Portrait of Mrs. von Hartmann, 1910

There were several works by English sculptor Barbara Hepworth located in a small gallery with a view of the beautiful lake.

Barbara Hepworth, 1903-1975
Two Piece Marble, 1969

A similar gallery had several works by Harry Bertoia.

Harry Bertoia, 1915-1978

Several black artists were represented, including Loïs Mailou Jones from the 1930s, Robert Colescott from the 1970s, and the contemporary painter Kehinde Wiley.

Loïs Mailou Jones, 1905-1998
The Ascent of Ethiopia, 1932

Robert H. Colescott, 1925-2009
Hardhats, 1987

Kehinde Wiley, b. 1977
St. Dionysus, 2006

They have quite an extensive collection of German 19th century painting. These quaint works feature "naturalistic" narratives in a detailed realistic style.

Peter Heinrich Lambert von Hess, 1792-1891
French Soldeiers Plundering a Farm, 1826

Eduard von Grutzner, 1846-1925
The Card Players, 1883

Donald Judd, Dale Chihuly and Alexander Calder were represented by major works.

Dale Chihuly

Their special exhibit was called "30 Americans." It was a very extensive and very exciting collection of work by modern and contemporary African American artists. Some of the most liberated and experimental contemporary art is coming out of the black community. We were very impressed. No photography allowed.

The cafe is located in the "hull" of the building's "prow"—glass walls give wonderful views of mighty Lake Michigan. My salad was so good that I was tempted to order a second one.

When the museum closed we went outside to take photos of the sunshade closing; the movement is slow and majestic. A couple of different wedding parties arrived and moved off. Once the sunshade was closed, it immediately began opening again for a special event, perhaps a wedding party.

From there we took a lovely ride along the shore of beautiful Lake Michigan. The City of Milwaukee has done an admirable job of developing the coastline for the benefit and entertainment of its citizens. Several miles of shoreline have parks of different types and sizes on both sides of the lakeside road. Marinas, public beaches, bike paths—everything clean and inviting—as well as museums of different types with great views of the lake.

Day 16: Minneapolis to Milwaukee

Looking for a latte got me into quite an exploration before we left this morning. I got casual directions from a couple of people saying there was a coffee store in a building just down the street, not mentioning that it was located in the skyway shopping center. This required that I go up an elevator and cross a bridge to a place called Baker Center, which is shopping center in the form of a maze. By asking several people for directions, I finally procured a latte and got myself out of there, but I came out through a different building than the one I had entered. I was a little disoriented, but a doorman set me in the right direction. I took movies of the whole process and the striking cluster of skyscrapers I was passing, but no still shots.

The I-94 corridor that connects Minneapolis to Milwaukee and Chicago is one of the most heavily trafficked highways we have ever traveled. The pace was slowed several times by long highway projects and one serious accident, that we did not see. The situation was aggravated by two types of bad driving. Tail-gating is pretty commonplace but we frequently saw long lines of cars traveling at 70 mph with hardly three or four inches between them. Often what was hanging them up was a car in the fast lane going at the same speed as the semi in the slow lane, seemingly just out of stubbornness. This just drove the other drivers crazy, and we frequently followed, at a respectful distance, a frenzy of cars jockeying for advantage, while the slow car held its position defiantly. The one advantage of this intense but tedious exercise was the slow speed improved gas mileage: the display showed as much as 31 mpg at times.

The sky was gray most of the way. The road was through farm country. The land in Wisconsin is hillier and more heavily wooded, so the corn fields were smaller most of the way, though we did see some vast fields. Instead of groups of huge silver grain elevators like they use out west, in Wisconsin, each farm has it own silo, a silver tower with a round top, sitting near a red barn; sometimes there is a farm-house tucked amidst the trees. It is all a long way from the highway, un-really bucolic compared to the competitive grind we were caught in.

When we got to Milwaukee, we found out that traffic was especially heavy on a Friday night because the State Fair was open had some big music act was making an appearance.

We got in to our Ramada Inn around 7 p.m. There was a row of shiny Harley-Davidson motorcycles in front and a bunch of bulky, leathery people wearing do-rags were fussing about them. We discovered that the Harley-Davidson Museum is nearby.

We worked out a perfunctory meal at the hotel restaurant, and I called it a night, but Dan took a short exploratory walk to the nearby Hilton, a huge brick building that excites curiosity.

Day 15: Sculpture Garden, Art Museum, Historic Bridge

The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is an 11-acre park that is operated by the Walker Art Center, which is located across a small access road, in coordination with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. This gives it a dual identity. In addition to presenting a world-class sculpture garden, it also serves as a family-friendly recreation center with a conservatory and garden displays.

The central sculpture is an iconic work by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, which was commissioned for this location. It is a great sculpture because it is both strange and familiar and suggests all sorts of symbolism; it also is a magnet for little kids, who cluster around the water's edge pointing at the tiny stream of water emitting from the stem.

Oldenburg and van Bruggen
Spoonbridge and Cherry, 1988

The Sculpture Park is the cherry on the sundae

From there, the kids head for a monumental framework-like sculpture by Mark di Suvero that has been outfitted with a platform hanging by chains like a swing where they all pose for cell-phone photos by their mothers and teachers. 

Mark di Suvero, b. 1933
Arikidea, 1982

Another of di Suvero's sculptures tempts them to do some climbing, though a nearby sign prohibits this.

Mark di Suvero, b. 1933
Moleculte, 1983

A concrete block work by Sol LeWitt looks like it was designed for hide and seek.

Sol LeWitt, 1928-2007
X with Columns, 1996

This sculpture by Charles Ginnever evokes a sea monster.

Charles Ginnever, b. 1931
Nautilus, 1976

Jackie Ferrara builds works that are intended as viewpoints, stages, and seating.

Jackie Ferrara, b. 1929
Belvedere, 1988

Other sculptures also functioned as seating. Just inside the entrance is a square arrangement of 28 white granite benches by Jenny Holzer that are engraved with aphorisms. Philip Larson did a bench with the base in the form of crystals. There were two sculptures by Scott Burton, who specialized in benches. 

Scott Burton, 1939-1989
Seat-Leg Table, 1986

An innovative work by Dan Graham combines hedges with two-way mirrors to form a labyrinth. Mirrors always tempt me to do a selfie.

Dan Graham, b. 1942
Two-Way Mirror Punched Steel Hedge Labyrinth, 1996

Selfie with two-way mirror

As for gardens, in addition to the conservatory—a large, airless glass structure that was much too hot to explore that day—there was a long memorial arbor planted with gorgeous flowers, and a sculpture in the form of a horticultural display.

Fritz Haeg, b. 1969
Foraging Circle, 2013
In the background is Grossman Memorial Arbor, 1988

The sculpture garden has a rather unfortunate location next to a busy freeway with parallel boulevards on either side. On the other side of the freeway is Loring Park, a pretty place with mature trees offering deep shade. The two are connected by an artist-designed pedestrian bridge. It is painted blue and white, like the sky, and a long poem is painted along its structure from one side to the other. It crosses 16 lanes of traffic. Walking across it is noisy and intense.

Irene Hixon Whitney Bridge, 1988
Designed by Siah Armajani, b. 1939

We spent a long morning in the sculpture garden, then went across an access road to the Walker Art Center to have lunch in their Gather Restaurant. The restaurant is located in the new wing of the art center, which was designed by Herzog and de Meuron, who also designed the de Young Museum in San Francisco, one of our "home" museums. We enjoyed the angled space and windows. Dan's Chinese chicken salad was superior; my salad of asparagus and haricot verts (green beans) was also quite good. From the restaurant I walked out onto a balcony that gave a good view of the construction project that was creating the background noise; the tile is being replaced on the original building, which was designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes.

The Walker's collection seemed pretty thin to us; not much Art, as we know it; narry a sign of painting or drawing or sculpting. It was mainly photographs in different formats or displayed in constructed settings. The intent seemed to be documenting community activities. For instance, some family divided their large yard into several carefully planned gardens with help of all their neighbors and photographed the process. That's nice. There were photos of Minneapolis buildings being destroyed. That's that. There was a giant phony piece of bling with CNN as a logo, like a cross. That's cute.

Edgar Heap of Birds, b. 1954
Telling Many Magpies, 1989

Thomas Hirschhorn, b. 1957
Necklace, CNN, 2002

Oh yeah, Bruce Naumann devoted a large gallery to several video projections of a basement with a rat occasionally running around and a cat occasionally seeking it; very dull stuff, blurry, and under-lighted, and some of the videos were upside down.

We returned to the sculpture garden to see what we had missed. By then the light was more mellow and  it was a little cooler. A breeze came up and I got fascinated with trying to make a movie of wind chimes hanging in a line of trees, trying to capture the elusive sound and the flickering look of the slender chimes hiding among the leaves; this piece was by Pierre Huyghe, b. 1962. I also spent awhile pondering an "artist-designed" miniature golf course; it sort of rubbed me the wrong way, but it was very popular with young people. I ran into a couple of very cute teens who had thought up a novel way to meet people.

You get what you pay for

Our next objective was the Stone Arch Bridge. This elegant granite and limestone structure was built as a railway bridge across the Mississippi River in the early 1880s. In the early 1990s it was renovated as a pedestrian and bicycle trail.

Here we had a rare mishap: we got separated. This is a constant danger and it's a wonder it doesn't happen more often. Dan wanted to take pictures of the bridge, but we started out walking over the bridge in order to see the lock, the waterfall and the river. He meant to walk only a short way and then go down to a road below where he could take photos, but somehow I couldn't quit looking at the river; I must have walked on while he was taking a picture. It's a long bridge, and views of the river are interesting both ways. At one place you can see some remains of an abandoned sawmill, and the current makes a twist and turn. About 2/3 of the way across, the sun was burning on my back like a laser beam; I was so overheated that I knew I couldn't make it all they way back. I could see there was a shady park on the other side and I needed to sit in the cool breeze for awhile before I tackled the return trip. At one point I could actually hear Dan shouting my name, but I couldn't see him. I was just settling into a shady spot, when he came up shouting at me; he was frightened and frustrated. I shouted back for awhile, then we sat in the shade, drank some water and enjoyed the breeze. The little park was a wonderful island of repose in this intense city. By the time we walked back, there was more breeze on the river and I made it just fine.

I didn't take any still photos of the bridge

View from the bridge of abandoned mills
that have been repurposed for housing and a museum

Then we found a road on the riverbank that gave Dan the shots he was looking for. I took mostly movies.

We ate at the hotel and Dan did a load of wash. I charged the cell phones, and we practiced using them to call each other.