Harvard University Spent the day in Cambridge and at Harvard University. In the morning we visited The Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments. We learned about octants, sextants, and other shipboard instruments, especially those used for navigational purposes. In the afternoon, we were supposed to have a lecture at the Fogg Museum. Unfortunately it was closed due to some repair work that wasn't originally on their schedule. I was awfully disappointed because they have some pieces in their collection that I was dying to see. And anytime you get the chance to see a new or different art museum, you have to take advantage of that! However, it did give us the chance to see more of the campus, and more of Cambridge, MA. So I can't complain too much. We all split up and went our separate ways for a while. I walked a lot of the campus after going to lunch at a local burger joint, Bartley's (which was excellent by the way). I ended up seeing a lot of where Good Will Hunting was filmed.
0 Comments
Homer, Fisher Girl with Net, 1882 What a great day at the Clark Institute in western Mass. We met with Marc Simpson, one of the leading Homer experts in the world. What a great guy. I've met a lot of academic folks over the years, and he has to be the most down to earth person I've ever had contact with at the academic level. He was even asking for our opinions on questions that he and his colleagues have wrestled with over time, in regards to Homer. That never really happens. You can tell there's always a dividing line between student and expert, and it's rarely crossed. Not with this man. I could've talked with him for hours, and listened to the positive way he spoke. I learned so much today, and was able to see a very large collection. The Clark owns a majority of Homer's work from Harper's Weekly. And we were able to see them up close in the library, without security breathing down your neck! An experience that many don't get the chance to have. Fenway Park, Green Monster I am in no way, shape, or form a Red Sox fan. As much as I am a Yankees fan, I'm also a fan and admirer of the game of baseball itself. So I had to get to a game at Fenway, the only problem was tickets, and finding another teacher in our group that wanted to go. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anyone else to go, but I wasn't going to let that deter me. Tickets were sold out, but I found out from locals that you can buy one off tickets at a certain gate. Basically, folks who have tickets and aren't going to use them, or folks wanting different seats, turn them into the ticket office. You can wait in line there and cross your fingers to see if you can get the location you desire. For me it was pretty easy because I only needed one ticket. I got to the window and they said I could pretty much sit where I wanted. I chose to sit atop the Green Monster, the wall in left field, right on the front row. I won't divulge what I paid. But I will say it was one of the middle options when it came to price. And I figured why not, you only go around once, you know. I didn't think much of the outside of the stadium, but the inside of the park was very nice. I had a great time, and it the O's won! Near Ten Pound Island Lighthouse Went to Gloucester today with one of my teacher roommates from Kansas City, MO. This is the town where part of the film Captains' Courageous (with Spencer Tracy) was filmed. Many of you will know it as the town featured in the film, A Perfect Storm with George Clooney. The Fisherman's Memorial can be seen in both films. It was a great day. Weather was beautiful and we did a ton of walking. We were able to see just about the entire town and even had time to visit a site on the outskirts of town that was recommended to me by one of the senior citizens I teach on Sundays. RISD Museum Today we went to Providence, RI. We spent the first part of the day at the John Carter Brown Library on the campus of Brown University. We were looking at historic maps, which was really neat. We were allowed to handle them, and closely inspect them, something not everyone gets a chance to do. Then we ended up at the Rhode Island School of Design at their museum, looking specifically at their Homer paintings, but were able to see the rest as well. It was so great! I just wish I had more time to spend in the actual town of Providence itself. New Bedford Whaling Museum First week down. I met a lot of new teachers from all over the country, only two of them were art teachers though. The week was power packed with a lot of information. I've learned a ton already, and was surprised by that some of the topics ended up being so interesting. I didn't think listening to the history of fisheries, and the fishing industry would be interesting. Alas it was! We capped off the week at the MFA Boston. What a great museum with perhaps the best museum food I've ever had (with the exception of the NMAI in DC). We were able to see some Homer prints and watercolors, typically not something that you see on display because of their fragility. They had them spread out for us to see in the library. It was a different experience because I was able to see the labeling on the back of the pieces that showed their provenance, and where and when they may have been exhibited. The staff are great, the dorm rooms not so much. But I have two awesome roommates (one an art teacher from Chicago, the other a social studies teacher from Kansas City). It looks like we'll be spending a lot of time at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, which is really cool. My daughter would love it there. The weekends are ours to do what we want (as long as we get our work completed). So tomorrow I embark on a whirlwind tour of Western Mass. with the art teacher from Chicago. We're going to visit the Eric Carle Museum, Norman Rockwell Museum, and Mass. Museum of Contemporary Art (MassMOCA). It should be fun! My dorm at UMassD I embarked today on my trip to UMass Dartmouth. I arrived around 4:00 pm due to some major traffic in CT, but I'm excited to be here. This is the only time I've been to this area of the country, with the exception of '87/'88 when my brother was looking into going to the US Coast Guard Academy. It was a beautiful drive, with the exception of traffic. However, having the iPod in the car made the trip that much better, didn't have to worry about the radio, changing cd's, etc. Things start off with a bang at 5:30 with an introductory dinner and class that follows. |
B.D.SchmittHusband, Father, Archives
November 2015
|