Mark and I made a quick trip to Milwaukee late last week to see the Helen Levitt exhibit at the Milwaukee Art Museum. Subtitled "In the Street," it's a broad look at Levitt's career and even includes her early color slide images (via a slide projector). There's also a fabulous film Levitt made that is like looking at her prints come to life. The exhibit is on display until April 16 if you live in the area. That's Mark snapping his reflection in a work from MAM's permanent collection (below).
We stayed downtown at The Plaza Hotel and walked over to MAM. Despite the snow you see below, the sidewalks were mostly clear and dry, the sky was blue and there was no wind, making for a very pleasant walk to the museum.
Even a short walk in Milwaukee reminds us of what a small city Madison really is by comparison.
No matter how many times we've been to MAM, we always spend time appreciating the building's dramatic exterior (below) before we go inside.
"Paper Play: Kindergarten to Contemporary Art," included a brief film showing the artist putting this work together.
We allowed time to see our favorite art works, the new shows and to check out the addition to the museum which we had not yet seen. There are now some great views out to Lake Michigan.
The next day the sky wasn't quite as blue but we managed to find lots of color everywhere we went.
Getting a demo at Design Within Reach. I am hot for these lights and wanted to see them in person and for Mark to see them! They are are waterproof and can be removed from their charging base, be put out in the garden and remain glowing for quite a few hours. You can set them for a particular color or let them rotate through the spectrum.
The vintage cafe in The Plaza Hotel is my favorite breakfast spot in the city, for the food and that classic deco decor. In the summer, you can dine outside in the courtyard that you can see through the windows at the rear. Even when we stay elsewhere, I demand breakfast at The Plaza Cafe.
We used to always try to fit in everything we wanted to do and see in Milwaukee into one day. Lately we've started turning it into a mini vacation by staying overnight. We get to enjoy everything at a slower pace. And since we were not driving we could have a drink before dinner at the yummy Zarletti Italian restaurant . . .
and a nightcap after dinner to celebrate St. Patrick's Day at Buckley's Restaurant and Bar.
Then out into the dark for the walk back to The Plaza. Another great day in Milwaukee.
Those glowing lights are brilliant. Did you get one?
Posted by: rusty duck | Tuesday, March 21, 2017 at 12:32 PM
Not yet. I've seen them in the catalog but seeing them in person made a big difference. My husband didn't say no, and he seemed intrigued. We'll see what happens.
Posted by: Linda Brazill | Tuesday, March 21, 2017 at 01:04 PM
What a lovely mini vacation. Those big cities can be fun. The lights are intriguing. I dont know that I have seen them before.
Posted by: Lisa at Greenbow | Tuesday, March 21, 2017 at 04:38 PM
That looks like it was a lot of fun. What a great idea to turn it into a mini-vacation.
Posted by: Barbara H. | Thursday, March 23, 2017 at 06:50 AM
Have lights been ordered yet? A husband not saying no is the same as him saying he's crazy about them and you should fill your garden with them.
Posted by: Peter/Outlaw | Thursday, March 23, 2017 at 01:20 PM
I will have to tell my husband how it works! We tend to not add much in the way of man-made items to the garden so those lights are a hard sell. Plus they would need to be used inside so they could just be whisked outdoors as desired and I can't figure out a spot indoors. Fun to dream!
Posted by: Linda Brazill | Thursday, March 23, 2017 at 01:35 PM