muskegon museum of art with the bestie

On Thursdays at the Muskegon Museum of Art, there is free admission in the evening hosted by Meijer. I had been cooped up for awhile, so I decided to take a drive to check out the new exhibits and visit with my bestie. The picture above was part of the Postcard Salon.

One of the other exhibits featured the work of Bryan Collier, a beautiful illustrator. I, Too, America: The Art of Bryan Collier featured spreads from his book illustrated to the words of Langston Hughes. Not only were they beautiful, but they were multi-dimensional pieces of thought-provoking images. The art will be displayed until April 17, celebrating Black History Month and March is Reading Month. Collier has so many awards to his name (not surprised!), so if you're interested in more history, check out this page.

The other exhibit is called Common Ground, a collected work of African American artists from the 19th century to now. The exhibit displays sculptures, photographs, paintings and drawings that show culture, social and political issues, identity, and more. Through the art, you can feel the 200 year history being explained through lens, paintbrush, and sculpture.

Of course I loved exploring the museum and seeing the art, but I also enjoyed hanging out with my best friend, Jasmine. Although we only live 30 minutes from each other, we don't see each other as much as we should. It was a blessing to have two of my favorite things together for a night.

Part of the I, Too, Am America exhibit with illustrations by Bryan Collier.I love how Collier has an image, but always has the flag incorporated as well. In this one, the stripes are flowing down across his face.

This is the book written by Bryan Collier.

Jasmine looking intently at one of the pictures in Collier's exhibit.

Mother and son riding on the train (I think it was a train, but it could be a different type of transportation).

An up-close view of how the pictures are pieced together. The images are cut and glued together to bring a multi-dimensional facet.

The museum had a cash bar where I got a glass of red wine. Also, a cheese and crackers spread from The Cheese Lady. It was delicious - The Cheese Lady always knows the right pairings. Yum.

This painting was part of the permanent collection, but it was one of the most intricate and beautiful pieces I saw. It is called Chain Gain Picking Cotton #2 by Winfred Rembert. It is made of dye on carved and tooled leather.

Art lovin' despite the look on my face.

We can relate to this quote, can't we? This was part of the Postcard Salon.

Wall of postcards.

This definitely speaks to me, being a lover of both poetry and nature. They are what keeps me grounded and sane.

Devastating and breathtaking oil and pencil drawing in the Common Ground exhibit. This piece was done by Charles White and is called Wanted Poster Series #17. White had been looking at wanted posters for runaway slaves, which inspired this piece of art. On the left side, names are written.

I love this sculpture and it's stance. It is called Maquette for Noah's Ark: Sophisticated Lady by Charles McGee. It is made of steel and enamel.

This piece is Love Letter, also by Charles White. This one grabbed my attention right away. I love the collage feel, the portrait, abstractness, and rose. It impacts with its simplicity.

This Ernest C. Withers photograph is called Daddy, I Want to Be Free Too. It's part of the Political and Social Expressions section of the Common Ground  exhibit.

Books + Museum + Rainy Afternoon in Seattle

To be quite honest, I feel like I'm pushing forward without a sense of what my path is. My internship at YES! is ending next week, I haven't booked a plane ticket anywhere (even though my parents keep asking me what day I'm flying home), I don't have any arrangements to stay in Seattle, and no job.

One way to look at the situation is I'm in deep trouble. Another way to look at it is I have a lot of options.

I mean, not everything happening in my life is bad. I have a second interview on Friday for a recipe editor position at a new cookbook app. I should hear back about a job at the Society of Professional Journalists headquarters next week. Also, my bestie who is living in California keeps telling me I always have the option of staying with her for as little or as long as I want. Plus home is always awaiting me with open arms.

The thing is, I just want to pave my own way and jump into this crazy life head and heart first.

Anyway, onto other things, Sunday I decided to take a trip to Seattle. I have been dying to visit the iconic Elliot Bay Company and Frye Art Museum, so here's some pics from my trip:

I was exhausted, but happy, when I finally saw Frye Art Museum. I'm still a little intimidated by public transportation, so I walk everywhere. This was quite a trek in the rain - ten blocks uphill! And when I say uphill, let me just tell you that it was so steep that people holding onto the wall as they were descending because the rain had made it so slippery.

After about eight blocks and soaked from the rain, I called my daddy. Yes, I rely on my dad even when we're over 2,000 miles apart. He assured me that I was almost to the museum and I kept on with my journey.

Hello, Frye. Nice to finally see you. Bonus: this museum is always free.

I wasn't totally thrilled with the exhibit, but there were a few pieces that caught my eye. Caption: Rud[olf?] Gliesch. Plate 68, Omamentik der Gegenwart, 1905-6. Published by Verlag Christian Stoll, Plauen, Germany.

Aubrey Beardsley. British, 1872-98. Illustrations in Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte D'Arthur. Published by William Dent & Son, London, 1894. Limited Edition, two-volume set, bound in ivory cloth with gold decoration.

Henri Heran (pseudonym of Paul Hermann). German, 1864-1940. Spielendes Meerweib (Frolicking Mermaid), n.d. Color wood and lithograph. Published in Pan III, no. 4, 1897.

This was part of the featured artist: Rodrigo Valenzuela. I didn't get the info on this particular piece, but it was a big room that was set up with these canvases. The atmosphere was very industrial. The rest of his exhibit was videos. One showcased African American men talking picking up trash at a stadium and talking about their lives. Another was a series of videos. The one that I watched told the story of men crossing the Mexico-U.S. border and the atrocities that happened to them.

Valenzuela's exhibition was by far my favorite that the museum had on display.

Need a bike? Rent one at one of these stations.

After I left the museum, I was on my way to Elliot Bay. Except for the fact that between 9th Street and 10th street there are probably five non-numbered streets. So needless to say, I got a bit confused.

And that's when I stumbled upon Seattle University. As I walked by, I saw a beautiful garden and decided I had to take a detour.

Everyone should have a Shakespeare garden!

The campus is just beautiful. I felt right at home and loved the mossy steps and flowering gardens.

After being lost in the city, taking a breather in nature was definitely needed.

The campus is trying to be zero waste. They're doing this by making it easy for students to recycle and compost. Did you know that there's an ordinance in Seattle against putting food in the garbage? That's pretty awesome, right?

The area around Frye Museum and the campus of Seattle University were beautiful, so when I turned down 10th Street and found it kind of dirty, I wasn't sure if I should proceed in the direction Elliot Bay was supposed to be. I kept on going and was so happy when I saw this sign. I made it!

Can I just live here?

There were four long shelves of poetry - and most of it contemporary poetry! I was in heaven. I found this gem of a book Dear Lil Wayne by Lauren Ireland.

And of course I couldn't resist the urge to buy some poetry books. I've been obsessed with Write Bloody Publishing for yearsss (was hell-bent on interning there before they stopped offering internships) and when I was watching Button Poetry videos, I found Sarah Kay. Since then, I've been watching video after video after video after video of Sarah's. As for the Zachary Schomburg book, I just couldn't put it down.

Part III: Seattle Space Needle + Chihuly Glass Museum

Below the Space Needle was the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum. This was a beautiful view of both the extraordinary sculpture and the Space Needle | Photo by Kayla Schultz 

Blue skies. Sunny. Warm. What else can you ask for in a city known for rain? 

Although we did get rained on a bit when we spent the day in Seattle, the sun and blue skies were out for the most part. We struggled with the Light Rail system a little as we traveled to Pike Place Market, but after some help from a Seattlite, we were on our way. The rail took us through the city, giving a little tour. 

We met a few "interesting" people, one being a man from Michigan. Supposedly he is a triplet whose family is very well-known in the state. I had never heard of him. Another man started talking in our direction, only to be talking to himself...I think.

We found our way to the Space Needle, which has an interesting history. It was built for the Seattle World's Fair in 1962, and was designed by an artist that wanted the fair's centerpiece to be futuristic. The sketch became a reality, but with just 13 months until the opening of the World's Fair, there still wasn't a place for the landmark. They did end up finding a 120 ft x 120 ft piece of land, and started building. Keeping with the futuristic theme, the restaurant in the Space Needle turns 360 degrees and all of the paint on the structure has space names like Astronaut White.

The view from the top of the Space Needle was beautiful. As you can see from the photos, the water was sparkling, the buildings looked so small and wonderful from such a distance. There was a building below that was painted as if something had been dropped from the top of the Space Needle...a big splat mark! Even though the wind blew our hair viciously, it didn't stop us from soaking in the view. 

Just below the Space Needle was the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum. The glass was just amazing. The artist, Dale Chihuly, was inspired by indigenous culture, the sea, and made extraordinary, colorful pieces of glass.

Take a look:

View from the Space Needle | Photo by Kayla Schultz

Seattle Space Needle | Photo by Roger Schultz

My mom and dad at the top of the Seattle Space Needle | Photo by Kayla Schultz

The big city of Seattle - beautiful day | Photo by Kayla Schultz

Hey, I'm pretty awkward, but this map shows my journey across the country | Photo by Diane Schultz

Dale Chihuly has been highly influenced by the indigenous culture | Photo by Kayla Schultz

Hanging glass sculpture | Photo by Kayla Schultz

Look at those paintings | Photo by Diane Schultz

Looks like raw gems - love it | Photo by Kayla Schultz