Our Indy Race (1st Lap)

It was just after 1am, and we were passing Indy cars like they were standing still.

Because they were. Phillip and I, on the other hand, were racing through the Indianapolis International Airport, dodging puzzled, groggy passengers.

When we were still waiting to get off the plane, I had called our hotel’s shuttle dispatch. They let me know we could take the one that was already en route – if we could make it to the stop in time. If not, it wouldn’t wait for us, because they were also picking up a flight crew, and we’d have to wait around for the 2am pickup.

Sitting halfway back on a plane with an aisle clogged with impatient passengers, we had just under 15 minutes, directions I’d already forgotten, and only carryon luggage. We decided to go for it.

So we ended up sprinting through the airport, not towards a flight but away from one, relying on ambiguous signage to guide us. Finally, we spotted the words “ground transportation” with an arrow pointing towards exterior doors.

We burst outside with a few minutes to spare, only to be greeted by air thick with humidy and mosquitoes, an empty curb, and a vague sense that we were not in the right place.

I redialed the shuttle dispatch. The same woman patiently explained again where we were actually supposed to be.

We rushed downstairs, out the door and across the street, and finally found our stop with the aforementioned flight crew sitting on nearby benches, waiting for the shuttle.

While I was trying to nonchalantly catch my breath in the heavy air, I realized this could possibly be the crew from our flight. In other words, they may have just calmly gotten off our plane after us and everyone else, strolled through the terminal, and arrived here sooner. Which would mean we could have done the same without all the panic, confusion, and mosquitoes.

But maybe it wasn’t them. In fact, let’s just say it wasn’t.

I didn’t look too closely.

Either way, we all made it onto the shuttle. The woman from dispatch even called the driver to check on us.

“Yep.” she replied, turning onto the ramp that lead from the airport to the freeway. “Everyone’s here.”

– More info –

Watch for at the Indianapolis Airport:

Classic racing cars on display. There is a rotating lineup on loan from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum.
Permanent and temporary art (PDF). I saw TBI Prayers by Stephanie Lewis Robertson, which is on display until August 30.
Free wifi.
Confusing signs! Ask for directions or check a map (PDF).

July 20, 2015July 20, 2015

El Amor de Frida in a Phoenix Library

The main branch of the Phoenix Library is holding, “El Amor de Frida,” a free art exhibition (through 7/26) in honor of Frida Kahlo’s birthday.

We went and checked it out yesterday.

The works, created by members of the Phoenix Fridas collective and other local artists, are inspired by the life, beliefs, and words of Frida Kahlo. An oversized statue of the Mexican painter marks the front of the exhibit, which also features mixed media, sculptures of wire and glass, painted plates, jewelry, and a portrait made from seed beads.

It’s another great example of art in libraries!

A video posted by stephanieliebold (@stephanieliebold) on Jul 19, 2015 at 7:10pm PDT

(If you can’t see the short video I posted of the glass elevator ride, check it out on my Instagram.)

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April 27, 2015August 24, 2015

Michelle’s paper boat in Nashville

My friend Michelle, who recently moved to Nashville, took me up on my suggestion to make a paper boat and take photos of it in her new city.

Did you know there’s a replica of the Greek Parthenon in a Nashville, Tennessee park? Yep. And there’s an art museum and gallery space inside.

I’m glad spring finally arrived in Tennessee, and it was great to see Michelle’s boat float by!

If you make a paper boat and take a photo where you live, you can email it to hello (at) travelcraftjournal.com OR post it on Twitter with hashtag #paperboatseverywhere and mention @travelcraftjrnl. We just might share it!

November 12, 2014May 23, 2023

Minimum Daily Requirements at the post office

While I love art museums and galleries, there’s something really delightful when art pops up in unexpected places like libraries or alleyways or under bridges.

What about the post office? Art isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when I think of post office buildings. However, the downtown Tempe post office has rotating installations just inside its large windows, so you can see works both from inside and from the street.

I didn’t realize this until artist (and fellow CraftHack-er) Crystal Daigle told me about the exhibition she was curating.

It’s called “Minimum Daily Requirements,” and will be on display in the Mill Avenue post office until December 10. Each of the windows displays mixed media work by a different Phoenix-area artist, exploring their own daily requirements.

Crystal’s piece was truly a community effort, funded by a Kickstarter campaign and partially pieced together by volunteers at maker spaces under her direction. It’s called “Push Down & Tango” and, in Crystal’s words, is “designed to celebrate the resiliency of survivors, thrivers and caretakers.” The centerpiece is a large circle of fabric roses. At the base are leaves formed from prescription bottles covered with images of people dancing tango, since learning tango was a turning point for Crystal. The 3 leaves are surrounded by hand-lettered names to pay tribute to resilient people.

Phillip and I stopped by the exhibition during its opening celebration in September, just as a dust storm was rolling in. We took shelter inside the post office during the worst of it and it blew over quickly, leaving a dramatic sky as a backdrop for the gathering.

– More info –

“Minimum Daily Requirements” (PDF) dates: 8/15-12/10/14
United States Post Office windows at 500 S. Mill Ave. (5th Street and Mill Avenue)
Parking: on-street meters or nearby garages
Transit: Light rail (Mill Ave/3rd Street stop) or Orbit Mercury
There is no admission, but feel free to bring along any packages or cards you need to mail.
Just found the exhibition schedule for all Tempe Community Galleries! This includes the post office and Tempe Public Library’s Connections Cafe. (Remember when I was lamenting they didn’t list the Tempe Library exhibitions anywhere? Turns out they do. Just not anywhere obvious.)

September 20, 2014May 18, 2018

Fremont public art

Gotta love public art! Here are 3 fascinating pieces in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle!

1. Underneath the Aurora Bridge is the Fremont Troll. Made of reinforced concrete, wire, and a VW bug, it’s large enough for several people to climb on at once. The troll has inspired several annual events and is often decorated with chalk art.

2. The Interurban Sculpture depicts several people waiting at a bus stop, along with a dog with a human face (said to be the likeness of either a particularly beloved or hated public figure, depending on who you talk to). It is regularly decorated, dressed up, and/or yarn bombed. Community members are welcome — encouraged, actually — to adorn the statue as they choose for a week, as long as they are not displaying commercial messages.

3. So this conversation actually happened:

“Do you want to see the statue of Lenin?”

“Lennon? Like John Lennon?”

“No. Like Marx and Lenin.”

“What?!”

Yep. Imagine all the people who could be depicted in statue form in a Seattle neighborhood, and I bet you wouldn’t have guessed the Russian communist leader either. The statue was originally installed in Slovakia, toppled during the 1989 revolution, and currently stands on a street corner in Fremont. I don’t think the community is trying to promote his ideals. As I understand it, it’s about great craft extending beyond ideology. All they are saying is “give art a chance.”

Fremont prides itself on its quirkiness. And with a giant Volkswagen-eating troll under a bridge, a statue that residents dress, and one of a Russian revolutionary, I don’t think it’s in danger of losing that distinction.

With a little research help from my friends Ian Smith and Christine Smith of Four Windows.