Travels in the 2nd half

  The city of St. Petersburg, Florida, sits at the southern tip of the Pinellas peninsula, on the western side of Tampa Bay. The city was founded in 1892, and by 1900 it had grown to a population of 1,600 people. During the 20th century, St. Petersburg became a major tourist destination on the Gulf Coast, with train service providing easy to access from the center of the United States. Today, downtown St. Petersburg is a tale of two cities, with Central Ave. its dividing line. South of Central Ave is an area with almost all modern buildings, mostly high-rise condos and office buildings. It is an area that has been totally built up and gentrified during the past 20 or so years. My interest has always been in more historical buildings, so, when I found a self-guided walking tour that focused on the historical buildings in the area north of Central Ave., I jumped at the chance to explore some of the city’s past. Central Avenue and the First Block St. Petersburg was founded by Russian ...

The Catalina Foothills, outside of Tucson, are home to a unique art and cultural gallery. The DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun includes a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe and a gallery showcasing the artwork of one man - Ted DeGrazia. The Catalina Foothills Ettore “Ted” DeGrazia (1909-1982) was born in the town of Morencia, Arizona Territory. His father and uncles were copper miners at the Morencia Mines who had emigrated from Italy. He graduated high school at age 23, due to his family having to return to Italy for five years when the mines were temporarily closed. Not wanting to work in the mines, Ted made his way to Tucson and enrolled in the University of Arizona, eventually earning degrees in Fine Arts and Art Education. During his very prolific life, DeGrazia created hundreds of drawings, paintings, sculptures, and ceramic pieces. His work exploresthe mythologies of local native tribes, and the cultural and religious lives of Mexican-Americans. The gallery is divided into r...

  New York City is full of small museums and galleries. This means that there are always small, interesting exhibits to view. I had the opportunity to see two of them recently. Viollet-le-Duc: Drawing Worlds (through May 24, 2026) Chartres Cathedral West Portal   The Bard Graduate Center offers advanced degrees in the study of the social history of our material world. It also has a four-floor gallery that provides exhibitions exploring the connection between art, design and our physical world. The current show is an exhibit of some of the most intricate and beautiful drawings created by Eugéne-Emanuel Viollet-le-Duc (1814-1879). Viollet-le-Duc was an architect and a designer who specialized in updating and recreating the gothic world for 19th century France. He is best known for the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral in 1857.   Assorted Gargoyles North Façade of Notre Dame Windows and Niches of the Chior South Transept Gable Spire of Notre Dame By the time Eugéne was in...