Carnegie Museum of Art this afternoon with my sister Mary.
This huge sculpture was just inside the museum, opposite the entrance doors




Carnegie Museum of Art this afternoon with my sister Mary.
This huge sculpture was just inside the museum, opposite the entrance doors




Blog follower and friend Kristin F wrote today sending photos of these giant Trolls sculptures in the North Carolina woods.
The artist is Thomas Dambo from Denmark.
“…Large Outdoor park(Dorothea Dix• Park Raleigh North Carolina ) with wooden sculptures made with repurposed wood meant to fade with the passage of time.”
Kristin F. Says “I wanted to comment…they weren’t scary at all…on the contrary, they were all quite calming…especially finding them in the woods.”
*“Dorothea Lynde Dix was a 19th century reformer and advocate for the mentally ill and imprisoned. Her tireless efforts to expose inhumane conditions and champion humane standards led to the establishment of over 30 hospitals in the US and Europe.”









Edit April 23
Blog follower dc did the research and shared this info in a comment but I thought it should be in the body of the post
The 4 women artists featured in the Carnegie International are:
Maya Lin: Known for her environmental works and memorials, including the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Miriam Cahn: A Swiss artist recognized for her powerful paintings and drawings that address themes of gender and violence.
Mona Hatoum: A Palestinian-British artist whose work often explores themes of displacement and identity through various media.
Maja Bajević: A Bosnian artist whose installations and performances reflect on cultural identity and social issues.
This representation highlights ongoing discussions about gender equality in the art world, as noted by the Guerrilla Girls, who pointed out the historical underrepresentation of women artists in major exhibitions.
Artist Ashley Hodder painted this amazing mural. It’s on the building across the street from A.Boss Opticians. I was picking up my daughter-in law’s glasses Monday morning.

Art Education, Cocktails, and COVID
From my friend Joanne in Florida
Hi Ruth!
I received a wonderful book from your sister Mary which reminded me of the creative way the Frick Museum NYC stayed connected to the public during their shut down due to the long pandemic.
First, the back story.
During 2020-21, Mary shared a link to a video series that the Frick Museum posted to YouTube. It was one of their ways to offer a virtual means of communication and keep the museum present and engaged. They offered sixty-five episodes of a series called “Cocktails with a Curator.” Each new episode (Friday nights) featured a piece of art from the Frick Collection, paired with a cocktail that “matched” the art. They provided the recipe, the curator would be online with his/her drink, and spend a half hour providing commentary on the selected masterpiece. Wonderful way to spend Friday night happy hour, and you can still enjoy all episodes of this award winning series at this link: Cocktails with a Curator™ – YouTube
Best of Cocktails highlights 15 of the 66 episodes
“Audiences under 21 are encouraged to join with a non-alcoholic drink” so Mocktails it might be
And now about the book. Based on the popularity of the video series, the Frick has produced a volume that presents histories of works of art paired with creatively inspired drinks. For example, Holbein’s painting of Thomas More, who famously clashed with Henry VIII, is combined with a Bloody Mary (named after Henry’s eldest daughter). You can find the book here:
Cocktails with a Curator – The Frick Collection Shop
Thank you Mary, for introducing me to the video series, and for sending me this lovely book. Cheers to you!


We especially enjoyed the episodes hosted by Xavier Salomon who is now “new Director of the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon, Portugal.”
Eye sculptures!
We were downtown in the Cultural District on Wednesday night, thanks to a generous friend who shared tickets they were unable to use. And there we were, right by the eye benches and fountain. We’d just come out of the Theater Square Garage. We photographed the Eye Benches, sculpted by artist Louise Bourgeois.





Ruth, your recent blog featuring apples made me think of my friend Mary Ann – a wonderful watercolor artist here in Florida. She is headed to Washington DC in April to accept an award from the National League of American Pen Women, Inc, for her art submission representing the topic of “Apples”.
Founded in 1897, the National League of American Pen Women, Inc. (NLAPW) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports and promotes professional women in arts, letters, music, and allied professions. For more information go to National League of American Pen Women, Inc. – NATIONAL LEAGUE OF AMERICAN PEN WOMEN, INC. — Linking creative women since 1897
Mary Ann Miller is active in the local (Jacksonville) league and created quite an original take on the topic. She painted “Joie des Pommes” (Joy of Apples) –four scenes influenced by 4 famous artists (Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, and Cezanne). An apple hides somewhere in each scene …. pretty clever take on the subject. The scenes are created in 3D and framed in a shadowbox … lots of beautiful little details.
2025 Vinnie Ream Medal Winners – National League of American Pen Women, Inc.

The colorful sculpture Toyosaurus created by pop artist Renee Dupree caught our attention.
Located at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.


Mural in Lawrenceville by Monstermarblez AKA Chad Parker known for his glass marble creations.
Here’s one article about his artwork and another about his niche of making glass marbles
I was the passenger in my friend’s car. As she popped into the post office, this monster caught my eye
