At the Museum

Thursday, my sister Mary and I went to the Carnegie Museum of Art to see the photography exhibit Gordon Parks in Pittsburgh 1944-1946 .

While we roamed around the other galleries, I documented our visit with two selfies. One where we are looking quite svelte on our reflection in Heart Pavilion by artist Dan Graham who passed February 2022. Click his name to read his obit. .

The first selfie. A couple of gray heads was about all I could capture.

Quirky Museums

Years ago I bought my sister a book.

The Cockroach Hall of Fame and 101 Other Off-the-Wall Museums by Sandra Gurvis.

This past week when I was visiting Mary, I photographed the cover and peeked inside. She had post-its, handwritten notes (such as the addition of The Jell-O Museum in Leroy, New York) inside the covers, ticket stubs and newspaper clippings about other museums she’s come across.

Do you know anyone else who has been to the National Mustard Museum in Middleton Wisconsin?

Then we went to get coffee and a cardamom bun. Would you believe we walked right by the Museum of Illusions in an old bank on 8th Avenue as we walked to 14th Street? It’s only been there since 2017 so is not in the book.

Yes, there is a Hearing Aids Museum in Kent, Ohio.

When checking the newspaper clippings my sister clipped and added to the book, I stumbled upon a link about controversy when the Museum of Chinese in America reopened last summer 2021.

The Cookie Jar Museum founded by Lucille Bromberek of Lemont Illinois is now closed

Hearing Aids Museum in Kent, Ohio article
A ticket stub from The Tenement Museum
I love that the book is so well used
The Museum of Illusions in NYC on 8th Ave

My friend Randi told me about the Spam Museum in Minnesota. Also called the Guggenham. Don’t worry if you’re not in the neighborhood. There are free virtual tours!

If I’d stayed longer, I would have looked up more of the museums and posted their status.

Friday Night on the North Side

Friday after he got home from work, Steve asked me to go to the Andy Warhol Museum, use our museum memberships.  We always say we are going to go to one of the museums every month and although I went with the grandkids to the Carnegie Science Center twice recently and the Carnegie Museum of Art and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, he and I have not kept up with our plan.  Four museums in one membership is a great deal but you have to utilize it!    Tonight we were remembering going the night the Warhol  opened in 1994. We had a beer and sat on the couch, a nice man offered to take our photo as he saw me struggle with a selfie attempt. We took a walk to the river after our visit.

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Michael at the Children’s Museum and Cloud Arbor

Michael is visiting Pittsburgh along with sister Maura and cousin Charlie.  Today we  went to the Children’s Museum on the North Side.

all the family loves the Ned Kahn’s Cloud Arbor

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Being a tourist in my own city

 

When you turn 65 in Pittsburgh you can apply for a free PAT bus pass.

Monday morning I went downtown on the 71 B.  I am going to familiarize myself with schedules and routes but having a smart phone is a big help

You can pick the stop where you’re waiting it tells you how many minutes until a bus arrives. My plan is to visit all of the 88 neighborhoods in the city of Pittsburgh.

Here’s  Day One of my Free Bus Pass Photography Adventure.IMG_9946Me waiting at Highland and Bryant for the 71 B to go downtown.

Meet Kevin M. who accepted my medicare card until I get the pass.

His portrait will be wonderful in the People at Work show next July.

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taken as I exited the bus, with his gracious permission.

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The Port Authority where you fill out your application to get your bus pass.

 

I went to the City County Building where I was greeted by a sign and a bronze statue of Mayor Caligiuri

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IMG_9977Mayor Caligiuri by Robert Berks 1990

 

 

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Cathedral of Learning   University of Pittsburgh

 

I rejoined the Carnegie Museum of Art in Oakland

 

 

Crabcake and Slaw lunch at the Union Grill

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St. Paul Cathedral as I went to the next Bus Stop to get to Shadyside where they were setting up a Vintage Car Show on Walnut Street

Cars arriving in trailers  I caught the next bus on Highland Avenue and guess who my driver was?  Yep you guessed. Turns out Kevin went to the same high school as my sons but he was a class ahead of Mark.

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Steve and I  took a ride up to Shadyside later to see the vintage cars but it was raining