Catholic Nauvoo

During our first full day in Nauvoo, I was surprised by the religious diversity of the town. Mormonism tends to dominate public awareness, but Nauvoo actually has a rich history of other faith traditions. In particular, I was impressed by the red-brick Catholic Church towering over the same hill as the Mormon temple. These are pictures you won't likely see in official publications, but it's important to seek other perspectives. Sometimes unexpected or unconventional stories paint a fuller picture of people and their communities. 

A statue of Jesus faces Wells Street.  

The Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

"No Parking: Except for Funerals and Church." 

I love this sign. 

Streaks of Rust

Between digging camas and wild onions, Tim and I stopped to visit the Benson brothers. A recent rain stained the mural with streaks of rust from the bridge overhead. The stains created a beautiful pattern over the paint that reminded me of the transitory nature of life. 

The streaks almost resemble tears.

Cain and Tim. 

Todd and a visitor.

Mural Update

A progress report on the Maple Street Mural: The outlines are not quite complete on the southwest section of 2nd and Maple, but certainly more than my previous visit. The artists have not yet begun painting the wall at the northeast corner of the intersection, though eventually they will. 

By the end, the black outlines will be filled with color.  

Passersby stop to make conversation, including newspaper reporters, television crews, photographers, fellow artists, and curious onlookers. The constant stream of conversation undoubtedly delays the finished product, but also increases the spirit of community.  

Maple Street Mural

Brothers Todd and Cain Benson are back to working their magic on a new mural at the intersection of Second Avenue and Maple Street in downtown Spokane, a mural reminiscent of a previous work located in the Central Food building. This latest installation was the result of a competitive process sponsored by the Spokane Arts Commission to transform public spaces into works of art.

My admiration for Todd and Cain began in 2008 when they created a visual tribute to John McCain and Barack Obama. Their work appealed to my sense of aesthetic beauty while holding a thoughtful insight into the subtle nuances of politics, community, and culture. Since that time, I have followed their projects and made sure to observe the process to the best of my ability. Sometimes they worked late into the night while still managing to entertain deep philosophical discussions. 

Their ability to transform public spaces is magical. Not only do they create tangible works of art, but just today I observed the effect of their work on the community. Random strangers stopped to photograph the mural, ask questions, or strike up conversations. One man in particular stopped to say how much one of the faces reminded him of his daughter Hope. In response to the man's story, Todd and Cain added the young girl's name to the painting. 

From an indigenous perspective, works of art sometimes carry spiritual power. Todd and Cain channel a similar power through their art - an art that comes alive with human connections.   

The mural is appearing under a train truss. 

 

A butterfly takes shape near the image of Hope.

Todd...

Cain...

A train passed overhead while cars filled the intersection.

A random passerby stopped to photograph the mural.

Another team was selected to install a mural under a train bridge just a few blocks away from the Benson brothers. I had the opportunity to visit this mural and meet the artist Lisa Soranaka. Her passion, talent, and commitment were equally inspiring. She paused her work and spoke to me about creating beauty in public spaces.   

Another team was selected to create a mural under the Wall Street overpass. The scaffolding was visible, but so far only a faint pencil sketch shows the eventual placement of the paint. 

Les Miserables

The family saw Les Miserables tonight at Spokane Civic Theater, and it was an awesome show! 

Dakota played several chorus roles throughout the show, but his most compelling scene was at the barricade during the French Revolution. Wearing the red cap of the freedom fighters, he fired his musket onto the advancing soldiers. But his character was shot and he fell to his death. At the moment he died, Rhonda and I looked at each other. It was only a play, but our son acted his own death, and in a way, he represented all the young men who die in real, flesh and blood wars. 

Beside our son's role, I was impressed by the vocal quality of the singing, especially that of Jean Valjean and Javert. Loved the show! It will be playing at Civic for the next month.  

Unity

My daughter and I went to Unity in the Community a few days ago, but I'm sad to say that I was a little disappointed. All we got to see was the end of a hula dance and a lone Thai dancer (below) with an audience of about seven people. Maybe we showed up at the wrong time - I don't know. Even so, my daughter and I had a really great time just spending the day together. 

A young Thai dancer - very graceful. 

The old American Pavilion
(From Expo '74). 

The hood ornament from a car. 

Mr. Pinky & the Pinkettes

Friday was the opening night of Hairspray - which was wonderful! The audience was enthusiastic, making our performance even more enjoyable. The energy of the stage reminded me why I loved theater all those years ago, when I did Bye Bye Birdie or Lil' Abner. In this photograph, Rhonda and I posed in our costume from Welcome to the Sixties. I was dressed as "Mr. Pinky" and Rhonda as one of the "Pinkettes." 

Rhonda and (some) of the Pinkettes. 

The Little Mermaid

Dakota and Whitney performed the Little Mermaid at the Bing Crosby Theater as part of the most recent CYT Spokane production. Dakota played Prince Eric and Whitney played one of the mermaid sisters. They performed this evening to a sold out show, and of course, they did a wonderful job. I could not be more proud to see their confidence and ability grow. 

Tickets are still available HERE for next weekend. 

Prince Eric at the helm. 

Ariel and Flounder discuss the dinglehopper. 

King Triton and his daughters. 

Whitney is in the center. 

Ursual the Sea Witch. 

 

Ursula cast a spell to make Ariel human. 

Prince Eric and Ariel. 

"Kiss the Girl." 

Just before the Sea Witch perishes. 

London was the best starfish ever.

Whitney got to wear some incredible eyelashes.