But I had a fantastic adventure in Santa Fe, New Mexico, taking in the luxurious display of art, admiring the offerings at the farmer's market, and trying to keep Byron's ice cream on his cone. I'm visiting friends in New Mexico for a week, and since I'm pretty young and my friends only just settled in together, I think this is the first major experience I've had taking advantage of the hospitality of my peers. They are extremely wonderful, have taken time to show me around their town and state every day, and first thing first, made sure I got hooked up to their wi-fi. E, B and I took a back road to Santa Fe, tourists together, with our ultimate destination being Meow Wolf. I thought it was a hike, since E told me to look it up and see if it was too much for B, (the B.) More later. Our drive into town, I dedicate to Will Toledo and his 2010 album, Twin Fantasy. A sculpture peeking over a residential wall, high above our car on a sudden slope, reminded me of his album art: I'll always remember the Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, and it's famous Miraculous Staircase. The whole town was vibrant on this October Saturday. Farmer's market-goers and brewery-goers made a circling throng in the Santa Fe railyards. Apples were small but extremely sweet and tart. And the heirloom tomatoes were sometimes gargantuan, a little squishy, some looked like doughnuts or fritters. I was charmed by the sage and wildflower bouquets and chili pepper-Indian corn wreaths.
Downtown we went next, intending to find this Miraculous Staircase I remembered from childhood. We found both the cathedral and chapel closed for weddings, and a wonderful wedding day it was in the weather. We walked instead, past clumped stands offering colorful woven toys and clothes, under the shade of a long porch where Native Americans displayed worked silver, carved wooden figurines and other wares on a long row of blankets, and at ice cream in a central park where citizens gathered for a presidential campaign event, and buskers and pigeons entertained us. If you can get a tour of Loretto, you will see a spiral staircase built for nuns by a travelling carpenter in 1879. The nuns had their church, but space only allowed for a ladder into their loft where they sang hymns during the service. Many of the nuns found the ladder difficult or impossible, but all wanted to participate in the choir and service. This mysterious carpenter arrived in town and said he could make a staircase for them. It was a spiral staircase built, each step on the next, with no central beam. It was small enough to fit in the back of their church. The man built it from unfamiliar wood, to suit their desperate need, and wandered on. And he built it using no nails. The nuns and all of Santa Fe now cherish this stair, and its story, which for me, is redeeming and palliative. Finally we visited Meow Wolf, which I only found out when we were talking on the plane ( ;o ), is an art gallery inside an old bowling alley. Why might it be too much for B? In my experience, a toddler is a danger to an art gallery, and finds them boring. My B couldn't hurt Meow Wolf, and got to touch everything! Expect art installations, and though I want to save the surprise for you all, it reminded me of laser tag, and was indeed unforgettable. Check out this wonderful house inside a building that has gone all wonky in the aftermath of an isolated and mysterious union with another dimention. Piece together a family from their things. Take a stab at unraveling their mystery. I'm glad I brought my toddler. He cooed and played and was completely enchanted by the exhibit, and I, following him and keeping an eye on him in a place, you'll see, where three lefts won't put you back where you began. I have a little experience visiting the indoor installations my friend made at William & Mary. When I walked into a closet she used for an art space, I struggled against my expectation that the closet must show me something, like a secret or a purpose. At Meow Wolf, I walked through a space that usually resembled a lived-in family home, expecting to find answers in the bedrooms, books and family photos. My little one kept me from getting too sucked-into the house which is also a little like a casino. You don't know what time it is outside, and all the lights and colors are distracting. Shifting through books and odds and ends of the house, and admiring and navigating some truly spectacular 3D art, stimulating video art, and interactive music toys, I couldn't read too much into anything without losing sight of B. So I called clue-hunting a wash and enjoyed the art at my little one's pace. I felt, following him, the happiness of spontaneous effervescence, and was content without trying to fit any of it together. Although the installation invites attendees to come make sense of the event in its aftermath, I suspect that no matter how many hours spent, or visits, one cannot pin down the truth. Or take in all the whimsical workmanship that is so stimulating. Especially since I hear the place changes in small ways. When we went, it was decorated for Halloween. I'm grateful for my B, since he reminded me that a challenging piece of art, or a shocking event in my own life, can cause me to wrangle my brain to set everything in order, but I can also step back and appreciate the whole thing for its own complexity. Here is a photo of the Meow Wolf parking lot to give you a sense of the neon, glow-in-the dark vibe that carries into the space. Great effects for the kids, and if you read, undercurrent themes of severe mental illness, and the bizarre. Also, for your inspiration, this is the sight that greeted me when I stepped into the blinding late afternoon sun. Check and make sure the usual hours are in effect if you go, because the space closes early and becomes a concert venue on certain evenings.
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We are so excited! And hope this will be a great way to stay in touch. We are Kieran and Michelle, two 25 year-old William & Mary grads living in Virginia. Music and art are our favorite things! Stay tuned... Kieran will post her concert review first! P.S. We titled our blog "All Apologies" because it was playing in the coffeehouse we are at! |
AuthorWe are Kieran and Michelle, two 32-year-old William & Mary grads living in Virginia. Archives
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