Capturing a Moment

Posted on August 13, 2013 by Brooke Rosenblatt

Two visitors sharing a moment at the Phillips during our Creative Aging program. Photo: James Brantley

Two visitors sharing a moment at the Phillips during our Creative Aging program. Photo: James R. Brantley

Everyone once in a while I see a photograph from one of our programs that stops me in my tracks. James R. Brantley recently took the image above during one of our Creative Aging programs with Iona. This program offers older adults (many of whom suffer from Alzheimer’s or related dementia), along with their families and caregivers, the opportunity to connect with each other through guided conversations about art at the Phillips. These individuals then continue processing their responses in the art therapy studio at Iona.

This photograph is a powerful reminder to me. It serves as a testament of how powerful art can be in creating shared and loving experiences.

Parisian Padlocks

Posted on August 5, 2013 by Brooke Rosenblatt

Padlocks on the Pont des Arts. Photos: Brooke Rosenblatt

The museum’s recent School of Paris installation and our upcoming Art and Romance Soirée got me nostalgic for a place in Paris. The location: the Pont des Arts, a pedestrian bridge that connects the Louvre to the Institut de France (where the Academy of Fine Arts is housed). The logic: the love padlocks.

If you haven’t seen one of these bridges in person, it’s quite a sight. Couples from around the world visit the bridge, attach padlocks with their initials and throw the keys to the locks into the Seine. Have a look at some my recent pictures above.

Though I love this place, I have heard some people just find it (and other padlock bridges) ugly! Additionally, the weight from the padlocks causes damage to the bridge. According to this article on the history of the phenomenon, one grate can have up to 330 pounds of padlocks on them! And this pic from TripAdvisor gives you a firsthand look at what all that weight can do!

Having Sunday Concert Withdrawal?

Posted on August 2, 2013 by Brooke Rosenblatt

(Left) Ferdinand-Victor-Eugène Delacroix, Paganini, 1831. Oil on cardboard on wood panel, 17 5/8 x 11 7/8 in. The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C. Acquired 1922. (Right) Rachel Barton Pine in the Phillips’s Music Room. Photo: Lou Brutus

While our Sunday Concert season is on hiatus, check out our new audio tour stop on Eugène Delacroix’s painting, Paganini. Music Specialist Jeremy Ney describes Paganini’s role in music history and provides an excerpt from Rachel Barton Pine’s January performance of his music. And if this whets your appetite, have a listen to our music podcast from our last season.