Author: adrianeisenhower

Bon AppeTetons

Kristina, Rob and I have just come off a trip from the Tetons, a majestic mountain range in western Wyoming.

On the Road in Rob’s Honda Civic – little climate controlled pod that carried us across the country.

Our welcoming committee. An adolescent moose at the American Alpine Club Climber’s Ranch. He was send into a paroxysm of anger when we and several other cars arrived, stampeding and kicking his hind legs. Fortunately at no one in particular.

The next day’s watercolor paintings.

Swimming at Jenny Lake.

Back at our cabin. Cabin 5. A great place to lounge during the midday heat.

A pretty unreal mountain range. It dramatically juts out of otherwise flat country.

Hiking up Burnt Wagon Gulch from the Climber’s Ranch with Rob and Kristina.

Parting ways. Rob and I carried up Garnet Canyon to climbing the Lower and Upper Exum Ridge on the Grand Teton and Kristina went up to Surprise Lake.

Rob on the hike and our view from the Lower Saddle.

Flaking out the rope.

Getting some exposure on the 5th pitch of Lower Exum.

Coming around the V-Pitch on the Upper Ridge.

Rob on the ridge to the summit.

Summit photo.

Rob rapping off the Owen Spalding Route.

Back at the Lower Saddle, we broke everything down and made the 7 mile hike down to Lupine Meadows under moonlight. Kristina was kind enough to pick us up there at 2 am.

We bade our cabin and the Teton’s adieu, vowing to come back soon.

We slept in Veduwoo our first night and somewhere in Iowa the next.

And a great meal back in Cleveland.

 

Murals of New York City

Kristina and I just returned from a trip to New York City. The trip had several objectives- celebrate our one year anniversary, visit and stay with dear friends in Dobbs Ferry, celebrate David Dunbar’s transition away from formal teaching, have lunch with my parents, pick up my motorcycle and to visit as many murals in NYC as we could. What a whirlwind!

 

The self-guided mural tour was informed primarily from the book, Murals of New York City; written by Glenn Palmer-Smith and photographed by Joshua McHugh. It is a pretty large coffee table book and no small task to carry around with us. Special thanks to V. Galgano for turning the book into a weight training program.

The classic, Grand Central Station.  Even though commuters rush under it without a glance, this one is a marvel. Such soothing color harmony and easy integration with the architectural elements around it. Man’s attempt at drawing the heavens down to earth!

Through Grand Central Market, with its over-priced but beautiful goods, and across the street, Kristina, Vince and I entered the Chrysler Building. What a testament to inter-war vitality in NY.

Compositionally, this piece by Edmund Trumbull emanates in v shapes toward the apex of the spire. Full of information, it reminds me of the geometric period of ancient Greece.  One has to only wonder if it has been returned to its original glory after varnishes have dulled its color. Nevertheless, it is wonderfully unified tonally and chromatically and in accord with both the Moroccan marble and art deco interior.

Next stop, Rockefeller Center.

This cycle of grisaille paintings certainly aspires to the monumental. When you enter, you stand below a towering Colossus. It is even slightly uncomfortable, or just funny.

This is the infamous site whereupon Diego Rivera’s mural, Man at the Crossroads,  was chipped off the walls. I have had the good fortune to see a replica that Rivera made in Mexico City and I believe that Rockefeller Center is worse off for the choice to remove it.

We hopped on Citibikes and rode down to Tower One, the Oculus and 9/11 museum.

This piece was surprisingly powerful. The artist chose to paint with water color different tints of blue, trying to recollect the color of the sky on 9/11/01 above the World Trade Towers. The papers surround a relevant quote by Virgil.

The museum was pretty rough. We chose to abandon our bikes and take the Staten Island Ferry. The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island were good reminders of NYC’s profound, challenging but also uplifting, human history.

 

The following day we visited the Met, where we took in exhibitions on Caravaggio, Irving Penn, the Modernists and Classical Greece. A walk through the park on a spectacular day took us to Old King Cole Bar. 

Maxfield Parrish’s mural is a strong delivery of whimsy and polish. He knows what to subordinate and what to accent, all in service of the depiction of a fart!

 


Back to CityTerm in time to celebrate with David and company. It was a wonderful evening, full of inspiring educators, toasting an extraordinary man.

Back in the city the following day. We checked into our hotel on Ludlow St. just in time to avoid a deluge of rain. We had a great meal at the Leopard, of Cafe des Artistes and got to watch Misty Copeland perform as Odette and Odile in Swan Lake.

A morning run over the Brooklyn Bridge and then it was time to hit the road. Over all, a trip for the books!

The French River

Dubbed ‘The First Annual Tennis Doubles Retreat’, Dave and I spent 5 nights, 6 days canoeing in the interior of French River Provincial Park, in Ontario, Canada. Altogether a truly great trip, even with an extraordinary amount of mosquitos and black flies and rain almost everyday. We found beautiful campsites, ate well, did not think about news/politics, worked well together and when the clouds broke and wind kept the bugs at bay, found sublime moments.

Below are some of the photographs and watercolor sketches that begin to tell the story-

End of the Year, Textbooks

These textbooks are made by each student in Foundations. This is a project-based curriculum designed around the idea that we best construct knowledge and meaning not in a top down manner but when we actively assemble it ourselves. In making our own books, students personally assemble a body of knowledge and experience that, if all goes well, facilitates strong and durable neurological connections. For one, the act of construction is playful and encourages child-like inquiry. This playful involvement allows for mistakes, for stumbling and for self discovery. Students also become emotionally invested in their books. With some guidance, they are the ones actively designing what they learn. Over time these books will hopefully foster connections and promote a synthesis of materials.