Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Tulip Time!







One thing I will definitely miss about the Midwest is how noticeable seasonal changes are here. After surviving many months of cold and snow (for the third year in a row) I find myself far more appreciative of the color that comes out in the spring, all these beautiful tulips dotting yards, walkways, and in the photos above...the fields in Holland, Michigan! Tulips are a big deal there and I finally got out to see them this past weekend, while my cousin was in town.

We also finally got out to the DIA (Detroit Institute of Art) and sampled some of Detroit's tasty BBQ dining. I was very impressed by the DIA, primarily this corridor area where Diego Rivera painted the walls with murals of industrial workers during the Great Depression.* This alone is worth a trip to the museum, as I'm not sure I've ever seen anything quite like it. You could easily spend hours staring at these murals trying to decipher the multitude of messages embedded within them (as my Marxist South African buddies recommended that I do).

It's amazing that having been here for almost three years, this is the first weekend I've gotten out and about to explore Detroit (or parts at least) and tulip-ville!

*This is one side of the four-sided set of murals

4 comments:

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Dolce Vita said...

The tulips are beautiful. (And what happened to the snow!?)

I wonder if we (graduate students-academics) are prone to not getting out as much as we should. R and I (and S) didnt get out as much as we should have in Ohio.

Matto said...

Diego Rivera is the Man. Glad you got to enjoy his work. Santiago had some good public art, but not to the scale, quality, or inspiration of Rivera´s murals.

Cabiria said...

Beautiful tulips! Glad you're getting to enjoy some local flavor before you leave!