21c Museum Hotel - Louisville, Kentucky

A couple years ago my mom and I paid a little visit to my brother who was living in Louisville, Kentucky at the time. Little did I know the area was home to all kinds of innovative little hubs. The one that stands out the most is 21c Museum Hotel - hotel, museum and restaurant - all-in-one.

The Hotel Rooms:

Proof on Main:

the restaurant...I recall it being mighty delicious:

21c Museum:

The museum aspect of the conglomeration made an impression on me. Established as the first museum in North America to strictly exhibit 21st century art - hence the name - it outfits the hotel with an enamoring mix of contemporary art exhibitions and permanent installations.

A few of the permanent installations...

Red Penguin (2005) - Cracking Art Group

The icon of the 21c Museum Hotel - these permanent residents make themselves at home throughout the building.

Arillated: The 21c Pip Mobile - Monica Mahoney

Untitled, 2006 - Werner Reiterer

This beauty is installed outside the entrance of the building making breathing sounds every time a guest rings the bell for the host at the restaurant. I spy red penguins...

Text Rain (1999) - Camille Utterback & Romy Achituv

By far the most entertaining installation in the museum - Situated in the middle of the hotel's elevator lobby, somehow, a camera projects a photo of the person standing in front of the wall onto the wall, like a mirror. Simultaneously, letters fall down the projected image, and when they hit an object (i.e. your arm) they collect and eventually spell out words. I could stand there for hours.

Several "new aquisitions" were being exhibited when we visited. One artist's work particularly stood out to me - Pieter Hugo.

More about these images in the photo captions here.

Photos from 21cmuseumhotel.com

mister in plaid

...found a plaid scarf at matteo recently and decided mister should try it on for size.

"Nowhere But Sajima"

Last week, I found myself fascinated by a particular oceanside residence called "Nowhere But Sajima". I realized that it's location is listed as Yokosuka Kanagawa, Japan. Given the recent tragic occurrences, I was worried it may be morbid to post this, but decided of all times, this may actually be appropriate to share with you. The talent and creativity invested in the design of this structure is incomparable, as noted by my source - Design Bureau. I do not know the condition of this home, but based on maps I've seen of the areas in Japan affected, I assume this location was most likely impacted. Note that my intention is appreciation of this design, not emphasis of the material things lost in this disaster - my mind is boggled by the immense loss of life - my heart and prayers go out to the people and communities affected.

photos by Design Bureau

Bukes' Nursery

... a little endeavor I worked on a few months ago for my dear dear pal Sal and her sweet Baby Bukes' nursery. These photos are by no means the finest, nor are the drawings. What the photos represent are six nursery designs that would be simple for Sal to execute on her own. One end of her living room is being turned into a "nursery nook" with a wall of curtains dividing the space. Note that the colors in some of these are a bit off, with the goldish, yellow tone actually representing a sand-like color. Since I live so far away, this was truly a fun way to be a part of such an exciting time in the life of my dear friend.

mirrors a bit small in this one

…something I have been thinking of beginning for quite a while now. Whether it be for fear of falling into unoriginality or the sheer vulnerability of exposing my ideas, thoughts and interests for whomever to read, I have refrained from creating this until now. The world of “blogging” has provided me a good bit of creative inspiration. At times it seems topics become tedious, and then other blogs begin to peak my interest, honing my tastes and perspectives. Overall, the excitement of feeling as though I get to read a new magazine everyday with the wide array of posts from some of my favorite online reads provides some sort of intangible satisfaction – I figured it was time for me to contribute any little bits I may have to offer.