Birthdays, Internships, and a Much Needed Break...

Unfortunately, I'm a little behind on my blogging, but now that Spring Break is almost over (back to class on Tuesday!) I'm going to try and bring my blog up to speed! So here we go...

I turned 23 last week.

I have an internship.

I am on Spring Break right now. Thank goodness.

There you have it! Consider yourself updated! Ok, ok, maybe I should elaborate a bit...

My birthday was March 11th and I am now 23 years old. Wow, how did that happen? I did a little searching online and discovered that, as of my birthday, I had lived for 8401 days. Interesting, right? It sounds so strange to measure a lifetime by an uncommon standard of measure--but it did prompt to view each day from a new perspective....to value each day as significant and worth enjoying to its fullest. The day before my birthday was the 23rd birthday of my good friend Peter who is currently serving with Lutheran Young Adults in Global Mission in Cuernavaca, Mexico. We were thrilled to be able to talk on the phone to wish each other a happy birthday after not having spoken for months. Here's a wonderful picture of us as babies along with our friend Siri who was born a few weeks later. Peter will probably kill me for posting these:

Mom and I are on right, Peter and his dad are on the left, and Siri and her dad are in the center. Such cute Scandinavian Lutheran babies (as if our names didn't give that away already!) And here we are, years later, in 2005:


In other news:

In February I began interning at the Rubin Museum of Art in the programming department! It's very part-time right now--only 8-15 hours a week--but I have decided to stay there this summer to complete my required for-credit internship. The RMA is a museum of Himalayan art (a subject I know little about) that is located in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. It is a young institution founded just over 5 years ago by a pair of NY art collectors (Don & Shelley Rubin) who wanted to share their collection with the public and give it a permanent home in the city. Here's a wonderful video clip about the long process of founding the RMA:



So far I am really enjoying my time there. The RMA has a wonderful programming department with many great events happening every week--they focus on adult education type of events like lectures, discussions, lunch talks, concerts, and film screenings. I'm finding that museum programming, adult education, and event planning are all areas I am interested in pursuing so I feel very fortunate to be interning at such an innovative institution. I will write more about my RMA experience later when I have more to report...

Finally, here's a recent picture of Oscar and Dorian enjoying a brotherly nap together:
Happy Spring everyone!


(Please forgive all the ramblings and typos...it's still spring break!)

International Women's Day 2010: Go see "Half the Sky LIVE" on March 4th!

My Dear Family & Friends,

In January I wrote about some of the books I read over the holiday break which included "Half the Sky" by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. It is now a New York Times bestseller and is in its 19th printing. I hope some of you have read it! Well, this blog post returns to the subject of women's rights and looks forward to International Women's Day in March.

First let me start at the beginning... Last year I ran across an advertisement for an International Women's Day event featuring a nationwide screening of the documentary film entitled "A Powerful Noise." The screening was sponsored by the human rights organization CARE International and featured not only the film screening but also a live panel discussion with humanitarian experts (Nicholas Kristof, president of CARE Dr. Helene Gayle, Madeline Albright, etc.) who discussed the importance of global women's rights and the significant role that women play in fighting poverty. I went to this event in the Twin Cities with my good friend, Anna. The whole experience was so powerful and inspiring that it is hard to put into words.

Then imagine my shock and delight when I discover that the taping of this year's International Women's Day film and panel will take place at NYU and will feature the book "Half the Sky" and its authors! So on the evening of Thursday, February 11th I headed down to the Skirball Auditorium at NYU to be in the audience for the taping of this amazing event!

The whole evening was a kind of surreal experience that is hard to describe. The event featured beautiful musical performances by India.Arie, Angelique Kidjo, and Diane Birch; the premier of a film directed by Marisa Tomei entitled "Woinoshet;" and a panel including Kristof, WuDunn, Helene Gayle, Sarah the Duchess of York (who was amazing!), and Rachel Mayanja, the UN Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women. They addressed three issues from the book including sex trafficking, maternal mortality, and violence against women. Their overarching message is that empowering women is the key to making positive and lasting changes in struggling communities in developing countries. It was an amazing evening that brought most of the audience to tears but left us feeling hopeful and inspired to be a voice for women's rights.

Anyway, here's the most exciting part: YOU can go see "Half the Sky LIVE" in your local theaters on March 4th at 7:30 pm and see exactly what I saw in person! This will be a one night event going on across all of the United States and Canada (even the Sioux Falls Century 14 Theater!) I guarantee that it will be a wonderful and inspirational event--even if you don't know a lot about women's issues or human rights, I would encourage each and every one of you to attend. I plan on going even though I was there for the taping! Here's the link for details about the event: http://www.ncm.com/Fathom/OriginalPrograms/event/Half_The_Sky.aspx

So please invite your family, friends, and colleagues and go!

Who doesn't like Scandinavian food?

Laura with her delicious cornish hen and me with my amazing chocolate mouse dessert with hazelnuts!

Last weekend I was fortunate enough to have my dear St. Olaf friend, Laura, come for a visit! She is now living in Boston working for the Boston Symphony Orchestra (amazing, right?) and so she took the bus into NYC Friday evening and went back on Monday afternoon (President's Day.) Anyway, we had a great time watching the Olympics and catching up but one of the highlights of her visit was a lunch at the Scandinavian restaurant Aquavit for NY Restaurant Week! It is one of my all time favorite restaurants so I was thrilled that Laura wanted to go with me (she's a devoted foodie!) Anyway, if any of you ever visit I will probably want to take you to Aquavit. I guarantee it will not disappoint!

Winter comes East...finally

View out my window Wednesday, Feb. 10th!

New York isn't used to so much snow all at once but I loved it!

There were lots of children out with their parents building snowmen and snow forts. I was especially impressed by the perfect "snow wall" created just outside my front door by a man and his two children.

Last week we had a "snow day" on February 10th in NYC. Being from the midwest, however, this was really quite funny for me since they were forecasting nothing like the winter weather we experienced over Christmas or anything like what Washington D.C. was getting at the same time.

Anyway, the day before the public schools announced they were going to be closed because it "might" snow a lot. In total I think we got around 8-10 inches and while it was messy wet snow, it wasn't that bad. You should have heard how all the New Yorkers were panicking--they just aren't used to winter weather I guess! Public radio did a report that afternoon about how New Yorkers were "surviving the blizzard" by interviewing women at shoe stores who were buying boots (many for the first time!!) because they wore high heels and were unable to walk on the slippery wet sidewalks by lunchtime. Oh my goodness--I laughed so hard!

On a positive note, the NY parks service provided sleds and hot chocolate to children at some of the city's parks! Isn't that sweet? Overall it was a fun day because my class was canceled and it was just so beautiful to finally see the city covered in a thick layer of pristine white snow. It made me feel nostalgic for home in SD & MN!

Oscar the Model

Oscar loves posing for Alex.

Big yawn!

Ready to pounce...

Lazy cat.

These are a few of my favorite things!

I love the movie "The Sound of Music" but what I enjoy even more is being reminded of the simple joys in life that come from my favorite things. This may seem a little silly to some of you, but one of my most recent favorite things is my new flannel bedding! My aunt Liz, a quilter and sewer and all around creative genius, gave me these great red sheets for Christmas. What makes them special is that she appliqued a the beautiful flower pattern on the edges of the pillow cases and on the top of the flat sheet. They also match perfectly with my newest quilt I made this summer with my cousin Alison (ok, I'll admit that I still have to hand-stitch the binding on, but hey, I'm close and it still keeps me warm!) Anyway, thanks Liz for such a lovely and thoughtful gift! It is truly one of my favorite things!

We must be related...

I seem to have quite a few "like mother like daughter" moments and an equal share of "I am my father's daughter" moments. My dad and my Mom's family are especially good at making me aware of these moments (who is always the last one eating at the table? It used to be my mom and now it's me). Anyway, these shared family traits are not limited to my immediate family.

My cousin Alison has always been a kind of "big sister" role model for me and this last year has prompted me to reflect on her influence on me. A few similarities come to mind right away--she went to Luther, I went to St. Olaf; she was singer, so am I; she moved to NY to go to grad. school after college, I'm doing the same thing now. So call me a copycat! When I was little, whatever Alison did, I wanted to do (I've never told her this, but I'm sure it won't come as a huge surprise to her or the rest of the family). Here's a great picture of us (and her brother Mike) with the farm cats in Grandma Kelly's barn. Aren't we cute?



So, my most recent "Alison" moment occurred a few weeks ago when I started reorganizing the contents of my bookcase. Instead of organizing my books alphabetically or by subject, I decided to take a queue from Alison and arrange them according to the color of their spine. I'm an aesthete I suppose...most museum people are though. Note that Oscar has recently discovered how to jump on top of the bookcase.



Isn't it pretty? While it isn't the most practical thing I could have done, I like it anyway! We'll just have to see how easy it is to find things as the semester moves forward.

Alison also encouraged me to post a picture of it on my blog so here it is! My favorite response so far is my aunt Nancy exclaiming "Oh, dear God!" Thanks, Nancy--glad to have your support... :)

Oscar & Dorian are growing up...

Christmas in New York

It was hard to get into the holiday spirit this year while I was still in New York. Final papers and projects took precedent, but I did enjoy the lights and huge Christmas tree in my neighborhood.

What if you could hold Barnes & Noble in your hand and carry it with you everywhere you go?

I would say, "No, thank you. I'll keep my paperbacks."

The title of this blog entry comes from a leaflet advertising Barnes & Noble's new eReader technology that I received yesterday when I purchased a new book. (Will I have time to read this book anytime soon? Probably not, but books are my weakness and the art/art history section at the B&N in my neighborhood is unlike any other I've ever seen.)

I don't want a Kindle or a Nook, or any other type of technology that replaces the physical objects that are books. While I know the many people find ebooks an outstanding revolution in reading, I am not going to be an enthusiastic convert as long as paperbacks are still being printed and bookstores are still open for browsing. There is something unique and wonderful about holding a book in your hands and turning each page. It is a tangible sensory experience that, for me, is deeply connected with the experience of reading. I love feeling the cracked spines of my favorite and most read books from St. Olaf. I remember the smooth, glossy covers of my childhood Nancy Drew books....I could go on and on, but you get the idea.


That being said, here's a list of what I read over Christmas break:

1.) "Sargent's Daughters: A Biography of a Painting" by Erica E. Hirshler.

Hirshler is a curator of American Art at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and in this text she explores one of the most well-known works in the MFA's collection, John Singer Sargent's "The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit."



This was a great read. Hirshler's book expertly marries the best of art historical scholarship and vocabulary with a very readable "novel-like" writing style that brings Sargent and the Boit girls to life by giving them historical and personal context. I've not seen the painting in person yet, but I'm hoping to visit Boston sometime soon and after reading this book I will make a special trip to the MFA to see it!

2.) "Old Masters, New World: America's Raid on Europe's Great Pictures" by Cynthia Saltzman.



Another great read--though a little more dense than "Sargent's Daughters." This book also reads like a novel at times, but is also packed with a detailed history of the Gilded Age in the United States. "Old Masters, New World" was especially interesting to me because it deals with the subject (art collecting) and time period (late 19th early 20th c.) that I studied for my senior research paper about Bertha Honoré Palmer of Chicago. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, Palmer was not mentioned by Saltzman. Palmer is often overlooked because of her location in Chicago (in other worlds, NOT a member of the East Coast elite found in NY and Boston), and because she focused her collecting on contemporary painters--specifically the Barbizon and Impressionist artists of France. Anyway, I digress. The point is, I wish I had known about Saltzman's book when I was working on my Palmer paper--it would have been SO helpful. Oh well. It was still a great book that I would recommend.

3.) Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicolas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn



Right now I am in the midst of reading "Half the Sky" by Kristof (a New York Times columnist and his wife, Sheryl Wudunn, who is also in journalism) and am really enjoying it. As the subtitle explains, this book focuses on the human rights of women around the globe. To the Westerner, the human right's struggles of such women are shocking to the point of being unbelievable. Realizing this, Kristof and WuDunn write with this audience in mind--always explaining the cultural and political contexts that allow such inhuman experiences to occur. Subjects covered include prostitution & human trafficking, rape & "honor" killings, and maternal mortality & disability. So far it's getting me thinking more and more about how Western cultures can have a positive influence on women in third world without imposing Western values and cultural standards. It also directly addresses what happens when theory meets practice. It's a challenging and interesting read that I would highly recommend it to anyone concerned with human rights, women, global health, social justice, education, etc. (in other words, I think everyone should read it).

Happy reading.

Back on the Blogging Bandwagon (I hope)

I've just returned to New York after a long holiday vacation and I think it is appropriate to also return to my poor neglected blog at the same time. As many of you have noticed, I've been conspicuously absent from web for the last few months.

So here it goes...(in bulleted outline form because, as many of you know, I'm a little obsessed with organization and lists)

Brief summary of the last two and a half months:

1.) I love grad school. I finished my first semester with 2 big papers and a large project/presentation. They all went well and I'm very proud of the noticeable progress I've made in the last 6 months.

2.) I presented a paper at a museum studies symposium hosted by NYU. It was titled "Making Modern Art Narratives Accessible in the Museum: The Museum of Modern Art and the Tate Modern." The experience made me thankful for St. Olaf's required "Oral Communication" credit and for the experience of presenting my senior distinction paper last spring. In other words, St. Olaf prepared me for my future--what a success story! Here's a picture of one of MoMA's Monet "Waterlilies" that I used in my paper. Isn't it great (and huge?)



3.) Christmas was disrupted by a long and intense snowstorm. My family wasn't able to get together as we usually do--instead, Dad and I spent a few days inside eating, reading, and watching movies. It was also terribly cold but I was SO happy to see snow that I didn't mind. Here's a great picture of our garage on Christmas morning after the garage door accidentally stayed open all night because when we drove in the night before the drifted snow fell inside and blocked the door's sensor!



4.) Second semester starts on Tuesday and I can't wait. I'm taking 3 classes: Museum Management, Museums & Interactive Technologies, and Museums & Political Conflict.

5.) Oscar and Dorian have grown so much! My roommate, Alex, took care of them while I was gone for the holidays and I was so happy to return to them this week! They are still very active and Oscar is always loud and wild. He's adorable and very friendly with visitors, which is nice too. Both cats have recently found so odd places and positions to sleep. I was lucky enough to have my camera on hand to catch a few great napping moments:


I've never seen a cat sleep on his back before with his legs splayed out like this. Oscar is a funny little guy.


I don't know why the dishes drying rack is a comfortable place to nap, but Dorian seems to think it is.