My sister was right: I loved the Renwick Gallery’s exhibit showcasing the arts and crafts of state fairs across the country. Think quilts, ceramics, basketry, hair weaving, sculpture, crop art, decoys, embroidery, beautifully canned vegetables, even the Iowa State Fair Butter cow in a refrigerated case on the second floor (which we almost missed. It’s not well advertised and we heard about it only from the guy at the gift store.)
Beyond Iowa, there is a lot from Nebraska (including from the fantastic international quilt museum in Lincoln which I visited in the 1990s), Kansas, New Mexico, Minnesota, Wisconsin, the Najavo Nation…
The show is a reminder of the artistic contributions of immigrants in rural America and the talents of this nation’s women. It’s all beautifully displayed.
Also a must see is a Justin Favela installation (also on the second floor) that uses an entire room for a tribute to maize, complete with lighting that dims and shines to capture the changes I light during a day.
Lunch was excellent at a casual middle eastern place nearby called Little Sesame, with delicious hummus (the of us shared a bowl with harissa brisket and another bowl with grilled artichokes.) Perfect!
TakeBetsywithyou 