SPRING into Dallas!

 

My favorite way to experience spring in the Dallas, Texas area is visiting the Dallas Arboretum.  You can check out previous blog posts I’ve written about this gorgeous botanical garden.

Yesterday was cloudy and a bit rainy, so we opted for an indoor spring experience! Each year the NorthPark Center hosts a floral exhibition that showcases fresh floral mannequins. Each decorated mannequin “Muse” is inspired by the arts in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. This year the FLEURS DE VILLES MUSE 2026 event was held March 24-29, 2026. Here are a couple of my favorite Muses!

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra:

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents more than 150 concerts each year and strives to connect thousands of adults and children with the transformative power of music through community outreach programs.

This floral mannequin draws inspiration from Stravinsky's The Firebird- to be performed April 30-May 3, 2026. The Firebird is a fantastical story about a prince, thirteen princesses, a magical feather, and a fearsome ogre.

CREATED BY: CONCEPTO

 

The Cliburn:

The Cliburn promotes classical piano music and the organization’s Van Cliburn International Piano Competitions are world renowned.

This floral mannequin is inspired by pianist Olga Kern, gold medalist of the 2001 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Kern rose to international prominence with her historic victory as the first woman to win the competition in more than 30 years. Known for her electrifying performances and signature red concert gowns, Kern celebrates the 25th anniversary of her landmark achievement in 2026.

CREATED BY: BUNCHES FLOWER COMPANY

 

If you cannot visit Dallas to see a FLEURS DE VILLES MUSE spring exhibition, a trip to NorthPark Center can still provide an opportunity for you to see museum-quality art for FREE!

The indoor shopping center is laid out in a square, making it easy to walk around to view art and shop! Here are a few of my favorite works that I recently spotted. The works are on loan from local museums so they may change.

Henry Moore was a 20^th century British Sculptor whose monumental bronze sculptures can be seen in public spaces worldwide.

Working Model for Oval with Points, 1968-1969
by Henry Moore

lván Navarro is an immigrant from Chile who creates sculptures and installations like this one that comment on the socio-political experience of immigration. In each of the three water towers there is a different neon word or image. Growing up in Chile, Navarro was used to the government cutting power in the evenings to keep people at home. Using electric light as a means of social commentary, the light within these towers continuously reflects the words “ME/WE” and “BED,” along with an image of a ladder.

This Land is Your Land, 2014
by Iván Navarro

This photo provides a twofer – a sculpture AND paintings!

Black Angel, 1967 by Beverly Pepper
Flowers, 1979 by Andy Warhol

Beverly Pepper, an American sculptor, was one of the first women to create monumental, welded steel sculptures. In this piece, she positioned stainless-steel squares at varied angles to evoke a tumbling effect.

The paintings behind Pepper’s sculpture are by the American artist and filmmaker Andy Warhol. He based this series of silkscreen paintings on a photograph of hibiscus blossoms published in the magazine Modern Photography. This example of Warhol’s use of repetition, appropriation and mechanical reproduction is key in his works of Pop art.

There are lots of opportunities to enjoy the arts in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex!

Beware of Bears! Penelope & Mindy out in the Wild!

Beware of Bears!

Penelope the panda, so precocious and sly, With Mindy the brown bear, who's timid and shy. 

Two furry explorers in a car packed with glee, From Texas they dashed, as wild as can be!

Grand Tetons National Park,
Wyoming 

Near Jackson, Wyoming we admired the Grand Tetons! We wanted to try some extreme skiing ...

but our peoples were anxious to keep moving. 

We stopped for gas at a Sinclair station in Idaho. The Sinclair Oil brand dates back to 1916 and is well-known for its green "Dino" mascot. I got to ride a dinosaur!!

Sinclair Gas Dinosaur, Idaho

We made it to Yellowstone National Park!  

Yellowstone National Park

We especially enjoyed the bison, at a distance. One almost ran into our car!! Be we survived and continued to Canada. 

What's this? An Easter Egg in September? Eh?

Vegreville Easter Egg,
Vegreville, Alberta

This is a beautiful Ukrainian egg. Posing with the egg made us hungry. We went out for Ukrainian food and our peoples bought us some yummy-looking treats! But they forgot and left them at the restaurant. 

While we were staying in Banff we took the Icefields Parkway toward Jasper. We saw glaciers!

Icefields Parkway, Jasper, Alberta

Icefields Parkway, Jasper, Alberta

Our peoples wouldn't let us walk on the glacier. But we went back another day by ourselves! 🤣

We enjoyed a scenic drive along a winding road that parallels the Bow River.

Bow Valley Parkway, Alberta

I was so dizzy from the winding road that I almost fell into the river! Thankfully Mindy held on to me!

Bow Valley Parkway, Alberta

Bow Valley Parkway, Alberta

Our peoples decided to hike in Johnston Canyon to see a waterfall. We begged to go along and they carried us in a backpack. Boy, was it hot! 

Here's a picture of us with Cheryl, looking at the river.

Johnston Canyon, Alberta

Here's a picture of us with the waterfall in the background. You can't see the waterfall very well because we had to take the picture quickly. People around us were getting out their bear spray! Seriously, do we look scary?

Johnston Canyon Lower Falls,
Alberta

We left Canada before the temperatures dropped and the snow started. It was much dryer and warmer when we got to Moab, Utah. Here were are at Arches National Park. 

Arches National Park,
Moab, Utah

Where are the arches, you say? Well, thanks to a tip from our guide, our peoples took us close to the back of Skyline Arch. We were the only ones there!!

Skyline Arch at Arches National Park,
Moab, Utah

We went out one evening to see a sunset in Arches National Park. This was our view. We stayed until it was REALLY dark and we could see tons of stars and the Milky Way!

Watching sunset at La Sal Mountains Viewpoint at Arches National Park, Moab, Utah

On our last day in Moab we rode along with our peoples on another scenic road. What a beautiful day!

Upper Colorado River Scenic Byway,
Moab, Utah

Sorry, we have no pictures from Santa Fe, New Mexico. We stayed in a luxurious suite at the Inn of the Governors and didn’t feel like going out. We just sat back to watch the people from our balcony!! Thank goodness for room service!

What a beary fun adventure! We were two bears on a journey, wild, wacky, and free!

Penelope & Mindy

(Wendy stayed home, she's too fragile to do road-tripping!)

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Welcome to the Land of Enchantment!

Santa Fe is the capital city of New Mexico. In fact, it's the oldest capital city in the United States! It has also been the capital of three countries: Spain, Mexico, and the U.S. 

Santa Fe is known for a strong art culture. It's actually the third-largest art market in the U.S.! We embraced the art scene by visiting a few museums. 

Museum of International Folk Art

The mission of the Museum of International Folk Art is to shape "a humane world by connecting people through creative expression and artistic traditions".

Telephone Wire Art 

This exhibition, "iNgqikithi yokuPhica / Weaving Meanings: Telephone Wire Art from South Africa," conveys the Museum’s mission by showcasing the energy of South African artists who recycled telephone wires. The use of materials that facilitated communication across the world now communicate the diversity and culture of these artists. 

Telephone Wire Art 

Telephone Wire Art 

Telephone Wire Art 

Speaking of communication, the people of Vanuatu uses Sandroing to convey folklore, current events, histories, farming techniques, rituals, and other forms of local knowledge and customs.

"Bwati iliulin / Collaboration" by Ligo Balango

The exhibition "Sandroing: Tracing Kastom in Vanuatu" demonstrates a performative and ephemeral storytelling tradition. Narrators illustrate their story on the ground by running their fingertip through sand, volcanic ash, or loose surface soil forming intricate, symbolic patterns.

"Ularuvatuva (One World. One Good Life.)" by Edgar Hinge

"This story is about human connection, our hereditary link to people all over the world, and our shared experiences despite having our own unique forms of kastom (local, traditional knowledge). For example, marriage rituals may differ from place to place, but the underlying desires for companionship, family, and a good life resonate through practices like sharing meals, celebrations of life, and having children."

New Mexico Museum of Art

Santa Fe's identity is shaped by centuries of Indigenous, Hispanic, and Mexican heritage. This is especially reflected in the art, architecture, and history of the New Mexico Museum of Art. 

New Mexico Museum of Art

The Museum is an example of the Pueblo Revival style or Santa Fe style, a regional architectural style of the Southwestern United States.  It features works by many New Mexican artists, including woodcuts by Gustave Baumann, who made his home in Santa Fe beginning in the early 20th century. 

"Silver Sky" by Gustave Baumann

"Silver Sky" is a color woodcut print that Baumann enhanced with aluminum leaf. 

This next work is a fresco painted by Will Shuster. Shuster moved to New Mexico in 1920 to improve his health and became friends with the small but growing arts community. He became a member of Los Cinco Pintores ("The Five Painters").

 "The Voice of the Earth,"
by Will Shuster

This fresco (above) was painted in 1934 as part of the Public Works of Art Project, a New Deal program created during the Great Depression to employ artists. 

It is one of six frescos which depict Native American traditions and daily activities. 

This was my favorite painting at this museum:

"Cui Bono?" by Gerald Cassidy

The title, "Cui Bono?" is a Latin phrase that translates to "Who benefits?" It depicts a life-sized figure of an unidentified Native American man from the Taos Pueblo. Cassidy painted the work around the time New Mexico became a state in 1912, and the title is thought to imply a political question about who would benefit from statehood. 

The City of Santa Fe was founded in 1610. As one of the oldest cities in the U.S. it's not surprising to to find some of the oldest structures in the country here.

Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi

 Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi

The original adobe church was built in 1610. It was replaced in 1630 by a larger one, which was destroyed by the Pueblo Indian Revolt of 1680. The expelled Spaniards returned in 1693, but were not able to rebuild the church until 1714. This new church was named in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of Santa Fe.

Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi interor

Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi Altar screen

The only part of this church still existing is the small adobe chapel dedicated to Our Lady La Conquistadora. Brought from Spain in 1625, the statue is the oldest representation of the Virgin Mary in the United States.

Our Lady La Conquistadora

Outside of the Cathedral is this exquisite sculpture of the First Native American of North America to be Promoted to a Saint, Kateri Tekakwitha:

Kateri Tekakwitha

Museum of Indian Arts & Culture:

This museum emphasizes the interpretation of historical and contemporary life of the Indigenous cultures of the Southwest. I particularly enjoyed the exhibition entitled "Here, Now and Always". It tells the stories handed down through generations and then reveals the powerful expression of the living, changing, creative nature of Native American art.

Untitled (circa 2000) by Tammy Garcia,
Santa Clara Pueblo

This sculpture incorporates ancient Puebloan motifs with modern influences, and is acknowledged for its unique Neo-Pueblo design.

 "My Children" (1982) by Allan Houser, Chiricahua Apache

This bronze sculpture (above), depicting a Native woman with two children wrapped in a blanket, celebrates the Chiricahua Apache identity and the role of women in Apache culture. Its abstract forms express the love and protection that Apache women provide for their families. 

Dress. ACONAV Brand (2019-2023),
designed by Loren Aragon, Acoma Pueblo

ACONAV Brand is an Indigenous women's fashion line that creates bold and futuristic clothing inspired by the Acoma Pueblo and Navajo heritages of co-founders Loren and Valentina Aragon.

San Miguel Chapel:

San Miguel Chapel

The ​San Miguel Chapel is the oldest Catholic Church in America. The original church was probably built shortly after the founding of Santa Fe in 1610 and was the first church in the new settlement. It is located at the crossroads of the Old Santa Fe Trail, El Camino Real, and the Old Spanish Trail. The chapel is dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel and has served as a place of worship for indigenous Mexicans, Franciscan Missionaries, Spanish Conquistadores, and native Pueblo Indians.  

San Miguel Chapel interor

 

In addition to the lovely churches and incredible art, Santa Fe is famous for its New Mexican cuisine, with a focus on dishes incorporating chile. I tried a Red Chile Hot ♨️ Fudge Sundae -- yum yum! 😋

What a wonderful adventure we've had, but it's time to head home. Thanks for joining us on this journey. 

Colorful columns in Santa Fe