Saturday, September 17, 2011

ATLANTApix: Water Dream Evaporating

Water Dream at MODA
Water Dream at MODA
The Museum of Design Atlanta's (MODA) Water Dream exhibition has been absolutely phenomenal. And this is the final weekend to see it.

I posted on the MODA Facebook account just yesterday (after they reminded us that Water Dream is coming to an end) how great it's been to see how they've uniquely shined the spotlight of artistry on a subject that most of us see as "functional." 

Lesson learned: Anything can be art, everything has design.

Although saddened to see Water Dream evaporate, even after making such a great splash, I'm excited about the upcoming exhibitions opening on Sunday, October 2, 2011...all three of them!


The other two are rather sobering, but terribly important, even after so many year. One of the two is a rotating display of The AIDS Memorial Quilt. Rotating monthly during the exhibition, several of the 40,000 panels will be on display.


Mo'Duck Helping Out
As with all the exhibits I've seen MODA produce, I'm certain these will be incredible, thought-provoking, and absolutely amazing examples of design for every enthusiast.

So, be sure to catch Water Dream this weekend if you've not yet seen it. And I'm told that we probably haven't seen the last of Mo'Duck, MODA's Water Dream mascot...quite the adventurous little red rubber duckie!

ATLANTApix and ATLANTAvidz of the tourATLANTA blog features a daily photo or video relative to Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!


Friday, September 16, 2011

ATLANTApix: Deer

Deer by Frizt Zimmer, Atlanta Botanical Garden
"Deer" by Fritz Zimmer, Atlanta Botanical Garden
The Atlanta Botanical Garden is filled with more than flowers, plants, and trees. There is an absolutely incredible collection of art throughout the Garden. And it's placed in such a way that makes the discovery process great fun.

One of my favorite pieces is "Deer" by Fritz Paul Zimmer, an artist and sculptor from Germany. Deer is on an extended loan from Atlanta's High Museum of Art.

"Discovered" while exploring the Southern Seasons Garden, very near the Hardin Visitors Center, Deer is a endearing find (and a great photo-op). This particular garden focuses on local plants and features plants and flowers that bloom every season of the year. It's particularly beautiful in the spring, but a must-see througout the year.

ATLANTApix and ATLANTAvidz of the tourATLANTA blog features a daily photo or video relative to Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Quartz and Other Minerals at the Tellus Science Museum
Before visiting Tellus Science Museum earlier this year, I'd forgotten that not all quartz is clear. Was I ever reminded! In their minerals exhibit, I saw quartz in varying shades of green, yellow, pink, and bright orange, several examples of which are in this display (photo).

Having a fascination with spheres that goes back to my earliest art classes, I was enthralled with the way Tellus displays quite a few of their minerals...in sphere format. Some of their specimens are the size of bowling balls and a couple are as big as the crystal ball in the Wizard of Oz.

Tellus is a fascinating place to visit. They take learning to a whole new level...a level that includes a lot of fun.

ATLANTApix and ATLANTAvidz of the tourATLANTA blog features a daily photo or video relative to Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

ATLANTApix: 1,000,000 Pagodas

Wooden Pagoda that Held a Japanese Paper Prayer
Wooden Pagoda that Held a Japanese Paper Prayer
One of Atlanta's hidden treasures is the Robert C. Williams Paper Museum, which houses exhibit after exhibit of the history of paper making. Imagine a world with zero paper and you'll immediately realize the undeniable significance of this particular museum.

One displayed factoid, that I personally find absolutely amazing, is one of the very first examples of Japanese printing on paper. 

In 770 A. D. (a very, very, very long time ago!), a royal decree by Empress Shotoku ordered the printing of 1,000,000 paper prayers—the Hyakumanto dharani—many of which survive today.

That's fascinating in and of itself, but...each of the 1,000,000 paper prayers were enshrined in their own wooden pagoda (photo). Mind-blowing, right?

That's the kind of museum this is. And it's saturated with fascinating information about the earliest papers to modern paper making. It'll make you want to go home and write someone a letter...on paper! And when was the last time you did that?

ATLANTApix and ATLANTAvidz of the tourATLANTA blog features a daily photo or video relative to Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

ATLANTAvidz: Dolphins on Parade

Peppered with Social Media icons, emblazoned with jellyfish, and covered in pink disco mirror ball squares, the Dolphins on Parade are an eclectic pod.



On display throughout Atlanta, primarily at Centennial Olympic Park, Downtown, Midtown, Grant Park, and Atlantic Station, the nearly 50 dolphins parading around town have created buzz for Georgia Aquarium's new AT&T Dolphin Tales exhibition and provided funding for its sponsored admissions program, primarily for school children.

Several of the Dolphins on Parade are on display immediately outside Georgia Aquarium, including one dressed in an Atlanta Falcons football jersey bearing the signatures of all the team players and owner Arthur Blank. That's one dolphin that is certain to be a favorite in the upcoming auction during the Aquarium's annual event, Aqua Vino.

ATLANTApix and ATLANTAvidz of the tourATLANTA blog features a daily photo or video relative to Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

Monday, September 12, 2011

ATLANTApix: Is That Dome Real Gold?

Georgia State Capitol Building
Georgia State Capitol Building
One of the most commonly asked questions of Atlanta architecture is specific to one of our most remarkable and easily identified landmarks...the Georgia State Capitol Building, specifically, its gold dome. Is the dome made of real gold?

The answer is of course, "Yes." But it wasn't always gold. It was originally white (1889) and many years after construction it was gilded in gold leaf (1958).

ATLANTApix and ATLANTAvidz of the tourATLANTA blog features a daily photo or video relative to Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

Sunday, September 11, 2011

ATLANTApix: The Original Teddy Bear

Teddy Bear at Bulloch Hall
Teddy Bear at Bulloch Hall
The creation of the Teddy Bear was inspired by an act of compassion by President Theodore Roosevelt

In 1902, the President traveled to Mississippi for a hunt where a small bear had been captured. When he arrived, he refused to shoot the bear. A famous cartoonist published a depiction of the incident in the Washington Post.

As the story goes, Morris and Rose Michtom, novelty store owners in Brooklyn, New York, were so impressed with the President's act of compassion that they created a stuffed bear to sell in their shop and wrote to ask the President for permission to call the creation "Teddy's Bear." 

The President responded in the affirmative and the Teddy Bear has been enjoyed by countless children and Teddy Bear enthusiasts since.

An early original Teddy Bear is today part of the Smithsonian Institution's collection. This replica (photo) resides in Bulloch Hall, the childhood home of Mittie Bulloch, mother of Teddy Roosevelt. Bulloch Hall is in Roswell, Georgia, just northwest of Atlanta.

ATLANTApix and ATLANTAvidz of the tourATLANTA blog features a daily photo or video relative to Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

Saturday, September 10, 2011

ATLANTApix: Chihuly in the Garden

Chihuly Sculpture in the Atlanta Botanical Garden
Chihuly Sculpture in the Atlanta Botanical Garden
"Chocolate Covered Weekend" is now! Head over to the Atlanta Botanical Garden for a full two days of chocolate inspired events, learning activities, and tastes. 

"Stop by the Edible Garden Outdoor Kitchen where Atlanta chocolatiers and pastry chefs whip up decadent treats or enjoy chocolate games and crafts with the family. Visit the cacao tree where it all begins and discover more about the chocolate making process."

And of course while you're there, check out both of the Dale Chihuly sculptures. This one (photo) is in the Parterre Garden and the other is hanging in the Hardin Visitors Center.

ATLANTApix and ATLANTAvidz of the tourATLANTA blog features a daily photo or video relative to Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

Friday, September 9, 2011

ATLANTApix: The Leaning Tower of Power

Georgia Power Headquarters
Georgia Power Headquarters
The 24-story, black glass, corporate headquarters building for Georgia Power in downtown Atlanta is often called "The Leaning Tower of Power." The catalyst of this playful moniker was one of the building's unique energy-saving features. On the building's southern facade, each floor protrudes, or cantilevers, farther outward by 15 inches than the floor above it.

The energy savings come from when in summer the sun is high in the sky, each extension partially shades the windows below them and in winter, when the sun is lower in the southern sky, it shines directly into the windows which helps to heat the space.

Additionally, an experimental solar energy project was also part of the building's original design (rooftop) when it was built in 1980, but was unfortunately, that program was discontinued not too many years after it was launched due to excessive cost.

A one-of-a-kind building in the Atlanta skyline, she's often used as a landmark and she's definitely a building that every local immediately recognizes.

ATLANTApix and ATLANTAvidz of the tourATLANTA blog features a daily photo or video relative to Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

Thursday, September 8, 2011

ATLANTApix: Moon "Over" Atlanta

The Moon, at Fernbank Science Center
The Moon, Fernbank Science Center
School is back in session which means that a lot of kids will be heading to the Fernbank Science Center to study astronomy, including Earth's moon (photo), as well as geology, animals, plant life, space travel, and an entire host of other scientific subjects...all potential for wondrous discoveries.

The Center is also open to the general public, lucky for us! This particular moon (photo), which hangs just inside the entrance to the Fernbank Planetarium, part of the Fernbank Science Center, is one of hundreds of models throughout the Center that serve as learning tools.

It just so happens that the Fernbank Science Center is part of the Dekalb County School System, so it's perfectly suited for educating our youth...as well as our adults and tourists of all ages.

And remember, the Fernbank Observatory is open to the public on Thursday and Friday nights (weather permitting) for a free viewing of the night sky from 9:00 p.m. until approximately 10:30 p.m.

ATLANTApix and ATLANTAvidz of the tourATLANTA blog features a daily photo or video relative to Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

ATLANTAvidz: High's Modern by Design

Here's a quick peek at some incredible art...absolutely amazing stuff that you end up missing when the "I kept meaning to go" creeps into your excuses repertoire.


This particular exhibition, hosted at the High Museum of Art, "Modern by Deisgn," featured "nearly 150 objects created by over 120 of the most influential artists and designers of the twentieth century" were included.

Atlanta has so many incredible sights, exhibits, events...so much to see and do. Take advantage of what's in your own back yard. And remember that you'd don't have to wait until next spring or summer...there's plenty to do now!

ATLANTApix and ATLANTAvidz of the tourATLANTA blog features a daily photo or video relative to Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

ATLANTApix: Carlos Mummy

Mummy at the Michael C. Carlos Museum
Mummy at the Michael C. Carlos Museum
I woke up to even more rain this morning, which, as a tourist, makes me think, "What's something fun to do inside?" Well, let's see. Rain...water...river...Nile...Egypt...Michael C. Carlos Museum of Art! Done.

If you can't make it to the Carlos Museum today, you'll definitely want to add it to your list of things-to-do for this weekend. Opening on Saturday, September 10, 2011, "Life and Death in the Pyramid Age: The Emory Old Kingdom Mummy" exhibition will feature the oldest Egyptian mummy in the Western Hemisphere. (This photo is of one of the mummies on permanent display)

The Emory Old Kingdom Mummy was discovered by Emory professor William Shelton in 1920 and is currently being used to study the still not well understood practice of mummification.

This incredibly remarkable specimen is rarely seen by the public, so I recommend making time between now and December 11, 2011, to see it.

So, there's a great idea for something to do on a rainy Tuesday in Atlanta and something to look forward to for the coming weekend. 

ATLANTApix and ATLANTAvidz of the tourATLANTA blog features a daily photo or video relative to Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

Monday, September 5, 2011

Dragon*Con Parade 2011

The 25th Dragon*Con has come and gone as has the 10th Annual Dragon*Con Parade. But...as long as there's an Internet (or some iteration of it), there will always be memories of the great times had. This year's Parade was exceptional for several reasons.




First and foremost, getting to experience it with friends makes it a lot more fun, even if I have to grovel apologetically to said friends for being totally engrossed in the Parade, to the point of completely ignoring them so I could make photos and video. 

I promised a couple of my friends that I would hire a photographer next year and actually enjoy the Parade with them. We'll see how that works out...

Batman Saves the Day!
Batman Saves the Day!
The Paradees (is that a word?) showcased, quite well, the genres represented at the Con. There was everything from Star Trek to Star Wars, from Steampunk to Steampunk X-Men (a very cool surprise!), and superheroes to villains.

There were cars, motorcycles, aliens, at least a legion of Stormtroopers, celebrities, dragons, thousands of onlookers, princesses, robots, Cylons, time machines, and at least one flying monkey!

Jedi Knights
Jedi Knights
My absolutely favorite part of the Parade was this super cute 4 or 5 year old on the other side of me who kept yelling to the parade participants. To one she yelled, "I love you, Rainbow" (to a brightly colored character that I wasn't familiar with, but she obviously was). "I love your color," she yelled to a Star Wars character highlighted in pink.

But the grand prize was her very enthusiastic, loud greeting when Chewbacca walked by..."Hello, Big Foot!" I laughed so hard, in great delight and admiration for her cognitive skills, that I had to stop videotaping because my laughter was shaking the camera so. 

That little Dragon*Con enthusiast was pure delight.

Visiting Dragon*Con

Date toured: Friday-Monday, September 2-5, 2011
Hours: Continuous
Location: Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Atlanta Hilton & Towers, Atlanta Sheraton, and Westin Peachtree Plaza in downtown Atlanta
Parking: multiple downtown public parking garages and hotel garages, rates vary
MARTA: any station near the host hotels
Website: http://www.dragoncon.org/


ATLANTApix: AECOM Atlanta

AECOM Building in Midtown Atlanta
AECOM Building in Midtown Atlanta
One of the things that I love—yes, I said and fully mean "love"—about authoring tourATLANTA is the learning process. True, I've learned about blogging and Social Media while creating posts, but I'm referring to learning more about Atlanta...and exponentially so!

For example: I've walked by, drove by, and dined across the street from the AECOM Building countless times, but I never knew what they did until I decided to feature them on tourATLANTA. (This particular photo is of their Midtown Atlanta office, reflecting The Peachtree Building)

Not only did I learn what building this is (yet another), I learned about an incredibly interesting company. A company that employs 45,000 people in more than 125 countries—now, that's impressive. 

And what they do is even more impressive. To borrow from their website:

"AECOM is a global leader in providing fully integrated professional technical and management support services for a broad range of markets. From transportation, energy and water systems, to enhancing environments and creating new buildings and communities, our vision is to make the world a better place."

I couldn't have said it better myself. Reading about their projects is mesmerizing. Their work is relative not only to current issues, but those yet to come to fruition. And their focus is global and all-encompassing. This company is one that I will keep a very close eye on...out of excitement for how they will change the world in which we live.

ATLANTApix and ATLANTAvidz of the tourATLANTA blog features a daily photo or video relative to Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

Sunday, September 4, 2011

ATLANTApix: Dragon*Con Costumes

Dragon*Con Costumes
Dragon*Con Costumes
Costumes, costumes, costumes, and more costumes...one of the most popular attractions of Dragon*Con, taking place now in downtown Atlanta, is the opportunity to score photos with some of one's favorite sci-fi, fantasy, television, and other celebrities (or extremely close approximations by a number of conventioneers) from popular culture, and a few subcultures.

Other photo ops include photographs with the likes of Kate Mulgrew, Tricia Helfer, and Sam Witwer, from Star Trek: Voyager, Battlestar Galactica, and Being Human, respectively.

The 25th Annual Dragon*Con is taking place now in downtown Atlanta through Labor Day, Monday, September 5, 2011.

ATLANTApix and ATLANTAvidz of the tourATLANTA blog features a daily photo or video relative to Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

Saturday, September 3, 2011

ATLANTApix: Coastal States Building

Coastal States Building
Coastal States Building
Quick to prove that Atlanta's designation as a "city of glass" is not at all new, the Coastal States Building, sometimes called the Coastal States Insurance Building, brings attention to the fact that it was in actually erected in 1971...40 years ago!

I myself have been guilty of saying that Atlanta has become a city of glass as of recent years, but the more I explore, the more I realize that glass buildings have been a significant part of the Atlanta skyline for many, many years. Maybe the development spurt of the 70s, with all the cement buildings of that decade, skewed my perception...or I was too busy noticing all the new buildings and not the ones I've known for years.

Centennial Tower is a prime example. A building that just by looking at it you would think was a relatively recent addition to the city. Not quite. It was constructed in 1975. And the world-famous Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel, the 73-story glass cylinder...it was built in 1973. 

So, as it turns out, I was totally off in my assumption. I should have said that "even more stunning stems have been added to the city-of-glass bouquet that we know as Atlanta."

ATLANTApix and ATLANTAvidz of the tourATLANTA blog features a daily photo or video relative to Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

Friday, September 2, 2011

ATLANTApix: Samuel Spencer

Samuel Spencer
Samuel Spencer
Remember that Atlanta was originally a railroad town, long before she was ever a convention town. Nestled in a tight little corner of the 12-story David R. Goode Building at 1200 Peachtree Street is an elegant sandstone and bronze statue erected to one of the city's railroad pioneers.

Samuel Spencer today is remembered as the first President of Southern Railway Company, one who made remarkable achievements. The unique statue's engraved sentiment reads:

(front)
Samuel Spencer
1847 - 1906

(back)
A Georgian, A Confederate Soldier, and the First President of the Southern Railway Company. Erected by the Employees of that Company.

Most statues are erected by governments or enthusiast groups. I believe this is the first statue I've ever encountered that was erected by an employee group. He must have been one an amazing boss!

ATLANTApix and ATLANTAvidz of the tourATLANTA blog features a daily photo or video relative to Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

ATLANTAvidz: ATLANTApix of August 2011

tourATLANTA's August 2011 photos-of-the-day, ATLANTApix, are so incredibly different, the only thing that ties them together is that they're all made in Metro Atlanta...a great show of just how many "different" things this city has to offer.

Fun for me, and I hope fun for you, included the Rhinoceros from Zoo Atlanta; a horse from the Riverview Carousel at Six Flags; and the Best Friend of Charleston—a train!

This brief video recounts the month's captured images, taking you all over the city to explore, learn, and relax.


Remember to subscribe to tourATLANTA's YouTube channel. You know you want to!

ATLANTApix and ATLANTAvidz of the tourATLANTA blog features a daily photo or video relative to Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!