For eight hours today, I wandered in San Diego’s famed Balboa Park. As always, I was mesmerized and after our private tour of the San Diego Historical Society’s archives this morning, I sat down in the grassy area and tried to plan my day. A huge Falon Gong demonstration was setting up near the Botanic Pavilion and there were street musicians, tarot card readers, lots of families, dogs and a slew of tourists slowly gathering to tour the museums and attractions. There were also many quinceanera photo shoots—and weddings galore.
I have seen several of the museums in the park before and I wanted to experience some new ones—and also rest frequently and take in the people. I toured the Historical Society’s museum, went through the Botanical Pavilion, and then settled on a new-to-me museum, the Mingei International. A special exhibit of 100-year-old famed ceramist Eva Zeisel’swork absolutely captivated me. She was trained in Hungary in the Bauhaus style, lived in Germany, worked and was imprisoned in Russia, then released. She and her husband fled Germany in 1938 for the U.S. I did not know who she was until I saw the exhibit—and then her dining pieces, glass, tables, ceramic tiles et al were all very familiar. I knew her work but not her name. There was also an excellent 45 minute documentary—and I realized my path had crossed that of an extraordinary elder, someone I want to find out more about—and who, as I grow older, will continue to be a role model. She is still prolifically designing and often appears in person at her international exhibits. Nambe is apparently the funder of this exhibit.
I have seen several of the museums in the park before and I wanted to experience some new ones—and also rest frequently and take in the people. I toured the Historical Society’s museum, went through the Botanical Pavilion, and then settled on a new-to-me museum, the Mingei International. A special exhibit of 100-year-old famed ceramist Eva Zeisel’swork absolutely captivated me. She was trained in Hungary in the Bauhaus style, lived in Germany, worked and was imprisoned in Russia, then released. She and her husband fled Germany in 1938 for the U.S. I did not know who she was until I saw the exhibit—and then her dining pieces, glass, tables, ceramic tiles et al were all very familiar. I knew her work but not her name. There was also an excellent 45 minute documentary—and I realized my path had crossed that of an extraordinary elder, someone I want to find out more about—and who, as I grow older, will continue to be a role model. She is still prolifically designing and often appears in person at her international exhibits. Nambe is apparently the funder of this exhibit.
I finished off my afternoon sitting in the huge organ pavilion where a series of organists were practicing for a concert tomorrow—and I took photos of the quinceanera parties and the public weddings in various places which will turn up here another time.
I ache so badly tonight from a long day on my feet so I’m about to take Ibuprofen and settle in with Tom Wolf’s “I Am Charlotte Simmons.” What a wonderful day I had--and it was a nice break from the classroom.
