Beauty in the Everyday By Lilly Harvey

As I wandered through the Sterling and Francine Art Institute, most often referred to as, “The Clark,” I was in awe at the amount of beautiful work featured in this one space.  Everything about this museum is pristine, from the polished marbles floors to the carefully positioned paintings. The Clark Museum features a large body of work including paintings, porcelain, silver prints and drawings from the 14^th to 19^th Centuries.  The museum features work from artists who are both extremely famous and completely obscure but somehow flawlessly combines this wide range of work. 

One particularly gallery that I found especially striking was the impressionist gallery.  The room itself feels large and open with pale purple walls and a shiny wood floor.  The ceiling is made of glass, allowing natural light to filter into the gallery, which brings the colors in the paintings alive.  The paintings are placed throughout the room in such a way so that they balance each other out, while bringing out the best in each piece. 

As I drifted through the gallery I was drawn to one specific oil painting called “The Bath,” by Beth Morisot.  The painting captures a girl sitting beside a bath, pulling her light brown hair into a bun. She is wearing a thin white night gown and on her lap, almost blending into her dress, is a tan colored hairbrush.  Despite her state of partial undress, she seems unselfconscious, with a fixed gaze and confident posture.  While I was looking at the painting I felt as if I was walking into a moment that was both private and beautiful.  I could tell that the girl was a close friend or family member of the painter, simply because of the way the girl was captured.  The palette is made of light pinks, blues, and browns, which give the painting a soft, mellow feeling.  The brush strokes are long and broad, giving the piece a feeling of movement. As I took a closer look at the painting, I was impressed by the way that the colors were blended together.  For example, the nightgown is mostly white but the artist blended streaks of light blue and pink, which added more complex layers of color to the painting.

Perhaps why I was so drawn to this painting was because it was so completely different than the other paintings in the room. Brushing and styling your hair is something that most women do every single day and yet the artist made this moment beautiful.  Many of the other paintings in the room portrayed stunning landscapes or grand cityscapes and yet I found this private moment to be just as stunning.  This piece really spoke to me because it made me realize that there is something beautiful in each every day moment, whether we can see it or not. 

 

The Power of Shared Ideas by Lilly Harvey

Walking through Mass Moca can only be described as an adventure. Complete with bridges, strange rooms, and mysterious tunnels, everything about Mass Moca is an experience.  Mass Moca features unique contemporary art, which is all displayed in an old industrial building.  By simply wandering through Mass Moca you can discover all sorts of unique artwork.   While all of the art is contemporary, a large variety of pieces are displayed. Some of the is work extremely large and impressive but there are also smaller pieces of work displayed as well.   When I initially looked at some of the art I have to admit I was most often confused more than anything else.  However, when I took the time to think about what I was seeing I found deeper meaning in each piece. 

There was one piece in particular that really made me think.  The piece was located in a smaller gallery, which could be easily missed if you weren’t looking carefully.  The gallery featured six artists, all looking at the space of a library and what that means.  The artists investigated a library as a place where people can share ideas through books.  The gallery also delves into the sharing of ideas in a day and age where social media is such a prevalent way to share our thoughts.

While there were several pieces in this gallery that intrigued me, “Marginalia,” by Jonathon Gitelson really made me think about libraries in a different way.  The piece displayed markings and ephemera that have been left behind in library books. This includes letters, newspaper clippings, polaroid pictures, dried flowers, faded pictures, and wrinkled maps.   I was completely fascinated by these pieces of themselves that people had left behind in library books.  I found myself reading all the letters and thinking about the people who wrote them.  There was something intriguing about the ambiguity of these objects and the stories that they held. 

There was one letter in particularly that I found myself reading over and over, thinking about the person behind these words.  The letter was written on a yellowing, crumpled up piece of paper with a green crayon.  The letter was from a younger child, judging from the messy handwriting and spelling, to his mom.  He was complaining about how his mom always made him eat healthy food, which made him mad.  He also complained about how he didn’t like that his mom always made him go to school.  He went on to describe everything else that he didn’t like about her but at the end he messily scrawled, “but its okay because I love her.” As I read these words, I could almost picture this small, chubby cheeked kid clumsily scribbling these words on this piece of paper. While this letter told a story it also left a lot of questions.  When was this written? How did it end up in a library book? Why did this kid write a letter to his mom? How long ago was this written? How old is this kid now? While part of me wanted to know the answers to these questions another part was perfectly happy leaving them unanswered.  The mystery that these objects held was part of what made them so special. 

This piece perfectly sums up what makes Mass Moca a notable experience.  While the work can seem initially strange, it really causes you to think.  “Marginalia,” really made me think about the importance of a place like in a library in a time with e-books and kindles.  There were many other pieces that made points that were just as intriguing, but this one just happened to be the piece that spoke to me the most.  If you are looking for a unique experience that will make you think I would highly recommend Mass Moca!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr. Bartley’s: A Delicious and Unique Experience By Lilly Harvey

Mr. Bartley’s Hamburger Restaurant in Harvard Square, famous for their delicious gourmet burgers, is a classic American burger joint. Mr. Bartley’s has been open since 1960, when Joe and Joan Barber took over a small convenience store.  They had one goal from the start: to perfect the hamburger.  55 years later, three generations of Bartley’s have been selling the perfect burger to thousands of eager costumers.  On March 12, 2015 I enjoyed my first experience at this quintessential American Diner.

The first thing I noticed when I walked into Mr. Bartley’s was the incredible atmosphere.  The dining room has the same feeling as a dorm room, with wacky posters, bumper stickers and signs covering the walls.  The room was buzzing with the sizzling of the griddle, the hum of conversation, and the sharp ding of the bell as an order was finished.  A friendly host quickly ushered us over to our table, where we sat down and began looking through the menu.  As I looked through the menu, I began laughing, astonished by the creative names.  Instead of simply describing the burgers, each burger was named after a person who is well known in pop culture. There were burgers named after Beyoncé, Barack Obama, Tom Brady, and Kim Kardashian.  The creative names made ordering a more distinctive and fun experience. 

I decided on “The Gronk,” a burger with cheddar cheese, bacon, tomato lettuce and red onions with fries.  While I chose a more traditional burger, there were plenty of burgers on the menu that had a unique spin on them.  There were burgers with eggs, mac and cheese, pineapple, maple syrup and a variety of other wacky ingredients.  I had high expectations for my burger, considering the esteemed reputation of Mr. Bartley’s but after my first bite, it was clear that my burger would be anything but disappointing.  Everything about the burger was delicious and comforting, with the melted cheddar cheese and salty bacon.  The crispy fries and fresh Raspberry Lime Rickey I ordered completed my meal perfectly. 

          Mr. Bartley’s in Harvard Square is a must try, not only because of the delicious food but the unique atmosphere as well.  Everything about this restaurant was an enjoyable experience for me, from the funny posters, friendly wait staff, and delectable comfort food.   If you’re ever in Harvard Square, or even if it is a little bit out of your way I would highly recommend trying a burger at Mr. Bartley’s!

Tristan and Yseult: An Emotional Roller Coaster By Lilly Harvey

As I sunk into the plush red seats in the Cutler Majestic Theater on Wednesday March 11^th, I was prepared to watch a traditional play. I looked up Tristan and Ysuelt beforehand and found that it was a French drama featuring star-crossed lovers.  I expected the kind of play with stiff, formal costumes, a traditional set, and a customary acting style.  However, within the first couple of minutes of the production it was clear that this would not be a traditional representation of this classic French tale. 

          The first thing that made this play unique was the ensemble, who were referred to throughout the play as the, “unloved.” This group of actors wore black raincoats as if they cried so often that they needed to protect themselves from their own tears.   While the dramatic plot unfolded, the “unloved,” offered bright bursts of comedy throughout.  For example, as a particular intense scene was unfolding they would stand near the scene, munching on popcorn.  They even offered a burst of comedy during intermission, when they each got up on stage and sang and danced.  While there performance had the entire audience doubled over laughing, they were all clearly very talented actors and singers.  The unique and humorous ensemble was a very necessary breath of fresh air during the otherwise extremely intense storyline. 

                      Plot wise, the play was a series of ups and downs that had me on the edge of my seat the entire way through.  This production had me laughing hysterically, gasping with shock, and crying all within the hour and a half that the performance took place.  There wasn’t a moment during the play when I was bored, or when I wasn’t fully engaged in what was happening onstage.  When the play ended the women behind me said, “I am completely emotionally drained right now I need to go home and eat a pint of Ben and Jerry’s.” Everyone around us laughed and nodded in agreement, including myself.  At the end of the performance, I think that every single member of the audience was feeling the exact same way as the women sitting behind me.  The actors and actresses in the play made the audience feel the ups and downs that the characters in the play were feeling, which made the play an emotional ride. 

          Overall, I would highly recommend this production.  There wasn’t a moment where I wasn’t entertained in some way. Tristan and Yseult is traditionally a very intense story, which was broken up with the use of humor.  The actors and actresses made you feel every emotion that their characters were feeling, so that the audience was riveted during every moment of the show.  If you want to experience the class French tale Tristan and Yseult in a completely different way come to the Cutler Majestic Theater!  

 

Danu by Lilly Harvey

            I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I walked into the Shalin Liu Performing Arts Center in Rockport, Massachusetts.  All I knew about the band that we would be seeing is that they were performing folk music, a genre of music that I don’t know too much about.  However, from the moment Danu stepped on stage the entire audience was captivated by this group’s flawless combination of ancient Irish tunes and songs from their new repertoire.   

From the first note that the group played on stage to the very last one, Danu filled the room with energy.  Without even realizing it, after the first song, I begin tapping my foot on the ground.  I noticed as the performance went on that the floor began to vibrate with the tapping of the audience member’s feet against the floor. The energy of the band and the music made it impossible not to move in some way.  The group got reactions out of the audience in other ways as well.  In between songs, the band members always got at least a chuckle out of everyone in the audience as they described the next song. They urged the audience to sing along and cheer for different members of the band as they performed a solo, so that the performance wasn’t just about listening for the audience, but participating as well. 

The band member’s descriptions and stories behind the song really made you think as you listened.  Even when it was just an instrumental song, or they were singing in Irish I could always feel a story behind the piece. Sometimes for a moment during the performance, I would close my eyes and the song told a story.  Even if they weren’t singing words in English the emotion that the lead singer put into the music allowed you to create your own.   

 I was also particularly impressed by the band’s ability to smoothly combine traditional Irish songs with the songs from their new album.  The traditional Irish songs and those written by Danu complimented each other perfectly, without overshadowing one another.     

By the end of the performance, the group had the audience on their feet cheering for more.  For this group, it wasn’t about the audience simply listening as they played folk music, but becoming fully engaged in the performance so that the audience is as much a part of the music as they are.  I think that this is the part of the performance that made it the most memorable for me, and I’m guessing for other members of the audience as well.  Overall, I would highly recommend this band for a fun night of energetic folk music. 

 

Transported by Lilly Harvey

          In the midst of a cold winter day in Boston, I would’ve never expected to be standing in a courtyard filled with plush green plants.  But when I ventured into the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum this is exactly where I found myself.  Founded in 1903, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum houses a unique collection of artwork all purchased by Isabelle Gardner.  All of the artwork was carefully assembled by Gardner herself and not a single piece has been moved since her death in 1924.  While I found this unique collection of work captivating, the courtyard in the center of the building remained the stand out piece of the museum. 

          Perhaps what made this courtyard so interesting for me was how unexpected it was.  Even with the piles of snow outside, the courtyard made me feel like it was a peaceful spring day. There are also a variety surprising details in the space that made it more intriguing.   In the center of the space, there was mosaic piece with Medusa in the middle, which was an unexpected but extremely fascinating detail.  In addition there were several statues positioned throughout the space, breaking up the greenery.  While I loved these small details, my favorite piece was the fountain on one side of the courtyard.  The fountain is covered in small carvings and above the fountains there are three statues.  The trickle of the water made me feel as if I was outside.  The courtyard can be seen from the balconies on each of the three floors of the building and it is just as stunning from above as it is from eye level.  The garden also provides a sharp contrast to the gothic style and dark lighting of some of the rooms. 

          Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this museum. The courtyard in the center of the building made this museum memorable as well as providing a sharp contrast to the work assembled throughout the museum.  Since none of the work has been moved since 1924, the museum seems to be at a standstill, exactly the way Gardner left it.  This museum transported me to not only another time but to another season with the bright greenery and fountains.  I would highly recommend this museum to anyone who wants to enjoy a distinctive experience.