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From the several hours I spent along the banks of the Merrimack this afternoon, I would judge the 2013 Southeast Asian Water Festival to be one of the best yet. More than 75 vendors set up booths and, judging from the canopy tents the lined the Vandenberg Esplanade, the vendors…
Read More »“Atlantic Fishing Boat” by Richard Marion (c) 2013 See more artwork at www.richardmarion.net This one is for everyone going to the coast for August vacation. Salisbury, Plum Island, Hampton Beach, Seabrook, Rye, Ogunquit, Rockport, Kennebunkport, York, Portsmouth, Kittery, Wells, Newburyport, Gloucester. . .
Read More »“Page’s Clock” by Richard Marion (c) 2013 When Richard Marion operated Galley 21 at 21 Hurd Street in Lowell (mid-1960s to mid-1980s), this pen-and-ink drawing was a favorite of gallery customers and clients. There are several versions of this image in circulation, including the black-and-white print, colored prints, and…
Read More »“164 Orleans Street” by Richard Marion (c) 2013 [drawing, c. 1980] See more artwork at www.richardmarion.net
Read More »The prestigious Library of America series now includes two volumes of the short stories of John Updike. Born in Pennsylvania, but a long time resident of our region of Massachusetts, John Updike was awarded an honorary degree by UMass Lowell (University of Lowell) in the 1980s. He also gave a…
Read More »One more bit of commentary about the notion of distinctive cities or particular heritage sites as works of art in themselves. Cultural critic Lucy Lippard mentions Lowell’s national park in her book about the power of special places, The Lure of the Local. The following passage is from my manuscript…
Read More »” “Yellow Arches” by Richard Marion (c) 2013 [drawing, 2008] See more artwork at www.richardmarion.net
Read More »Dick’s post about public art in cities prompts me to add this thought from my book-in-progress about the origin and impact of the national park in Lowell. In the early planning phase, advocates used the term urban cultural park for what they were envisioning for Lowell. That terminology changed when…
Read More »Last month I had the good fortune to spend a week in Berlin, Germany. It’s an amazing city and its multitude of iconic buildings and public statues make it resemble one giant museum although it has plenty of those, too. It’s almost as if during the Cold War when there…
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