Let It Shine: French Impressionism and Post- Impressionism at the Allentown Art Museum

I spent some time on Saturday viewing the Allentown Art Museum's exhibit "Monet to Matisse: French Masterworks from the Dixon Gallery and Gardens". It was a beautiful exhibit with landscapes, seascapes, portraits, and still life studies from Monet, Degas, Pissarro, Renoir, Gauguin, Cezanne, Seurat, and several others. Many of these painters captured the beauty of nature with broad brushstrokes and striking use of color.

Later in the afternoon we had a Baha'i gathering to break our Fast together. Dr. Babak Etemad gave a talk on the relevance of religion in the modern age. He spoke of his experiences living in New Orleans after the destruction of Hurricane Katrina. He said people searched for meaning and purpose and came together as a community unified around certain values despite being from a diversity of backgrounds. People who intended to stay and thrive after the hurricane created what they termed "the culture of yes" in order to stay positive during difficult times. We had a lively discussion and asked ourselves some very challenging questions about the role of religion in modernity. After the sun went down, we broke our Fast and chatted and ate and continued our discussions.

Sunday was a day for some yardwork in preparation for the new growth in Spring. I already am eyeing up my garden and dreaming of what goodies I will grow this year.

Here are some selections from the Monet to Matisse show. I have noticed that reproductions can not even come close to the striking beauty of the original; the exact colors, the texture of the brushstrokes, the difference in perspective when viewed from close up vs. further away, cannot be captured in a photograph. So if you have a chance, go see it in person yourself, the show is displayed until May 3 at the Allentown Art Museum.