Today is the birthday of American Modernist artist Charley Harper, born August 4, 1922 on a farm in Frenchton, West Virginia. He is best known for his unique self-described “minimal realism” artistic interpretation of American wildlife. After growing up on the farm, he went to the Art Academy of Cincinnati, where he met his wife, Edie Mckee, …
Category: On This Day
Jul 30 2022
Kate Bush – “Suspended in Gaffa”
Jul 28 2022
“Palm Valley” by Albert Namatjira
Jul 17 2022
Aleksandr Petrov, Master of Painted Glass Animation
Today is the birthday of Aleksandr Petrov, the Russian animator born July 17, 1957, in the village of Prechistoye. He is known for his unique technique of creating animations from pastel oil paintings on glass, using his fingertips to paint for added texture. Petrov’s first animation was made in 1988, Marathon, and was a tribute …
Jul 17 2022
Happy Birthday Disneyland! Here’s a Look at Some of the Events of Opening Day
Disneyland opened its gates on July 17, 1955, on a plot of land in Anaheim, California that previously consisted of orange groves. It cost $17 million to open the park, and its opening day was referred to as “Black Sunday” by Disney employees for years afterward because it had a bumpy start. Several rides were …
Jun 30 2022
Remembering “Mayor of Macdougal Street” Dave Van Ronk
Folk singer & songwriter Dave Van Ronk was born on June 30, 1936, in Brooklyn, NY. As a young boy enamored with the local jazz and folk music of his day, he learned to play the guitar, and when he was a little older, he played banjo in a group. He also played piano, possibly inspired …
Jun 25 2022
Joseph Eichler Brought Sunny, Stylish Housing to the Public
Joseph Eichler was born on this day, June 25, 1900, in New York City. He lived in a Frank Lloyd Wright home in Hillsborough, California for a while, and was so inspired by Wright’s new naturalist designs, that he founded a company that eventually created modern, innovative housing for the Greater San Francisco Bay and Greater Los Angeles areas, …
Jun 24 2022
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – “Enola Gay”
Jun 21 2022
“Jersey Silk Mills” by Oscar Bluemner
Jun 08 2022
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Organic Architecture: Homes in Harmony with Nature
Speaking of great architects with June 8 birthdays, in addition to Bruce Goff, Frank Lloyd Wright also has a birthday today. Wright is one of America’s most influential architects, defining the Organic Architecture movement which incorporated natural designs into homes. He was born in Richland Center, Wisconsin, on June 8, 1867. Wright’s best known work …