A lone fly fisherman negotiates the Spokane River just upstream of Bowl & Pitcher at Riverside State Park. For those not from around these parts, this is less than six miles—a 15-minute drive!—from downtown Spokane.

Rather than driving, though, the missus and I arrived here via Trails 100 and 25 (I think—there seems to be a dearth of clear information and well-designed maps, considering it’s a state park and all). If you want to check it out, just start at the military cemetery trailhead off of Elliott Drive and head downstream. You’ll get there eventually.

posted by: Aaron Bragg  |  category: random thoughts  |  comments(1)

The missus and I caught a performance of Richard III by Montana Shakespeare in the Parks last Friday evening at Riverfront Park.

MSIP’s mission is “to make quality, live theatrical productions of Shakespeare and other classics accessible to communities in Montana and surrounding states with an emphasis on underserved, rural areas who would not otherwise have this opportunity. All performances are offered free….”

And they’re darn fine performances at that. Give ’em some support, would you?

posted by: Aaron Bragg  |  category: random thoughts  |  make a comment

One of the most striking buildings we discovered on a recent trip to Europe was in Hamburg, Germany. The Elbphilharmonie will be the tallest building in the city when completed (360 ft), and will feature three concert halls—including a 2,150-seat main auditorium—along with a hotel and 45 apartments. It was built on an existing brick warehouse, constructed in 1963, that overlooks the Elba River.

From the outside, it’s absolutely gorgeous. And the interiors look like they’ll be magnificent. Designed by famed Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, construction began in 2007 with an expected opening of January 11, 2017. That’s ten years in the making, with the final costs settling in at ten times the original budget (the latest figure is USD 880 million).

It’s never cheap to construct innovative buildings. But it kind of makes me feel better knowing that, at times, German precision can be a bit much.

posted by: CK Anderson  |  category: architecture  |  make a comment

When we arrived at our Tuscany bed and breakfast last month, I couldn’t help but notice some interesting shapes off in the distance: geometric—seemingly too perfect in form to be natural—and too big to be any thing other than manmade. I was curious.

The next day, while driving along a winding road near the town of Volterra, we came across this large circular form resting in a wheat field. It was completely unexpected, out in the middle of nowhere, and overlooking yet another beautiful landscape. It turns out to be the work of Volterra-born sculptor Mauro Staccioli. In 1972 he embarked on a series he called “scultura-intervento” which began in urban settings and later included natural environments. The piece we found is titled Anello ’97 (Ring ’97) and was one of many gifts to his home town in 2009.

I’ve always been a fan of large-scale, simplistic form sculptures, especially in steel or concrete (notably the work of Richard Serra). The good news is you don’t have to go to Italy to see some fine examples. Just pay a visit to the Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle or the Bellingham campus of Western Washington University.

posted by: CK Anderson  |  category: the design life  |  make a comment

If you (OK, in this case…I) were to name the one piece of typography ephemera that would look wonderful in helveticka’s office display cases, this is it.

Designer and publisher Lars Müller called it “the most important record of Helvetica’s creation”: a fifty-eight page diary created by Eduard Hoffman, manager of the Haas Type Foundry and architect of Helvetica’s development. Along with his own handwritten notes and dates, Hoffman pasted all the proofs from designer and typeface coauthor Max Miedinger in its pages.

The notebook rests, in the most unassuming manner, within the Basler Papiermuhle (Basel Paper Mill). The first entry is dated November 16, 1956; July 21, 1965 is the last. During my visit, Hoffman’s diary was turned to pages twelve and thirteen with entries from April 1957—back when Helvetica was still called Neue Haas Grotesk.

“It serves as a priceless testimony,” writes Müller, “unprecedented in typeface history.”

Staff? Linda? Anybody…? Now you know what I really want for Christmas.

posted by: CK Anderson  |  category: the design life  |  make a comment

“[L]ike Madonna and newspapers, cursive has displayed a gritty staying power, refusing to have its loop de loops and curlicues swept to the dustbin of handwriting history.” So declares Joe Heim in Tuesday’s Washington Post.

Interestingly, I noticed just a couple of years ago that I’d pretty much forgotten how to write in cursive. Dismayed, I foreswore the child-like printing I’d been using for decades. Sure, my notes were practically illegible, but hey—I was relearning a lost skill.

Is there a point? I’m not sure. I mean, I like that I’m getting better at it, but do state legislatures need to get involved? Color me dubious.

posted by: Aaron Bragg  |  category: the writing life  |  make a comment

“Scorpions to help us fight cancer? It isn’t as crazy as it sounds.” The Wall Street Journal‘s Christie Wilcox on the healing power of venom.

Hey Courtney—you probably shouldn’t read this.

RIP, VCR.

Are some foods morally inferior to others? The Guardian ponders this question;  Megan McArdle comes right out and answers it: “If I have one regret in my current life, it’s that I have not yet managed to get my hands on the new Burger King Mac n’ Cheetos sticks.”

Walt Whitman: poet, essayist, journalist, humanist. And…graphic designer?

posted by: Aaron Bragg  |  category: random thoughts  |  comments(2)

What’s this? Just Marza Wilkes, Zuill Bailey, Ida Alnajem, and Kristina Ignatjeva performing an arrangement of Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C Major. Free. This was last Tuesday at The Nest in Kendall Yards.

On the one hand, it’s hard to imagine a better way to spend your lunch hour; on the other, it’s a little depressing that fewer than two dozen people showed up for a performance by “one of the finest cellists alive today” (classical.net).

Oh, Spokane…never change.

posted by: Aaron Bragg  |  category: random thoughts  |  make a comment