Bologna Italy, end of June 2012

 The colors and the arcades with arches are seductive, making even parking and trash receptacles look romantic in the setting sun, below.

 By day, the streets are not so romantic.
Many areas were bombed in 1943 and rebuilt with stark modern arcades.

 Then at night the sun sets, the moon comes out with people on the piazza and life is once again magical.

Festival of Cinema Ritrovato in Bologna

 The Festival of Old Movies takes place in Bologna every year near the end of June/beginning of July.  There are over 7 days of movies from 9 am to 9 pm, showing in four theaters simultaneously - plus lectures and discussions!  The festival poster for 2012 shows a scene from the movie Once Upon a Time in America by Sergio Leone, showing James Woods and Robert de Niro.  The festival is put on by the Cinoteca Bologna.

 One example of a restored film is Lola, by Jacques Demy, starring Anouk Aimee.

 Agnes Varda, widow of Jacques Demy and a film maker in her own right, came to Bologna in 2012 to speak about the family efforts to restore all the films of Jacques Demy.

Arches and Arcades in Bologna

 Arches in a courtyard above.
Arches and columns of a sidewalk arcade, below.

 Interior arches of a church on Via San Lame, above.


Over 600 arches lead form a portico path that leads several kilometers up a steep hill, to...

 Chiesa di San Luca below.

A Few Doors in Bologna

 Modern elegant doors above.
Classic simple old doors below.

 Elaborate door handles, above, belong to the Palazzo Felicini-Fibbia, built in 1497.
The whole door is depicted at night in the last photo, second below.

Gates and Courtyards in Bologna, Italy

 Gates often protect inner courtyards from the street.
The outer door above led to the beautiful gate below and then ...

 to the playground for a childrens school in the courtyard.

Other gates are more utilitarian, leading to commercial spaces, malls, or businesses.

The Hot June Sun in Bologna

 The glowing sun finally sets after 9 pm above, after many hours of searing light.
The arcades that cover many sidewalks in Bologna, below, help give shade in summer and also protection in the winter.

 During the afternoon, life seems to stop outside of the shadows.
The cicadas play on.

Big Happenings in New York, May 2012

 Author Florence Williams above is interviewed by journalist Carl Zimmer about her new book: Breasts, a Natural and Unnatural History.

 The media converges on Times Square for the stock offering of Facebook on May 18.

Dogs and their owners socialize in Central Park.  It receives over 20 million visits a year.

Ellsworth Kelly at MOMA

The Atrium at the Museum of Modern Art has three pieces by Ellsworth Kelly in May 2012.

They have many more of his pieces not on display.

 Ellsworth Kelly, 1986, Three Panels: Orange, Dark Gray, Green

Oil on canvas, three panels

 Ellsworth Kelly, 1951, Colors for a Large Wall

Oil on canvas, sixty-four panels

Ellsworth Kelly, 1957, Sculpture for a Large Wall

Anodized aluminum

Ellsworth Kelly at MOMA:

http://www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=3048

Four Landscapes and a Lady, VA Museum of Fine Arts

 Eugene Boudin, 1889, A French Fishing Fleet with Packet Boat

 Maurice de Vlaminck, ca. 1906, Sailing Boat, Chatou

 Raoul Dufy, 1930, Landscape, Villerville

 Alfred Siseley, 1876, The Watering Pond at Marly with Hoarfrost

Kees van Dongen, 1910, Parisian Lady

These paintings are from the Impressionism gallery collections of Mr & Mrs Paul Mellon.

http://www.vmfa.state.va.us/default.aspx

Friends of Cresheim Trail Workday, Fairmount Park

Friends of Cresheim Trail Workday along Emlen Street in Fairmount Park
http://cresheim.org/