Sandy Spring Slave Museum and African Art Gallery
The Sandy Spring Slave Museum and African Art Gallery is a cultural gem in one of Montgomery County Maryland’s most historical cities. The museum is perfectly situated on land previously owned by descendants of slaves manumitted by Sandy Spring Quakers during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. For more than twenty years, the museum’s founder has pursued his goal of displaying the significant contributions that African/African Americans have . . . more
Strathmore Sculpture Garden
To me, an advantage of viewing sculptures outdoors is the ability to walk around them, to see them from all sides and in different light depending on the time of day or against different backgrounds depending on the season of year and weather conditions. All of these conditions add a dimension to sculptures that is not present when displayed in most indoor spaces. The outdoor Sculpture Garden on the grounds of the Strathmore Mansion in Rockville . . . more
The Beall-Dawson House
As I stepped into the kitchen of the Beall-Dawson House, the North Carolina long leaf pine floor boards creaked loudly as if they had a story to tell. The floor board chatter continued as Lorraine, the docent volunteer, guided me through the nearly 200 year old Federal style building in Rockville, MD. The house, one of only a handful of buildings in the city from its era, is beautifully decorated in period pieces and tells the story of Upton Beall . . . more
Ratner Museum
Although I love most forms of art, I must admit that sometimes I wonder what the artist is trying to convey with the piece. That was not the case with the sculptures, paintings, needlepoint and other art pieces I saw at the Ratner Museum. Phillip Ratner, whose pieces are most prominent in the museum, interpreted biblical characters in much the same way that I would have if I had the artistic talent. When I looked his statute of Joseph in his coat of many colors, the bright striped garment is exactly what I always envisioned it to look like. For anyone who has ever heard the story of Jonah being swallowed by the whale after being thrown overboard by angry . . . more
F. Scott Fitzgerald Gravesite
He sought the good life. She was rich and mischievous. She became his lifelong love. He achieved literary success at age 23 and became the king of the 1920s Jazz Age; she was also a writer and his queen. Both were celebrities in the 1920s and 1930s. She gradually lost her mind and spent many years in and out of sanitariums; he turned to alcohol. Today F. Scott Fitzgerald and his beloved Zelda lie together in an unpretentious grave next to a busy street. Thousands of people drive pass the gravesite each day but most of them have no idea that one of America’s most famous writers is buried in the old graveyard . . . more