LUMA

Recently, I switched employers and now I work at Loyola University Chicago. One benefit of working at Loyola is that my office is right above its art museum, also known as LUMA (Loyola University Museum of Art). It's been great to step away for a moment and pop into the museum to see the current and permanent exhibitions.

Currently, the museum has an exhibition on the intricate tradition of Indonesian puppetry, as well as a display of whirligigs by a contemporary artist. The permanent collection of the museum, the Martin D'Arcy, S.J. Collection, features many outstanding medieval and Renaissance objects of Western religious art. 

I'm looking forward to seeing future exhibitions at the museum and learning more about its permanent collection.

Click on the photo above to see how this clock/automaton works!

Mission San Xavier del Bac

Toward the southern side of Tucson there is an old Spanish church known as the Mission San Xavier del Bac. Recently, NPR discussed the cultural and historical significance of the church as a melting pot of cultures; Chicano, Spanish, Catholic, and Native American. While I was visiting the city my aunts took me to visit the Mission and it was an incredible experience. 

The Mission has a distinctive Moorish-inspired architecture that blends with the landscape, but also signifies to visitors that it is an unusual and religious place. The pale exterior colors of the native mud plaster give way to vibrant and rich hues within the church. Much restoration goes into preserving the church because of the arid dessert climate and the materials used for construction. 

The church is an exciting example of living history of similar churches that used to be more frequent throughout the region. It was great to see and learn about the historical precedent of the church, it's continual usage as a place of worship, and to hear about the dialogue in helping to preserve it for the future.