Special Libraries Association (SLA) is the one professional organization I have continuously maintained my membership. It is the one I give the most to, and also get the most from. I first learned the 2017 conference would be hosted in Phoenix in 2015, and immediately it was something for which I started to make plans.
While the conference itself was June 17-20, C. has family in the general area, so we planned to fly out ahead of the conference, spend some time with them, and see a bit of Phoenix. We didn't plan for the excessive heat wave the week we were there, and the record-high temperatures, but somehow we managed.
We arrived on June 14, 2017. Our flight had left Pittsburgh at 545 AM, which while ridiculously early, it meant we were in Phoenix by 10AM, and able to enjoy our day. His cousin, with who we were staying with for a few days, picked us up from the airport, and took us back to their house, where I met his family. (I had met C.'s cousin at his father's funeral two years before, but his wife and two kids had not come, so this was the first time I met them.) It was also the first time C. met his youngest cousin, their five-year-old daughter.
We dropped off our things, and chatted for a bit, talking about our flight, and things happening with us moving to Pittsburgh some months before. (Has it really been seven months already?) One of the things on our list to do was to visit the Heard Museum. They had a special exhibit on Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, which was also the only US stop on the tour. I've been a fan of Frida Kahlo since middle school Spanish class, and it was a must-see. So we grabbed lunch on our way. (We had planned to eat at In-and-Out Burger, as I'd never been, but I didn't realize they did only hamburgers. (I do not eat red meat. Or pork, for that matter. Upon realizing this, we went to Jack in the Box instead.) Then headed to the Museum.
The exhibit was amazing. Frida Kahlo's paintings are so incredibly emotional and self-reflective, and this exhibit did a great job of showcasing her talent. Diego Rivera's too. I also liked how they did not shy away from their tumultuous history. They discussed the affairs on both sides, including Diego Rivera sleeping with her sister (and their subsequent separation). There was a series of photographs, many of Kahlo, and it was rather obvious the photographer was in love with her.
While there, we also got a tour of their Native American collection, learning about the different art from the different tribes in the Southwest area. Their upstairs was on the Indian Schools used to help "civilize" the Native Americans in the 18th and 19th centuries. (I use civilize in quotations, in part because it was used in direct material from the exhibit, and of course, because the children never had to be civilized in the first place.) It was moving and heart-breaking, and an incredibly humbling experience. I had known the schools existed, but not to the extent they perpetuated the myth of the white man.
Perhaps the most stark exhibit in it, was of the sports memorabilia from the various schools. Where the children were forced to play sports under such mascots as the "Indians" and "Braves". These were children!
It was also around this time, the early morning, the time difference, and the hot weather caught up with us, and we headed back to C.'s cousin, where we both napped.
Next entry: hiking in Sedona (... wait, why? what?) and an art walk
To end, a few photos of that first day:
No comments:
Post a Comment