Whether I am traveling for business or pleasure, I always try to visit notable sites that inform and inspire.
Earlier this month, I spent two days in our nation's capital attending business events. While there, I also visited Glenstone - a private contemporary art museum in Potomac, Maryland, just 15-miles from downtown Washington, D.C. The museum's exhibitions are drawn from a collection of about 1300 works from post-World War II artists around the world.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
The views in Washington, DC were breathtaking. My driver, Andres, captured some gorgeous sights during his early morning runs. Here is the Washington Monument – an obelisk on the National Mall built to commemorate George Washington. This photo was taken from across the Mall that spans 1.2 miles. The Monument is 555-feet five-inches tall and 55-feet wide at its base.
The Lincoln Memorial is a US national memorial built to honor our 16th president, Abraham Lincoln. It is located on the western end of the National Mall across from the Washington Monument, and is built in the form of a neoclassical temple.
And if you haven’t yet visited, inside is a large seated sculpture of Abraham Lincoln and inscriptions of two well-known speeches by Lincoln, the “Gettysburg Address” and his second inaugural address.
A visit to our Nation’s Capital would not be complete without seeing the White House – the official residence and workplace of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. This view is the northern facade with a columned portico facing Lafayette Square.
Glenstone is an art museum that assembles post-World War II artworks of the 20th and 21st centuries and displays them in a series of indoor and outdoor spaces. The name “Glenstone” comes from two local sources: Glen Road, where the property line begins, and a type of carderock stone indigenous to the area, which is still extracted from several nearby quarries.
One of the first art works we saw was Richard Serra’s, “Sylvester”, 2001. Richard Serra is an American artist known for his large-scale sculptures made for site-specific landscape, urban, and architectural settings.
Here I am within the giant sculpture. It is a weatherproof steel outer spiral that is 13 feet 7 inches by 41 feet by 31 feet 8 inches and an inner spiral that is 13 feet 7 inches by 30 feet 8 inches by 24 feet 11 inches.
This is artist Michael Heizer’s “Compression Line”, 1968/2016, another land artist specializing in large-scale and site-specific sculptures.
This is the view from Room 7. This space does not have art in it. Instead, it is meant to offer a moment of rest for visitors.
This bench is a collaborative design by artists Martin Puryear and Michael Hurwitz. It faces the expansive window of Room 7.
This is an entire room installation by artist Robert Gober. The 1992 “Untitled” work is a room-scale, multi-sensory presentation made up of darkened exterior pathways, a brightly lit interior chamber, and walls covered by hand-painted, 360-degree murals depicting a forest.
The room also includes sinks with running water mounted on the walls, and multiple “prison windows,” up high with forged iron bars through which a view of a painted sky is seen.
Together, all the elements form an architectural, aural, and aesthetic environment. We took multiple snapshots of this room. Here’s a closer look a section of the wall.
This is also by Michael Heizer and is called “Collapse”, 1967/2016. This artwork consists of 15 heavy beams of rusted steel that appear to have been tossed into a deep pit lined with vertical walls.
Roni Horn’s, “Water Double, v. 3”, 2013-2015 incorporates the surrounding light, architecture, water court, and viewer into the work itself. It sits in a light filled room completely accessible by visitors.
We walked right up to see the two sculptures, considered by the artist to be one of her greatest achievements – a “water double,” solid cast glass duo in black and white.
And a clear view of the water inside.
This is a view of the Water Court, the open 18-thousand square foot central area of the museum’s Pavilions.
This is called “Moss Sutra with the Seasons” (2010–2015) by Brice Marden. It measures nine feet by 39-feet. Each of these monochromatic panels is inspired by a season, beginning at the left with the yellow of springtime and ending on the right with the blue-black of winter.
Here’s a closer look at the painting. The five-panel painting brings together two monochromes with complex, layered palettes that flank each side of a large central panel which features more fluid, calligraphic gestures against a subtle ground.
And this is by Lorna Simpson. It is called “Specific Notation”, 2019 and shows a figure of a women washed in layers of dark blue ink – a very abstract piece done with screenprint on gessoed fibreglass. This marks the first installation of a work by Simpson at Glenstone. It was a fun visit to Glenstone – please stop by the next time you are in the area.
This time every year, if my busy schedule allows, I try to visit Miami, Florida's modern and contemporary art fairs - these events are full of information, inspiration, and fun.
Not long ago, I attended the Art Basel fair in Miami - the premier venue for collecting, exhibiting, collaborating, and discussing collectible design and upcoming trends in art. While there, I also fit in a brief visit to the Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, some antiques shopping, and a wonderful dinner with none other than Clive Davis.
Enjoy these photos.
We arrived in Miami under the bluest of skies. One of our first stops was Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, previously known as Villa Vizcaya. It is the former villa and estate of businessman James Deering, of the Deering McCormick-International Harvester fortune, on Biscayne Bay. The early 20th century estate includes Italian Renaissance gardens, native woodland landscape, and a historic village outbuildings compound.
The Sutri Fountain is the centerpiece of Vizcaya. It was originally constructed in 1722 for a town just outside Rome. The fountain was disassembled in 1908 in favor of a smaller fountain and eventually purchased by James Deering and transported to the United States. It is made of Tivoli travertine in a design attributed to the Late Baroque architect Filippo Barigioni.
The ornate landscape and architecture of Vizcaya were influenced by Veneto and Tuscan Italian Renaissance models and designed with Baroque elements. F. Burrall Hoffman was the architect, Paul Chalfin was the design director, and Diego Suarez was the landscape architect.
The exterior gardens were also inspired by French Renaissance parterres. They continue to be well-manicured and maintained today.
Here we drove by the Miami Biltmore Hotel – a luxury hotel in Coral Gables. It was designed by Schultze and Weaver and was built in 1926 by John McEntee Bowman and George Merrick. The tower is inspired by the Giralda, the medieval tower of the cathedral of Seville. When completed it became the tallest building in Florida at 315 feet holding the record until 1928 when the Dade County Courthouse was built.
This brightly colored building is the Coral Gables Congregational United Church of Christ built in 1923. It is considered a fine example of Spanish colonial revival architecture and listed on the national register of historic places. The church is the oldest established building and organization in Coral Gables.
That night was warm and pleasant – it was nice to be able to dine out with friends once again. We ate at the Italian-American restaurant, Carbone.
Look closely, I had dinner with record producer, Clive Davis and his cousin, Jo Shuman Silver, along with my longtime publicist, Susan Magrino, my makeup artist, Daisy Schwartzberg Toye, Kevin Sharkey, Clive’s friend, Greg Schriefer, and his well-behaved Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
Dinner was served al fresco, meaning “in the open air.” Here is another photo of me and my new furred friend.
The next day, I fit in some antiquing and shopping. I always take photos of the items I see – they provide great inspiration for my business. This chair is in the Michel Contessa Antiques gallery which specializes in 20th decorative arts.
I also came upon this mirror with such an interesting frame.
That evening, we went to a great restaurant in Brickell called Komodo – an expansive eatery that spans three stories and features 300 tabletop, booth, and bar seats. Its cuisine offers a take on Southeast Asian dishes. See more photos on my Instagram @MarthaStewart48.
And then the next morning, we hit the art-scene. Art Basel is a for-profit, privately owned and managed, international art fair staged annually in Miami Beach, Florida; Basel, Switzerland, and Hong Kong. Art Basel works in collaboration with the host city’s local institutions to help grow and develop art programs.
works by masters of Modern and contemporary art, as well as the new generation of emerging stars.
This piece is called “Inseparable” by artist Bob Pruitt. It is made using acrylic, enamel, and glitter in a hand-painted frame.
This is is “Farmed Painting” – organic matter on canvas by artist David Balula.
Artist Ulrich Erben created this untitled piece. Here he “defines the Infinite” with acrylic and pigment on canvas. It was completed in 2019.
This piece is by Raymond Jonson. It is called “City Ultimate and was done in 1936. This oil on canvas piece imeasures 54-inches by 38-inches.
This piece is aptly named “Cosmic Connection.” Made in 1971 by James Phillips using acrylic on canvas.
And this untitled work is by artist Seung-Taek Lee. Art Basel Miami is the most celebrated art show in the Americas, with more than 260 prominent galleries taking part from North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa. This art fair exhibits the works of thousands of artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. If you’re ever in the area, I encourage you to attend Art Basel and Miami Art Week – you’ll want to go back year after year.
Here at my Bedford, New York farm temperatures this week have been in the high 40s to low 50s - quite mild for this time of year. Nonetheless, I am very glad many of my cold-sensitive boxwood shrubs are now protected under burlap.
I've been covering my boxwood specimens with burlap since I first started to garden. Burlap protects the branches from splaying and breaking under heavy snow and shields the foliage from freezing windburn. Over the last few weeks, the outdoor grounds crew has been busy covering the boxwood plantings around the farm - most recently, the shrubs and hedges in my Summer House garden.
Enjoy these photos.
This formal sunken garden is tucked away behind my Summer House and completely surrounded by tall American Boxwood. This photo was taken in September before all the leaves began to fall.
Covering all the boxwood at the farm takes several weeks to complete. Rolls and rolls of burlap are needed to wrap my hedges and shrubs each winter. After every season, any burlap still in good condition is saved for use the following year. Because the areas to be covered are wide, long pieces of burlap are sewn together to accommodate them properly. These rolls come in various widths – some 48-inches and some 60-inches wide. Chhiring’s sewing skills get faster every year.
All the sewing is done using five-inch or eight-inch long craft needles specifically made for working with jute – every member of the outdoor grounds crew has his own needle. These needles have large eyes and bent tips.
Here is a frame built along one side of the garden. Building the frame at least a foot taller than the tallest shrub protects any heavy snow from weighing down onto the tender foliage.
The piping is pounded into the ground – each one about four to five feet from the next, and then 10-foot wide bow sections are secured on top – this will last quite a while and give the boxwood a lot of room to grow.
These are called tension purlin brackets. They connect the center piping to the bow sections.
Here is one fastened to the bow section and the center peak.
Next, the heavy burlap is placed by hand over the frames, one section at a time. The frames keep the burlap from touching the boxwood on all sides. Once the frame is secure and the burlap is sewn to fit, it is stretched out down the length of the footpath. The burlap is made to cover both the shrubs and the low hedge.
Phurba pulls the fabric taut and starts sewing the opening closed. Phurba has done this burlap process for several years. Each season, the crew streamlines the process making it more efficient.
Here is what it looks like underneath the burlap coverings.
Here, the sides are pulled secure and attached to stakes with wooden strips every two to three feet along the bottom.
These strips are about six to eight inches long – just long enough to accommodate two or three screws that will keep the burlap secure. These are also reused year after year – nothing is wasted at my farm.
Our burlap covers can last up to three seasons depending on the weather, but remember, these boxwood specimens also grow a little more every year, so the covers and frames have to be adjusted each time.
With the burlap secure, any snow that accumulates on top of the finished structures will sit on top or slide down the sides. Chhiring then rakes each of the beds, so they are neat and tidy.
The tall American boxwood that surrounds my sunken garden also needs protection. This boxwood is more hardy than its European cousins, so it doesn’t need burlap.
Instead, it is is protected with plastic netting to keep the branches from splaying.
Here is a closer look at the netting we use – it is pulled taut, so any snow that falls does not weigh on the branches.
I always encourage the crew to gather all the necessary supplies and tools first – the right items for the right job. Doing this saves time later.
We use these bamboo stakes to help secure the netting around the boxwood.
And then strong string is tied to the bamboo and pulled through the boxwood at different sections to keep the netting tight.
Here is a finished side – the netting is barely visible from afar.
And here is a look down the center footpath of the garden – everything is well-enshrouded in burlap.
From this entrance into the garden, everything looks completely different. These structures will provide strong protection through the winter until everything is removed again in spring.
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