This Happened and This Matters

Arkansas Heritage/Preservation News Alert:

George Takei, of Star Trek fame was in Arkansas on February 23rd to narrate the symphony - according to his twitter feed.  On his trip through Arkansas, Takei took the time to visit a place he had been before - the site of the Rohwer Japanese Interment Camp, known during WWII as  the Rohwer War Relocation Center in Desha County.  This camp was one of two in Arkansas.  The other camp, known as the Jerome War Relocation Center, was located 30 miles to the Southwest.  Mr. Takei spent several long years of his childhood forcibly confined to the Rohwer Camp with his parents during WWII.

Drawing of the Rohwer Camp by an Internee, from the collection of the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies

Here are two posts Mr. Takei wrote on his blog late last year mentioning not only the Rohwer Camp, but also the brave men who went from that camp directly into military service in the US Army.

Link #1, Link #2

Also, the Rohwer Relocation Center entry from the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture.

I had heard of the Rohwer Camp before, due mostly to an amazing exhibit of arts and crafts object produced by internees at the camp called: “The Art of Living: Japanese American Creative Experience at Rohwer.”  [Some of the most amazing works of art on display were the smallest; hand-carved and hand-painted bird pins of all types and designs.  However, Mr. Takei's recent digital portrait with a National Trust "This Place Matters" sign at Rohwer that appeared along with his tweet was an amazing plug for not only a great National Trust program - but also a kick in the pants in terms of Arkansas Heritage.  The site gained instant recognition, and the image of Mr. Takei and his sign in front of the memorial which marks the site of the camp has even made the rounds of Pintrest - snagging my attention early this afternoon.  Thank you Mr. Sulu, from one trekkie here in Arkansas - This Place Matters!  Even if out past is stained, we should never stop examining it.  These places are important, if not priceless - they stand as witnesses and markers of an important part of our history.  A history we can regret, but we must never forget.

Memorial, created by Internees, dedicated to the young men who joined the US Army and fought and died during WWII.  Image by Frank Peters.

While we remember that This Place Matters - let us also remember that there were German and Italian POW camps in Arkansas, Japanese Interment Camps and thousands upon thousands of Arkansans who served, fought and died, both at home and abroad during WWII.

This Place Matters,

in commemoration.

In the search for understanding,
This Place Matters.

If you want you own "This Place Matters" sign from the National Trust, or to post about or upload a picture of a site that is important to you - visit:  http://www.preservationnation.org/take-action/this-place-matters/.

Unseasonably Warm

Another week, another dollar

Some of my goals for the week were met - but not enough, though we did get the house picked up.  Oh, joyous day.  At least it feels more like a house instead of a landing pad for 15 different projects.

I am excited about the presentation on Brazil for a large group of 1st graders this week.  I loving talking about my travels - and i get to relieve some of my best memories of being on SAS, and traveling up the Amazon River!!!  I am also trying desperatly to work on some local Architectural History products, but finding a chunk of time to work/research is tricky.  But as a teacher once prophetically told me - if it matters to you, you will do it and finish it.  This has been so true for my life.  If something really is important to me, I will see that it gets done.  I just have to decide that whatever I want to do is important enough. 

February is almost over - Happy Leap Year Everyone!!!

Goals for the week:
First Baptist Windows - finish catalog.
New work for Etsy (buttons and prints)
paperwork organization.

 Buono Settimana Tutti!

Cool & Clear

A few great articles to start with, definitely worth a read this week:

Can a Papermaker Help to Save Civilization?  New York Times by Mark Levine  (Read it, you will be better for it)

A Proposal for Penn Station and Madison Square Garden.  New York Times by Michael Kimmelman:

I love how Kimmelman starts his article:  "It’s time to address the calamity that is Penn Station." and it also contains one of the best architecture quotes I have heard in a while:  

"To pass through Grand Central Terminal, one of New York’s exalted public spaces, is an ennobling experience, a gift. To commute via the bowels of Penn Station, just a few blocks away, is a humiliation. --  What is the value of architecture? It can be measured, culturally, humanely and historically, in the gulf between these two places."

In other news, it has been an interesting week:

I survived the wisdom teeth extraction with flying colours, or so the oral surgeon said.  When they were putting me under, I may or may not have told the anesthetist that he was cute - I definitely thought it.  The only side effect of note is that I think I hear my own voice differently.  Although this sounds crazy, it makes a bit of sense:  I am now missing 4 teeth and I have a pretty significant new pair of holes at the back of my mouth where my top two wisdom teeth were.  This has to have messed with the acoustics of my mouth.

I have a few new ideas for button stuff - and some requests for button trees to fulfill, I will post some pics after I get done with them.

I also have also been hired as a tutor for a high school student starting this week - so I now need to relearn Geometry (specifically finding the surface area and volume of solids) by Tuesday - that should be fun!

Goals for the week:
Button Trees, Button Facinators/Pins, Post about Manaus/Brazil in prep for a classroom event in a few weeks, new Etsy items/mailout once I reach 25 items and 10 print items.  (that looks good for now.)


Finally, a few sketches to round out the evening:

Cold and Threatening Snow

News:  I am getting my wisdom teeth taken out on Tuesday.  I am staring to stress, but can't wait for it all to just be over.  I will be off of work for a couple of days, and probably asleep for most of my time off (which actually sounds amazing.).  Anyone who wants to bring ice-cream by would not be greeted unkindly. :)  

Hopefully I can spend the down town on some projects that have been on the back-burner for a while, including getting some info together on St. Mary's Church here in Paragould.  This church is actually an interesting footnote in the Eames (of architecture and furniture fame) repertoire - hopefully more about this in a later post.  Also, I need to finish up the write-up and image catalog of the First Baptist Church of Paragould's stained glass collection.  This project has turned into a much larger beast than I had originally thought possible.  Did you know that the First Baptist Church of Paragould has over 100 individual stained glass widows?  I didn't until I personally counted and photographed each of them.

 

Better News:  New things up on in my Etsy shop, you should take a look!!!  Just click on the picture below or on the picture to the right and you will be directed straight to Architecturally Abroad on Etsy.com.

Also, I am working on some prints and postcards to add to the Etsy shop.  This is fun!
And, as usual, some sketches to round the night off:

Cloudy, just Cloudy

I have officially opened the new ArchitecturallyAbroad Etsy shop - just click on the image at the right to visit and look around.  I will be posting new items all week! 

This week, mom and I made over 70 valentines pins:

We gave them to all of the Senior Ladies at my church, during our Senior Ladies Tea.  Everyone loved their pins and a few of the workers even talked me out of some of the extras.  I think everyone had a great time.  I love all of the "little ladies" (as I call them) of our church!  They are truly an asset to our church community.

Mom and I also made cake balls for the Tea with her handy-dandy cake ball maker [which I got for her for Christmas - I am such a good daughter :)]  One interesting story to report - apparently I am allergic to Red Velvet cake batter.  I think it's the red dye.  I am also allergic to the red dye in lots of fruit punches, including Kool-Aid.  Let me tell you, this made being a little kid interesting.  I always thought Kool-aid was the coolest kid drink, mostly because I couldn't have it. 

 

 

 

  I am also set to start with the personal trainer this week - hopefully I can keep up with my goal to be healthier and more fit this year, especially after all the cake balls.  Really, I just need to go walk around Europe again - someone get on that for me please!  

Lastly:  A few more sketches:

A small sketch of our church window design.

The Hamilton's who always sit in front of us in church.

a small architectural capriccio.