This trip was way too short

After the museum, it was time to head to the airport. We were sorry to leave so soon; there was much more to explore in Minneapolis-Saint Paul.

For example, what's the story behind this Curling Club?! (Turns out it's the St. Paul Curling Club: "Founded in 1912, the St. Paul Curling Club is the largest curling club in the country with over 1,200 members." Who knew?!)

And we doubt it's true most of the year, but at least in mid- to late-October, the Twin Cities looks a lot like Portland, with similar architecture and similar trees:

Minneapolis tree

Portland tree. Separated at birth?!

Fortunately, getting to the airport was much easier than trying to leave it. Our Lyft driver just dropped us off at Terminal 2; we didn't have to wander around any parking garages:

And then we waited for our flight in the Delta Sky Club along with these fine people:

Minneapolis Institute of Art - More Art!

In addition to the Vietnam War exhibit, there was so much more to see.

Notice Elvis, the Lone Ranger and Tonto, the priest with his pants down, the pregnant "virgin":

Vatican Cafe, Jim Doenomie, 2014

The curation for this piece reads, "In 1875 Cheyenne and Kiowa warriors were forced to surrender to the United States government and then incarcerated thousands of miles from their homes on the plains...Plains men had historically illustrated their accomplishments on large animal hides. When hides became scarce, they transferred their skills to paper, often using sketchbooks or the ruled pages of accounting ledgers":

Books of drawings, Attributed to Ohet toint, circa 1870-90

About a year ago, we enjoyed a car exhibit at the Portland Art Museum, where we first met the Tatra, aka the Nazi killer:

Tatra T87 sedan, Hans Ledwinka, designed 1936, manufactured 1948

The museum has an extensive collection of African artifacts, as well as artifacts and information about the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade:

An Art Deco phonograph:

RCA Vitor Special portable phonograph, John Vassos, circa 1935

The curation for this piece reads, "While many artists were celebrating America's vastness and natural beauty, John Frederick Peto painted hyperrealistic trompe l'oeil (fool-the-eye) still lifes. Their somber mood and humble subjects speak of a nation still blighted by the destruction of the Civil War (1861-65). Affixed to this worn wooden door are objects that invite reflection on Abraham Lincoln's life: an image of the assassinated president, his birth and death dates, the nickname Abe. The 25-cent paper money and the coin resembling an Indian Head penny were privately issued Civil War currency":

Reminiscences of 1865, John Frederick Peto, 1904

Another Art Deco piece:

Covered tureen, Gisela Falke von Lilienstein, circa 1902

Minneapolis Institute of Art - Vietnam War Exhibit

On Sunday, we visited the Minneapolis Institute of Art--wow, what a place! It's huge, as in the size of a New York City or Chicago museum, a museum you can wander through for days. We had only about three hours, so definitely didn't see it all.

Here's a view of the exterior, "borrowed" from a postcard:

From a postcard: View from 24th St. and Stevens Ave., 2006; Michael Graves, designer; Philip Prowse photo; McKim, Mead, and White, architects

Here's a scale model of the "original scheme" of the building:

McKim, Mead, and White; American (New York, New York), 1879-1961; Model of original scheme for the Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts, c. 1912; Wood, plaster, and paint

The featured temporary exhibit is called "Artists Respond: American Art and the Vietnam War, 1965-1975." And here is an article discussing the news printer that is clacking along outside the exhibit.

It was interesting to revisit an event that was so all-encompassing in our childhood. Anyone else remember living rooms like this one?

And we both remember art like this--and of course, it echoes our current situation in the border detention camps:

This piece, titled "1A," is in response to the racist Selective Service. The "...title testifies to the personal impact of the draft, especially in African American communities, which were disproportionately affected by it for much of the conflict":

1A, Timothy Washington, 1972

San Diego was represented in the exhibit. "Headquarters of the 11th Naval District, May 4, 1972, San Diego":

29 Arrests, Fred Lonidier, 1972

There is a large Hmong community in the Twin Cities. The curation for these pieces reads in part, "In 1961, four years before the U.S. sent troops to Vietnam, the CIA funded a 'secret war' in Laos against Communist forces. The Hmong served as the CIA's surrogate army, essentially fighting a covert American war. The conflict had devastating effects on the Hmong, with tens of thousands killed during the war or dying while attempting to flee postwar. Despite their service to the U.S. government, the soldiers who fought in what is now called the Secret War are not recognized as U.S veterans, and they receive no associated benefits...That denial 'drives these men to buy their own uniform, medals, and ribbons to insert themselves into the U.S. military and its history. The uniforms they wear serve as a reminder of their service and their desire to be recognized by the United States military'":

Hmong Veterans, Pao Houa Her, 2012 - 2014