View this email in your browser

Destinations Detours and Dreams April 2021

Behind The Scenes

March saw the official start of spring and the start of daylight savings time. While March in my part of the world can be volatile weather-wise and have more winter than spring, this year has seen above normal temperatures and has often felt like spring. Those warmer days and the increased hours of sunlight as the days continue to lengthen bring a feeling a hope, although I know from past experience we are likely to go through bouts of cold and wind over the next few weeks before the warmer temperatures are here to stay. This was brought home by a day of blustering snow one day before the month ended.

That mix of hope and "we're not there yet" with regard to the weather is also how I would sum up my pandemic feelings. I'm starting to succumb to something I call "pandemic lethargy." The more I isolate and stay home, the lazier I become and the less I want to do. The new variants and the spike of cases in some places (where they're experiencing a third wave before the second wave had fully ended) are worrying. The vaccine rollout is hopeful. I am scheduled for my first shot mid-April. I also look forward to the arrival of warmer weather offering more opportunity for socially distanced outdoor visits. Although there does appear to be a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, we're not there yet. I remind myself to "hang in there."

In the midst of this pandemic, a new exciting gallery opened in my home town of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Qaumajuq is the new Inuit art centre of the Winnipeg Art Gallery, which holds the largest public collection of traditional and contemporary Inuit art in the world. The design of the building is spectacular and offers the opportunity to showcase the WAG's extensive collection of Inuit art. I had the opportunity to attend a virtual media preview mid-March, following which I wrote a blog post about what to expect at Qaumajuq. The gallery opened to the public in late March and I visited before the end of the month. I was impressed. Expect to see one or two posts about Qaumajuq on Destinations Detours and Dreams in the coming month.

One of the most striking features at Qaumajuq is a three-story glass vault with 500 shelves holding carvings. There are letter and number codes on the shelves to identify the communities (pieces are organized by community), but, amid the rows and rows of carvings, there is nothing else to identify the artist, the material, or anything else about the pieces. I was told there will eventually be touch screens with photos of the shelves a visitor can zoom in on to obtain information. Such kind of touch-screen technology cannot be used these days under pandemic restrictions. This has prompted me to wonder about the post-pandemic museum experience. Technology has been used more and more over the last number of years to create an interactive and personalized experience. Things like touch screens and virtual reality headsets. When this type of thing is allowed again. how comfortable will visitors feel using it? What about the simpler interactive displays which ask a question and have a visitor physically open a cubbyhole cut-out to get the answer to a question? Replacing or upgrading technology to be more contactless could be a costly proposition. Might museums have to come up with new and innovative ways to engage their visitors?

A Peek Ahead

Once again, I have no specific future plans and no idea how the next few months will unfold. Will I continue to interact with the outside world in a mostly virtual format? Will I be able to get out more to explore locally and near home? When might I be able to travel further afield? I'm reminded of the Doris Day song Que Sera Sera. What will be will be.

March Destinations Detours and Dreams Stories

It Is Bright, It Is Lit: Previewing Qaumajuq, The Inuit Art Centre In Winnipeg, Manitoba

A preview of what’s coming when the Winnipeg Art Gallery’s new Inuit art center, Qaumajuq, opens in late March 2021

(Photo by Lindsay Reid)

Art And Design Treasures At London's V&A

A photographic sampling of the impressive collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England

From The Archives

San Antonio Riverwalk and The Alamo

San Antonio’s scenic miles of riverwalk are one of Texas’s top tourist attractions. The walk passes by the Alamo.

Donna Janke is the author of Destinations Detours and Dreams, where you can find travel stories from near and far, the familiar and the obscure, the beautiful and the bizarre, with a focus on history, gardens, nature, art, architecture, culture and the snowbird life. She tells her stories through a combination of narrative, photos and personal reflection. Sign up for the monthly newsletter here.

Follow on the social media networks below.

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram