Laguna Gloria Contemporary Art and Celtic Christmas Concert
Laguna Gloria Contemporary Art
Lagoona 1It is hard to find a place that Larry has not been in what has been his home town for most of his life, but his son Zach and family found some interesting things in the two days we spent with them in Austin. We enjoyed a leisurely stroll with the family through the sculpture garden at the Laguna Gloria Art Museum. Although Larry had been a regular at the art museum in the past , there were many new modern art structures to be seen in front of the Italian Renaissance mansion and along a path that rims the shore of Lake Austin.
Lagoona 2 One of the most interesting statues was the giant sculpture of a man with outstretched arms and head tilted back gazing into the sky, appropriately named “Looking Up”. He is made of stainless steel but appears to have a surface made of aluminum bake ware. Yes, I have a close up photo to prove it as I recognized a roasting pan. A pretty creative form of recycling I would say! The afternoon was a great way to enjoy a sunny 70 degree day, especially when we were starting to hear about the snow at home.
Celtic Christmas Concert
I was not aware that there is a large Scottish and Irish community in Austin but there is and the local Celtic Society sponsors an annual Celtic Christmas Concert at St. Mary’s Catholic Church near the state capitol. A bagpipe and drum band begins playing across the street from the church as the crowd gathers. Then with great pomp and flourish, the pipers begin the procession into the church, filling the church sanctuary with the thrilling pitch of the pipes and rhythm of the drums.
FullSizeRender (1)I felt a sense of awe and pride to be a part of this crowd; awe in the reverence of Christmas and pride in a celebration of a shared heritage. The concert continued with music from soloists, chamber orchestra and choir, and a wee bit o’ Irish toe dancing. The Celtic Christmas Concert is an annual event that draws a capacity crowd and takes place the week before Christmas. From what I understand it is unique to Austin. Proceeds from ticket sales support local charities.
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