GLEAM 2025

 

Yesterday I didn't blog because there was so little to say. I worked from home and walked on Governor's Island with Travalon at lunch, then I went to Adoration, came home, watered my plants, and led Night Prayer. So, a typical Tuesday.

Today I was on campus, and during our weekly admin meeting, my (former) boss slowly realized that while he is on vacation for the next two days, so am I, and my one coworker is out Friday to go camping, and my young coworker is off Friday for her birthday... and then the last coworker said she would be at an all-day conference tomorrow and Friday. That's right - nobody will be in the office on Friday. At least our student hourly will be there for most of the afternoon...

After work I met Jilly Moose and Anna Banana II at Himal Chuli for dinner, and instead of getting my usual (the law firm of Roti, Takari, and Dal), I got the sampler plate with a samosa, two momos (little dumplings), roti, and dal. Roti is flat, round bread like pita without the pocket, and dal is lentil soup, for anyone wondering, and a samosa is like a homemade Hot Pocket full of potato and peas. 

I drove us all over to Olbrich Gardens for GLEAM, the annual light sculpture show I have featured on this blog before, where we met Richard Bonomo. I didn't take photos of everything, but here are some photos, starting with waiting in line to get in:

Here are some photos from inside the conservatory. The lights were beautiful, but the music was creepy.

Then we went outside and explored a lot more installations. The "LOVE" display was colorful in real life, but it's just white in my photo.

This one was supposed to mimic northern lights.

Rich, Jilly Moose, and Anna Banana II on the bridge to the Thai Pavilion:

Black light art!

The Thai Pavilion at night.

In this interactive display, you would run around inside of the circle and the birds would light up as if they were chasing you. We enjoyed this one a lot.

We also loved the lotus lanterns that you could make glow different colors. I don't see any of the actual lanterns in these photos, but here we are bathed in different colors of light.

This was an interesting installation in which you would tap the ground with a silver wand, and these towers would make sound and light patterns.

Rich was really good at this - here's a video of him controlling the tower.

There's always a pretty installation in the Sunken Garden pool.

This was another interactive one we loved. You could make rainbow shadows! Here I am dancing with Niko.

Anna Banana II is hanging ten.

Rich is making shadow puppets of Our Lady. 

And Jilly Moose is a moose!!

I have to say that going on a weekday in late September is way better than going in late October like Travalon and I usually do. There are less people, so you can easily find a parking spot, and also it isn't so crowded in the gardens. Plus the temperature is perfect. Other years I've been freezing at GLEAM.

Famous Hat