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Lesley Peterson is a Toronto-based blogger tripping on travel, art, culture, museums, cities and legendary landscapes. Catch her on Twitter as @culturetripper or contact her at lesley@culturetripper.com. All content by Lesley Peterson copyright © 2009 - Until the Present. All photos by Lesley Peterson except where other credit noted.
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Rijksmuseum reopens! Amsterdam
Is the Rijksmuseum now the best museum in the world? I wondered as I entered the Netherlands’ national museum for the invitation-only press preview earlier this month. Years ago, when I first visited the Rijksmuseum as an art history student, I remember floorboards creaking as I approached Rembrandt’s iconic Night Watch. The Dutch Masters were […]
Postcard from Europe: Rijksmuseum countdown, Amsterdam
Walking through Amsterdam’s Museumplein tonight after a gala candlelit dinner at the Concertgebouw, I noticed the Rijksmuseum is keeping its own ‘night watch’ countdown until the museum’s official reopening to the public on April 13. The building looks spectacular from the exterior and I can’t wait to see the interior tomorrow at the press preview. […]
Tianguis Turistico 2013, Puebla, Mexico
The colour and diversity of Mexico was on fabulous display during Tianguis Turistico 2013 held in Puebla, Mexico, March 17-20. It was the first time Mexico’s principal tourism marketplace has ever been held in a colonial city. Famous for its culinary heritage and UNESCO World Heritage colonial core, the city of Puebla was a gracious host, […]
The exquisite 6th century mosaics of San Vitale, Ravenna
The 6th century mosaics in the Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy, have been drawing pilgrims, art historians and lovers of beauty for nearly a millennium and a half. In all my Italian travels, how did I avoid visiting Ravenna for so long? It was always slightly out of my way, easy to postpone. My art […]
04.03.2013 · Filled under: Architecture, Art, Europe, Italy, Spirituality · Tags: Antiquity, GLASS, Italy
Art glass inspired by nature in St. Petersburg, Florida
Fluid and luminous, art glass seems naturally inspired by ocean waves, sunsets and seashells. St. Petersburg, Florida, is a hotbed of hot glass. Its growing community of glass artists and glass blowing studios offers many opportunities to explore this magical art form. And much of the work is inspired by the area’s natural beauty. […]
16.02.2013 · Filled under: Art, Destination Guides, Florida, United States · Tags: Artists, Beaches, Florida, GLASS
ArtSmart Roundtable: Iconography of the Buddha
This month’s ArtSmart Roundtable topic is Iconography. Inspired by a new Buddhist temple going up in my neighborhood, I chose to do some research on iconography of the Buddha. When I told a friend, her face lit up and she exclaimed, “Oh, I love Buddha, he’s so cute!” Cute? Surely she wasn’t talking about the great […]
High style at the Bata Shoe Museum
Time for ArtSmart Roundtable, a group of travel bloggers sharing a passion for art and cultural destinations. This month’s topic is the Best Museum You’ve Never Heard Of. For me that would be the delightful Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto. I came of age in Bata shoes. Indigo suede ankle boots with rust stars on the ankles […]
07.01.2013 · Filled under: Architecture, ArtSmart Roundtable, Canada, Lefthandedness · Tags: museums, TORONTO
Let it snow! Wintery works by Canadian artists
Postcard-pretty weather over the holidays inspired this collection of snow paintings by Canadian artists. Here are a few of my favorites, past and present: Maud Lewis (1903-1970), Digby County, Nova Scotia. Despite her disabilities and the primitive conditions in the 4.1 x 3.8 m dwelling she shared with her husband Everett, Maud’s folk art […]
Welcome to Narnia: The Malvern Hills, England
“It all began with images; a faun carrying an umbrella, a queen on a sledge, a magnificent lion.” So author C.S. Lewis explained the inspiration for his epic children’s fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia. One of the books’ most memorable images is that of a gas lamp glowing in a snowy wood just beyond the wardrobe that serves as a […]
13.12.2012 · Filled under: Europe, Legendary Landscapes, Myths & Legends · Tags: Books, England, water
The Staffordshire Potteries, England
One of my favorite art and travel experiences was to the Staffordshire Potteries in the UK. The Staffordshire Potteries are centered around Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England. Once the industrial heart of England, much of the area now has a rural feel with over 30 pottery-related sites snugged in a pretty landscape. Though I was there in February, my memories are warm: […]
03.12.2012 · Filled under: Art, Destination Guides, Europe, Legendary Landscapes · Tags: England, HISTORY, museums