Dion McGregor

Years ago on ktru I heard a really weird story, involving a hot-air baloon, that went on for much too long. But then the DJ said it was from a recording of a man sleep-talking. Now, thanks to BBC, I know who that man was and how that eery story ended up as part of my morning commute. The article has several of his recordings.

Opening, "Found: Ourselves"

Carnegie students (and some others, but whatever) were featured in Glasstire for the opening of Found: Ourselves, curated by Carnegie's own Lynn Huynh. Way to go!

Don Justo's Cathedral

Spain's newest cathedral--though technically not a cathedral--has been under construction for 55 years. And almost all the construction has been completed by one man.

Watch Kandinsky at work!

A short film of an abstract picture being made in 1926.

Light show in the Temple of Dendur

Similar to the projected-light restoration of the Harvard Rothko Murals, a projection experiment at the Met is bringing back the original colors of their ancient Egyptian temple.

It turns out that even doctors can use art

Med students at Brigham an Women's Hospital in Boston are required to take a special art class at the MFA Boston. Apparently empathy and emotional understanding are really important to doctors.

I think this is a wonderful move, as long as the students aren't there to try to diagnose the art subjects.


Looking for artistic real estate?

You can buy Michelangelo's Tuscan villa for around $8 million.

If you have more to spend, this $10 million French chateaux includes murals by Picasso.

But if you're on budget, you can rent a replica of Van Gogh's bedroom in Arles from Airbnb for $10 per night. (It's part of an exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago)

Starbucks is now selling art

No, really. They have a gallery/coffeehouse space in Chelsea where they've started selling art from young artists, in the $1,000-$3000 range. I don't know if those prices are certified fair trade or not.

Utah may get an Official Work of Art

To be fair, Utah has had The Spiral Jetty  in Utah for more than 40 years. But now Utah may declare it their Official State Artwork, becoming the first state to adopt an official work of art.

Intriguing Musicians

Here's a critic's list of 40 musicians to listen to in the near future: "they play by their own rules, and they grab your attention." I'm only familiar with three of them, so I've got some listening to do. Let me know if you try any of these out.