A treat while waiting in my world

If you have come early to the airport to get through security, and the airport is not particularly busy so security takes about half a minute, and your flight is one hour delayed, it could be boring.

As we were waiting, a group of puppy raisers for Guide Dogs of America came in to give their trainees some experience of the sights and sounds of an airport. There were eight beautiful young dogs and eight enthusiastic puppy raisers. Puppy raisers very generously raise these dogs to give them up, giving them their initial training in behavior and socialization, familiarizing them with situations in public places, teaching them to remain calm no mater what as facilitators assess them for the needed temperament. This group gather for outings such as this one on a fairly regular basis.

That calm no matter what part seems to be working well.

After spending a half hour or more in the terminal waiting area, this dedicated group went on their way to their next learning adventure.

That's what happenend to liven up My World this afternoon. To see what's happening in other parts of the world, visit the My World site.

David Edwards' Power Flower and Curious Creatures Continue To Engage

Artist David Edwards and his Art Energy Design Team continue to engage people of all ages in regards to the future of alternative energies via creative design and interaction. Most recently they were interacting with over 3,200 students at the Carnegie Science Center for Sci-Tech Days.

Power Flower information.

Curious Creature Photos.

The Power Flower is a 12' wind driven kinetic sculpture and is the first in an evolving series of energy producing public art designs.

The Power Flower collects sun and wind energy with a wind turbine, driven by spinning flower petals, and photo voltaic solar film leaf surfaces.

A rainwater collector serves as base and ballast. The sculpture can provide DC power for laptops, phones or even water pump features for garden applications.

The sculpture also powers LED lighting for night time illumination. A weather-proof controller maintains safe power levels and timed programmable lighting.

The sculpture is transportable and sets up easily for events and exhibitions.

Our sculptures are created for use by city art festivals, botanical associations, schools and museums for either temporary or permanent site specific installations.

In addition Art Energy Design offers various educational workshops specifically designed for elementary, middle and high school students.

The Power Flower is the first of it's kind and was born on March 15, 2008.

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The Pittsburgh Art Blog

The Pittsburgh Art Blog features selected pittsburgh artists and upcoming exhibits with photos from the artists and galleries. since the major press outlets do not go beyond a directory listing of exhibits, blogs are needed to promote pittsburgh artists and their work. the blog also calls attention to the inferiority complex of pittsburgh art and how it's perpetuated by the major players in town. Started on August 20,2007. pittsburgh area galleries and art venues are listed at the sister site www.PghGalleries.com.

the blog and website are volunteer projects from fine art photographer and pittsburgh artist advocate rick byerly.

Pittsburgh Power Flower News Art and Green Technology

Visionary Pittsburgh artist David Edwards has been busy with the Power Flowers. He recently won an award for creativity from the Pgh Tech Council and has been educating local students and the general population with the Power Flowers.

Two Power Flowers will be at the 3 Rivers Arts Festival for the duration of the 10 days from June 4-13, 2010.

From David Edwards:

The Power Flower is a 12' wind driven kinetic sculpture in the form of a potted sunflower. Sun and wind energy are collected with a wind turbine driven by spinning flower petals and photo voltaic solar film leaf surfaces. A 55 gallon rainwater collector serves as base and ballast. The flower provides DC power for laptops, phones or water pump features. The sculpture also powers colored LED lighting for dynamic night illumination. A weather-proof controller maintains safe power levels and timed programmable lighting. The sculpture is transportable and sets up easily for events and exhibitions. Our sculptures are created for use by city art festivals, botanical associations, schools and museums to complement their missions. We design, sell and implement both permanent eco-artworks and transportable designs and workshops.

www.ArtEnergyDesign.com

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The Pittsburgh Art Blog

pittsburgh galleries is reborn anew as The Pittsburgh Art Blog. the blog features selected pittsburgh artists and upcoming exhibits with photos from the artists and galleries. since the major press outlets do not go beyond a directory listing of exhibits, blogs are needed to promote pittsburgh artists and their work. the blog also calls attention to the inferiority complex of pittsburgh art and how it's perpetuated by the major players in town. Started on August 20, 2007.pittsburgh area galleries and art venues are listed at the sister site www.PghGalleries.com.the blog and website are volunteer projects from fine art photographer and pittsburgh art advocate rick byerly, www.RickByerly.com.

This Way to the Future...

We've spent quite a bit of time in Spokane in the last month doing Grandma and Grandpa duty, so I've had quite a few pictures from Gonzaga campus, Mt. Spokane, Ft. Wright, and South Hill. As we'd drive around taking kids to music or gymnastics or school, I spotted a lot of images I would have liked to shoot. I think I need a week in Spokane just for taking pictures.

I posted the main entrance to the Gonzaga Administration Building a few weeks ago as This Way to Education. Back there again after Mass on another Sunday, I caught this shot of my granddaughter headed to school. Well, maybe in a few years. After all, might as well keep up the family tradition.

This Way Thursday
paths, roads, signs and travels
and other related marvels--
found here.

Weekend Reflection--St. Ignatius again

I posted another version of this view when things were frozen a couple of weeks ago.

But the weather has turned warmer, and St. Ignatious looks out on the scene right side up and up side down now.

James hosts Weekend Reflectiosn at Newtown Daily Photo.

Explore Science and Art! January 30, 2010 Squirrel Hill Pittsburgh PA Carnegie Science Center

The Carnegie Science Center, Phipps
Conservatory, Art Energy Design's Power Flower and the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh explores science and art!

Super Science @ Your Library : School-Age Fun

Saturday, January 30, 2010

2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Explore the world of science with the Carnegie Science Center, Phipps Conservatory, Art Energy Design and the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh! This program for students in grades 3-5 features fun hands-on science experiments.

Location:

Squirrel Hill - Children's Room

5801 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15217

Contact:

Please provide child's age in registration info.

412-422-9841

sqhillchildrens(AT)carnegielibrary.org

Head here to register.

Art Energy Design and the Pittsburgh Power Flower are headed up by David Lee Edwards.

This Way Thursday--This Way to an Education

When I first entered these portals some years ago, Gonzaga was not so well known as it is today. We did have a great basketball team in the Big Sky League, playing other schools of similar size from Oregon, Montana, Utah. Basketball has brought my alma mater into the national spotlight, but the solid education provided is still the main feature of the university.

In our time, the new statue of St. Ignatius and its fountain pool would have been in the traffic of Boone Avenue. The whole stretch of Boone through campus was closed to traffic and made into a bricked pedestrian area a number of years ago as the University grew.

I remember checking into a hotel on the ridge west of Spokane with my parents and looking down over the city for my first glimpse of the spires of St. Aloysius (fondly called St. Al's) the parish church which is an enduring symbol of Gonzaga University. As a terrified seventeen year old about to embark on the great adventure of college, I was not sure I didn't want to crawl back into the car and go home.

High school seniors are pondering college entrance forms and scholarship applications at this time of year--waiting and hoping for the thick envelope full of additional forms to fill out instead of the thin one with the single "I am sorry...." sheet. Hopes, studies, struggles, friends, independence...what an adventure looms ahead for them!

This Way Thursday--look here for other paths.