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Bright, colorful flowers are never out of style

Talk about May flowers! The bright colors of the tulips on this charger could rival the real ones growing outside. And to think they’re over 300 years old! The charger was made in England in about 1690. Even with a few signs of wear, its age, craftsmanship and design brought its price to an impressive $3,997 at Brunk Auctions. It is a type of tin-glazed earthenware pottery called delft or delftware. The name “delft” may conjure up images of blue-and-white Dutch scenes, and it comes from a city in Holland that produced that type of pottery. Dutch immigrants brought the technique ...

Library card art design contest

The New Ulm Public Library (NUPL) is holding an art contest to select three new library card designs! We are looking for designs that showcase the value of NUPL. What does the library mean to you and/or how does the library make your life better? Three winning designs will be selected in June and the new limited edition cards will be available approximately late July 2024. Contest Guidelines: Adults, teens and children ages five and up, living in the New Ulm Public Library service area, may participate in this art contest. Three winning designs, one from each age group, will be ...

Wheatley Pottery tiles are durable and beautiful

In present-day houses, tile is usually a humble building material, limited to bathroom or kitchen surfaces for its durability and ease of cleaning. To collectors, they are an art form; especially if they were made by the art potteries of the early 20th century. Wheatley Pottery, the maker of this flowered tile that sold for $216 at Soulis Auctions, was one of them. Thomas J. Wheatley started his first pottery, T.J. Wheatley & Co., in 1880, but it closed within a few years. After some time working with Weller Pottery in Zanesville, Ohio, which was at one point the largest art pottery in ...

Best nonfiction books so far 2024

According to Amazon the following books are some of the best nonfiction books for January – April 2024. You can find these “best” books at the New Ulm Public Library on the new nonfiction shelf near the railing on the second level. “The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality” by Amanda Montell (153.42 Montell). “Montell argues that in the modern information age, our brain’s coping mechanisms have been overloaded, and our irrationality turned up to an eleven.” “Sociopath: A Memoir” by Patric Gagne (921 Gagne). “Emotions like fear, guilt, and ...

John Lithgow takes on the role of the new kid in school for a PBS special celebrating arts education

Associated Press At 78, John Lithgow’s acting career is not slowing down. He appeared in the best picture nominee “Killers of the Flower Moon” and starred with Jeff Bridges in the FX series “The Old Man.” Recently, the two-time Academy Award nominee and multiple Emmy, Tony and Golden Globes-winning actor played the new kid in school. He learned dance, ceramics, silk-screen printing and vocal jazz ensemble with Los Angeles-area high school students. It was filmed for “Art Happens Here,” airing Friday on PBS with the goal of promoting arts education. Lithgow, who has an ...

Giacometti style can mean many different things

Talent ran in the Giacometti family. Giovanni Giacometti, born in Switzerland in 1868, was a painter who studied in Paris and was influenced by Impressionism. He returned to Switzerland and married Annetta Stampa, with whom he had four children. They encouraged their sons, Alberto, Diego and Bruno, in artistic pursuits. Alberto trained in painting, drawing and printmaking, but he is best known as a sculptor, famous for his tall, thin figures. In 2010, one of his bronze sculptures sold at Sotheby’s in London for over $10 million, setting a record at the time for the most expensive ...