-
It will age
like our red cedar.
We are looking at
the exteriors of The Umeå Arts Campus, Harold, Trouble 1 and me. It’s the
opening day of the new Bildmuseet (Art Museum). The campus is a free flow of
buildings and people celebrating this new focus point for arts and culture,
sitting right at the Umeå River traveling towards the Botnia Bay.
The Umeå Academy
of Fine Arts, The Umeå Institute of Design, The Umeå School of Architecture,
HUMlab-X, and now Bildmuseet. It’s all there, brought together. The origin of
the campus is two carefully renovated industrial red brick buildings. These
older structures are now joined by four boxy buildings designed by Henning
Larsen Architects, characterized by the as well boxy and irregularly placed
windows. Bildmuseet is rising high above with its six floors of exhibitions
space, and the campus has a yellowish look from it’s façade covered with skinny
sticks of Siberian larch tree.
-
It will age
like our red cedar.
It’s Harold
contemplating the exteriors as we admire this new sight in Umeå. And he is
right. The Siberian larch will turn from yellow to a silvery grey in a couple
of decades. Just as the Red cedar does in the Beautiful Northwest in US.
This is a very
special moment for Harold, Trouble 1 and me. Harold is the reason to why my
family and me first came to Seattle, as he and my sons' dad worked together and
Harold at that time lived in Seattle. Harold and his wife Annie right away
adopted my sons as their grandchildren, and from that day they have been their
American grandpa and grandma. They became our guides and benefactors in a
foreign city and country, and the places they introduced to us are uncountable
and unforgettable. Drives to in the middle of nowhere as well as stops at all
the must see places.
And the picture I
am carrying inside me is two little boys, 4 and 6 years old, holding tight to
their art kits, purchased at Seattle Art Museum, SAM, first time Harold and
Annie took us there. Two little boys, Trouble 1 and Trouble, 2 safe under the
wings of their American grandparents. Always respectfully encouraged in their
artful expressions by Harold, being an architect with an eye that appreciated
every drawing the little boys proudly stuck under his nose.
And life is such
an artwork. Because this spring Harold is teaching as a guest professor at the
Umeå Institute of Design. And at the big day of the opening of Bildmuseet
Harold, Trouble 1 and me are meeting up in the foyer to share this moment.
Trouble 1 and I are so happy and proud introducing Harold to this new art piece
of Umeå. It’s pay back time, finally! Well well, what do you know? As Harold
has been at the campus for about a month now, and spent the day listening to
student presentations at Bildmuseet, he already knows the place! Harold is
guiding Trouble 1 and me from top to bottom of this new Umeå landmark and
everything is just as it used to be; Harold knowing his way around in the art
world and Trouble 1 and me tagging along!
I am looking at
the two of them, Harold and the boy, not 6 anymore but 26, and physically it’s
now Harold who is under the boy’s wings. The young man is starting up his
business as an illustrator and right this day picked up his new laptop
designated for work and purchased with art money. I am moved by memories
listening to Harold’s questions about his artwork, the nodding “aha” that’s
always been paying such great respect to whatever those little boys came up
with. I am realizing Harold has such a great deal in the self esteem and
confidence my sons have in what they want to do in their lives and with their
lives.
And I am so
grateful. To the art world that Harold introduced to us in Seattle way back. To
Umeå that provides such a creative atmosphere and environment. To Harold who
has been and is the most wonderful and significant inspiration to my family.
And to life, that brings it all together.
No comments:
Post a Comment