Maker Faire at the Central Florida Fairgrounds.

The Orlando Maker Faire was held at the Central Florida Fairgrounds on October 21st and 22nd.

Maker Faire is a gathering of fascinating,
curious people who enjoy learning and who love sharing what they can do.
From engineers to artists, to scientists and crafters, Maker Faire is a
venue for these “makers” to show hobbies, experiments, and projects. It is called the Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth – a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity, and resourcefulness. It is a chance to glimpse the future and get inspired.

Pam, her sister, Jen, and I parked in the Fairgrounds field and walked towards the Faire. To our left was the weekly flea market. Right before entering the Maker Faire, there was a drone obstacle course. It looked like a fun racing opportunity, but not a very sketchable one.

  

Susan Haugen helped us make all the arrangements to get wrist bands and we were ushered into the main building. She was very generous getting us acquainted with the event. A robot war was in progress behind clear Plexiglas barricades. The crowd was pressed tight around the ring. The metal crunching against metal was loud and ominous. Between shoulders, I could see a low-lying robot whose only limb was a bulldozer shovel. That shovel kept pounding down on the helpless competition. I couldn’t watch. I desperately wanted to sketch robots but the crowd was chanting for blood and it was probably close to the end of the violent competition.

We wandered into the next room where all the steam punk, props, and cosplay were to be found. In the far corner was a row of R2D2s. Occasionally one would wander off and interact with the crowd. A steam punk R2D2 started dancing with a Senate Commander Trooper. Blonde flowing hair poked out from the trooper’s uniform. At the end of the dance routine, the droid tipped his top hat. Such a polite droid. Behind me was the menacing Dalek from Dr. Who. He shouted in his metallic voice, “You will be exterminated!” He would cross over into the Star Wars universe where he then declared, “I am not the droid you are looking for.”

Escape Costume Party at Back Booth.

Angel Jones invited Pam Schwartz and I to the Escape Costume Party at Back Booth (37 West Pine Street, Orlando FL 32801). We arrived at 10:30 PM but that was early for this crowd. People slowly arrived as I sketched. Blue balloons glowed in a booth that was soon occupied. A Japanese porn film looped on the TV screen. The film repeated itself enough times, so that I could sketch a scene on the screen. There was another booth that was hidden by a curtain so the films in there must have been XXX rated.

The costumes ranged from sexy tight anime school girl outfits to a giant rabbit and glowing gas masked dancer in a hood. A Parisian in a stripped shirt hung out with a can-can girl. On stage a performer spun a hula hoop to the beat of the music. The hoop has a rainbow of colored diodes inside creating a constant streak of vibrant color.

On stage there was a game show where a contestant was surrounded on three sides by a cardboard wall resembling a bathroom stall with holes cut in it. Two people would insert hot dogs in the hole and the contestant who could devour the most hot dogs from the glory holes would win. The problem was that the people putting hot dogs in the holes couldn’t keep up. The packaging would slow them down so they became an impediment to any truly talented glory hole expert. Another game involved eating food off another person while blind folded.

There was a screening of a home made film starring Angel as one of the characters. The lip sync was purposefully off, giving the film a comic twist. Overall this was a fun night. It is amazing what goes on behind closed doors in some clubs downtown. These Escape Parties by Mike Stone Promotions, happen once a month and have a different theme each time. They are definitely great sketch opportunities.

La La Land at Leu Gardens Outdoor Screening.

Pam Schwartz and I went to Harry P. Leu Gardens (1920 N Forest Ave, Orlando, Florida 32803) to enjoy an outdoor movie in a beautiful garden. We brought a lawn chair and Pam has a blue plastic inflatable wind bed that we affectionately call the blue vagina. A woman at the front of the crowd near the movie screen made quite a show of running around to inflate hers and it brought a cheer from the crowd when she finally got is sealed and set up.

The group in front of us had a dinner picnic basket, along with some fine wine. It was still light when I started the sketch, but by the time the movie started it was dark. A storm was forming on the horizon, complete with lightning. The storm never made it over the gardens but it threatened the entire time.

The movie was La La Land which got rave reviews and won several Oscars. The movie opened with an LA traffic jam which of course resulted in a song and dance. It was a love story which unfortunately didn’t have such a happy ending. (Spoiler Alert) The entire movie has you rooting for this young artistic couple and then your heart is ripped out at what could have been if they had compromised. Pam hated the ending but it seems true to life with its grey areas and the ecstatic moments of dancing in the air.

The next movie night is November 3, 2017 with the Gardens arrival time of 6:00 PM and the movie time at 7:30 p.m. Much time has been spent repairing hurricane damage to the plants in the park but the historic home smells of mold. The movie is Arrival, starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner. This movie is rated PG13. Under 13 years of age requires an accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Garden Admission: $6 adult, $3 child (5-17 years of age) Admission is
collected at the door. Major credit cards accepted.  Leu Members
receive free admission, Membership Card and ID required.

Leu Gardens closes at the end of the movie.

Arrival
delivers a must-see experience for fans of thinking person’s sci-fi
that anchors its heady themes with genuinely affecting emotion and a
terrific performance from Amy Adams. 

Movie Etiquette: For the enjoyment of all, please
place cell phones on silent during the movie and smokers may smoke in
the gardens away from the movie audience. Curbie’s Sidewalk Cafe will be selling great food and Peak Season Pops will be selling popsicles and popcorn.

Ada and the Engine at Playfest.

Prior to the rehearsal for Ada and the Engine all the actors sat at a conference table in the Orlando Shakespeare Theater with director David Lee for a Skype video conference with the playwright Lauren Gunderson. Lauren, who lives in San Francisco has been writing plays for years and recently has been getting rave reviews. David pointed out that she has resisted the pull of both LA and NYC. There were technical glitches getting the Skype conference started, having to do with audio and it was finally resolved by ignoring the digital tech and using an analog phone.

Each actor in turn got to ask Lauren a question about the play that they had been rehearsing. Lauren reminded us that a story should involve not just the conflict of separation or failed relationships, but also the revelations and excitement that comes from true discovery. The play is about Ada, a young strong willed and very intelligent woman who had a mind for mathematics at a time when women were only known for their abilities to win a man and raise children. Her mother, Lady Byron, had every intention of seeing that she followed the norms of the day. However when Ada meets mathematician Charles Babbage, they discover a true affinity in the power of numbers and the possibility of an analytical computing machine that could solve extremely complicated mathematical problems. Their excited revelations are the basis of the first computers that used punch cards to store data. Ada’s vision of the future of this machine even went on to imagine a machine that could compose music. She envisions a whole new world where art and information converge. A
world she might not live to see.

Although it is clear that Ada and Charles are soul mates, they never become involved since she was so much younger than he was. She ends up marrying a Mr. Lovelace who is handsome and a good dancer, but his vision of her responsibilities certainly limited her future in math and science.

This was a story of love,
friendship, and dreams of the future. It is refreshing and exciting to see a play in which two geniuses inspire each other. In an age where pop culture only celebrates sports figures and celebrities, this play celebrates inspiration and ingenuity, which should always be at the heart of the American Dream.

Playfest offers seven new plays over two weekends.

Tickets for “Ada and the Engine”

By Lauren Gunderson are $10

John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center

812 E Rollins St, Orlando, Florida 32803

Saturday, October 28, 2017 at 8 p.m.

PLAYFEST SPECIAL EVENTS

PlayFest Party!

Saturday, October 28, 2017 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. – Buffet dinner provided by Bubbalou’s Bodacious BBQ.

Saturday, November 4, 2017 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. – Buffet dinner provided by Spoleto – My Italian Kitchen.

Join the featured PlayFest 2017 playwrights and actors for an
exclusive PlayFest Party inside the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare
Center. Tickets ($12) for the PlayFest Party can be added onto your
PlayFest 2017 tickets online at www.orlandoshakes.org,
by phone at (407) 447-1700 ext. 1, or in person at the John and Rita
Lowndes Shakespeare Center (812 East Rollins Street). Only 60 slots per
PlayFest Party available.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for October 28th and 29th.

Saturday October 28, 2017

2 PM to 6 PM – Free. 3rd Annual Owloween. Back To Nature Wildlife Refuge (10525 Clapp Simms Duda Rd., Orlando, Florida 32832) Live Music, Costume Contest (ages 2-10)

Creatures of the Night: Meet owls, bats, opossums, fox and more!

Children’s Activities: Bounce House, Home Depot Building Kits, Trick or Treating and more!

Marketplace: Featuring local vendors and dining options.

Raffle and Bake Sale. All proceeds to benefit Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge

7 PM to 10 PM – $35 10 X 10 Orlando Urban Sketch Workshop.  SKELETONS: Museum Of Osteology (8441 International Dr Suite 250, Orlando, FL 32819) In this final Urban sketch workshop, we will be sketching the inner skeletal structure of animals and humans. Besides the skeletons, kids will be in costume trick or treating. Urban Sketchers is celebrating 10 years by inviting sketchers from
around the world to attend ten on location workshops with an Urban
Sketching official instructor in your city!

Goals

1. Show stories from your city, one drawing at a time

2. Improve your drawing skills

3. Learn how to select, frame and design visual stories on a page

4. Learn how writing and drawing can work together to communicate more to your audience

5. Experience the advantages of group learning and seeing the many paths to success

8 PM to 2 AM – Free. 9th Annual Colonial Town Park “Halloween Block Party”. Liam Fitzpatrick’s Restaurant and Irish Pub (Colonial Town Park, 951 Market Promenade Ave., Suite 1115, Lake Mary, FL)

All
guests (21 and up) are invited to drink, dance and dress in their
Halloween best as they celebrate with Liam’s and plaza neighbors:
Graffiti Junction, Dexter’s of Lake Mary, Duffy’s Sports Grill and
F and D Cantina.

HOW: Liam’s blockbuster Halloween bash will feature live DJ
performances, chilling brews and bites and a killer costume contest
awarding a $500 prize for the frightful grand prize winner. Plus,
Liam’s block parties support Just Our Soldiers’ Helpers Inc. (J.O.S.H.),
who will be on site collecting donations. J.O.S.H. uplifts spirits and
provides aid to deployed service members from the US Military through
preparing and shipping care packages of snacks, food, hygiene products
and other necessities to them.

Liam Fitzpatrick’s is carrying on the two-hundred-year-old
tradition of great Irish pubs while keeping a strong commitment to the
Central Florida community with a hearty mix of Irish food favorites and
more, an extensive menu of quality beers and wine refreshers, warm and
friendly hospitality, great music and conversation, a stellar weekly
entertainment lineup and of course its spectacular annual block parties.

Sunday October 29, 2017

11 AM to 5 PM – $10 per talk. Jewish Book Festival. Jewish Community Center of Greater Orlando (851 N Maitland Ave, Maitland, Florida 32751) Learn and laugh with these Jewish authors at the literary event of the year, co-presented by the Writer’s Block Bookstore and The Roth Family JCC of Greater Orlando. There will be complimentary babysitting at the JCC for children ages 2-12; advanced registration is required and is done at the time of your ticket purchase.

TICKETS FOR SALE

https://orlandojcc.org/bookfest

— 11:00AM-12:00PM: Behind-the-Scenes with Ronald Balson —

A Harper Lee Award Finalist in Legal Fiction, Balson is the author of Karolina’s Twins, Saving Sophie, and the international bestseller Once We Were Brothers. His new book, The Trust, has private investigator Liam Taggart travel to his uncle’s funeral, only to discover he was murdered.

–1:00-2:30PM: Panel Discussion: All You Need is Laugh —

JEN GLANTZ, PROFESSIONAL BRIDESMAID

Jen posted an ad on Craigslist advertising her services as a professional bridesmaid. When she woke up the next morning, it had gone viral. What began as a half-joke suddenly turned into a lifetime of adventure. Hear about her adventures, including her memoir, Always a Bridesmaid (For Hire).

GABY DUNN and ALLISON RASKIN, YOUTUBE STARS

These two best friends live in Los Angeles and founded the comedy YouTube channel “Just Between Us.” They have worked together and separately for Buzzfeed, Sourcefed, and Fullscreen. Their new book is I Hate Everyone But You.

— 4:00-5:00PM: Mishpacha: Wherever You Go, There They Are (Keynote) —

An actress and author, including the New York Times bestseller, I See You Made an Effort. Her latest book, Wherever You Go, There They Are is a hilarious and insightful look at family.

She was the co-host of “Dinner and a Movie” on TBS. Her essays and satire have appeared in more than a dozen national magazines.

In Wherever You Go, There They Are, Annabelle Gurwitch takes inspiration from her own life to examine that most horrible of all human conditions: family. This hilarious and insightful book reminds me why I’m so, so happy that I didn’t have children!” —Bill Maher

Noon to 1 PM – Donation. Yoga. Lake Eola Park near the red gazebo. Bring your own mat.

2 PM to 6 PM – Free, but get a brew or two. Howl at the Moon: Animal Haven Benefit. Orlando Brewing (1301 Atlanta Ave, Orlando, FL 32806) Yappy Hour with In Harmony With Nature Animal Haven! This 501(c)3 is a sanctuary for wolves, wolfdogs, dogs, cats, parrots, reptiles, and pigs. They work to find forever homes for animals ready for adoption.

– Donate $10 to In Harmony with Nature for Yappy Hour prices on OBC drafts

– Meet and greet adoptable wolfdogs and dogs

– Silent auction

– Dogie costume contest (dress your dog!)

– Mighty Weenie in the house vending Seattle-style hotdogs

History in a Glass.

I went to the Orange County Regional History Center
(65 E Central Blvd, Orlando, Florida 32801) For the second installment of History in a Glass, called Hog Wild, three different bar tenders from the Mills/50 District, mixed custom cocktails based on the stories of wild hogs that were eventually outlawed in Orlando and Winter Park. It seems the hogs would rub their backs on the courthouse steps and generally make themselves a nuisance. I was quite pleased that I sketched the bartender who mixed the winning cocktail for the night.

Thursday, October 26th is the the third installment of the History in a Glass series, called “Murder at the San Juan” and will feature local craft bars competing for bragging rights by creating libations using Cooper’s Craft bourbon whiskey.

The drink recipes will be inspired by an infamous murder that shocked Orlando in 1938. The dark tale began in room 208 of downtown’s San Juan Hotel, then only a block from the Orange County Courthouse (now the History Center.) Hear the unexpected twists and turns of a mesmerizing mystery as you enjoy great food and music, plus three hand-crafted cocktails created by masters from Ravenous Pig, Luke’s Kitchen and Bar, and The Nest Bar. Food will be supplied by the Black Bean Deli. Halloween costumes are encouraged.

Plan to also join us for the series finale December 14, when the winning bartenders from the first three contests compete for the grand prize.

Members $20, general admission $25.

For details, call 407-836-7046.

The Florida Youth Symohony at the Bob Carr.

Heide Evans Waldron invited me to sketch the 61st Season Opener featuring all of the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras at the Bob Carr Theatre (401 W Livingston St, Orlando, FL 32801). I walked to the concert. The gutters around Lake Eola still had shards of rainbow colored confetti left over from the Pride Parade. Outside the Bob Carr, the remnants of a Blue Box could be seen. The sidewalk had been ripped up during recent construction, but two blue strips remained behind painted on the curb.

All the youth classical orchestras were featured at this concert. As always, academic and
music educators receive complimentary admission to this and all FSYO
season subscription concerts. A common thread throughout the concert was how honored each conductor was to work with these talented kids each Sunday.

I kind of groaned to myself when the youngest orchestra took to the stage. The theatre was about half full. Clearly most of the audience was full of adoring parents. Sketching kept me sane. I couldn’t help but think of Professor Henry Hill in  The Music Man who really didn’t teach music at all, but the racket created at the concert still brought admiring parents to their feet. Actually, the kids on stage did an admirable job.

When one orchestra left the stage, another took its place. The classical music became increasingly recognizable and full of emotion. The real surprise of the concert was the first performance of the Youth Jazz Ensemble. Piano, electric guitar, saxophones, and trumpets performed toe-tapping jazz from Count Basie, Charlie Parker, and others.  

The FSYO’s new Jazz Orchestra, conducted by Jeff Rupert, is a 17-20 piece ensemble that focuses on the study of big band jazz music. Students learn the theory behind jazz
composition and improvisation and have the opportunity to do sectional
work with some of the area’s top jazz musicians.

The Youth Jazz Orchestra is for students ages
13 to 20. Though the majority of students fit into these age groups,
upon request, exceptions are considered on a case-by-case basis at the
discretion of the board, in consultation with the conductors. My sketch was finished, so I just relaxed and enjoyed the music. If I were in my teens, still playing trumpet, this ensemble would have been my ambition. They were tight. This music made me want to dance in the aisles.

Ace Cafe Orlando.

This was my first time going to Ace Cafe Orlando which opened in the former offices of the Orlando Weekly across from the main Lynx Bus Terminal. Pam Schwartz had been here before and she told me that the BLT sandwich was rich and recommended. The menu cover had old historic photos with some of the history of the place. Ace slowly filled up until it was packed around the time the sun set. Ozzie Osborn and other heavy metal bands were shouting on the TVs that lined the dining area. With all the noise, I couldn’t actually pick out any lyrics.

The Over the Top BLT was indeed a monster of a sandwich. The thickly cut Applewood Smoked Bacon was caramelized along with Iceberg lettuce, herb mayonnaise, and vine ripened tomatoes. The Texas Toast was super thick and covered in an extra layer of crispy cheddar crust on the outside of the sandwich which made it particularly messy to eat. I ended up cutting it up and eating it with my fork. The bacon tasted like candy. The sandwich was served in a metal mesh bread basket which made it tough to cut the sandwich up. The solid crust of cheddar cheese on the bottom of the sandwich was particularly hard to cut through. Despite the eating logistics, it was quite delicious. Pam ordered the buffalo chicken empanada appetizer, which she stated were pretty run of the mill. She ordered based on the plan to enjoy one of their alcoholic ice cream shakes. The waiter didn’t inform her until after the meal that the coffee bar/milk shake area was out of commission. That was a huge disappointment. 

After sunset, trucks began to line up outside the restaurant. This was simply an opportunity for gear heads to check out other 4 X 4 rigs. Small jeeps were predominant, but there were several rigs with lifted suspensions and even lights underneath the chassis. I used to own a yellow 4 X 4 Xterra which I rigged up with an Australian deer guard and winch. The winch got me out of several tight spots. I dented up that truck when I was going over a log between two trees and the truck leaned over and hit a tree which smashed a tail light and dented the back chassis. I filled and sanded the dent with Bondo but had to pay to get a decent touch up paint job. Owning a 4 X 4 is expensive, especially if you go mudding often.

My little Toyota Prius got stuck in the mud several weeks ago when Pam and I went to the Thai Festival. She managed to rock the Prius free by pushing on the hood as I eased the accelerator. From my 4 X 4 experience in soft sand, I knew not to gun the accelerator and dig my tires deeper into the mud.

The Imperial at Washburn Imports

The Imperial at Washburn Imports (1800 N Orange Ave, Orlando, FL 32801), is a neighborhood bar housed in a furniture store offers micro-brews and boutique wines, plus patio seating.
I met staff from Dix.Hite and Partners here when they wanted advice on setting up a sketch outing at lake Eola. Greg Bryla in particular  is a very talented Urban Sketcher. The firm designs environmental landscape settings and is now designing a temporary improvement to the Pulse Nightclub setting.

The sketch walk they organized was very well organized. They even catered food after all the sketching was done, although Orlando bike police insisted they take down the table that was set up to serve the food.

An Orlando city ordinance prohibits sharing food with large groups in downtown parks more than twice a year. Members of Food not Bombs were arrested in Lake Eola Park in 2011 for feeding the homeless. A compromise was ultimately found in which they can share vegan
food at Orlando City Hall every Monday morning and Wednesday night.

Our group was maybe 10 artists and landscape architects in all and not homeless but the ordinance still stands. So don’t think you can have a large family picnic in the park, especially with a table, you will be shut down. The food that Dix.Hite served was home made Polynesian fare that was delicious.

Hurricane Irma rips into the Orange County Regional History Center’s Collection Facility

After weathering Hurricane Irma, a category 2 hurricane, I helped Pam Schwartz to clean up all the broken tree limbs in her yard. Her property is gorgeously landscaped but that meant she had tons of fallen branches. The pile we built curbside was, and still is, 10 feet wide and as high as my hips. We bagged the smaller branches and those were picked up, but the rest of the debris is still on her lawn killing the grass, but providing home to many snakes. She was without power for the week.

We were exhausted from moving so much debris but late that afternoon she said she had to stop by the Orange County Regional History Center off-site facility. She just wanted to see that everything was OK. The plan was to do a quick check and then pick up some food. We hadn’t eaten all day, there was too much to do.

En route, my phone warned me that there was potential flooding. Within the next quarter mile, sure enough the road looked like a river. Her SUV made it through without a hitch. It was getting near sunset when we drove up to the facility. We were shocked by the view. The large parking lot in front of the building looked like a lake. We parked on the far side of the lake and took our shoes off to wade across. The water was up above my knees in the deepest section of the lot. In hind site we should have checked to be sure there were no downed power lines. Luckily we weren’t electrocuted.

The warehouse is a bit above the parking lot level and the front entry of the facility was clear with no water. Then we entered the conservation room where most of the work to preserve Pulse memorial items had been done. The ceiling panels were soaked, and several waterlogged panels had fallen to the floor. The panels must burst on impact under their own weight because shards were scattered everywhere. Pam groaned.

Pam is the chief curator of the Orange County Regional History Center. This is a curator’s worst nightmare, secondhand only to fire. With just two panels missing in the conservation room, the damage didn’t look too bad. Boxes on the floor had soaked up the water. Pam asked me to salvage a box of Pulse related archives, cards and notes of remembrance. I lifted the waterlogged box and then took all the papers and laid them out to dry in the break room. So much work had gone into preserving the memorial items from Pulse. They had been saved from the afternoon rainstorms that are consistent on any summer day in Orlando at the memorial sites. Now they needed to be saved once again.

After cleaning up much of the mess in the conservation room, Pam called me outside. A giant double rainbow now arched above the newly formed parking lot lake. Maybe things were looking up. Then, back inside, Pam opened up the double doors that lead into the main area of the storage facility. She let out a gasp. I couldn’t see around her. The damage wasn’t limited to the conservation room we had been working on. Ceiling panels had collapsed throughout the storage facility. Pam went into triage mode and my first assignment was to save the art which was below a fallen soaked panel. I found large tarps to cover the art as a short term solution. The point of the off-site facility is to maintain a museum standard of temperature and humidity. With the ceilings compromised everything was at risk.

For the rest of the night, I picked up ceiling panels and soaked insulation and made a debris pile in the loading dock area. The small mountain I built was about 10 feet in diameter and about 5 feet high. I decided not to touch any artifacts, I would leave that to the pros. For some reason I paused as I lifted a panel off of this large industrial lamp behind an old citrus ladder. The lamp was on a wooden skid which protected it from the water. Ironically the lamp was in the History Center’s Reflections magazine that just came out this week. The new acquisition was donated by Tom Bessa and is from McCoy Air Force Base. It dates back to the 1950s and a workman removing the item offered it to Bessa. Now it is part of Orlando’s History. Every item in the storage facility has a similar personal story.

Pam called her entire collections staff that night to help get the facility under control. Thank goodness Joe Austin sent snacks for us with Jessica Domingo, by that time Pam and I were running on fumes. Anything on the floor was at risk of water damage. Water was still dripping from every open ceiling panel. I cleared a walkway so the staff could move items from the collection to dryer ground.

We later learned that a metal roof access hatch had blown off and the hurricane force winds had propelled it over the roof. Each time the hatch crashed down it ripped a hole in the roof’s covering.  From there, the water dripped down into the insulation and ceiling panels which would crash down from the weight. Large puddles of water were everywhere. By the end of the night most of the museum artifacts had been moved away from collapsed panels. Much of the Pulse collection was in the worst affected areas, so the need to act with speed was critical with already compromised artifacts.

All of the water has now been removed from the floor and a small army of about a dozen humidifiers is working around the clock to remove moisture from the air. The interior walls that touch the floor all developed mold in their inner cavities. Simply put, black mold isn’t good when you are hoping to preserve historic artifacts. The lower drywall panels were removed from all the affected walls. Plastic encapsulations now separate the spaces with zippers allowing access between rooms. The plastic is intended to protect the collection as workers reinstall drywall and to assist in regulation/stabilization of temperature and humidity. Work is now under way to repair the walls, the ceiling tiles and insulation have been replaced. Conservation is still ongoing to restore any artifacts that suffered from water damage, but every single item of the few thousand affected artifacts were saved. The incredibly fast response of the core collections staff of the History Center helped avert what could have been a much bigger tragedy. With the lessons learned from this disaster, they are offering advice to Leu Gardens Historic Home, which suffered damage after a tree fell on the roof of the home.

P.S. These sketches were created post-event from my photographs. This is an anomaly as that is not the way I tend to work. However, this wasn’t the time to sit down and create art.