Uniform Traffic Control Devices Round

The all-purpose orange cone is a ubiquitous marker on streets, sidewalks and highways everywhere, to keep areas clear or guide traffic away from construction zones. To be approved as an official channelizing device, a cone must pass requirements for height, chromaticity coordinates, and luminance factors set by the Federal Highway Administration. To be approved as an art installation, hundreds of cones must be arranged in a gridded cluster and mounted to a 20-ft wall.

The Franklin Institute
Philadelphia, PA

09.18.20

Go Ahead And Smell This Round

Get your nose close and sniff. Mushroom? Rust? Chicken soup? Teenage boy's sweat socks? Inside this canister is one of those scents, among dozens of smell canisters on display in The Smell Lab, a sensory experience and exhibit installation. It was designed in 2016 by chemist, researcher, and "smell artist" Sissel Tolaas of Berlin, Germany, and is just a small part of her vast archive of smells collected from around the world. Go ahead, smell it. SMELL IT.

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
New York, NY

09.17.20

Lonely Beach Football Round

The long shadows of late summer mean that football on the beach is over, while football in the stadium is just getting started with college and NFL games kicking off this past weekend. And though the games this year feature all the familiar faces, in our current pandemic environment, they have none of the fans. So, a little like beach football.

09.14.20

Mary atop the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel Round

In Old Montreal, the Virgin Mary stands overlooking the port from the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours chapel, founded in 1658 by St. Marguerite Bourgeoys and rebuilt in 1771. This statue was a gift to the church in 1849 from Monsignor Ignace Bourget and is distinguished by a halo of stars signifying her as Stella Maris or "Star of the Sea", a guiding light and protector for all travelers facing the winds of temptation or the rocks of tribulation.

09.13.20

Glowing Boxing Bowling Glow Round

In 1967 when boxer John Imbrenda opened his bar Johnny Brenda's in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia, you could get a shot and a beer and a punch in the face if you needed it... or just deserved it. Sugar Ray Leonard was only 11 at the time, and still two years away from beginning his boxing career -- one that would lead him to a 1976 Olympic gold medal, world titles in five weight classes, and recognition as an all-time great of the sport.

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