2013 National Memorial Day Parade, Washington, D.C.

Members of the North Lincoln High School Band of Knights from Lincolnton, NC march in the 2013 National Memorial Day Parade/Patricia Leslie

The North Lincoln High School Band of Knights from Lincolnton, NC/Patricia Leslie

The National Society of Sons of the American Revolution in the 2013 National Memorial Day Parade/Patricia Leslie

Thousands of holiday celebrants lined Constitution Avenue for the National Memorial Day Parade to enjoy the sights and sounds and to pay tribute to members of the military who have given their lives for the United States.  The American Veterans Center presented the event which it resuscitated only eight years ago.  

High school bands from Oklahoma and North Carolina were by far the most numerous on the parade route. No college bands marched in the event which lasted a little over two hours, and no one seemed to mind.  Onlookers were happy to hear live patriotic music, see the uniforms, the swirling flags and girls, RGIII and his parents, all the marshals, and take pride in our nation's military which was on full display in strict fashion. Oh, and be glad the rain held off.

Major sponsors of the event were Myrtle Beach, S.C., American Airlines, Wells Fargo, the Military Order Purple Heart, T.A.P.S. (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors), Fund Raising Strategies, HBO, State Farm, and Costco Wholesale.

The riderless horse/Patricia Leslie

The U.S. Army Band played the Army song, As the Army Goes Rolling Along, without question the most popular tune played by bands throughout the afternoon/Patricia Leslie

Members of the U.S. Army/Patricia Leslie

Members of the U.S. Coast Guard or, maybe, the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard?/Patricia Leslie

The U.S. Air Force/Patricia Leslie

The U.S. Navy/Patricia Leslie

The U.S. Marine Corps/Patricia Leslie

Robert Griffin III with his parents, Army veterans Jacqueline and Robert Griffin, Jr., honorary grand marshals/Patricia Leslie

The first float in the parade was sponsored by T.A.P.S. (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors)/Patricia Leslie

The Bruin Marching Band from Alfred Bonnabel Magnet Academic High School, Kenner, LA/Patricia Leslie

Gary Sinise and Joe Mantegna, honorary marshals/Patricia Leslie

 The sign on the wagon said "Cashdales"/Patricia Leslie

Ballou High School Majestic Knights Band from Washington, D.C./Patricia Leslie

J.R. Martinez, U.S. Army Veteran, Grand Marshal/Patricia Leslie

Athens Drive High School Marching Band, Raleigh, NC/Patricia Leslie

At 3 p.m. the parade paused for the playing of taps by a solitary bugler, and was followed by a moment of silence/Patricia Leslie

President George Washington must have left Martha in the kitchen to bake a cherry pie.  Without her, he looked like a grumpy old man/Patricia Leslie

President Abraham Lincoln came wifeless, too. Surely the naysayers can figure out the whereabouts of Mary Todd Lincoln/Patricia Leslie

The Franklin High School Black Knight Marching Band from Franklin, PA/Patricia Leslie

A high kicker in the Franklin High School Black Knight Marching Band from Franklin, PA/Patricia Leslie

Another grand marshal, Trace Adkins/Patricia Leslie

Sons of Confederate Veterans from Alexandria, VA, and Maryland/Patricia Leslie

Orange High School Panther Band, Hillsborough, NC/Patricia Leslie

Miami University Alumni remember Lt. Robert Meder, Miami Class of 1939/Patricia Leslie

Concordia Lutheran High School Marching Cadets, Ft. Wayne, IN/Patricia Leslie

Concordia Lutheran High School Marching Cadets, Ft. Wayne, IN/Patricia Leslie

Ninth and Tenth Horse Cavalry, Buffalo Soldiers, Washington, D.C./Patricia Leslie

Cache High School Bulldog Pride, Cache, OK/Patricia Leslie

The Lions Club, a sponsor/Patricia Leslie

Flags and military/Patricia Leslie

The Bayonne High School Band, Bayonne, NJ/Patricia Leslie

 Military heroes First Lt. John Campbell and Master Sergeant Richard Schema/Patricia Leslie

"We can do it!"/Patricia Leslie

Talihina High School Marching Band, Talihina, OK/Patricia Leslie

Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors/Patricia Leslie

James Oliver Johnson High School, Home of the Mighty Jaguars, The Mighty Sounds of the South, Huntsville, AL/Patricia Leslie

It's time to play hearty/Patricia Leslie

Honorary marshal Jerry Yellin flew the final mission in World War II/Patricia Leslie

Those carrying pictures of faces of the fallen veered off the parade route and turned left on 17th towards the WWII monument/Patricia Leslie

Henryetta High School Marching Band, Henryetta, OK/Patricia Leslie

Jefferson Davis High School Marching Band, Montgomery, AL/Patricia Leslie

Sanderson High School Marching Band, Raleigh, NC/Patricia Leslie

A Vietnam veteran/Patricia Leslie

Needham B. Broughton High School Band, Raleigh, NC/Patricia Leslie

Unbelievable!  Some members of the Republic of Vietnam Veterans Association Coalition wore heels to march in the parade/Patricia Leslie

A leg uniform of many colors is frequently seen in and out of parade routes/Patricia Leslie

Hope High School Marching Bobcat Band, Hope, AR, birthplace of President William Jefferson Clinton/Patricia Leslie

Hope High School's conductor/Patricia Leslie

Kuwait/Patricia Leslie

 Schalmont High School Sabres Marching Band, Schenectady, NY/Patricia Leslie

North County High School Raiders Regiment, Bonne Terre-Desloge, MO/Patricia Leslie

Regimental Band and Honor Guard, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Buzzards Bay, MA/Patricia Leslie

The U.S. military on the ready/Patricia Leslie

The airmen marched and chanted in cadence/Patricia Leslie

Honoring the families of America's fallen heroes/Patricia Leslie

Honoring the families of America's fallen heroes/Patricia Leslie

South Ridge High School Skyhawks, Beaverton, OR/Patricia Leslie

Pascagoula High School Panther Band, Pascagoula, MS/Patricia Leslie

Pascagoula High School Panther Band, Pascagoula, MS/Patricia Leslie

Cool dudes aka Central Islip Senior High School Musketeer Marching Band, Central Islip, NY/Patricia Leslie

Marching home again/Patricia Leslie

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Rolling Thunder pictures, Washington, D.C. 2013 Memorial Day weekend

Rolling Thunder bikers roar down  Constitution Avenue and other Washington streets on May 26, 2013.  It was the 26th year members have come to honor fallen American troops/Patricia Leslie

Thousands of Rolling Thunder bikers came once again from around the U.S. to Washington this Memorial Day weekend to pay tribute to fallen American troops, and the citizens are grateful for their attention and devotion to those who protect us.

Rolling Thunder began its annual trip to Washington in 1988 to recognize Vietnam War veterans who had been forgotten.

From the Rolling Thunder website: 

 

Rolling Thunder’s mission is to educate, facilitate, and never forget by means of a demonstration for service members that were abandoned after the Vietnam War. Rolling Thunder has also evolved into a display of patriotism and respect for all who defend our country. 

 

 As of May 22, 2013, American military casualties total 4,488 deaths from the Iraq War, and 2,220 American military members have died as a result of American participation in the war in Afghanistan.

 

Rolling Thunder on Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C., May 26, 2013/Patricia Leslie

Rolling Thunder on Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C., May 26, 2013/Patricia Leslie

 

 Rolling Thunder, May 26, 2013, Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C./Patricia Leslie

Rolling Thunder, May 26, 2013, Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. Can you hear them roar?/Patricia Leslie

More single women were seen this year on bikes than in years past in the Rolling Thunder parade to honor fallen American troops/Patricia Leslie

 

 

Onlookers at the Rolling Thunder rally May 26, 2013, Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C./Patricia Leslie

Rolling Thunder, May 26, 2013, Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C./Patricia Leslie

 

 

Rolling Thunder, May 26, 2013, Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C./Patricia Leslie

 Rolling Thunder, May 26, 2013, Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C./Patricia Leslie

Rolling Thunder, May 26, 2013, Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C./Patricia Leslie

Rolling Thunder, May 26, 2013, Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C./Patricia Leslie

 Rolling Thunder, May 26, 2013, Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C./Patricia Leslie

Rolling Thunder, May 26, 2013, Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C./Patricia Leslie

When the parade slowed, the girl in white stepped out in the street to high-five with bikers/Patricia Leslie

Rolling Thunder, May 26, 2013, Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C./Patricia Leslie

Rolling Thunder, May 26, 2013, Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C./Patricia Leslie

Attention!  Is that a helmet-less biker in the distance?/Patricia Leslie 

 Rolling Thunder, May 26, 2013, Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C./Patricia Leslie

There they go, down Constitution Avenue towards the Capitol on May 26, 2013/Patricia Leslie

On the way home on Route 66/Patricia Leslie

 

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19th century French art exits Sunday

Gustave Dore, The Shades of French Soldiers from the Past Exhort the Army to Victory on the Rhine, 1870. National Gallery of Art, Washington, Helen Porter and James T. Dyke Fund, 2006

Edgar Allan Poe fans familiar with the memorable illustrations by Gustave Dore of Poe's poem, The Raven, will not want to miss four original Dores which are part of a enchanting exhibition now in its final weekend at the National Gallery of Art.

Color, Line, Light: French Drawings, Watercolors, and Pastels from Delacroix to Signac presents 100 pieces from the 19th century French collection of James T. Dyke and his wife, Helen L. Porter, and from the National Gallery's collection made possible by the couple.

Alexandre Calame, An Ancient Pine Forest with a Mountain Stream, 1847. National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Helen Porter and James T. Dyke, 1999

Dyke, who heads the Gallery's Trustees' Council, and Ms. Porter are avid collectors who “buy what they like” and not necessarily pieces which are in style at the moment, said Andrew Robison, one of the curators of the show.

"Jim likes to go to auctions" and says occasionally to Robison: "I don't like it, but I'll give

you the money to buy it."

Mr. Dyke and Ms. Porter have "built up this extraordinary collection...a really comprehensive view of 19th century French art" with "many (artists) you haven't heard of," Robison, an enthusiastic guide, said.

Robison and Dyke worked on the project for ten years.

Gustave Dore, A River Gorge in a Mountain Landscape. Dyke Collection

It is a "quiet" display, soothing and spiritually moving, with many invitations to novels which beg to be written. Muted tones and fairy-tale scenes evoke memories of long ago images from Grimm’s Fairy Tales, which match those mysterious, haunting places where you could wander amidst magical forests with castles and high peaks, alone and yet secure, guided by a mysterious path and hand.

Maxime Lalanne, Alpine Castle above a Wooded Lake, c. 1870. National Gallery of Art, Washington, Helen Porter and James T. Dyke Fund, 2006

The artworks flow chronologically by style in five galleries which the catalogue (edited by Mr. Robison and co-curator Margaret Morgan Grasselli) follows: Romanticism (with three Dores), Realism and Naturalism (one Dore), Impressionism, Nabis and Symbolists (which I have nicknamed the Lemmen Gallery after one of Dyke's favorite artists, Georges Lemmen, who has several on the walls here), and Neo-Impressionism (the "Signac Gallery" with eight by Paul Signac).

Hippolyte Petitjean, A Broad Valley at Sunset, c. 1897. Dyke Collection, promised gift to the National Gallery of Art, Washington

Lengthy descriptions of the different media the artists used (chalk, watercolor, graphite, pen and ink, charcoal, pastel) are an important part of this show.

Robison said the contents are "major works by minor artists and major works by major masters" (Cezanne, Degas, Millet, Monet, Pissarro, Seurat, Bonnard, Vuillard, Signac, Delacroix), and please don't overlook the women in the show, whom Ms. Grasselli pointed out:  Berthe Morison and Suzanne Valadon.

Francois-Auguste Ravier, A Marsh at Sunset. Dyke Collection

One of the most provocative works is Lemmen’s Two Studies of Madame Lemmen (1885). Two female figures stand, almost facing each other, but that's impossible since one stands farther back. They look towards the center of the chalk drawing, but not at each other. The shadowy silhouettes are dressed alike, and the dominant figure seems to offer her hand to the other.  Touching of their hands is hinted, however, distance between them prevents that.  What is in the background, please?  An open coffin?  To which she steps?  Or emerges?  Perhaps it is a piece of luggage before she embarks on a trip?  To where?  Is the larger figure an apparition who tries to warn or rescue the other? 

Georges Lemmen, Two Studies of Madame Lemmen, 1885. Dyke Collection, promised gift to the National Gallery of Art, Washington

You see what art can do!

This exhibition is another example of what I wish its staying power to be, to remain at the National Gallery and not go away so I can visit often for inspiration and palliative effects.

Charles Angrand, The Annunciation to the Shepherds, 1894. Dyke Collection

Please, are we soon going to expand to the other side of the street, and move to the Federal Trade Commission Building? Next week would be grand, so this show could hang in Washington a while longer. (It moves to the Musee des impressionnismes in Giverny to open July 27. Sigh.)

Ms. Grasselli called the exhibition "a banquet for the eyes."

P.S. And, for the soul. Who needs medication when there's art like this to carry you away to faraway, dreamy places?

A gallery talk by Kimberly Schenck begins at 2 p.m., May 24 at the Rotunda in the West Building

What: Color, Line, Light: French Drawings, Watercolors, and Pastels from Delacroix to Signac

When: Now through May 26, 2013, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sunday

Where: Main Floor, the West Building, National Gallery of Art, between Third and Ninth streets, NW, at Constitution Avenue

Admission: No charge

Metro stations: Smithsonian, Federal Triangle, Navy Memorial-Archives, or L'Enfant Plaza

For more information: 202-737-4215

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Spring cleaning at the National Gallery of Art

Spring fix-up at the West Building of the National Gallery of Art/Patricia Leslie

 

If you’ve wondered if that’s spring cleaning on the exterior of the West Building of the National Gallery of Art, your hunch is right.

At the West Building of the National Gallery of Art/Patricia Leslie

Deborah Ziska, the National Gallery’s chief of press and public information says “timely repairs” are underway at the building, including “re-pointing of joints,” which are typical improvements needed on a senior structure.

The Tennessee Pink marble wall and North portico at the Sixth Street entrance are receiving attention, and walls and porticoes are being refreshed “with a light mist.”

At the West Building at the National Gallery of Art.  The banner promote the Pre-Raphaelites exhibition which has just ended/Patricia Leslie

 

 

It’s never too early to get a joint lift, especially for those in their 70s and getting ready for their dodranscentennial celebration which would be the 75^th anniversary of the National Gallery's public opening in 1941.

At the West Building at the National Gallery of Art/Patricia Leslie

At the West Building at the National Gallery of Art/Patricia Leslie

At the West Building at the National Gallery of Art/Patricia Leslie

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Police cars on the Mall

Police cars at the National Mall last week/Patricia Leslie

A line of classic police cars was on display at the National Mall last week, transported from around the U.S. for the annual convention of National Police Week, held every year in Washington.

From the New York Police Department/Patricia Leslie

In 1962 President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation designating May 15th as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the following week as Police Week, according to the Police Week website.

 

From Trumbull, CT/Patricia Leslie

 

Between 25,000 and 40,000 from the U.S. and around the world were expected to attend all or part of the convention which included the National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service and candlelight vigil to honor officers who have given their lives in service. Last year 40 officers died while in service, according to preliminary estimates, an increase of 18 percent from 2011.  California had the most number of law enforcement deaths (7), followed by Arkansas (4).

From Peekskill, NY/Patricia Leslie

From the Wyoming Highway Patrol/Patricia Leslie

On the rear window of the Wyoming Highway Patrol car: In Memory of Trooper Peter Visser End of Watch 10-12-81 and Heroes Live Forever nearby/Patricia Leslie

Another car from the NYPD/Patricia Leslie

Inside the NYPD car/Patricia Leslie

 

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