During a lovely fall visit to NYC, I visited the Highline, the Richard Serra piece at the Gogosian Gallery, the Chris Burden exhibit at the New Museum, the Isa Genzken and Magritte exhibits at MOMA, Bombino at Carnegie Hall, Smack Mellon and the future shoreline park in Brooklyn, and Paulo Bruscky at the Bronx Museum. Only got to take one photo at the Frick (the very ornate one) – and total excitement – got a nicely discounted membership to MOMA for being a working artist!

The Center for Contemporary Arts in Cincinnati moved to its first free-standing home in 2003 which was designed by Zaha Hadid. The CAC chose to honor two of its major donors by naming the building the Lois and Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art. The Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art was Zaha Hadid’s first American project. Hailed by the New York Times Architecture Critic Herbert Muschamp as “the most important American building to be completed since the cold war” the CAC is a non-collecting museum that focuses on new developments in painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, performance art and new media. Remaining committed to programming that reflects “the art of the last five minutes” the CAC has displayed the works of many now-famous artists early in their careers, including Andy Warhol.

A whirlwind visit included the Seattle Art Museum, the fabulous Rem Koolhaus public library, the King County Courthouse murals, Chihuly Glass Exhibit & Garden and, of course, Boeing, with my daughter Elena.

I went to Mexico for a short trip in February 2013. I had an overnight in DF with Ives & Norma, an overnight with Cynthia & Samy in Guadalajara, a quick visit to the school in Tepatitlan where I will be painting next year, met the Tepa artist who will paint in Madison, visited the school in Guadalajara where I painted last year, and had a good time with Carmen & her family. Also visited an exhibit at the Hospicios Cabanas in Guadalajara of Montenegro’s work.

Have you been to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago lately? I had forgotten what amazing creatures call one of Chicago’s most beautiful buildings home. There is a lung fish who has lived there since 1933!

These photos are from my visit to Chicago the weekend before my mom’s 86th birthday. I made a quick stop at the Art Institute of Chicago for the Picasso and Chicago exhibit and also took some photos of my mom in her apartment, including art I’ve made for her, art by my niece, and portraits of my mom by cousins on both sides of the family.

When the empire crumbles around you, half your city moves away, your neighborhood is burned out, bombed out and given up on, what else is there to do but make art? Visit the Heidelberg Project in Detroit and see for yourself.

Diego Rivera credited the Detroit Industry Murals he painted at the Detroit Institute of the Arts as his finest. “Motor City” accumulated a fabulous collection of art in its hey-day.