Martha Sylvia was born on March 3, 1918 in Chicago. She was the daughter of Swedish immigrants, and grew up during the Depression, in Williams Bay, Wisconsin. I always thought the name Sylvia was absolutely lovely, and she always hated it. She said she didn't know where her mom got it from. Martha put herself [...]
Category: art institute of chicago
February! How did that happen?!
It’s February and I can’t believe it. If I blink I expect that February will be gone, seeing that it is a short month anyway. I think part of my trouble is that we don’t actually have a 2026 calendar on the wall. Normally, both my husband and I grab calendars from church and then [...]
The invention of Kevlar?
My fundamental belief in looking at the physical world is this. The world is more fascinating and full of wonder, than any one person will ever be able to understand. I know some people see science and religion as being at odds with each other. This is something I cannot really comprehend on an emotional [...]
Eye candy from the Art Institute
My mother put herself through college in the late 1930's. She started at the University of Wisconsin, took some classes in Chicago while working there for Barnhardt, the dictionary people, and then finished through the University of Wisconsin extension. She used to talk about going to the Art Institute, and I had no idea what [...]