Bright Futures

A slim doorway between Tattoos and The Devil’s Spoke lies the Institute Library, just off the green in New Haven. The closing even for FORECAST was a blast and a great chance to explore the library as well as get a good last look at the wonders of the exhibition. You can read about the…

Forecasting the Future in the Past

Today is the last day of the FORECAST exhibit, which has apparently been very popular. The Institute seems very happy with it. To close out the run, there will be tarot readings, performances, and a talk by me — as well as the last chance to catch all the art. I’ll be talking about the…

PCA is going to be Magic!

I could not be more pleased to let you know, PCA folks, that the 2026 Lynn Bartholome Eminent Scholar Recipient is the fabulous AMY HALE! She will be speaking on ‘Understanding This Golden Age of Magic’ about magic and art and popular culture and this moment in which we find ourselves. I am so delighted…

Swedenborg House: Elective Affinities

SWEDENBORG HOUSE, LONDON Taking inspiration from the term coined in early chemistry, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s 1809 novel, and a celebrated painting by René Magritte, Elective Affinities explores the mysterious connection between objects, ideas and inner experience. At its core lies the thought of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772), whose philosophy of correspondences proposed a resonance between objects, places…

Forecast: Opening Day!

Today’s the day! Forecast opens at the Gallery Upstairs at The Institute Library. reception from 5-7pm. Fabulous art about divination and magic. Alas, I will not be able to be there due to the latest arctic blast, illness, and various Belle Ombre misfortunes (if you’re thinking about buying a 200+ year old house, consider carefully…

Dundee, Palestine, Crows, and the Tay

Begin as you mean to go on, as we always say, but it’s often easier said than done. As I listen to Jim Reid sing of ‘Grizzel Jaffray’ from his Emfae Dundee CD it’s easy to feel too far from the comforts of Scotland. It doesn’t help that it remains arctic in New York with…

Shenanigans, Generally

19 January 1596: Walter Hay, a goldsmith, brought up on charges per the Elgin Kirk sessions for playing bowls and golf (obviously an athletic enthusiast) on a Sunday when he should have been attending to the sermons in the kirk. Five pounds and a promise never to do it again. The eldership of the church…

Occulture Talk & a Gift

Delightful birthday gifts for me yesterday (thank you all!) included my Occulture talk going live on YT. Do check out all the speakers — so many inspiring talks from interesting and knowledgeable people. I’m afeared to watch myself but you are welcome to do so. A reminder, too, that the Fox Spirit Collection Fearless Genre…

Picturesque Berlin

So little time; so much to do! And so many adventures not yet shared. Unable to choose which exhibit to showcase next, instead I offer some random beauty from my wanderings in Berlin for Occulture. I stayed in a hotel near Berlin Alexanderplatz on the advice of a friend and it was a great central…

Crossing Borders

A new exhibit Border Crossings opened this summer at the McManus Galleries. It highlights Scots artists who often went off to other lands to find fame. Like Eduardo Paolozzi: Check out the McManus page dedicated to it, but I will share a couple more here. I drafted this post months ago and then found it…