Food and Art

 film graphic design music photography writing architecture

Impressionism Pointillism, Avant-Garde movements and Pop Art can all contribute to how we envision and consume food through books, articles and documents from museums, public and private institutions, collectors and artists.

the rituals and symbols of food featured in the arts over time

A Journey where works of art, drawings and architectural models, films, objects, documents, books, menus, and album covers that bring to life narratives that place works and images in historical, sociological and anthropological context, reflecting the interwoven aesthetics and design of eating rituals; exhibitions that use a variety of media, from the historical to the contemporary, to portray expression, creativity and communication in all cultures:

a layered and multi-sensorial perspective that looks to developments and solutions that relate to food, ranging from kitchen utensils, the dining table and the picnic, bars and restaurants to changes resulting from travel by road, plane and space. Also, the design and look of buildings dedicated to food production and food rituals;

an exploration of the special bond between the visual arts and food, revealing the rituals and pointing to idiosyncrasies in the experience of eating together;

a program enriched by masterpieces made available by museums, collectors and artists.

The History and Evolution of Food and Nutrition set in a wide-ranging scenario tracing the visual arts and various segments of industrial arts and mass culture, including:

the introduction of new foods in the Western world as shared through past Universal Expositions;

a representation of 1960’s products with the application of mass advertising and packaging;

the uses of new technologies in architecture, design and the art world, and an exploration of new opportunities for analysis and reflection.

Discover the Connection between 

Food and Art

with Knowledge Tourism

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The Rapid City South Dakota Commercial Historic District

The Black Hills area became important as a commercial center for transient miners in the 1870s, but later served the needs of more stable social-economic groups. The district's structures are of late 19^th and early 20^th century origin and reflect typical period architecture. Rapid City was founded with the idea that it would be a service center for people and materials destined for the gold fields. John R. Brennan persuaded a group of unsuccessful miners to establish a town on the eastern slopes of the Black Hills where he and his followers had discovered an adequate water supply in Rapid Creek.

Rapid City was founded on February 25, 1876 and was named for the nearby stream

At first, the city failed to grow in population and economic strength despite its location on freight routes from Nebraska and eastern South Dakota. As corporate mining replaced individual prospecting, and stable homesteading and ranching elements settled the surrounding areas, Rapid City became a permanent consumer market. It soon aspired to be the wholesale center for western South Dakota and the gateway city for the Black Hills.

Better transportation was necessary to achieve commercial primacy; municipal bond sales induced the Missouri, Fremont, and Missouri Valley Railroad to enter the city on July 4, 1886 creating new business opportunities and a quadrupling of the population between 1880-1890. Three additional railroads followed the Missouri, Fremont, and Missouri Valley and contributed to the economic security of the region.

Commercial success was manifested in the historic district's architecture. Rapid City's earliest buildings normally consisted of non-descript frame structures. Prosperity soon stimulated more elaborate construction consisting of brick, cut stone, and limestone. Italianate, Neoclassical, and Renaissance designs dominated throughout the district. The period architecture and historical importance of these buildings create an impressive historic district.

The characteristics of the buildings create the appearance of a late 19^th and early 20^th century city

The Rapid City Historic Commercial District consists of thirty-eight buildings in the center of the town's business area. This district includes one complete rectangular block and portions of five others. Most structures are two stories, along with one and three-story structures. A single eight story building towers over the district. All roof tops are flat and usually are covered with tar. Although roofing materials are similar, exterior wall coverings vary. Most buildings are brick of different color, texture, and shape. Limestone, cut stone, clapboard, stucco, and modern siding are used in the facing.

512 6^th Street - 1911 this structure was one of the three main buildings in the district used for professional offices. The building was built by the Elks for a meeting hall. It is of the Neoclassical type and is three stories high. Brick and masonry are the main facing materials used. The building features pilasters, dentils, brackets, cresting and masonry ornamentations.

601 Main - 1916 a two-story structure of Neoclassical design situated at the corner of 6^th and Main Streets. This building is the Pennington County Bank and is constructed of limestone. The building has always been a bank and reflects the district's commercial importance.

610 Main - 1915 this structure still houses a fire station; one of few such fire stations left from this era. It is a two-story brick veneered building with masonry materials used as decorative features It still has the fire house doors and the only alteration has been the addition of another vehicle door on the west side.

523 6th Street - 1927 an eight-story structure and one of the earliest tall buildings in the state. It has served as a hotel throughout its existence. It is constructed of brick facing with masonry as decoration.

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Visit the Rapid City South Dakota Commercial Historic District

Knowledge Tourism

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Alton Illinois

Architectural Historic and River Trails

Alton is located 25 Miles north of St. Louis amid the confluence of three navigable rivers, the Mississippi, the Illinois and the Missouri, as a river trading and industrial town whose waterfront features concrete grain silos and railroad tracks for the shipping of grains and produce. Once the site of several brick factories, Alton’s streets are paved in brick along with many commercial buildings located downtown. The Great Rivers Region is accessible from six interstates, an international airport and an Amtrak station.

Historic Trails Alton’s Civil War and Lincoln Legacy Trail features costumed docents at sites throughout the city revealing Alton’s legacy through personal tales along with the Underground Railroad, where runaway slaves were hidden in caves, barns and basements. The Alton Museum of History and Art has special exhibits relating to Alton’s connection to the Civil War era. 

The Legendary Piasa Bird Painted on the Bluffs above the Mississippi River

Industrial Museums learn refinery operations and how products such as gasoline, jet fuel, propane and asphalt are made at the Phillips 66 Wood River Refinery and Museum. The Mississippi Mud Pottery features artists as they demonstrate the molding of their unique pottery. At the National Great Rivers Museum and Melvin Price Locks & Dam feature the importance of the river system to America’s economy.

River Trails where great rivers converge with great moments in history at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and Confluence Tower; learn how they planned their journey west.

Hartford is at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and point of departure for Lewis and Clark.
Elsah continuing up the Great River Road and marvel at the numerous buildings that still exist. Most of the houses and building in the village were built in the mid- to late 1800s

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The Entire Village of Elsah is listed on the National Register of Historic Places

Grafton’s riverfront was packed with manufacturing companies, mills, quarries, loading docks, and riverboat traffic in the 1800s. Today, it is a tourist destination with its specialty shops and wineries.

Architecture Trails many blocks of housing in Alton were built in the Victorian Queen Anne style during the prosperous period in the river city's history at the top of the hill in the commercial area, several stone churches and city hall.

The Middletown Historic District was the center of wealth in the early days of Alton with homes reflecting the wealth of families and their descendants that led Alton society for more than a century. Brick sidewalks connect a park with a Victorian playhouse and an area called Insuranceville.

Upper Alton Historic District a cultural and educational center, Upper Alton was once a separate town anchored by a former military academy and the oldest continuously used educational buildings in Illinois.

A New Orleans Travel Experience

architecture creative culture history and traditions

The original settlement of New Orleans and the oldest neighborhood in the city is Vieux Carre, better known as the French Quarter. Established by the French in 1718, the location continues to be a valuable site for trade due to its strategic position along the Mississippi River. The district is a National Historic Landmark and is bordered by popular streets, such as Canal, Decatur and Rampart Streets and Esplanade Avenue. The French Quarter boasts cultural contributions from the French, Spanish, Italians, Africans, Irish and others – as demonstrated by the development of New Orleans as a global port.

Architecture is a dominant feature throughout the neighborhood; balconies adorned with intricate ironwork, courtyards filled with lush greenery and beautiful fountains showcase the French Quarter's European roots, mostly the handiwork of the Spanish who ruled and rebuilt the city after two large fires in 1788 and 1794. Many buildings have ceramic plaques with the street names during Spanish rule.

Landmarks Jackson Square, originally known as the Place d'Armes, was renamed to honor Andrew Jackson, the hero of the Battle of New Orleans. The square is flanked by historic structures such as the St. Louis Cathedral, the Presbytere and Cabildo, which house the Louisiana State Museums, and the Pontalba Apartments - the oldest apartment buildings in the United States.
 

The Creative Culture of the Quarter is embraced by the collection of fortune tellers, artists and musicians who surround Jackson Square. Just across the street is the famed Cafe’ du Monde, serving up beignets and café au lait 24 hours a day. Every street has something unique to offer from classic restaurants, music venues, boutiques and voodoo temples. The most popular streets are: Royal, Chartres and Bourbon, along with the historic French Market.

New Orleans Homes

Creole Cottage these signature single-story homes with steeply pitched roofs have front porches that practically touch the street; present in the French Quarter.

American Townhouse a narrow brick or stucco three-story structure, asymmetrical windows and an iron balcony on the second or third floor; present in the Central Business and Garden Districts.

Creole Townhouse with shops below and homes above, these buildings are the perfect arrangement for the thriving urban center. Arched windows distinguish Creole from American townhouses.

Raised Centerhall Cottage one-and-a-half-story homes raised slightly above street-level and a porch stretching all the way across the front with columns; present in Garden, Uptown and Carrollton.

Shotgun House easy to spot with long and narrow single-story homes with lacey Victorian embellishment beneath the large front eve; present throughout the city.

Double Gallery House stacked and covered front porches, stately box columns and a front door off to one side; present in the Garden District, Uptown and Esplanade Ridge.

Arts and Culture New Orleans' Old World roots have created a strong foundation and long-standing appreciation for the arts. Early residents of the city often traveled back to Europe for musical instruction or training in the visual arts, and operatic performances took place in the city as early as 1796. Today the city has countless galleries, performance spaces and museums.

Museums

The Historic New Orleans Collection located in the French Quarter, this collection is the best introduction to New Orleans history. Four exhibition spaces depict the multicultural stories of the region, from permanent displays on the evolution of Louisiana to rotating art and history exhibits.

The Cabildo the flagship building of The Louisiana State Museum is the site of the Louisiana Purchase. It served as the Louisiana State Supreme Court until 1908 and was the location of the landmark decision in Plessy v. Ferguson in 1892. Today it houses exhibitions on the Purchase and on Louisiana history. 

Madame John's Legacy an excellent example of Louisiana Creole residential design at the end of the 18^th century. The architectural complex consists of three buildings: the main house, kitchen with cook quarters and a two-story garconniere. It is part of The Louisiana State Museum. 

The 1850 House an example of antebellum architecture in New Orleans, it offers a glimpse of middle- and upper-class life during the most prosperous period in New Orleans' history. The house is a part of the Lower Pontalba Building, which was built by the Baroness Pontalba. 

The African American Museum of Art Culture and History located in the historic Faubourg Tremé, one of America's oldest black neighborhoods, and comprised of 7 historic buildings.  

The National World War II Museum features a 4D cinematic experience, interactive exhibits, soaring aircraft, personal histories and more.