May, 2006: A birthday trip to Tacoma.
New to the area, we prepare with maps and clippings as if it were a weeklong road trip. It’s free day at the art museum, for an excellent show of early 20th Century American works.
A stylish hat and dress which belonged to Georgia O’Keefe are on display. A visitor refreshes her friend’s memory: “You know, she painted those things.”
There is a photo by Alfred Stiegletz — O’Keefe’s passion, mentor, and torment — of a horse’s groin, titled “Spiritual America.”
“Modern art is too modern for me,” a man tells his companion.
A woman looks at a Stuart Davis canvas. “That’s very painterly,” she says.
“Aren’t you going to write that down?” Sara asks me.