Wyndham Hotel and Saint Mary's Basilica
Saturday, May 3 2008
Approximately 6:30 - 10:00 P.M.
Some of the finest art are displayed in the lobbies of fine hotels. I captured some of the highlights at the Wyndham, our host hotel, to share with you.
A menagerie of glass discs and donuts suspended beautifully in a grand symphony.
A beautiful, colorful bowl with a RED center makes me happy just to look at it. The lines separate the colors but also creates a visual illusion, as you are drawn closer to the center, of the RED.
The blue rippled glass wall with a blue sitting area.
A closeup of the beautiful speckled glass, rippling away in delight.
The lovely beautiful Ginkgo screens at the entry way to the Marston's restaurant where I had breakfast Saturday morning with the May girls, Teresa and Dee. This place serves Starbucks coffee which was what I needed to start the day!
Saint Mary's Basilica
(From Wikipedia) Saint Mary's Basilica, officially named The Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, was founded in 1881 and staffed by the Franciscan Friars since 1895. The church was completed in 1914, dedicated in 1915, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The oldest Roman Catholic parish in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area, it was the only Roman Catholic parish in Phoenix until 1924 and is home to Arizona's largest stained glass windows collection. The church's Spanish Mission structure supports four domes spanning the length of the Basilica. All the domes are compound design with the pendentives, following Roman architecture, transferring the weight of the roof to the pillars. The dome over the intercept point of the crossover, the nave center aisle and the apse, is topped with stained glass and features a lantern above the dome to emit light into the nave and sanctuary. The dome located over the altar is topped with a cupola designed to provide light to the altar. Prior to Pope John Paul II's visit to Phoenix in 1987, the Holy Father elevated St. Mary's to a minor basilica. St. Mary's became the 32nd basilica in the United States and remains the only basilica in Arizona. It is located at the corner of North 3rd Street and Monroe in downtown Phoenix, bordering the new convention center on the north.
A Night Strolling the Basilica Grounds
Here I am stepping through the Basilica grounds. Those famous Diesel purple shoes that I love to wear on my trips!
The Virgin Mary
City Scenes
Wonderful sculpture I spotted while being happy snappy with my Canon.
The entire downtown seemed to be under construction. Here's a look at one of the new convention halls.
At night, the Dance sculptures line one corner of the Herberger Theatre
He lifts her up high, as she reaches for the sky.
An interesting sign on a pole telling all of us, "DON'T Post Signs on this Pole". Ironically, I thought to myself, isn't the sign doing what it's telling US not to do? Hmmm... Funny!
Hope you enjoyed,
Lisa
Lisa
