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17th Century Female Artists at the Rijksmuseum

Today Judith Leyster (1609-1660) is one of the best known Dutch female painters of the 17th century. But it was not always so. After her death, Leyster’s work fell into obscurity, often attributed to Franz Hals. But, Leyster signed her work with a distinctive monogram of herself with a start shooting towards the right. It’s

Women’s Portraits in the Rijksmuseum

The Gallery of Honor in the Rijksmuseum leads the visitor so unerringly to Rembrandt’s Night Watch that the paintings displayed in its alcoves are easily overlooked, if not for guides who point out the paintings she or he finds most worthy of notice. Paintings by Johannes Vemeer, for example, have many more viewers pressing towards

Rembrandt, The Night Watch, & Me

When I was in middle school, every student had to take a semester of music and a semester of art before they could take any other electives unless they kept to either music or art for their entire middle school career. I didn’t know if I would like music, but I knew I wouldn’t like

Administrative Professionals Day – Celebrate Support Staff

Next week, April 20-26, 2025 is Administrative Professionals Week. It’s an annual event the last week in April, with Administrative Professionals Day in the middle. This year it falls on Wednesday, April 23. Official celebrations for office warriors began in 1942 when the National Secretaries Association was founded. The nation was gearing up for World

“Your Library is Your Paradise” – Erasmus

I remember getting my first library card. I was six years old, and had to stretch to reach the check-out counter. My mother brought me to the library every week so we could check out books. But I wanted to be a big girl and do it myself. There was, however, an obstacle. The librarian

St. Gertrude’s Cats

Monday, March 17 is the annual celebration of St. Patrick, usually accompanied by leprechaun illustrations and green beer. In recent years, a meme depicting St. Gertrude of Neville stroking a cat she holds in her arms appears about the same time. Caption: “It happens every year: Patrick this and Patrick that. No one remembers me

Year of the Snake & Legend of the White Snake

The Great Animal Race Lunar New Year celebrations this year welcome the Year of the Snake, so named because the snake was a the sixth animal to finish in the Great Animal Race organized by the Jade Emperor when he created the 12-year cycle of the Chinese Zodiac. He hoped the zodiac would help people