Columbia, Maryland turned fifty this week. The progressive community created by developer, Jim Rouse, will continue celebrating throughout the month with special events. Visit www.columbia50.com for more information. The highlight of the Columbia Festival of Arts was the free opening of the Architects of Air: Katena Luminarium.
The air filled structure is based on the catenary curve. The shape created when a chain is suspended between two points. The luminarium is filled with over a hundred catenary curves and a main dome that resembles a temple(the green tipped dome in the photo below).
The Architects of Air continues their worldwide tour with their next U.S. opening in Bethlehem, PA. Visit their site for more information, Architects of Air on tour.
Earlier in the week, the Downtown Columbia Partnership presented Books in Bloom as part of Columbia’s 50th birthday celebration. The event featured top celebrities such as April Ryan, White House correspondent, CNN political analyst and Bureau Chief for American Urban Radio Networks, Chimamanda Adichie and Michael Eric Dyson, Georgetown University sociology professor and radio host. The highlight of the inaugural festival was the panel discussion hosted by civil rights activist, DeRay McKesson in the Chrysalis amphitheater, adjacent to the Merriweather Post Pavilion.
The authors, April D. Ryan and Michael Eric Dyson discussed their books and opinions on race, the use of the “n” word and former President Barack Obama. They later signed books and had photo opportunities for their fans and attendees.
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