With a few precious hours available this morning, I took to the streets of Beijing and walked over to the Reignwood Centre, a respected art museum and gallery about 10 minutes from my hotel, to explore the opening exhibit of photographer Michael Yamashita's Silk Road Journey. I happened to learn about the exhibit the night before and decided it was too close to miss, and given that Beijing was the first stop on its world tour, I felt increasingly fortunate to be one of the first few Westerners to experience the show.

The Webster Dictionary defines Renaissance Man as a person who is interested in and knows a lot about many things. A writer, composer, film director and most notably as a world renowned photographer, there is no question that Gordon Parks could easily fit that definition. And while the description is simple, Mr. Parks was deeply complex and a profoundly influential American artist whose work over the past 50 years has come to be seen as some of the most important photographic work of our time.  He was deeply committed to the causes of social justice and equity having been born poor, in Kansas during the time of segregation and in his biographic information it is shared that he purchased himself a camera which he proceeded to teach himself how to use and would ultimately serve as a the tool that would give him the artistic voice of his generation. It was for these and many other reasons that Jennifer TumSuden and I decided we would organize a trip for Walnut Hill students to the MFA in Boston to see his collection of work on exhibit.

Opening this past June, the Museum of Science in Boston is hosting an extraordinary exhibit on the Science of Pixar which enthralls visitors to go behind the scenes of some of the most memorable and entertaining animated movies of the last 20 years. The exhibition, which is over 10,000 square feet, contains 40 interactive elements allowing you to enter into the world of art, science and technology that makes Pixar the groundbreaking company and studio it is.  A few weeks ago, I was fortunate to bring my son and three of his close friends to experience the exhibit as part of his 13th birthday party. While the boys bounced from booth to booth, I was able to really explore the fascinating and awe inspiring world that makes Pixar so special.

This year marks my fifth visit to Seoul, South Korea and in many ways I have found a familiarity with navigating one of Asia's most modern and arguably historic cities. During past visits, I was able to find small pockets of time to explore the city and it's many cultural jewels. Every traveler who makes their way here finds it necessary to visit the night markets in Namdaemun, explore the neighborhoods of Itaewon and Insadong, as well as the awe inspiring buddhist temple at Bongeunsa. Having experienced the privelage of visiting these places and enjoying the opportunity to photograph them I decided that this year, my tight schedule would allow a single visit to one location and an opportunity to explore in depth, the sights, smells and sounds of the place. It was clear that I should select a location that had a variety of cultural and photographic opportunities to explore and without question, a day spent in Bukchon Village was where I would hope to soak in South Korea's historic architecture and traditions.