The Menil Collection

We took the day off and saw the Menil Collection in Houston. It includes the Rothko Chapel (pictured), the Byzantine Fresco Chapel,  a Dan Flavin installation and a museum filled with John and Dominique de Menil's private collection.  And it's all free!

The Museum campus includes a park with impressive Southern Live Oaks .
Also impressive, Mike climbs it to see who left their drink up there

And he finds an interesting message inside

A Donald Judd steel sculpture outside the Menil  Museum

The Dan Flavin installation at Richmond Hall

Our last day at the university, finishing is required

Kate finishes the grouting outside

While Mike packs up

Some last chance buffing. Once the scaffolding is dismantled,  we won't be able to reach most of the wall

This place will be filled with students in the fall

End of day 21, we return home in Kate's truck with everything from the site

Hindsight Is Always 20-20

Day 20

The small last part of the inside wall is grouted

Mike is now caulking, one of the final steps of an installation before packing

We're using a urethane grout outside. Its flexibility is necessary for outside jobs where the weather can be unpredictable  

But it's finicky, especially with the 3D pieces

This guy can't stay

End of day 20

Swimming In A Dream

The old simple railing next to the one that will inevitably replace it

We have been grouting so much Mike needs to move the scaffolding to accommodate our speed

Kate is cheerfully cleaning the frame to prepare it for caulking tomorrow

End of day 19

Ceci N'est Pas Un Trou

One of our last corrections...

We start by digging out the mortar so the new piece will sit flush with the surrounding pieces

Than we mix epoxy, the toughest glue around

It only takes five minutes...

And then we grout it, the hole disappears...

End of day 18!

Measure Twice, Cut Once

Mike has the measurements for the next piece written on his glove

You can see, we don't have a lot left to install!

So we've started grouting

End of day 15

The box is empty! The rest of the pieces will be installed today

One by one

Mike is cutting to fit the piece to the ceiling

We saved the most uncomfortable part of the installation for now, it's pretty cozy

The last piece!

With this last one on the wall, we are done with the install part of the installation

Evacuate!

End of day 16

Mike is mixing grout on the first floor

While we clean on the third

End of day 17, the top part is done!