art power!

I know that we all miss Sister Wendy Beckett's televised art appreciation tours, but never fear. There's a new guy in town who has stepped up to the plate to conduct our summer art history class.

Running on PBS until the end of July, Simon Schama will wow us with Simon Schama's Power of Art. This fab quote from Mr. Schama ought to inspire you to take a couch potato tour of cultural treasures:

The power of the greatest art is to shake us into revelation and rip us from our default mode of seeing.

Prepare to be dazzled with eight works by eight different artists – two Dutch, one Spanish, one French, one English, one American, and two Italians. Hey, where did all the other nationalities go?! Guess that's all that can be covered in one summer. But between you and me, you gotta love a Rothko!