February 14 – Happy Birthday, Cornelia Konrads

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nWhat does Cornelia Konrads have against gravity?
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nActually, all of Konrads’s sculptures and land art make us do a double take, create a sort of illusion – whether it’s chairs sinking into the pavers or a doorway mysteriously hovering in a forest…
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nBorn on this date in 1957, in Wuppertal, Germany, Konrads does a great job with seeming to defy gravity:
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nSome of her work is indoors, but most is outdoors. Some is considered “permanent,” some is temporary. (Actually, as a student of philosophy, I’m sure Konrads would point out that EVERYTHING is temporary, and nothing is permanent!
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nAlthough Konrads grew up in Germany, her travels and her art installations have taken her all over the world. She has done what is called “site specific work” (sculptures that depend on the surroundings for their look and materials) in Europe, Asia, Australia, the Americas, and Africa. 
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nAs well as the unexpected, and the illusion, many of Konrads’s work has an element of humor. Check this one out:
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nApparently, the penguins and scientists who live in Antarctica haven’t hired her to create a piece there – not yet, at least – but it’s not as if she doesn’t have some snowy ideas:
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nAlso on this date:

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nValentine’s Day
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nand more Valentine’s Day 

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nStatehood Anniversaries for Arizona and Oregon

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nAmusement park ride creator George Ferris’s birthday

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nnInventor and “Queen of Paper Bags” Margaret Knight’s birthday

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nLeague of Women Voters Day

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Burial of the Sardine in Spain 

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nAsh Wednesday

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