Castletown, Isle of Man

The Siliwen is in Castletown on the Isle of Man, but her home port is Bangor, Wales, right across the Irish Sea. Do you get the impression you're entangled in the Celtic fringe of the British Isles?  It's a region where Welsh, Manx, and Irish lilts lap the ears as surely as waves on Muir Éireann lap the shores of Cymru and Ellan Vannin. [2011]

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

What contribution does public art make to the landscape of Kings Cross? For some, 'Stones Against the Sky' makes no contribution: far too abstract. For others, it's visual relief: a forest of spheroids in a land of boxes and slabs. For still others, it's an invitation to smile: a.k.a. "Poo on Sticks." [2011]

Tlaquepaque, Sedona, Arizona, USA

Right outside Sedona, Arizona, is Tlaquepaque, an ersatz pueblo devoted to the arts. The American Tlaquepaque was modeled on the Mexican Tlaquepaque. In the arts world, Tlaquepaque is a name that sells.  Say it again:  Tla - kay - pa - kay. [2009]

Tlaquepaque, Jalisco, Mexico

Created by Sergio Bustamante, the pillow-head characters seem to pop up in all the well-healed areas of Jalisco, including the pueblo of Tlaquepaque, perhaps the most well-known 'arts town' in Mexico. To the cultural landscape, the pillow-heads add irresistible whimsy. [2008]

London, England, UK

Little more than a hundred years after the Roman legions began the conquest of Britain, Budicca led a Celtic uprising against Roman authority.  Although she was London's enemy, the city today honors her with a statue along the Thames. Would you guess from the sculpture that she was anything but a Roman herself? [2009]

Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Iconic: That's what you would call a statue like this. The hula dancer has come to be a symbol of Hawaii itself. But, why? What is it about Hawaii that she personifies? Or, is the whole thing just another example of women being stereotyped? [2011]

Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

It's National Wildlife Week. Let's hear it for the Indian Rhinoceros! That coat of armor protects him well from natural predators, but not from homo sapiens. With 3,000 left in the wild, the Indian rhino is classified as 'only' vulnerable. Let's say shukriyaa to the Cincinnati Zoo for helping to stave off an endangered designation. But where's his horn? [2013]