“Do you want to see where the devil left his mark?” asked my dining companion at The White Hart Inn in Blythburgh, a small English village that is best known for being the home of Holy Trinity (a.k.a. “Cathedral of Marshes”), a church that dates back to the 15th-century. That’s where Black Shuck, an East Anglian demon dog, is said to have terrified the congregation and left his scorching claw prints on the door. And though I was lured over by the legend, I was more impressed by all the beautiful details that went into building this parish. The Blythburgh Jack-o’-the-Clock (above, left) dates back to 1682 and announces the entry of the clergy; each bench end features a little carved figure (above, right) representing deadly sins, corporal acts of mercy or seasons; the choir stalls depict the saints and apostles (below are St. John the Baptist, St. Matthew, and St. Matthias); and the detailed roof is decorated with big wooden angels. It’s a sight to behold if you’re ever in this part of the country.

One of the highlights of my trip to Pittsburgh was walking up and down Penn Avenue on a soggy day. The Penn Avenue Arts Initiative is working overtime to revitalize an area that was once considered a no man’s land. I was able to crash an impromptu neighborhood tour and visit Modern Formations, a gallery and performance space that promotes local talent in a variety of ways (music, readings, art, you name it), and Garfield Artworks, which showcases up-and-coming bands in a raw space. I also peered inside the Glass Center and said I’d be back for a lesson. And later in the evening, I went back to the area for Unblurred, an art crawl that takes place on the first Friday of the month, and saw the dancers in motion at Attack Theatre.

My travel story on the ‘Burgh is finally up today on nymag.com. I know it may not be the first place you think of when planning a vacation but I really meant it when I said that I like Pittsburgh. Yes, it’s still a bit gritty but that’s part of its charm.

I was there for four days last month and drove all around the city (and across multiple bridges and through countless tunnels) in search of art. And not just the stuff you find at the Andy Warhol Museum or at the Carnegie Museum of Art, which are both great, but the kind of pieces that you have to dig around for by going where your GPS won’t take you.

I crossed railroad tracks, unchained fences and let myself into abandoned mills that looked like they were about to fall apart. It was in one such place that I met Tim Kaulen, who’s working on some really amazing steel sculptures of steel workers as an ode to (yes!) the Steel City. My photo doesn’t do justice to the enormity of this project but it’s all I can offer till you go see for yourself.

Philly may be most commonly known as the City of Brotherly Love but it’s also been called the City of Murals. There are over 2800 murals all over town and each is as impressive as the next.

They instantly beautify even the most rundown building or, in the case of two of the three shown here, they turn a parking lot into an outdoor gallery.

The murals began popping up in 1984 as part of a project to end graffitti. Ever since then the themes (racial unity, arts and culture, history, the seasons, etc.) have been as diverse as the artists themselves.

The one on the right is a personal favorite because of its colors and multiple layers.

As far as musicals go, Caligula is no Billy Elliot. I never saw the movie but I’m familiar with the story.

I did a double-take when I spotted this poster at a metro station in Santiago. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), I didn’t get a chance to see the show but I can only imagine what a musical based on the perverse Roman emperor would look like. I sort of hear disco music, don’t you?

Don’t expect glass-encased Manolos, Louboutins, and Jimmy Choos at the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto. The display here is about the history, culture, and function of shoes and how they denote religion, status, rites of passage, and work. Footwear ranges from tiny Chinese bound foot shoes to embellished French court–style high heels. See above for a range (clockwise, from left): the wedding shoes of Queen Victoria, a super cool roller clog, regal sandals from Africa, and the shoes of Pope Pius. Go before February 15, 2009, while On Pointe: The Rise of the Ballet Shoe is on display. All the greats (Nureyev, Pavlova, Baryshnikov, etc.) are represented. The exhibit includes a ballet bar should inspiration strike.

Check out the gold and wood trim — fancy!

It’s almost 2 a.m. in London and if you hurry you can catch a couple of drunken Brits idling by Tower Bridge thanks to conceptual artist Paul St. George, creator of an optical device called a telectroscope, which allows folks on either side of the pond to wave hello. The New York machine is at Fulton Ferry Landing in Brooklyn till June 15.

I was thinking of scheduling a “date” with some English friends that live in London but I suppose we can always just skype. Anyhoo, come see it for the novelty factor!

Wave hello!

Two art exhibits you don’t want to miss

Christian Dior outfit

The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947 - 1957
Through January 6, 2008
V&A Museum
Cromwell Road, London SW7

South Kensington Tube Station

Feel a bit more glamourous at one of my favorite museums, the V&A. Its latest couture exhibit celebrates the golden age of fashion, a period set in motion in 1947 by Christian Dior’s New Look, which glorified the female form, particularly the bust and waist. The standard was set in Paris by Balenciaga, Balmain and Fath, all of whom were renowned for their elegant designs, while London was touted for its fine tailoring and stately royal gowns. The show features a sumptous collection of afternoon dresses, cocktail dresses, evening gowns and all of the beautiful accessories (stockings, shoes, purses, perfume, jewelry, etc.) that complete each outfit. It also includes short films set on the catwalk and magazine fashion photography taken back when a copy of Harpers was merely three shillings and six pence. If you visit, don’t forget to check out the gift shop for some fun replicas.

Picasso’s “La Douleur”, 1903

Art and Sex from Antiguity to Now
Through January 27, 2008
Barbican Art Gallery
Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS

Barbican Tube Station

The Guardian has called it “the bravest and most intelligent exhibition of the year,” while a Brazilian friend simply remarked, “nothing I haven’t seen before,” about this hot exhibition covering sex in art through 2000 years. Whatever your take, it’s definitely worth a look. Over 300 provocative works — Chinese watercolors, Indian manuscripts, Baroque paintings, B&W photos and more — explore that most primal of urges. Among the erotic visuals you’ll find Warhol’s “Blowjob” video; raw images from Mapplethorpe’s X Portfolio; Jeff Koons’ Cicciolina photos; sketches by JMW Turner; and the above painting by Picasso, which is on loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it’s never been on display. Shocking!

Even better in person

Denver’s Museum of Contemporary Art still looked months away from completion a little over a week ago when we got a hard-hat tour of the David Adjaye–designed structure on the corner of 15th and Delgany streets. But the 27,000 square foot building opened yesterday as promised. Touted as a museum without a front door, the $15.9 million project is striving for gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. Features include translucent walls that pull cold air in during the summer and push it out during the winter, a rooftop topiary garden and a café that’s partnered with local producers.

Still unpacking just one week before the grand opening

The museum doesn’t have a permanent exhibit so go check out their first show before it’s gone. It’s called “Star Power: Museum as Body Electric” and features solo exhibitions by seven internationally known artists. The largest gallery is dedicated to Canadian David Altmejd who creates gasp-worthy mirror sculptures incorporating decapitated animal heads, severed limbs and other gothic elements. The large-scale installation is creepy beautiful and definitely worth the visit.

Museum of Contemporary Art/Denver, 15th and Delgany streets. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays. $10 general admission. 303-298-7554 or mcadenver.org.