Music legends Darlene Love, Wanda Jackson and Cyndi Lauper were on hand for the opening night of the “Women Who Rock” exhibition at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland on May 13, 2011.

The exhibit, which runs until February 2012, illustrates the important roles women have played in rock and roll, from its inception through today. Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power highlights the flashpoints, the firsts, the best, the celebrated — and sometimes lesser-known women — who moved rock and roll music and American culture forward.

More than 70 artists and fills two entire floors of the museum. The exhibit features artifacts, video and listening stations, as well as a recording booth where visitors can film a short story or moment of inspiration related to women in rock. The exhibit moves through the rock and roll eras, weaving a powerful and engaging narrative that demonstrates how women have been the engines of creation and change in popular music, from the early years of the 20th century to the present.

I just watched “Exit Through the Gift Shop” last night. The feature-length documentary, which is nominated for an Academy Award, features the work of street artists, including the elusive Banksy, who stays under the radar while working in anonymity in cities from Los Angeles to London. Street art is in a “legal gray area,” he says.

Banksy’s influence was felt on my morning hike this morning. In a pedestrian underpass leading to Huntington Beach, I discovered a newly hung art installation. The artist must have seen the film, too, I thought.

Watch the Academy Awards tomorrow, February 27, to find out if “Exit Through the Gift Shops” wins a coveted Oscar. The world will be watching to see if Banksy leaves his mark on the film industry the way he has on the streets.

Unseasonably warm temperatures in Cleveland have accelerated ice melt on Lake Erie creating potentially dangerous conditions for ice fishing enthusiasts. The U.S. Coast Guard have had 40 reports of people in danger or distress in the Great Lakes area since the first of the year and five people have died from ice-related incidents.

If you need to report someone in distress, call 911 or the Coast Guard’s Great Lakes Search and Rescue line at 1-800-321-4400.

The Gila Wilderness, New Mexico

As a photographer, I’ve come to enjoy seeing my work published in magazines. It’s a total rush to see the photographs in full CMYK glory. Imagine my surprise when the art director of New Mexico magazine told me that someone else’s photo would be used on the cover of the March 2011 issue, despite the fact that I had written and photographed the cover feature about a horse-packing trip through the Gila Wilderness. I was really hoping I’d land the coveted front page.

Then she delivered yet another blow: “The photo of you hugging Cowboy was chosen for the cover.”

PAUSE.

“Me?”

“It was more engaging than the other options,” she added.

I wasn’t quite sure how to feel. I was kinda hoping that one of my own photographs would be worthy of the cover. On the other hand, I was going to be a cover girl! I definitely didn’t see that one coming.

When I took the assignment, I was told to make sure to get a few photos of myself during the trip. On the last day of the horseback adventure, I handed the camera to my friend’s 18-year-old daughter, Nora, and asked her to snap a few photos of me with the trusty steed that had carried me through the wilderness. I embraced “Cowboy” and Nora snapped the photograph.

Now, six months later, the issue has hit newsstands nationwide, even the local Borders in Cleveland. If I were NM magazine, I’d be keeping an eye on reports from the Audit Bureau of Circulations. If my family has anything to say about it, the March 2011 issue may become the best-selling magazine of 2011 — or maybe of all time. Lady Gaga should watch her back.