I am happy to have writer/producer Shirley Neal as a guest writer for this installment. She shares this inspirational story of survival and hope through art. Enjoy!
UGANDA-BASED “DANCE OF HOPE” LAUNCHES LONG AWAITED NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
Some of the most exquisite music to come out of
Africa has emanated not just from the big stages and music festivals, but
from an orphanage in a remote Ugandan village. There, a small group
of children—displaced from their homes with only the clothes on their
backs, and instruments in hand—were trained to create music and dance that
touches the soul. Today, their stage art serves as a platform
to celebrate life and explore African history, culture, and the continent’s vibrant
arts. World-renown Ugandan singer and multi-instrumentalist, Kinobe
(pronounced chi-no-bay), is credited with mentoring and nurturing
their talents. “Their music was their only voice and light,” he shares.
“Many of the children have been through the most horrific life experiences
with no love or support from family. Most lived in poverty, yet they
were making such beautiful music that the world would have otherwise
never known.” In them, Kinobe saw the hope that he had while growing up in
an impoverished community. He believed that with his help they too could
be transformed by the power of music. With regular training
sessions at the M-Lisada orphanage, he nurtured them to perfect their
talents in music as well as dance. Two years later, Kinobe teamed with
M-Lisada founder, Segawa Bosco, and Ukranian-born real estate investor
and property developer, Dima Itskovich to form DANCE OF HOPE.
The non-profit performing arts organization uses the primal
transforming power of music, dance and storytelling to educate
and empower young people to become independent global citizens and improve
life quality in impoverished communities. February 2018, the touring
arm of DANCE OF HOPE launched the first leg of its long-awaited North
American tour. From the very first drumbeat, and for 45 minutes to 1½
breathtaking hours, audiences are transported on an exhilarating journey
to Africa like they’ve never experienced before. The costuming is
traditional. The instruments are authentic and handmade. The music is a
harmonious fusion of rhythms from East, West, South, and North
Africa. Throughout the interactive performances, members of the DANCE
OF HOPE ensemble—ranging in ages from 9-17—share their triumphant human
turnaround stories to show how music and dance gave them hope and
resilience to survive and affect change. It was Nelson Mandela who
once said, “The curious beauty of African music is that it uplifts
even as it tells a sad tale. You may be poor, you may have only a
ramshackle house, you may have lost your job. That song gives you
hope.” DANCE OF HOPE is a testament to his words. Through their
performances, they inspire people from all walks of life to achieve
greatness. As an added treat, Kinobe—best known for his
soothing, meditative “music with a message”—performs solo ahead of each
performance with selections from his new CD, The Voice
Within. A full schedule of tour dates now through June is available
at http://www.danceofhope.com/tour.
The second half of the tour kicks off September 2018 with dates in Los
Angeles and throughout the west and east coasts. “When we’re on
the stage, DANCE OF HOPE delivers a night to remember,” Kinobe promises.
“Our children, the music, the dances, and storytelling will captivate the
entire family. The show is quite a journey—not to be
missed!” Kinobe’s “The Voice Within” CD is available on iTunes,
CDBaby.com, Amazon.com, and through Spotify. For more information and
bookings or to set up an interview contact: info@kinobemusic.com.
Like them on Facebook at: Dance of Hope.
Highlights
The
Musée Unterlinden in Colmar
France underwent a renovation and expansion in 2016. In the Alsace region, the
museum has been in existence since 1853 and is home to Gruenwald’s Medieval
masterpiece, Isenheim Altarpiece, as
well as one of only 3 tapestries of Guernica
approved by Picasso. It also has a large collection of Dubuffet artwork. At the
moment the museum is hosting a retrospective, Photographic Adventures: Adolphe Braun, which will continue
through May 14, 2018. One of the 19th century’s most influential
pioneers of the new photographic process, his prints were sold all over Europe
and North America. On display are many original prints, some never seen before,
as well as around twenty paintings and prints by Monet, Courbet, and several
other well-known artists. Also included is camera equipment from leading French
photographic collections and glass plate negatives from historic archives. As a
must see for photography fans, the museum’s website at www.musee-unterlinden.com, is very
informative.
Where
you can see my artwork
My artwork
is available at Rons. For
further information call the shop at 805.489.4747. Rons
is located at 850 W. Grand in Grover Beach a few blocks from the train station,
a golf course and the beautiful Pacific Ocean. For more information go to Rons website at www.ronsingroverbeach.com or find
him on Facebook.
Not To
Be Missed –Museum Exhibits
Catalina Island, just 26 miles
off the coast of California, is celebrating the reopening of The Catalina
Island Museum, which is hosting Destination
Paradise: 100 Years of
Catalina Advertising Design through April 22, 2018. The exhibit focuses
on methods of advertising the island as a tourist destination and covers the
years from 1880–1980. Also at the museum is Jose Guadalupe Posada: Legendary
Printmaker of Mexico as a special exhibition. The printmaker captured
daily life in Mexico from his artist’s perspective from 1889-1913 and
influenced future artists like Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Featured along
with his artwork are his original printing plates. Find out more about the
Catalina Island Museum and these shows at www.catalinamuseum.org and take a
tour.
Featured now at the Palm
Springs Museum of Art through June 18, 2018 is Grass Roots: Native American Basketry of the West. The
exhibit showcases the wonderful weaving of these Native American artists who
used native plants and roots as their medium. The museum also has a subsidiary
museum in Palm Desert known as the Galen. It is surrounded by the four acre Faye Sarkowsky Sculpture Garden
that features over ten significant sculptures surrounded by landscaped gardens.
A visit to these two venues make it worth the drive. Google the museum or go to
www.psmuseum.org for current information.
I am looking forward to Art Colony: The Laguna Beach Art
Association, 1918-1935 at the Laguna Museum which starts June 24 –
January 13, 2019. My mother and I spent many wonderful times in Laguna
wandering through the various art galleries. Many were off the beaten track.
Celebrating the centennial of the beginning of the art association in this
beautiful beach town, the exhibit features paintings by many of its founders.
If you are as anxious as I am to see it, take the time to get a preliminary look
at www.lagunaartmuseum.org and
learn more about this exhibit.
First Americans: Tribal Art From North America is at
the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana April 7–August 19, 2018. Many items come from
the museum’s own collection and cover the Arctic, the Northwest Coast,
California, the Southwest and the Great Plains. Included in the show are an
early example of a transitional Navajo First Phase Chief’s blanket, an early
Hopi Katsina doll and a rare Seri feathered kilt from Baja, California. For
many more facts go to www.bowers.org to
find some interesting information.
Highlights of the
Permanent Collection celebrates the Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s 75th
anniversary. The exhibit features some of the museum’s most well-known pieces. The
Armand Hammer Foundation has loaned some amazing Impressionist and
Post-Impressionist paintings to the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Of course, Portrait of Mexico Today, painted by David Alfaro Siqueiros while
living in political exile in Los Angeles in 1932, has a home in the front
façade of the museum. It is intact and is in a protected spot. We are so lucky
to have it. Crosscurrents: The
Painted Portrait in America, Britain, and France, 1750-1850 runs
through May 27, 2018 with its companion show, Crosscurrents: American and European Portrait Photographs, 1840-1900.
The first canvases the paintings that were done for prominent clients before
the invention of the photograph. The second covers the early skills of portrait
photographers. Check online at www.sbmuseart.org/
for more details.
Taking Shape: Degas as Sculptor is at the Norton Simon
in Pasadena. This exhibit is culled from the museum’s extensive collection of
art work by Degas. During the artist’s lifetime he only displayed one of his
sculptures publically. Celebrating the centenary of his death, this show is up
through April 9, 2018. Degas made wax and plaster models throughout his career
and only 74 were cast in bronze. Shown here are the museum’s collection of
bronzes alongside two dimensional works by Degas. For more on this show go to www.nortonsimon.org and get information
on upcoming exhibits also.
Damien Hirst: The Veil Paintings is at the Gagosian
Gallery in Beverly Hills until the middle of April. Less outrageous than his
earlier work, the artist’s veil series pays homage to artists George Seurat and
Pierre Bonnard. Of course, more information is available at www.gagosian.com, the gallery’s website.
Now at the Los Angeles County
Museum of Art is Found In
Translation: Design In California And Mexico, 1915–1985. The exhibit
covers Spanish Colonial Inspiration, Pre-Hispanic Revivals, Folk Art and Craft
Traditions and Modernism as design parameters. It also attempts to place such
design icons as Neutra, Barragan and Charles and Ray Eames in context and shows
how California and Mexico influenced each other in design and architecture. It
runs through April 1, 2018. More information is at www.lacma.org about these exhibits.
On view until May 27, 2018 at Getty
Center in Los Angeles is Paper
Promises: Early American Photography which promises to be an
interesting survey of the origins of the process. It features albumen silver
prints, daguerreotypes and salted paper prints among others. Information at www.getty.edu will fill you in on what is going
on as well as with dates and times.
The Broad Art Foundation houses
the collection of Eli and Edythe Broad and has an amazing number of modern
masterpieces. It also hosts special exhibits. Something Resembling Truth runs from February through May 18, 2018, which features more than 100 works by Jasper Johns. The show explores the artist's sixty year career and includes many of his most iconic works and several that have never been seen in Los Angeles. This is an interesting venue and the Johns exhibit will be important. In anticipation, check out www.thebroad.org to get an early view.
Right
now ensconced at the de Young Museum in San Francisco is Revelations: Art from the African American South celebrating
the recent acquisition from the Souls Grown Deep Foundation in Atlanta. This exhibit
features 62 pieces by contemporary southern artists and will be at the museum
until April 1, 2018. Concurrent is a companion exhibit featuring work by the
quilters of Gees Bend, Alabama and prints by Lonnie Holley. Check www.deyoung.famsf.org which will have
all you need to know. The de Young prides itself in making its exhibits
accessible and has instituted a plan for people who are unable to come to the
museum whether for medical reasons, distance or finances. They have two robots that will take visitors
on a tour via the internet. Rebecca Bradley is the Accessibility Curator. You
can email her office at access@famsf.org
if this great idea is of interest.
The San Francisco Legion of Honor acts as host to Casanova: The Seduction of Europe
through May 28, 2018. It seems that he was not only a lover but a traveler.
Tales of his conquests took in a large amount of the continent and even
included a meeting with Catherine the Great of Russia. The show sets the tone
of his world in the eighteenth century by bringing together paintings,
sculpture, works on paper, furnishings, porcelain, silver and period costumes. Check
out www.legionofhonor.famsf.org
and get more information.
San Francisco seems to be the happening place at the
moment. Louise Bourgeois Spiders
is at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art until September 4, 2018. The
sculptor started this series in the ‘90s when she was in her eighties. The art
of Robert Rauschenberg is celebrated in a retrospective of the artist’s work on
view through March 23, 2018. Robert
Rauschenberg: Erasing the Rules covers the artist’s career from 1940
until his death in 2008. He worked in every medium, exploring with mud and
scavenged material. Over 150 pieces including prints, sculptures, paintings and
Combines are represented. Go to https://www.sfmoma.org
for more on this exciting show.
Ongoing
at the Seattle Museum of Art is Big
Picture: Art after 1945.The exhibit includes some amazing works by
Rothko, Motherwell, Newman, Hoffman, etc, and there are interesting videos on
the museum website. Go to www.seattleartmuseum.org
to obtain more information. Wow!!! Figuring
History: Robert Colescott, Kerry James Marshal, Mickalene Thomas is on
view until May 13, 2018. Featuring three different generations of artists who
all speak in their own way about the history of black culture…if you can’t
attend be sure to go online to get a feel of this show. The images are
stunning. I am especially partial to School
of Beauty, School of Culture and its bow to various iconic images. All are
wonderful and the interactive videos online are great!
The
Museum of Fine Arts Houston hosts The Glamour and Romance of Oscar de la
Renta. The exhibit, which has been extended again through March 18,
2018, is curated by Andre Leon Talley, long time editor-at-large for Vogue
Magazine. It celebrates the career of the designer. His family and the house of
de la Renta have cooperated in this show, which contains 70 ensembles as
examples of his work. Many of his creations were worn by celebrities. His
wedding dress for Amal Clooney, which was the last that he designed before his
death, is in this show. It is always wonderful to see great design and www.mfah.org will provide all the information.
The Clyfford Still Museum in Denver continues to present
intriguing shows. Spotlight 02: A
Study in Connoisseurship, A Newly Discovered Painting from the Yukon is
up through April 29, 2018. This exhibit takes the viewer through the vetting
process. A double sided painting was presented to the museum as a potential early
work by Still but it is undocumented. This is one of the classic mysteries in
the art world…is the artwork authentic or not? Check out www.clyffordstillmuseum.org for all the details.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City, Missouri features
Through The Eyes Of Picasso, which
is on view through April 8, 2018. This exhibit focuses on the impact of Oceanic
and African art on the artist’s work and includes many of the objects he
collected that inspired him. The museum’s website at www.nelson-atkins.org
will provide more information.
The Art Institute of Chicago is hosting Mirroring China’s Past: Emperors and Their
Bronzes until May 13, 2018. Collected through the ages by Chinese
rulers, these ornate bronzes from the second and first millennia BC were highly
prized. Unlike Greek and Roman bronzes that depicted human and animal forms,
the Chinese used these in rituals. This show brings together about 180 works of
art from the museum’s own collection, the Palace Museum in Beijing, the
Shanghai Museum, as well as from other museums and private collections in the
United States. More details are at www.artic.edu
for this fascinating exhibit.
The Smithsonian
National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington
D.C. is the culmination of over a century of work. Founding Director Lonnie
Bunch said that “The African American experience is the lens through which we
understand what it is to be an American.” The website welcomes us with its
opening words: A People’s Journey, A Nation’s Story. It is part of our national
history. The museum contains much memorabilia, including both negative and
positive. Of course, there is much history here including examples of slave
ships. However, there are more current examples, including Carl Lewis’ journey,
clothes from James Brown and Pearl Bailey, a trumpet owned by Louis Armstrong
and Chuck Berry’s red Cadillac. Items also includes some owned by Harriet
Tubman, the dress Rosa Parks was sewing when she refused to leave her seat, and
clothes designed by Geoffrey Holder for the award winning Broadway play The Wiz. Areas include a sports museum
and a visual arts museum among others. The only permanent art exhibit on the
mall will be Visual Art and the
American Experience, which focuses on the contribution Americans of
African descent made to the history of American Art. The galleries will also
feature changing exhibits so check out www.nmaahc.si.edu
for information.
Coming March 25-July 1, 2018 The National Gallery
of Art in Washington D.C. features Cezanne
Portraits. This exhibit, which is the first to feature the artist’s
portraiture, is travelling the world. It brings together 60 examples of
Cezanne’s work culled from collections around the world. It has proved to be a
wonderful show with examples at www.nga.gov
for you to enjoy.
While you are in Washington D.C you might
also want to take a look at the Hillwood Estate Museum and Gardens, the final
home of Marjorie Merriweather Post. She was a collector and her home is open
with special exhibits. The month of March has been designated Orchid Month. Currently through June 10, 2018 is The Artistic Table. The tables have been designed by current tastemakers using historic pieces. Following in June is Fabergé Rediscovered. If you are a lover of the decorative arts this is a good place to go and www.hillwoodmuseum.org will give you information and reveal some of her amazing pieces of eye candy.
On view at the Philadelphia
Museum of Art through September 9, 2018 is Design
in Revolution: A 1960s Odyssey. Featuring the museum’s collection of
Rock and Roll posters from that tumultuous time as well as a series of images
of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., this show will surely bring back memories for
many and inform others about the history of the era. This exhibit is described
on the museum website at www.philamuseum.org
with more information about other shows as well.
Currently at the Albright-Knox
Museum in Buffalo, New York is Matisse
and the Art of Jazz, which ends May 27, 2018. Matisse’s experimentation
with cut-outs is well known. Jazz is
the only book written and illustrated by the artist. The Albright-Knox has
assembled all 20 illustrated plates from the book. Also included are additional
works by Matisse. Their website at www.albrightknox.org
has some interesting video on the show.
Baya: The Women of Algiers marks the North American debut
of this artist. At the Grey Gallery at NYU from January 9 – March 31, 2018, the
artist inspired Matisse and Picasso and later collaborated with Picasso at the
Madoura pottery studio Vallauris. Her work is colorful and wonderful so check
it out at www.greyartgallery@nuy.edu
and get more info.
The New York Historical Society
has a beautiful website that you must see. At the museum itself the fourth
floor has been turned into a Gallery
of Tiffany Lamps from the museum’s extensive collection. This ongoing
exhibit features 100 lamps, many designed by women. Starting in November and
ongoing is Audubon’s Birds of America
Focus Gallery which will display watercolor models for the artist’s
work, The Birds of America. The
society also has Picasso’s Le Tricorne
on display. The painted theater curtain from the ballet was produced in 1919. Visitors
can also have a look at Ed Ruscha’s Fanned
Book from 2013. There is much to see at this great venue so check out www.nyhistory.org and prepare to be
surprised by all the wonderful historical pieces on view.
Coming
this summer to the Museum of Modern Art in New York is Constantin Brancusi Sculpture from the museum’s collection
of his work. The show runs from July 22-February 24, 2019 and features 11 of
his works as well as photos and other archival material. His use of wood,
metals and stone in his pieces set them apart so go to www.moma.org for more information.
Mark your calendars for a show
in Brooklyn. Lasting until April 2018, Rodin
at the Brooklyn Museum: The Body in Bronze celebrates the 100th
anniversary of the sculptor’s death. In yet another tribute to Rodin, 58 of the
artist’s bronzes will be on display. To learn more the museum’s website, www.brooklynmuseum.org will clue you
in about this exhibit.
Josef Albers in Mexico is open through April 18, 2018
at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. Well known for his paintings of
concentric squares, this show focuses on his work that was influenced by his
trips to Mexico. The artist and his wife made close to a dozen trips south of
the border from 1935-1967 as he was able to relate to the abstract forms he
encountered there. Feel free to check www.guggenheim.org
for information and make sure to listen to various curators talk about the
challenges of restoring Red Lilly Pads,
an Alexander Calder mobile. The museum is also featuring the work of Constantin Brâncuși, one of the
most important sculptors of the 20th century. The Guggenheim started
collecting his work in the 1950s and it is their impressive collection that is
on display through the spring of this year.
Thomas Cole’s Journey: Atlantic Crossings is at
the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York until May of this year. Considered
an American painter, Cole was born in England but immigrated to the United
States at a young age. This exhibit shows the influences of European artists
such as Turner and Constable on his work. Cole also mentored American landscape
artists Church and Durand and places him in a global context. Birds of a Feather: Joseph Cornell’s
Homage to Juan Gris is at the Met through April 15, 2018. On a trip to
the Janis Gallery in Manhattan, Cornell was taken with a work on display by
Juan Gris titled The Man at the Café.
Subsequently the artist began a new series of 18 boxes, 2 collages and 1 sand
tray dedicated to Gris. This exhibition puts together the Gris Cubist work that
inspired the series with a dozen boxes from Cornell’s work dedicated to the
artist that he called a kindred spirit. Information on these wonderful shows
can be found at www.metmuseum.org as well as dates and
times.
The Boston Museum of Fine Arts has
a remarkable exhibit to catch before it leaves July 1, 2018. Mark Rothko: Reflection. This
show features 11 of Rothko’s paintings that are placed in a contemplative
setting shown as the artist intended. Juxtaposed with paintings like Artist in his Studio by Rembrandt, and side
by side with works by other artists, the show intends to place Rothko in
context, not necessarily as an artist who broke tradition but within the
continuity of Western art. He is one of my favorite artists. Be sure and look
at www.mfa.org. to find more information.
Georgia O’Keeffe: Art, Image, Style is at
the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts through April 1, 2018. It is a
popular exhibit that moved to this venue with 50 works of art, 50 pieces of
clothing and close to 100 photos. Many of the photos are by Stieglitz but there
are some by Ansel Adams and Warhol and there are videos of Stieglitz and
O’Keeffe walking together. The place to find more information is www.pem.org and get a view of the exhibit.
Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic is at the
Victoria and Albert Museum in London until April 8, 2018. This exhibit explores
all things Winnie-the-Pooh through sketches, letters, photographs, fashion,
ceramics and cartoons. Be sure to check online to see visions of this
interactive exhibit. I am looking at my collection of Winnie-the-Pooh books as
I type and imagining what Winnie, Piglet, Eeyore and Robin are up to. When I
was in the 6th grade my teacher, Mrs. Gahagan, assigned each student
in our class to research an ocean liner company. That is how she spent her
summers…by traveling to foreign spots via ocean cruise. A few years later the
city of Long Beach bought the Queen Mary where it still sits in that harbor.
For me the prospect of an exhibit centered on that mode of travel brings back
childhood memories of a slower, more romantic era. Ocean Liners: Speed and Style is on view until June 17,
2018. It includes various objects, clothing and posters from famous ships like
the Titanic, the Queen Mary, the Canberra and the Normandie. For more
information check these out at www.vam.ac.uk
if these are of interest.
The Tate Liverpool draws from
their Artist Rooms collection to put together Roy Lichtenstein In Focus, which is on tap until the middle
of June this year. It includes 20 works by the famous Pop Artist. Especially
significant is the inclusion of the only work on film by the artist which was
completed in 1969 during a two week sojourn to Universal Studios. Coming up March
8-September 9, 2018 at the Tate Modern is the EY Exhibition Picasso 1932: Love, Fame, Tragedy. I am
looking forward to an amazing show. By the way, the Tate St. Ives is hosting Virginia Woolf: An Exhibition Inspired By
Her Writings through April 29, 2018. It features works by over 80
artists including some by her sister Vanessa Bell and Barbara Hepworth. For
more information on these exhibits www.tate.org.uk
will have everything you need to know. While you are there, check out the
amazing videos at the site about various exhibitions.
The Petworth House in Sussex is
known for its wonderful gardens. However, it hosts an important exhibit, William Blake in Sussex: Visions of
Albion. Blake resided in Sussex for three years, the only time he lived
outside of London. This show features 50 loans from such prestigious venues as
the British Museum, V&A and the Tate. This is the first time these works
have been seen together. There are also special tours of Blake’s cottage. If
you are in England you won’t want to miss this exhibit so go to www.nationaltrust.org.uk/petworth-house-and-park
for a preview. The exhibit ends March 25, 2018.
The Royal Academy of Arts in
London has gathered much of the incredible artwork assembled by King Charles I.
Charles I: King and Collector
is at the Royal Academy through April 15, 2018. His collection included works
by Titian, Mantegna, Holbein, and Dürer. He also commissioned paintings from
Van Dyke and Rubens. After his execution, his collection was sold off so this
is the first time since the 17th Century that the paintings can be
seen together. Over 100 works of art make up this show, including sculptures,
tapestries, miniatures and paintings. To see these fabulous works go to www.royalacademy.org.uk for samples
from this exhibit.
So many exciting exhibits are
coming to the Musée D’Orsay in Paris. Picasso:
Blue and Rose opens in September. In November Renoir Father and Son: Painting and Cinema will be at the
museum followed by Berthe Morisot:
Female Impressionist and Degas
at the Opera scheduled for 2019. Meanwhile at the Musée de l’Orangerie,
The Water Lilies: The American
Abstract Art and the last Monet opens April 11- August 20, 2018. One of
Monet’s Water Lilies was brought to the Museum of Modern Art in 1955 at the
time when the Abstract Expressionists were working in New York. This painting
seen in the context of paintings like Pollock’s Autumn Rhythm shows the general influence Monet had on these
American artists. The exhibit features some of Monet’s later works and about
twenty paintings by artists such as Rothko, Still, Newman, and Morris Lewis, as
well as many others. Check out www.musee-orsay.fr
if you will be in Paris for this show.
Simply
the Best:
The best place to find books on
the arts, Arcana is a very
special bookstore located in the Helms Bakery complex in Los Angeles…it is
wonderful! I have known owner Lee Kaplan for decades and his selection of books
is as superb as his taste is impeccable. Arcana: Books on the Arts is at 8675 Washington Boulevard, Culver
City, CA 90232. For information go to http://www.arcanabooks.com
or call 310.458.1499.
Michiko Jewelry Design is an
incredible jewelry store in downtown Seal Beach, CA, featuring excellent
one-of-a-kind gifts. The shop owner and artist, Carol Matsumoto, custom designs
beautiful pieces. Michiko is
at 228 Main Street. Call 563.431.3237 for more information or check www.michikojewelrydesign.com
Places
to Go, People to See
One of California’s great
architectural treasures, along with Hearst Castle to the north, The Adamson House and Malibu Lagoon
Museum is a spectacular Spanish Colonial style home overlooking the
Pacific Ocean. It was built in 1929 and most of its contents are original with
wonderful Malibu Tile work. It is open to the public Thursday – Saturday and
you can take a tour between 1-3pm. Get all the information at www.adamsonhouse.org and see some
wonderful photos of the house and grounds. My grandparents built their Southern
California home around the same time. It was a Spanish style California
bungalow and though it was much smaller and not at all elaborate, I still love
this kind of special architecture.
There is always something going
on at Hearst Castle. A new tour has been added which focuses on the art
contained in this monument. It is a two hour Art of San Simeon Tour which focuses on the acquisition of
the furniture, décor and art in the castle. This will be going on now through the
Spring and is $100 per person. The castle website, at www.hearstcastle.org, offers help with
booking a tour.
If you are on your way to
Honolulu be sure and stop by the Bishop Museum. It houses a Planetarium and is
part of NASA’s Earth Observing
Mission. The museum was founded in 1889 with the purpose of preserving
the natural and cultural history of Hawaii and the Pacific. Current exhibitions
include Holo Moana: Generations of
Voyaging and Exhibition
Dinosaur. There is much to see at this museum so go to www.bishopmuseum.org for more news from
Honolulu.
Meanwhile, in the California
desert, there is an annual art invitational going on. California’s largest
state park, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, is known for the beauty of its
spring flower proliferation. It is also home to the Borrego Art Institute in
Borrego Springs. Beginning on March 5, 2018, 15 invited artists will begin
painting outdoors and their paintings will be judged and hung in the Institute
until April 1, 2018. The 12th
Annual Borrego Springs Plein Air Invitational is one of the highlights
of the year but the BAI offers art classes and workshops through April. As a
growing cultural institution, the BAI caters to all the arts and features many
changing exhibits so go to www.borregoartinstitute.org
and get an idea of what is offered.
Addendum:
The Pasadena Museum of
California Art is dedicated to the exploring and presenting California art and
design. California is a unique state due to its landscape variations and rich
cultural mix. Currently the museum presents, through June 3, Testament of the Spirit: Paintings by
Eduardo Carrillo. Mr. Carrillo was a teacher and social activist who
helped spotlight Chicano art and culture. The museum has undertaken a project,
in association with this exhibit, to house a wonderful mural that was done in
1970 as a project for the UCLA Studies Research Center. Chicano History is a collaborative work done by artists Eduardo
Carrillo, Ramses Noriega, Sergio Hernandez and Dr. Saul Solache. This is the
first time it has been shown in 28 years. The museum is seeking donations to
help with transportation and installation costs. All in necessary information
is at www.pmcaonline.org if you would
like to learn more about the museum or if you would like to donate.
