Twice is nice but three is better
Recently I met a woman named
Louise. She is married to an artist and volunteers her time at the Care Center
in Arroyo Grande, California. It is a wonderful place, not only because of the
care and support patients are given by a superior staff, but because a
wonderful environment has been created. The grounds encompass a large garden
that includes many succulents which they propagate and sell from time to time.
There is also a pond with beautiful black ducks, chickens, pigs, and goats. Within
the center is a full calendar of classes and a small library. It is a kind of
community center with karaoke nights, fiestas and dinners. There are lots of
visitors and children are welcome. When Louise and I met we talked about her
husband’s new exhibit and my artwork…she helps with the garden at the center
and I am sure does much more. She tracked me down a few days later with a small
canvas in her hand. When she showed it to me I realized that it was one of my own
paintings. It was one of several that I had done of the succulents displayed
for sale at Rons. She went on to tell me this story: She hadn’t recognized my
name, but the painting had been hanging in the exercise room at the center for
some time. It seems that Louise had seen my paintings at Rons and liked them,
so she returned the next day in order to purchase one only to find that all of
my succulent paintings had been sold. A year to the day later, she went to the
estate sale of a neighbor who had died. There was my little painting among that
person’s belongings so she purchased it for the care center. I had two more small
succulent paintings on paper at home. We framed them and they were given to her
for the center. Now, due to a very kind volunteer, all three small paintings
are hanging in a very special place.
Highlights
Dame Zandra Rhodes at her recent appearance at Arcana Books on the Artso
A wonderful exhibit is currently at the Fashion and Textile Museum in London. It features the work of fashion designer Zandra Rhodes. Currently she is on a book tour and has stopped by our own Arcana bookstore in Culver City, California to speak and sign books. Zandra Rhodes: 50 Years of Fabulous is open through January 25, 2020. Dame Zandra Rhodes opened her fashion house in 1969 and this retrospective shares over 50 key looks, as well as 30 0riginal textiles. Known for her brilliant fashions, she is also a wonderful and inspiring textile designer. I have loved her work for years and am delighted to share this great news with you. If you missed her visit to Los Angeles be sure and call Lee at Arcana as he probably has the book and may even have a few signed copies for sale.
Where you can see my artwork
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
Currently at the Catalina Island
Museum is Wrigley’s Catalina: A Centennial
Celebration. It focuses on Wrigley’s first year of ownership in 1919
and how he planned to develop the island. The exhibit features photos, letters,
documents, plans, blueprints, maps, and most interesting: digitized historic
audio recordings of the Wrigley family and associates as they recount stories
about the venture. Find out more about the exhibit which runs through January
19, 2020 and the Catalina Island Museum at www.catalinamuseum.org
and take a tour. Starting June 20, 2020 the museum will present Frida Kahlo: Through the Lens of
Nickolas Muray. Muray was a friend, lover and confidant of Kahlo and
his intimate photos of her cover the period of 1937 – 1946. This is a traveling
exhibit and will be at the museum through September 27, 2020.
The Laguna Beach Art Museum is
truly a museum dedicated to collecting California art. Upcoming on February 23,
2020 the museum will feature Travels
in Mexico: Watercolors from the Gene and Diane Crain Collection. The
exhibit runs through May 25, 2020. Information about the exhibit and the museum
is at www.lagunaartmuseum.org.
If you hurry you can just make
it to see Dimensions of Form: Tamayo
and Mixographia at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, California. Fifty prints make up the exhibit. My
brother owned one of these wonderful prints by this great Mexican artist. This
exhibit is a special treat but it ends January 19, 2020. Take a look at www.bowers.org
for more facts and interesting information.
By Day & by Night: Paris in the Belle Epoque is currently
at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena. The Belle Epoque covers the years
1871-1914. Artists were inclined to capture the moment by painting fast and
loose thereby rejecting the formal guidelines of the past. The works in this
exhibit come from the museum’s own collection and “demonstrate that visual
artists participated in the inventive spirit of the age by interpreting the
everyday as something extraordinary.” To learn more about the exhibit which
runs through March 2, 2020 go to the museum website at www.nortonsimon.org
where you will find information on this and other exhibits.
Among many exhibitions on view
currently at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is Every Living Thing: Animals in Japanese Art. Highlighting
the tradition of using animals as the focus of their art, this show features
works from the 6th century to contemporary pieces. Included is
sculpture, paintings, ceramics, cloisonné, metalwork, lacquer, and woodblock
prints. Different animals are represented and numerous pieces are from the
museum’s permanent collection. Many are on display for the first time. More
information is available at www.lacma.org about
this and other exhibits.
Flight of Fancy is currently in place at the Getty Center
in Los Angeles. The exhibit focuses on The Galle Chandelier, which was created
by the artist in 1818-19. It is an extraordinary work intended to look like a
hot air balloon. Incorporated are the signs of the zodiac and a glass bowl for
goldfish. The show runs through April 19, 2020. Getty Center also has many Online Exhibitions as well as Traveling Exhibitions. Information at www.getty.edu will fill you in on what is going on as well as dates and times.
The Santa Barbara Museum of Art
has been undergoing a renovation, and a very special exhibit is planned upon its completion.
Through Vincent’s Eyes: Van Gogh and
His Sources will debut October 11, 2o2o. It will be worth the wait as
it features various artists’ works as well as literary works that influenced
him. The show will include first editions that fired his imagination as well as
paintings by Delacroix, Monet, Gauguin and artists of the Barbizon school. This
will be a major traveling exhibit. I can’t wait to see it! Highlights of the
Permanent Collection celebrates the Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s 75th anniversary.
The ongoing 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. Check online at www.sbmuseart.org/ for more details.
The de Young Museum in San Francisco offers a very special show, Moving Forward, Looking Back: Prints from the Anderson Graphic Arts Collection, which runs through February 2, 2020. Historically students have learned their trade by copying earlier artists. Included in the exhibition are works by Jennifer Bartlett, Jim Dine, David Hockney, Roy Lichtenstein, and Robert Rauschenberg. The exhibit illustrates how art by earlier masters such as Bellini, Matisse, Monet, and Picasso advanced and affected their artwork. Check www.deyoung.famsf.org which will have all you need to know. The de Young prides itself on 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.
Elemental Calder, at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, touches on how nature inspired the artist. This isn’t surprising since Calder’s mobiles are about movement as experienced in fire, water and air. There is still time to see the show since it does not leave until May 3, 2020. Visit the museum’s site at www.sfmoma.org for images and much more on their many exhibits.
Flesh and Blood: Italian Masterpieces From the Capodimonte Museum is on display at the Seattle Art Museum until January 26, 2020. Since the exhibit covers the 16th and 17th Centuries, paintings by Renaissance artists such as Titian and Rafael are joined by artists of the Baroque era. During this period the human body became the focus of artistic expression. At the other end of the spectrum is American Modernism which ends February 23, 2020. The exhibit focuses on four artists active during the early part of the 20th Century. Georgia O’Keeffe, Marsden Hartley, Arthur Dove and John Marin were featured by photographer and gallerist Alfred Stieglitz as an American alternative to what was happening in Europe and dominating the art world. Finally, continuing at the Seattle Museum is Big Picture: Art after 1945. The show includes some amazing works by various artists including Rothko, Motherwell, Newman, and Hoffman. There are many interesting videos on the museum website. Go to www.seattleartmuseum.org to obtain more information. All are wonderful and the interactive videos online are great!
Elemental Calder, at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, touches on how nature inspired the artist. This isn’t surprising since Calder’s mobiles are about movement as experienced in fire, water and air. There is still time to see the show since it does not leave until May 3, 2020. Visit the museum’s site at www.sfmoma.org for images and much more on their many exhibits.
Flesh and Blood: Italian Masterpieces From the Capodimonte Museum is on display at the Seattle Art Museum until January 26, 2020. Since the exhibit covers the 16th and 17th Centuries, paintings by Renaissance artists such as Titian and Rafael are joined by artists of the Baroque era. During this period the human body became the focus of artistic expression. At the other end of the spectrum is American Modernism which ends February 23, 2020. The exhibit focuses on four artists active during the early part of the 20th Century. Georgia O’Keeffe, Marsden Hartley, Arthur Dove and John Marin were featured by photographer and gallerist Alfred Stieglitz as an American alternative to what was happening in Europe and dominating the art world. Finally, continuing at the Seattle Museum is Big Picture: Art after 1945. The show includes some amazing works by various artists including Rothko, Motherwell, Newman, and Hoffman. There are many interesting videos on the museum website. Go to www.seattleartmuseum.org to obtain more information. All are wonderful and the interactive videos online are great!
Ansel Adams: In Our Times comes to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas on May 23, 2020 and leaves in September. Touring the American west with the photographs of Mr. Adams is inspiring. In fact, many photographers credit his work for prompting their interest in environmental causes. More than 20 pieces by these photographers will join in this show. Make sure to go to www.crystalbridges.org for information about this and other exhibits.
The Clyfford Still Museum in Denver continues to present
intriguing shows. Still Elemental
is at the museum until January 12, 2020. It is contained in five of the
museum’s skylit galleries. The first four are each dedicated to earth, water,
air, fire and Still’s work in relation to each of these classic elements. The
fifth room, the works on paper gallery, contains work in context with
Aristotle’s idea of aether. Still’s large scale colorful abstracts are intended
to be transcendent and to affect the viewer emotionally. Check out www.clyffordstillmuseum.org for
all the details.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City, Missouri is
hosting Golden Prospects: California
Gold Rush Daguerreotypes through January 26, 2020. California’s gold
rush began in 1848 with the discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill and searchers
for the precious metal descended on the state. Early photographers followed.
The daguerreotype, along with the more well-known tintype, were non-film,
non-paper photographs. While the tintype is magnetic and two dimensional, the
daguerreotype is more magical and can only be seen from certain angles. This
gathering of early photos of the gold rush informs the viewer about the
circumstances, the people, and the transformation of the American West. The
museum’s website at www.nelson-atkins.org
will provide more information.
Andy Warhol–From
A to B and Back Again is at the Art Institute of Chicago through January 26, 2020. This
exhibit offers more than 400 works by the artist and is the first Warhol
retrospective in the U.S. since 1989. For a new take on the artist visit the
museum’s site. Also at the museum is The
Impressionist Pastel. The exhibition features the work of Berthe
Morisot, Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzales, and Edgar Degas. Many Impressionist
artists favored pastels because of their immediacy. The show is up until March
8, 2020. More details are at www.artic.edu
for these and other fascinating exhibits.
The Detroit Institute of Arts is hosting Humble and Human: An Exhibition
in Honor of Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. which is a collaboration of
two great museums. Both the Albright-Knox Museum in Buffalo, New York and the
Detroit Institute of Arts are among my favorites. The exhibit, which began in
Buffalo, travelled to the DIA where it will run through January 5, 2020. Ralph
Wilson Jr. lived in Detroit and was the founding owner of the Buffalo Bills. He
was also a philanthropist. The exhibit features work by Cézanne, Degas,
Gauguin, van Gogh, Monet, and Renoir among others. Check the museum website at www.dia.org to find information on this show and
its collections.
Anila Quayyum Agha: Between Light and Shadow began
October 19, 2019 at the Toledo Museum of Art. The work of the
Pakistani-American artist fills three galleries with beautiful patterns of
light and shadow. Each exhibit centers on a different topic such as loss of
family and land, motifs found in communal spaces, and a third which won top
honors at ArtPrize 2014. For further information go to www.toledomuseum.org
and see photos of the 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. The Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden and Plaza,
also part of the Smithsonian, features a wide range of sculpture from Auguste
Rodin to more modern examples like those of Jean Arp. It is a great outdoor
space with an ongoing display of many of the finest sculptures in the world. Make
sure to check out Kusama’s Pumpkin.
The
Touch of Color: Pastels at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. is
on display through January 26, 2020. The exhibit is taken from the museum’s own
collection of these colorful but delicate examples. It includes 64 works by
various artists, many of whom were masters of this medium and some who
experimented with pastels occasionally. The viewer will find examples by Degas
and Whistler as well as Matisse and Lichtenstein. Find more details at www.nga.gov with several examples 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. If you are a lover of the decorative arts this is a good
place to go. At this time through January 12, 2020 Mid-Century Master: The Photography of Alfred Eisenstaedt is
on display. A well-known photojournalist and contributor to LIFE throughout its
history, he photographed Mrs. Post for an eighteen page spread which appeared in
the magazine’s November 5, 1965 issue. Those photos are among the fifty photos
and pieces of ephemera in this show. Bouke
de Vries: War and Pieces explores the contemporary work of the Dutch
artist and his take on the Eighteenth Century Banquet Table. He has created 7
tableaus that are inspired by the trend toward elaborate centerpieces at the
time. They are comprised of classic porcelain, sugar and modern plastic. The
exhibit is available for viewing until April 5, 2020. The museum’s website at www.hillwoodmuseum.org will give you
information and reveal some of Post’s amazing pieces of eye candy as well.
Wisconsin is celebrating the Wisconsin Triennial, so currently
at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art is a survey of contemporary art
throughout the state. Featured until February 16, 2020 are 34 artists who work
in a wide variety of mediums. For more information go to www.mmoca.org
and get a look at this various other exhibits.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art has
a vast collection of works by artist Marcel Duchamp. These works have been on
tour and have just returned home. They have been reinstalled in the Duchamp Galleries and will be on
view until December 31, 2030. Go to www.philamuseum.org to
see more information about other shows as well.
Esther & The Dream of One Loving Human Family is at
the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore through March 3, 2024. The
exhibition consists of 36 needlework and fabric collages of holocaust survivor
Esther Nisenthal Krinitz. At 15 she was in Poland in the middle of World War
II. Her embroideries were stitched as memories for her family but they are also
on display to remind all of us about the great danger inherent in demonizing
anyone. This exhibit also includes a facsimile of Esther’s farm home. The
museum website at www.avam.org will take you there.
One of my favorite museums, the
Albright-Knox Museum in Buffalo, New York, is expanding and will be closing
temporarily on November 4, 2019. It is scheduled to reopen in January 2020 with
the expansion expected to be complete by 2022. The museum’s website at www.albrightknox.org
has some interesting information and a timeline for this project.
The Neue Galerie in New York
currently is displaying the work of Expressionist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner through January 13, 2020. His use of
color is non-traditional and evolved over his career. He was able to make art
that was symbolic of his time and his works include sculptures as well as
paintings. The gallery has also devoted a room to his exquisite prints. Go to www.neuegalerie.org
for the scoop on this show and some very interesting views of his work.
The New
York Historical Society has a beautiful website that you must see. The fourth
floor of the museum 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. 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. Currently, Beyond
Midnight: Paul Revere, seeks to expand on what we know of the
silversmith and patriot. We are all familiar with the portrait in Wordsworth’s
poem and Mr. Revere’s midnight ride…”the British are coming, the British are
coming.” The exhibit, which ends January 12, 2020 features over 150 objects
that help us learn more about the man. The traveling exhibit goes next to Crystal Bridges Museum
of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. Just in time for the 4th
of July celebrations, it is on view through October 2020 so go to www.crystalbridges.org to find out
more. There is much to see at the New York Historical Society so check out www.nyhistory.org
and prepare to be surprised by all the wonderful historical pieces on view.
Epic Abstraction: Pollock to Herrera is an
ongoing exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. With over
50 large paintings, sculptures and assemblages, the show covers the 1940s
through the 21st century and has works by Pollock, Frankenthaler,
Herrera, Twombly, and Nevelson as well as abstract work by artists from
different countries. More information on these special shows is at www.metmuseum.org
so look for highlights there.
Several
interesting shows are coming to the Museum of Modern Art in New York next year.
Opening in February Dorothea Lange:
Words and Pictures is her first retrospective in fifty years and shares
many of the photographer’s images and words focused on the human condition. Judd opens March 1, 2020 and is
the first retrospective of the sculptor's work in thirty years. His work, though
using industrial materials, combines sculpture, painting and drawing. Felix Feneon: The Anarchist and the
Avant-Garde – From Signac to Matisse and Beyond opens at the end of
March. Mr. Feneon was a collector, critic, publisher, and anarchist. The
portrait that Signac painted of the influential gentleman is at the center of
this exhibit along with over 160 artworks that Feneon admired and championed.
Artists that he collected included Matisse, Signac, Bonnard, Seurat and
Modigliani. The museum website at www.moma.org has more
information.
Vida Americana: Mexican
Muralists Remake American Art, 1925-1945 is at the Whitney in
New York through May 2020. While many American artists traveled south, many
Mexican artists came to the U.S.A. and their influence on American artists was
profound. This exhibit features over 300 works by 85 Mexican and American
artists. The major Mexican Muralists, such as Orozco, Rivera and Siqueiros,
spent extended amounts of time here. In fact, we have several of these murals in
California such as the Siqueiros mural at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. By
the way, the Rivera mural in Detroit is extraordinary. For more about exhibit
go to www.whitney.org
and find much more information.
Several ongoing shows are at
the Guggenheim Museum in New York. Since the museum has an extensive collection
it is 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. Also ongoing at the museum is
the Thannhauser Collection
which features many French masterpieces by such artists as Degas and Picasso.
Don’t forget to check out other museum locations such as Bilbao and Venice.
Bilbao has a great Giacometti show as well as one from van Gogh to Picasso. Feel
free to go to www.guggenheim.org for information and make sure
to listen to various curators talk about the challenges of restoring Red Lilly Pads, as well as an Alexander
Calder mobile. Also on view is an amazing and unique Kandinsky painting which
is oil on glass…make sure to see Lion
Hunt painted in 1911.
One of the current exhibits at
the Morgan Library and Museum in New York City is John Singer Sargent: Portraits in Charcoal. It is on display
until January 12, 2020. Sargent is known for his large full-body portraits of
the wealthy. By 1907 he was tired of painting them, however, demand was still high
so he compromised and began doing portraits in charcoal. He made over 750 of
them in his lifetime. They are spontaneous and have an immediacy and freshness.
Never intended as studies for future paintings, they were intended to be autonomous
works of art. The museum has collected over 50 for this show which is the first
to focus on his work in charcoal. Many have never been seen publically before. The
museum website at www.themorgan.org has a nice video about the show
and shares a view of the exhibit.
Pierre Cardin: Future Fashion is on view at the
Brooklyn Museum until January 5, 2020. This is the first New York retrospective
of the couturier in forty years and comes directly from his archives and
atelier. Viewers will be treated to over 170 objects from his long career
including haute couture, prêt-à-porter, couture furniture, lighting, sketches,
personal photos, and excerpts from TV and film. To learn more go to www.brooklynmuseum.org
for more details.
At the moment the Boston Museum
of Fine Art is showing Mural: Jackson
Pollock/Katharina Grosse which will be on display through February 23,
2020. Juxtaposing Pollock’s largest painting with a current work by Grosse, the
exhibit shows how artwork was transformed by each artist’s original approach
and technique. Please be sure and look at www.mfa.org to find
more information and continue to check so you don’t miss anything.
A Passion for American Art: Selections from the Carolyn and Peter Lynch
Collection is at The Peabody Essex Museum in Salem,
Massachusetts. The exhibition is on view until December 1, 2019 and features a
stunning range of genres. The couple collected superior furniture, folk art, artwork
by Childe Hassam, Georgia O’Keeffe, Winslow Homer, and John Singer Sargent. The
place to find more information is www.pem.org and get a
view of this engaging exhibit.
Currently at the Victoria and
Albert Museum in London is an exhibition that focuses on the fashion revolution
that exploded in the sixties with miniskirts and hot pants. Mary Quant, named for the
designer who started it all, is on through February 16, 2020. Included are more
than 200 garments and accessories as well as pieces from the designer’s
archive. For more information check these out at www.vam.ac.uk if they
are of interest.
The Tate Britain is hosting William Blake until February 2,
2020. Blake’s work as an artist, printmaker, and poet are often challenging.
This show of over 300 of his watercolors, paintings, and prints is the first
show of his work in 20 years. The museum has issued a warning on its website
that some of his work may be offensive in that some pieces depict cruelty,
suffering, and sexual violence. It should be remembered that he worked in a
time of terror and oppression so these works must be viewed in context. Arriving
at the Tate Britain on March 4, 2020 and on view until May 25, 2020 the museum
hosts Aubrey Beardsley. The
artist, who worked at the end of the 19th Century and died at 25, produced
black ink drawings that remain very influential and inspirational. This is the
first show of his work at the Tate since 1923 and the first show in Europe
since the landmark 1966 show at the V&A. Over 300 works will be shown
including work that inspired him by the likes of Edward Burne-Jones, Gustav Moreau,
and some Japanese Scrolls. Meanwhile at The Tate Modern until March 15, 2020 is
Dora Maar. The surrealist
photographer came to the fore in the 1930s due to her provocative photos. While
she and Picasso worked together on some projects during their relationship, both
of their individual work was also affected. He immortalized her in the painting
Weeping Woman and she documented his
work on Guernica. This large
retrospective covers her long career in the context of her contemporaries. More
information on these exhibits is at www.tate.org.uk which
will have everything you need to know. While you are there, check out the
amazing videos at the site about various exhibitions and van Gogh’s Starry Night over the Rhone.
The National Gallery in London
has a very special exhibit of Gauguin’s portraits from his beginnings as a
painter through his time in French Polynesia. The Credit Suisse Exhibition: Gauguin Portraits is the first
show dedicated to these works. It brings together many portraits of the same
sitter and many of his self-portraits. Gaugin used backgrounds to add to the
personalities of his subjects and it is interesting to see the works of the
same subject in different contexts. The show is up through January 26, 2020.
Find more information at www.nationalgallery.org.uk
when you look for details.
Around the city of Paris
visitors are queueing up to see new shows at various galleries. Charlotte Perriand: Inventing A New
World is at the Foundation Louis Vuitton until February 24, 2020. It is
a survey of the architect’s career and a tribute to her modernism and vision.
More information is at www.foundationlouisvuitton.fr
so be sure and check out this website. At present Moderne Maharaja is on view at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Displaying the collection of furniture and decorative arts of the
Maharaja of Indore, the exhibit ends January 12, 2020. Their website at www.madparis.fr
will provide more information. There are many exciting exhibits at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. Degas at the Opera is
on September 24, 2019 – January 19, 2020. The Musée de l'Orangerie also has
many fine exhibits including one coming up April 1, 2020. Giorgio de Chirico: Metaphysical Paintings will be on view
until July 13, 2020. Check out www.musee-orsay.fr if
you will be in Paris for any of these shows.
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 Grünewald'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. The
National Geographic station aired the made-for-television series on Picasso’s
life which features a dramatization of the making of Guernica and how it came to be and why. I had the privilege of
seeing the work at MoMA years ago. As I got off the elevator in the museum I
came face to face with this large masterpiece. I have never forgotten the
experience. The museum’s website at www.musee-unterlinden.com,
is very informative.
Finally, a very special
exhibit opened at the Louvre this fall. The year 2019 is a significant year for
the artist Leonardo da Vinci.
He came to France at the behest of King Francois I along with a large number of
his paintings and died there in 1519 so 2019 is the fifth centenary of his
death. The Louvre holds about a third of his body of work. This exhibit will
showcase the five large paintings in the museum as well as 14 to 17 works
attributed to him and 22 drawings by the master. You still have time to see it
as it is at the museum until February 24, 2020. If you are interested the
museum website at www.louvre.fr has many
more details.
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
Come to the Central Coast of
California. We have wonderful beaches and countless wineries. You will find a
Danish village, beautiful Moroccan architecture and exotic gardens. Special
events abound. While you are here you can check out an interesting exhibit in
the Danish village of Solvang at the Wilding Museum. Celebrating the National Lands of California is a juried
show featuring art influenced by the national parks and monuments of our
beautiful state. The show will be on view through January 20, 2020. The
website, www.wildingmuseum.org has the details.
On November 2, 2020 there are
many events planned in the Southland. Between Temple and Fifth streets in Los
Angeles Grand Ave Arts: All Acess
takes place. The Music Center, the Central Library, MOCA, Center Theatre Group,
LA Opera, and The Broad among others go out on the streets or open to the
public. What a treat to experience LA’s arts and culture venues. Either check
the Metro Trip Planner or go to www.grandavearts.org
for all the info you will need. Another choice on November 2 is in Riverside,
CA when Arts in the Gardens,
Riverside takes place. A variety of California artists will be
represented and many works will be for sale. The event takes place at UC
Riverside Botanic Gardens from 10am-3pm. To plan a trip check www.gardens.ucr.edu
and find out more. San Diego has its own event on November 2, 2020. The Ramona Art and Wine Festival
is at Bengent Ranch from 11am-5pm that day. Visitors will find wine from San
Diego County as well as great food from local caterers. More than 40 fine
artists will be on hand and there will be an auction of hand-painted wine
barrels. Look for details at www.ramonaartandwinefest.net
so you will enjoy this event.
Around this time of year in
California there are many beach cities that put on festivals featuring lighted
boats. I know where I grew up, in Long Beach, the Naples district hosts a lighted boat parade every
year…check your neighborhood to find the closest one.
Hearst Castle, designed by
Julia Morgan, is beautifully decorated for the holidays so it’s a great time
for a tour. Christmas at Hearst
Castle tours begin on Thanksgiving weekend and ends on December 30.
These tours are beautiful and wheelchair accessible. The website at www.hearstcastle.org
has all the information.
Christmas at the Inns, at the Asilomar Conference
Grounds in Pacific Grove, is celebrating its 39th Anniversary. This
year it is happening December 3 – 4. The 9 Inns and the Asilomar Conference
Grounds Social Hall will be decorated for the holidays. There is a plethora of
information at www.visitasilomar.com which also has information
on other conferences and happenings and where you can make a reservation.
The Indio International Tamale Festival takes
place December 7 – 8. Over 60 food booths will be there, as well as those
filled with arts and crafts. I understand Mr. Tamale will make an appearance so
if you are a tamale and beer lover you could not find a better venue. For more
information go to www.tamalefestival.net
so you can kick off the holiday season in style.
