Julia & the Pink Almond Tree, by Donalee Nelson
Valentine’s
Day and How it Grew
As with so many other holidays there is a religious
component to Valentine’s Day, also known as Saint Valentines Day. There are
several martyred saints associated with its beginnings however, the most often
repeated story was of a Saint Valentine who officiated over Christian weddings
within the Roman Empire. Just before he was executed he performed a miracle and
restored sight to the jailer’s blind daughter, Julia. Legend states that he
wrote a letter to her before his execution and signed it “Your Valentine.” She,
in turn, planted a pink almond tree next to his grave. The pink almond tree
stands for abiding love and friendship. The February 14th date of
celebration was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD in honor of the
martyred saint. It was not until Chaucer’s time in the 14th Century that
Valentine’s Day became equated with romantic love through his poems. It was a
period of courtly romance when love birds, roses are red and violets are blue, keys
to someone’s heart and flowers were popular. Of course, retailers and card
companies knew a good thing when they saw it, so the holiday has grown and
gifts of candy, flowers and cards have become a mainstay.
Highlights
At the
Fashion and Textile Museum in London
Dame Zandra Rhodes at her recent appearance at Arcana Books
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
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. The exhibit runs through January 19, 2020. Also at
the museum is Esther Williams: The
Swimming Queen of the Silver Screen which is up through March 8, 2020.
The exhibit traces her life and includes costumes, never before seen home
movies, photographs, and memorabilia. The movie Jupiter’s Darling was filmed on the island so is prominently
featured in the show. Check on these and future exhibitions at www.catalinamuseum.org and find more information.
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. Beginning 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.
This exhibit is a special treat but it ends January 19, 2020. On the horizon is
a very special show. Inside the Walt
Disney Archives: 50 Years of Preserving the Magic opens March 7,
2020 and runs through August 30, 2020. On display are more than 400 items such
as costumes, original artwork, and props. Included are sketches for Fantasia and maquettes from Frozen. 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.” It ends March 2, 2020. Opening January
15, 2020 through May 18, 2020 the museum comes together with many institutions
worldwide to celebrate the life of Renaissance artist Raphael. Raphael 2020 commemorates the
500th anniversary of the artist’s death. The exhibit centers around
Raphael’s painting Madonna and Child with
Book, which dates from around 1502-03. To learn more about these exhibits
go to the museum website at www.nortonsimon.org where
you will find information on these and other exhibits.
Among many exhibitions on view
currently at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is Rufino Tamayo: Innovation and Experimentation, which is on view through July
11, 2020. It focuses on his graphic work known as Mixographs and covers his 60
year career. Known as one of the great Mexican painters of the 20th
century along with Rivera, Siquerios, Orozoco and Kahlo, Tamayo was inspired by
Mesoamerican sculptures and they are represented here with works from the
museum’s own collection. At the same time artist Raul Baltazar will continue to
work with students from Charles White Elementary School creating an original
art installation based on Tamayo’s work. 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 on line 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. Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power 1963-1983 is
at the museum as well and is up until March 15, 2020. Organized by the Tate
Modern, the show focuses on art made by Black artists over the span of two
decades when issues of race came to the fore. 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. Beginning March 5, 2020 the museum hosts Georgia O’Keeffe: Abstract Variations.
This exhibit will focus on her early work in the 1920s and ‘30s and is centered
on her masterpiece, Music, Pink and Blue,
No. 1. The museum brings together loans from the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in
Santa Fe as well as articles from the Whitney in New York and promises not just
her paintings and drawings but photographs by Stieglitz. It is open for viewing
until June 28, 2020. 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 in
order 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. As one exhibit closes
another begins January 17 – April 26, 2020. The third installment of the
artist’s early work, The Early Years:
Clyfford Still in Canada, 1920-33 covers the period when his family
moved to Bow Island and then later relocated in Killam, Alberta. Bow Island is
subject to sharp changes in weather, but Still’s work here does not reflect the
harshness of the weather or terrain but instead focuses on large atmospheric
studies. Killam was north and had more promising farm conditions. Still
continued to paint the fields around his family farm but added a nod to
architecture such as grain silos and his color palette brightened. Still was
one of the earliest and foremost color field painters as well as a wonderful
teacher. The museum has done an excellent job chronicling his life and work. 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. The tintype is magnetic and two dimensional, while the
daguerreotype is more magical and can be seen only 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 has also done something great and is hosting an exhibit about the
process. Most museums now check to make sure the art they purchase or accept
has not been stolen.
Discriminating
Thieves: Nazi - Looted Art and Restitution also ends January 26, 2020
so you still have time to see it. It is a well known fact that the Nazi’s
looting of artwork during WWII was unprecedented. Many of those who suffered
were Jewish as they were not allowed to own property. Many pieces were returned
by the Allies, however because of the chaos or war, many were not returned and
are lost to this day. The Nelson Atkins did some detective work of its own and
found pieces in their collection that had been stolen. These were returned to
their original and rightful owners. The museum then acquired them legally and
these paintings are on display. 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.
Beginning February 8, 2020 the Detroit Institute of Arts will
host Guests of Honor: Frida Kahlo and
Salvador Dali. This show, which runs through September 27, 2020, will
prove to be very special since the artwork of Kahlo and Dali will be installed
adjacent to Diego Rivera’s Detroit
Industry murals from 1932-33. The murals are magnificent and will add to
the appreciation of the artist’s creation of a subjective surrealistic
world of myth, dream, mirage and magic. Opening a week later on February 15, 2020 is From Bruegel to Rembrandt: Dutch and
Flemish Prints and Drawings from 1550 to 1700. The show, on view
through July 26, 2020, is from the museum’s collection and features more than
70 works on paper by these artists .Check the museum website at www.dia.org to find information on these shows
and its collections.
Everything is Rhythm: Mid-Century Art and Music is at
the Toledo Museum of Art until February 23, 2020. This multisensory exhibit looks
at the relationship between art and music. It pairs 20th century
abstract paintings with musical compositions to shed light on the connections
between the two. Paintings by Hans Hofmann, Victor Vasarely, Willem de Kooning,
Josef Albers and Larry Poons are some of the featured painters. For further
information go to www.toledomuseum.org and
see photos of the exhibit.
The Smithsonian in Washington D.C. is a
large institution with 11 museums and galleries including a National Museum of
African American History and Culture, an African Museum, a Museum of American
History, an Air and Space Museum, an American Indian Museum, a Visual Art
Museum, the Cooper Hewitt, the Hirshhorn and a National Zoo among others. The
Cooper Hewitt (part of the Smithsonian but located in New York’s Upper East Side),
is our country’s only museum dedicated to historic and contemporary design. The
Hirshhorn boasts a wonderful sculpture garden and 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. Currently it is displaying Marcel Duchamp: The Barbara and Aaron Levine Collection in
honor of a recent gift of over 35 seminal works by the artist. This is the
first of a two-part exhibit and is on through October 12, 2020. The second part
begins April 18, 2020 and will run concurrently with the first show. 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
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. Opening on February 16, 2020
and running through June 14, 2020 is Raphael
and His Circle. Joining in on the 500th anniversary of his
death, the Gallery will display 25 prints and drawings. Nine works of art will
be by his closest followers including Caravaggio. Five paintings by the master
will be on display and 10 engravings are included. 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. 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. Natural
Beauties: Exquisite Works of Minerals and Gems is on display February
15 – June 7, 2020. Included are close to 100 pieces either from Hillwood’s
collection or on loan. The exhibit will focus on the history and beauty of the
precious stones. 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 recently returned home. They have been reinstalled in the Duchamp Galleries and will be on
view until December 31, 2030. Off the
Wall: American Art to Wear is on display through May 17, 2020. This
American movement started in the ‘60s and used new materials and methods to
create works designed around the body. 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 will keep you up to date with 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. A new
exhibition commences on February 20, 2020. Madame
D’Ora traces the life of this Viennese portrait and fashion
photographer during the many phases of her career. In the ‘20s she created a
stylish Art Deco studio in Paris and counted Picasso, Josephine Baker, and
Collette among her many models. She later survived the Holocaust. This is the
largest show of her work to be seen in the United States. Go to www.neuegalerie.org for the scoop on this show.
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. Also 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. If you have ever looked at antique
jewelry I’m sure you have seen mourning jewelry or maybe you have inherited
some pieces. Very popular during the Victorian era, hair or mourning jewelry
was composed of a lock of hair encased in a piece of jewelry to serve as a
momento of a loved one who has passed away. Life Cut Short: Hamilton’s Hair and the Art of Mourning Jewelry
is on exhibit through May 10, 2020. The show contains about 30 bracelets,
earrings, brooches and other articles of hair jewelry. Highlights of the
exhibit are pieces of hair jewelry belonging to Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr,
and John James Audubon as well as one designed by Tiffany. 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. In Pursuit of
Fashion: The Sandy Schreier Collection continues until May 17, 2020.
The collection is a gift to the Met and this exhibit features more than 80
examples including French and American couture and pret-a-porter as well as
accessories and illustrations. 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 this 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 this 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
Brancusi, 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.
You will have to hurry if you
want to see the current exhibit John
Singer Sargent: Portraits in Charcoal at the Morgan Library and Museum
in New York City. 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 meant 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.
African Arts-Global Conversations seeks to place African
art in an international historical context. The exhibit features 33 works and
shows shared themes and ideas and how they developed in different parts of the
world. The show, which runs February 14 – November 15, 2020, contains many pieces
that have not been exhibited before. 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. Also at the Boston Museum of Fine Art through May 3, 2021 is Women Take the Floor which seeks
to fill in the gaps where women have been excluded in art history with a focus
on the 20th Century. The exhibition has been divided into various
sections including Women on the Move: Art and Design in the 1920s and ‘30s, No
Man’s Land and Women of Action among others. Please be sure and look at www.mfa.org to
find more information and continue to check so you don’t miss anything.
Golden Prospects: California Gold Rush Daguerreotypes moves
to the Peabody Essex Museum from the Nelson Atkins Museum on April 4, 2020. It
will be on view through July 12, 2020. One place to find more information is www.pem.org or go
to the paragraph on the Nelson Atkins in this blog 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 ‘60s 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. Collecting Photography: From Daguerreotype to Digital is
going on until September 4, 2020. Featured are highlights from the museum’s own
collection which includes a range of processes, daguerreotypes and digital
images. 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 displays
by 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. Titian: Love, Desire, Death
begins March 16 and runs until June 14, 2020. In 1551 the artist was
commissioned to paint a group of canvases based on Classical myths. After four
centuries all six paintings are back together again. They travelled from
Boston, Madrid and London and depict moments of high drama. Find more details
at www.nationalgallery.org.uk when
you look for information.
Around the city of Paris
visitors are queueing up to see several 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 to check out this website. At present Moderne
Maharaja is on view at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs. 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 Musee d’Orsay
in Paris. Degas at the Opera is
on through January 19, 2020. The Musee 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 Musee 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 three tapestries of G
uernica
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. Did you know that Pismo Beach has a Dinosaur Cave? Apparently in
the ‘40s a concrete brontosaurus stood at the base of the sea caves as part of
a tourist attraction. The main cave subsequently collapsed and now access is
only available through the ocean in kayaks. Tours are available so if you are
interested in guided tours of Shelter Cove try www.pismobeach.org. 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.
Further south in Long Beach, CA
where the Queen Mary is docked, an onboard exhibit has recently opened. The Cunard Story traces the
history of the line and its various ships. The Queen Mary sailed for the first
time in 1936. The exhibit is replete with photographs, table settings, menus,
and officers’ uniforms. Many celebrities sailed on these ships, Gary Cooper and
Greta Garbo among them, so there are photos of these guests. Most important was
the role the Cunard line played in transporting thousands of Jewish refugees
fleeing Nazi Germany in the 1930s. Look for tickets at www.queenmary.com as
well as more information.
January 17-18 the Sunken
Gardens in Atascadero, CA hosts its Tamale
Festival. There is a Tamale Eating Contest, folklorico dancers, dancing
horses, and a Mariachi Band. Get in touch with www.visitatascadero.com and find the answers to your
questions.
The Gene Autry Museum of the
American West in Los Angeles is the place to find An Art Exhibition and Sale which begins February 8-March 22,
2020. On view will be paintings and sculptures by contemporary artists. Check
out www.theautry.org for all you need to know.
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