Palm Trees by Donalee Nelson (diptych)
Happy
Holidays
Happy Holidays from California.
This is one of the nicest times of year here even though we don’t have the seasonal changing of color there are more subtle differences. The weather is
lovely and since this is the beginning of the holiday season we want to wish
everyone a great start to the holidays and a New Year full of peace, joy,
health and happiness.
Highlights
Tis the season for Rodin
exhibits. The prolific sculptor died 100 years ago. In order to celebrate his
genius many museums are featuring shows dedicated to him. There is only one
museum outside of France that houses Rodin’s art exclusively and that is in
Philadelphia at the Rodin Museum. Museums honoring the ground breaking artist
this season include the San Francisco Legion of Honor, the Art Institute of
Chicago, the Brooklyn Museum and the Metropolitan Museum in New York. As you
scroll down you will find more information on all of these shows.
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
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.
The Laguna Museum features California Mexicana: Missions to Murals,
1820-1930. Part of the LA/LA project, the exhibit is in house through
January 14, 2018. Art works from both sides of the border comment on the
history of the state so check out www.lagunaartmuseum.org
and learn more about this exhibit.
Highlights of the
Permanent Collection celebrates the Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s 75th
anniversary. The exhibit features some of the museums 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 Siquerios 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. Ongoing at the museum is Rodin
and His Legacy. Rodin was the most influential sculptor of the 19th
Century. The installation examines the artist’s innovative spirit. 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 opens
November 10, 2017-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. Beginning in
December through March 5, 2018 the Norton Simon will host Rembrandt: Prints “of a Particular Spirit”. This show covers
the 1630’s where the artist was at the zenith of his print making skills. A
wide variety of his work ranging from portraits to landscapes will be on
display. I will never forget seeing Rembrandt’s self portraits in sequence.
They were so incredibly touching and brought tears to my eyes. For more on
these two shows go to www.nortonsimon.org
and get information on upcoming exhibits.
Wow! Now at the Los Angeles
County Museum of Art is an exhibition of Chagall’s designs for four stage
productions. Chagall: Fantasies For The
Stage opened July 31 of this year and goes through January 7, 2018. Much
of the artist’s work was inspired by music and dance. He collaborated with the
Ballet Russes on set design in 1911 and created murals and theatrical
productions for the Moscow State Jewish Theater in the 1920s. He continued to
design sets and costumes for ballets in the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s. Showcased at
LACMA are four productions for the stage including the 1942 production of Aleko with music by Tchaikovsky, The Firebird by Stravinsky in 1945, Daphne and Chloe by Ravel in 1958 and
Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute in
1967. Included in this show are the artist’s costume and set designs on paper,
documentary footage of original performances as well as many of Chagall’s
paintings. Also at LACMA 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 show how
California and Mexico influenced each other in design and architecture. It runs
from September 17 – April 1, 2018. More information is at www.lacma.org about these exhibits.
Currently at Getty Center in
Los Angeles is Happy Birthday, Mr.
Hockney which ends November 28, 2017. In celebration of the artist’s 80th
birthday the museum has put together a collection of Hockney’s self-portraits
spanning 65 years. Also included are several of his photo collages and
featuring the iconic Pearblossom Hwy,
11–18thApril 1988, #2. What a treat for Hockney fans and those just
discovering this artist. Meanwhile, the wonderful Getty Villa on Pacific Coast
Highway is undergoing some changes. It is still open but some galleries will be
closed. Roman Mosaics across the
Empire will be on view until January 8, 2018 and covers the 2nd
through the 6th centuries A.D. featuring work from Italy, North
Africa, Southern France, Turkey and Syria. Information at www.getty.edu will fill you in on what is going
and 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. Upcoming is Something Resembling Truth from February through May 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 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 Klimt & Rodin: An Artistic Encounter
through January 28, 2018. This exhibit was conceived to mark the centenary of
each artists death, Rodin in 1917 and Klimt in 1918. Even though they met only
once (at the Beethoven Exhibition in Vienna in 1902), this exhibit strives to
examine the connections between them and their influence on the art world. The
exhibit which is the first survey of Klimt’s work in California, also takes advantage
of the Legion of Honor’s vast holdings of Rodin sculptures. 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. Coming up
on November 18 through March 25, 2018 is a retrospective, Robert Rauschenberg: Erasing the Rules. It 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. Currently through January 15 is Andrew Wyeth: In Retrospect. The
show features 110 paintings and drawings in celebration of the anniversary of
the artist’s birth 100 years ago. Mr. Wyeth was influenced from an early age by
his father, illustrator N.C. Wyeth and by the film The Big Parade which he watched over and over. This is a
comprehensive exhibit and there are interesting videos on the museum website. Go
to www.seattleartmuseum.org
to obtain more information.
The
Museum of Fine Arts Houston hosts The Glamour and Romance of Oscar de la
Renta. The exhibit, which is up through January 28, 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.
Now at the Clyfford Still Museum in Denver is Still & Art which ends
January 21, 2018. Still said that he was not influenced by anyone, however, he
had great knowledge of international art history. This exhibit shows how he
channeled these influences into his own work which makes it a very interesting
show. Check out www.clyffordstillmuseum.org
for all the details
Make Room for
Color Field
is a continuing exhibit at the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City, Missouri through
December 31, 2018. The installation consists of 4 works by the most prominent
painters of this genre, Helen Frankenthaler, Jules Olitski and Morris Louis. Through The Eyes Of Picasso will
be on view through April 8, 2018. This exhibit focuses on the impact of Oceanic
and African on the artist’s work and includes many of the objects he collected
which inspired him. The museum’s website at www.nelson-atkins.org
will provide more information.
The Art Institute of Chicago is hosting Rodin: Sculptor and Storyteller
from November 3 – March 4, 2018. This promises to be an amazing exhibit. Many
museums are celebrating the 100th anniversary of this artist’s
death, however, this show has amassed work from friends, colleagues and
collectors. Along with the sculptor’s own bronzes, marbles and drawings, the
work, photos and prints of many of his friends will be displayed also. Rodin
and Monet were lifelong friends as was Matisse. For the first time Rodin’s Walking Man will be displayed next to
Matisse’s Serf which was inspired by
Rodin’s sculpture. More details are at www.artic.edu
for these fascinating exhibits.
for these fascinating exhibits.
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 include 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 decent made to the history of American Art. The galleries will also
feature changing exhibits so check out www.nmaahc.si.edu
for information.
At the other end of the spectrum and also in
Washington D.C is Hillwood Estate Museum and Gardens, the final home of
Marjorie Merriweather Post. She was a collector and in this case it is her
jewelry collection that is on display. Spectacular
Gems and Jewelry will be exhibited through the end of 2017. It includes
jewelry from Cartier, Verdura and Harry Winston among others. It is truly one
of the most comprehensive collections of fine jewelry of the 20th
century. If you are a lover of jewelry www.hillwoodmuseum.org
will give you information and show some of her amazing pieces of eye candy.
Monet: Framing Life centers around the only painting by Monet owned by
the Detroit Institute of Art and is up until March 4, 2018. Rounded Flower Bed was painted during
the artist’s stay in Argenteuil between 1871 and 1878. This period was
particularly productive as he was in the company of many forward thinking
artists such as Renoir. At this point the Impressionists were formed. The show
features other works done during this period and places this painting in
context with other of Monet’s work. Also at the DIA is Church: A Painter’s Pilgrimage which runs through the middle
of January 2018. Known for big landscapes of North and South America Frederic
Church was no starving artist. In fact he was the most successful painter in
America in the middle of the 19th century. In the late 1860’s he
visited the Middle East and the Mediterranean where he concentrated on human
history through the late 1870’s. This exhibit brings together his most
important paintings of the Middle East, Athens and Rome. For more information
check out www.dia.org and get all the
information on these two exhibits.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art
has got it going on with Marcel
Duchamp and the Fountain Scandal which runs through to December 3. One
hundred years ago this object changed the course of modern art. Included are
many of the artist’s readymades as well as period photographs and publications.
Philadelphia also has the Rodin
Museum on site, the only museum dedicated to the father of modern
sculpture outside of France. Check it out and see more about Rodin in the
centennial year of his death. Inside
Out sounds like a wonderful experience as the museum places replicas of
well-known work from its collection in various neighborhoods throughout the
city so get outside and enjoy works by artists such as Van Gogh, Monet’s waterlillies
or Brancusi’s The Kiss. Until the
beginning of December have lunch on Main Street and be transported to Paris. By
the way, the museum has the largest collection of Brancusi sculptures in the
United States. All of these exhibits are described on the museum website at www.philamuseum.org with more information
about other show as well.
Upcoming at the Albright-Knox
Museum in Buffalo, New York is Matisse
and the Art of Jazz which begins January 20,2018 and 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.
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.
Now open
at the Museum of Modern Art in New York through January 28, 2018 is Louise Bourgeois: An Unfolding Portrait. Known as a sculptor, this exhibit highlights her prints, books and the creative
journey of the artist. Many of the works on display are on loan and have been
seen only infrequently. They will supplement the museum's collection of her
work. Also at MoMA is an exhibit of the works of Dada and Surrealist artist,
Max Ernst. Max Ernst: Beyond Painting
is open through January 1, 2018 with emphasis on his experimentation. Featured
are 100 works from the museum’s collection with the book of aquatints newly
acquired at its center so go to www.moma.org
for more information.
Mark you calendars for an
upcoming show in Brooklyn. Opening in November and 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 November 3, 2017 –
February 16, 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 Brancusi, one of the most
important sculptors of the 20th century. The Guggenheim started
collecting his work in the 1950’s and it is their impressive collection that is
on display through the spring of next year.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
in New York has several stunning shows coming up this fall. Currently at The
Met Fifth Avenue is yet another Rodin exhibit. Rodin At The Met ends January 15th and is at the
Fifth Avenue venue. Iconic sculptures such as The Thinker and the Hand of
God are featured. Art by his friend and contemporary, Monet is also
included along with several other contemporary artist. Michelangelo: Divine Draftsman & Designer opens November
13-February 12, 2018 at The Met Fifth Avenue. Il Divino, as he was known,
because of his mastery of drawing, design, sculpture, painting and architecture
comes to The Met with 128 drawing, 3 marble sculptures and many works by other
artists for context. Edvard Munch:
Between the Clock and the Bed will be on view at The Met Breuer from
the middle of November through the beginning of February 2018. The exhibit
covers six decades of the artist’s work and includes 43 of his works, many of
which have never been seen in the United States. In time for the holidays and
running through February 25, 2018, David
Hockney will open at The Met Fifth Avenue. This major retrospective and
only North American venue covers the artist’s work dating back to 1960 and
features current work as well. Information on these wonderful shows can be
found at www.metmuseum.org as well as dates and
times.
Open currently at The Boston
Museum of Fine Arts and running through July 1, 2018 catch. 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
along side 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. One of my favorite artists, be sure and look at www.mfa.org. to find more information.
Matisse in the Studio is coming to an end! You still
have a little time as the exhibit ends November 12, 2017 at the Royal Academy
of Arts in London. It is the first exhibit to examine the artist’s personal
collection of objects and their importance in his art. Included are 36
paintings and 26 drawings as well as bronzes, cut-outs, prints and an
illustrated book by the artist. Many rare works are included and many come from
personal collections. It is a wonderful show! At this moment Something Resembling Truth
featuring more than 100 works by Jasper Johns is on display until December 10,
2017. The show explores the artist’s sixty year career and includes many of his
most iconic works and several that have never been seen. It then moves to the
Broad in Los Angeles. Although the exhibit has closed, there is a great video that came out of this show, Monet and the Post Impressionists. So many artists have found inspiration in their gardens. Now there is a video available, Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse. Find out more by visiting www.royalacademy.org.uk.
Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion is currently at the Victoria
and Albert Museum in London until February 18, 2018. The Spanish designer was
known for his architectural approach to fashion. The show features over 100
pieces. The museum has scheduled many special events around this exhibit;
including some on pattern making and one on how to make a Balenciaga broach so
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 next 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
next spring is an exhibit of Picasso’s work in 1932. I am looking forward to an
amazing show. 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.
Picasso And Maya: Father And Daughter is now
at the Gagosian Paris through December 22. Maya was his oldest daughter and his
child with his mistress Marie-Therese Walter. She was the subject of more of
Picasso’s artwork than any of his other children. This exhibit is curated by
his granddaughter, Diana, and she has included drawings, films, poems, letters,
photos and small paper cut outs that her father made for her. This is truly a
special exhibit and one that any Picasso fan must see. Of course, more
information is available at www.gagosian.com,
the gallery’s website.
Degas, Danse, Dessin. A Tribute to Degas with Paul Valery is at
the Musée D’Orsay in Paris from November 28 through February 2018. Degas died
100 years ago and the museum is paying tribute to the artist with this show.
Degas and writer Valery were friends for over 20 years. Valery wrote about the
painter’s work reflecting on Degas' personality and his creative process. 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’s
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
Did you know that a trip to
Catalina Island and back is free if you go on your birthday? …
if you are willing to wear a
ribbon declaring you to be the birthday person many freebies are available. Currently
the museum hosts Chihuly at the
Catalina Island Museum, a show of the glass master’s works, and on
Thursdays from 6:00 to 9:00 pm the museum illuminates his glass sculptures for Chihuly at Sunset. The exhibit
runs through December 11. To check out this amazing venue www.catalinamuseum.org will supply the
answers.
If you have never been to
Hearst Castle or want to see it again, Christmas is the time to go. From the
end of November until the end of December the castle is decked out in all its
splendor for the holidays. Go to the website at www.hearstcastle.org for all the
information and to buy tickets.
Addendum:
Autumn in Southern California
Exploring Latin American and
Latino art and in conjunction with the Getty, the southland hosts multiple
venues featuring this artwork. What a great concept that allows us to see a
wide spectrum of these pieces! LA/LA focuses on various themes so you can
curate your own tour of these works so go to www.pacificstandardtime.org for
information. These exhibitions are set up through January 2018.
