Instagram 101: What Are "Feature" Accounts?

July 2, 2015, 11:28 am

≫ Next: Countdown to Zero

≪ Previous: No One Is Looking At Your Fireworks Pictures

$

0

0

At INK361.com, we live and breathe Instagram. Often discovering great photography, niche communities, unique ideas and so much more. Some of these gems are found through delightful accidents, so in these upcoming posts, we will share with you some of what we love and know in hopes of encouraging more people to discover and explore to their hearts content.

Our first "Instagram 101″ post is about "Feature" accounts, so what are they exactly? Feature accounts are very simply a gallery dedicated to a specific topic, a community or promote great photography on Instagram. Most of the time, they are curated by passionate individuals that comb through hundreds of photos a day to find you the best of the best. The features are usually selected through submitting your own photos by tagging your post with the account's dedicated hashtag. Even if your photos don't get selected to be featured on the main account, by tagging your photos with those hashtags can still lead to new people discovering your photos and spark new friendships. These accounts foster an awesome sense of community.

However, these feature hashtags should only be used on relevant posts. When people tag photos that have nothing to do with the community, it makes the job for selecting features for the account managers much harder and breaks the integrity of the community you are trying to join.

Now that the basics are covered, here are some of our favourites:

1. @passionpassport - This account features some of the best travel photos from around the globe. They also regularly run photography competitions with prizes such as trips to unique destinations, photo prints and more. Photo by @petewilliams




2. @strideby_shooters - For those who love street photography with a grand sense of scale or strong facades, this feature account is for you! The feature humans "striding by" different locations with beautiful compositions. Photo by @ryanibee




3. @rescuepetsofinstagram - Just like the name explains, this account shows off all the adorable animals that were rescued by humans and became a part of their family. While there are many pet communities on Instagram, we especially love this one because it highlights an important issue and promotes a great cause! Photo by @omgdeedee




4. @monoart - How can we possibly talk about photography without highlighting a black and white feature account? Monoart has been around for a few years now and has continued to be one of our favourites. Photo by @billsmith2315




5. @my_365 - As you may have guessed from the account name, this account is about taking a photo a day for a whole year. This community encourages people to get creative with their daily hashtag topics. It's a fun way to flex your creativity muscles! Photo by @withtheclickofabutton




6. @silhouette_creative - An account fully dedicated to beautiful silhouette photography. This feature account not only selects some of the best photos, it is also run by one of the most friendly teams in the Gramosphere! Photo by @duncanrpowell




7. @the_daily_bite_ - We all secretly (and not-so-secretly) love looking at mouth-watering photos on Instagram, living vicariously through these lucky humans. The Daily Bite makes us hungry every single time they post. Photo by @cheatdayeats




8. @wdywt - This account is perfect for sneaker lovers, showing off what they wear with the trendiest kicks around. The account stands for "What did you wear today?". Photo by @lisatelford89




9. @thepeoplescreatives - A wonderful account featuring simply the creative photos shared by Instagram users. A feature on this feed is one of the most coveted amongst followers. Photo by @remybrand



10. @justgoshoot - The team at Just Go Shoot is dedicated to discovering underrated to those that are surely going to become rising stars. Photo by @avbrot




11. @ink361 - Bonus! We are also dedicated to showcasing interesting content from around the world and with the help from our much loved ambassadors around the globe, we select features from different continents and categories. Photo by @livingitrural




Post contributed by Mandy Cai, VP of Marketing for ink361.com. Connect with her on Instagram, Twitter or Linkedin.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

---

Countdown to Zero

July 2, 2015, 12:00 pm

≫ Next: Wise Music to Soothe the Savage Beast of My Mind

≪ Previous: Instagram 101: What Are "Feature" Accounts?

$

0

0

Just before the predictable pyrotechnics of a July 4 weekend, something exploded, maybe or maybe not unpredictably. It was a rocket from SpaceX, the current version of a space-dream factory, meant to resupply the International Space Station. The Falcon 9 clears the tower. Vehicle propulsion is still nominal. It is on course and on track. Then it bursts in air.

And so it became the third such resupply mission to fail in recent months. Is it more than a failure, but also a metaphor of our times? Ambitions that, even in their smallness, can't be realized?

As with so many others of a certain generation, I was caught up in the great space adventure, the high calling. Lots of black-and-white TV images: Mercury, a demonstration project around the notion that we could launch Americans into space; Gemini, with its space-based maneuvers meant to pave the way to moonshots; and Apollo, which realized the ultimate challenge and provided the ultimate images. It was a July night in 1969, and the moon looked different. It had been brought down to Earth. The spectacle on the small screen (and it really was a small screen) featured the first pair of moon walkers, their footsteps marking the zenith of spaceflight's heroic age.

Onward (though not outward) from Apollo to the space shuttle. In its earliest phase, the shuttle seemed a natural extension -- the heroic age making way for the familiar feats of a Space Transportation System. Spaceflight would be ordinary and inexpensive.

Whatever the shuttle program accomplished, it hardly provided the cheap-and-easy avenue to space. It did provide an avenue for me to experience a space-related thrill. It was April 1981, and I was at Kennedy Space Center for the inaugural launch. I was working as a writer and editor for Lafayette College. I had discovered (after searching pretty relentlessly) an alumnus who was a member of the ground crew; this could be quite a day-in-the-life account, quite the college pride booster. So I was duly accredited as a member of the press. There were the inevitable stalled countdown clocks, the inevitable grumblings from the assembled press corps, and finally the controlled explosion.

For some reason, more than the sight of the whole contraption leaving the pad -- surprisingly tentatively at first -- I remember the roar of that blastoff. It was the sound of unworldly power. The sound of the future.

Somewhere in the outer limits of my home storage, I found an old issue of Lafayette's alumni magazine with my description of the central character of launch day: "The shuttle -- a strange and wonderful creature, with its stubby nose, delta-shaped wings, bulky fuel tank, and candle-like pair of booster rockets -- looked like an extravagant fantasy, a particularly inviting and imaginative attraction from nearby Disneyland." The shuttle seemed to be a step to something else, to the next challenging chapter of exploration, maybe a Martian venture. Instead, after the last launch, in July 2011, the surviving shuttles were allocated as museum pieces, destined to be displayed like gigantic, immobilized insects. And that was it. If the idea of humans pushing farther and farther into space was no longer a fantasy, it would feel like a closed chapter.

I have a memory from the heroic space age: shaking the hand of Neil Armstrong, a gawky and ghostly presence in that flickering TV image from 1969. Fourteen years later, in 1983, he was at Lafayette to deliver the commencement address. As it happened, my writing portfolio at the college extended to such down-to-earth events. I've since gone back to look at my published summary of the ceremony. This was Armstrong the company man, always his preferred persona, not Armstrong the adventurer.

The highest purpose of education, Armstrong told the graduates, is to enable you to give. Today I wonder: What about the gift of something to dream about? Something like space-faring? Armstrong's address must have been a debris field of clichés. Life's noblest goal is to leave the world better than you found it, he said. Ah, yes, maybe just stick with the goal of leaving the world and projecting yourself into the beyond. Wouldn't that act, in its very audaciousness, spark excitement around the world and, indeed, make it better?

I wanted poetry from the first man on the moon. Norman Mailer memorably portrayed Armstrong as the very definition of laconic. Here's Mailer quoting Armstrong's halting description -- or defense -- of the impending moonshot: "'I think we're going,' he said, and paused, static burning in the yaws of his pause, 'I think we're going to the moon because it's in the nature of the human being to face challenges.'"

Today I'm challenged to imagine what I said to that human being around that handshake. Nice job, Neil, in living out the dream? Thanks for appearing so coolly competent, so self-assured, so tranquil, as you maneuvered your way onto Tranquility Base? Oh, by the way, do you ever feel hemmed in by your earthbound life? What do you think about on a cloudless autumn night with that big, glowing moon high above you, reminding you, beckoning you, taunting you?

We no longer have space-age heroes, but we have space-age chronicles. (To say nothing of the genre of science fiction; Jules Verne's 1865 novel From the Earth to the Moon is seen as inspiring the early rocket makers.) A couple of new titles appeared this past spring. One is Beyond: Our Future in Space, whose author, Chris Impey, is a university distinguished professor and deputy head of the astronomy department at the University of Arizona. Impey imagines a bright space-based future, with space elevators replacing clunky launch vehicles, solar sails as aids to propulsion, the "greening" of alien planets, the rampant commercialization of space, and the first baby born off Earth.

Impey's earthbound discussion is just as interesting, particularly his musings on the human imperative to explore. "After tens of thousands of generations on the African savanna, we spread across the Americas in a few hundred," he writes. "This rapid, purposeful exploration of new worlds is in its way as dramatic in terms of leaving our comfort zone and embracing the unknown as our decision to leave the Earth when we developed the technology to do so." Psychologists, he tells us, have found that humans are unique in the way they connect play and imagination: After children develop the necessary motor skills, imagination kicks in, and they're led to investigate the physical environment.

It may be too much to say we're hardwired for exploration; after all, it can also be an evolutionary advantage to veer away from dangerous and disruptive thrill seeking. But there are traits that favor adventurousness, and those traits are self-reinforcing: Successful nomads encounter new sources of food; the best users and makers of tools come up with new tools and novel applications of existing tools. So are we natural boundary breakers, including the boundary that leads us into space?

It's a different story, one about retreating from rather than breaking through boundaries, that Margret Lazarus Dean tells in Leaving Orbit: Notes from the Last Days of American Spaceflight. Dean, an associate professor of English at the University of Tennessee, talks to technicians, astronauts and space enthusiasts. She is on the scene leading up to the shuttle's last days. Her book is a pursuit of this question: "What does it mean that we have been going to space for fifty years and have decided to stop?" Her answer, in part, is: "Maybe it's only a fantasy that the explorers of the past were met with better funding and smoother travels. Maybe they all had to beg for money; they all found themselves doing less than had been planned, less than had been hoped for."

Dean says it's temptingly simplistic to romanticize the past, including the heroic past of spaceflight. "When we think about the Apollo project now, we think of it as being a time when all Americans were united behind a project they could take pride in. The fact is that Americans were slowly falling out of love with Apollo right from the beginning."

Even before the first moonwalk, she points out, only about a third of Americans so loved the idea that they thought the moon project was worth the cost. At the same time, a clear majority of Americans throughout the 1960s said they approved of Apollo. You can't really bring those views into alignment. For that matter, you can't really reconcile Tranquility Base on the moon and landing zones in Vietnam -- the world rejoicing, the world fracturing, all at once. In Dean's view, uneasiness about the cost of spaceflight has always been paired with widespread positive feelings about spaceflight. As she puts it: "Hugely wasteful; hugely grand. Adjust the focus of your eyes and the same project goes from being the greatest accomplishment of humankind to a pointless show of misspent wealth."

Today's space-related feelings are hardly strong enough to rise to the level of ambivalence; it's more a pervasive attitude of resignation or, as Dean suggests, a feedback loop of low expectations and low returns. We elect representatives who underfund NASA, and then we blame NASA for its lack of vision. We're left with "a simple and frustratingly predictable pattern." NASA comes up with a grand plan for getting to Mars, or for getting back to the moon, or for building a space station, or for traveling to an asteroid. The plan is called too ambitious, or certainly too expensive. "In that rare instance when a plan is approved, it's always in a scaled-back way, always a compromise of the original lofty vision."

Dean suggests a correlation between America's self-confidence, as expressed in the heroic space age, and the "voicey" quality that came, around the same time, with the New Journalism. The New Journalists didn't exactly invent creative nonfiction. But with their overt borrowing of novelistic techniques, they helped attach it to an age of new forms, new possibilities, new exuberance.

Two of those New Journalists drew on spaceflight, and they earn a place in Dean's book, as well as in her creative nonfiction teaching. One was Mailer, whose Of a Fire on the Moon, from 1970, centers on the moonshot (and on Mailer himself). He writes about the odd melding of technology and the tropics in America's Florida spaceport, the presumably "holy task" shared by NASA's workers, and his own readiness to accept a curious "legend" around Neil Armstrong. In a recurring dream, Armstrong supposedly was able to hover over the ground if he held his breath. "It was beautiful because it might soon prove to be prophetic, beautiful because it was profound and it was mysterious, beautiful because it was appropriate to a man who would land on the moon."

At one point, Mailer describes Armstrong and his fellow astronauts as forming "the core of some magnetic human force called Americanism, patriotism, or Waspitude." Wolfe, of course, has a pithier term for all of that, captured in his title The Right Stuff, published in 1979.

Wolfe has always been interested in illuminating big cultural moments through character studies. In The Right Stuff, his interest was a cultural moment of anxiety and possibility. America was surging, but the Soviet threat was looming. The competition was on, and a competition needed competitors worthy of its significance.

"As to just what this ineffable quality was... well, it obviously involved bravery," he writes. "But it was not bravery in the simple sense of being willing to risk your life." In the context of Cold War-fueled patriotism, the idea was that "a man should have the ability to go up in a hurtling piece of machinery and put his hide on the line and then have the moxie, the reflexes, the experience, the coolness, to pull it back in the last yawning moment -- and then to go up again the next day, and the next day, and every next day, even if the series should prove infinite -- and, ultimately, in its best expression, do so in a cause that means something to thousands, to a people, a nation, to humanity, to God."

Today it seems presumptive to bring God's sensibilities into the picture. But with or without divine sanction, the very notion of spaceflight seems to reside more comfortably in history than in the present -- or in the future. Maybe it resides with the "space tourists" who pay between $20 million and $40 million each to leave Earth for ten days or so and go to the ISS, via Russia's Soyuz vehicle. Astronaut Chris Hadfield refers to them in An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth. Hadfield -- who earned some degree of social media fame with his floating astronaut cover of David Bowie's "Space Oddity" -- calls the ISS "every science fiction book come true, every little kids' dream realized: A large, capable, fully human creation orbiting up in the universe." A claim of astronomical dimensions.

Hadfield, in the book, pays due respect to "the desire to explore" that's "in our DNA." He emphasizes the role of the International Space Station as "a testing ground," a place to figure out "how to make a spaceship that's fully self-contained so we can safely venture farther into the universe, and how to keep human beings healthy while doing that." Is today's prime directive, though, to venture farther, or to define ourselves within 140 characters?

Near the end of Beyond, Chris Impey writes, hopefully: "We stand at the edge of a vast cosmic shore. We've dipped our toes into the water and found it bracing but inviting. Time to jump in."

That's one kind of dream -- a big, bold jump akin to Neil Armstrong's hovering over whatever is earthbound. Then there's the dream recounted by Margaret Lazarus Dean. She's sitting with Mailer, Wolfe and others, the scribes of space faring. They're tiny figures seated in the vastness of Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building. "We wait on our folding chairs. We are waiting for something to happen, but we wait and wait and it never gets started."

I look to see what's happening at NASA, according to its website. There's mention of an astronaut preparing to spend a year in orbit, perhaps in a challenge to Hadfield's pseudo-celebrity. A perfectly circular explanation: He'll be up there for a long stretch so we can better understand what it's like to be up there for a long stretch. ISS, his habitat, is the third-brightest object in the sky, says the website. ISS: "Off the Earth, for the Earth," as NASA has it. But what, exactly is that bright object for, and where, exactly, will it take us?

Finally, I land on this, a statement by NASA's administrator: "I am deeply disappointed that the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee does not fully support NASA's plan to once again launch American astronauts from U.S. soil as soon as possible." There we have it: a trajectory from the right stuff, the audaciousness that fired up the space age, to a hoped-for launch of some kind of vehicle, for some kind of purpose, around some kind of timeline -- as soon as possible.

Robert J. Bliwise is editor of Duke Magazine and teaches magazine journalism at Duke University. He has written for The American Scholar and The Chronicle of Higher Education, among other publications.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Wise Music to Soothe the Savage Beast of My Mind

July 2, 2015, 12:05 pm

≫ Next: Mirza Davitaia Finds His Way Back to Art!

≪ Previous: Countdown to Zero

$

0

0

In a world that's always switched on, spinning ever faster, how do we slow down that relentless momentum long enough to find our center?

Having worked in large corporations most of my life, subjected to the pressures and stress these environments cultivate, I discovered a simple answer to that question: with music. Like the expression, "Music has charms to soothe a savage beast," my mind is more tranquil when I listen to music I like, be it jazz, rock, classical or the chill out sounds from yoga class. Included in this mix, I've been listening to Dechen Shak, who performs traditional Tibetan music with harmonic melodies and inspiring lyrics, which have had a soothing effect on my otherwise turbo speed existence.

Her career is an interesting story of how an artist representing traditional wisdom made their work more approachable by evolving to a contemporary sound with the encouragement of a rock producer and a pop diva.

I first heard Dechen on the radio in 1989 with a single that took age-old Buddhist mantras and songs her father, Dagsay Rinpoche (who is a Lama), composed and set them to music. Soon after, she quite her job to focus on her music and the resulting album Dewa Che received Gold Record status in Switzerland and was voted in the United States as "Best Spiritual Album." Her music was getting better known and in 1994 Dechen was asked to sing on the soundtrack of Bernardo Bertolucci's movie Little Buddha. Nine more albums followed as well as many international concerts in Europe, USA and Asia, including performing for the Dalai Lama.

One element of Dechen's work I find very inspiring is how she channels some of the proceeds from her albums to a project in Tibet, providing vocational training for young Tibetans to help sustain themselves and their families.

A very special musical cooperation started in 2009 with the project BEYOND. Working with Tina Turner, Dechen represented the Buddhist voice on a spiritual album promoting peace and understanding between various religious faiths. The BEYOND records were well received and went on to achieve gold and platinum status.

Following this collaboration, a solo album called JEWEL brought Dechen and her ensemble to Hong Kong, South Korea and India. As a special highlight she was invited by Philip Glass to perform at New York's Carnegie Hall along with Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson. The Wall Street Journal gave the concert a very positive review and quoted Dechen:

"I had the feeling as if out of Carnegie Hall, I'm sending this prayer out to the world that there can be peace in the world and Tibet."

ASIAN JEWEL followed in 2014, featuring two renowned Chinese musicians. I was happily surprised to hear that Tibetan music is getting more popular in Mainland China as the government has now allowed more cultural diversity in the arts.

As Dechen's musical experience grew, she started to explore a more contemporary sound in order to reach a broader public. Out of respect for the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, Dechen and her producer Helge van Dyk travelled to India and met with the sister of the Dalai Lama, Mrs. Jetsün Pema, to receive advice on how to modernize the traditional music. They were delighted when they were told: 'the time needs this'. They also visited Dharamsala in Northern India, which is the homeland in exile for Tibetans. There they were invited to special concert and as an exception, Helge was the only Westerner allowed in the audience. He was so impressed by the power and high energy of the music he could only say: 'this is rock and roll!'

Dechen had some challenges at the start of the album: "I remember when Helge said at the very beginning of this production that this album will be a big challenge for both of us. We wanted to create a modern way of transmitting the ancient Tibetan texts and songs for a wider audience without loosing the essence. With the support of Helge I dared to go into the special energy of my ethnic voice. At the beginning I was quite hesitant because I didn't know if I could manage it. And then when Tina Turner also encouraged me to use the power of my voice, I felt I wanted to give it a try."

I was surprised to hear on some of the songs from the new album Day Tomorrow, what sounded like Dechen rapping part of the lyrics. When I asked her if this was her way of modernizing the sound, she said it is a very old tradition in monasteries for monks to recite certain prayers in a very speedy rap-like manner in order to keep their mind focused, and also because the prayers are often repeated 100,000 times or more.

The production of the album was enhanced by the help of some top L.A. studio musicians like Leland Sklar on bass guitar, Martin Tillman on E-Cello and Satnam Ramgotra on percussion. And the finishing touches were done in the inspiring environment of Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios near Bristol, England.

The current album focuses on the theme of sustainability for our planet and how our mindful actions Today can create the base for a good Tomorrow. This is the first time Dechen is singing not only in Tibetan but also in French, with a mix of soft meditative mantras and also some very groovy songs with a dynamic beat. All these elements can be heard in the video 'Le Bonheur', which is a prayer for peace in the world and it's Dechen's heartfelt wish to reach as many people as possible with this positive message.

As much as I love the traditional, soothing songs on her past albums I have to admit the new sounds put a smile on my face and make me want to get up and dance. As a stress buster and a way of supporting a better tomorrow, I'm happy to have this on my playlist to soothe the savage beast of my mind.

(Day Tomorrow is available on iTunes. For more information: www.dechen-shak.com)

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Mirza Davitaia Finds His Way Back to Art!

July 1, 2015, 11:05 am

≫ Next: Young Collectors: Three to Watch

≪ Previous: Wise Music to Soothe the Savage Beast of My Mind

$

0

0

Mirza Davitaia has always shared an unwavering connection with his art. At just thirty-nine years old, he has held prominent positions in diverse fields, yet his art has remained a constant throughout his life. Raised in Georgia (situated at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe), Davitaia served as a member of Parliament, Chairman of Parliamentary Committee, Deputy Minister of Culture and Monument Protection, as well as the State Minister of Diaspora Issues.


Photo courtesy of Mirza Davitaia, artist at group show, Ningbo Museum of Modern Art-China


From 1994 through 2013, Davitaia was also a busy TV/film producer traveling between Germany, Georgia, and the United States (NY and LA). Starting with music videos and commercials, he went on to produce a documentary Misha vs Moscow with NY based director John Philp. He is best known for producing 5 Days of War, directed by Renny Harlin and starring Val Kilmer and Andy Garcia. He was also the executive producer of Jacky in the Kingdom of Women. All the while, he yearned to get back to creating art. Today, he devotes all his time to art. He owns an art gallery located in Hollywood (M.D. Art Studio Gallery, 7952 West 3rd Street, L.A., 90048), which offers art instruction in addition to hosting gallery exhibitions. http://www.mdartstudio.com/

The son of an established artist, he was raised surrounded by creativity. Davitaia spent countless hours tooling around his father's art studio...watching, learning, and creating his own art with help from several studio assistants. At ten years of age, his parents sent him to an art school for a classical art education. He went on to apprentice with various well known artists and attended Tbilisi State Academy of Art. Sculpture was the first type of media to catch his eye. Later, painting became his main focus. He continues to work in oil, acrylic, watercolor, ink, and collage.

Davitaia said he creates on a daily basis. Sometimes it's painting; other times it's sketching, taking photos, or working on new ideas. "I have periods when I work in one or two mediums simultaneously," explained Davitaia. "After a while...when I exhaust one particular idea, I move to another series or medium." He went on to say that he does not wait for inspiration, but often it occurs unintentionally.


Photo courtesy of Mirza Davitaia, Snakes in Rain, oil on canvas, 2014, 30 x 40 inches


His recent Rain series was unconsciously inspired by his childhood memories of summer weekends at his grandmother's house in a small village in the western part of Georgia. Davitaia recounts the story beautifully in his blog.

"In the room where I slept next to the bed on the wall - hung an old rug. It was beautiful. It had some strange shapes and colors of the ornaments that kidnaps a child's imagination and, takes him somewhere far away, to some fairy worlds." He continued (per his blog), "Years passed and one day my grandmother sat me to her side and told me the story of how she had purchased the rug. It turns out that, in fact, it was in Tbilisi during the Second World War period. She said that it was very expensive, but she liked it so much that she had to spend all the savings she had to acquire it. Anyway she did it. 'I want to gift this rug to you, and if you need money for some good purpose, only in this case you can sell it and use the money,' she said." (end of blog)

Later, he found out the true value of this seemingly ordinary Shirvan rug, which was much more than anticipated. It afforded him the opportunity to attend the prestigious Academy of Fine Art in Nuremberg,Germany. He said he knew his grandmother would have approved. It was years later that he would realize his grandmother gave him a two-fold gift...one of her most prized possessions and also the inspiration to create his Rain series. To read more about the rug story, see Davitaia's blog. http://mirzadavitaia.blogspot.com/2015/04/eternal-east.html

The artist is currently working on a new series, which he has dubbed Social Netism. He explained..."Once post modernism has ended, social netism should begin. As we all know, social media is penetrating all aspects of human life: from private and business to politics...it enables each of us to be more actively involved in the processes and influence them. We spend multiple hours of our everyday life in social media."


Photo courtesy of Mirza Davitaia, SN2, collage and acrylic on wooden panel, 2015, 20 x 24 inches


Davitaia had the chance to witness first hand the power of social media during his time serving with the Georgian government. "I have closely observed and studied the phenomena of Arab Spring and Kiev's Maidan and the decisive role of social media on those events and many others. Thus, I have decided to make social media a main topic of my new art series." Social Netism is an interactive series, allowing the viewers and their comments (via social media) to become an integral part of the artistic process.

Become an interactive part of Davitaia's new series by posting on his FB page here - https://www.facebook.com/mirzadavitaia.art

His art has been exhibited at the National Museum of Georgia, the Museum of Visual Art in Russia, as well as a solo show in Nuremberg Germany. His most recent museum exhibition was a group show in 2014 at the Ningbo Museum of Art in China. The museum acquired one of his paintings (the only work chosen from the group show), titled Spirit Rain, for its permanent collection.


Photo courtesy of Mirza Davitaia, Spirit Rain, oil on canvas, 2014, 30 x 40 inches, (currently in the permanent collection of Ningbo Museum of Modern Art-China)


Davitaia continues to create and be inspired by the world around him. When asked if he misses his political career, he answered, "No, I don't. I think it is not necessary to be in politics in order to deliver political statement. I still am and will in the future deliver my political ideas through my art and movies."

To find out more about the art of Mirza Davitaia or to read his blog, visit www.mirza-art.com

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Young Collectors: Three to Watch

July 1, 2015, 11:07 am

≫ Next: 3 Art Forms to Launch Your Collection

≪ Previous: Mirza Davitaia Finds His Way Back to Art!

$

0

0

Today young collectors are as important to emerging artists as Gerturde Stein was in championing the likes of Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. While some wealthy young collectors like to make splashy purchases to be mounted proudly over their aubergine chaise lounge, there are some young collectors who are invested is supporting true artists. Not only are these collectors interested in acquiring interesting and notable art, they are equally invested in the success and nurturing of the artist they choose to lend their support.


Collector: Alexander Soros / Artist: Harif Guzman

Alexander Soros

While Alexander Soros may be known in certain circles as the son of billionaire George Soros, this young philanthropist and political activist is slowly becoming quite respected and revered in his own right by the international art world.

Besides his recent art world cred, Alexander currently sits on the boards of Bend the Arc, which supports grassroots efforts to strengthen lower-income neighborhoods across the United States; Global Witness, which exposes and breaks the links between natural resources, conflict and corruption; and the Open Society Foundations, which work to build vibrant and tolerant democracies.

While little is known about most of the stealth blue-chip purchases made by the young Soros heir, his reputation as being one of the young, hip and knowledgeable collectors precedes him. He is very rarely seen at random art openings and gatherings, but is known to quietly visit artists studios while building personal relationship as well as introducing unique business opportunities for fledging artists. Mr. Soros' support of the creative community at large is both admirable and inspiring.


Collector: Mashonda Tifrere / Artist: Sandra Chevrier

Mashonda Tifrere

Recording artists and author, Mashonda Tifrere has over the past few years not only upped her social profile, she has upped the ante on her support for young artists as well as built a formidable pop-art collection which includes pieces by Keith Haring, Andy Warhol and Sam Francis. While the beautiful Mashonda is a red carpet and charity auction favorite, don't let her pretty face fool you - she is a serious art connoisseur and a highly sought after collector.

What inspired you to begin collecting art and supporting emerging artists?

I've always been an art lover. As I child I enjoyed visiting local galleries and watching as street artist designed wall murals. As soon as I was able to afford the art that I always wanted to collect, I went for it!

As a woman, it's so important to invest your money in things that bring culture and meaning to your life. Buying expensive bags and shoes don't equate to buying a beautiful piece of art.

Who are some of your favorites artists you currently collect and why?

Right now my favorite artist is Sandra Chevrier. I see myself in all of her pieces. She creates super women. They have so much soul and pain in their eyes. Yet, they are colorful, beautiful and resilient.

I also love Ryan Hewett. I recently saw his work in London. He takes iconic figures and distorts their image. His pieces are very powerful and full of mystery.

How important is it for a collector/patron to have a real relationship with the artists they collect and support?

For me it's very important. I love to meet the artist and look into their eyes- see their joy, pain-listen to their voice. I always look at their hands. I love when they still have paint in their nails. Their life story really tells you all you need to know about their work.


Collector: Erkko Etula / Artist: Laura Mylott Manning

Erkko Etula

Erkko Etula is a Vice President at Goldman Sachs and a tremendous supporter of young artists. It appears Mr. Etula became a fixture on the international art scene just a little over two years ago. However, he seems to have been quite active in building his art portfolio while simultaneously flying under the radar. Unlike many young collectors who spend more time in galleries and utilizing the services of art advisors and consultants, Mr. Etula likes to personally visit and become acquainted with the artists he collects and supports.

While Mr. Etula holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University and formerly served as an Economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, once he passes the threshold of an artist's studio, he leaves the academia and world of finance at the door and uses his eyes and heart when selecting an artist's work. While the work he collects seems to run the modern and contemporary gamut, he is particularly invested in collecting the work of women artists along with upcoming street artists. It is also believed he has recently made several blue chips acquisitions. With this in mind, we can only hope he continues to lend his support to emerging artists as well as forging a new path from the cliché "finance-guy" collector.

In addition to collecting, Mr. Etula is involved in a variety of non-profit activities focused on arts, education and emerging markets. He serves on the advisory boards of the Rue de Fleurus Foundation, the Time In Children's Arts Initiative as well as the Africa 2.0 Foundation.

photos courtesy of @alexandersorosfoundation.com, @lifestyleher.com, @erkkoetula.com

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

3 Art Forms to Launch Your Collection

July 1, 2015, 11:11 am

≫ Next: The New New York Public Library

≪ Previous: Young Collectors: Three to Watch

$

0

0

The most difficult part of owning a collection is acquiring it. You may inherently know what genre, medium or period you like, but transitioning from art appreciator to property owner is not without its challenges. From determining which pieces will maintain value over time to tackling the mere logistics of display and maintenance within your home, you'll have some decisions to make. Here, a primer on the best art forms to ease you into ownership.


If you like...ASIAN ART
Snuff bottles provide an ideal point of entry into today's booming Asian art market. Diminutive and readily portable, this traditional art form is easy to display whether your collection consists of one piece or 70. "Snuff bottles are for many the entry point of collecting, as they are the perfect, portable vehicle for object appreciation--they are comprehensive in their scope of design, craftsmanship techniques, and materials," says Phyllis Kao, Asian Art Specialist at auction house Auctionata.

From a stylistic standpoint, the pieces often incorporate those same popular motifs consistent across other subsets of Asian art, allowing for wonderful visual impact with little spatial commitment. Jade, lacquer, porcelain, and enamel work are common in this highly decorative category, with each piece's accessibility ranging accordingly, typically from the hundreds to tens of thousands. However, their appeal isn't limited to the neophytes among us: "Sophisticated collectors are still always on the hunt for them and their history never ceases to educate even the most seasoned among us," points out Kao, whose upcoming auction is entirely dedicated to the art form.


If you like...FINE ART
Allow your aesthetic sensibilities to guide you if the primary concern is décor, but if you're at all market-minded, there are a few considerations to keep in mind. Deborah Ripley, Director of Contemporary Art & Prints at Auctionata, recommends approaching art acquisition the same way you would go about buying a car: with lots of research and plenty of second opinions. "Ask first whether this artist has a secondary market [at auction houses or through art dealers]," she says. "If they do, make sure it's a successful secondary market--just because an artist sells well through a particular gallery doesn't guarantee their work maintains that value."


If you like...JEWELRY
Too often people dismiss this secondary market as all vintage, when in fact some of its great finds are thoroughly contemporary. "Designer jewelry--including styles currently being sold on the primary market--can be found at auction for up to 50 percent less," says Katherine Palmiter, G.G., Auctionata's Jewelry Specialist. Branded baubles by Tiffany & Co., Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Georg Jensen and more often make their way to auction houses and dealers, presenting prospective buyers with the opportunity for great savings--and, if desired, lucrative resale. Rather than seek out unusual pieces--of which there are many beautiful examples--entry-level collectors may want to opt for more classic styles. Palmiter highly recommends gold and diamond pieces as investments for their consistent market appeal, but also notes that colored stones have never been more popular.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

The New New York Public Library

July 1, 2015, 1:01 pm

≫ Next: Arthamptons Lifetime Achievement Award: Ruth Appelhof at the Maidstone

≪ Previous: 3 Art Forms to Launch Your Collection

$

0

0

This post originally appeared atThe Atlantic.

"This is our moment!" said Tony Marx, the President and CEO of the New York Public Library (NYPL), as he was winding his comments about the present and future of libraries up to a crescendo: "Libraries are the central institution of civil society with the largest reach for everyone." He continued with his carpe diem challenge that now is the time to work in a bigger way than ever before to scale up his library's reach and to both preserve its long-held traditions and transform its offerings to suit the 21st century.

Marx, formerly the President of Amherst College, was on stage in conversation about libraries with Arianna Huffington at the Aspen Ideas Festival.

The NYPL, like many other libraries around the country, has already begun to seize the day in an effort to answer the needs and wants of its community.

Marx listed a number of the efforts underway in the NYPL system: free classes for English as a foreign language and citizenship preparation, after-school (10,000 strong) and pre-school programs, basic computer skills and even coding instruction, and a program to lend 10,000 wifi hotspot modems to New Yorkers needing internet access. He described a dream to build a two-block long educational space to showcase some of the library's unique treasures (long stored in protected vaults) so school kids can come to see an original copy of the Bill of Rights, a copy of the Declaration of Independence with Jefferson's own handwritten edits, and a letter from Christopher Columbus to King Ferdinand declaring, as Marx paraphrased, "I think I found something."

The NYPL is famous as a working space for writers and academics, a "sacred space" Marx calls it, where people come to be together and to be inspired. But the real enthusiasm in his remarks, I thought, was for a less celebrated cohort of his library system's population, those who reside in the poorer areas of New York.


Research room at New York Public Library (photographer Leonard G via Wikimedia Commons)


New York has the largest public library system in the world with over 90 locations. In poorer neighborhoods, Marx said, the library is the place for people to go, where people find essentials that may be missing at home: quiet, air conditioning, books, and computer access. Part of his mission is to bring those branch libraries "up to snuff," as he puts it.

Marx talked about visiting a library in the South Bronx and finding a young boy sitting outside on the library steps, after hours, doing homework on his aged laptop because it was the only place where he could get internet access. "Holy Moly," he said with incredulity, citing as well the fact that there are close to 3 million New Yorkers who can't afford internet service.

Mott Haven branch, South Bronx (NYPL)

I wrote about a similar story from Charleston, West Virginia, here:

...Some 41 percent of West Virginia households do not have broadband internet connections (trailed by New Mexico and Mississippi). Furthermore, more Internet users without computers at home report going to the public libraries for access than anyplace else.

If you need more convincing that these services are necessary, listen to this human story: One early morning before the library opened, a man was spotted settled in outside over behind the dumpsters--the dumpsters!--working on his laptop. He had found a strong library wifi signal right there, and was getting some work done while the library was still closed.

And Marx could probably have added other stories, like the one I heard in Columbus, Ohio, about library services for job-seekers:

Education efforts in Columbus libraries are a continuum from the kids on through "life skills" for adults. This means adult literacy programs, career and technology literacy, and financial literacy. Here is a true story that gives a sense of the realities: A young man comes into the library seeking help with a job search and filing his application for work. A librarian helps him load the application onto the screen. They agree he'll fill it out and she'll return to look it over. The librarian returns to discover the man has completed the application, not by keying in the responses, but with a marking pen on the screen.

The successful libraries I've seen on our American Futures adventure, in tiny towns like Winters, California, and Columbus, Mississippi, or medium-sized ones like Redlands, California, and Bend, Oregon, or larger cities like Columbus, Ohio, all share at least one trait: a deep, keen sense of the communities they serve. Here are some examples of how libraries are already seizing the moment to change:

Expanding Their Reach

In Winters, the Friends of the Library scout the town parks for new moms pushing strollers, and present them with a baby box including bibs, books (in a choice of Spanish or English), and an application for a library card. In Columbus, Ohio, library staff hit the laundromats, churches, shelters, and shops looking for moms with preschool-age children to entice to the library.

Preserving Traditions

In Columbus, Mississippi, the library holds the archives of handwritten journals chronicling Civil War battles and slave sales and purchases. In tiny Eastport, Maine, there is a special display featuring a newly-completed 1200-page dictionary of nearby Native American Indian language, Passamaquoddy-Maliseet.

Transforming the Mission

In Columbus, Ohio, the new spaces in the libraries provide quiet, comfortable reading space for older "guests," as they are called, as well as tech-enabled classroom space, and bright, colorful pre-school areas. In Redlands, California, there are story hours in Mandarin. In Fayetteville, New York, there are maker-spaces. In libraries all over, there are young entrepreneurs who are making the library their start-up business office. In Duluth, Minnesota, there is a seed lending project within the library for the busy community of gardening enthusiasts.

The lists go on and on.

For Marx, it is about making libraries the vehicle for delivering an equality of opportunity. He says, speaking to his Aspen audience, that he wants "a world in which opportunities we all have in Aspen, at home, are shared by everyone--access to ideas and information, not constrained by economic ability or physical proximity. I want everyone in the game."

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Arthamptons Lifetime Achievement Award: Ruth Appelhof at the Maidstone

July 3, 2015, 2:24 pm

≫ Next: Afloat Once More on San Francisco Opera's Show Boat...and in Its Wake, 'Sweeney Todd'

≪ Previous: The New New York Public Library

$

0

0

Just prior to the Arthamptons opening, I met with Ruth Appelhof, Executive Director of Guild Hall, who will receive the Arthamptons Lifetime Achievement Award on July 5. Over eggs Benedict at the Maidstone in East Hampton, we talked about her background in the arts, accomplishments at Guild Hall over her 16-year tenure, how things get done in the premiere arts institution out east, celebrities, and her interest in women artists.

Over the years, since you took the reins at Guild Hall, you have created a state of the art theater, exhibition space, and educational program. How do you explain your leadership strategy?

One of the keys to Guild Hall's success is that people come often. We have built a large audience of people coming to hear jazz one night, classical the next. The diversity comes from Mrs. Lorenzo E. Woodhouse, as people call her. I call her Mary. She lived in a big house on Huntting Lane, and built the playhouse next to that for her daughter. She built the library. When she built Guild Hall in 1931, people said, you should call it the Woodhouse Arts Center. 'No, I want it to be for all the arts,' she said. 'I want to call it Guild Hall.' When I learned that, I realized the gift she gave us to look at all the arts, in equal balance. It gives Guild Hall the opportunity to do whatever we want, red carpets out for theater, and art. This year is going to be a banner year. I say that every year. We have Alec Baldwin at one end of our season and Roy Lichtenstein at the other. To have those bookends really says something about what a great place Guild Hall is. We support the local talent and thankfully it's great.
How much are you involved in those decisions, such as the coming Roy Lichtenstein exhibition?

I like to say there is a round table discussion about once a month with all the programmers, fundraisers, marketing people, and support staff. Everything comes up in that forum. I like to think that many of those ideas came from me originally, but maybe not.

The Roy decision came about 15 years ago when I first got here. I thought, who was the absolute greatest artist that Guild Hall could ever exhibit from this area. It had to be somebody contemporary, who appealed to a wide audience, who made art considered above and beyond what you would consider of value. Roy's work is so amazing. I remember talking to our curator, Christina Strassfield about doing it, and at the time she had done a smaller show of his work before I got here. She loved the idea too, as did the museum's advisory committee and community board. The one critical piece to all this brainstorming was whether or not Dorothy, his widow, would let us do it. She was always generous to us, but we respected the fact that she was on the Parrish board. So I asked Mickey Straus if he would go with me to talk to Dorothy. He helped convince Dorothy that having the Lichtenstein show at Guild Hall would be important to his legacy. I remember going to this townhouse in Soho. She was so welcoming, and Mickey put forth this idea and Christina had some idea about how the show could be packaged, and Dorothy said yes. Since then working with the Lichtenstein foundation has been great. Most of what we are exhibiting is from the foundation, maybe 4 or 5 from private collections, but the foundation has works of art that have never been seen in public institutions before. We found a movie that he did, of the sea, and we have since discovered that he did a billboard in Hollywood that had been destroyed, and we are recreating that billboard thanks to his studio assistant. It will be an exciting and insightful exhibition; we all think we know his work so well from the cartoon series. This is way beyond that, and because it is "Between Sea and Sky," it relates to the Hamptons.

What would this interview have been like had we talked a year ago, about the Motherwell show? Or other stellar exhibitions at Guild Hall, such as Rauschenberg? Or Rivers?

I know my enthusiasm would have been the same. How about Barbara Kruger? That was a great show. I thought with Motherwell, Phyllis Tuchman did such a great job. I had not realized that Motherwell was outside the circle of artists here; he was sort of in and out. But she explained that he was out because he came from a wealthy family. He wasn't totally embraced by DeKooning and Pollock. He was more of an academic; that was fascinating. Then you see it in the work. He took a different tact.

But it was Lee Krasner who first brought you out east. Tell me about your relationship with her.

I love to tell my Krasner story. I was able to get to know Lee through a project I was doing in graduate school. I had children, was working full time, and single (divorced). I was going to Syracuse University, taking one course at a time over 20 years, getting degrees, paying through the GI Bill. (My father had served and died young.) I savored every course. In one, I had to do a bibliography on an artist of interest. I chose Lee Krasner. She was on her own but was making a reputation for herself. I sent her many pages of a long bibliography. It impressed her. 'Would you like to come out and live with me next summer?' she asked. 'I would be available for interviews every morning.' I couldn't miss that opportunity. So I picked her up end of June in my orange Pinto, the most hideous car you could ever drive, with a hatchback. I don't know why I chose that but that's another story. Off we went to the Hamptons. She did not know how to drive, did not know the way, so we got lost. I stayed in the bedroom upstairs where she had painted the little paintings. She used that as her studio when Jackson was alive, and she proceeded to bring me into her life. I was meeting people, going to parties; we had dinner parties at the house. Living out here was amazing. I met all the artists. I went shopping with Lee at Dreesen's. We were just like two pals. She was difficult so I had to be careful. I never knew what I would get into trouble with. And I did interviews with her. That was 1974 or '75. I worried for years whether the reel-to-reel tape would disintegrate. I had no time to do anything about them. Finally Syracuse, where I also used to teach, transcribed and typed them up. They are now available, archived at Syracuse, but weren't when Gail Levin wrote her excellent biography. I am hoping to get my interviews published and turned into a book, a memorabilia book.

As an art historian, would you say your passion is for women artists?

I am thinking of doing a book of interviews with women artists. Miriam Shapiro--she just died-- was a dear friend of mine. I have also interviewed Judy Chicago. I do have a literary side. My latest interview is with Carrie Mae Weems. [Appelhof shows me the most recent edition of Stone Canoe: A Journal of Arts, Literature and Social Commentary.] Carrie won the MacArthur "genius" grant, had a show at the Guggenheim. And she is coming to Guild Hall on July 26, for a free multimedia performance.

Lynda Benglis is another local artist. I hope we will do a show in a few years. I've known her for a few years from those early days when I was working at the Whitney. Her work has expanded and developed beyond anything I could have imagined. I have just visited her in Santa Fe. Her studio is filled with fascinating new work.

You also had that controversial show of art by women when you first arrived at Guild Hall.

That was the first or second year I was here. When I was at the Whitney in the '80's, I met many women artists; many were out here. That exhibit was a passion for me, the culmination of a lot of my dreams. Mimi Shapiro was in it. Audrey Flack. When I was at the Whitney as a fellow, I proposed that show. They didn't think that was what they were looking for, so I am happy I could do it here.

In your position you have also met many celebrities in the arts. Who has impressed you?

Celebrities out here have a big footprint in the community, and, I've learned, they are celebrities primarily because they are talented. I have to start with Alec Baldwin. His generosity never ceases: To take his talent and put it on the stage here! Before he did Equus, a few seasons ago, I kept saying, 'Let's do light fare.' He never lets me live that down. Alec is on our board, and heads our theater committee. He said, 'Maybe in two years, I will do All My Sons.' Then another board member said, 'I will produce it.' The board is incredibly helpful to Guild Hall. They may be running big institutions in the city, but when they come out here, they are genuinely interested in the Guild Hall character. No one ever says we should be more like the Metropolitan.

Alec and Hilaria had a baby last week. What happened with the performances of All My Sons?

He missed one night. There was no one of that stature to understudy. So we cancelled, and he agreed to add a matinee.

So what is this lifetime achievement award you are getting from Arthamptons?

Arthamptons is the art fair of choice. The award must be an acknowledgment of the institution, the great job that we are all doing at Guild Hall. When we awarded Cindy Sherman, I remember her saying, I can't understand why they would ask me, I'm so young.

A version of this post also appears on Gossip Central.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

---

Afloat Once More on San Francisco Opera's Show Boat...and in Its Wake, 'Sweeney Todd'

July 4, 2015, 11:53 am

≫ Next: Americana for the Fourth of July

≪ Previous: Arthamptons Lifetime Achievement Award: Ruth Appelhof at the Maidstone

$

0

0

I just had one of the best opera experiences of my life, attending San Francisco Opera's terrific production of The Trojans, with its gorgeous music by Hector Berlioz, monumental sets and some of the best singers performing today. (While the run for both The Trojans and Two Women has ended, this summer's third production, The Marriage of Figaro, has one last performance on Sunday afternoon.) It made my summer, but more on all that soon.

Last summer, the opera-going highlight for me was something entirely different: Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein's Show Boat. That production was filmed and is now available on Blu-ray and DVD, so you have a chance to see and enjoy what I did.

Some regular opera goers, of course, were disappointed to find this musical on the short summer lineup. I certainly understand the lack of appeal of many typical Broadway musicals, with their often generic, bombastic, less than nuanced, over-miked voices. But as SFO's delightful Porgy and Bess, which I saw in 2009, and Show Boat prove, a well-done production, with vibrant sets and costumes, good dancing, engaging acting, a top-tier orchestra (guest conductor John DeMain led the San Francisco Opera Orchestra for both Porgy and Bess and Show Boat), and singers with fine operatic voices, can be absolutely exhilarating. Think of Ezio Pinza on the cast album of South Pacific. Some enchanted evening, indeed!

Thus: Show Boat. Soprano Heidi Stober, who played Magnolia, daughter of the riverboat's Cap'n Andy, had performed here not long before in The Magic Flute and Falstaff. Star soprano Patricia Racette sang Julie, the showboat's leading lady, who passes for white until her mixed parentage is revealed, in the same SFO summer season in which she was Madama Butterfly. Bass Morris Robinson offered a show-stopping "Ol' Man River," and personally, I can't wait to see baritone Michael Todd Simpson, who made his local debut as Gaylord Ravenal, the charming gambler who marries Magnolia, again.

A cool thing about this production, though, is that Broadway actors were cast as well. Who wouldn't want to see the great physical actor Bill Irwin as Cap'n Andy? His hilarious one-man depiction of a fistfight is a showstopper in itself. (Speaking of versatility, Irwin won a Tony in 2005 for playing George in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf!). The Broadway vets include Kirsten Wyatt (the lead in Sweet Charity, Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls), John Bolton (Spamalot, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, TV's Gossip Girls), and Harriet Harris (On the Town, Tony winner for Thoroughly Modern Millie, the indelible Bebe Glazer on TV's Frasier). James Asher, in a small role as the manager of the seedy Chicago cabaret in which Magnolia finds work after the dead-broke Ravenal leaves her, has acted in plays such as Love's Labour's Lost and The Laramie Project.

That's a lot of names and credits. My point is that the variety of actors and voices and styles adds another level of interest and enjoyment to this show. Which must lead to a shout-out for Tod Nixon, Show Boat's sound designer. Unlike musical theater performers, opera singers don't use mikes; Nixon came up with a way of placing area microphones so that the sound was consistent and clear, without that somewhat tinny, vibrating quality that microphones bring.

Premiering in 1927, Show Boat is considered the first great American musical. In 1982, Houston Grand Opera, then led by San Francisco Opera general director David Gockley, with John DeMain as its music director and principal conductor, created an "historic" production that restored much of Kern and Hammerstein's original score and dialogue. We saw this production of Show Boat thanks to Houston Grand Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Washington National Opera, as well as SFO.

In his program notes, Gockley reminded us that Show Boat is "steeped in the musical language and plot issues of our native culture" and said that it could open the door at SFO to "operatic musicals" such as Carousel and Sweeney Todd. It did! Gockley's final season with San Francisco's great opera company opens in September with Verdi's Luisa Miller, followed immediately by Stephen Sondheim's delicious Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Yay!

July 5, The Marriage of Figaro; September 11, Luisa Miller opening night; September 12, Sweeney Todd opening night, War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Ave., S.F., 415.861.4008, sfopera.com.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Americana for the Fourth of July

July 4, 2015, 1:52 pm

≫ Next: Keeping Up Appearances

≪ Previous: Afloat Once More on San Francisco Opera's Show Boat...and in Its Wake, 'Sweeney Todd'

$

0

0

Bumper Jacksons. Courtesy of Bumper Jacksons.

I've never been a huge fan of the category of "Americana" music. Don't get me wrong, I like the music, it's the category that seems made up to me. (In my day, we had folk, country, and blues! If we tried to do more than one people called us names and busted our 78s, which were made of glass because of the War! And we liked it that way!)

But seriously, if there's a time to use the word Americana, it's got to be July 4th, right? So here are some genre-bending releases that fit the name. I'll start with Bumper Jacksons, who certainly range freely across genres; they call their music "roots jazz, country swing, street blues." Their forthcoming CD, Too Big World, is nicely varied, tasteful, energetic, well played and sung...you can't not like it. I've tried to not like it, because (full disclosure) they have beaten my band, Ocean, in the "traditional folk" category at the Washington Area Music Awards. Twice, not that I counted. And hey, we're all winners just for being nominated (or whatever) so I'm not bitter. Heck, you can see what all the fuss is about for yourself, in the video below:


Bumper Jacksons performing "Take Me Back to Tulsa"

So anyway, take my advice and listen to Too Big World! You may come for the jazz: clarinet and horns and swingy rhythms, plus Billie Holliday and Duke Ellington classics. But you'll stay for all the other ingredients in their mélange: fiddles and guitars, bouncy banjo-ukes, weepy country pedal steel, rock-and-roll electric guitar, jug-band kazoo and assorted percussion. You'll enjoy their eclectic repertoire of Gold Rush laments ("The Dying Californian"), sad old-time love lyrics, ("Virginia Girls"), and Kentucky play-party songs ("Jubilee"), all neatly arranged and sweetly played. You'll be charmed by the bohemian quality of their originals, which celebrate cups of joe ("Coffee Mama"), shattered dreams ("Adventure Story") and even Washinton, D.C.'s Idle Time Books ("Pretty Mama Put a Spell on Me"). And since no Americana album is complete without Jesus and the Devil, this one features the gut-busting gospel of "Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Down" and an infernally infectious tour of the afterlife called "Hell is Hot." You mark my words, their hellacious devil music will make you get up and dance!

You can preview the album here. And check out another video below!


Bumper Jacksons: Corina, Corina

I may have spoken too soon about the Jesus and Devil thing, because there's none of that on Grant Dermody's latest album Sun Might Shine on Me, and his press material speaks a lot about Tibetan Buddhism. Dermody, a harmonica player who has worked with blues giants like John Cephas, Phil Wiggins, and Honeyboy Edwards, says that Buddhism and the Blues are both about diving underneath pain or hard times, so they don't take you over; about feeling better, not feeling sad. On the new CD, his harmonica and voice lead an all-star ensemble including old-time and Cajun guitarist Dirk Powell, Louisiana Creole fiddler Cedric Watson, blues mandolinist Rich del Grosso, folk and blues guitarist Orville Johnson, and swamp-pop drummer Jockey Etienne. They're all masters and their playing hangs together beautifully, creating perfect settings for Dermody's harp and voice. His soulful harp work on classics like Skip James's "Illinois Blues," the traditional "When You Left," and the original "Ain't Going Back" reminds me of his mentor Phil Wiggins. His voice goes from a gravelly growl to a clear, tuneful croon -- would it be sacrilege to say it reminds me in some places of Sinatra? My favorites include "Baby Please Don't Go," a song I've heard from tons of folks including Van Morrison and Them, Muddy Waters, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Big Joe Williams; "Tree of Life," an original instrumental that sounds like an Irish folk tune with blues touches; and the upbeat title track. I also love the traditional folk material, including the epic blues ballad "Boll Weevil," a Creolized version of "Sail Away Ladies," and an instrumental version of the Cajun lost love anthem "J'ai Passé Devant Ta Porte." Dermody has a knack for feeling out the material and creating heartfelt settings, and his band and producers made it shine indeed. See the video below!


Orville Johnson, John Miller & Grant Dermody: Last Time Blues

Lately, a few intrepid performers have been reclaiming the old term "songster," a category of singer-musician common in the 19th and 20th centuries. Largely but not entirely African-American, songsters were popular entertainers with a broad repertoire including blues, ballads, spirituals, parlor songs, dance tunes, and whatever else they could learn or write. Some were street-singers, vagabonds, or wanderers, but others were homebodies who played for their local folks in their own homes and communities. They were the Americana artists of their time, you might say. Famous songsters included Lead Belly and Gus Cannon (the wandering kind), as well as Mississippi John Hurt and Mance Lipscomb (the homebody kind). This new generation's most famous songster is probably Dom Flemons, whom I discussed last time. But there are others, including Ben Hunter and Joe Seamons, whose album Take Yo Time expresses their philosophy: "Blues and folk songs do not need preserving -- they are preserving us. Our mission is to spread the glory and whimsy of traditional song." And so they do, with an engaging presentation on banjo, fiddle, guitar, and voice, of pieces from such varied sources as Barbecue Bob, Duke Ellington, and Clarence Ashley.


Ben Hunter and Joe Seamons. Photo by Amber Zbitnoff. Courtesy of KEXP and Hunter & Seamons.

Memorable moments on Take Yo Time include the plaintive banjo and knee-percussion on "Some of These Days"; the dejected-sounding bent notes on "Broke Down Engine Blues"; and the defiantly unusual take on "Preachin' Blues," featuring just atmospheric fiddle, rhythmic banjo, and swooping vocals. I like a lot of their decisions: tasteful double-stopped fiddle opens their version of "Tom Dooley," lending an almost Creole touch to the old North Carolina murder ballad; subtle bones-playing graces the Rev. Gary Davis piece "Banks of the River," adding just the right seasoning; and the guitar and fiddle both playing on Big Bill Broonzy's "Long Tall Mama" reminded me that Broonzy was a fiddler, too. I love how the duo's similar takes on "Buck Rag," another Gary Davis guitar piece, and "Beaumont Rag" the Bob Wills classic, underscore the common roots of our best traditional music, Western and Eastern, rural and urban, black and white. I especially like that these artistic decisions feel natural and serve the songs beautifully; they evoke strong meanings and invite contemplation, but at heart they're instinctive moves brought about by love of the material. They indicate that, as Seamons and Hunter put it, "American roots music is our playground." Long may these songsters play! See an extended performance in the video below.


Ben Hunter & Joe Seamons Live on KEXP, recorded August 19, 2014.

Devil in the Seat is the 8th album from veteran quartet The Foghorn Stringband, which is made up of Caleb Klauder (mandolin, fiddle, vocals) Stephen 'Sammy' Lind (fiddle, banjo, vocals) Reeb Willms (guitar, vocals) and Nadine Landry (upright bass, vocals). Hailing from the Northwest (two from Oregon and two from Yukon), they play rural music from all over the country, and even some from overseas. The fact that they have four strong singers, two men and two women, gives them a lot of arranging options, and they take advantage of this on Devil in the Seat. They perform "Mining Camp Blues" with dual yodeling women's voices, and the English song "What Will We Do" in slightly edgier female harmonies than English divas Maddy Prior and June Tabor, from whom they learned it. On the other hand, they pull out tougher male harmonies on the crime-and-punishment ballad "John Hardy," and use the contrast between male and female voices on "Longing for a Home" to suggest the universality of homelessness and loneliness. There's some fun symmetry in certain of the songs too, from the thematic connection of "Columbus Stockade Blues" and the instrumental "Jailbreak" to the ghoulish balance of "Pretty Polly" and "Henry Lee," respectively a "boy-kills-girl" and a "girl-kills-boy" ballad. Mostly, though, there's the straightforward sound of powerful old-time sawing, plucking, strumming, and picking, in perfect synch and perfect harmony. It's simple but effective, and more fun than a night in the still-house drinkin' that cider! Watch a video below!


The Foghorn Stringband peforms "Columbus Stockade Blues"

I'll end with a recommendation for the album Rugby, VA by Wayne and Max Henderson. Wayne Henderson is a world-renowned luthier as well as a master guitar player. He's built guitars for Clapton and repaired them for Elvis. He's also an old-time fingerpicking guitarist, and was awarded an NEA National Heritage Fellowship in 1995, the highest award given to a traditional artist. He even has a music festival named for him! Wayne originally learned to play chords from his older brother Max, who now suffers from memory loss and can't play music anymore. But twenty years ago, with Wayne on guitar and Max on mandolin, they recorded a set of pure unadulterated string tunes, which remains the only known recording of the Henderson brothers. Although it's got a few fiddle tunes, it's interesting for being mostly instrumental versions of songs, such as "Banks of the Ohio," "Will the Circle Be Unbroken," "Wayfaring Stranger," and "Cindy." You won't find a better or more authentic example of old-time music on guitar and mandolin. Released on the Music Maker Relief Foundation label, it will forever stand a great source of pure traditional music, and an enjoyable listen to boot. Watch a video about Wayne's guitar career below.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Keeping Up Appearances

July 5, 2015, 8:57 am

≫ Next: Classical Live: A Gift to New Music Fans

≪ Previous: Americana for the Fourth of July

$

0

0

When one thinks back on some of history's greatest hoaxes, the first two that come to mind are usually the Trojan Horse and the creation of Potemkin villages. Both were brilliant projects conceived and executed on a grand scale with formidable results.

If we ratchet down the scale of deception to a much more intimate level, we end up examining the behavior of a very duplicitous character who has become so skilled at living a lie that it may be impossible for him to remember who he really is. For many of us, the perfect example would be a gay man who insists on living a closeted and severely compartmentalized life.





Maintaining such an exhausting charade can only last for so long. Recently, Bay area theatregoers were treated to two hilarious examples of what can go wrong when someone tries too hard to be someone he's not.

* * * * * * * * * *

Over at Thick House, Best of Playground Festival 19 presented six of the best short plays created during Playground's 2014-2015 season. Written by Davern Wright and directed by Jim Kleinmann, Cratchit examines what might happen if Ebeneezer Scrooge's time with the Ghost of Christmas Present didn't follow the path originally conceived by Charles Dickens.

Instead, Wright posits that, knowing what a tightass Scrooge is about money, the Cratchit family must desperately try to pull off an elaborate ruse in order to con the old man into feeling some pity for them. Tim (Millie DeBenedete) is no cripple, but a healthy young grifter who has practiced every pose that can milk money out of a stranger's pockets.





Cratchit's two daughters, Emily (Stephanie Prentice) and Belinda (Melissa Ortiz), are two simpering teenage brats reluctant to share any credit for their role in preparing the family's Christmas dinner. Their father, Bob Cratchit (Michael Barrett Austin), is a frustrated, foul-mouthed Victorian-era clerk who can't stop cursing out his selfish employer.

As a result, when The Ghost of Christmas Present (Jomar Tagatac) guides Scrooge (Michael Phillis) to observe the misery in the Cratchit household caused by his stinginess, what Scrooge witnesses is quite different from what Dickens wrote.




Ebeneezer Scrooge (Michael Phillis) visits his clerk's scheming
family on Christmas Day in Cratchit (Photo by: Mellopix.com)


* * * * * * * * * *


To close out its 2014-2015 season, 42nd Street Moon presented a rare revival of Frank Loesser and George Abbott's hit, Where's Charley? Directed with gusto by Dyan McBride, this musical adaptation of Brandon Thomas's 1892 hit comedy entitled Charley's Aunt was a star vehicle for Ray Bolger, whose career as a song-and-dance man included the original Broadway productions of Life Begins at 8:40 (1934) and two hit musicals by Rodgers and Hart: On Your Toes (1936), and By Jupiter (1942). Although Bolger may be best known for his performance as the Scarecrow in 1939's The Wizard of Oz, this clip from 1941's hit film, Sunny, gives a good sense of his loose-limbed charm.





When Where's Charley? opened on Broadway in 1948 at the St. James Theatre, it ran for 792 performances. A revival featuring most of the original leads opened in January 1951 at the Broadway Theatre and ran for 48 performances. A 1952 film version produced by Warner Brothers gives a hint at Bolger's charm in the title role and includes the sing-along to "Once In Love With Amy" that he made popular during the show's original run on Broadway.





For those who don't know, the ruse that lies at the core of Charley's Aunt and Where's Charley? is the predicament that Charley Wykeham finds himself in when he and his roommate, Jack Chesney, are visited by their girfriends (who arrive without a chaperone). This being Victorian England, such behavior is outrageous. In order to facilitate matters, Charley is convinced to dress up as his aunt, Dona Lucia D'Alvadorez, who is due to arrive in town while visiting from Brazil ("where the nuts come from").




Keith Pinto in drag as Dona Lucia D'Alvadorez in
Where's Charley? (Photo by: Patrick O'Connor)


Once the gimmick is established, the actor playing Charley is kept on the run as he undergoes quick costume changes between his naturally masculine appearance as Charley and a highly feminized version of his aunt. Needless to say, "Charley's Aunt" (who is rumored to be extremely wealthy) attracts the attention of several gold-digging old goats, including Jack Chesney's financially challenged father. Meanwhile, Charley finds himself suddenly gaining access to such forbidden areas as a ladies' dressing room.




Dona Lucia D'Alvadorez (Keith Pinto) finds himself in a ladies'
dressing room in Where's Charley? (Photo by: Patrick O'Connor)


Some may claim that Frank Loesser's score for Where's Charley? is rather slight, but I don't think that's very fair. In many respects, George Abbott's book and Loesser's songs show a heavy influence of Gilbert & Sullivan.

This show is very much a period piece (as opposed to other Loesser musicals such as Guys and Dolls, The Most Happy Fella, Greenwillow, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying). The following selections from 1958's London cast recording (starring Norman Wisdom) give listeners a taste of the romantic style Loesser drew upon for his score to Where's Charley?









42nd Street Moon's revival featured James Bock as Jack Chesney, John-Elliott Kirk as Sir Francis Chesney, and Scott Hayes, who landed many fine comedic moments as Mr. Spettigue. Jennifer Mitchell and Abby Sammons lent their rich soprano voices to the roles of Kitty Verdun and Amy Spettigue, with Stephanie Rhoads appearing as Charley's real aunt Dona Lucia.

As a rule, the show rests on the shoulders of the actor playing Charley Wykeham. Keith Pinto brought a high energy, athletic determination to the role which paid off in spades. On opening night, it looked as if Pinto was having as much fun as the audience was having watching him in action.




Keith Pinto as Dona Lucia D'Alvadorez fends off Scott Hayes
as Mr. Spettigue in Where's Charley?
(Photo by: Patrick O'Connor)





To read more of George Heymont go to My Cultural Landscape

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Classical Live: A Gift to New Music Fans

July 5, 2015, 11:12 am

≫ Next: Sail Into Art Southampton

≪ Previous: Keeping Up Appearances

$

0

0

It's a great thing when major orchestras release new recordings of contemporary art music. It's an even better sign of the vibrancy of the classical music business for that to happen under the auspices of a new major international initiative that brings together commercial and non-profit entities. Classical Live -- a collaboration between Google Play Music, 21C Media Group, and five of the world's most beloved orchestras -- is a new platform for digital classical music recordings. Available for streaming and download through Google Play Music, these recordings offer a glimpse at the artistic vitality of some of the hottest conductors and orchestras on the music scene today.

The first phase of Classical Live launched in June 2015, with the release of three albums from the Boston Symphony Orchestra (Andris Nelsons, Music Director), two from the New York Philharmonic (Alan Gilbert, Music Director), two from the Cleveland Orchestra (Franz Welser-Möst, Music Director), two from the London Symphony Orchestra (Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Conductor), and three from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (Mariss Jansons, Conductor Emeritus).

Besides offering music fans an opportunity to hear their favorite orchestras and repertoire through a new platform, Classical Live also stands to enrich the existing contemporary music discography. This specific contribution to the annals of recording history is likely to outweigh the addition of standard repertoire recordings to the marketplace.



One Classical Live recording -- Selections from the NY Phil Biennial 2014 -- merits praise in the first phase launch of the project. This album is the only contemporary music recording included in the launch of Classical Live, and represents a bold statement by the orchestra: that new music and contemporary composers have a place in the heart of the organization's profile. The recording showcases the work of ten diverse contemporary composers (HK Gruber, Vito Žuraj, Jay Schwartz, Nina Šenk, Michael Hersch, Julia Adolphe, Max Grafe, Andrew McManus, Matthias Pintscher, and Oscar Bettison). Matthias Pintscher, a regular artistic partner with the New York Philharmonic, is also featured prominently in his role as a conductor on the recording. Click here for the complete track list.

The New York Philharmonic, which has admirably cranked-up its performance and recording of contemporary works under Music Director Alan Gilbert, stands out from the pack of orchestras on Classical Live. Gilbert's tenure at the Philharmonic, which is set to conclude in 2017 as a result of his recent resignation announcement, has seen the launch of the New York Philharmonic Biennial, numerous new commissions, and the founding of the orchestra's CONTACT! series of new music concerts.



While recording contemporary music is not likely to offer significant income to Google Play or the New York Philharmonic, their inclusion of highlights from the 2014 Biennial in the launch of Classical Live is laudable and hopefully a sign of more good things to come in the future. It is certain that significant artistic merit exists in the endeavor of recording music by contemporary composers. Offering these recordings through the digital space and avoiding the production costs of creating physical CDs will surely help the New York Philharmonic's bottom-line. The orchestra's 2015-2016 line-up for CONTACT! and the Biennial is chock-full of new works that should be recorded and made available to the international listening public.

Classical Live recordings are available for download ($4.99 for full albums; $0.69 for individual tracks) or streaming ($9.99 per month). All selections are formatted as MP3s and can be accessed through play.google.com, the Google Play Music app for Android and iOS, or by directly downloading the files to your computer or device.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Sail Into Art Southampton

July 6, 2015, 6:01 am

≫ Next: Music Will Set Us Free

≪ Previous: Classical Live: A Gift to New Music Fans

$

0

0

If you take a look at an aerial view map of Long Island it won't take you but a moment to figure out why the celebrated seaside resort area affectionately called "The Hamptons " (originally settled in 1640) became so popular. Not only is it teeming with pristine beaches, historic homes and cool ocean breezes, but it's the most preferred destination, an escape really, for fast-paced Manhattanites looking for the shortest route to get out of town as they seek the serenity of the gentrified countryside. This area also features some of the most expensive residential properties within the United States; for example, the former Montauk compound of Andy Warhol, which was purchased in 1972 for $225,000, is now on the market for $85 million. When you blend all this together, mixing fame and fortune and beautiful people, it's not surprising that this remains a unique community of serious high level art collectors and dealers, along with many renowned artists-in-residence, all of which seem to fit comfortably together into one concentrated, fabulous fraternity of art world personalities that has no seasonal equal.

Art Southampton, directed by Nick Korniloff, who also brings you Art Miami, Art New York and Art Silicon Valley/San Francisco, among others, offers the value and prestige that attracts participation by leading galleries from around the world, making this fair an outstanding international event. The fair opens with a VIP Preview on July 9 that spotlights some of the finest blue chip works of art by emerging, mid-career and cutting edge artists, as well as from the Post War and Pop eras, with an additional focus on design and functional art. Outstanding galleries from cities around the world include Paris, Berlin, London, Seoul, Brussels, Bogota, Barcelona and Quebec, among many others, as well as the United States, including Miami, Palm Beach, Santa Fe, San Francisco and New York. The five day event, concluding on Monday, July 13, will be held this year on the expansive grounds of Nova's Ark Project in a 100,000 square foot pavilion.

Art Southampton also provides a robust programming schedule, including receptions with artists and book signings, and a daily art symposium sponsored by One Art Nation that brings together leading opinion leaders and art industry experts to speak on a wide range of topics covering everything from artist spotlights to panel discussions on contemporary art market trends. For the last couple of years, the fair has included a juried exhibition of promising students from the New York Academy of Art and for 2015, April Gornik, the celebrated painter (and wife of artist Eric Fischl, also summer residents in the Hamptons), has selected seventeen young talents whose work will be on display.


Elisabeth McBrien, At the Motel, 2015, oil on canvas, 18 x 24 in. Courtesy New York Academy of Art.

Included in this NYAA students' exhibition at the fair is At the Motel by Elisabeth McBrien, who seems to take a cue from Edward Hopper, along with a dash of Diebenkorn and a pinch of Hockney in this fresh and handsomely mature painting that also incorporates some minimalist geometric passages of colorful squares and rectangles. Twin peaks look over the motel's roof as a girl sits patiently by the door, like a classic Hopper-esque subject. After checking out McBrien's website (www.elisabethmcbrien.com), it's clear that the artist is a rare talent in the figurative tradition, whose consistency of imagery is uncanny. (www.nyaa.edu)

While it's a challenge to carefully examine everything presented at the fair, the seasoned crowd seems to work out their own exploratory strategy for covering all the bases, although it may take more than one visit. The images featured in this review offer a brief tour of some of my favorites that I've had the pleasure to view in advance, along with a bit of commentary:


George Condo, The Sailor of the Indoor Seas, 1999, oil on canvas, 65 x 72 in. Courtesy Arcature Fine Art, Palm Beach.

Looking for a big impressive condo with a nice view as a promising investment? Arcature Fine Art of Palm Beach is presenting an outstanding large-scale painting by George Condo titled The Sailor of the Indoor Seas. Condo historically coined the term "Artificial Realism" to describe his hybridization of traditional European Old Masters painting with a sensibility informed by American Pop. A curator from MoMA stated, "George opened the door for artists to use the history of painting in a way that was not appropriation." (www.arcaturefineart.com)


Robert Rauschenberg, Runt Series, 2007, mixed media on polylaminate, 61 x 73 in. (154.94 x 185.42 cm). Courtesy Casterline Goodman Gallery, Aspen.

No respectable art fair can do without at least one impressive Rauschenberg painting, and this work presented by Casterline Goodman Gallery is a perfect example of the vibrancy and inventiveness of one of America's most influential artists. Like many artists, particularly from the Pop art movement, Rauschenberg appropriated printed imagery from a range of sources, until a lawsuit was settled unfavorably concerning copyright infringement, then he shifted immediately to using his own photographs exclusively as compositional elements, which are evident in this remarkably idiosyncratic mixed media work. (www.casterlinegoodman.com)


Christiane Richter, n.t., 2014, C-print with diasec face. Courtesy Priveekollektie Contemporary Art | Design, The Netherlands.

Christiane Richter's work brings a unique emphasis to the art of dealing with perceptions and documentary interpretations. The questions of the observer's point of view regarding light, color and form are central to her vision. Richter's stark, lovely and somewhat eerily tinted photographs are reminiscent of stained canvas in abstract color field paintings, which have a fresh narrative viewpoint; in this instance, flowers that may have been influenced by early darkroom experiments by Man Ray. (www.priveekollektie.com)


Charlotte Park, Untitled (50-86), c. 1955, gouache on paper, 18 x 23 ¾ in. Courtesy Berry Campbell Gallery, New York.

Charlotte Park's important contribution to the Abstract Expressionist movement has been recently acknowledged, and it's about time. Writing in The New York Times, just before Park died in late 2010, Roberta Smith called Park "A natural painter and a gifted colorist." She was overshadowed by the attention given to the work of her husband, James Brooks, even though she painted some of the strongest and most brilliantly colored canvases of her time. (www.berrycampbell.com)


Martin Mull, The End of the Line, 2014, oil on linen, 60 x 45 ½ in. Courtesy of the artist and Hirschl & Adler Modern, New York.


Martin Mull is an amusing storyteller in language, music and film and in his painting, which matured as a graduate student at the Rhode Island School of Design, where he was a brilliant photorealist airbrush painter. Although celebrated as an actor and comedian, not as many know that his real love and dedication is to his art, polishing his already superb and often sarcastic and witty slants on everyday American life as he frequently portrays a juxtaposition of middle class nostalgia and values with overlapping passages of underlying tension and unlikely possibilities. (www.hirschlandadler.com)


Vee Speers, Untitled #32, The Bulletproof Series, 2013. Image copyright of the artist; courtesy Jackson Fine Art, Atlanta.

Vee Speers' Untitled #32, The Bulletproof Series is a hauntingly beautiful and somewhat peculiar portrait of a young girl in a white dress leaning on a white wall, embellished with a fawn on her shoulders and a boomerang in her hand. Born in Australia and living in Paris since 1990, Speers' timeless portraits have been exhibited worldwide. Her recent monograph Bordello has a foreword by Karl Lagerfeld. (www.jacksonfineart.com)


Georg Baselitz, Untitled (BASG/P14), 2014, pen/watercolor and ink on paper, 26.2 x 20 in. Courtesy Galerie Terminus, Munich.

Untitled by Georg Baselitz is a distinguished example of the artist's continuing exploration of pioneering German Neo-Expressionist imagery. His work, like this one, evokes disquieting subject matter rendered feverishly with a variety of marks as a means of confronting the realities of the modern age. Drawing upon a dynamic and myriad pool of influences, including art of the Mannerist period and African sculptures, Baselitz developed a distinct painting language. (http://www.galerie-terminus.de)


Jack Tworkov, House of the Sun Variation, 1952, oil on canvas, 39 x 35 in. Courtesy of Hollis Taggart Galleries, New York.

It's been said that the most uniquely American contributions to planetary culture are jazz and Abstraction Expressionism. The best known artist in this distinguished category is de Kooning, but based on Jack Tworkov's House of the Sun Variation above, a good argument can be made that this is an equal or perhaps superior painting. For my money, it's a picture worth having for daily visual pleasure and as a solid investment, as it's my very favorite at the fair, and a remarkable canvas like this one is a rare find indeed. (http://www.hollistaggart.com)

For more information: http://www.art-southampton.com

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Music Will Set Us Free

July 6, 2015, 9:25 am

≫ Next: Mist of the Earth: A Stunning Exhibition of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest Region

≪ Previous: Sail Into Art Southampton

$

0

0

What is it about art that is so threatening to those who seek to restrict human rights for LGBT people?

The Boston Gay Men's Chorus recently concluded a history-making tour of Israel and Turkey during which we became the first gay choral group to perform in the Middle East. Our performance in Istanbul was nearly derailed by homophobia. We were originally scheduled to sing at the Zorlu Performance Center -- a newly-built hall that is an acoustic marvel. But shortly after ticket sales were made available to the public (about two months before the date of the performance), fundamentalist extremists protested the concert and it was abruptly cancelled. We found a new space thanks to the LGBTI student group at Boğaziçi University, which worked with school officials to make outdoor space on the South Campus available to us. We performed on June 27 before a crowd of 3,000 people, including Charles Hunter, the US Consulate General of Istanbul, Turkey, who joined us on stage for our last number, Katy Perry's "Firework."

The experience reminded me of something that took place 30 years earlier when I was the director of the Heartland Men's Chorus in Kansas City, Missouri. We were asked to perform at the opening of the first hospice care unit for AIDS patients. This was in the early days of the epidemic when a diagnosis of AIDS almost always resulted in death, and AIDS stigma and discrimination was much higher than it is today.

Our performance, which was meant to bring joy to both those who were on the verge of death as well as those selflessly caring for them, drew protests and picketing from Fred Phelps. It was unnerving, to say the least, but the experience taught me two things. First, there are people in this world who think that their way of living is the only way, and they will take extraordinary measures to impose their point of view on others. Second, it is never a good idea to back down from these people.

I would be lying if I said I was unaffected by the protests by fundamentalist extremists in Turkey. They didn't just anger me; they scared me. But their voices were drowned out by a massive outpouring of support not just from Istanbul's passionate LGBTI community, but also by others in Turkey who support equal justice for all.

Here in the United States, we are basking in an incredible victory for human rights with the US Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which gives same-sex couples the freedom to marry in all 50 states. This extraordinary achievement is due in no small part to the courage of ordinary, everyday LGBT people, who generously shared their stories with their fellow Americans to change hearts and mind.

This, I suspect, is why art is so threatening to bigots and demagogues. Art is one of the easiest ways through which we can share stories of our lives. Music, in particular, is a universal language. While choral music for male voices is a tradition that goes back centuries, gay male choirs formed directly in response to an act of homophobic violence -- the assassination of San Francisco City Supervisor Harvey Milk.

At the time of his death, Milk was engaged in a tour of the country during which he gave speeches imploring gay people to come out and share stories of their lives in order to fight anti-gay legislative measures. The formation of the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus was a direct result of Milk's call on the gay community to come out. In a horrible twist, the first public performance of the Chorus took place at a hastily-organized public memorial service November 27, 1978 hours after Milk had been shot to death.

In the months that followed Milk's murder, founding members of the Chorus mortgaged their homes to fund a national tour. Multiple gay male choruses formed in the wake of that tour, including the Boston Gay Men's Chorus in 1982.

By sharing stories of our lives through music, particularly in places such as Ein Gedi, Jerusalem and Istanbul -- where it is relatively unusual to see artistic expressions of the LGBT experience and where we performed to sold out enthusiastic houses during our tour of the Middle East -- we are planting seeds of change, not only in our audience but in ourselves.

Ten years ago, the Boston Gay Men's Chorus toured Eastern Europe. Our concert in Poland drew so many protests that the only way we could perform was under the protection of riot police. Despite the threats, there wasn't a seat available for the show. International media covered it, and the ubiquitous headline seen in newspapers around the world the following day was "Music Triumphs Over Injustice."

Today Poland has an openly gay elected official, something that would have been unthinkable just 10 years ago, and our experience in Wroclaw made our decision about what to do in Istanbul a relatively easy one: Despite our fears, we would perform. We know through personal experience that these are the types of events that motivate and inspire the sorts of people who will eventually go on to change the world.

That is why art is so threatening to those who would like to keep us down, and it is why it's so important for the show to go on.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Mist of the Earth: A Stunning Exhibition of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest Region

July 6, 2015, 10:41 am

≫ Next: Gillian Murphy, Isabella Boylston, and Nicole Graniero Triumph in 'Cinderella'

≪ Previous: Music Will Set Us Free

$

0

0

Brazilian artist, environmentalist and visionary, Denise Milan, has been an enriching part of my personal and professional life for over twenty-five years. We met in São Paulo during the 1989 São Paulo Biennale when, as Executive Director of the Jamaica Arts Center, the community based arts organization in New York, I led an enthusiastic group of art lovers to São Paulo to attend the opening of our installation of sculpture by Martin Puryear, the official U.S. representative to this prestigious international exhibition.

It was during this visit to São Paulo that a budding acquaintance with Denise was spawned. I was drawn to her work and a world of discovery that she presented to me through her stone constructs and the multilayered tableaus that resonated throughout her installations in São Paulo. When asked to describe her body of work, Denise said, "she uses the stone as the creative axis and inspiration for her work." I should add that the breath of her output since I have followed her includes: public art, performing arts, poetry, printmaking and video. She is a driven artist.

Our connections, deepened through the decades, have resulted in collaborations on projects in the U.S. that have included a major stone sculptural permanent installation - America's Courtyard - on the lakefront near the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, a photographic exhibition Mist of the Earth at the Chicago Cultural Center, and recently presented at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C.

Denise has been absorbed and challenged by the topography of Brazil. Its often hidden history - the Atlantic Forest, and Salvador de Bahia - have spurred her research into the essence of its treasures and threats. During her photographic treks through the Atlantic Forest and interaction with indigenous peoples who are struggling to survive, she was compelled to share these images and experiences with the world.

Manuela Mena, Senior Curator of 18th Century Painting at Museo National del Prado summarizes the exhibition, "Denise Milan presents the Atlantic Forest as the vision of a fascinating world seen through the artist's eyes and imagination. The photos, taken over the course of several years at Cairucu, near Paraty, of the jungle, have been used in a process of metamorphosis going deeply beyond the species appearance, to an understanding of the intimate fusion between nature and its inhabitants."

It was in and round Paraty, a colonial enclave, where a few years ago I observed the essence of this paradise. When I was a guest at her beach house I found the spectacular magical setting inspirational and touchable. A Lonely Planet tour guide narrative describes Paraty: "set amid jutting peninsulas and secluded beaches with a backdrop of steep, jungled mountains plunging into an island studded bay."

To learn more about Denise Milan her work, and to see this exhibit visit:

wilsoncenter.org/event/mist-the-earth-art-and-sustainability

www.denisemilanstudio.com/

http://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/MIST%202015%20-%20Virtual%20Invite.pdf

Pat Johnson
Grannies on Safari

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

---

Gillian Murphy, Isabella Boylston, and Nicole Graniero Triumph in 'Cinderella'

July 6, 2015, 10:46 am

≫ Next: Top 5 Artists of What the Fest 2015

≪ Previous: Mist of the Earth: A Stunning Exhibition of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest Region

$

0

0

Gillian Murphy in Cinderella. Photo: Gene Schiavone.

It is a rare occasion that a layman steals to the theater on a weekday. If he does, his purpose is to be revived and reminded of the beauty that persists in our community. He does not attend for society, but sits quietly, awaiting transportation to a universe where mundane stresses do not exist, and dancers sprinkle magic amidst the ruins of life.

When it comes to otherworldly allure, few story ballets can rival Cinderella. Sergei Prokofiev's score haunts and enchants; the melodies mimic what one would expect from the imaginations of stars and fairies. The plot itself -- with its 17th-century aristocratic grandeur and 19th-centuy romanticism thanks to the Brothers Grimm -- has inspired many a youngster to dress in a crown and gown and wish for her fairy godmother. The message is, on some levels, antiquated, but it's also hopeful and soothing. For those who question whether cruelty may triumph, it's catharsis at its finest.

Among the many dance interpretations of Cinderella, Frederick Ashton's rendition takes the cake for charm and pleasantry. Ashton has a penchant for myth and ethereality; his most celebrated work in the United States, The Dream, is filled with forests, spells, and intrigue. His lithe aesthetic compliments Cinderella's narrative, and it's no wonder that Kevin McKenzie chose to keep Ashton's version in the repertory this season after it made its American Ballet Theatre debut last year.

That said, it may not have been the best choice to close ABT's stint at the Met, as Tuesday's cast didn't quite achieve transcendence. The stars were lovely as they wove in patterns across the stage, and yet they felt compact and almost claustrophobic. Cinderella's father and stepsisters -- portrayed by Grant DeLong, Kenneth Easter, and Thomas Forster -- were humorous but a little too refined and withheld. Alexandre Hammoudi looked like a prince but didn't seem one as his lines extended into infinity but his actions lacked verve. Even Devon Teuscher and Karen Uphoff were more reminiscent of students in a variations class than professionals performing Summer and Winter for crowds of thousands. In short, the evening was unusually amateur for ABT and the Metropolitan Opera House.


Thomas Forster and Kenneth Easter as the Step-Sisters in Cinderella. Photo: Gene Schiavone.

There were, of course, several exceptions. Nicole Graniero, a corps de ballet member who joined the company in 2007, was particularly lively and sharp as Autumn; her movements jaunted and sprang like the first rush of wind as the leaves turn gold. Throughout the production, it was difficult to ignore her elegance and energy. Isabella Boylston also thrived as the Fairy Godmother, and I wouldn't mind seeing her as the title character as well. She combined the quaintness and tightness of a Sarah Lamb with the generosity of port de bras that defines the ABT dancer.

Finally, Gillian Murphy embodied Cinderella with every motion. She was pitiable and meek in the first act, graceful and airy in the second, and joyous and sensitive in the third. But what differentiates Murphy from her peers is that, unlike Boylston, she doesn't traverse the floor as though it were a cloud carrying her along. At the Met, her steps were thoughtful, even hesitant as she walked down palace stairs en pointe. Sometimes, her distinctive technique made the choreography awkward: she didn't look so bird-like when she ran, casually migrating on and off her shoe's box. But her particularities also allowed her to be human; with them, she testified that ballet is difficult but also beautiful. She shook in a penché, and yet her legs reached an ideal 180 degrees. This is why she has for so long been one of my favorite Principals -- she's relatable, perfect in her imperfection.

When the curtain closed, lethargic applause admitted that the show had been good, but not great. There had been no majesty, but the ensemble had done enough to have me waltzing on my way home, humming Prokofiev with a smile. Cinderella took me on a mini-vacation, away from Manhattan and its bustle. It was like birthday cake ice cream in a rainbow sprinkle cone: tasty but predictably bland in its sweetness. Still, we could all use some coolness and color on a summer's eve.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Top 5 Artists of What the Fest 2015

July 6, 2015, 10:58 am

≫ Next: RENT in Twain: Division in a Small Town

≪ Previous: Gillian Murphy, Isabella Boylston, and Nicole Graniero Triumph in 'Cinderella'

$

0

0

What The Festival is an annual three-day interactive music and arts festival held 90 miles east of Portland, taking place during summer solstice. This year's festival ran from June 18th to June 22nd, bringing together 5,000 people for a "full-sensory experience".



Located on a breathtaking 250-acre Oregon ranch, surrounded by the Mt. Hood National Forest, this year's lineup of 93 "musical" acts brought out a range of djs, producers, and musicians who set the soundtrack for stunning installations in the Illuminated Forest, huge swimming pool dance parties, an exhaustive list of workshops, and great vendors - it's hard to imagine what organizers could do bigger in 2016.

Check out the top 5 from WTF 2015 over at GoLocalPDX.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

RENT in Twain: Division in a Small Town

July 6, 2015, 11:19 am

≫ Next: The Beautiful Mustachioed Woman: How Frida Kahlo Inspired Me To Accept My Flaws

≪ Previous: Top 5 Artists of What the Fest 2015

$

0

0

When walking into South Jackson Civic Center, the unmistakable old schoolhouse smell of ancient hardwood and teenage dreams wafts around you. A former high school turned performing arts center, South Jackson is now center stage in its very own drama. Much like the musical, Footloose, many clergy and concerned citizenry of Tullahoma are banning together to prevent teens and young adults from doing what they deem immoral--putting on the Pulitzer Prize and Tony award winning musical, RENT.

The teens and young adults in the RENT cast make up part of South Jackson Civic Center's PACT group; an acronym that stands for Performing Arts for Children and Teens. The unrest from the community stems, not only from the shows content, but also from the assumed age of the performers.

Too far?

In his church's monthly newsletter, Pastor Wayne Wester of Highland Baptist Church wrote of his concerns. "It is a musical about a bunch of college age students who choose to live a 'bohemian,' (sexually, morally and legally permissive) lifestyle." Wester continues, "While I have no objection to a theater group selecting and performing any musical or play they choose, this is our own Tullahoma! What is worse is that this play was selected for PACT. " Wester ends his newsletter insert with a call to his congregation and readers, "Do you agree with me that this is inappropriate for such a group? If you do, speak up about it! If you don't, shame on you!" To read the full piece in the newsletter, see the photo below.


The Highlander, a monthly Baptist newsletter from Highland Baptist can be found online.

One concerned citizen, Julie Fisher, not only agrees with Wester, but even penned a letter of dissent to the leaders of South Jackson. Since its original sending, the email has been widely circulated among those who both agree with and oppose her statements. "I am very concerned about the direction PACT is taking." Fisher begins, "Using RENT as a 'literary and historical guide' for teens to explore their sexuality in a safe environment' and to deal with issues such as substance and alcohol abuse." Fisher also accuses PACT leaders of "bullying" through "the production of the play, public school curriculum, and child psychologist-led sessions [with the cast.]" Fisher claims that PACT has a clear agenda to "sexualize and desensitize children and adults to morality." Although vehemently criticizing PACT leaders, Fisher takes time to praise Tullahoma City Schools for adopting an "abstinence based programs" for teaching sex-ed to teens.


PACT members hard at work rehearsing. (Photo by: Sharon Kay Edwards)

Not only is RENT's content under scrutiny, but the age of the performers have drawn much protest in the small town.

However, when the cast and show director, Robert Allen, are questioned about the ages of the performers, they all reveal the youngest member of the cast to be a sixteen year old boy who is performing with the blessing of his parents.

"We had informed parental consent forms signed from all those who are under eighteen." Allen says. "All the parents were notified of the show's content. We even lost one cast member because his father wouldn't allow him to be a part of it, so everyone involved is fully aware of everything the show is about."

Not only are parents aware, but they are very supportive. Paige Prescott Lashlee, whose daughter is one of the ladies in the double cast playing the role of Mimi, took to Facebook with a vocal endorsement of her seventeen year old daughter and the play she is performing. "I brought my children home to Tullahoma to raise them in a loving, safe environment. I did not bring my children home to subject them to the small minds of small towns who try to inflict their narrow views on others. I believe in Tullahoma, the educated, tolerant minds that live here, and I am happy to know that the ignorant bigots are few. That said, please join me in supporting the arts in Tullahoma, the talents of our performers, and the right to choose what you buy tickets to. We are a diverse little town that loves the arts."

Life Imitates Art
In response to why RENT was chosen as a show for teens and young adults, Allen argues that the cast, although young, relate to the characters in the play and their struggles.

"We fought for this to be a PACT production for a reason. You know, people have come to us with some concerns about the show, and it's always couched in a 'concern for children and teens.' I will say that I don't think this play is for children, but I can look at the cast and see character counterparts." Allen points to imaginary people standing around him, "There's our Collins, there's our desperately in love person, there's our abused person, our person struggling with an eating disorder, our transgendered person, our person struggling with sexuality. So, for people to say, 'your life is so disgusting and immoral that it shouldn't exist onstage,' is a huge slap in the face to them. These teens need their lives validated."


Emotions run high during rehearsals as material hits close to home. (Photo by: Sharon Kay Edwards)

Allen talks about how some of the controversy surrounding the show has affected marketing. "The cast went to do an interview on a TV station, and a local pastor said, 'No, I demand equal time to say what I think about the show.'" Allen shakes his head and looks confused, "How can he say what he thinks about the show until he sees it? Our response to him is that, built into our program, we have feedback sessions scheduled for opening night and the second Friday. These sessions will be mediated dialogue with the audience about the content of the show. Also, the Arts Council is sponsoring a post-mortem after we close where we can talk with the community about all the facets of the show. Without seeing it and experiencing that dialogue, how can he have an opinion one way or another?"

Putting on RENT in a southern small town with a young cast brought its own set of challenges. "We knew early on we had to be responsible with this." Allen says, "Responsible and honest. You have a responsibility. You can't just do this play and walk away from it."

Along with the performance schedule, there have been scheduled times for professionals to speak to the cast. One such professional is head of the Tennessee Psychiatric Association and psychologist with Tennessee Department of Corrections, Tamela Sadler. Although scheduled from the beginning to speak to the cast, the timing couldn't have been more appropriate. Coming on the heels of the Supreme Court decision for marriage equality, the performers, directors, and producers have been met with a hailstorm of opposition and negativity. Sadler met with the cast to discuss their feelings about the show and how their own lives have been affected by being in it and dealing with the community's proposed ban.

Conversations with the Cast

A veritable hodge podge of culture, the cast is made up of christians, agnostics, gay, straight, bi-sexual, white, and black members. They all assemble onstage and sit on the floor surrounding Sadler who begins by speaking about the controversy surrounding the show.

"Whenever we do plays like this that stir emotions--and as performers and artists, that's what we enjoy doing--but when we stir those pots, we can touch sore places in people. We don't know why they have those sore places, we don't know if it religious background, a wound that they have, or some bias that they have, but plays that show a side of life that people are not familiar seeing--something that hasn't been normalized for them because it hasn't happened to them or their family--it can make people upset, and I think that's a lot of the backlash that you're getting. I don't think it's solely because of the content."

The cast all nod their understanding. Sadler then questions them, "How have you guys been dealing with all of this?"

Voices from around the stage pipe up in response.

"We've been really great at supporting each other through this."

"This is the most family oriented cast I've ever been in. I love being here and I love what I'm doing, and I'm not going to let a couple of naysayers on Facebook keep me from doing this show."

"We actually started our own life support group when we first began rehearsals." one male cast member says, "We shared our issues, and we have all begun to support each other."


The cast sit and share their own experiences with each other. (Photo by: Sharon Kay Edwards)

The more the cast reveals about their struggles, the more apparent it is for them to have a support system. Voices, one after the other, tell of their own situations.

"I've lost contact with three family members because of the Supreme Court ruling and their stance on gay marriage."

"My people disowned me because I'm gay--right as I started the RENT process."

"I was called a bitch because of believing in what I' m doing. I was completely shocked to get that message from someone I rarely even talked to."

"I lived for six months in my car. I went to work, and I lived in my car."

A glance at the show's director reveals him nodding and making eye contact in a way that seems to say, "See? I told you, These kids need this show. They've already lived it."

Fear and Understanding

The conversation turns toward the public outcry about the show, and one cast member theorizes what is behind the conflict.

"There are those who don't understand it, and that's OK, but I think fear is huge diving force of the negativity."

Sadler asks them, "What are they afraid of?"

Again, a rush of voices, all on top of each other, provide answers.

"What they don't know."

"The issues."

"They're afraid of the grey area."

"Afraid of what they might learn."

"Afraid they'll identify."

Sadler agrees with them, placing herself in the role of those against the show, she says, "You know, I might learn that that person on stage is a lot like me. I might learn that a gay, transgender, bi-sexual, lesbian, or whatever person experiences loss and love and life just like me." Sadler brings the conversation back around to theater and its place in society, "Good theater is about creating those emotional responses in people. Without that emotional response,you don't get any change. Without there being an emotional impact, it doesn't have the same value."

A female voice pipes up, "Theater is a reflection of humanity in many different ways, and this show is important. It is a mirror, and a lot of people don't like seeing what is reflected back to them. They don't like to see what's going on."



"Good theater is about creating emotional responses in people." Dr. Sadler leads the cast in a thought provoking discussion. (Photo by: Sharon Kay Edwards)

But why is the show so important? Another cast member uses his story to illustrate.

"Growing up in a southern small town, there was never a voice for me. I felt like I was alone. I used to cry myself to sleep because I was told I would die and go to hell if I was a gay person, and I knew in my heart of hearts that's what I was. Personally, I would have loved to have seen a show like this to know I wasn't alone."

Another young cast member reiterates that point.

"We are doing for those kids--those teens--who have been told their entire life that having these thoughts and feelings are wrong--an abomination. We're letting them know this is a safe place to have that discussion. When they leave, their parents may be like 'I don't know why we paid money to go to that show,' but those kids will be like, 'I totally get it.' They won't be alone."

Sadler concludes the conversation with one last remark of appreciation, "Theater has illuminated a lot of issues, and this is just one of them. I'm really glad you're doing it."

Seasons of Love

The cast thanks Dr. Sadler for her time, and resume their rehearsal. Allen gives some brief blocking direction and rehearsal instruction before stepping out for a short interview. "We'll stage 'Seasons of Love,' which I think will bring a great ending to this conversation."


Director, Robert Allen, watches the rehearsal. (Photo by: Sharon Kay Edwards)

Once in another room and seated at a table, Allen relaxes some. Fatigue is visible on his face and in his body language.

"I'm exhausted." Allen admits, "I need sleep. I've been trying to manage all of this, [controversy] and it's getting to be too big for me to manage." Allen sighs, "But I have so much respect for these kids. They are so honest in their performance. I want to fight for them."

When asked how they plan to respond to those protesting the show's performance, Allen says the cast are adamant about one thing, showing love, "We've already decided that if we have protestors, we'll turn the speakers outside, open the doors, and sing 'Seasons of Love' to them." He swings his arms out in a welcoming gesture, "Y'all come on in."

Incredibly, as Allen is still speaking, the cast begins to sing "Seasons of Love."

Ever the director, Allen cocks his head and listens to the singing in the other room, checking the balance of voices and the intensity behind them. He takes a breath and seemingly says to himself, "My respect for the kids is tremendous. They have responded so beautifully to the show and to the controversy surrounding it. All with a grace and love that is beautiful."

That love and grace is evident by asking the cast one question.

"If you had to tell someone what this show is about in one word, what would that word be?"

Without missing a beat or conferring with the actors on either side, they respond in unison, "LOVE!"

They all break into laughter at themselves for all having the same answer.

"It's about love," Allen says. "And Love wins."

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

The Beautiful Mustachioed Woman: How Frida Kahlo Inspired Me To Accept My Flaws

July 6, 2015, 11:44 am

≫ Next: Gorgeous, Outrageous Glass Art at the Glasmuseum Passau

≪ Previous: RENT in Twain: Division in a Small Town

$

0

0

Before I discovered the wonderful effects of laser hair removal, I had a mustache. Not the cute, peach fuzz, blonde kind but a regular ol', dark-haired mustache. I'm Puerto Rican and I inherited the hairy gene from my dad's side of the family. All of my aunts are professionals (first and foremost), petite, pretty, fair-skinned and a little fuzzy.

Throughout my childhood, from puberty on rather, I always felt insecure about my additional body hair. At the age of 11, I begged my mom to let me shave my legs. It was late spring and all the other girls in my school were starting to wear shorts... without tights underneath. I remember being in gym class and one of my friends asked why I was wearing tights since it was so hot outside. I told her that I was cold but the truth was that I was covering my insanely hairy legs. That night I begged my mom again to let me shave my legs. We made a bet; if at my upcoming dentist's appointment I was cavity-free then I'd be allowed to shave. I won the bet and we went straight to the pharmacy to buy my own razors and shaving cream. I'm pretty sure my mom was counting on some cavities but hey, a bet's a bet.




In high school, I started venturing out, which in my case meant going to the city. I remember browsing a bookstore downtown on Broadway. I was looking at the art books when I came across a familiar face. I had seen this woman's face before in various paintings. But what connected me to her was her mustache. It was Frida Kahlo. I browsed the pages of this book and saw all of her paintings, especially her self-portraits, each portrait illustrating her body hair. This started my long love affair of everything Frida Kahlo. She instantly became my hero.

As I read about Frida, from that book and countless others I've collected over the years, I learned that she didn't shy away from her flaws (obviously). She celebrated them and she chose to do it in a "take it or leave it" sort of way. She could've easily left out her mustache in her self-portraits but instead she chose to paint her reality, something she constantly prided herself in. Frida had no shortage of admirers (both men and women) and lived a creative, bohemian life on her own terms. And the world loved her for it.

While for the most part my laser treatment has been effective, I've stopped caring so much about the state of my facial hair. I met my husband pre-laser treatment, he married me still. Throughout both of my pregnancies I experienced more fuzz than usual (in all sorts of crazy areas) and I can tell you that it was definitely the least of my problems. Maybe it's a part of getting older, but I can honestly say that I'm over it, or like the kids like to say nowadays, IDNGAF. I'm thankful for getting to know the mustachioed woman but when I look at images of Frida now, all I see is a beautiful woman.

This blog post originally appeared on Not Without My Coffee.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Gorgeous, Outrageous Glass Art at the Glasmuseum Passau

July 6, 2015, 12:15 pm

≫ Next: Spathe at CACA, Saint Petersburg

≪ Previous: The Beautiful Mustachioed Woman: How Frida Kahlo Inspired Me To Accept My Flaws

$

0

0

Want to be overwhelmed? Want to be blown away by thousands upon thousands of pieces of over-the-top gorgeous glass art? Then stop by the Glasmuseum Passau the next time you are in Bavaria.

Or, take a quick trip through this slide show. Then follow it up with a visit to "Cheap Thrills at the Glasmuseum Passau."

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.