Category: Art


Santa Fe Getaway – Getting Artsy

Filed under: Travel, Art — Leave a comment
May 22, 2013

When you hear “Santa Fe,” most people immediately conjure up visions of art – and jewelry, as they should. Of course, that’s not all Santa Fe has to offer by a long shot. The city has certainly developed into a mecca of art with museums, galleries and even curated art collections within hotels.

An example of art that can be found in area hotels, such as this in the Hotel Santa Fe.

An example of art that can be found in area hotels, such as this in the Hotel Santa Fe.

The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe is just one example of the many museums in the city. Note, this is the exhibit that originated in Denver.

The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe is just one example of the many museums in the city. Note, this is the exhibit that originated in Denver.

The highest concentration of art can be found immediately outside of downtown Santa Fe on Canyon Road. A historic neighborhood with charming adobe dwellings and curved streets, Canyon Road has more than 100 galleries of all different styles. The gallery staff are happy to talk to you about the works of art, some of them their own. It’s a great experience to have the artist tell you what they were thinking and trying to accomplish when creating a work of art. One can walk between downtown and Canyon Road but the free shuttle also gets you there in minutes.

Even a rainy day didn't dampen enthusiasm for the many, charming galleries along Santa Fe's Canyon Road.

Even a rainy day didn’t dampen enthusiasm for the many, charming galleries along Santa Fe’s Canyon Road.

The village of Madrid  pronounced with the emphasis on the Mad, is a historic mining and ghost town on the Turquoise Trail in the Ortiz mountains. It is now an artists colony and has a cute collection of shops and restaurants. One of the very popular hangouts is the The Mine Shaft Tavern. You can just imagine smudged up, exhausted miners bellying up to the stand-up bar (4 inches higher than normal so the men could stand up straight after being hunched over all day in the mines) to order a well-deserved drink. Today, we can get a well-deserved cucumber margarita, rimmed in chili salt and a beef brisket sandwich with cherry BBQ sauce.

A tender beef brisket sandwich at the Mineshaft Tavern.

A tender beef brisket sandwich at the Mineshaft Tavern.

The Madrid Old Coal Town Museum, adjoining the restaurant is fascinating. Find out what life was like and why Walt Disney found inspiration for Disneyland in this small town.

A vintage car in the Old Coal Town Museum.

A vintage car in the Old Coal Town Museum.

One of the most beautiful, artistic displays in all of Santa Fe may just be the stars. Out in the countryside, near the  High Feather Ranch and B & B discover just how many stars there are in the sky with Peter Lipscomb of Astronomy Adventures. Whether you come as a group or meet up with others, Lipscomb’s telescope, totally awesome laser pointer and enthusiasm makes for a special and educational evening and makes you feel very, very small.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

A Brush with Genius By Thea Tagower

Filed under: Art, Theater — Leave a comment
March 29, 2013

I just spent the weekend with a strange man and I’m just not sure what to think of the whole experience. He’s famous, a bit of an egomaniac, eccentric, quick to anger yet warm – when he wants to be. He is funny, truly inspiring and very passionate. I don’t know about the others who were with us but frankly, I’m spent!

Now before you  relegate me to floozidom or pat me on the back with an ‘ata girl, let me explain. I and a theater full of people just experienced “A Weekend with Pablo Picasso.” Of course two days’ worth of action happened in less than two hours’ time, as only storytelling can do.

Herbert Siguenza pours his heart and soul into the role of Picasso. Photo courtesy Denver Center.

Herbert Siguenza pours his heart and soul into the role of Picasso. Photo courtesy Denver Center.

Picasso is channeled through Herbert Siguenza, who wrote the play, stars in it (all by himself) and actually paints right there on stage, on a set that represents Picasso’s cluttered, save everything, studio in the south of France. The problem with the play is what is also so good about it.

There are so many words of wisdom Picasso (Siguenza) wants to impart upon us that nearly every line is a message worth paying attention to and learning from. I found myself thinking “oh, that was good, I’ve got to remember that one,” “that’s so true,” “well-said!” again and again. Yet, the mass of the nuggets of wisdom didn’t lose their impact as the show went on. Instead, they were, in many cases, inspirational concepts but also, as they were intended to be, insight into the mind of one of the most important artists of our time.

At first, Siguenza’s portrayal seems a bit contrived but then he hooks you and you lose yourself in his portrayal. As abrasive and flighty as he can be, especially when we, the audience, first appear to him as an intrusion at a time when he has only two days to finish six commissioned pieces, Picasso interacts with the audience, letting us see all of his many sides.

"A Weekend with Picasso" is a multi-media experience which grows tedious at times but is effective in setting a mood of the times. Photo courtesy Denver Center.

“A Weekend with Picasso” is a multi-media experience which grows tedious at times but is effective in setting a mood of the times. Photo courtesy Denver Center.

While some people in the lobby afterword were bemoaning the short length of the play, I had to disagree. I’d rather experience a shorter piece that is full and complete in its hour and a half than two and a half hours of meandering fluff.

After his bow, Siguenza steps out of his Picasso persona to thank the audience, offer a few surprises and to also encourage young people to come for what they can learn (kids ages 14 and older can come). With his message about pursuing a life of conviction and creating an existence that brings you joy, that is time well spent.

“ A Weekend with Pablo Picasso” runs through April 28, playing at the Ricketson Theatre.

Read this interesting interview with actor Herbert Siguenza from a blog on the Denver Center site:

http://denvercenterblog.tumblr.com/post/45994761128/pablopicasso

Join us in Good Taste:
“Like” In Good Taste Denver on Facebook.

“Follow” In Good Taste Denver on Twitter.

Pin it! on Pinterest.

InGoodTasteDenver on Instagram.

Write to us at ingoodtastedenver@gmail.com.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

Georgia O’Keeffe’s Loveletter to the Southwest By Art Lavah

Filed under: Art, Special Events — 2 Comments
February 14, 2013
O'Keeffe, Georgia-Chama River Ghost Ranch

O’Keeffe, Georgia-Chama River Ghost Ranch

If you’re hoping to see Georgia O’Keeffe’s famous, giant flower paintings at the new Denver Art Museum exhibit, you won’t be disappointed. Oh, no, the pictures aren’t there. Well, there is one  cactus flower painting and one lovely morning glory placed next to an animal skull in another but, no, none of the recognizable ones, which, it turns out comprise a very small percentage of her collection of works, are in this show.  But don’t worry, you WON’T be disappointed because the exhibit, titled Georgia O’Keeffe in New Mexico: Architecture, Katsinam, and the Land gives you a rare glimpse into O’Keeffe’s passion for her adopted state.

I was fortunate enough to have a sneak peek of the exhibit before it opened to the public and to meet two of the Denver Art Museum staff responsible for the exhibit. Georgia O’Keeffe discovered New Mexico while passing through on train on her way to Colorado.  Despite living on the east coast with its vertical skylines, there was something about the horizontal landscape of New Mexico that drew her in. Thomas Smith, director of the Petrie Institute of Western American Art at the Denver Art Museum, opens the exhibit with a picture of a younger O’Keeffe than we are used to seeing. The strong, determined-looking woman in the picture has just started experiencing New Mexico during the summers. Her initial works there are more studied and less creative. Some are paintings of “found” objects like feathers, horseshoes, and animal skulls.

In the next room of landscapes, we see that O’Keeffe seems to relax into the land, using fluid swishes of color showing off the curves of the land and simple, natural colors like reddish-brown dirt, the blue sky and white puffy clouds.  New Mexico’s views are expansive, yet O’Keeffe often chose to zero in on a particular section of a mountain crevice, experimenting over time with that same view using different styles. Smith said she went back and forth in her styles which is interesting – instead of only moving forward along the path of the newest artistic styles.

O'Keeffe, Georgia-Paul_s Kachina

O’Keeffe, Georgia-Paul_s Kachina

One of the highlights of the exhibit is the paintings and statues of Katsinam, the plural name of Katsina, described as carved and painted representations of Hopi spirit beings. The Denver Art Museum shows off their collection of the dolls next to O’Keeffe’s paintings. She liked the bright colors, interesting designs, corn husks and feathers of the Katsinam. John Lukavic, associate curator of Native Arts for the Denver Art Museum, pointed out the irony of the artist was painting pictures of works of art.

The next room shows more modern artists’ representations of Katsinam, as inspired by O’Keeffe. Some are statues, some paintings and some textiles. Note the painting of O’Keeffe as Whistler’s Mother with recognizable items, artwork and views surrounding her. It’s a humorous homage to the influence the southwest had on O’Keeffe and the influence she had on it and its people.

If you’ve been to New Mexico, you’ll find yourself nodding in recognition a lot as you go through the exhibit. The unique and beautiful land is captured perfectly by O’Keeffe, who loved the area so deeply, she immersed herself in it, living the last decades of her life there, full time. It’s a love letter to a beautiful area.

The size of the exhibit is manageable, making it doable if you have kids in tow. Because the exhibit is not ticketed and is included in

O'Keeffe, Georgia-Ghost Ranch Landscape w-frame

O’Keeffe, Georgia-Ghost Ranch Landscape w-frame

general admission (free for members), there is also a more low-key feel compared to recent (yet wonderful) ticketed, timed events such as Van Gogh or Yves Saint Laurent. You could easily take in this exhibit and still have energy to see other areas of the museum.

“Georgia O’Keeffe In New Mexico: Architecture, Katsinam and the Land” runs from February 10-April 29, 2013. For more details. Visit www.denverartmuseum.org.

Join us in Good Taste:
“Like” In Good Taste Denver on Facebook.

“Follow” In Good Taste Denver on Twitter.

Pin it! on Pinterest.

InGoodTasteDenver on Instagram.

Write to us at ingoodtastedenver@gmail.com.

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

Nice Ice, Baby By T. Ravlin Lyte

Filed under: Art, Family, Special Events, Travel — 2 Comments
January 26, 2013

What a concept!  Sculptors come from all over the world, to one mountain town, to carve designs, creatures, people and what-not out of  giant , 10x10x12-foot blocks of ice. Battling exhaustion, chilling temperatures (which they hope for) and the bright sun at high-altitude (which they don’t hope for), they make cool things emerge from a big block.

The 23rd Annual Budweiser International Snow Sculpture Championships are under way in Breckenridge, Colorado. Woo hoo! It’s the kind of mountain fun even non-skiers, non-outdoorsy people (like me) can get into. Since Jan. 22, artists have been in Breckenridge, sawing, carving, hacking, chipping and smoothing their designs, working against the clock and against temperatures in the 40′s which are an ice sculptor’s worst enemy.

Awards are given on Jan. 26 when they are expecting 30,000 people to come check it out. But you can still view the sculptures until February 3rd, the end of Viewing Week. Here’s a sampling of what you can see, taken from previous years’ events.

Breckenridge International Snow Sculpture Championships

An example of an ice sculpture. Photo by Carl Scofield.

An example of an ice sculpture. Photo by Carl Scofield.

Reach out:
“Like” In Good Taste Denver on Facebook.

“Follow” In Good Taste Denver on Twitter.

Pin it! on Pinterest.

InGoodTasteDenver on Instagram.

Write to us at ingoodtastedenver@gmail.com.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Comment

A Weekend in Arizona – Part 1 By T. Ravlin Lyte

Filed under: Art, Family, Travel — 2 Comments
November 29, 2012

Update: Did you know Irving Berlin wrote “White Christmas” (as in “I’m dreaming of a…”) while sitting poolside at the The Arizona Biltmore Hotel? I think he had the right idea. The hotel is offering a great deal for the holidays. Instead of everyone descending on your house for the holidays, how about having everyone meet up in Arizona, at a historical, luxurious hotel (they welcome the kids!) and let someone else do all the work and fretting. The Holiday Cheer Package runs through January 6 with rates starting at $189 per night. The deal includes goodies like the hotel’s annual holiday ornament, sales on retail and spa services, multi-course holiday meals and plenty of activities for the kids including marshmallow roasting, storytime, mailing letters to Santa and visits with Mr. & Mrs. Claus. Use booking code “CHEER” when making reservations online at http://www.arizonabiltmore.com or by calling 800-950-0086. To tempt you further, take a look at our A Weekend in Arizona series for ideas of what to do during your holiday getaway and throughout the year.

Sitting and sweltering in Colorado’s way-too-hot-for-June temperatures, you may think I’m crazy to suggest a trip to Arizona.  It could be hellish, in which case you simply go from air conditioning to swimming pool and back again. Or the temperatures and dry air can feel very similar to Denver. I recently had the opportunity for a whirlwind work/pleasure weekend in Phoenix and found it to be a great place to vacation with or without the kids. In a three-part series, I’ll share the highlights with you. Grab your sunscreen, wide-brimmed hat and swimsuit and get ready to plan your getaway.

Part 1: PLAY WHERE YOU STAY

The exterior of the Arizona Biltmore with “Biltmore Bricks,” a Frank Lloyd Wright design inspired by palm tree trunks. Photo courtesy Arizona Biltmore.

Before you even catch sight of the Arizona Biltmore Hotel, you know you’re in for something special.  The long, long drive leads you past luxury mansions and rows of palm trees before rounding the bend revealing the hotel.  The highly-textured exterior is inspired by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who consulted on the design of the hotel, back in the late 1920’s. The words “Arizona Biltmore” spelled out in shrubbery(!) welcome you, even before the friendly staff can open your car door to let your vacation begin.

Frank Lloyd Wright fans will find his touches everywhere, from the furnishings to the distinctive design of the “Biltmore Bricks,” meant to evoke the look of palm tree trunks on the exterior of all buildings. A large, decorative stained glass panel greets you just inside the lobby.  It was taken from a drawing of Wright’s depicting saguaro cactus in bloom.

At first glance, someone walking in with kids in tow might think “uh-oh, this place might be too fancy for the kids” but that’s not the case. Although the Arizona Biltmore is well-versed in decades of providing a luxury vacation stay, they are also eager to welcome families and give everyone, from the kiddos to the parents, a relaxing, fun experience.

With 740 guest rooms, there are a variety of lodging options from hotel rooms to cottages to the “hotel within a hotel”, the Ocatilla. This

Our hotel room in Ocatilla, a “hotel within a hotel”. Photo courtesy CDM Communications.

was where I stayed on my brief visit and it is a Godsend for families as well as individuals. An executive lounge on the main level, available

only for Ocatilla guests, offers an extensive continental breakfast, drinks and snacks during the day so you can pop in for a soda or bottle of water before heading back to the swimming pool available only to Ocatilla guests. Then later in the day, stop in for wine and hors d’oeuvres before dinner.  An on-site concierge can help with reservations, answers to even the most ridiculous of questions and can help with your boarding pass when you hesitantly have to leave. Although the rates are higher at Ocatilla than in other areas of the hotel, having everything you need under one roof is really helpful.

The view from the terrace – Two Frank Lloyd Wright sprites, the Squaw Peak lawn and Squaw Peak in the background. Photo courtesy Arizona Biltmore.

There is a lot for adults to love at the Arizona Biltmore: luxury accommodations, delicious food (more on that in an upcoming blog), a beautiful lounge, expertly-manicured landscaping, dramatic views and plenty of opportunities to relax as hard as you play.

There’s also a lot for kids to love: Eight, count ‘em, eight swimming pools to choose

from including the Paradise pool with the 90-foot water slide. Yummy food, a big lawn to run around on, a life-size chess and checker set to play with and a covered playground to beat out the Arizona heat.

Although there are fun things to do year-round, The Arizona Biltmore has created a summer of

The Paradise pool features a 90-foot water slide at one end. Photo courtesy CDM Communications.

fun for adults and kids with a Hollywood-themed festival called “Hollywood & Wine”, offering entertainment and

The beautiful Catalina Pool was Marilyn Monroe’s favorite. Countless celebrities, and every president, have stayed at the Arizona Biltmore. Photo courtesy CDM Communications.

activities running from Memorial Day through September 4.  The anchors of the summer-long program are the three big entertainment shows. I was there for the first on Memorial Day weekend for “A Night Under the Stars”, a song and dance review with stars from “Dancing with the Stars, “So You Think You Can Dance” and “American Idol”.  Clint Black performs on July 4 and Gary Sinise and the Lieutenant Dan Band rounds it out on September 1.

Stained glass panel designed by Frank Lloyd Wright greets you in the lobby. Photo courtesy CDM Communications.

Fridays are Film & Wine Night, pairing wines by celebrity wineries with the screening of a classic movie in the historic Aztec Room – the original screening room of owner and chewing-gum magnate William Wrigley, Jr.  Saturday nights are Splash Cinema for kids – and their parents – where they watch films while floating on an inner tube in the Paradise Pool.  That sure beats the sticky-floored multi-plex!

The new Imagination Emporium is available only this summer for kids. Photo courtesy Arizona Biltmore.

Kids will go crazy over the Imagination Emporium, a high-tech entertainment area where they can explore nature, culture and adventure with hands-on experiences. This is pure brilliance because parents can feel confident about leaving their children to have a blast, whether for an hour or the day while they enjoy lounging by the pool with a cocktail in hand, having a massage at the spa or working out without interruption.   Or, as I did, nestling into one of the outdoor lounge chairs with a good book, an iced coffee, looking up occasionally to people-watch. Bliss!

An extensive workout room helps you cope with the great food. Photo courtesy CDM Communications.

One of the other activities one might want to do while the kids are deliriously happy at the Imagination Emporium, is to tour Taliesin, the western location of Frank Lloyd Wright’s home, school and studio that is still operating today.  While older kids may appreciate it, younger kids likely won’t care that much. Just as well. They’ll be happier and in good hands back at the hotel.  With or without the kids, be sure to visit the Musical Instrument Museum for a few hours at least. More about those stops in the next installment of the series.

For more information about the Hollywood & Wine program, visit www.arizonabiltmorehollywoodandwine.com.

Weekend in Arizona, Part 2: Taliesin West.

Weekend in Arizona, Part 3: The Musical Instrument Museum

Weekend in Arizona, Part 4: Food!

Note: In Good Taste Denver was compensated for the lodging but would never, ever say anything that wasn’t absolutely, truly, their honest opinion.

Reach out:
“Like” In Good Taste Denver on Facebook.

“Follow” In Good Taste Denver on Twitter.

Pin it! on Pinterest.

InGoodTasteDenver on Instagram.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

Way to Gogh, Denver! By Art Lavah

Filed under: Art, Special Events — 2 Comments
October 22, 2012

To see a comprehensive collection of the work of one of the most influential artists in history, you could rack up frequent flyer miles by visiting New York, Chicago, Boston, the Netherlands, Japan, Germany, France, Scotland and Amsterdam to name only a few. Or, you could stay right here in Denver where a collection of 70 hand-picked works of Vincent Van Gogh are now on display until January 20, 2013.

“Becoming Van Gogh”  is a unique show, assembled from museums and private collections all over the world. The Denver Art Museum is the only venue in the world for this exhibition. It is not travelling anywhere, and this particular collection of artworks will probably never be shown together again.

Christoph Heinrich, Frederick and Jan Mayer Director of the Denver Art Museum.
Photo by Marc Piscotty. Courtesy of the Denver Art Museum.

Fresh off the success of the “Yves Saint Laurent” exhibit, in which 40% of visitors were from out of town and out of the country, the Denver Art Museum is thrilled to open “Becoming Van Gogh.” Are they excited because of the revenue the exhibit will bring? Yes, sure, but Director Christoph Heinrich says “it’s more of an experiment and something to give to the community.”

The exhibit is called “Becoming Van Gogh” because it is about the journey Van Gogh took to become the artist he was when he died, far too young at age 37. His health (mental and physical) and tragic death are mentioned minimally in exhibition labels and in the audio tour, only there to set a tone and not to define him.

Instead, the exhibit follows Van Gogh from his very early days as an artist in the Netherlands after having tried four other careers as an

Vincent van Gogh, Head of Gordina de Groot, 1885.
Oil on canvas. Private collection, image courtesy of Eykyn Maclean, LP.

evangelical preacher, a teacher, theology student and art clerk, to his time in France. Along the way, he moves from the dark, heavy-handed work inspired by the Old Masters, to a fascination with Japanese art that encouraged a different style, to the hesitant discovery of color and styles of other artists that really awakened him.  Imagine Van Gogh coming from a time when color in art was seen as frivolous and then allowing himself to open up to its possibilities. We take things like that for granted now!

“Becoming Van Gogh” has been virtually the raison d’etre of curator Timothy Standring for the past seven years, in partnership with Louis van Tilborgh, senior researcher of paintings at Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum. Obtaining the loans of the paintings became a huge part of Standring’s life even consuming part of his drive through the open stretches of Wyoming while taking daughter to college.

On a preview tour, Standring led his obedient tour group from one work to another, exclaiming repeatedly: “Isn’t this fantastic?!” He finally caught himself, saying “oh, it’s all fantastic, isn’t it? It’s really just so exciting!” His passion and enthusiasm were contagious and touching. Even without a personal tour, there is an excitement and energy felt from merely seeing the works of art but also from the way the exhibit is set up. The visitor’s journey through the exhibit parallels Van Gogh’s artistic journey.

Vincent van Gogh, The Blute-fin Mill, 1886.
Oil on canvas. Museum de Fundatie, The Netherlands.

In the very first room, without a single actual painting in site, Van Gogh’s own words and select paintings appear and disappear, projected on a slanted wall. You see his early hesitations, determination to really make a go of this painting thing and then the joy that comes from unleashing his talents. You know right then and there that this man went through a real transformation and you are eager to follow his path. You are to think of the exhibit as a book with a forward – this opening room, and seven chapters. Each chapter shows Van Gogh simultaneously working diligently and purposefully at being an artist but also emotionally moved and inspired by the scenery, artists, artwork and vibe he discovered in France. The Denver Art Museum worked magic with the lighting to bring out the burgeoning illumination of Van Gogh’s artwork as he discovers gorgeous reds, pinks, blues, greens and yellows.

You won’t catch a glimpse of Van Gogh’s face via his self-portraits until the end of the exhibit. Whereas most exhibits introduce you to the artist at the start, Standring deliberately put the portraits at the end to enable the visitor to look at Van Gogh first as an artist and technician without having the person’s image in the back of your mind following you around.  Standing face to face with Van Gogh at the end of the exhibit is intended to let you have your own, private moment with him, having travelled his path.

Vincent van Gogh, Landscape under a stormy sky, 1889.
Oil on canvas. Fondation Socindec, Courtesy Fondation Pierre Gianadda, Martigny (Suisse).

The Denver Art Museum isn’t the only place a-buzz with excitement over the “Becoming Van Gogh” exhibit. The whole city is sharing the love with visitors. Nine hotels have special “Becoming Van Gogh” packages with lodging deals, “skip the line” museum ticket packages and Van Gogh-inspired treats and amenities. A special website has been set up specifically for all the deals, www.VanGoghDenver.com . Since the exhibit runs through the holiday season, also check www.MileHighHolidays.com  for additional activities and deals that incorporate the exhibit with holiday happenings throughout this city of ours which is very serious about its festivities. Make a whole staycation out of it and save yourself a bundle, seeing as how you’re saving all that globetrotting around.

View additional photos here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.399516643450354.89596.199417573460263&type=1

Special event:

Vincent van Gogh, Self-Portrait with Straw Hat, 1887
Oil on canvas. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.

Untitled #52 (Written Off)

Included in general admission

Friday, October 26, 2012 – 6:00pm – 10:00pm

Throughout the museum complex

To celebrate the opening of Becoming Van Gogh, Untitled #52 (Written Off) examines artists forgotten in their own time, while offering odes to the museum’s own artworks that deserve a second look. Don’t miss the latest installment of Buntport Theater’s Joan and Charlie Discuss Tonight’s Theme. Be prepared for a dose of the unexpected!

General admission to the museum is two-for-one with valid student ID during the event.

This is the final Untitled event of the year; watch for the return of Untitled in 2013.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

Darn You, Steve Martin; Now My Brain Hurts! By Thea Tagower

Filed under: Art, Theater — 1 Comment
September 28, 2012

Einstein, Suzanne and Picasso. Photo courtesy Aurora Fox Theatre

I’ve been wanting to see “Picasso at the Lapin Agile“, a play written by Steve Martin for years. I am so intrigued by Martin who is such a Renaissance man – goofy comedian, musician, play-write  intellectual…a delightful cocktail of a fellow. As a play-write  Martin didn’t let me down but he did make my head hurt. “Picasso at the Lapin Agile“, now playing through October 14 at the Aurora Fox Theatre requires total attentiveness to absorb all of the smarty-pants lines and concepts being thrown around. It reminded me of the week I spent in Paris trying to remember everything I’d learned in my four years of French class while an authentic French person poured forth words they’d been speaking all their life. Try as I might, I just couldn’t catch it all. I forgave myself for my intellectual shortcomings while watching the play and allowed myself to just enjoy it.

Martin’s script is full of phrases that, if you were reading it, would move you to highlight almost every line. So many are quotable and important. I can just picture Martin when he was writing this play, frantically acting out each role, then rushing back to his computer to write down the great things he just came up with.

The Lapin Agile was a real place in France at the start of the 20th century. It was a bar but also a gathering place for artists and intellectuals where people like Picasso paid his long overdue bar tab with a painting. The set is wonderful, inspired by old photos of the real Lapin Agile which are on display in the lobby of the theater.  All performances were good overall with the best performance coming from Benjamin Cowhick as Pablo Picasso. Cowhick’s portrayal was lusty, passionate for life, women and art. He was exciting and enticing. His fluidity was a good counterpoint to the more tightly-wound Albert Einstein played by Jack Wefso who was great but his extremely fast and staccato talking made it hard to understand him at times. Talia Liccardello was like a beautiful painting herself as Suzanne, one of Picasso’s groupies.

Picasso is full of himself. Einstein too. At first, they only see their differences – one is about art, the other about numbers. But soon they start to see their similarities and potential. As an observer says about them: “One touches the heart and one touches the head. Yet both will change the future.”  A surprise visitor to the Lapin Agile brings a twist and a fun ending to the play.

The lovely Aurora Fox Theatre is the ideal setting for the production with its history, beautiful touches and glamorous curves. It’s a theatre that doesn’t get the attention it so deserves. See “Picasso at the Lapin Agile” to work your brain and entertain your spirit. To quote the man sitting in front of me – “well, that was relatively good.”

Tags: , , , , , ,
Comment

A Day in Pompeii exhibit – lessons learned By T. Ravlin Lyte

Filed under: Art, Travel — 1 Comment
September 18, 2012

“A Day in Pompeii“, running now through January 13, 2013 draws you in, lulls you with loveliness and then…whammo….turns you upside down in sadness and fear.

Pompeii Jewelry. Photo by Eric Workman.

Walking through this exhibit, I kept thinking how much the people of Pompeii were like us. They decorated their homes with artwork; they loved to eat outside and to entertain using their best dishes; they wore beautiful jewelry and makeup; they were randy folk; they did their shopping; sent their laundry out to be done; rubbed fragrant oils and pumice on their bodies for a good scrubbing; and while going about their business one lovely day in August (24th, A.D. 79), a terrible event occurred and they were wiped out.  The exhibit shows how fragile life can be in dramatic ways.

“A Day in Pompeii” is a large exhibit so allow yourself at least an hour and a half to go through slowly, stopping to read about items and watch short films and representations of what life was like so very long ago.  The first rooms show beautiful columns, frescos, furniture, dinnerware and statues complete with sound effects like birds tweeting in the areas that talk about how much they loved to dine outdoors.

The jewelry is beautiful and could be worn today. A mock marketplace is set up with historical enactors in costume, available to sell you the catch of the day or other items. A film shows what the bath houses were like. Since there was no soap, people rubbed oil on their skin to soften the dirt, then applied gritty substances and used a “strigile”, a long, scoop-like blade with a handle to scrape off that oily grit before soaking in warm water to rinse it all off.

Laundry was quite the process and was taken into the market area to be done at the original laundromats. Clothing was rubbed with a clay-like substance that absorbed oils and was then soaked in a large tub of water to wash away that clay.  Whites looking a little dingy? No problem, the closest thing to bleach (which didn’t exist) was ammonia, easily found in human and animal urine! There was always a ready supply for a good soaking since large vessels were kept outside the laundry where people could relieve themselves as they passed by. Port-a-potty and whitening agent. It was a win-win!

Cremation vessels at “A Day in Pompeii”. Photo by CDM Communications.

The next room talks about death and burial and how they moved from large memorials to cremation. One display shows off the beautiful urns that would have contained ashes including one in light blue glass. Beautiful.

You go along learning about life in day-to-day Pompeii, getting drawn in. Tra-la-la. But you know what’s coming. You see the concreted remains ahead of you in the last room but first you have to read the timeline and watch the amazing video that shows one view as the earthquakes started and a few roof tiles shake. Then Mount Vesuvius starts to rumble and steam and hot rocks start to hit roofs. It progresses and by the next morning, the once vibrant and colorful Pompeii is ashen rubble and dead silent – literally. You’ve been prepped, pulled in by the fear you hear from crying babies and barking dogs. You can imagine your house falling around you, fires breaking out and the panic rising. On to the last room.

Oh, this room. The people and animals caught as they huddled, clutching their clothing up to their mouths. A man reaches for a woman. A man collapses on the stairs. A young woman’s fabric from her tunic can be seen gathered around her waist. A prisoner falls with shackles still around his ankles. Perhaps most disturbing is a dog with his color still around his neck. He had been chained up and climbed higher and higher as the layers of debree and ash built up until his leash snapped and killed him. His twisted body is haunting. Each of the plaster casts gets a sign with their story.

In 1860 an architect at the sight, Guiseppe Fiorelli, was able to pour plaster into the areas where volcanic material had frozen around the bodies but the bodies had since decomposed leaving open areas. When the cement hardened and volcanic material was chipped away, what was left was these last moments of desperation. I found myself whispering “I’m sorry” to each of them both for what they had endured but also that we’re now looking at such private moments, on display. Don’t get me wrong – this is amazing and educational and so important. But it’s so raw and sad and real.

Order your tickets now because they will sell out fast and are timed to allow for smooth pacing through the exhibit. Appreciate how much we have changed and how little too. And appreciate soap and bleach.  But seriously folks, with crazy people and natural disasters always looming, it’s good to see that while terrible things do happen, life continues and the cycle begins again.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

A weekend in Arizona Part 3 – The Musical Instrument Museum By T. Ravlin Lyte

Filed under: Art, Music, Travel — 1 Comment
June 19, 2012

In Part2 of this blog, I recalled my tour of architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West, on a whirlwind work/pleasure weekend. The series continues…

Musical Instrument Museum (MIM):

Thousands of instruments from all over the world make beautiful music together at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix.  Unlike many museums, there is not a specific audience or age group for this museum because music transcends age groups, gender, ethnicities and social status. It’s wonderfully universal which is the very nature of the MIM – a collection of musical instruments from all over the world, presented in five Geographical Galleries.

The interior of The Musical Instrument Museum. Photos courtesy CDM Communications unless otherwise noted.

Although all of the instruments are very interesting, the experience comes alive when you use the wireless headsets. As you approach exhibit stations, all clearly divided by country, you hear selections of music played by those instruments along with video accompaniment.  Some exhibits include clothing and other props that go along with that type of music such as the Scissors Dance of Peru. This is something that makes the MIM a perfect place for kids: It’s colorful, about making noise, banging on things and in the case of the Scissors Dance, is about running around with scissors!  It’s every parent’s nightmare, set to music, with a costume. What fun!  As it turns out, the “scissors” are actually tuned steel clappers that resemble scissors but actually make rhythmic sounds.

An exhibit displaying the “Scissors Dance”, because running with scissors CAN be fun.

Wireless headsets let you hear what the instruments and music of each geographical area sound like.

When it gets to be too much to look-but-don’t-touch all those wonderful noise-making things, there is the Experience Gallery where you get to actually play some of the instruments you’ve been seeing in the galleries. The giant gong is a favorite, as is the totally tubular Theremin which seems like a modern techno-instrument but has actually been around since the 1920’s.

And when even that is too much, there’s a room with tables and chairs and an additional, private room for nursing that lets everyone take a little break.

The Olympic Drum, on display at The MIM. Photo courtesy MIM.

All that instrument-gandering and virtual travel around the world works up an appetite. Fortunately, the Café at MIM offers top-notch food from a menu that Chef Edward Farrow changes every few days as inspired by one of the exhibits such as Ethiopian food for the African exhibit or New Orleans fare for the new Jazz exhibit.

Walking around The MIM, you realize that every country, and all its people, have the drive to make music, whether it’s strummed, struck or blown into. Despite differences, and accounting for uniqueness, we are all the same. It’s a wonderful lesson.

Upcoming events at the MIM:
Currently – The new Jazz Exhibit
June 30 – Country Music Day
July 14 – Bastille Day
August – Unveiling new items in the Elvis exhibit (the exhibit itself is permanent but the objects change every 12-18 months).

A new Jazz exhibit is currently showing at The MIM. Photo courtesy MIM.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Comment

A weekend in Arizona Part 2 – Taliesin West By T. Ravlin Lyte

Filed under: Art, Travel — 1 Comment
June 15, 2012

In Part 1 of this blog, I recalled the great lodging I experienced at the Arizona Biltmore on a whirlwind work/pleasure weekend. The series continues…

Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright’s home, school and office in Scottsdale, Arizona. All photos by CDM Communications.

Part 2 – A WORLD UNTO ITS OWN

Although it felt like all we needed in life was contained within the grounds of the Arizona Biltmore, we did venture out. The first is a tour you might want to leave the kids back at the hotel for (enjoying their time in the Imagination Emporium) unless they are older and interested in architecture.

TALIESIN WEST: 

When you tour Taliesin West in Scottsdale, you get the feeling that Frank Lloyd Wright, famous architect, is just out for a bit and will return momentarily.  That’s not the case, unfortunately, but the caretakers have made every effort to maintain the structures, lifestyle and philosophy of Taliesin, just as Wright left it.

Whether you are a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright’s or just curious, a tour of Taliesin West is worth an hour or hour and a half of your time, depending on which length of tour you take.

Our gracious guide was Arnold Roy, who came to Taliesin West right out of high school to be an apprentice and has never left.

We had the amazing opportunity to be led on our tour by Arnold Roy , who came to Taliesin, fresh out of high school, anxious to become one of Wright’s apprentices.  He had amazing insights and stories to tell, recalling them like they were yesterday, even though they were more than fifty years ago. Roy still lives and works at Taliesin West as an architect. Even without such a personalized tour, Taliesin West is an oasis in the desert and testament to creativity, strong beliefs and a need to be as one with nature.

The saying “everything old is new again” rings true at every turn throughout the tour. What was so “out there” when Wright was designing it, went through a time when it was perceived as out-dated, only to come around again today to be edgy, contemporary and fresh. Would the opinionated Wright be happy that we’ve all come around again or frustrated and annoyed that we ever doubted his brilliance? Probably the latter.

Coming up in Part 3, a universal experience to share with the kids.

Mrs. Wright’s quarters.

Mr. Wright’s quarters.

The Wrights’ livingroom. They would change the upholstery with their mood, including different colors and animal prints.

The bell tower, still used to call the apprentices to meal time.

The courtyard at Taliesin West.

A water feature at Taliesin West.

Another view of Taliesin West.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Comment
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 982 other followers

%d bloggers like this: