Great news for us art and travel buffs! Guadalajara, Mexico is homebase for the next Guggenheim Museum. Better yet, the architect is a relative unknown. Read more at: http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=13913.
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Vote for Kim & Eric's Pad
Reward our friends Kim and Eric for the smallest - and coolest - in New York. They entered the "Smallest, Coolest Apt. Contest" at apartmenttherapy.com. Voting may actually be over, but it's a fun way to view a slideshow of their cool little pad - plus you can see their great collection of Phillip Trussell paintings:
www.apartmenttherapy.com/main/archives/002619.html
Go apartment go!
www.apartmenttherapy.com/main/archives/002619.html
Go apartment go!
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Chocolates in Portland
You think you've had amazing chocolates? Well unless you've had the sumptuous creations of Elizabeth Montes (seen below with pizza), the brain and brawn behind Sahagun (pronounced Saw-goon), you've yet to experience chocolate bliss! This is another culinary delight for you lucky folks in Portland, OR. Her organic chocolates are a mind-bending experience in sweetness and flavor. Among the flavors: chile, hidcote lavender, Yin Hao Jasmine, cardamom, valencia orange, hair-bender lolly chocs (featuring Stumptown’s hair bender blend coffee), Pepitapapa bars, and almond & bergamot bars, and caramels. You can find Sahagun at the Portland Farmer's Market at PSU on Saturdays, (8:30am-2pm). Sahagun Chocolates will be featured on a new cooking show, "Daisy Cooks," produced by channel 13 WNET in New York. Check it out:
www.thirteen.org/pressroom/release.php?get=1525
www.thirteen.org/pressroom/release.php?get=1525
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Pizza and BBQ in Portland, OR
Alert anyone you know in or near Portland, Oregon that both their pizza and bar-b-que prayers have been answered. They'll find both at Apizza Scholls in Downtown Portland. Okay, the BBQ is only available on Mondays, but it's the masterful creation of the one and only Rodney Muirhead, who helps them create the best pizza on the west coast the other six nights a week (seriously, it's AMAZING). Their pizza is beautifully presented here by Elizabeth, Rodney's lovely bride. Read a great review of Apizza Scholls www.oregonlive.com/dining/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/entertainment/111045950318140.xml or visit their very modest web site at www.apizzascholls.com.
Monday, March 28, 2005
Harper
Witness the most gorgeous child on the planet, my godson Harper Montgomery Starling Rodgers Guerrerom, proudly receiving his Wolf Badge! The Little Prince turns 8 next month.
Saturday, March 12, 2005
Animated Against the Drug Industry
Thanks to the funny fellas at Jib Jab for sharing this gem from the Consumers Union, who commisioned this incredibly irreverent and biting video on the prescription drug industry. Not only is it hilarious and provides an easy way to take action, it has an original song from the Austin Lounge Lizards! Have fun.
http://www.jibjab.com/cu_landing.html
http://www.jibjab.com/cu_landing.html
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
PODCASTS ROCK!
Yes, the next foray in the digital age is upon us, once again. For all you iPod junkies (or just iTunes, for that matter), Podcasting opens up limitless opportunities. The best place, I think, to check it out: www.kcrw.org/podcast. It's only the most amazing radio station on earth, but it now offers its locally-produced programs as downloadable podcasts. Just download the software (instructions on the site), plug in the Podcast address for each program you want, and the shows will automatically download to your iTunes. EXCELLENT! Never again will I have to miss Frances Anderton on "Design & Architecture" or Warren Olney's "To The Point." The future is here!
www.kcrw.org/podcast
www.iPodder.org
www.kcrw.org/podcast
www.iPodder.org
Saturday, February 26, 2005
Darfur in Crisis
Altho apparently on the backburner of the media's priorities, the horrible situation in Darfur continues to fester. Visit www.savedarfur.org to learn how you can help. This is a great site, providing background on the situation, a sample letter to send to your elected officials, and other calls to action (including a wristband campaign, much like "Livestrong".) Darfur needs your help! This is a crisis far beyond the scope of the Tsunami disaster, yet continues to receive much more infrequent aid and attention.
www.savedarfur.org
www.savedarfur.org
Saturday, February 19, 2005
Gizoogle
If you'd like to Gizoogle dis shiznet (Google for the gangsta talka): http://gizoogle.com/. This site is freakin' hilarious! The motto is "Fo all you beotches who wanna find shiznit." Gizoogle something familiar and check out the results...
Sunday, February 13, 2005
Live Aid DVD
In case you haven't heard, those amazing Live Aid concerts in 1985 are now available on DVD, and the set is absolutely a collectors item. Both the Philadelphia and London concerts are included, altho not in their entirety; there are four discs full of footage, though, including a beautiful set by Sade and a heartbreaking set by U2, plus dozens of other performances by artists still around (Madonna, Paul McCartney) and those who stayed in the mid-80s (Ultravox, Howard Jones). Plus, the proceeds STILL benefit famine relief in Africa (sadly, still a tragedy). Cheers once again to Bob Geldof. www.liveaiddvd.net
Sunday, February 06, 2005
Christo's Gates
Alas, we will not be in New York in time to see the "Gates" installation in Central Park, by Christo and Jeanne Claude. (No, this is not a Microsoft/Bill Gates plug!). Read more about this incredible work of public art at www.christojeanneclaude.net. Aside from being terrifically beautiful, this enormous work of art is a direct reflection of the original desire of Central Park's designers to have gates leading into the park. Kudos to Mayor Bloomberg for making this installation (something that his predecessors - dating back over 20 years - declined to do). Take that, Guiliani!
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
3 Days in DC
A big thanks to the lovely and fabulous Sarah Goldy for a fantastic, whirlwind tour of Washington DC. In my less-than 72 hours in DC, we managed to visit three museums, stumble on a fabulous Indian restaurant, watch 2.5 horror movies on cable (couldn't finish one because it was so bad), visit with Tammy Marinucci (nee Rhodes) twice, plant a voodoo hex on the inaugural site (notice the bad weather rolling in?), lunch at Tea-ism (twice!!) AND see "Sideways"! Woo!!
Highlights of the Museum experiences:
Day one: The International Spy Museum
www.spymuseum.org
Not only we were assigned with aliases (I was, for a brief moment, Maria from South America, vacationing in Iowa), we learned how to pick a lock, infiltrate a spy ring, hide suicide pills in unmentionable orifices, and discover that spying is just in general a sexy, moody profession. This would be a great place to take kids (for instance, they're hosting a "Spy Gadgetry Workshop" for kids his weekend).
Day two: Calder/Miro at The Phillips Collection!!
http://www.phillipscollection.org/
The big event that drew me to DC! It was GORGEOUS. And it provided a good argument for renting a quality audio tour. If you're ever able to take an audio tour for any exhibition, DO IT. It's a priceless way to gain a better understanding of artwork, especially works like this, which are steeped in rich stories but are so abstract on the surface. Between the audio tour and the very well-written wall panels, it was such fun to learn about the dynamic relationship - both artistic and personal - between Alexander Calder and Joan Miro. The exhibition was so playful and energetic! Then to be able to visit the Phillips home, with room after room of both historic architecture and modern masterpieces - oh! I was thrilled! What a treasure, tucked away in Dupont Circle. I might have to return for the Modigliani show this summer.
Day three: A Smithsonian Combo-package
Thanks to Rick for the "ADD Tour of the Smithsonian." I never thought I could "cram in" a visit to the Smithsonian before a 6-hour flight!
First, a quick run through the Freer and Sackler galleries: www.asia.si.edu
The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery represent just a wee little speck in the vastness of the Smithsonian, but under normal circumstances these would represent worthy museum collections all on their own. Together they form the national museum of Asian art for the U.S.,, and their collections are remarkable, ranging from ancient Buddhist art (we saw a 3,000-year-old statue of Ganesha!) to Biblical manuscripts, and dozens more (religious and non) categories. There is also, unsually, a wonderful collection of American Art, influenced normally by Free's good friend James McNeill Whistlers, whose work was strongly influenced by Chinese ceramics. Not incidentally, there is the world's greatest collection of Whistler works, including some enchanting etchings. The Freer and Sackler web site has a fantastic amount of their collection - check it out!
Then it was off to the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden: hirshhorn.si.edu
This is the Smithsonian's Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and Sculpture, and as you can imagine its collection is stunning, focusing on work created since WWII. The exhibitions, housed in a circular building with stacked rotundas, is a must-see for modern art lovers; my personal favorites were the Henry Moore sculptures - you can truly get up close and personal with his sublime works, and it's such a treat. Another great web site to visit - be sure to check out the timeline under "The Hirsshorn Story" on the "Museum" page.
Then, it was off to the airport! Thanks again to Sarah for making it all happen.
Highlights of the Museum experiences:
Day one: The International Spy Museum
www.spymuseum.org
Not only we were assigned with aliases (I was, for a brief moment, Maria from South America, vacationing in Iowa), we learned how to pick a lock, infiltrate a spy ring, hide suicide pills in unmentionable orifices, and discover that spying is just in general a sexy, moody profession. This would be a great place to take kids (for instance, they're hosting a "Spy Gadgetry Workshop" for kids his weekend).
Day two: Calder/Miro at The Phillips Collection!!
http://www.phillipscollection.org/
The big event that drew me to DC! It was GORGEOUS. And it provided a good argument for renting a quality audio tour. If you're ever able to take an audio tour for any exhibition, DO IT. It's a priceless way to gain a better understanding of artwork, especially works like this, which are steeped in rich stories but are so abstract on the surface. Between the audio tour and the very well-written wall panels, it was such fun to learn about the dynamic relationship - both artistic and personal - between Alexander Calder and Joan Miro. The exhibition was so playful and energetic! Then to be able to visit the Phillips home, with room after room of both historic architecture and modern masterpieces - oh! I was thrilled! What a treasure, tucked away in Dupont Circle. I might have to return for the Modigliani show this summer.
Day three: A Smithsonian Combo-package
Thanks to Rick for the "ADD Tour of the Smithsonian." I never thought I could "cram in" a visit to the Smithsonian before a 6-hour flight!
First, a quick run through the Freer and Sackler galleries: www.asia.si.edu
The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery represent just a wee little speck in the vastness of the Smithsonian, but under normal circumstances these would represent worthy museum collections all on their own. Together they form the national museum of Asian art for the U.S.,, and their collections are remarkable, ranging from ancient Buddhist art (we saw a 3,000-year-old statue of Ganesha!) to Biblical manuscripts, and dozens more (religious and non) categories. There is also, unsually, a wonderful collection of American Art, influenced normally by Free's good friend James McNeill Whistlers, whose work was strongly influenced by Chinese ceramics. Not incidentally, there is the world's greatest collection of Whistler works, including some enchanting etchings. The Freer and Sackler web site has a fantastic amount of their collection - check it out!
Then it was off to the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden: hirshhorn.si.edu
This is the Smithsonian's Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and Sculpture, and as you can imagine its collection is stunning, focusing on work created since WWII. The exhibitions, housed in a circular building with stacked rotundas, is a must-see for modern art lovers; my personal favorites were the Henry Moore sculptures - you can truly get up close and personal with his sublime works, and it's such a treat. Another great web site to visit - be sure to check out the timeline under "The Hirsshorn Story" on the "Museum" page.
Then, it was off to the airport! Thanks again to Sarah for making it all happen.
Monday, January 17, 2005
California Priorities
Fellow Californians, consider visitng Senator Barbara Boxer's web site; she's conducing a survey to guage the thoughts and priorities of her constituents. She pretty much addresses the issue most important to me, but it's still a nice way to give a little input. http://boxer.senate.gov/contact/survey.cfm
Sunday, January 09, 2005
U2 on SNL
Did anyone see U2 perform last night (1/08) on Saturday Night Live? It was a repeat from November so this might not be news, but it was incredible! It has been a looong time since we were die-hard fans of either U2 or SNL, but when we heard they were performing we decided to record it, and it was such an awesome performance - particularly the surprise 3rd song at the end of the show, when they played "I Will Follow." ACK! The audience and the cast went nuts, the band went off the stage, and I felt pure envy. Then they began to play a FOURTH song and the show ended! I wonder how long they performed. You gotta give it to those blokes, they know how to please a crowd. It must have been so fabulous for them to play to such a small audience. I think Amy Poehler had a heart attack.
Saturday, January 08, 2005
rain rain rain rain rain rain rain
That's the theme of the week, as rainclouds finally discover our little dry part of the world. It is dry no longer! We've had 1.5 inches of rain since yesterday, and more rain expected for the next three days - and we've had record rains since October. This is highly, highly unusual, since beneath the concrete of this sprawling community we call the LA basin, it's desert, and we're not accustomed to rain in these parts. It turns out that my home, office and car all have huge leaking problems, but who would have known until now? I'm glad I hung onto my old red raincoat from the Austin days.
Sunday, January 02, 2005
Kicking off '05
Eric and I ventured into LA today to visit LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) to check out Renoir to Matisse: The Eye of Duncan Phillips, LACMA's current blockbuster. Even though the galleries were jam packed, and we had to stand in unusually blustery, rainy weather just to get inside, it was a fabulous exhibition. This is one of those "must see" exhibitions for anyone interested in Modern art, with more than 50 paintings by the usual suspects behind many of the European Masterpieces of the 19th and 20th Centuries - Renoir, Degas, Matisse, Picasso, etc etc. It was particularly interesting to see the importance placed on the collector of the works, Duncan Phillips, a man of such wealth and love of art, he single-handedly (or, rather, with his wife Marjorie) amassed one of the 20th Century's most prized collections. Phillips' willingness to embrace unconventional art and ability to purchse and promote it was instrumental in introducing this country to these truly groundbreaking artists. This is particularly exciting as I travel to DC next week to visit Sarah and Duncan Phillips' own museum, the Phillips Collection! Yippee! Read more about this exhibition at http://www.lacma.org/.
Another surprisingly fascinating LACMA show is The Arts and Crafts Movement in Europe and America, 1880–1920: Design for the Modern World, an incredibly detailed look at the birth and spread of the arts and crafts movement. This paragraph from LACMA's site best summarizes:
"The Arts and Crafts Movement was a response to a century of unprecedented social and economic upheaval. Its name was coined in 1887, when a group of designers met in London to found an organization—the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society—for which applied art would be valued as equal to fine art. Many in the movement championed the moral and spiritual uplift that would come with the revival of making objects by hand. The improvement of working conditions, the integration of art into everyday life, the unity of all arts, and an aesthetic resulting from the use of indigenous materials and native traditions also were central to the movement’s philosophy."
Well said! Methinks we need another such movement these days.
Also I must mention the flick we saw last night: The House of Flying Daggers. It's simply one of the most visually stunning movies I've ever seen. If you're at all in need of a sweeping, love-infused epic with visuals that will literally take your breath away, go see it. Don't be afraid of the subtitles, you hardly notice they're there. Do yourself a favor and view the trailer here: www.sonyclassics.com/houseofflyingdaggers.
Another surprisingly fascinating LACMA show is The Arts and Crafts Movement in Europe and America, 1880–1920: Design for the Modern World, an incredibly detailed look at the birth and spread of the arts and crafts movement. This paragraph from LACMA's site best summarizes:
"The Arts and Crafts Movement was a response to a century of unprecedented social and economic upheaval. Its name was coined in 1887, when a group of designers met in London to found an organization—the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society—for which applied art would be valued as equal to fine art. Many in the movement championed the moral and spiritual uplift that would come with the revival of making objects by hand. The improvement of working conditions, the integration of art into everyday life, the unity of all arts, and an aesthetic resulting from the use of indigenous materials and native traditions also were central to the movement’s philosophy."
Well said! Methinks we need another such movement these days.
Also I must mention the flick we saw last night: The House of Flying Daggers. It's simply one of the most visually stunning movies I've ever seen. If you're at all in need of a sweeping, love-infused epic with visuals that will literally take your breath away, go see it. Don't be afraid of the subtitles, you hardly notice they're there. Do yourself a favor and view the trailer here: www.sonyclassics.com/houseofflyingdaggers.
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