Santa Fe A Second Time

Last year about this same time, I had the good fortune to visit Santa Fe, New Mexico. Now on another trip out West this year, we also spent a rain spitting afternoon that mellowed into sunshine in this beautiful historic town. The town was packed, and parking was a nightmare, but fortunately, being Sunday we were able to park in the government buildings parking lot. Shopping and art viewing in Santa Fe are just primo, with more than 200 galleries and over a dozen museums.

The region's rich heritage includes the influence of New Mexico's rich Spanish Colonial heritage and Native American arts are also deeply rooted in the region's history. Artists from the pueblos and tribes of New Mexico produce highly prized works that reflect their ancestor's traditions, but there is also a flourishing contemporary art scene.

One of my favorite things to do is to cruise the promenade at the Palace of the Governors (ca 1600) where the Native Americans display their jewelry wares.

This summer's events include:

*The July Spanish Market celebrates traditional handcrafted works by 250 Hispanic artists. The Santa Fe International Folk Art Market brings more than 100 folk artists from 40 countries to the world's largest market of its kind, also in July.

* The prestigious Santa Fe Indian Market, held every August, is Santa Fe's largest event, with more than 1,200 artists from 100 tribes.

Santa Fe museums include:

Museum of Spanish Colonial Art
The Museum of Spanish Colonial Art is the newest museum on the Santa Fe scene and features objects from throughout the Spanish Colonial world, housed in a historical building designed by John Gaw Meem. Converging Streams: Art of the Hispanic and Native American Southwest exhibition opening events are from Noon to 4PM Saturday June 20. Arts Alive! all-age hands-on art making on selected Wednesdays. www.spanishcolonial.org

Museum of Indian Arts & Culture
At the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, encounter Native cultures and artifacts of the Southwest from ancestral to contemporary, in exhibits drawing from more than 70,000 works of art and material culture. New exhibitions in 2009 include Native American Picture Books of Change and A River Apart. For a complete listing of events please visit http://www.indianartsandculture.org/calendar

Museum of International Folk Art
To experience the color and excitement of the world's cultures, go to the Museum of International Folk Art and see an unparalleled collection that includes toys, textiles, household goods and religious art. New exhibitions in 2009 include Dancing Shadows, Epic Tales: Wayang Kulit of Indonesia and Writing With Thread: Traditional Textiles of Southwest Chinese Minorities. Find out more on line www.internationalfolkart.org
.

Fe(c) 2009 - Ruth Mitchell - all rights reserved

Cadillac Ranch Then and Now

Amarillo—
We marvel at the miles and miles of flatland as we leave Texas. Last night I got to see the Cadillac Ranch along the historic Rte 66. I have been fascinated by this public art work since I first heard about it sometime in my sophomore year of high school, but I’ve never been to Amarillo other than passing through in a snowstorm on my way to a ski weekend.

Conceived and executed by Stanley Marsh II, the helium millionaire who owns the dusty wheat field where it stands, this funky artistic statement was created by Marsh and The Ant Farm, a San Francisco art collective. Back in 1974, they assembled 10 used Cadillacs of a vintage from 1949-1963, a time when some of the campiest designs exhibited garish winged tail fins and buried them halfway leaning at the same angle facing west as the Cheops’ pyramids.

In 1997, encroaching development forced Marsh to move the entire assemblage two miles further West. In my mind the vast flatness of the terrain and the immensity of the field itself, contribute to the statement. Since 1974, visitors have been openly welcomed, and the once sleek lines of the classic cars have nearly become indistinguishable as the sleek Detroit designs succumb to the elements. In fact if it were not for the heavy coats of spray painted graffiti, the cars might have melted into the giant Texas landscape by now. In 2005 the Cadillacs were painted pink in a tribute to breast cancer victims.

We found a few choice shots of the cars, particularly the undersides, where we found both a gargoyle and steerhead skeleton on the same undercarriage.--Ruth Mitchell

(c) 2009 - Ruth Mitchell - all rights reserved

Meet Me at "The Clock"

Everyone in New York City has at one time or another met someone at "the clock" in Grand Central Station. Now when in San Francisco, you can meet at "the clock," in the lobby of the Westin St. Francis, the "Grand Dame" of Union Square, thanks to a $40 million transformation of the historic hotel, which opened in 1904.

The famous Great Magneta Clock, which originally made its debut in the hotel lobby in 1907, has been restored to its rightful position as focal point of the lobby which now boasts a look that is at once historic and new.

Soothing shades of chocolate brown and cream permeate the space, complemented by reproductions of the lobby’s four original beaded globe chandeliers. Plush hexagonal-patterned carpeting reflects the intricacies of the original wood-carved ceiling. Just off of the Main Lobby, the 1906 grand staircase has been restored to showcase the original pink marble stairs.

The Main Lobby also features award-winning chef Michael Mina’s first-ever cocktail lounge, aptly named the Clock Bar. Designed by Rockwell Group, the 1,260 square feet, 55-seat Clock Bar features a warm, elegant environment with a dark palette and luxurious materials including rosewood walls, black burned wood floors, and rich leather banquettes and lounge chairs in blue and chocolate brown. The central focus of the space is two columns clad entirely in hand blown champagne and amber colored glass with ticker clocks showing the time in cities around the world. Complementing the traditional aesthetic of the adjacent Main Lobby, the bar is adorned with a reproduction of the original ceiling molding.

History aficionados will take delight in the fact the history of The Westin St. Francis is now being showcased in six brand new museum-quality display cases designed by Bill White, curator for San Francisco’s de Young Museum. On display for public viewing in the Tower Lobby, each chronological case is filled with historic treasures such as photos, menus, china, guest ledgers, and much more.

Approximately $12 million was invested in the transformation of the 614 guestrooms and common areas in the Main Building. Led by San Francisco-based Kevin Joyce Design, guestrooms bridge the world between the old and new with a fresh sophistication complementing the classically beautiful 1906 architecture. Subtle textures and a neutral color palette of ecru, bronze and dark brown tones blend with the traditional curved high ceilings, ornate moldings and crystal chandeliers. Guestrooms boast custom-designed classic dark wood furniture topped with gold and silver granite, luxurious bronze-patterned carpeting, light-colored wall coverings with a unique “hammered” appearance, velvety chaise lounges, contemporary abstract artwork, signature Westin Heavenly Beds™, 37” flat screen televisions and ergonomic desk chairs. Hallways and common areas have been refreshed with a fusion of present-day and classic San Francisco - contemporary furniture and plush carpeting are juxtaposed with time-honored black and white historical photography of the hotel and San Francisco.

So, say chocolate martinis at 3 then an early dinner?--Ruth Mitchell

(c) 2009 - Ruth Mitchell - all rights reserved

More on Alex, Er, Shred Begley Jr

Well, the San Francisco Air Guitar Championships are almost upon us, they will be held this Friday and Saturday at The Independent in San Francisco. Once again, defending his Title as the San Franciso Bay Area Champion and Number 3 Air Guitar master in the world is my son-in-law, Alex Koll aka "AWESOME" Mr. Shred Begley Jr. Take a look at the video.

KTVU interviews Alex in his full costume and leads off the segment by mentioning he is a "mild-mannered married man" by day, and show him in very clean-cut mode with a beautiful wedding shot of he and my daughter Erin. He is so effective in his role as Shred Begley Jr., that if I didn't know it was Alex, an immensely talented comic, film editor, and producer, I would think they might have picked up a local character off the street to perform.

Aside from the Air Guitar Nationals this weekend, Alex has a busy summer ahead. He has a headliner position at the Purple Onion in San Francisco coming up. The Purple Onion is where many great comedians got their start including the Smothers Brothers.

The television interview of Alex's alter ego (Shred Begley Jr. even has his own myspace page) takes place in Alex's office and includes Tullie, our grand dog. We wish Alex all the luck in the world, and do hope he doesn't literally "break a leg" during his athletic Air Guitar performance.

You can read more about Alex's career at alexkoll.com.--Ruth Mitchell

(c) 2009 - Ruth Mitchell - all rights reserved

'Tis the Season for Travel

Corbusier Villa Stairwell, Poissy, France - George Wittenberg

Art is in the fabric of our lives, and when we head out to Santa Fe and Taos next week, you can bet we'll pack in as much art as we can finagle. (What a great word!) Something you might find handy is ArtForum's extensive search and find arts calendar, as you plan your upcoming trip.--Ruth Mitchell

(c) 2009 - Ruth Mitchell - all rights reserved

The Internet Never Ceases to Amaze Me

You know, I can still remember when an Internet specialist came to my place of work in the '90s, and was explaining the benefits of the Internet and how it was going to change how we live and work. Back then there wasn't much on the Internet except how to build a bomb, or some other really renegade stuff. Now I use the World Wide Web blithely to shop or look up anything I want. Wikipedia is especially helpful to me on a daily basis.

When blogging first came on the scene I mocked its necessity, and didn't see the value. Now it has revolutionized journalism, and I am joyous over some of the positive changes, but of course there is always drawbacks to everything. Like how much misinformation does get out there as well.

Another shocker has been social networking. I thought of it as even more vanity press, but this morning I had a revelation. It seems that people will often write some of their deepest thoughts and share them openly on a social network where you could talk to them for hours, and never get quite a depth of conversation.

Just like blogging that is now an important part of our website, Facebook is now an element in our corporate fabric. It is not only a great way to stay updated with the activities of our artists as well. I am awed this morning at the diverse and complicated mixture of "friends" I now have. There is Lorraine Benini, who is not only a great supporter of her husband's art, but a wonderful promoter of all artists. I just found out she knows movie great James Earl Jones

There is Alex Koll, an up and coming comic. He will be part of the Montreal Comedy Fest this summer and is also soon to headline at the famed Purple Onion in San Francisco. We're pulling for him to defend his title as Mr. Air Guitar of San Franciso as well.

There is a young woman I know, who shared her gratitude for her children and wonderful husband. And there is a whole generation of nieces and nephews who are staying in touch, across the width of the nation, and I get to be a part of that.

While there are issues to contend with, we can use the Internet for good. And I hope you too are enjoying the benefits of such a widespread form of communication. We hope you are participating in Creative Consumerism™ and we'd like to assist you in any way we can.--Ruth Mitchell

Above: "Extreme Flowers" - Digital Painting by Pavel Rehurek

(c) 2009 - Ruth Mitchell - all rights reserved

Mysterious Silver Cuff Bracelets

A number of years ago, my daughter, who worked in the jewelry business at the time, gave me two very attractive, yet simple silver cuff bracelets. In the warm summer months when my wrists are not covered with sleeves, I almost always have them on. Over the years I have had so many women come up to me and ask me where I got those bracelets. Yesterday at the grocery store, a woman, who was quite busy checking out people stopped me cold and asked me where I got my bracelets. I told her my daughter gave them to me, laughed and shrugged my shoulders and told her to try the Internet. I didn't even get her name.

Duh, I sell jewelry right? It really bothered me that I hadn't been able to help her, so when I got home, I searched to find some similar silver cuff bracelets I could sell to all those women who admired mine. While I didn't come up with exactly the same bracelets, I found several that I really like. I think you'll like them too.--Ruth Mitchell

(c) 2009 - Ruth Mitchell - all rights reserved

National Endowment for the Arts Releases Surprising Data on Art Participation

In the June 15th release of a report by the National Endowment for the Arts revealing the results of a 2008 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, there are some interesting patterns, which emerged.

The disappointing news of the report is that American audiences for the arts are getting older, and their numbers are declining. This means we are not reaching, nor are we educating, our children with the life-enhancing experience of the visual and performing arts.

Although the 2008 recession likely affected survey responses, there are persistent patterns of decline in participation for most art forms. Nearly 35 percent of U.S. adults – or an estimated 78 million – attended an art museum or an arts performance in the 2008 survey period, compared with about 40 percent in 1982, 1992, and 2002.

According the to NEA's recent report:

Attendance at the most popular types of arts events – such as art museums and craft/visual arts festivals – saw notable declines. The U.S. rate of attendance for art museums fell from a high of 26 percent in 1992-2002 to 23 percent in 2008, comparable to the 1982 level.

Between 1982 and 2008, attendance at performing arts such as classical music, jazz, opera, ballet, musical theater, and dramatic plays has seen double-digit rates of decline. Audiences for jazz and classical music are substantially older than before. In 1982, jazz concerts drew the youngest adult audience (median age 29). In the 2008 survey, the median age of jazz concert-goers was 46 – a 17-year increase. Since 1982, young adult (18-24) attendance rates for jazz and classical music have declined the most, compared with other art forms.

Forty-five to 54-year-olds – historically dependable arts participants – showed the steepest declines in attendance for most art events, compared with other age groups.

Educated Americans, the most likely group to attend or participate in the arts are participating less than before. College-educated audiences (including those with advanced degrees and certifications), have curbed their attendance in nearly all art forms. Ballet attendance for this group has declined at the sharpest rate – down 43 percent since 1982.

While these numbers are disturbing, there is an interesting uplift in art interest via the Internet and mass media. It is no surprise to hear that nearly 70 percent of U.S. adults went online for any purpose in 2008 survey, and of those adults, nearly 40 percent used the Internet to view, listen to, download, or post artworks or performances.

Thirty percent of adults who use the Internet, download, watch, or listen to music, theater, or dance performances online at least once a week. More than 20 percent of Internet-using adults view paintings, sculpture, or photography at least once a week.


And while this is good news, it is still disturbing to garner from the NEA's report that more Americans view or listen to broadcasts and recordings of arts events than attend them live (live theater being the sole exception). Classical and Latin or salsa music were the most popular music categories (with 40 and 33.5 million viewers/listeners, respectively), and 33.7 million adults reported listening to, or viewing programs or recordings about books/writers. The same number (33.7 million) enjoyed broadcasts or recordings about the visual arts.

If you would like to download the full report, click this link.

(c) 2009 - Ruth Mitchell - all rights reserved

Kaws Captivates

Artists, including the great Masters, have been using icons for centuries to visually bridge the gap of language and create instant mental shortcuts. Religious symbols, fruit and the naked female body, to name a few, have long been used by artists to convey meaning. Now we have Kaws, aka Brian Donnelly, a young and very successful Brooklyn artist who has the attention of the up and coming generation in a way that predecessors such as Peter Max and Andy Warhol did with visually stimulating pop icons. His work--punctuated with familiar territory such as Mickey Mouse, the Smurfs, the Michelin Man and The Simpsons, who of us after all hasn't been captivated by puffy characters sometime in our lives--is very popular with the Japanese, and at one glance you can understand why, though it might be somewhat more difficult to articulate.

Add to that his notorious start as a graffiti artist, and his involvement with mass produced vinyl figures and you have a recipe for a massive following of young at heart, and heavy of pocket book. He is also adept at self promotion, a recent public exhibit included rows of sculptures of his own head bearing his own iconic ball cap in bright colors. Have you felt the Kaws yet? See more of his work here. Enjoy--Ruth Mitchell

Early Rise 2008 Acrylic on canvas 40 x 40 available at Gering & López Gallery 730 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY

(c) 2009 - Ruth Mitchell - all rights reserved

Artist Ildikó Kalapács Featured in The Pacific Northwest Inlander

Hungarian born artist Ildikó Kalapács was recently written up in The Pacific Northwest Inlander by writer Ann Colford. Ildikó has a new show going (see details here) Below are some excerpts from that article.

Ildikó Kalapács laughs easily and often, and when she laughs, the joy-filled sound bursts forth, breaking open and inviting you to join in. Her home studio is filled with light, and her work is striking for its bright and vibrant colors.

But the layers below the sunny surface are more complex.

Kalapács (say “kahl-uh-PAHSH”) grew up in Hungary, in the mid-sized city of Szeged, during the 1960s and 1970s, when the country was under the influence of the Soviet Union....
Not surprisingly, her work explores identity — both cultural and personal — and the layers of memory, experience and storytelling that we use to forge an identity. She opens “Domestic Patterns,” a solo exhibition of sculptures and paintings, this week at the Kolva Sullivan Gallery. The human body figures prominently in her work, and each piece — whether two-dimensional or three — is built of layers and patterns.


The sculptures are the heads of women — real women, Spokane women — created life-size from clay as the models sat for her. Each gray or beige head is adorned with medallions and ribbons from Hungarian folk culture: some ribbons are embroidered in rich blues and reds, some are jewel-toned satins emblazoned with words and even poems. The faces are intimate and individual, yet their eyes are closed — they invite contemplation, not communication. Resting on their sides or backs, the heads look vulnerable, even tragic perhaps. The colorful ribbons may be full of life, but the faces are definitely in repose. Kalapács likens the heads to recovered bits of sculpture from antiquity...

Kalapács selected 14 women to be models for the heads, and she chose women who would be open to sitting for an hour-plus while she studied their faces in intimate detail. “These are my friends, very dynamic women,” she says. “I tried to select women who are very progressive, like I am, and also who’d feel comfortable sitting there for me, because sometimes I’d get up in their face.”

The models range in age from 23 to 59, ... the past is right there, etched in laugh lines, worry wrinkles, sun damage and the distinctive characteristics of genetics.

“I have a different concept of beauty,” she says. “I like strong women — I mean, physically strong women. Or [faces with] quirky characteristics. Even in ugliness, I see some beauty.”

The 14 heads rest in the center of the gallery; surrounding them, 14 paintings hang on the gallery walls. Each painting has layers of images, integrating bold, primary colors, decorative patterns, words — in English, Hungarian, Russian and Japanese — and the human body, whether in paint or in formal photographic portraits.

The colors and patterns stem from Kalapács’ deepest memories, from growing up in Hungary during the Soviet era, living in gray, seemingly featureless concrete-block apartment towers that Kalapács playfully calls “the rabbit holes.” Amid the bleak sameness and conformity, people sought out splashes of color — in gardens, in cut flowers, and in the intricately embroidered ribbons and dresses of traditional Hungarian folk dancers.

“When I grew up, even if you didn’t have money, you bought some cut flowers with your last pennies, because it brought some brightness in your life,” she says. “The flowers would be on your kitchen table, and you look at it, and you feel good.”

“[The heads] are physical fragments, and [the paintings] are cultural fragments,” she reflects. “Visually, the sculptures and paintings are opposite, but they’re two parts of me.”

“Domestic Patterns” by Ildikó Kalapács will be on display at the Kolva Sullivan Gallery, 115 S. Adams St., from June 5-26. Gallery hours: Thursdays-Fridays from 11 am-5:30 pm; Saturdays from 11 am-4 pm. Opening reception: Friday, June 5, from 5-9 pm. Call 462-5633.

See full article here:

Source URL: http://www.inlander.com/content/arts_culture_ildik%C3%B3_kalap%C3%A1cs_kolva_sullivan_gallery

(c) 2009 - Ruth Mitchell - all rights reserved

Andrew Jackson Pollack Checks In

Just a quick update. Things are beginning to get hot here in New Orleans. As gallery and other orders are slowing down - we are keeping busy with the start of our yearly Glass Camp program at the New Orleans School of Glassworks. This is for 10-17 year olds, and is a lot of fun. We will be making lots of beads and animals and other small glass items all summer long. Along with the print and metal department, we are hoping for a fun and creative summer. We are still looking for donations of soft glass scraps and old tools and such, as well. Please call the school at 504-529-7279 to register or for more information.

For the rest of the summer the family is going camping for a week then to Atlanta for Tiffany's and my engagement party. Next March is getting closer and closer!

Also, I am still on the lookout for empty wine and vodka bottles with funky shapes, colors, or labels. New Orleans is still lacking a glass recycling program - other than Tulane University's Glass Studio and myself. Not good!--Andy

(c) 2009 - Ruth Mitchell - all rights reserved

"Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?

I've always loved the work of Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin. As a post-impressionist artist he sought to distinguish his work from the popular art movement of his predecessors, but an examination of his life experiences also reveals much about the direction his work took. For instance, as a child he lived several years in Peru. This culture was to greatly influence his art and his later life decisions.

One of his most famous works (pictured above ) is titled, "Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? It is a complex composition painted while he was living in Tahiti where he went to live after leaving his Danish wife and five children behind in Coppenhagen. His works of that period are filled with exotic portrayals of the native population characterized by exaggerated body proportions, animal totems, geometric designs and stark contrasts as well as
quasi-religious symbolism. The cultural elite of Europe were enthralled with the images of raw scenes from faraway places, and this style of art became known as Primitivism.

Art historian and critic Sister Wendy Beckett describes the work like this:

"This is Gauguin's ultimate masterpiece - if all the Gauguins in the world, except one, were to be evaporated (perish the thought!), this would be the one to preserve. He claimed that he did not think of the long title until the work was finished, but he is known to have been creative with the truth. The picture is so superbly organized into three "scoops" - a circle to right and to left, and a great oval in the center - that I cannot but believe he had his questions in mind from the start. I am often tempted to forget that these are questions, and to think that he is suggesting answers, but there are no answers here; there are three fundamental questions, posed visually.

"On the right (Where do we come from?), we see the baby, and three young women - those who are closest to that eternal mystery. In the center, Gauguin meditates on what we are. Here are two women, talking about destiny (or so he described them), a man looking puzzled and half-aggressive, and in the middle, a youth plucking the fruit of experience. This has nothing to do, I feel sure, with the Garden of Eden; it is humanity's innocent and natural desire to live and to search for more life. A child eats the fruit, overlooked by the remote presence of an idol - emblem of our need for the spiritual. There are women (one mysteriously curled up into a shell), and there are animals with whom we share the world: a goat, a cat, and kittens. In the final section (Where are we going?), a beautiful young woman broods, and an old woman prepares to die. Her pallor and gray hair tell us so, but the message is underscored by the presence of a strange white bird. I once described it as "a mutated puffin," and I do not think I can do better. It is Gauguin's symbol of the afterlife, of the unknown (just as the dog, on the far right, is his symbol of himself).

I cannot but wonder why the artist used the dog as a symbol of himself, but I love that he did, interjecting himself in this form, in more than one of his works. I also would have loved to have been a fly on the wall on the day that Gauguin's fellow artist Vincent Van Gogh lost the lobe from his left ear. Some historians think that the ear was actually sliced off by Gauguin with his epee, during an argument between the two. Others contribute Van Gogh's mutilation to a seizure.--Ruth Mitchell

(c) 2009 - Ruth Mitchell - all rights reserved