Postcard from NYC
Audubon Mural Project, Ai Wei Wei and Hockney – what more could an art lover ask for?
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Category: Art
Marfa, Texas | Modern Art Mecca
Marfa’s mantra could be reduce, creative reuse and repurpose. There is a minimal amount of new construction, which is especially notable given the influx of arts and tourism related projects. This adds tremendously to the town’s allure (see Marvelous Marfa|Texas ) in addition to being more responsive and responsible from a development and environmental standpoint.
The main Chinati Foundation campus is located on the 340 acre grounds of the former Fort D. A. Russell and is the best place to start any art-focused visit to Marfa. Continue reading “Marfa, Texas | Modern Art Mecca”
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LA’s Arts District | Chock a Block
Just east of downtown Los Angeles, the sprawling warehouse area is gradually transitioning from industrial to trendy with increasing numbers of boutiques, galleries, lofts and the inevitable restaurants and coffee shops that follow. Perhaps no one block (okay – it’s really several but feels like one) epitomizes the changing nature of this area as much as East 3rd Street between Santa Fe and Traction where Hauser Wirth Schimmel just opened their arts complex in a former flour mill. Continue reading “LA’s Arts District | Chock a Block”
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New York City State of Mind
Growing up in the suburbs, New York was simply “the city.” To this day, I think of it as such, although other metropolises may have vied for my affections (see: Paris, Istanbul and Copenhagen). For the next several years, I will be a part-time resident of the city that never sleeps. I am excited to more fully experience all that this amazing place has to offer and to share new discoveries and long time favorites. This post focuses on two arts institutions that may not be on the top of visitors’ lists. Continue reading “New York City State of Mind”
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Isfahan’s Incredible Awe-Inspiring Ceilings
Choosing photos for any of the posts about Iran has been difficult. Selecting a relative few from the hundreds I took in Isfahan has been almost impossible.
This post focuses on just one aspect of this city’s beauty: her magnificent ceilings. The next post will explore Isfahan in depth but these photos speak for themselves! [NB: with the exception of the Jāmeh Mosque below, these buildings are all from the Safavid era – 17th century CE.] Continue reading “Isfahan’s Incredible Awe-Inspiring Ceilings”
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Puerto Rico Me Encanta
What’s not to like about a place that offers paletas (see above) right off the bat? That sweet offering was only the first of many gustatory and visual treats savored during a wonderful weekend in Puerto Rico.
Ancient sea creatures remains made for elegant pathways around the hotel. I found the patterns mesmerizing (or maybe it was the heat?).
Some of the manmade patterns were lovely to behold, as well. I wish I had a drop-tilt lens but had to make do with this angle.
The streets of Old San Juan are full of beautiful homes, many in need of some TLC. In fact, this part of the city is undergoing a renaissance, as many are choosing to move in and renovate the colonial buildings.
We were guests in one of these fabulous homes. Not a few of us were ready to take up residence as well! Continue reading “Puerto Rico Me Encanta”
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Tehran | Art and Culture
The visual arts in Tehran range from exquisitely preserved masterpieces of the early Islamic era to enormous freshly painted murals on the sides of buildings and everything in between. I could have spent days immersed in the masterpieces at The National Museum of the Islamic Era, which just reopened in August 2015 after a nine-year hiatus. A beautiful and serene museum, its collection includes ceramics, stucco work, calligraphy, and illustrated manuscripts. Photos don’t begin … Continue reading Tehran | Art and Culture
When in Rome | Spend Saturday like a Noble
Staying in one city for a week affords the opportunity to see places that are off the beaten path. A highlight of this Roman holiday was a visit to the Palazzo Colonna, open Saturdays only from 9:00 – 14:00 pm (last entry at 13h15). The Colonna family started construction on their palace in the 14th century and has resided here ever since. Oddone Colonna aka Pope Martin V appointed the Palace as the … Continue reading When in Rome | Spend Saturday like a Noble
LA’s Newest Museum – The Broad
Eli and Edye Broad’s museum is a great gift to the people of Los Angeles and all contemporary art lovers. The Broad was designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with Gensler and fits in well with its neighbors Walt Disney Hall, the Los Angeles Cathedral, and MoCA among others. It is possible to spend an entire day appreciating all that this small section of … Continue reading LA’s Newest Museum – The Broad
Naoshima Part III | Wrap Up
Perhaps what makes the Naoshima experience so memorable is the combination of sublime contemporary art and architecture with the traditional fishing villages and shrines. We were struck by the sensitivity to and respect for the environment that pervades these islands and is manifested throughout. Hiroshi Sugimoto restored an Edo Period shrine and added a new superstructure in his 2002 work “Appropriate Proportion.” The optical glass staircase he designed links the … Continue reading Naoshima Part III | Wrap Up
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