Tag Archives: California

Top New Exhibitions: “Charles Arnoldi | Four Decades” (Fisher Museum)

 

USC Fisher Museum Of Art Charles Arnoldi Four Decades Exhibit January 21 - April 4 2020

USC Fisher Museum of Art proudly presents Charles Arnoldi | Four Decades, a survey of the versatile and prolific Venice Beach artist, which traces the evolution Charles Arnoldi Artof the artist’s expansive and materials-focused practice from the 1970s to the present.

USC Fisher Museum of Art proudly announces Charles Arnoldi | Four Decades from the Collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation, a survey of Venice Beach artist Charles (Chuck) Arnoldi. The exhibition, organized by the USC Fisher Museum of Art with the generous support of the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation and curated by Bruce Guenther, author of Charles Arnoldi: Paper (2017), opens January 21, 2020 and runs through April 4, 2020.

USC Fisher Museum of Art logoCharles Arnoldi was a young man from Dayton, Ohio who had seen little of the world when he arrived in Southern California in the mid 1960s. Following stints at a local community college and Chouinard Art Institute, Arnoldi won LACMA’s New or Young Talent Award in 1969 and thus began his ever-evolving career which continues to this day in his sprawling Venice studio.

For close to 50 years, Arnoldi’s work has reflected a passion for the material world, a commitment to experimentation, and a tireless focus on studio production. Charles Arnoldi | Four Decades is drawn from the holdings of the collector Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation.

Website

New Books: “A Journey Through Wine And Food”

A Journey Through Wine and Food - A Collection of Wine and Food Pairings Jerilyn Zaveral and Carla Anderson January 2020A Journey Through Wine and Food is a total sensory experience with its lifelike photography, stunning presentation of each dish, glimpses into the wineries and their winemakers, histories of the Central Valley wine region, and most of all amazing recipes that will transform everyday meals into priceless celebrations for any occasion! Inspirational quotes can also be found throughout as a reminder that not only do we need food to nourish our bodies, but we need the company of those on our journey to nourish out souls.

From Shrimp Tacos and Rose, to Beef Bourguignon with Burgundy, to Chocolate Cake paired with Port, A Journey Through Wine and Food gives everyone an opportunity to enhance their experience in the kitchen, regardless of skill level, and takes the guess work out of which wines to pair with dinner. It will also take you on a journey through The Central Valley wine regions of California giving you a sneak peek at some of the best wineries in the world, which until now could be considered “hidden gems.”

Jerilyn Zaveral was born and raised in Central California where she continues to live with her husband Joe and their dog, Hogan. Other than a short stay in New York when she wrote her first cookbook and opened her first cafe, her heart and home have always been in the San Joaquin Valley where she enjoys cooking for family and friends and tasting fine wines. She has won several awards in cooking competitions and cook-offs. Most notably her cafe “Z Spice of Life” was recognized as a destination spot in the Hudson Valley Explorer’s Guide. Jerilyn’s love of creating recipes and meals began when she was a very young child in her grandmother’s kitchen. More specifically, it was one afternoon while baking a chocolate cake when her grandmother asked her to get out the mayonnaise…the realization instantly took hold that cooking isn’t always about the end product, but about the journey of discovering unique tastes, textures and combinations of flavors that others might not expect.

To read more or purchase

 

History: The Early Promise, Fiery Failure Of Eucalytus Trees In California

From a The Economist magazine article and podcast:

The Economist podcastsThe real California, though, the California of immigrant dreams that break and get reborn, of lives as they turn out not as they are planned, is the California of the eucalyptus.

The Long and Tangled History of California's Eucalyptus Trees The Economist December 2019Like his friend John Muir, Lukens believed that California desperately needed more forests. Since the mid-19th century forests, and their loss, had been the principal focus of conservationist thought in America. According to Jared Farmer, who traces the history of the eucalyptus in California in “Trees in Paradise” (2013), Lukens and Muir were particularly keen on growing forests as a way to provide water—always a key to power in the state. Trees brought rain and captured fog and moisture; without forests, the men feared the state’s great cities would dry up.

“EUCALYPTUS PROMISES TO BE GREAT INDUSTRY”, announced the front page of the San Luis Obispo Daily Telegram, later claiming that what the speculators following where Lukens had led were planting “will be the largest artificial forest in the world when completed”.

Read The Economist article

Top Food Podcasts: “Los Angeles Times 101 Best Restaurants 2019” (KCRW)

The LA Times 101 restaurant rankings are here. Yale historian Paul Freedman traces the history of American cuisine. Journalist Charlotte Druckman shares what she learned from more than 100 women in the food world. Plus: a look at the surprising connections that take you from one recipe to another.

New Museums: “Academy Museum Of Motion Pictures” By Architect Renzo Piano (Opens 2020)

From the Renzo Piano Building Workshop website:

Academy Museum Renzo Piano Architect“The Academy Museum gives us the opportunity to honor the past while creating a building for the future—in fact, for the possibility of many futures. The historic Saban Building is a wonderful example of Streamline Moderne style, which preserves the way people envisioned the future in 1939. The new structure, the Sphere Building, is a form that seems to lift off the ground into the perpetual, imaginary voyage through space and time that is moviegoing. By connecting these two experiences we create something that is itself like a movie. You go from sequence to sequence, from the exhibition galleries to the film theater and the terrace, with everything blending into one experience.”

Renzo Piano, Architect

When it opens in the heart of Los Angeles, at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will be the world’s premier movie museum.

Academy Museum Renzo Piano Architect

Academy Museum Renzo Piano ArchitectSituated on the famed “Miracle Mile,” the museum will preserve and breathe new life into the former 1939 May Company department store, now re-named the Saban Building. Celebrating its history and imagining new possibilities, the additions to the building that date from 1946 have been removed and replaced with a spherical building that features the 1,000-seat David Geffen Theater and the Dolby Family Terrace with views towards Hollywood. The revitalized campus will feature more than 50,000 square feet of gallery space, two theaters, cutting-edge project spaces, an outdoor piazza, the rooftop terrace, an active education studio, a restaurant, and store.

https://www.academymuseum.org/en/

To read and see more: http://www.rpbw.com/project/academy-museum-of-motion-pictures

 

Destinations: “Salesforce Park” In San Francisco Is “Floating Utopia”

Salesforce Park Transit CenterThe Salesforce Transit Center is a green infrastructure that enhances public transportation, reduces traffic congestion, and serves as an economic catalyst. As San Francisco’s new downtown gateway, it greets tens of thousands of residents, commuters, and visitors daily, providing a dynamic destination while engaging, enriching, and connecting people coming and going throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

Seventy feet above the Grand Hall, the Park runs the entire length of the Transit Center’s nearly four-block stretch. Home to 600 trees and 16,000 plants arranged in 13 different botanical feature areas, the newest public park in the San Francisco Bay Area is for the benefit and enjoyment of all…and there’s nothing else like it anywhere.

Read New Yorker article for great description: https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-silicon-valley/the-floating-utopia-of-salesforce-park

Website: https://salesforcetransitcenter.com/salesforce-park/

Top New Exhibits: F-117 NIGHTHAWK STEALTH FIGHTER At The Ronald Reagan Library & Museum

…the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute announced its “Operation Nighthawk Landing” project – a Reagan Foundation & Institute and Lockheed Martin Skunk Works® joint effort that will soon bring an F-117 Nighthawk Stealth Fighter to the Reagan Museum for permanent exhibition. Made possible by loan from the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, the F-117 placed on display will serve as a visible reminder to the Library’s near half-million annual visitors of President Reagan’s commitment to the rebuilding of the U.S. military through his “Peace through Strength” program. The F-117 Nighthawk, Tail #803, nicknamed “Unexpected Guest,” flew more combat sorties (78) than all other F-117s combined. The aircraft entered service in May 1984, during President Reagan’s administration.

“The Reagan Library will now be one of two places in the nation where the general public can visit an F-117 Stealth Fighter on permanent display,” said John Heubusch, executive director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. “We are deeply grateful to Lockheed Martin for their outstanding assistance in restoring the aircraft for such a meaningful display and to the U.S. Air Force for making it possible for the Reagan Library to exhibit the plane for millions of visitors to enjoy for years to come.”

The F-117 Nighthawk was the world’s first operational stealth aircraft. Between 1981 and 2008, Lockheed Martin produced 59 operational F-117s and five developmental prototypes, but the aircraft weren’t publicly acknowledged until 1988.  Known as “stealth fighters,” the F-117’s angular shape was designed to reflect radar waves and was bolstered by the use of a radar-absorbing material. Because the aircraft was only expected to operate at night, it was painted black to make it more difficult to discern against the night sky.

Website: https://www.reaganfoundation.org/library-museum/permanent-exhibitions/f-117-nighthawk-stealth-fighter/

Top Timelapse Videos: “World Way – The City Of LAX” By Chris Pritchard Is “Visually Breathtaking”

Filmed, Edited and Directed by: Chris Pritchard

Partners –
Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board – discoverla.com
Los Angeles World Airports – flylax.com
American Airlines – aa.com
H Hotel Los Angeles – hhotellosangeles.com
Star Alliance Lounge LAX

Worldway The City Of LAX Timelapse Video by Chris Pritchard 2019

The impetus for “WORLD WAY: The City of LAX” was born in 2013 as I sat on a rooftop in El Segundo, waiting for a shoot to begin and looking out over LA. The incoming planes looked like a highway, evenly spaced and spread across multiple lanes. This led my eye to the end of their path – LAX. I realized I had a fully unobstructed view of the airport, and immediately started capturing timelapses of it. I became fascinated with the many layers of movement that were visible – planes taking off and landing, planes taxiing, ground support equipment moving on the ramp and throughout the airport, passenger vehicles on World Way, passengers on foot outside and inside the airport – all moving at their own unique pace. It made me realize that LAX is a city unto itself, with so many moving pieces and individual people all doing their part to keep it moving. Despite its struggles, it is a logistical and modern marvel. I wanted to show it in a way it had never been seen.

Worldway The City Of LAX Timelapse Video by Chris Pritchard 2019

In 2016, I was able to bring this project to life with help from the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board, Los Angeles World Airports, and a group of talented shooters. We set out to capture these layers of movement in a way that cannot be seen with the naked eye, and from vantage points that few get to experience. It’s been a long journey from then until now, but was very much worth it. Getting to experience every aspect of LAX as a non-traveler, and having the opportunity to work with so many people who help keep it operating has given me a new perspective on this place.

Worldway The City Of LAX Timelapse Video by Chris Pritchard 2019

More info about the film is available on my blog at: chrispzero.com/blog/2019/11/19/world-way-the-city-of-lax/

Top Hikes: “San Francisco Crosstown Trail” – Candlestick Point To Lands End (17 Miles)

SF Crosstown Trail logoThe Crosstown Trail is a route connecting San Francisco neighborhoods, open spaces, and other major trails. It runs from Candlestick Point in the southeast corner of the city to Lands End in the northwest corner. The route is usable by both pedestrians and bicyclists, and it connects many parks, business districts, residential areas, and public transit.

crosstown-trail-poster-size_page-0001.jpg

The Crosstown Trail is just one part of the city’s Green Connections Plan. It is one of the first to be concretely mapped and made available to the public.

Read New York Times article on the hike: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/18/travel/crosstown-trail-san-francisco.html

Website: https://crosstowntrail.org/

Top New Gallery Exhibits: “Annie Lapin – Strange Little Beast” At The Shulamit Nazarian (LA)

From a Shulamit Nazarian online review:

Annie Lapin. Halving Having (StepScape 4), 2019.The artist incorporates an array of art historical scenes such as John Martin’s English-Romantic apocalypses and Edouard Manet’s Luncheon on the Grass with ubiquitous imagery sourced from the Internet. The highly rendered areas in her paintings resemble a cascade of Google image search results where cellphone photos of skylines and gardens slide past gestural marks. 

Annie Lapin Strange Little Best Exhibit at Shulamit NazarianShulamit Nazarian is pleased to present Strange Little Beast, a solo exhibition of new works by Los Angeles-based painter Annie Lapin. This will be the artist’s first solo exhibition with the gallery.

Annie Lapin’s paintings call attention to the human desire for meaning making–our effort to create order out of chaos. In Strange Little Beast, Lapin’s paintings use her interest in art history, perception, and the materiality of painting itself to examine the role of digital technology and narrative building in our contemporary moment.

To read more: http://www.shulamitnazarian.com/exhibition/annie-lapin/#