The Oscars of food trucks, another great tasting event in Brooklyn, and shop your DIY faves this weekend.
Tag Archives: art
BIG DREAMS IN THE BIG CITY – SEPT 1
A new month and a new set of fun ideas! Plus start on your Labor Day Weekend planning…
SUGAR SUGAR, HONEY HONEY – AUG 26
Learn the art of sugar flowers or take in art at The Met. Plus, a hot new show at the Fringe Festival.
THE JUGGLE STRUGGLE – JULY 15
Experience relationships through art, get your juggle on, or groove along at an outdoor concert this Hump Day!
STARGAZE AND SUMMER DAYS – JULY 14
We’re looking up on this Tuesday! Where to stargaze, where to culture, and where to cook.
PREYIN’ ON ADAM LEVINE – MARCH 5
Maroon 5 in concert for two nights, plus Charlie Wilson, an awesome Purim event, and an art show! Thirsty Thursday!
November 7, 2014
Bradley Cooper on Broadway and more coming up this weekend in NYC!
November 6, 2014
The incomparable Stevie Wonder plays for one night only, and funny man Dane Cook heats up the Beacon…November 6 is a splendid day New York!
November 5, 2014
Meet music icon Jimmy Page, and experience Cubism in all its glory at The Met…today November 5, 2014 in New York is pretty spectacular!
New Museum: Night and Day
The New Museum presents the first major solo museum exhibition in the United States of the work of artist Chris Ofili.
November 4, 2014
The Divine Miss M, Bette Midler drops her new girl power album and El Greco lands in New York…today, Tuesday November 4, the Big Apple is especially sweet!
October 29, 2014
Dance to Electro duo Capital Cities at Webster Hall or check out “Chris Ofili: Night and Day” at the New Museum…today, October 29 in New York has a little something for everyone.
October 20, 2014
The incomparable Glenn Close makes her Broadway return and something mournful is happening at The Met…Monday October 20, 2014 in NYC is all abuzz!
October 14, 2014
From a Neil Patrick Harris book signing to the Killer Heels exhibit at Brooklyn Museum, Tuesday October 14 in NYC is absolutely buzzing!
Sleep No More
Sleep No More is the most recent incarnation of an immersive, site-specific, interactive work of theatre created by British theatre company Punchdrunk.
Blue Man Group brings wild, crazy, colorful fun to off-Broadway
Blue Man Group combines music, technology and comedy to create a form of entertainment that defies categorization and appeals to people of all ages. Blue Man Group’s shows have been described by critics as “innovative,” “energetic” and “wildly entertaining.” But the only way to truly understand Blue Man Group’s global popularity is to see the show for yourself.
Impressive, Beautiful Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
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Isabella Stewart Gardner was an heiress and something of a black sheep of late-19th- and early-20th-century Boston society: She was a rabid Red Sox and horse-racing fan. Funded by a $1.75 million inheritance, Gardner personally designed this four-story building, modeled on a Venetian palazzo, to house her extensive collection of art and antiquities.
The collection includes 15th-century Flemish tapestries, a first edition of Dante’s Divine Comedy, inscrutable documents like the one signed by Marie Antoinette, and paintings by Monet, Sargent, Holbein, Whistler, Rembrandt, Matisse, Michelangelo, and Titian. A visit to the museum is like meandering through a treasure chest of a wealthy, if eccentric, great aunt.
Visit gardnermuseum.org to see the latest exhibits and schedules.
New Museum: Here and Elsewhere
The New Museum presents “Here and Elsewhere,” a major exhibition of contemporary art from and about the Arab world.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, located in New York City, is the one of the world’s largest and finest art museums. Its collections span more than 5,000 years of visual culture from every corner of the globe.
Saddle Shoe Tours
Discover a new and always evolving concrete canvas
“Lia’s tours are all about opening your eyes and discovering the impressive paintings, hidden sculpture, and stylized prints, right under your nose. Her tours are like urban scavenger hunts, and by the end you’ll be able to recognize Roa’s murals, Stickman’s Stickmen, and way more, which will earn you some serious cool points with your friends.”
– solifestyle.com
Come Together: Surviving Sandy
Come see the new Brooklyn exhibition Come Together: Surviving Sandy and experience the art inspired by the horrific events of Superstorm Sandy.
Explore the Chris Burden Exhibit at the New Museum
Chris Burden’s work over the years are shown in this new exhibit that is currently overtaking the New Museum!
The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats At The National Museum Of American Jewish History
The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats is the first major exhibition in this country to pay tribute to award-winning author and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats (1916–1983), whose beloved children’s books include Whistle for Willie, Peter’s Chair, and The Snowy Day. The exhibition invites visitors to discover over 80 original works by this groundbreaking American Jewish artist, the first to feature an African-American protagonist in a modern full-color picture book. With works ranging from preliminary sketches to final paintings and collages, the exhibition also offers a reading area for visitors of all ages, drawn from Keats’s art and stories.
The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats is organized by The Jewish Museum, New York, from the collection of the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, The University of Southern Mississippi. The exhibition was funded at The Jewish Museum through a generous grant from the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation. Additional support was provided by the Joseph Alexander Foundation, the Alfred J. Grunebaum Memorial Fund, and the Winnick Family Foundation.
The exhibit runs through October 20, 2013. Visit nmajh.org for more information.
Léger: Modern Art and the Metropolis At The Philadelphia Museum Of Art
This interdisciplinary exhibition will shed new light on the vitally experimental decade of the 1920s in Paris when the great French modernist Fernand Léger (1881-1955) played a leading role in redefining the practice of painting by bringing it into active engagement with the urban environment and modern mass media. This will be the first exhibition to take as its inspiration and focus Léger’s monumental painting The City (1919), a cornerstone of the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s collection and a landmark in the history of modern art, placing it in dialogue with the urban art and culture of modernity.
The exhibition will present a core group of Léger’s exceptional paintings on the theme of the city, along with film projections, theater designs, architectural models, and print and advertising designs by the artist and his contemporaries. In a multi-media installation of more than 120 works, including loans from American and European public and private collections, this exhibition will demonstrate the varied strategies through which artists and designers of the European avant-garde, with Léger in the lead, sought to participate in the complexity and excitement of the metropolis. The exhibition will also feature work by Cassandre, Robert and Sonia Delaunay, Theo van Doesburg, Alexandra Exter, Abel Gance, Le Corbusier, Piet Mondrian, Gerald Murphy, Francis Picabia, Man Ray, and many others.
The exhibition runs from October 14, 2013 – January 5, 2014. Click here for more information
Find Pop Up Pianos All Over NYC!
This summer, from June 1st through June 16th, the Sing for Hope Pianos return to our city streets. In one of New York City’s most vibrant public art installations, 88 artist-designed pianos (one for each key on a piano) are placed in parks and public spaces throughout the 5 boroughs for anyone and everyone to enjoy.
Visual artists from Sing for Hope’s roster of over 1,000 Volunteer Artists and local community members were selected through an open application process and donate their time and talent to create this beautiful gift to our city: 88 unique and interactive piano artworks.
Once on the streets, neighborhood associations and community organizations serve as “piano buddies” and supervise each piano throughout the duration of the project, making sure they are protected from inclement weather. The Sing for Hope Pianos unite our city, as artists from all walks of life create daily spontaneous concerts and neighborhoods come together around the shared gift of music and art.
After their public residency, the pianos are donated to under-served local schools, healthcare facilities, and community organizations, where Sing for Hope artists continue to bring the pianos to life year-round through classes, performances, and workshops.
Thanks to the generous support of Chobani, Inc the Sing for Hope Pianos are back in 2013 better than ever. The pairing is a well-suited partnership as the two like-minded, entrepreneurial organizations align in the mission to provide access to all – whether that access is rooted in the arts or good food.
To find a Sing for Hope piano near you visit singforhope.org.
Visit The New Museum
Founded in 1977, the New Museum is a leading destination for new art and new ideas. It is Manhattan’s only dedicated contemporary art museum and is respected internationally for the adventurousness and global scope of its curatorial program.
The New Museum is devoted entirely to contemporary art from all over the world. Its exhibitions are often shocking, controversial, and they attract great criticism. But isn’t this what contemporary art is all about? The building of the New Museum, located on Bowery and Prince, is a contemporary art piece in itself. The Japanese architecture firm designed the building as a series of gigantic boxes, the museum’s galleries, placed on top of each other. It is truly a monument of contemporary art. Located in the Lower East side, where most buildings are old and poorly maintained, the building of the New Museum definitely stands and makes a strong statement – contemporary art exist, and it matters. The New Museum seems to reject everything that is bourgeois or old, making space for a new direction in art and culture – modernity.
This summer, the New Museum will present the first major New York museum exhibition of the work of Ellen Gallagher. Spanning the past twenty years, “Don’t Axe Me” will provide one of the first opportunities to thoroughly examine the complex formal and thematic concerns of one of the most significant artists to emerge since the mid-1990s. The title of the exhibition, “Don’t Axe Me,” evokes her radical approach to image, text, and surface—drawing equally from modernism, mass culture, and social history. This focused survey at the New Museum will run concurrently with Gallagher’s exhibition at the Tate Modern, London (May 2013).
Visit newmuseum.org for more information.
Symmetry/Asymmetry: African Textiles, Dress, and Adornment at the High Museum of Art
Symmetry/Asymmetry draws attention to African textiles as abstract works of art to highlight their aesthetic dimension. At the same time the exhibition suggests a synaesthetic experience as these once kinetic works engaged multiple senses.
Over 40 works of African textiles, dress, and adornment – including objects from throughout the continent, from South Africa to the Sahara – are presented. A broad spectrum of objects spanning more than 7,000 years of artistic innovation, from a Neolithic stone bracelet to twentieth and twenty-first century commemorative cloths emblazoned with the faces of Kwame Nkrumah, Nelson Mandela, and President Obama, are included. A magnificent selection of indigo cloths from West Africa and Kuba textiles from Central Africa are also presented. The exhibition provides a surprisingly diverse range of symmetric and asymmetric designs.
The exhibit runs through August 25, 2013. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday. Click here for more information.
Check Out Vintage LA At The Getty: In Focus: Ed Ruscha
In Focus: Ed Ruscha
Ed Ruscha’s art is characterized by graphic simplicity, playful humor, and a keen interest in the vernacular as it applies to both language and architecture. This exhibition explores his photography, including well-known photo-based book projects, and it runs through September 29, 2013.
Ruscha moved to Los Angeles in 1956 to study design at Chouinard Art Institute. Throughout a career of more than fifty years, he has produced paintings, photographs, prints, drawings, and films that often reflect on the city’s vernacular architecture, urban landscape, and car culture. Photography has always been central to his artistic practice, most notably for the slender, pocket-sized volumes that he began publishing in 1963 and his extensive documentation of Los Angeles streets, beginning with Sunset Boulevard in 1965. Several of the photographs that appeared in these publications became source material for works of art that he would realize in other media, either at the same time or years later—for example, the photograph of Standard Station, Amarillo, Texas, published in Twentysix Gasoline Stations and later abstracted in a well-known painting now in the Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College.
The works in this show are drawn from recent acquisitions of vintage prints by the Getty Museum and of Ruscha’s Streets of Los Angeles Archive by the Getty Research Institute. Click here for more information.
Learn Floral Design At Ovando!
Floral design is not just an art, it’s an experience.
Under the instruction of Ovando’s designers, participants will get to take an inside peek into the incredible world of floral design. Each of our single-session classes will discuss varying themes and design principles, as well as some of the modern design philosophies which define Ovando’s signature style.
Ovando is not just classes, it has a beautiful array of flowers and floral arrangements and fragrances for any occasion, for home to corporate events.
Sandra de Ovando has become an influential force in New York’s design milieu. Sandra discovered exotic flowers, plants and fruits that she began incorporating into her designs – there the signature style was born that today defines Ovando’s dynamic compositions and custom installations.
In 2003, Sandra opened Ovando’s West Village luxury boutique. The space was accredited for its distinctive décor and brilliantly crafted window installations, and Sandra’s dramatic compositions, recognized for their love of color and natural sophistication, became the favorite of New York’s elite, including celebrities, high-end restaurants, fashion houses and luxury hotels.
Today, after sizable expansion, including the opening of a 2,500 square foot production studio, a second boutique on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, and the launch of a dedicated event production wing, Ovando has blossomed into one of New York’s most sought after design & event production firms. Under Sandra’s direction and impeccable eye, the company has won international acclaim for its work with prestigious clients to the likes of Hermes, The US Open Tennis Association, Donna Karan, Four Seasons, Saks Fifth Avenue, and The MOMA, to name only a few. From stunning floral installations, custom props & moody lighting, and the full-scale construction of breathtaking displays and environments, Ovando is a dazzling celebration of form, function, and flowers. Vist ovandony.com for more information. Visit the Madison Ave Location at 19 East 65th Street New York, NY 10065
or the West Village Location at 337 Bleecker Street New York, NY 10014
“Legends, Myths, And Truths,” At The Millennium Park Boeing Gallery
As a pioneer in the field of monumental ceramic sculpture, Jun Kaneko has played with scale and proportion. Visitors to Millennium Park will be able to see his work displayed in the Boeing Galleries, beginning April 12 through November 3.
The installation Kaneko has created for Millennium Park’s Boeing Galleries is representative of his past and present artistic practices. Works presented in the South Boeing Galleries feature Kaneko’s signature Dangos (meaning “rounded form” or “dumpling” in Japanese). These ceramic steles, covered in a variety of vibrant shapes and patterns, allow viewers to examine their environment and focus on a sense of scale and place.
The Dango form links Kaneko’s work to minimalist sculptors who played with simple and large forms, while at the same time, the pattern overlays show formal aspects – in repeating geometric shapes – similar to those of minimalist painters.
The North Boeing Gallery features a new body of work by Kaneko, drawing upon the myths and legends of the Tanuki figure. From ancient times, the Japanese have expressed the Tanuki in a variety of ways, for it is considered to be a trickster who causes trouble and mayhem in both the human and supernatural worlds. In our modern era, however, the figure is most commonly portrayed as a large, stout badger. The Tanuki is not only a creature found in mythology, but a small, nocturnal mammal native to East Asia. Click here for more information.
First Thursdays Downtown Arts Walk
This is the perfect opportunity to experience Atlanta’s art scene inside and out! Take a self-guided tour of the galleries — with no beginning or ending point — and move at your own pace as you soak up some fabulous contemporary Southern art. With its growth, First Thursdays has become more than just an arts walk. It’s an event where singles can meet, business people can unwind, and couples can enjoy the beauty of downtown Atlanta’s landscape.
Each month you’re invited to stroll through magnificent buildings and streets to enjoy the beauty of Downtown and the gallery experience. Come take a walk with us the First Thursday of each month, from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
First Thursdays ArtsWalk has grown with new programs and additional venues so that art lovers can view the arts, tour the historic districts of Downtown and enjoy various discounts at Downtown restaurants. Click here for more information.
Picasso is Back at the Art Institute of Chicago!
A century ago, in 1913, the Art Institute of Chicago became the first art museum in the country to present the work of a young Spaniard who would become the preeminent artist of the 20th century, Pablo Picasso. This February the museum celebrates the special 100-year relationship between Picasso and Chicago by bringing together over 250 of the finest examples of the artist’s paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, and ceramics from private collections in the city, as well as from the museum’s collection, for the first large-scale Picasso exhibition organized by the museum in almost 30 years.
The show runs from February 20, 2013 through May 12, 2013. The exhibit shows such diverse and significant works from the museum’s own exceptional holdings and from collections throughout the city, Picasso and Chicago not only charts the full gamut of Picasso’s artistic career but also chronicles the growth of Chicago as a place for modern art and the storied moments of overlap that have contributed to the vibrant interest in Picasso from 1913 to today. Visit artic.edu for more information.he Art Institute is celebrating a 100 year relationship with the artist by bringing together over 250 of Picasso’s finest works of Art.
Contemporary Art at the Industry Gallery
Unique, funky, and contemporarily-hip are a few words to describe this one-of-a-kind Industry Gallery in the Northeast.
With industrial materials like recycled glass, aluminum, and carbon fiber, artists from all over the world create new and innovative works to redefine the relationship between art and design.
The gallery holds single-artist exhibitions to highlight the works of each international artist who is selected for his or her unique insight and ability to illuminate broad spectrums of international design.
This is definitely the new destination for contemporary art connoisseurs, collectors, curators, or art lovers. Click here for more information.
Explore French Impressionists And Others At The Barnes Foundation
The new 93,000-square-foot, two-story building, designed by architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, is described as a “gallery in a garden, a garden in a gallery.” Boasting a textured grey-and-gold Ramon limestone exterior and a glass canopy that glows at night, the building is a breathtaking addition to the Parkway Museum District.
The four-and-a-half acre landscaped grounds reference the Barnes Arboretum in Merion, which will reopen in the late summer of 2012. In addition, the building boasts a number of sustainable features, including a green roof and permeable surfaces that allow for rain and grey water re-use.
But the true draw is the Barnes Collection featuring 181 Renoirs, 69 Cézannes and 59 Matisses, along with works by Manet, Degas, Seurat, Prendergrast, Titian and Picasso.
The 12,000-square-foot gallery preserves the scale, proportion and configuration of the original Merion location. The priceless works are symmetrically arranged according to size, and often paired with artifacts and furniture (think: African sculpture, Pennsylvania Dutch folk art, antique Chinese paintings) organized around themes and formal elements. The scheme is the physical manifestation of the teachings of the man who collected the works, Albert C. Barnes. Click here for more information.
Rocky Mountain Majesty: The Paintings of Charles Partridge Adams at The Denver Art Museum
Charles Partridge Adams was a Colorado landscape painter active during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Rocky Mountain Majesty: The Paintings of Charles Partridge Adams marks the first time that Adams’ paintings will be displayed together at a major art museum; and the Denver Art Museum will be the sole venue for this important exhibition that highlights his greatest paintings of Colorado.
Adams became one of the finest Colorado artists and is best known for his paintings of Longs Peak near Estes Park and other mountain ranges in Colorado. He was a highly prolific painter who created more than a 1,000 paintings during his lifetime. The DAM will exhibit 33 of the very best of his oil and watercolor paintings depicting Colorado and will show the diversity of Adams’ oeuvre, which includes such styles as realism, tonalism and impressionism. Rocky Mountain Majesty also will feature two of the museum’s own paintings, Moraine Park and Sunset in Colorado, alongside loans from lenders across Colorado. Click here for more information.
The New Museum – a strong statement about contemporary art
The New Museum is devoted entirely to contemporary art from all over the world. Its exhibitions are often shocking, controversial, and they attract great criticism. But isn’t this what contemporary art is all about? The building of the New Museum, located on Bowery and Prince, is a contemporary art piece in itself. The Japanese architecture firm designed the building as a series of gigantic boxes, the museum’s galleries, placed on top of each other. It is truly a monument of contemporary art. Located in the Lower East side, where most buildings are old and poorly maintained, the building of the New Museum definitely stands and makes a strong statement – contemporary art exist, and it matters. The New Museum seems to reject everything that is bourgeois or old, making space for a new direction in art and culture – modernity.
Gagosian Gallery
Larry Gagosian’s gallery—a massive, maze-like layout of beautifully lit rooms—is considered by many to be the cornerstone of the art scene in Chelsea. His gallery shows often gather as much attention as any show at a major modern art museum, and they have included installations from Richard Serra, John Currin, De Kooning and the always-shocking but extremely relevant works of Damien Hirst.
Art Love Magic brings magic to the art scene
Started by three artists looking for a better way to connect with other artists, Art Love Magic is an organization in the business of connecting; connecting emerging and established artists as well as connecting viewers with the artists and their process. They host one large gallery show a month, involving both an exhibit and an event in which attendees can watch artists at work across all media, including live music, performance and spoken word. They also host Art and Coffee on the first Friday of every month, a free event with live music and art at a local coffee shop. Check their calendar for event times and locations.
Relax or go for a run at White Rock Lake
Located just east of downtown, White Rock Lake is Dallas’ answer to mother nature without having to stray too far from the city. White Rock Lake provides a sanctuary with bird watching, 9.33 miles of hiking and biking trails, fishing, and picnic areas. The historic Bath House Cultural Center, located right on the shore of White Rock lake, is also a destination for viewing art by local artists and artisans. The lake is also host to Dallas’ famous annual White Rock Marathon, and is just a skip, hop and a jump from the Dallas Arboretum. For those looking for physical activity or a relaxing day with scenic views and good people watching, White Rock Lake is Dallas’ closest destination to get outdoors.
Lowe Art Museum: Showcasing worldly classics
The massive 17,500-object collection on view at the Lowe Art Museum, located in the heart of the University of Miami Campus in Coral Gables, features a vast array of artworks from around the world.
They focus on the classics here and have spent decades perfecting and expanding their pieces. Renaissance and baroque paintings and sculptures, Native and Ancient American art as well as Asian works share space. And that’s only their permanent collection.
Their changing exhibitions include photography, African-American art, lithographs, watercolors, pastels, acrylics and screen prints. Special events hosted at the Lowe include lectures, dance performances and family days.
Their billed as showing 5,000 years worth of art and that’s worth checking out.
The Lowe Art Museum is located at 1301 Stanford Drive, Coral Gables
Wynwood Kitchen & Bar: Classic eats meet urban art
Like most venues in the Wynwood area, Wynwood Kitchen & Bar is a unique restaurant that offers diners great classic food along with funky urban art. One of the new kids on the block in the neighborhood, this spacious eatery offers both indoor and outdoor seating.
The feeling here is industrial warehouse meets comfortable and natural. The decor is a blend of driftwood accents, dark oak tables, high ceilings and oversized, colorful graffiti almost tattoo art. Outside the art continues with garden seating among the famed Wynwood Walls which are filled with artistic graffiti.
Enough about the decor though after all, it is a restaurant so food’s the main draw here. Clay pots are the hit here with snapper and mussel curry with charred pineapple and basil or braised lamb with carrots, mint cardamom-panko bread crumbs and sour cherries. All are served with jasmine or brown rice. Skewers make good appetizers with choices like pork with cilantro-sesame dipping sauce or beef with basil dipping sauce.
Wynwood Kitchen & Bar is located at 2550 NW 2 Ave., Miami, FL
Denver Art museum
The Denver Art Museum is a private, non-profit, educational resource for Colorado. The mission of the museum is to enrich the lives of Colorado and Rocky Mountain residents through the acquisition, preservation, and presentation of art works in both the permanent collections and temporary exhibitions, and by supporting these works with exemplary educational and scholarly programs.
Since its beginnings in the 1890s as the Denver Artists’ Club, the Denver Art Museum has had a number of temporary homes, from the public library and a downtown mansion to a portion of the Denver City and County Building.
Pace Galleries of New York
If you are a collector or simply a contemporary art lover, you should not miss the shows at Pace Gallery. Over the last couple of years, Pace became one of the most influential galleries in the world, with incredible authority over the course of contemporary art. They represent some of the most sough artists of the day – such as Willem de Kooning, Chuck Close or Jim Dine, and their shows are always deep, shocking, and unforgettable. Some of those art pieces you see today at Pace Gallery, you might see tomorrow at the MoMA. Pace Gallery has a couple of locations in Chelsea and Midtown Manhattan.
360 West 11th Street
New York, NY 10014-2342
(212) 633-2507
Margulies Collection: Wynwood District pioneer’s space shines
The once sleepy Wynwood neighborhood over the last decade has become a force in the growing and world-reknowned Miami arts community and pioneering the transformation is Martin Margulies, well known art collector.
At the giant Margulies Collection at the Warehouse, located of course in the heart of the Wynwood Arts District, the variety of art on display is impressive and obviously his life’s work. Contemporary and vintage photography, sculptures, installations and video pieces. Sculptures by artworld heavyweights Joan Miro, Williem de Kooning and Isamu Noguchi are here for the viewing. Amazing that works by such masters exist in one place together. This is an art lover’s dream and give yourself a few hours because working through the space requires just that.
The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse is located at 591 NW 27 St. 305-576-1051 www.margulieswarehouse.com
The Kimbell Art Museum provides a perfect space for viewing fine art
Fort Worth’s Kimbell Art Museum houses a small but impressive permanent collection ranging from antiquity to modern times. The Kimbell consistently hosts excellent special exhibitions featuring some of history’s greatest artists, including Picasso, Gaugin and Murillo, to name drop a few from recent seasons. The museum also occasionally hosts major traveling exhibitions.
The Kimbell Art Museum itself is also a work of art. Designed by Louis Kahn and opened in 1972, the building is world-renowned for Kahn’s use of natural light to illuminate the artwork. As a result of the museum outgrowing this oft-describe “perfect space,” an annex designed by Renzo Piano is scheduled to open in 2013.
West End Cinema – Where Stories Are Told
The West End Cinema is a quiet sanctuary for unique movie lovers for non-mainstream type of films. Doesn’t matter if you prefer to watch the current blockbusters, venture into foreign films such as Kurosawa’s black-and-white samurai epics, or reminisce the beauty of Audrey Hepburn, this independent art house cinema constantly provides new genres for your choosing.
Not only exposing Washingtonians to a more eclectic selection of art house films, West End Cinema also pampers by offering a full bar and a wide range of concessions, from popcorn to confectionaries, to even gourmet sandwiches.
Come and Take your pick – whatever s tickle your fancy.
CIFO Art Space: Contemporary art in warehouse space
Yes, warehouses are becoming the norm as a venue for showing art but the CIFO (short for Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation) Art Space in Downtown Miami is something extraordinary. The state-of-the-art venue features contemporary art in their galleries while providing a lovely outdoor piazza for special events.
The exterior is just as impressive, a striking building covered in greenery. Inside the galleries they’re showcasing the extensive collection of Ella Fontanals-Cisneros including video, photography, geometric abstraction and contemporary works by such notable artists as Ana Mendieta, Fiona Tan, Andreas Gursky, Ed Ruscha, Manuel Espinosa and many others.
They use the Piazza for plenty of art-related events and receptions and in December during Art Basel CIFO is hopping with daily tours for major art collectors in town shopping for the latest and greatest to expand their collection.
CIFO Art Space is located at 1018 North Miami Ave., Miami, FL 305-455-3380 www.cifo.org
Viernes Culturales / Cultural Fridays
Viernes Culturales / Cultural Fridays
Viernes Culturales / Cultural FridaysWHAT:
Viernes Culturales (Cultural Fridays) is a free, monthly showcase of artists, sculptors, and musicians. The event consists of outdoor musical performances, outdoor art exhibits, visits to art galleries and cultural centers, cuisine tasting at participating restaurants, and other exhibits at the historic Tower Theatre. Free walking tours of Little Havana also take place during the festival. Click here for more information.
WHEN:
Viernes Culturales is held on the last Friday of every month from 6:30 pm to 11:00 pm.
Art Center/South Florida: Watch artists at work
What makes the Art Center/South Florida so unique is that aside from being such a great place to view local art it’s actually a working studio where artists rent space and create their work. Besides making it the perfect excuse to stroll up and down Lincoln Road on Miami Beach, not that any excuses should be needed for doing that, it’s a great way to experience the craft of creating art first-hand.
Big names in the South Florida art community, like Carlos Betancourt, Robert Chambers, David Rohn, Michele Oka Doner and others, have displayed their work here and the exhibitions include public art commissions, performance and video art, multi-media works as well as more traditional paintings and drawings.
Art Center/South Florida is located at924 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, FL
Los Angeles Art Show
The Los Angeles Convention center will be home to the city’s most prominent art event, the Los Angeles Art show Jan 20th -24th. The event will feature thousands of works of art from around the world. There will be pieces from Old Master works, Impressionist, Modern and Contemporary Art and even an interactive exhibition and displays presented by the renowned Getty Foundation.
http://www.laartshow.com/pages/press_releases.html
Dallas Museum of Art
Fashion is certainly an art form and the Dallas Museum of Art celebrates it with the new exhibit, The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk. This exhibition is the first retrospective devoted to Gaultier, who draws inspiration from dance, pop-rock, cinema, television, photography, and world cultures. Once nicknamed “enfant terrible” of fashion he is now a celebrated fashion icon. The exhibition highlights Gaultier’s eclectic and vibrant sources of inspiration through a selection of 120 haute couture dresses and ready-to-wear pieces made between 1976 and 2011. Dallas is the first of only two U.S. cities on the international tour through February 12, 2012. And while you’re in the neighborhood stay for the museum’s late night program on the third Friday of every month, when the Museum remains open until midnight or Thursday Night Live!, featuring live jazz music each Thursday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
November 13, 2011–February 12, 2012
http://www.dm-art.org/index.htm
Best Day of the Week: First Friday at Abbot Kinney
If the streets of Venice weren’t crowded enough, First Fridays at Abbot Kinney are bringing in hoards of people to take their wine and food truck finds to the streets of Venice as businesses stay open late for this particular occasion.
First Fridays at Abbot Kinney have become a popular event that occurs every first Friday of the month. From 6pm-10pm, merchants, vendors and small businesses alike open their doors to pedestrians who along with strolling the streets, can listen to live music, visit various gourmet food trucks and mingle with Venice locals and visitors.
Not only has First Friday become a Venice tradition, it has become a way for local merchants and vendors to gain support and a following from those looking to have a fun Friday night out. From great food to great art, First Fridays at Abbot Kinney have everyone saying, T-G-I-F!
Scope Out the Art Scene Here
Scope Out the Art Scene Here
Take in the scene at Dupont Circle, where artists, power-lunchers, chess players, and Olympic-caliber bike messengers abound. Scope out the art scene on the first Friday of every month, when Dupont Circle’s art spaces are open late and score complimentary wine as a bonus.
Walk the Walk: Downtown LA Art Walk
Ever since the first event in 2004, the Downtown LA Art Walk has become an event bringing food, fashion and of course art, together for Angelinos to enjoy. The second Thursday of every month brings locals as well as visitors to the Art Walk where from the hours of 12pm – 9pm, anything goes.
Though one of the first to help launch the event, Bert Green, may have had a vision for the Art Walk, each month brings something different, such as spur of the moment fashion shows and live music events. Set up outside of galleries, people can roam the streets admiring artwork, listening to music, and enjoying food from one of the many food trucks that have begun taking over the Walk.
Since every month is different, everyone who visits once seems to come back again. For immediate news, events and anything else you could be interested in finding, the Downtown LA Art Walk has redesigned their website for viewers and Art Walk aficionados to enjoy.
The Field Museum: Still Rocking a Century Later
With its presence so large, so bold, so daunting, it’s no surprise the Field Museum is still rocking as one of Chicago’s top tourist destinations, visited by global trekkers day in and day out. Its large, impressive columns speak of antiquity (its prized possession is Sue, the largest and most complete T. Rex in the world), but the big, bold flags of new exhibits draping the museum scream of its modern take on history.
And its been rocking since it was incorporated in the State of Illinois on September 16, 1893 as the Columbian Museum of Chicago, later changing its name to the Field Museum to honor its benefactor, Marshall Field. Sitting proudly and prominently in Chicago’s Museum Campus (strikingly visible from Millennium Park), the museum attracts hundreds daily to ooh and ahh over the vast collections of over twenty million specimens, like ancient African and Islamic vases to nearly perfectly preserved mummies. From lectures to regular classes, specialized tours and overnight stays for children, it’s quite hard to find an angle the museum doesn’t reach.
Today, aside from serving as one of the world’s top museums, its research is constantly recognized as a leading developer in science, thanks to joint efforts with the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois. Make sure to check the calendar for exhibit and event listings coordinating with your visit
Venice Beach: Down By the Boardwalk
Whether you are looking for snow cones, inexpensive sunglasses or guys flexing at Muscle Beach, just about anything and everything can be found at the Venice Beach boardwalk.
Known for its sidewalk art displays and t-shirt shops, the energy at the boardwalk never lets up. With endless dining options and street cafes such as James Beach or Hash at Hotel Erwin, visitors can choose to dine in or on the go from endless street vendors and walk-in locations.
Along with endless dining options, the Venice Beach boardwalk is known for its shopping, from t-shirt shops to stands filled with sunglasses as well as a plethora of vintage clothing stores.
Not only is the boardwalk known for dining and shopping, but it has become famous for street performers and art displays. Whether it’s a palm reader, henna tattoo artist or someone painting portraits on the spot, all artists alike come to Venice beach to display their talents for all that travel the boardwalk to witness.
Crowds and parking to even access the boardwalk can be a nightmare on the weekends. Many private parking lots will grant you all day access for a fee. As far as visiting hours, most will tell you to visit when it is light out because the boardwalk can take on a different vibe at night.
High Museum
With its renowned collection of classic and contemporary art and award-winning architecture by Richard Meier and Renzo Piano, the High Museum of Art has grown from its origins in a stately home on Peachtree Street to become the leading art museum in the southeastern United States. The High Museum of Art is the leading art museum in the southeastern United States. Located in Midtown Atlanta’s arts and business district, the High has more than 12,000 works of art in its permanent collection. The Museum has an extensive anthology of 19th- and 20th-century American art; significant holdings of European paintings and decorative art; a growing collection of African American art; and burgeoning collections of modern and contemporary art, photography and African art. The High is also dedicated to supporting and collecting works by Southern artists and is distinguished as the only major museum in North America to have a curatorial department specifically devoted to the field of folk and self-taught art. Visit high.org for schedule and information.
Red Bar: At center of Downtown’s red hot nightlife
Miami’s Brickell Avenue area was once known as a residential area with not much nightlife but things have certainly changed. The thriving nightspots have been popping up everywhere over the last few years and Red Bar is one that attracts plenty of attention for its eye-grabbing wall art, local beautiful people and great mingling and dancing.
Located in the heart of the district, this place has everything a great night out on the town requires. Dance the night away to the sounds of either a live band or a smokin’ hot deejay, different ones are featured each month. They’ve also got Ladies Night where ladies get to drink for free every Wednesday from 8-12. And to add a little culture to the mix, there’s also a gallery with new artworks featured monthly, along with a meet the artist opening reception with drinks and hors d’oeuvres.
Red Bar is located at 52 SW 10 Street, Miami, FL
Circle Art at Home: Posh furnishings and accessories
The furnishings and accessories available at Miami Beach’s Circle Art at Home are lovingly created by designer Jesse Brody with quality, style and affordability in mind. Although most of the styles are contemporary, there are also touches of African art and Oriental rugs.
There are two store locations on South Beach. The Lincoln Road store is where most of the public goes to check out their unique mirrors, modern lighting, sofas and ottomans, rugs and other accessories. Over on Lenox Avenue is where custom pieces can be ordered and there’s a bit less inventory. However, the massive expanse of Oriental rugs available at the Lenox location are a don’t miss.
One common factor between the two stores though, design and decorating enthusiasts will certainly walk out with an original piece that will add flair and style to any room in the house.
Circle Art at Home is located at 714 Lincoln Road and 1560 Lenox Avenue, Miami Beach
Miami Beach Botanical Garden: Zen among the buzz of South Beach
Buzzing, bustling and busy Washington and Collins Avenues, Ocean Drive and Lincoln Road, some of South Beach’s busiest streets, are just a stone’s throw away from the Miami Beach Botanical Garden and that’s hard to imagine with the the zen that overcomes anyone who visits this place.
Located across from the always busy Miami Beach Convention Center, the Garden is a place to come and get away from it all. The folks who run this place describe themselves perfectly as “Urban Greenspace in the heart of South Beach.” During the annual Art Basel mega month of December the place is abuzz, hosting events and year-round, they’re known for their own innovative revolving exhibitions held in the gardens.
The shows are far from traditional though, actually pushing the envelope of outdoor installations with unique contemporary pieces like the Giants in the City show which features 22 inflatable pieces fabricated from nylon. There are also regularly scheduled classes and lectures held here.
Miami Beach Botanical Garden is located at 2000 Convention Center Drive
1. Celebrate the Late Dennis Hopper at MoCA July 11-31
Perhaps the best way to mourn the recent loss of acclaimed actor Dennis Hopper is to celebrate and acquaint ourselves with his encompassing oeuvre of work as an artist. Double Standard is the first museum show to highlight his achievements in art; his inter-disciplinary work will certainly have something for everybody. Ranging from sculpture to photography, his pieces are highly influenced by pop art, even featuring some early photos of his friend Andy Warhol.
As if there weren’t enough star power involved, renowned filmmaker/artist Julian Schnabel curates the show and it has already drawn much controversy. Whether you like it or not, this is sure to be the talk of the town.
3. Join Artists at Here/Not There at MCA July 6-31
Here/Not There is not your average art exhibit. For the past three years during the month of July, the Museum of Contemporary Art has been host to a unique art exhibit where the viewers and guests are encouraged to break that “don’t touch” rule and get involved in the making of a piece of art. Every Tuesday at 7pm, a different artist presents a piece and guests and viewers participate in performing and creating works of art.
If you can’t make it to the Tuesday creation, remnants and documentation generated by the performance are on exhibit in the gallery throughout the rest of the week. One part performance, one part visual art, this popular series creates a whole new experience in enjoying art at a renowned museum.
3. Summer Art Studio at ICA July 1-31
Sure, most children get the summer off and go to various art and crafts camps, so the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia made its own adult version. Summer Studio with Anthony Campuzano transforms the museum’s second floor gallery into a freeform art school and studio, which is also free and open to the public! Not only will this studio provide nouveau students with instruction in many art disciplines, there will be various professors, mentors and peers as special guests to the classes. Make sure to check the website for all times and class details, including what classes have special guests.
Explore the Past at The Museum of Biblical Art
Rich in history and with admission prices under
ten dollars, The Museum of Biblical Art is a specialty museum for those who are interested in the mysteries of the Bible. Non-denominational, the center contains over 20,000 sq. ft. of gallery space with biblical depictions and a Bible Meditation Garden featuring a variety of native plants, trees and herbs of Israel.
In 2005, a fire destroyed nearly 2,500 works of art, including the famed “Miracle at Pentacost” painting. Not deterred by this tragedy, The Center re-opened this year with a strong mission to emphasizes Biblical figurative art illustrating the narratives of the Bible and encourage the study of classical Greco-Roman art, archaeology and architecture. Open year round and affordable, the museum not only serves as an educational and interesting afternoon, but a beautiful place to hold a wedding reception, party, or meeting.
AIC Rocks Mummies to Matisse
Majestic lions guard the entrance where a slew of steps will pump up your heart rate and Greek columns will draw your eyes up toward the heavens: The Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) has an entrance that serves as its own destination. But inside, the museum guards treasures that could take weeks (or months) to truly appreciate. Yep, thousands of pieces to gawk over that span over 5,000 years of artistic creations from Africa to around the world, and back again.
This is the art museum for all personalities: classic, modern, kinky, crazy, beautiful and scary – it’s all here. From Van Gogh, Chagall, Matisse and Picasso – there’s enough European Impressionism to tempt the craziest of Thomas Crown affairs. Past Europe, dig into mummies and ancient Egyptian collections like the coffin and mummy of Paankhenamun – dating back from the Dynasty 22 (c. 945–715 B.C.) – no big deal. Far more than just framed pieces and mummies, African masks, Iranian tiles, statues, headbands, photography, jewelry – it’s all here.
Interior and furniture designers tend to freak over the miniature rooms which allow guests to geek out over period rooms from around the globe, like the French Provincial Bedroom of the Louis XV Period of the 18th century.
Bottom line: This is a must see – especially with the Modern Wing addition (only an extra 65,000 feet more to discover!)
Get Rady For The Getty
Amongst the 110-acre property of rolling Santa Monica Mountains, the Getty Center is L.A.’s most popular and prestigious museum. Filled with paintings, sculptures and changing exhibits, every trip to the Getty seems to be different and always feels like you should come back another time to see more.
Though the art and exhibits are worth the tram and long lines, the Getty offers guest lectures, live performances and concerts for those looking for that true Getty experience.
If you are lucky enough to visit the museum during the spring and summer time, you will find that bringing your lunch and lounging in the Gardens truly makes this the best museum.
2. Glamorous Newport Beach Film Festival April 22-29
Set against the backdrop of beautiful Newport Beach, just a few blocks away from the spectacular Pacific coastline, the Newport Beach Film Festival annually hosts several premieres, galas, and yacht parties creating a film festival that is truly one of a kind.
And don’t forget that the Newport Film Festival offers attendees a rare opportunity to meet the directors, screenwriters, and cinematographers of some of the films.; they will share their work and provide a unique look from inside the industry during post-screenings Q&A sessions. Featuring over 350 international independent and studio film screenings, actor showcases, music and arts events, fashion shows, red carpet events and galas, this is a film festival that is not to be missed.
3. Dogwood Art Festival April 16-18
Spring is just around the corner and that can only mean one thing in Atlanta: the Atlanta Dogwood Festival is back. The Dogwoods will be in full bloom, and hundreds of artists from around the country will set up their tents for the 74th Annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival. Virtually every kind of art imaginable will be represented, with a nationally renowned-juried Fine Artist Market that includes sculpture, paintings, pottery, jewelry, and photography.
In addition to the fine art, there is a Kids Village featuring huge inflatables, arts & crafts, and face painting for all ages, as well as the ever-popular 24-foot rock-climbing wall. Not to mention the wide array of musical offerings will fill the spring air throughout the weekend. When you get hungry, just follow the smells of funnel cakes, gyros, crab cakes, onion rings, kettle corn and much, much more. And don’t forget the free screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho on the meadow, on Saturday at 9 p.m.
4. Tattoo Artist Dr. Lakra’s ICA Exhibit Begins April 14-30
Discover the playful and provocative works of the artist Jerónimo López Ramírez, also known as Dr. Lakra, who is a renowned tattoo artist that lives and works in Oaxaca, Mexico. Under his pseudonym, loosely translating as “Dr. Delinquent,” he draws over vintage printed materials and found objects rather than skin, manipulating images of pin-up girls, 1940s Mexican businessmen, luchadores, and Japanese sumo wrestlers.
Referencing diverse body art traditions from Chicano, Maori, Thai, and Philippine cultures, Dr. Lakra layers spiders, skulls, crosses, serpents, and devils over these existing images. Playful, naughty, and often intentionally vulgar, his work challenges social norms by blurring cultural identities. This exhibit at the ICA is Dr. Lakra’s first solo exhibition in the U.S., and he will present works from a variety of series as well as a newly commissioned mural.
4. Denton Arts & Jazz Festival April 23-25
Come experience jazz in the heart of Dallas in beautiful Quakertown Park. With over 2,200 performers on seven stages, this free festival takes place over two and a half days. This year, the headliners are Chick Corea Trio, Jimmie Vaughan with Lou Ann Barton, and Brave Combo. There are also 175 artists showing and selling their original art. Be sure to eat some great food in one of the five food courts and check out the various games and activities.
For kids, there is the Children’s Art Tent, where the 12 and under can mold, draw, sculpt, and create. Attracting over 200,000 annually, this festival is the place to be for enjoying the culturally diverse music and art.
4. New Getty Exhibit: Leonardo da Vinci’s Sculptures April 1-30
Leonardo da Vinci was a painter, sculptor, architect, engineer (military, civil, and aeronautical), inventor, anatomist, cartographer, musician and undoubtedly one of the greatest minds of the last thousand years. That’s definitely quite a list!
To celebrate one of this incredible person, the Getty Center is putting on “Leonardo da Vinci and the Art of Sculpture: Inspiration and Invention,” where the focus is on one of his many talents, his achievements as a sculptor. Though no sculptures can securely be attributed to Leonardo himself, the exhibit features the work of da Vinci’s inspiration, Donatello, and his trusted associate, Rustici, whom he closely worked with on many sculptures.
These works, some of which have never left Italy until now, along with Leonardo’s many surviving drawings, give us a glimpse into his artistic accomplishments.
Something for Everyone at Boston’s Premier Museum of Fine Arts
The Museum of Fine Arts is Boston’s oldest, largest and best-known art institution, which is home to one of the world’s most comprehensive art collections. Here, you will find Impressionist paintings, art from Europe, Africa, and Asia, Egyptian collections, a Greek and Roman sculpture gallery and early American art. You could spend an entire day here exploring everything the museum has to offer.
When the museum opened in 1876,
there were just 5,600 works of art. Today, more than one million visitors come here to view the collection that boasts nearly 450,000 pieces. Come and visit a special exhibit, listen to a gallery talk, meet an artist and learn some of their unique techniques, watch a film, take in a concert, or take a self-guided audio tour of the property.
Saturdays and Sundays are popular for the champagne brunch at the fine dining upstairs restaurant known as Bravo, which also features live entertainment. It is also open for dinner Wednesday through Friday evenings. The museum also offers reduced tickets for students and seniors.
Kung Fu & King-Sized Collection at the Asian Art Museum
If you think of Asian Art as just orchids, bamboo, and cast iron teapots, 
you haven’t been to the Asian Art Museum in the Civic Center – and you need to go! Not only does the museum have priceless artifacts like the oldest Chinese gilt-bronze Buddha in the world (photographed in textbooks everywhere), but they offer some pretty cool interactive programs such as yoga inspired by the sculpture poses, storytelling for the kids (“How Ganesha Got His Elephant Head”), and learning the art of Japanese Tea Ceremonies.
The museum even has exhibitions for the night owls with their Thursday night after-hours parties called MATCHA. Observe the Shaolin Temple monks demonstrate some high-kicking kung fu while you listen to Shanghai Jazz. Always changing and never a dull moment, this Asian Art Museum will keep you exploring over 6,000 years of history.
Cutting Edge Art at Iconic Dorsch Gallery
Brook Dorsch moved his namesake Dorsch Gallery to the Wynwood Arts District 10 years ago, before there was an arts district. But just like how he’s got an eye for cutting edge art, this pioneer’s got an eye for location. The (very) recently renovated Dorsch Gallery has gone from newbie to icon status.
Close to two decades in the biz and Dorsch is still presenting thought-provoking art exhibitions, and in these warehouse digs he’s expanded to presenting concerts, film festivals and a host of cultural events. Expect the unexpected with installations featuring four stand-up concrete slabs, sculptures that seem to protrude from the ground, and geometric paintings that boggle the mind and trick the eye. He’s always got a stellar line-up of shows that are great to catch at the beginning or the end of a cultural outing to the Wynwood area.
2. Best of SF at Switchboard Music Fest March 28
Want to
hear the newest local artists from San Francisco? Be sure to check out the Switchboard Music Festival. Featuring musicians primarily based in the San Francisco Bay Area, the festival consists of an eight-hour marathon concert with big name artists as well as younger, less established groups with great potential. Much of the music is also focused on blurring the lines between genres. This festival is great for those who want to hear new and interesting music from up and coming local artists; its unpredictability makes the festival fresh. Who knows, maybe you’ll find your new favorite artist here.
3. Diverse Art at Intersections Arts Fest March 5-7
If you go to one art festival this year, make it the Intersections Arts Festival. Hosted at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, this new arts festival features visual art, film screenings, literary readings, as well as dance, musical, and dramatic productions by more than 30 artists and cultural institutions. There is a strong focus on the intersection of diverse races, ages, and cultures through art.
Pick from a diverse range of events: a world premier from Washington hip-hop artist Christylez Bacon, a concert from legendary folk singer and activist Tom Chapin, a high-voltage performance by the hip-hop dance ensemble DCypher Dance, an exhibition introducing the work of artist José Allen, literary events hosted by the Folger Shakespeare Library, and much more. There are also plenty of interactive performances, classes, and happenings. Be sure to check out the café, lobby performances and late-night dance parties as well.
3. Prestigious AIPAD Photography Show March 17-21
In conjunction with the Association of International Photography and Art Dealers, the annual AIPAD Photography Show New York is one the most important international photography events.
In its 30th year, more than 70 of the world’s best fine art photography galleries will be coming together at the Park Avenue Armory to show off museum-quality work from contemporary, modern and 19th century photographs to photo-based art, video and even new media art forms.
For those who want to celebrate the show in true high art fashion, a Gala Preview will be held on March 17th to benefited the John Szarkowsi Fund, which is an endowment for photography acquisitions at the beloved MoMA in New York.
5. PDP Presents SCUBA’s Nights of Dance March 19-20
The Philadelphia Danc
e Projects and the SCUBA National Touring Network for Dance combine for a weekend of performances that is innovative and one-of-a-kind.
The PDP Presents 2010 SCUBA program will feature: The BodyCartography Project, which is a somatic for of movement; Megan Mazarick who creates highly conceptual and nuanced themes from American life; and Jacinta Vlach/Liberation Dance Theater that uses inspiration from Latin/African Diaspora, Contemporary and Urban Vernacular.
SCUBA, now in its eighth year, is a co-operative enterprise that supports the growth and expansion of the country’s next generation of contemporary dance artists through touring and the development of relationships with other artists and presenters.
Once you [Absolute] POP! the Fun Don’t Stop
Warhol lovers look no further, because Absolute POP! is the mecca you’ve been looking for for all of your pop art needs. The shop is bursting with vibrant colors and patterns, making it a great stop when visiting Philly’s Midtown Village. Absolute POP!’s two main goals are to be the “go-to” place for affordable decorative art and, to make sure you have great gift options for everyone on your shopping list, both of which they are succeeding.
Absolute POP! sells a huge variety of “art blocks,” glicee prints set in frames that are made from sustainable hardwood grown in North American forests, as well as other art, like tin signs and fine photograph prints. For a unique gift or souvenir, pick up a photo print from the “Absolute Philadelphia” collection, which features quirky architecture and iconic Philly monuments from around town.
3. Celebrate Poland at Navy Pier Feb.28
Witamy means “welcome” in Polish, and it’s a greeting extended to young and old alike to join in on a festival of Polish food, music, dance and more at Chicago’s Navy Pier. This free, one-day event, generously supported by the Lira Ensemble and the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland, offers a glimpse into Chicago’s rich Polish heritage and traditions — home to the largest Polish population outside of Warsaw. Enjoy performances, sample food (especially at the famous Kasia’s Deli booth), and explore the wealth of folk art, costumes and gifts available to all.
Shopping and Social Awareness at Therapy
Small independent shops are not the exception in San Francisco, they’re the rule. And if you think any one of them couldn’t possibly stand out from all the rest then you haven’t been to Therapy’s clothing and furniture boutique in the Mission District. Great things do indeed come in small packages, as this little
one-stop shop is stocked with style from the floorboards to the ceilings, literally.
Besides the consistently friendly service and laid-back atmosphere, you’ll also find Ben Sherman and Penguin brands for men, Sam Edleman and Free People for women, original artwork from San Francisco favorite Aaron Kraten, and a dozen varieties of mod lamps and chic wall decals for every room. Bring it all together with colorful hand-made local accessories, Betsey Johnson purses, or a clutch by Hobo International, and you literally have it all at your fingertips.
At Therapy, your purchase is always socially responsible. The store is stocked with items that have been purchased through fair-trade, it has donated over $6800 in 2009 to local classrooms, and promotes TOMS “One For One” Movement through the selling of TOMS shoes, and supports local artists by featuring their work. Now that is truly ‘shopping therapy’!
Santa Monica Museum of Art: A Museum With A Twist
An untapped treasure, SMMoA, also known as the San
ta Monica Museum of Art, is one of those must-see places for the art extraordinaire or those who love to browse. On the walls of this unique and beautiful place, you will find the work of local, national, and international artists who take massive risks in their art and interpretation. The relatively new museum, started in the mid 1980’s, features highly unique exhibits and showings in contemporary art for those looking to be inspired by the original and innovative.
Unlike average gift shops, the website offers some of the most interesting take home gifts, from salt and pepper shakers to revamped sweaters and tees. In a town full of new and exciting things, SMMoA is the perfect destination for any L.A. explorer.
5. Treasures at the Washington Antique Show 1/8-1/10
The Washington Antique Show, benefiting children and families throu
gh the Thrift Shop Charities, showcases 44 of the best antique dealers from across the U.S. and Europe. With this year’s theme, Flights of Fancy, the array of treasures in decorative art, vintage jewelry, porcelain, ceramic and more are to be exquisite and beautiful. It’s one of the longest running antique shows in the U.S. and has consequently earned a reputation of quality and prestige.
For those looking to complete a collection or pick up something that makes them smile, the 55th Annual Washington Antique Show is a great place to go.
5. Last Chance for Inspiring Portrait of Life 1/1-1/18/10
Portrait of Life: Children’s Lives in Art is one of the more inspiring exhibitions to come to the Museum of Fine Arts every year. Now in its sixth year, the children of Boston join in on a collaborative project with other kids in Nagoya, Japan to bring the one-of-a-kind exhibition.
In Boston, children were inspired by the MFA’s animal images and in Nagoya, students explored the idea of whom and what they think is beautiful. Nearly 700 students participated in this year’s exchange that is enlightening for both children and adults. Make sure to catch this exhibit before it ends on Martin Luther King Day.
Apache Cafe: Safe Haven for the Outspoken
Art Mondays. Wednesday Jam Session. Weekly Open Mics. All of these are the norm for Atlanta’s Apache Cafe. Guests can come in mostly any day of the week and express themselves in many forms of art: spoken, writing or by song. Located in the heart of downtown, Apache Cafe opens its doors to those that walk to a different beat, music.
If you prefer to sit back and enjoy the talents of others instead of taking the mainstage, be sure to try the menu specials: Bermuda Tacos and Salmon Cakes paired with the Ultimate Apple Martini. Who knows, after a few martinis you may become more daring!
Apache Cafe features unique nightly performances as well as seasonal events to get you in the mood for any upcoming holiday. Whether your passion is poetry, song or performing, the Apache Cafe has something to entice all of the above.
Controversial De Young Museum Shines
Unless you’re a local who knows its history, visitors who pass by the De Young Museum might think an abstract spaceship had crash-landed into Golden Gate Park. Providing San Franciscans with a never-ending debate over aesthetics, the building is intended to unify modern art and architecture with the natural landscape. Meant to oxidize and turn pale green the way the Statue of Liberty has done, the museum’s copper mesh exterior will eventually blend in with the surrounding eucalyptus trees.
Before you even enter the De Young Museum, explore over five acres of native landscaping, in which you can wanarden, koi ponds, waterfalls, and the Andy Goldsworthy “Faultline” installation in the courtyard.
Like any great museum, the De Young features an impressive permanent collection: Ancient Teotihuacan stone murals from Mexico, the finest collection of American paintings, African and Oceanic art, and The Anderson Graphics Art Collection. Great exhibitions have included Yves Saint Laurent, Andy Warhol, Chihuly, and most recently King Tutankhamun. You can also explore the 144 ft. observation tower that provides views of the park, the new California Academy of Sciences building across the lawn, the Golden Gate Bridge, and downtown.
Whether you love the building and what it contains, or hate its aesthetics, the architects and curators have obviously done their jobs – eliciting reactions.
5. Homage to LA in Dreamers Exhibit 12/1-1/3/2010
Harry Chandler’s exhibition, Dreamers in Dream City, is an homage to the men and women of Los Angeles. Chandler found inspiration in the men and women who come to this city to chase their dreams and mixed his passion to photography to create an exceptional and thought-provoking art exhibit.
View over 55 large-scale portraits created by Chandler of the most accomplished men and women in the city. Chandler uses “post visualization’ to merge past and present. His technique confirms that the effect of Dream City is timeless.
1. Miami Art Basel: Most Important Art Show 12/3-12/6/09
The Art Basel Miami Beach is deemed the most important art show in the United States as well as a cultural and social highlight for all the Americas. That is quite a description to live up to, but year after year this art show does.
As a sister to the world’s most important art show, Switzerland Art Basel, Miami Beach brings it all: top galleries, special exhibitions, parties, and crossover events from the worlds of music, film, architecture and design. With so much going on and so many quality works of art on display, it is no wonder The Art Basel Miami Beach is a favorite meeting place for the international art world.
1. Discover the Art District’s Architecture 12/1/09 – 1/8/09
The largest urban arts district in the US is now complete with the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts. The performing arts center is a masterpiece of work from four Pulitzer Prize winning architects: Norman Foster, Rem Koolhass, I.M. Pei, and Renzo Piano.
At this exhibit there are also other important buildings to the civic history of Dallas that can be viewed at the authentic living museum of architecture in the Dallas Arts District. The buildings are placed into a larger context within the astonishing architectural splendor. Take a guided walking tour and enjoy examining the District’s evolution- for this month only!
2. Get Gorky at Philly’s Museum of Art 12/1/09-12/31/09
The Philadelphia Museum of Art always has an incredible array of exhibitions and throughout the month of December enjoy the Arshile Gorky highlight exhibition. Arshile Gorky is known for transforming American art by moving it toward abstraction as showcased in the works on display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The exhibit includes painting, sculpture, prints, and drawing- some of which are being shown here for the first time! So make sure to check out this exception American artist before it disappears in the new year.
5. Da Vinci That’s Never Been Seen on Display 12/1/09-12/31/09
Be one of 
the first to view Da Vinci works that have never been seen Stateside! The Leonardo Da Vinci: Hand of the Genius exhibition is made of 50 works, including more than 20 sketches and studies, and also features works that have never been displayed in the U.S. before.
This exhibition is an incredible collection of Da Vinci works from collections of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the Vatican Museums, the British Museum, and the Musee du Louvre.
Start The Weekend Early at First Thurdays Art Stroll
Nestled between Friday’s Happy Hour and Wednesday Hump Day is Atlanta’s First Thursdays Art Stroll. Atlanta was once a city that was pedestrian friendly, however with new outdoor attractions like Atlantic Station and the revamped Underground Atlanta, its giving Atlantans an excuse to park the car and walk. The First Thursdays Art Stroll allows you to not only enjoy the artwork created by local artists, both student and professional, but also appreciate the art of the city.
Started by the Central Atlanta Progress Organization, this is part of the city’s initiative to bring the public & private sectors together for better downtown living. From 5-8PM on the first Thursday of each month, art lovers from all walks-of-life can tour historic buildings including the Fairlie-Popular District. Create your own path throughout the downtown scene, but be sure to visit a few hotspots along the way: Rialto Center for the Arts, Paige Harvey Art Studio, and the Museum of Design Atlanta (the only museum in the Southeast dedicated to design).
Grab your friends, park your car, and talk a stroll under the lights of Atlanta’s skyline for the First Thursdays Art Stroll.
Wolfsonian Museum Boasts a Provocative Collection
It’s housed in a grand Art Deco building in the heart of South Beach, but what’s inside the Wolfsonian Museum is a design 
collection that’s unlike the Miami architecture, spanning from the late 1800s to the mid-1940s and featuring European and American pieces.
The multi-level structure is a vast wonderland of art, furnishings, objects, and memorabilia to suit any art lovers’ taste. Collector Micky Wolfson has amassed a thinking man’s collection focusing on the thought-provoking era of Decorative and Propaganda Arts. The Museum’s exhibitions and programs are an extension of the permanent collection’s theme and explore the important role of design during the industrial age through social, political, and technological topics.
Bay Area Discovery Museum
Everyone’s talking about the museum on the west coast that makes all other children’s museums green with envy. Located at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge, The Bay Area Discovery Museum is the only museum in a National Park and its creative exhibits are admired by other museums nationwide. Whether it’s sculpting a model of the Golden Gate Bridge (that’s right above!), examining live sea creatures in a recreated natural habitat, or watching a puppet show, the hands-on museum nurtures future generations of creative thinkers and innovators.
There are tons of exhibits at the Bay Area Discovery Museum year-round for children to discover and get creative in their own way.
Start The Weekend Right At Friday LIVE
Food and drink specials? Check. Gorgeous venue? Check. Fantastic free live music? Check! The Kimmel Center’s Friday LIVE series has all that and more Friday evenings on its Commonwealth Plaza s
tage (that’s in the spectacular main lobby, which is worth the visit in itself).
The Philadelphia music scene is huge, and the Kimmel Center showcases these local talents from 5:30-7:15pm every Friday throughout its season. Rock, funk, classical, straight-away jazz – you name it- they’ve got it. Friday LIVE is a great way to see this beautiful venue, built in 2001 on the Avenue of the Arts, without committing to purchasing a ticket.
The bar serves drink specials and appetizers, ideal for a happy hour visit before going out to eat at one of the many restaurants in walking distance. Supporting local arts is always a good thing, so you may as well do it in this fabulous performing arts center. If you want to check out the performances before you go, they’re all listed on the website.
36th Annual Dia de Los Muertos Celebration
Dia de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Meso-American tradition and no other event honors this day like L.A.’s Dia de Los Muertos Celebration. The festival that includes a procession, art, and music has become so popular it has moved to the large L.A. Civic Center.
Festivals of Speed
You know what they say, fast cars, hot women, and no place embodies this expression like the Festival of Speed. Dubbed as a luxury lifestyle weekend, the event shows the world’s finest cars, motorcycles, watercraft, and aircraft along side fine jewelry, art, fashion, and real estate. Make sure to check out the opening night reception at the exclusive Viceroy Hotel rooftop.
14th Annual Artists of Colorado Exhibition
Curated by the most historic fine arts group in Denver, The Colorado Artist Guild, the 14th Annual Artists of Colorado Exhibition showcases esteemed art for local artists. The exhibition shows the best of the best of over 500 local artist submissions that were dwindled down to 90 extraordinary pieces.
Explorations in the Neighborhood
Explorations in the Neighborhood is a unique event featuring local artists. Philadelphia painter and architect Ed Bronstein features pastel and oil works depicting daily life in the city. Any visitor will be able to appreciate the hidden treasures of Philadelphia after visiting this exhibit.
FotoWeek DC
FotoWeek DC is a weeklong photography festival offering both novice and professional photographers a change at worldwide recognition. At this event, talented photographers from around the world will converge to display their work as well as present workshops on new techniques. At FotoWeek, feast your eyes on beautiful, emotional photos from President’s Obama’s Inauguration to exotic travel locations.
Old City, New Flair
By day, Old City is Philadelphia’s art hub with its many galleries and show rooms. By night, it becomes the center of the city’s nightlife as party hoppers jump from pub to bar to club along the narrow streets.
From handbags to furniture, everything can be found here. Get a new ‘do at Chroma and an edgy, stylish outfit at Reward, and you’re ready for a night on the town- or maybe just cocktails at Bleu, one of the city’s hippest hangouts. And don’t forget to visit the Liberty Bell Center as your visit to Old City- and Philly in general- would not be complete without it.
This historic district gets particularly crowded on weekends, as it’s one of the prettiest neighborhoods in the city.
The DC Arts Center Where Talented Artists Get Their Start
When the phrase up and coming artists is used, it is usually meant 
for musicians, but the DC Arts Center, or DCAC, is dedicated to upcoming artists in all forms of art. One part theater, one part art gallery, the DCAC was built as an alternative center for local artists and has turned into a stepping stone for young talent to get noticed in the naton’s capital.
Over 100 visual art exhibitions and 500 performances have taken place at the DC Arts Center.The center has been reviewed on the local, national, and international level, making this an important venue for both the art world and the artists showcasing their work.
Strathmore’s Elegant Acoustics and Diverse Artists
Rolling hills in an intimate, park-like setting. If this sounds like the description of an outdoor concert, you’re wrong. This is actually what the architects of the new Strathmore Music Center tried to recreate, and they have succeeded in creating an artistic haven for musicians, dancers and every other kind of artist.
With 1,976 seats wrapping around the stage under the undulating roof and curving balconies, the concert hall is beautiful and elegant. It’s not just about looks either. There are 43 individually controlled acoustical reflector panels as well as a ceiling that slopes upward from the stage, allowing for rich and full acoustics for any kind of performance. And these aren’t just any kind of performances.
Having hosted many famous artists, from Yo-Yo Ma to Wilco, the Music Center is also home to the famous Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. The Strathmore presents affordable and accessible artistic performances all year-round. There are also more intimate performances, as well as art exhibits and lectures, at the 100-seat Strathmore Mansion (located next to the Music Center), which can be rented for weddings and other events.
It may be in Maryland, but the Strathmore Theatre is just minutes from the Beltway. For an amazing artistic experience, this is the place to go.
The Art Institute of Chicago: The Modern Wing
Local lovers of art and museum-marveling out-of-towners will go gaga for the Art Institute of Chicago’s new Modern Wing. The 264,000-square-foot addition, designed by Renzo Piano, is a magnificent home for the museum’s much lauded collection of modern European paintings, contemporary art, and photography. The entry hall’s grandeur rivals that of a cathedral, and the staircase, supported by metal rods, makes the Wing a work of art in its own right. Come see what all the fuss is about!
See what everyone’s talking about at the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows
Call it savvy stained glass! With contemporary pieces like portraits of Michael Jordan, this museum that exhibits more than 200 stained glass windows taken from residential, commercial, and religious buildings in Chicago is the talk of the art world town.
Figure It Out at the Museum of Design Atlanta
Acquaint yourself with the way things work at this museum that showcases and celebrates the design of our every day instruments. Check out exhibits on architectural, industrial, and product design. If you count yourself as part of the savvy set, brush up on the furniture, graphics, and fashion design expositions.
Palace Legion of Honor
Marvel at great art in a beautiful setting with a wonderful view of the city.
Mobia (Museum of Bibical Art)
The Museum of Biblical Art fosters understanding and appreciation of art inspired, by the Bible and its legacy through the centuries by highlighting the connection between art and religion in the Jewish and Christian traditions.
Hunt for Vintage Treasures at the Georgetown Flea Market
People from all over the D.C. area have been coming to this world famous flea market since 1972, from Diane Keaton to Pulitzer Prize-winning author Larry McMurtry. Previously holding space in Arlington, VA, Georgetown Flea Market has made it back to its hometown- trendy Georgetown!
Over 100 vendors bring their goods to the market on Sundays and are ready to bargain, so don’t be afraid to bring that price down. Prices range from cheap to expensive, but there are always great deals- and hidden treasures- to be found. Whether you are a collector or just looking for something interesting, it’s hard to go away empty handed. The lot also houses a Farmers Market on Saturdays, where you’ll find artisanal cheeses, organic meats, fresh produce, herbs and flowers, and delicious baked goods for your tasting pleasure.
With an extensive collection of antiques, collectibles, jewelry, vintage furnishings, glassware, artwork and vintage clothing, there’s something for every vintage junkie.
Koo de Kir
Think Warhol’s Factory Girl without the high drama! Koo de Kir, from the French “Coup de Coeur,” translated to “a strike to the heart,” offers the modern space to show off functional art that would complement any home. The lifestyle shop offers modern home furnishings and accessories designed for the urban lifestyle. Since opening in 1997, this boutique shop has been catering to the city’s biggest trendsetters. Because your home is an expression of who you are, the folks here hope your experience both in the store and on the website “inspires you to think, dream, live laugh and love in an home imbued with a sense of style.” Check out the website at koodekir.com.
The J. Paul Getty Museum
Resting on top the Santa Monica Mountains is the gorgeous glass building holding amazing art. The 110-acre Getty Center is home to an incredible wide collection of western art and culture. From paintings and drawings to sculptures and photographs, the museum is dedicated to preserve and present the achievements of western art and culture. Its new addendum, the Getty Villa in Malibu, houses more antique objects. Make sure to check on their changing exhibitions – there’s always something new to discover. And the best of all, admission is free.