art - Blogs - Tripatini2024-03-29T15:49:29Zhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/art4 Must-See Art Museums In/Around Baltimore, Marylandhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/baltimore-maryland-art-museums2020-03-25T20:00:00.000Z2020-03-25T20:00:00.000Zrohny joneshttps://tripatini.com/members/rohnyjones<div><p><span> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009411260,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009411260,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="750" alt="9009411260?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p></p><p><span>When you think of world art meccas, the likes of Paris, Amsterdam, New York, and London are what typically come to mind. But there are quite a few others which are home to surprisingly rich art culture, and a good example, just a half hour's <a href="https://www.usarentalcars.com/bwi-airport-rental-cars/" target="_blank">drive from Baltimore-Washington International Airport</a>, is Maryland's largest city (pop. 602,000). nd you will be surprised by the rich and impressive art culture found in this city. And here are four excellent examples: <br /> <br /></span></p><h2><span style="font-size:12pt;"><a href="https://artbma.org/" target="_blank">The Baltimore Museum of Art</a></span></h2><p><span><br /> The ciy's premier art address boasts, among other things, the world's largest collection of paintings by French Impressionist Henri Matisse (more than 1,000), as well as works by Cézanne, Degas, Picasso, Rembrandt, Renoir, Van Gogh, along with more contemporary artists like Johns, Rauschenberg, and Warhol. There's plenty from the rest of the world, as well, including Africa, Asia, ancient civilizations, decorative arts, and textiles. To top it all off, admission to the BMA is free!<br /> <br /></span> <br /> <span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong><a href="http://www.avam.org/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:12pt;">American Visionary Art Museum</span></a></strong></span></p><p><span><br /> To begin with, this 25-year-old institution - designated by Congress as the USA's official national museum and education center for intuitive, self -taught artistry (also known as "raw art" or "art brut") - can be thought of as an artwork itself thanks to its award-winning architecture won many awards. With a very different feel from most art museums, its themed exhibitions of works in all media by "regular people" such as farmers, housewives, mechanics, the disabled, the homeless, and prisoners are constantly changing It's located in the Federal Hill neighborhood, a 20-minute drive from the BMA. <br /></span></p><h2><br /> <span style="font-size:12pt;"><a href="https://thewalters.org/" target="_blank">Walters Art Museum</a></span></h2><p><span><br /> In one of the city's oldest neighborhoods, Mount Vernon-Belvedere, the collection here dating back all the way to 3000 BC, through to the early 20th century. Exhibits include pieces of art, jewelry, rare books and collections of jewels from ancient Egypt, Greece, Asia and Ethiopia. There are also collections from the Byzantine, Roman and Renaissance Eras. The Walters Museum of Art is one of only a few in the world that have such a comprehensive collection, and with free admission there is no reason not to experience this collection of art.</span></p><h2><br /> <span style="font-size:12pt;"><a href="http://www.africanartmuseum.org/" target="_blank">African Art Museum of Maryland</a></span></h2><p><span><br /> Located in Columbia, a half hour from downtown Baltimore, the non-profit AAMM is one of just three museums in the USA devoted entirely to Africa. Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, it both engages in research into traditional African art and culture and displays an impressive range of it from the continent's 55 countries, both in North Africa (such as Morocco and Tunisia) and sub-Saharan countries like Ghana, South Africa, Senegal, Somalia, Zimbabwe, and elsewhere. A truly extraordinary and enriching experience. <br /></span></p><p><span><br /> <br /> <br /></span></p></div>Traveling The World To See Arthttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/traveling-the-world-to-see-art2020-01-03T07:26:29.000Z2020-01-03T07:26:29.000ZJeremiah Thomashttps://tripatini.com/members/JeremiahThomas<div><div align="justify"><p>Art can be interpreted differently by different people and cultures. What looks good to some may look a bit bland for some people. That’s the beauty of art and that is while everyone can disagree, they can still see art as art. When it also comes to art, there are different pieces around the world. You can travel from Europe to Asia to Africa and more. If you really love looking for art and you want to look at them live as well as having the money to spend, why not consider traveling to these places. </p><p><strong>What you need to think about when traveling to see art</strong><strong> </strong></p><p>Before anything else, we’re just telling you what to do in case you do want to travel to see art from different parts of the world. Let us just say that you already have the time and money for the trip. You can research ahead and see where you want to go first. A popular spot would be the Louvre Museum in Paris. You can see a lot of good and interesting pieces of art inside. If you are traveling to other parts of the world where you may not be aware of, doing the research is necessary. It really helps make your life easier and you don’t end up wasting money and time. If you want to find an Andy Warhol art gallery, then do your research. Plan out a travel route on where you would want to go and more.</p><p><a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/vannier-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/vannier-1.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="496" height="393" alt="vannier-1.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a></p><p> <strong>Why travel when you can buy</strong><strong> </strong></p><p>Traveling to see art can be good but what if you liked the art so much? You can actually buy imitations and recreations when it comes to these art pieces in the areas. You can buy imitations of the art pieces you see in the Louvre all over Paris. In fact, you may also find good imitations in your area and the beauty of it is that you didn’t travel and spend a lot of money. You can buy these pieces of art in your local area as well. Going back to Andy Warhol, there may be some sellers that put out reprints and recreations of his work. There’s nothing wrong with that and if the prices are just right, then that can be a good thing for you to.</p><p>You could also <strong><a href="https://edwardkurstak.com/collections/andy-warhol-art-for-sale" target="_blank">go online</a></strong> and buy these pieces of art. Always make sure to find out if they are original, reprints, and legit. The popular and classic art pieces are always a dead give away that they aren’t the original. Then again, you don’t need to buy the originals as long as the prices for these reprints or reproductions are just right. It is still a good idea if you are able and willing to travel but simply buying the art isn’t such a bad idea as well. If you love art so much you can travel the world to see it and even buy some of those reproductions.</p></div></div>Our Town’s Art of Food, the ultimate event for food & art connoisseurs, returns to Sotheby’s NYC on February 10, 2018!https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/our-town-s-art-of-food-the-ultimate-event-for-food-amp-art2018-01-12T03:41:11.000Z2018-01-12T03:41:11.000ZDebbie Rodriguezhttps://tripatini.com/members/DebbieRodriguez<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009225692,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="650" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009225692,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009225692?profile=original" /></a></p><p></p><p><strong>Saturday, February 10, 2018</strong></p><p><strong>Our Town’s Art of Food, the ultimate event for food and art connoisseurs, returns to Sotheby’s for its third iconic year.</strong></p><p><br /> <strong>Over 25 culinary titans of the Upper East Side will create mouthwatering masterpieces, each dish inspired by a work of art specially curated by Sotheby’s for this one night only. Hosting this year’s exclusive evening is Claus Meyer, the culinary force behind Grand Central’s new upscale restaurant Agern and best-selling author of The Nordic Kitchen.</strong></p><p><strong>Sotheby's, 1334 York Avenue, NYC.</strong></p><p><br /> <strong>Ticket Options:</strong><br /> <strong>(i) VIP tickets include early admission starting at 6:30 pm, unlimited access to the VIP bar and lounge, and all perks of the General Admission tickets.</strong><br /> <strong>(ii) General Admission tickets include entry into the event at 7:30 pm, the food created by the chefs, and complimentary wine and spirits.</strong></p><p><strong>For details & tickets: <a href="http://artoffoodny.com/">http://artoffoodny.com/</a></strong></p></div>Artist Lyora Pissarro, Descendant of French Impressionist Camille, Is Her Own Womanhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/lyora-camille-pissarro-art-painting2017-10-09T09:11:16.000Z2017-10-09T09:11:16.000ZRita Payne Mediahttps://tripatini.com/members/RitaPayneMedia<div><p style="text-align:left;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009185073,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="640" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009185073,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009185073?profile=original" /></a></p><p><em><span class="font-size-1"> Performance piece by Lyora Pissarro </span></em></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-4"><b>Camille Pissarro's powerful artistic influence can be felt in the paintings of his great-great granddaughter</b></span></p><p></p><p><b>Camille Pissarro (below left) was one of the great 19th-century artists, known as the “father of impressionism.” His influence on modern art remains immense and he has inspired many painters including his great-great granddaughter, Lyora Pissaro. I came across her work recently at the Stern Pissarro in central London and was intrigued to learn about the family connection. Here’s the conversation I had with Lyora.</b></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3"><b>What influence has Camille Pissarro had on you as an artist?</b></span></p><p> </p><p>Camille’s stylistic influence on my work is quite minimal, but his attitude to work and what he achieved in his lifetime has had a profound impact on me as a person.</p><p><br /> Camille was, above all, a teacher who dedicated much of his life to training those around him. He had many students but towards the end of his life he dedicated much of his time to teaching his children. Who then subsequently went on to teach their own children resulting in the 19 artists who make up the Pissarro family today. This greatly influenced my approach to my own art. My mother and I work closely together and I relish the opportunity to work in groups whenever possible. The many life-drawing classes I hold in my home in New York are a reflection of that ethos. </p><p> </p><p><span class="font-size-3"><b>Is your style similar to his?</b></span></p><p> </p><p>I think my style is more similar to Paulémile, Camille’s fifth son. Growing up with a father whose gallery specializes in works by the Pissarro family, it was inevitable that some of their stylistic features would influence my own work. For as long as I can remember, my house has always been filled with series of Pissarro paintings. Paulémile’s work however, always stood out. I found in his paintings a certain sensitivity for reflection and light that profoundly touched me and I believe there is a direct influence of his style on my work. His use of color, subjects, perspective and elegance completely captivated my attention and I found beauty to become an important component to making artwork. Similarly, my mother's work has also had a major influence on my style, not only in the way she thought me to paint, which has inevitably birthed similarities, but through the journey of her own creative development. The manner in which she broke away from her roots in Impressionism and maneuvered blindly into an abstract world gave me courage to find my own path. Today, we are working on series of paintings together, preparing for an exhibition in 2018 that will explore the relationship between teacher and student, mother and daughter and its effect on intergenerational knowledge transfer.</p><p> </p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9296628467,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="615" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9296628467,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9296628467?profile=original" /></a><em><span class="font-size-1"> Abstract landscape by Lyora Pisarro</span></em></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3"><b>When you were growing up did you feel under pressure to become an artist because of Camille Pissarro's reputation?</b></span></p><p> </p><p>I certainly did. I was, in fact the only child in the fifth generation who showed a lot of interest in painting, and it quickly became inevitable that I would be the one "continuing the legacy." It was something of a burden that bothered me, as I felt an incredible pressure to fulfill this notion at a crucial stage of my developing identity. I was given a hard time at school because my fellow students believed I was granted artistic merit because of my name and not because of my abilities. After that I began to question whether there was perhaps a better path for me. I ended up choosing to study social anthropology in order to give myself the time to develop my other interests, yet found myself continuously painting and drawing in secret to pass the time in class. </p><p></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009186885,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="300" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009186885,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" alt="9009186885?profile=original" /></a><b style="font-size:12pt;">Has the Pissarro name helped of hindered your career as an artist?</b></p><p> </p><p>The Pissarro name has been a complicated shelter to bloom under. At times, it closes certain doors but many times it opens large windows and in unexpected places. I can say with certainty that it has helped me greatly, but not, as one might expect, because of public response, but rather through the influence and great passion it has instigated within me. Beyond the many artists in this family are a multitude of art historians, writers, art dealers and curators, and growing up around them has in turn had its own influence on us as children. Our family dinners and reunions were filled with conversations about art and philosophy, debates about artists, recent exhibitions, contemporary trends and the art market. In order to keep up with it all, we had to immerse ourselves in the complexities of the art world: this was a huge privilege for me as a developing artist. </p><p> </p><p><span class="font-size-3"><b>Do you feel burdened by other people's expectations because of the family name?</b></span></p><p></p><p>Yes, it is a self-imposed burden, I suppose. Of course I would like my work to honor my family’s name but I also tend to anticipate other people’s expectations and reactions, which can be counterproductive. When I first began to paint I felt everything I painted must be a "good" painting, and whenever I work with realistic subject matters, I feltthe pressure to produce an ‘accurate’ representation. The notions of "good art" and "bad art" come into play a lot, and in today’s artistic climate it is a questionable concern. But I always thought that people around me would look at my work and judge everything based on one painting; that my whole reputation would rest on this work and that, therefore, it had to be a "great" painting. When I paint with my grandfather, a very tough teacher, he would say, "you are not looking at your subject enough, the clouds do not look like that."</p><p></p><p>Now, as I develop my style and thoughts, I realize there must be room for bad or flawed works, without wanting to deny these invaluable lessons, I acknowledge however that times have changed. This is where my passion for digital art emerged: working on an iPad freed me from this burden, as no member of my family had ever experimented with this medium. There were no expectations or preconceived ideas of what was ‘good’. I was free to explore that notion myself. David Hockney and his own Ipad art series were a major influence on this body of work.</p><p> </p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9296628860,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="350" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9296628860,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-right" alt="9296628860?profile=original" /></a><em><span class="font-size-1">Lyora Pissarro, right</span></em></p><p> </p><p><span class="font-size-3"><b>Could you let me know about Camille Pissarro's links with London and England?</b></span></p><p> </p><p>The Pissarro family has deep and longstanding links with London. Camille spent almost two years in London, in 1870 and 1871. He was fascinated by the development of industrialization, something that could be seen very clearly in London at the time, and returned a further three times in the 1890’s. As an artist looking to document passing landscape he was fascinated by the process of movement, which manifested itself during the industrialization of the city in London.</p><p>In 1890, Camille's eldest son Lucien moved to London, and with the family now having a permanent base, Camille’s other sons visited him regularly. Felix (the third son) in fact died at the age of 23 while in London and is buried in East Sheen cemetery. Ludovic-Rodo, his fourth son, came over during the First Word War in 1915 and stayed till 1922 painting regularly West and central London. Lucien’s daughter Orovida lived her entire life in West London. Finally, in 1987, Camille’s Great granddaughter my mother moved to London where she married and still lives today. </p><p> </p><p><span class="font-size-3"><b>Why do you think he chose to spend more of his life in England and not France?</b></span></p><p> </p><p>Camille Pissarro was actually born in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, which at the time was a Danish colony. He went to boarding school in France in 1855 where he then settled permanently. His trip in 1870 was to move away from the battlefields of the Franco-Prussian war, but during his life time he spent most of his time in Normandy, France. Though he visited London, France remained his main home for the rest of his life. </p><p></p><p><b><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009188070,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="419" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009188070,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009188070?profile=original" /></a></b></p><p><em><span class="font-size-1"> "Pycraft" - oil painting on canvas</span></em></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3"><b>Do you feel closer to France or England?</b></span></p><p> </p><p>I never felt very connected to England. My mother is French and my father is British/Israeli and my heart always resonated with France more. I certainly feel very close to both Israel and France but when revisiting parts of Normandy where my mother, grandfather and great grandfather grew up and painted, it was always incredibly moving for me. The house in Clécy, Normandy where Paulémile raised his son and granddaughter (my mother) is breathtakingly beautiful. It is astonishing to see these landscapes and so many of his subjects transposed into almost life-size murals on the walls of his dining room. One can almost hear the bathers splashing about the river as they scrub their linens and giggle together… and to think that one of these stunning ladies is my great grandmother, who still lives to tell these tales! She turned 102 this year. </p><p></p><p>My Israeli heritage is also tremendously important to me: as a young Jewish woman and descendant of a Holocaust survivor (on my father’s side) I feel a strong and profound pull towards the land of Israel. I think I truly feel most inspired there. I believe that in today’s world we are privileged enough to choose which cultural identity we want to embrace and display and as a young multicultural artist living in New York I feel deeply connected to this city and to the endless range of creative arts and cultures that surround me. This time has been invaluable to my artistic expression in that it has helped me consolidate my influences and root myself within them. For this, I am incredibly grateful.</p><p></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009189060,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="480" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009189060,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009189060?profile=original" /></a><em><span class="font-size-1"> "Refreshing Flesh" - digital print mounted on plexiglass</span></em></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3"><b>With changing fashions in art, are you concerned that interest in the work of Pissarro and other artists from that period may decrease in future?</b></span></p><p> </p><p>I don’t think people will ever cease to be fascinated by Pissarro’s work. I may be wrong. But after all, it is great masters like him who charted a course for art to evolve to what it is today. How could we ever get bored of Monet’s water lilies or Yves Klein’s blue nude? Opinions certainly shift and perspectives vary. And there is no denying the impact of innovations in digital and immersive art, which speak to a new generation of artist whose palettes develop very differently from that of their predecessors. But it will be interesting to see how the role of the artist evolves as the boundaries between art and spectatorship versus participation become blurrier. </p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3"><b>What would you like to achieve as an artist?</b></span></p><p> </p><p>That’s a great question! I would like to deserve and to merit the title of ‘artist.’ I don’t believe I am an artist yet and when people ask me what I do, I say, “I am a painter.” I truly wish that the term "artist" would only apply to those who’ve conquered certain hurdles. But, being an artist is also more than just a craft or a skill: it is a state of mind. It’s the ability to interpret the world around you in a creative way. Coming from a family of artists, calling myself an "artist" would imply I am on par with all my predecessors, and I don’t believe I deserve that title just yet. I hope I will at some point in my lifetime. </p><p></p></div>Bulgari Exhibit “Divas of the 50s and 60s” at Tuscany's Castel Monasterohttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/bulgari-exhibit-divas-of-the-50s-and-60s-at-tuscany-s-castel-mona2014-02-12T15:05:46.000Z2014-02-12T15:05:46.000ZNicholas Kontishttps://tripatini.com/members/NicholasKontis<div><p><a href="http://trip.worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Bulgari-Library.jpg"><img width="800" height="533" alt="Bulgari - Library" src="http://trip.worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Bulgari-Library.jpg" /></a></p><p> </p><p>Recently at the Castel Monastero, in the rolling hills of Tuscany’s Chianti region, the famed medieval, five-star one-of-a-kind hotel hosted a Bulgari art exhibit of famous actresses of the 50s and 60s. The famed Italian jewelry house, Bulgari has brought back a star-studded collection of esteemed precious stones worn by dynamic divas of the 50s and 60s. On screen goddesses who personified an era of elegance, style and taste. The Bulgari exhibit included photos of Italian starlets Sophia Loren, Claudia Cardinale, Gina Lollobrigida, and other divas of a bygone era who were featured along with the Bulgari jewels worn by the silver screen, elegant ladies.</p><p> </p><p><img width="800" height="533" alt="Bulgari photos - Sophia Loren" src="http://trip.worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Bulgari-photos-Sophia-Loren.jpg" /></p><p> </p><p>The always timeless Sophia Loren</p><p></p><p><a href="http://trip.worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Bulgari-photos-Ingrid-Bergman.jpg"><img width="800" height="533" alt="Bulgari photos - Ingrid Bergman" src="http://trip.worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Bulgari-photos-Ingrid-Bergman.jpg" /></a></p><p> </p><p>Swedish beauty - Ingrid Bergman was one of the immortal goddesses featured in Bulgari jewels</p><p> </p><p>Bulgari has long been on the cutting edge of haute couture and fashion, featuring a collection of the rarest, bold colored gems worn by the women who best summed up an era of decadence and indulgence. Multi colored necklaces, bracelets and earrings worn by the alluring, irresistible, muses of the golden age of cinema.</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://trip.worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Bulgari-photos-Dali-Gina...jpg"><img width="800" height="533" alt="Bulgari photos - Dali - Gina.." src="http://trip.worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Bulgari-photos-Dali-Gina...jpg" /></a></p><p> </p><p>A rare photo of the eccentric Spanish painter - Salvador Dali with the elegant, Italian starlet- Gina Lollabrigida</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://trip.worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Bulgari-Me-sitting-in-lounge-claudia-anita.jpg"><img width="800" height="533" alt="Bulgari, - Me sitting in lounge claudia anita" src="http://trip.worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Bulgari-Me-sitting-in-lounge-claudia-anita.jpg" /> </a></p><p> </p><p>The stunning and classic Claudia Cardinale, and La Dolce Vita director, Federico Fellini with Swedish on screen Goddess – Anita Ekberg.</p><p> </p><p><img width="800" height="1200" alt="Bulgari photos - JEWELS" src="http://trip.worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Bulgari-photos-JEWELS.jpg" /></p><p> </p><p>The collection is timeless and precious. Showing off an epoch that can only be summed up as “La Dolce Vita.”</p><p></p><p>Read more about the Bulgari exhibit at Castel Monastero on the hotel website: <a href="http://www.castelmonastero.com">www.castelmonastero.com</a></p><p></p><p></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></p><p style="line-height:14.25pt;"><span style="color:#333333;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:10pt;">About the Author: Nicholas Kontis - Travel Expert and Founder of World Travel List</span></p><p style="line-height:14.25pt;"><span style="color:#1f497d;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:10pt;">Born on the one of the most beautiful Islands in the world, Santorini, Greece and raised in America’s culture capital of San Francisco.</span> <span style="color:#333333;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:10pt;">Nick Kontis started out as a world traveler at an early age traveling back and forth between California and</span> <span style="color:#333333;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:10pt;">Greece every summer. But it was a backpacking trip around the world at age 24 that proved to be a life changing experience. After traveling by car, train, plane, bike and, boat around the world, it would be this trip of a lifetime that would lead to a life as a travel entrepreneur and world traveler. Nick has been on both radio and television. Featured on Arthur Frommer’s television show, and referred by Lonely Planet writers</span> <span style="color:#1f497d;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:10pt;">as a leader in discount airfares.</span> <span style="color:#333333;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:10pt;">Frequently mentioned as the “father of around the world airfares.” Arthur Frommer once said, “If Jules Verne were alive today he would use Nick to go around the world in 80 days.” Nick and his various travel companies</span> <span style="color:#1f497d;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:10pt;">and agents</span> <span style="color:#333333;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:10pt;">have sent over 10,000 people</span> <span style="color:#1f497d;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:10pt;">around the world.</span> <span style="color:#333333;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:10pt;">Now</span><span style="color:#1f497d;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:10pt;">,</span> <span style="color:#333333;font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:10pt;">Nick promotes travel through his World Travel List and ‘Trip Rambler’ by World Travel List. Having traveled to over 80 countries Nick hopes to inspire others to travel the world. Follow Nick's "passion for travel" on the World Travel List.</span></p><p style="line-height:14.25pt;"><span style="color:#1f497d;font-family:Calibri, 'sans-serif';font-size:11pt;"><a href="http://trip.worldtravellist.com/"><font color="#0000FF">http://trip.worldtravellist.com</font></a></span></p><p style="line-height:14.25pt;"><span style="color:#1f497d;font-family:Calibri, 'sans-serif';font-size:11pt;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/worldtravelist"><font color="#0000FF">http://www.facebook.com/worldtravelist</font></a></span></p><p style="line-height:14.25pt;"><span style="color:#1f497d;font-family:Calibri, 'sans-serif';font-size:11pt;"> </span></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></p><p></p></div>Monsters at California's Borrego Springshttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/monsters-at-borrego-springs2016-01-18T17:53:08.000Z2016-01-18T17:53:08.000ZJim DeLillohttps://tripatini.com/members/JimDeLillo<div><p><b>Monsters at Borrego Springs</b></p><p>By Jim DeLillo</p><p></p><p></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009018700,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009018700,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-full" alt="9009018700?profile=original" /></a></p><p><span class="font-size-1"><em>The Serpent crosses the road using the Milky Way as a beacon on its attack of Borrego Springs, shining in the distance.</em></span></p><p></p><p>A journey to this fabulous location, the artist’s background, and how I crafted these wonderful images of the Milky Way.</p><p>A warm wind blows across me, but I still feel a chill run down my back. I am alone in the desert. I’m at one of the darkest places on earth according to my map. It is a little scary, especially while visions of coyotes, scorpions, and the roving gangs of desert hares dance in my head. I am here to photograph monsters. It isn't my imagination. I saw them as I drove in during the day. Standing as tall as two stories, I could make out their rust-colored silhouettes against the arid sand.</p><p>Fortunately for me these monsters are made of iron. Sheet-metal sculptures by the artist Ricardo Breceda. Fantastical shapes depict serpents and dinosaurs. Breceda makes his home in Temecula, but due to a land/lease dispute he may soon be moving his workshop. Breceda owes his muse to an accident about ten years ago. Urged on by his small daughter, he created dinosaurs, mastodons, great eagles and more. His works are seen in world-wide locations. But, Borrego Springs remains the game reserve, corralling the most metal giants in one location.</p><p>While impressive in daylight, I am here to make them look like they are from another world. With my specialty of Milky Way photography, I juxta-pose these monumental characters against a sky filled with stars in vibrant colors. Sky glow from nearby towns helps outline the shadowy beings.</p><p>Meanwhile, I set my camera in position. A sturdy tripod, a fast, wide-angle lens, and full-frame DSLR make up my equipment. I locate the Milky Way, first with an application on my iPhone, and then visually, as my eyes adapt to the darkness. I dial in the magic formula...ISO 3200, f/2.8 30 seconds. Playing a flashlight along the weird shapes, I paint them with light during the long exposure.</p><p>Light painting is an art unto itself. It requires a little practice and finesse. But after a few trial exposures, I get it dialed in. It only takes a second or two during the exposure, sweeping the light in an arc across the subject. On occasion, I use a Speedlight for a bit more contrast, often running and ducking behind the subject to backlight it. I don’t show up on the image, as long as I keep moving and no direct light falls on my body. This is no easy feat, considering it is pitch black with rocks and cactus threaten to draw blood.</p><p>The work doesn’t stop there. The camera has captured more than what I see. The Milky Way appears as a band of white sparkly stars against the black sky. My job is to coax the color out the camera's sensor and into an expression of photographic art.</p><p>I open the images in Adobe LightRoom (although any photo editing program will work). The first thing I do is brighten the overall exposure. Bringing out the stars in all their glory. I open up the shadows brightening my foreground objects, the monsters. Playing with contrast and clarity; the image bursts into life on the screen. I boost the colors with saturation, and now it is almost a work of art. But shooting at a high ISO comes with a price…noise. I must adjust this carefully, for if I push it too far it will look overly smooth and like a watercolor painting. I know I can adjust the color noise more aggressively, than the luminance noise.</p><p> </p><p>The result is seen here in the images from that night in Borrego Springs, California.</p><p> </p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009018899,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009018899,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-full" alt="9009018899?profile=original" /></a></p><p><em> A close-up of the Serpent’s head brightened by the Milky Way</em></p><p></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009019881,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009019881,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-full" alt="9009019881?profile=original" /></a></p><p><em>The Scorpion and Locust face off in a battle for Borrego Springs lit by the Milky Way.</em></p><p></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009020854,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009020854,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-full" alt="9009020854?profile=original" /></a></p><p><em>A departure from the monster theme, a jeep high-centers on a rock pile while following the Milky Way for navigation.</em></p><p></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009021460,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009021460,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-full" alt="9009021460?profile=original" /></a></p><p>Another monster is awakened by the Milky Way hovering over Borrego Springs.</p><p> </p><p>Getting to Borrego Springs is easy. Less than two hours from San Diego It must have rained recently. I drive past stands of ocotillo, usually brown sticks, now dressed in green like proud soldiers. The mesquite, and manzanita, also add a splash of color to the desert with their flowers.</p><p>I stop at a farm stand and get some local honey and a couple of ripe peaches. The juice drips down my chin as I leave the roadside attraction.</p><p>Located halfway between the Salton Sea and Escondido. It is accessible via the 78. A short stop in the gold-mining town of Julian is in order. I pick up breakfast at the Miner’s Diner and Soda Fountain, one of the quaint eateries in town.</p><p>Arriving in Borrego Springs in the day time is important. I have to scout the sculptures. There are over 130 statues to choose from, as this prolific artist is given free rein to populate Galleta Meadows with his welded statuary.</p><p>Carlee’s Place was quite literally an oasis in the desert. There wasn’t much else open. The pickups, motorcycles, and smoking locals parked outside belie the quality of food and service I find inside. A homemade gazpacho brimming with little shrimp and bright with cilantro introduces perfectly cooked grilled shrimp…in the desert!</p><p>The real value of Carlee’s is the information I receive about the location of the figures. Specifically, I am looking for the Serpent, which crosses the road, and the Giant Scorpion. I had seen these images in daylight photos of Borrego Springs. I want to make them key subjects of my nighttime photos. The waiter, Chino gives me accurate directions to both and then some.</p><p>There are several hotels and villas located in Borrego Springs, but I opt for an AirBnB listing. A couple of turns into the residential neighborhood and I arrive at the house. It is a spacious three bedroom, providing much more space than I need. It is clean, comfortable and has a crystal blue pool. I decide a nap is in order since I left my home in NJ at 4 am. I have a lot of work to do at hours when I would normally be sleeping. Milky Way photography is a night owl’s beat. On any given trip, I wake up at 11:30 pm, work until 3 am, sleep until check-out at 11 am, and drive six hours to my next location.</p><p>I use two iPhone apps to help visualize where the Milky Way will be when I get here in the dark. The two apps are Photopills <a href="http://www.photopills.com/">http://www.photopills.com/</a> and SkyWalk (available on iTunes Apps. Do not get version 2). These nifty applications give me the ability to see the Milky Way on my phone, align it with the foreground object, and forecast what it will look like at the time of night I will be there.</p><p>Scouting during the day gives me the confidence to find the statues at night, some located a distance from the road. Even with scouting, I missed some of the subjects I was interested in photographing. Headlights don’t shine that far in the desert, and all the little sand roads look the same. I always carry a map and compass, as electronic GPS and cell service is not reliable in the desert.</p><p> </p><p>Prints of Jim DeLillo’s photos used in this article, and more, are available at:</p><p><a href="http://jim-delillo.artistwebsites.com/collections/milkyway">http://jim-delillo.artistwebsites.com/collections/milkyway</a></p><p><u> </u></p><p><u>Author’s Bio</u></p><p><b>Jim DeLillo is a travel and adventure photographer who specializes in creating transporting imagery.</b></p><p>...Capturing local color in travel, editorial, and commercial photography. His expansive landscapes are layered, narrative, and rich in tone. They are lit from within having a luminous quality and show a strong attention to detail, composition, and production. His 35+ years of experience includes international publications including Woman’s World Magazine. His photojournalist, reality-based, eclectic style provides a refreshing break from the stiffly-posed shots.</p><p>Jim has recently added Milky Way photography to his skill set.</p><p>His portfolio can be seen at:</p><p><a href="http://jimdelillo.photoshelter.com/archive">http://jimdelillo.photoshelter.com/archive</a></p><p>Jim DeLillo is based near NYC and is available for assignments globally.</p><p>Contact information:</p><p>Phone: 201-566-5348</p><p>Email: <a href="mailto:jimdelillo@delillophoto.com">jimdelillo@delillophoto.com</a></p><p> </p></div>Why Philadelphia Is For Art Lovershttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/philly-is-for-art-lovers2012-10-06T17:30:00.000Z2012-10-06T17:30:00.000ZSandra & John Scotthttps://tripatini.com/members/SandraJohnScott<div><p style="text-align:left;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008736652,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><br /> <img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008736652,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="352" height="247" alt="9008736652?profile=original" /></a></p><p>The 72 steps leading up to the <strong>Philadelphia Art Museum</strong> are called the “Rocky Steps” after Rocky’s run up the flight in the movie of the same name. It became symbolic of the ability of an underdog to triumph. Today some tourists run up the steps in Rocky fashion. Others walk. The view at the top is great. A 10-foot tall bronze Rocky statue was originally at the top of the steps and then moved to the bottom of the steps where it became a popular attraction. However, it was considered a movie prop not art so it was moved to a different location. Due to its popularity it was returned to the art museum in 2006 with much fanfare. People stand in line to have their picture taken in front of the statue with their arms raised in triumph.</p><p> </p><p>Nearby, “The Thinker,” which sits in a place of prominence in front of the Rodin Museum. Philadelphia is home to one of the best Auguste Rodin collections. Rodin is considered the father of modern sculpture. The small museum in a Beaux Arts building has several dozen of Rodin works. Most impressive are the massive bronze doors called “The Gates of Hell” that were inspired by “Dante’s Divine Comedy.”</p><p> </p><p>Philadelphia has a plethora of museums that would take weeks to visit. But art is everywhere. The city had a problem with graffiti which led to the Mural Arts Program in 1984 which was based on the concept if you can’t fight them join them. I love creative solutions to a problem. The Anti-Graffiti Network hired muralist Jane Golden to reach out to graffiti painters and redirect their energies to constructive mural painting. To date the Mural Arts Program has produced over 3000 murals which has earned Philadelphia “The City of Murals.” The mural walking tour is very popular.</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/philadelphia-is-a-great-art-destination-for-art-lovers" target="_blank">Philadelphia is a great art destination for art lovers</a></p></div>Art in Austinhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/art-in-austin2011-09-30T18:19:01.000Z2011-09-30T18:19:01.000ZBeverly Burmeierhttps://tripatini.com/members/BeverlyBurmeier<div><a href="http://stripedpot.com/2011/09/30/art-in-austin/">http://stripedpot.com/2011/09/30/art-in-austin/</a> Non-gallery venues in Austin for appreciating art--Laguna Gloria and Umlauf Sculpture Garden</div>Experiencing the Art of the Dominican Republic Via Its Most Famous Artist, Cándido Bidóhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/dominican-art-candido-bido2013-04-28T18:00:00.000Z2013-04-28T18:00:00.000ZIberostar Hotels & Resortshttps://tripatini.com/members/IberostarHotelsResorts<div><p><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3149/2337954923_f2bb27244a_z.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3149/2337954923_f2bb27244a_z.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="2337954923_f2bb27244a_z.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p><br /> Many of those who visit <strong>the Dominican Republic </strong>for its golden sandy beaches, tropical forests, and adventure in Jurassic Park-esque settings discover that it's also home to a world of rich culture, intriguing history and especially some world-class <strong>contemporary art</strong>.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:13px;">One of the DR <strong>modern art</strong> scene's most famous figures was the late </span><span style="font-size:13px;"><strong>Cándido Bidó</strong>, whose work earned him international fame in Europe, the United States and the Middle East. His works were highly sought after by foreigner collectors scattered in the five continents and have even earned him awards such as First Prize in the 12th Biennial of the Fine Arts (for his work ‘Los amantes de la aldea,’ "Lovers of the Village"), and the first exhibition in France of any Dominican painter. As one of the most </span><strong style="font-size:13px;">famous artists</strong><span style="font-size:13px;"> in the Dominican Republic, he not only helped establish modern art in this country, but</span> <span style="font-size:13px;">also helped introduced the DR to the art world. <br /> <br /></span> <span style="font-size:13px;">Born in 1936 in the town of Bonao (in the center of the country northwest of Santo Domingo), Bidó was always inspired by his hometown. Native wildlife, countryside and nature were elements that were well reflected in their work. With the use of oil, crayon and gouache, he gave his paintings a sense of joy, freshness, tenderness and poetry. He liked to portray the fruits, flowers and especially the sun as part of the Antillean Caribbean landscape, and his paintings reflected a real love for the people and places of his country. Bidó was totally devoted to his drawings and paintings, with the sole intention of giving the best of himself and his art. He passed away in March 2011 at age 75, leaving a legacy and a legend.<br /> <br /></span> <span style="font-size:13px;">If you’re interested in learning more about Bidó or his art during your </span><strong style="font-size:13px;">Dominican vacation</strong><span style="font-size:13px;">, visit the <strong>Museum of Modern Art in Santo Domingo</strong>, where a collection of his best works are on display. To dive deeper, head to Bonao, Bidó’s hometown. Candido Bidó founded the Museum in the Plaza de la Cultura of <strong>Bonao</strong>, where his works are on permanent display along with those of other great Dominican painters such as Guillo Pérez, Elsa Nuñez, and Alonso Cuevas. You’ll get to see works by American painters like Orlando Vallejo and Alfredo Sinclair, too. While in Bonao, you can also visit the painting school that was set up by Bidò. With the intention of providing arts education, entertainment and cultural services to the community of the Cibao, he truly contributed immensely to the artistic development of his hometown.</span></p><p><br /> Photo | <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/specialkrb/2337954923/">SpecialKRB<br /> <br /> <br /></a></p></div>Jackson Hole Deals for Spring Skiinghttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/jackson-hole-deals-for-spring2011-03-09T22:00:00.000Z2011-03-09T22:00:00.000ZEd Wetschlerhttps://tripatini.com/members/EdWetschler<div><p>THIS WESTERN RESORT TOWN IS A BARGAIN NOW</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008603095,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" width="410" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008603095,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9008603095?profile=original" /></a>I've been skiing, dining, watching wildlife, and visiting spas in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and I'm here to say that if you're able to get there before April 3, the last day of winter season, go for it. This area has gotten a ton of snow, so the Tetons look beautiful, the sled dogs feel good, thousands of big-antlered elk are still lounging on the lowlands (the National Elk Refuge) right outside town, and hotels in Jackson Hole and Teton Mountain Village, the ski resort, are dealing. And need I remind you that Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, with its challenging steeps and bowls, its glades and groomed half-pipe blues, is the Pebble Beach of skiing?</p>
<p><b>Getting There</b></p>
<p>Five airlines serve Jackson – six, if you, unlike me, can afford Marquis Jet – and they land at the only airport in the United States that's within a national park: <a href="http://www.nps.gov/grte/index.htm">Grand Teton National Park</a>. Unlike most airport baggage rooms, this one has picture windows, as well it should: While you're waiting to collect your skis, you look out at the aptly named Grand Tetons. Anyone remember when car rental companies kept their cars right at the airport? That's the deal here.</p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9296545253,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008602867,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008602867,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" class="align-right" alt="9008602867?profile=original" /></a>As you drive into town, you'll see elk herds on the driver's side of the car and mule deer (they're a lot bigger and better looking than those scrawny East Coast whitetails) on the hill to your right. You'll also pass what looks like a sprawling stone ruin on that hill: That's the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.wildlifeart.org/">National Museum of Wildlife Art</a>, and what could be better than a whole museum full of paintings and sculptures of furry and feathery creatures – no still lifes or portraits of dead white males, no religious allegories or abstract puzzlements.</p>
<p>One clarification: I said “as you drive,” but you don't <i>have</i> to rent a car at all. You can take a taxi or the <a href="http://www.jacksonholealltrans.com/">shuttle</a> into town ($31 round trip) and, if you're staying in town, take another shuttle when you go to the ski area ($3 one way). Also, some of the hotels will pick you up and run shuttles to the slopes. Personally, I'm a great fan of ski trips that don't involve rental cars.</p>
<p><b>Lodging in Jackson</b></p>
<p>This is not Aspen; you needn't look hard to find inexpensive lodgings, such as the <a href="http://www.jacksonholelodge.com/">Jackson Hole Lodge</a>, where rates have come down to $81. The much-praised <a href="http://www.bestwesternwyoming.com/hotels/best-western-lodge-at-jackson-hole/">Best Western Lodge at Jackson Hole</a> (the “at” in there makes it a different hotel) is now asking just $139 plus 6% tax ($147 and change) per night, and that includes breakfast. Or you could buy the Lodge's Black Diamond Ski Package, which costs $1,317.14 for two, including a very comfortable room, hot breakfasts, transfers to the ski area, and five days of lift tickets. A la carte, that would cost you and your favorite ski pal about $1,700.</p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008603295,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008602880,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008602880,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="324" class="align-right" alt="9008602880?profile=original" /></a>Move up a bit in price and you could pay as little as $199 for a $359 room at the <a href="http://www.worthotel.com/">Wort Hotel</a> (right), an authentic Western landmark and a member of Historic Hotels of America. The Wort also will arrange packages for skiers. The operator quoted me a six-night stay for $1,780 that includes the shuttle to the mountain, four days of lift tickets for two, and breakfast (the Snake River Burrito, crammed with eggs and chorizo, is a fine way to start the day). You could book through the website, but you might do better by calling the toll-free number: 800.322.2727.</p>
<p><b>Lodging on the Mountain</b></p>
<p>Up in Teton Mountain Village, at the ski mountain, RockResort's <a href="http://reservations.snow.com/rr.promo.compression.results.activities.asp?page=1&packagecode=ROCK_2010_SNAKE-RIVER-LODGE_SUPER-SALE&pkpplink=">Snake River Lodge & Spa</a> is offering rooms at 40% off: i.e., from $159 plus a $25 resort fee. That's <i>slopeside</i><span>, and the indoor-outdoor Avanyu pool and hot tub are a delight after a day of skiing or boarding.</span></p>
<p>For something different, <a href="http://www.springcreekranch.com/">Spring Creek Ranch</a> occupies a private reserve on a bluff above Jackson that's dotted with lodge-style mansions for which people have spent millions. On the off chance that you're reluctant to pay a week's rental for one of these babies, you can stay at Spring Creek's inn ($199 a night including breakfast; try the trout and eggs with Manchego Hollandaise sauce) or in a one-bedroom condo, which starts at $290 -- more than an inn room, but you get a fireplace, a kitchen, and room to put the kids on the couch.</p>
<p>While you're there, arrange for a nature tour. In one day with lodge naturalist Kurt Johnson, my wife and I saw elk, moose, bald eagles, trumpeter swans (with wingspans that are actually two feet longer than those of bald eagles), mule deer, bighorn sheep, Barrow goldeneye ducks (cute!), and perhaps my favorite sighting of the day, a coyote that was willing to amble across an open field so we could get a good look at him.</p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008602893,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008602893,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="302" class="align-right" alt="9008602893?profile=original" /></a>And if you're not a skier at all? Wait until mid-April, then check into the <a href="http://www.fourseasons.com/jacksonhole/">Four Seasons Jackson Hole</a> in Teton Mountain Village. This Adirondack-style lodge has extraordinary food (the tender port-marinated elk loin shown here is worth the trip), a spa, nature programs, and art, with eye-popping works by the likes of Romare Bearden and Joan Miro all over the place. Above all, this is a chance to enjoy Four Seasons service and style at, y'know, Two Seasons prices: $295 for a room that normally costs $725.</p>
<p><em>For more information</em> visit the <a href="http://www.jacksonholechamber.com/">Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce</a> site and <a href="http://www.jacksonhole-skiing.com/">Jackson Hole Skiing</a>. </p>
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<p><em><span class="font-size-1">Photos 2, 3, and 4 by Ed Wetschler.</span></em></p></div>Campari and Fonseca Featuring Artwork on Their Labelshttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/campari-and-fonseca-feature-artwork-on-their-labels2012-12-13T21:28:22.000Z2012-12-13T21:28:22.000ZSteve Mirskyhttps://tripatini.com/members/SteveMirsky964<div><p><a target="_blank" href="http://gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/campari-300x300.jpg"><img class="align-left" src="http://gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/campari-300x300.jpg?width=300" width="300" alt="campari-300x300.jpg?width=300" /></a>Every bottle of wine or liquor I can think of has a label. Many times the label simply indicates the contents with a brief description of origin and flavor. But sometimes, labels go beyond the basic requirements with a higher purpose. <a href="http://www.campari.com/">Campari</a> and <a href="http://www.fonseca.pt/">Fonseca Bin 27 Port</a> are two brands with labels promoting indigenous art.</p><h4>Campari</h4><p><br /> Campari's art label is very fiery...vibrant! And this most accurately portrays what's inside the bottle. This spirit can be sipped straight, but when mixed in classic cocktails like the <a href="http://www.chow.com/recipes/10269-negroni">Negroni</a> or Americano, its raw herbal essence with hints of syrupy sweetness on the finish opens up many flavorful possibilities with a wide range of base spirits. Its distinct red color adds flare and deeper hued passion to the presentation. The new limited edition art label, created by Italian artist <a href="http://www.nespolo.com/eng/index.php?">Ugo Nespolo</a>, reinterprets a <a href="http://www.leveledmag.com/2012/11/limited-edition-campari-label-by-ugo-nespolo/">Leonetto Cappiello Spiritello</a> print commissioned by Campari back in 1921. Nespolo wanted to bring a colorful, contemporary, and eye catching twist to this classic yet honoring Cappiello's original work by recreating the memorable red clad goblin set amid an oversize spiraling orange rind. He also added a striking background comprised of abstract geometric shapes in striking shades of blue.</p><h4>Fonseca Bin 27 Port</h4><p><br /> <a href="http://www.fonseca.pt/">Fonseca Bin 27 Limited Edition Artist Series</a>is now debuting its first, limited-edition Artist Series, a special release of Bin 27 available October through December 2012. Bin 27, a</p><p><a target="_blank" href="http://gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/bin27-300x300.jpg"><img class="align-right" src="http://gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/bin27-300x300.jpg?width=300" width="300" alt="bin27-300x300.jpg?width=300" /></a>Reserve Ruby port, started off more than a century ago as the family's personal reserve but beginning in 1972 was made available to the public. A blend of premium reserve wines aged 3-4 years in neutral oak vats, this rich red has a velvety texture with luscious black currant, chocolate and cherry notes. Featuring a label by the late <a href="http://www.sebastiaorodrigues.art.br/">Sebastiao Rodrigues</a>, a revered Portuguese designer whose work drew on the country's rich graphic traditions. Depicting a Portuguese fisherman in a traditional fishing boat on the Duoro River which has played a key role in the Port trade for centuries, this image was widely used in 1950s tourism postcards. Another remarkable aspect of Fonseca's Artist Series campaign is the fact they've partnered with <a href="http://www.waterkeeper.org/">Waterkeeper Alliance</a> to sustain the future of viticulture in the historic <a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/portugal-douro-valley-photos-traveler/">Douro River Valley</a>. “Protecting the water is integral to preserving this region”, says Head Winemaker David Guimaraens. “Continuing my family's winemaking legacy would be impossible without long term stewardship of land and water.”</p><blockquote><em>Photos courtesy Steve Mirsky. Coverage made possible via complementary samples.</em></blockquote><p><br /> </p></div>The Art of Europehttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/the-art-of-europe2010-06-17T17:30:00.000Z2010-06-17T17:30:00.000ZConnie Motzhttps://tripatini.com/members/ConnieMotz<div>When one thinks of Europe, one tends to think of art. With its plethora of offerings including historical sites, museums, and even art galleries, the choices are truly endless.<br /><font size="2"><br /></font><p style="text-align:left;"><font size="2">Students in the Art History program at University of Redlands, a top Southern California university, spend time exploring the classics through studying the paintings and sculptures found in museums like the Louvre in Paris, <a href="http://www.britishmuseum.org/default.aspx">British Museum</a> in London, or the Vatican Museum in Rome.</font><br /></p><br /><p style="text-align:left;"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008547293,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="" /> <br /></p><p style="text-align:left;"><font size="2">But art in Europe doesn’t necessarily mean a painting or sculpture, in Europe art can be a building like the amazing Notre Dame in Paris or even the monoliths at Stonehenge. The historical chateaus located throughout France also offer a glimpse into the past with their combination of art and architecture. <a href="http://www.vaux-le-vicomte.com/en/index.php">Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte</a>, Château de Fontainebleau, and Versailles, all just a short ride from Paris, offer a delightful selection of art including furniture from the Baroque period.<br /></font></p><br /><p style="text-align:left;"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008548255,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="" /> <br /></p><p style="text-align:left;"><font size="2">Continued education courses in art are offered by many educational institutions across the U.S. and for those visiting France, consider taking a week’s combination painting and photography class. Many painting workshops offer study in oil, watercolor, acrylic, and mixed-media. If you long to get a degree, maybe it’s actually time to consider enrolling in the Art History Program offered by the <a href="http://www.chooseredlands.com/urLanding_cas.aspx">College of Arts & Sciences</a> at the <a href="http://www.redlands.edu/">University of Redlands</a>.</font><br /></p><br />Students of this Los Angeles university will be immersed in art through hands-on experience while they learn to establish visual competency and general knowledge. Graduates get a bachelors degree in Art History and may go on to work as museum curators or archivists, work as an art consultant in the media field, or may even go on to become artists themselves.<br /><br />However you decide to explore and experience the art of Europe, enjoy. A famous quote by impressionist painter Claude Monet, whose home and gardens can be toured in Giverny, says “People discuss my art and pretend to understand as if it were necessary to understand, when it's simply necessary to love.”<br /><br />Flickr.com Photo Credits:<br />Monet's Garden - Water Lilies, Pond, and Bridge by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ell-r-brown/3743180223/">Ell Brown</a><br />Versailles Palace Interior by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/albany_tim/2608610691/">Albany_Tim</a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/albany_tim/2608610691/"></a></div>The Musée d'Orsay - A Paris Must-see for Art Lovershttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/musee-dorsay-a-mustsee-for2013-03-19T12:39:26.000Z2013-03-19T12:39:26.000Zweetoonhttps://tripatini.com/members/weetoon<div><p><span class="description">If you enjoy visiting art museums, <a href="http://www.trivago.co.uk/paris-36103">Paris</a> really is the place to go. <span style="font-size:13px;">In the last 20 years or so,</span> <a href="http://www.trivago.co.uk/paris-36103/attractions/museeexpositiongalerie/f_180=1" style="font-size:13px;">Paris museums</a><span style="font-size:13px;"> </span><br /> re-organised their collections and the <a href="http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/home.html">musée d'Orsay</a> became the <span style="font-size:13px;">receptacle for art dated between 1848 and 1914.</span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">The Gare d'Orsay</span><br /> <br /> The building that houses the collection used to be a train station and <span style="font-size:13px;">hotel, which due to its proximity to the Louvre needed to be built </span><span style="font-size:13px;">sympathetically. Its inauguration in 1900 revealed a very fine building</span> <span style="font-size:13px;">where the stone façade hid the metal structure inside. At the time, the </span><span style="font-size:13px;">painter Edouard Detaille wrote ""The station is superb and looks like a </span><span style="font-size:13px;">Palais des beaux-arts...". Little did he know that he was writing a </span><span style="font-size:13px;">prophesy.</span><br /> <br /> After 1939, the progressive electrification of the railroads meant that <span style="font-size:13px;">the platforms were now too short to accommodate the new, longer</span> <span style="font-size:13px;">electric trains, and the station was relegated to serving only the</span> <span style="font-size:13px;">suburbs. The years that followed saw a number of uses for the station,</span> <span style="font-size:13px;">from mailing centre for packages sent to prisoners during the second </span><span style="font-size:13px;">world war, to a film set (Kafka's 'The trial' by Orson Welles was filmed </span><span style="font-size:13px;">there). In 1978, the building was classified as a historic monument,</span> <span style="font-size:13px;">and in 1986, François Mitterand, the then president of the Republic, </span><span style="font-size:13px;">inaugurated the new museum.</span><br /> <br /> The work that was undertaken to turn this old railway station into a <span style="font-size:13px;">museum was extremely successful. What a stunning place! The outside is </span><span style="font-size:13px;">very much the way it must have been originally, but the inside area has </span><br /> been turned into the most fantastic space for displaying art. Despite <span style="font-size:13px;">being shaped like a tunnel, the first thing you notice about the musée </span><span style="font-size:13px;">d'Orsay is the amount of natural light penetrating the building. 35,000 </span><br /> square metres of glass overhead and at either end allow light to flood <span style="font-size:13px;">the space.</span><br /> <br /></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9296534053,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="" /></p><p><br /> <span class="description">The museum is built over 3 levels. On the ground level, a nave the <span style="font-size:13px;">height of the building houses a number of sculptures. There are a number </span><span style="font-size:13px;">of rooms to the side of this.</span><br /> <br /> Many features from the original building have been retained, and they <span style="font-size:13px;">are not the least appeal of the museum. I particularly liked the big </span><span style="font-size:13px;">clock (you can stand behind it and watch Paris through its glass). There</span><br /> are also some wonderful stained-glass windows in one of the <span style="font-size:13px;">restaurants.</span><br /> <br /> These features, being contemporary with the exhibits, serve as a <span style="font-size:13px;">wonderful backdrop.</span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">The visit</span><br /> <br /> The museum is open everyday (except Monday) from 9.30 am to 6.00 pm, <span style="font-size:13px;">with a later closing time of 9.45 pm on a Thursday. Entry to the museum </span><span style="font-size:13px;">costs 8 €, with a reduced tariff of 5.50€ for young people from 18 to</span><br /> 25 years old and on Sundays or after 4.15 pm. Entry is free for the <span style="font-size:13px;">under 18. Everyone can also get in free on the first Sunday of every </span><span style="font-size:13px;">month, although I think it is worth paying the fee rather than facing </span><span style="font-size:13px;">the crowds that are bound to take advantage of this offer.</span><br /> <br /> The museum building being fairly recent, it is fully accessible to <span style="font-size:13px;">those who have a disability, and guided visits in sign language are </span><span style="font-size:13px;">available. As always with major museums, try to get there as early as </span><span style="font-size:13px;">you can. The queues at the museum can be somewhat lengthy, but do not be </span><span style="font-size:13px;">put off by this, as once the museum opens, they move fairly quickly and </span><span style="font-size:13px;">efficiently. </span><br /> <br /> The collections in the museum are presented by theme and in <span style="font-size:13px;">chronological order. The musée d'Orsay covers a period going from 1848 </span><span style="font-size:13px;">to 1914 and all major artistic movements are represented. The collection</span><br /> is divided into 4 categories: painting, sculpture, architecture and <span style="font-size:13px;">decorative arts. The visit starts on the ground floor, then goes on to </span><span style="font-size:13px;">the top level and finishes on the middle floor. It is a good idea to </span><span style="font-size:13px;">visit in this order as you are then able to view the works in a more or </span><span style="font-size:13px;">less chronological order, but on the other hand, the end of the visit is </span><span style="font-size:13px;">home to some of the most popular exhibits, in particular some </span><span style="font-size:13px;">impressionist works, and can get very busy indeed by the afternoon.</span><br /> <br /> If you want to do this museum justice, you will need to spend the best <span style="font-size:13px;">part of a day here. There are cafés where you can have a bite to eat, or </span><span style="font-size:13px;">if you want to do things in style, you could try the 'Restaurant du </span><br /> Musée d'Orsay' which serves unpretentious cuisine in beautiful <span style="font-size:13px;">surroundings, with its impressive frescoes and mouldings.</span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">The collection</span><br style="font-weight:bold;" /><br /> This part of the review will have to be at best a brief overview as <span style="font-size:13px;">there are so many great works here, many of them being extremely famous.</span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-style:italic;">sculpture</span><br /> <br /> Most of these are on the ground floor, where full advantage is taken of <span style="font-size:13px;">the changing light afforded by the glass vault. I have to say sculpture </span><span style="font-size:13px;">is not one of my favourite media, but there is much here to be admired.</span><br /> Some of the sculptures exhibited were very scandalous when they were <span style="font-size:13px;">first shown to the public, such as the 'woman bitten by a snake', where </span><span style="font-size:13px;">the snake was only added as an afterthought, to hide the real reason for</span><br /> the woman's languid pose Look out for Degas' young 14 year-old dancer <span style="font-size:13px;">on the top floor, which questioned accepted ideas of art and was </span><span style="font-size:13px;">described as ugly at the time.</span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-style:italic;">paintings and pastels</span><br /> <br /> This represents the bulk of the exhibits and there are some real gems <span style="font-size:13px;">to be seen here. Grouped by aesthetic currents, the visit gives you a </span><span style="font-size:13px;">real overview of art at the time. There really are too many paintings </span><span style="font-size:13px;">to mention, but some of my personal favourites included 'The Angelus' by</span><span style="font-size:13px;">Jean-François Millet, some great Degas, Edouart Manet's 'The balcony', </span><span style="font-size:13px;">Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette, Montmartre by Renoir, and 'the siesta' </span><span style="font-size:13px;">and other Van Gogh paintings. </span><br /> <br /> There are also exhibits on architecture and decorative arts and <span style="font-size:13px;">photography, with notably a photograph of Charles Baudelaire dating back </span><span style="font-size:13px;">to 1855.</span><br /><br style="font-weight:bold;" /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Final thoughts</span><br /> <br /> I really enjoyed visiting this museum, but found it a little much to <span style="font-size:13px;">take in over one day. As much as I enjoy art, I find that, after a </span><span style="font-size:13px;">while, tiredness and sensory overload combine to diminish my enjoyment </span><span style="font-size:13px;">of the works on offer. This meant that by the time I reached the end </span><span style="font-size:13px;">(the part I was most interested in), I was not as receptive as I should </span><span style="font-size:13px;">have been. This is a difficult one to solve, as I felt the order in </span><span style="font-size:13px;">which the visit was organised was really useful to help understanding </span><span style="font-size:13px;">how art evolved and the relationship between the different artistic </span><span style="font-size:13px;">movements. There is only one thing for it, I will have to visit again, </span><span style="font-size:13px;">this time going straight to my favourites I definitely recommend </span><span style="font-size:13px;">visiting the musée d'Orsay if you enjoy art or want to enjoy it.</span></span></p><p></p><p></p></div>Fire and Art: César Manrique’s Lanzarotehttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/fire-and-art-c-sar-manrique-s-lanzarote2012-07-24T14:59:24.000Z2012-07-24T14:59:24.000ZIberostar Hotels & Resortshttps://tripatini.com/members/IberostarHotelsResorts<div><p><a title="What to do in Spain, Lanzarote" href="http://passportto.iberostar.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/tn_IMG_2385.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-772" src="http://passportto.iberostar.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/tn_IMG_2385.jpg" alt="What to do in Spain, Lanzarote" width="614" height="410" /></a></p><p><br /><em>by <a href="http://www.tripatini.com/profile/Nellie" target="_blank">Nellie Huang</a></em><br /><br />Dry, fiery and dramatic: the landscapes of the Spanish island of Lanzarote are like no other. Born through volcanic eruptions millennia ago, the northernmost of the <strong>Canary Islands </strong>off the west coast of Africa has since been sculpted by the hands of Mother Nature. Today, the island is home to beautiful beaches as well as stunning volcanic caves and formations.<br /><br />But amidst the grey volcanic ash and lime-green lagoons of <a href="http://www.iberostar.com/EN/lanzarote/hotels-lanzarote.html" target="_blank">Lanzarote</a>, I’m surprised to find the presence of art. Not just any art, but an immaculate immersion of abstract art in nature.<br /><br />It’s the creation of César Manrique, an iconic architect, sculptor and artist who is said to have "made" Lanzarote.<br /><br /><strong>The "Father" of Lanzarote<br /><br /></strong><strong>Manrique</strong> was born and raised in Lanzarote, but his love for abstract art only intensified in Madrid and New York, where his talent flourished.<br /><br /><em>“When I returned from New York, I came with the intention of turning my native island into one of the more beautiful places in the planet.”<br /><br /></em>He lived up to his words: It is impossible now to imagine Lanzarote without César Manrique. He sculpted the island with his artistic style, giving it a strong identity and character. Today’s Lanzarote sports striking landmarks that display his unique flair: from the stunning grotto of the Jameos del Agua to the viewpoint, Mirador del Rio.<br /><br /><strong>Lanzarote Attractions<br /><br /></strong><em>Jameos del Agua</em> was originally a grotto, but has now been transformed into a modern museum. Resembling a contemporary art gallery set within a jungle, Jameos del Agua has an oasis-like setting featuring luscious palms,<strong>abstract paintings</strong>, white-washed tunnels and open-roofed patios.<br /><br />On the high escarpment of Batería del Río stands the Mirador del Río overlook, which offers some of the best views on the island. César’s style is on full display here: the mirador features a balustraded café with a minimalist design, and a platform that has been integrated into the lava rocks above.<br /><br />César’s desire to live with the volcanic lava led him to build his own house in the Taro de Tahiche, which has been converted into the César Manrique Foundation. Here, you’ll find yourself walking into an oasis in the center of a river of petrified bluish-black lava. This is the best place to find out more <strong>about Lanzarote</strong> and Manrique.<br /><br />These attractions are just a short drive away from most <strong><a href="http://www.iberostar.com/EN/lanzarote/hotels-lanzarote.html">Lanzarote hotels</a>. </strong>Most also organize day trips to these museums.</p><p><br /><br /><br /><span class="font-size-1">Photo | </span><a href="http://www.wildjunket.com/" target="_blank"><span class="font-size-1">Nellie Huang</span><br /><br /><br /></a><span class="font-size-1"><em>This post is adapted from one published originally on our blog, <a href="http://passportto.iberostar.com" target="_blank">PassportToIberostar.com</a>.</em></span></p></div>Art Lovers' Delight in San José, Costa Ricahttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/art-lovers-delight-in-san-jose-costa-rica2012-05-17T12:57:54.000Z2012-05-17T12:57:54.000ZDanny Solano Alvarezhttps://tripatini.com/members/DannySolanoAlvarez<div><p></p><p>For art lovers, there is a museum in <strong>downtown San José </strong>that you won't want to miss. Unique in its history, it used to be the terminal of Costa Rica’s old international airport, at the east end of where <strong>Sabana Park </strong>is today. </p><p><a href="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Museo-07.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1648" title="Costa Rican Art Museum in downtown San Jose" src="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Museo-07-300x199.jpg" alt="Costa Rican Art Museum in downtown San Jose" width="240" height="159" /></a></p><p></p><p>The <strong>Costa Rican Art Museum (<a title="Costa Rican Art Museum" href="http://www.musarco.go.cr/" target="_blank">Museo de Arte Costarricense</a>)</strong>is housed in a beautiful Neoclassical-style building built in the late 1930s. The gorgeous building, a work of art in itself, stages a permanent display of 3,200 national treasures in all media by Costa Rica’s most celebrated artists from the past two centuries. Temporary exhibits fill side galleries, and in the back garden are sculptures with works by Francisco Zuñiga, Jorge Jiménez, Max Jiménez, Edgar Zuñiga and José Sancho.</p><p>Costa Rica has a laudable tradition of turning unlikely buildings into museums. Case in point, the <strong>Costa Rican Art Museum </strong>was once the principal airport terminal. The <strong>Children’s Museum </strong>was a prison. The <strong>National Museum </strong>was an old fort that even has bullet holes from the 1948 Civil War, and the <strong>Contemporary Art Museum </strong>is located in what used to be the National Liquor Factory.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Museo-03.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1649" title="Costa Rica's first airport terminal at La Sabana" src="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Museo-03-300x190.jpg" alt="Costa Rica's first airport terminal at La Sabana" width="270" height="171" /></a><a href="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Museo-03.jpg"></a></p><p></p><p>The <strong>Costa Rican Art Museum </strong>served as the international airport terminal from 1940 <a href="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Museo-03.jpg"></a>until 1955, when the airport moved out to Alajuela and the area was turned into La Sabana Park. Originally designed by architect Jose Maria Barrantes Monge in 1937, it opened as a museum in April 1978; the Sculpture Garden was added in 2003.</p><p></p><p> <a href="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Museo-09.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-1656" title="Costa Rican Art Museum features national artists" src="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Museo-09-150x150.jpg" alt="Costa Rican Art Museum features national artists" width="120" height="120" /></a></p><p>Today, the museum displays exceptionally beautiful pieces in a wide range of styles – paintings, printmaking, watercolors, drawings, sculptures and photography. There is a featured collection of more than 4,000 drawings and sculptures by famous Costa Rican artist <a class="zem_slink" title="Juan Manuel Sánchez" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Manuel_S%C3%A1nchez" target="_blank">Juan Manuel Sanchez</a>. Plus, you can see more than 560 permanent international works by leading artists from around the world.</p><p></p><p> <a href="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Museo-05.jpg"></a><a href="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Museo-05.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1650" title="Costa Rican Art Museum bronze mural in the Golden Room" src="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Museo-05-300x189.jpg" alt="Costa Rican Art Museum bronze mural in the Golden Room" width="270" height="170" /></a></p><p></p><p>One gem not to be missed is the <strong><a title="Golden Room in the Costa Rican Art Museum" href="http://www.musarco.go.cr/salon_dorado.php" target="_blank">Golden Room</a></strong>, remarkable for its beauty and detail. The room used to be the arrival area for visiting foreign diplomats. Its walls are adorned with a bas-relief in stucco, carved and painted bronze, by French sculptor and goldsmith, Luis Féron Parizot. The 1940 mural summarizes the history of Costa Rica from Pre-Columbian times to the 1940s.</p><p>The Costa Rican Art Museum is <strong>open Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Admission is free!</strong> You can easily spend an hour or two discovering its art treasures. From there, spend a pleasant afternoon walking the lush grounds of <strong>Sabana Park </strong>or visit another of San Jose’s cultural attractions.</p><p>For a small country, Costa Rica offers a large number of museums, dedicated to everything from Pre-Columbian jewelry made of gold and jade, to art in all media, to natural taxidermy collections and bizarre criminology displays. All of the main museums are in the <strong>downtown San Jose area </strong>or very close to it, and can be accessed easily by bus or taxi. </p><p><a href="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Ritzli.jpg"></a><a href="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Ritzli.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-1651" title="Hotel Ritzli" src="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Ritzli-150x150.jpg" alt="Hotel Ritzli" width="135" height="135" /></a></p><p>Your “<em>home away from home</em>” in the center of downtown San Jose is <strong><a title="Hotel Ritzli" href="http://www.ritzli.com" target="_blank">Hotel Ritzli</a></strong>. This clean, comfortable, affordable and charming European-style guesthouse offers one of the <strong>best locations for seeing the metropolitan area</strong>. Hotel Ritzli is positioned only 2 blocks away from the Cathedral and Central Park, where the city’s main cultural centers converge.</p><p>By Shannon</p><h6 class="zemanta-related-title" style="font-size:1em;">Related articles</h6><p> </p><ul class="zemanta-article-ul"><li style="list-style:none;"> </li><li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a href="http://www.ritzli.com/hotel-ritzli-blog/inbioparque-costa-rica-enjoy-the-natural-life/" target="_blank">INBioparque Costa Rica , Enjoy The Natural Life.</a> (ritzli.com)</li><li style="list-style:none;"> </li><li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a href="http://www.ritzli.com/hotel-ritzli-blog/san-jose-museum/" target="_blank">Good as Gold at San Jose Museum</a> (ritzli.com)</li><li style="list-style:none;"> </li></ul><p> </p><div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top:10px;height:15px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" title="Enhanced by Zemanta" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="float:right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=9e56445d-463b-4be0-aa7f-bc3b29153b05" alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" /></a></div></div>Pablo Picasso and His Hometown: Malaga, Spainhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/pablo-picasso-and-his-hometown-malaga-spain2012-06-18T14:07:00.000Z2012-06-18T14:07:00.000ZIberostar Hotels & Resortshttps://tripatini.com/members/IberostarHotelsResorts<div><p><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2259/2507530601_c6411418f6_z.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2259/2507530601_c6411418f6_z.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="2507530601_c6411418f6_z.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p><br /> <em>by <a href="http://www.tripatini.com/profile/Nellie" target="_blank">Nellie Huang</a></em><br /> <br /> So what has <a href="http://www.iberostar.com/EN/malaga/hotels-Malaga.html" target="_blank">Malaga</a> got to do with world-renowned artist <strong>Pablo Picasso</strong>? Malaga is, after all, a place on <strong>Spain</strong>'s <strong>Costa del Sol</strong> more famous for beaches, historical buildings and bullfighting than say, art. Picasso, on the other hand, is a painter and sculptor who gave the modern art world Cubism and a wide variety of other avant-garde art styles.<br /> <br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008703061,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="300" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008703061,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-right" alt="9008703061?profile=original" /></a>It comes as a surprise to many that not only is Malaga the birthplace of Pablo Picasso, it is also home to a plethora of Picasso-related attractions. For modern art fans, Malaga keeps the Picasso legacy alive, sharing his story with the rest of the world.<br /> <br /> <strong>Picasso Museum in Malaga<br /> <br /></strong> Although Pablo Picasso left Malaga at an early age, the city left an imprint on his life. The Museo Picasso Malaga aims to conserve Picasso’s work and serve as a cultural center to educate the public. It showcases an impressive permanent collection, mostly provided by relatives of the artist. You can also see fragments of Malaga’s history in the ground beneath the <strong>Picasso Museum</strong>, where Moorish, Roman and Phoenician remains, the latter as old as the seventh century B.C., are preserved.<br /> <br /> To continue on the Picasso route through Malaga, head to the Museo Casa Natal de Picasso. This was his birthplace and family home, which has been converted into an art museum, with temporary exhibitions that include a collection of Picasso’s ceramics.<br /> <br /> <strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008703485,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="300" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008703485,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" alt="9008703485?profile=original" /></a>Beaches in Malaga, Plus Attractions Galore<br /> <br /></strong> <strong>Where is Malaga</strong>? The beautiful city lies along the <strong>Costa del Sol</strong> on the Mediterranean Sea, enjoying a subtropical climate all year round. With one of the warmest temperatures in Europe, the city’s summer season lasts for eight months, making it an excellent place to relax and soak up the sun even in winter. Malaga has a city beach close to its historical center, although most of the region’s best beaches are located outside of town (check out nearby <strong>beach towns </strong>like <strong>Torremolinos, </strong><a href="http://www.iberostar.com/EN/Marbella/hotels-Marbella.html" target="_blank">Marbella</a> and <strong>Fuengirola</strong> for upscale hotels and good eats, but be warned, they also get rather crowded in summer).<br /> <br /> Located in Spain's <strong>Andalusia</strong> region, Malaga makes a great base to explore surrounding nature and villages. Within one hour’s drive away is <strong>Ronda</strong>, an attractive city dramatically perched on the Tajo Canyon. Another popular daytrip option is a visit to the Alhambra, a monumental Moorish palace in <strong>Granada</strong> that draws millions each year.</p><p><br /> <br /> <em><span class="font-size-1">This post is adapted from one that originally ran on our blog <a href="http://passportto.iberostar.com/" target="_blank">PassportToIberostar</a>.</span></em><br /> <br /> <span class="font-size-1">Photo | <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sputnik_mania/2507530601/" target="_blank">Helen Flamme</a>, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/spo0ky/" target="_blank">Anne-Sophie Leens</a>, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/designministry/66890703/sizes/m/in/photostream/" target="_blank">Kristin Myers Harvey</a></span></p></div>Art Attack! Madrid’s Golden Trianglehttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/art-attack-madrid-s-golden-triangle2012-04-25T13:27:06.000Z2012-04-25T13:27:06.000ZVelimira Velikovahttps://tripatini.com/members/VelimiraVelikova<div><p>We all love to travel; it’s an innate part of being human, getting out there and exploring the world around us. We hold within us the desire to explore our surroundings from a very young age, perhaps even starting from the first time we learn to comprehend what is around us as a baby, wandering into places we shouldn’t purely because we want to see what’s there. It is a desire that never quite leaves us, even when we grow and mature over the years, it’s just always there: that yearning, the wanderlust, waiting to be fulfilled.</p><p><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/spain/madrid/t3117735"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4820" title="Madrid - art attack" src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Madrid-in.jpg" alt="" height="399" width="600" /></a></p><p>Whilst there are many ways to satiate our travel-pangs, such as a cruise on the <a href="http://www.iglucruise.com/celebrity-eclipse">Celebrity Eclipse</a>, for example, or a backpack trip around the world, there’s no better way than just going to a destination and exploring the culture of the locals for yourself. After all, you’ve all the time in the world with which to explore the rest of it, so take your time.</p><p><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/spain/madrid/t3117735"><strong>Madrid</strong></a> has long held a particular draw for those with the inclination to travel. Perhaps it is the <strong>Spanish culture</strong>, the people, the sights, or the language, but for one reason or another, millions of tourists flock to experience the city for themselves. However, one might ask just whatever exactly is it they experience there that makes it such a great place to go<br /> to? Worry not, for here we have an extensive look at one (or three, depending on how you look at it) of the most sought-after artistic destinations in <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/spain/madrid/t3117735"><strong>Madrid</strong>.</a></p><h1><span>The Golden Triangle</span></h1><p>In days gone by, it might simply have been enough to recommend going to the <strong>Prado art museum</strong>, however today that just simply isn’t the case.</p><p>One of the main attractions in <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/spain/madrid/t3117735"><strong>Madrid</strong></a> these days is its fantastic collection of art museums, a leading triumvirate of which converge to form what is colloquially known as “<strong>the Golden Triangle</strong>” of museums, presumably because there are three of them: the <a href="http://www.museodelprado.es/en/">Museo Nacional Del Prado</a>, the <a href="http://www.museothyssen.org/en/thyssen/home">Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum</a> and the <a href="http://www.museoreinasofia.es/index_en.html">Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina</a><br /> <a href="http://www.museoreinasofia.es/index_en.html">Sofia</a>.</p><p>Due to the extensive nature and content of the <strong>Golden Triangle</strong> it is wise to set at least an entire day or two aside for them, more so if you wish to view everything on offer.</p><h1><span>The Prado</span></h1><p>Or the <strong>Museo Nacional Del Prado</strong>, to give it its full glorified name, focuses primarily on classical art – of which its collection is extensive. The collection consists mainly of works by European artists and numbers somewhere in the tens of thousands, with any thousand or so of which are on display at any one time (as ten thousand in one go would be an impressive feat indeed). Expect to see works of Italian, French, Dutch, Flemish, and German artists on display, yet the chief draw would be the large collection of Spanish works on offer, which is worth almost a day in itself. A good idea would be to plan which artists you have an interest in viewing beforehand and then structure your visit accordingly.</p><h1><span>Museo Thyssen</span></h1><p>The <strong>Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum</strong>, which draws its name from collection-starters Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza and his father Heinrich, initially started out as a private collection and grew to over 1,600 paintings – the largest private collection in the world, after the <strong>British Royal Collection</strong>.</p><p>The Baron largely kept the art to himself and his contemporaries until his wife kindly persuaded him to graciously open up his extensive collection to the public. After searching for some time where to house the collection, the Baron opted for the <strong>Paseo del Prado</strong>, located near the aforementioned <strong>Prado</strong> museum itself.</p><p>The collection itself is incredibly varied when compared to the others in <strong>the Triangle</strong>, being known to house a variety of works from 14th century masters, examples from most historically important artistic movements, as well as pop-culture art from as recent as the 60s. <strong>The Museo Thyssen</strong> is certainly a grand day out for those with an interest in art that doesn’t revolve around a fixed point in history.</p><h1><span>Reina Sofia</span></h1><p>The <strong>Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia</strong> is another must-see museum and the final stop in <strong>the Triangle</strong>. The collection this time mainly revolves around abstract art, containing works by <strong>Picasso, Dalí, and Miró</strong>, to name but a few. The museum’s collections of <strong>Picasso and Dalí</strong> in particular are worth mentioning, as they are both extensive and excellent, well worth the time, for anyone that has an interest in these two masters, or indeed anyone that has an eye for abstract art in the slightest.</p></div>Mexico City Through the Eyes of Frida Kahlohttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/mexico-city-through-the-eyes-of-frida-kahlo2012-04-30T13:46:12.000Z2012-04-30T13:46:12.000ZIberostar Hotels & Resortshttps://tripatini.com/members/IberostarHotelsResorts<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9296562875,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9296562875,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="640" class="align-center" alt="9296562875?profile=original" /></a><br /> On our way to Central America, we arrived today in <strong>Mexico City</strong>, specifically the southern <strong>neighborhood of Coyoacán</strong>, which was once its own town. We’d been hoping to visit this very picturesque area of the city, as it’s the place where artist <strong>Frida Kahlo </strong>(1907-1954), known far and wide for her close-set eyebrows and loud, colorful dresses, lived and died.<br /> <br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008698059,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008698059,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="375" class="align-right" alt="9008698059?profile=original" /></a>The Mexican poet, photographer and above all painter was also known for her realistic works. Though many would call her a surrealist, her canvases were truly the reflection of her very own tortured reality. In <strong>Coyoacán </strong>we can visit the sprawling house where she lived, which was transformed into the famous <strong>“Casa Azul”</strong> <strong>museum</strong> after her death. On display are many of her works, as well as those of her husband, the acclaimed muralist <strong>Diego Rivera</strong>, who continued to live in the same house even after their separation. If you’re not immediately planning to visit Mexico but would like to get a sneak preview of the museum, treat yourself to a <a href="http://www.recorridosvirtuales.com/frida_kahlo/museo_frida_kahlo.html" target="_blank">virtual tour</a> to learn about the artist’s daily life, her personal effects, where she painted and what served as the inspiration for her final poems.<br /> <br /> <strong>Mexico City Sights<br /> <br /></strong> When visiting the historical center of <strong>Mexico City</strong>, keep in mind that it was reconstructed from the former Aztec capital of <strong>Tenochtitlán.</strong> Imposing ruins of the Aztec city, some as high as 200 feet (60 meters), can be found in the <em>Templo Mayor </em>adjacent to the cathedral<strong>, </strong>or in the museum of the same name.<br /> <br /> In Constitution Square in the heart of the Federal District, you will find the monumental<strong> National Palace</strong>, the official seat of the Executive Branch. The Palace often receives foreign heads of state and hosts festivals and military parades celebrating the Mexican Revolution and Independence. Frida Kahlo’s husband was commissioned to create five murals in this very palace, on one of the floors and on the main staircase in commemoration of the Bicentennial of Mexican Independence. They were restored in 2009.<br /> <br /> Truly, we can say without hesitation that when you visit <a href="http://www.iberostar.com/EN/Mexico/hotels-Mexico.html" title="Iberostar Mexico" target="_blank">Mexico</a>, you cannot help but feel the presence of Frida Kahlo in just about every corner.</p><p></p><p>Photos | <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/24849304@N00/581125398/" target="_blank">yennyo</a> / <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/baggis/2249422753/" target="_blank">Travis S.<br /><br /></a></p><p></p><p><br /><span style="font-size:11px;"><i><a href="http://passportto.iberostar.com/2011/08/mexico-city-through-the-eyes-of-frida-kahlo-2/" target="_blank">This post originally appeared in our blog, PassporttoIberostar.com.</a></i></span></p></div>Toronto's Distillery District and Local Arthttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/toronto-distillery-district-and-local-art2017-02-13T00:08:11.000Z2017-02-13T00:08:11.000ZToronto Arts Girlhttps://tripatini.com/members/TorontoArtsGirl<div><h3>Historical Creative Arts Centre in Toronto<br /><br /></h3><h3><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6200/6140995882_5b52fdba67.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="300" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6200/6140995882_5b52fdba67.jpg?width=300" class="align-right" alt="6140995882_5b52fdba67.jpg?width=300" /></a></h3><p>Toronto is full of arts and culture all situated on Lake Ontario. I recentlyhad a chance to exhibit my art in one of my favourite locations in Toronto, the Distillery District. Cafes, theatres, art galleries, restaurants and historical areas are spread out over the city. If you are visiting from out of town always do a little research before hand so you are prepared. One of my favourtie areas as <a target="_blank" href="http://www.torontoartsgirl.com">Toronto Arts Girl</a> is the Toronto Distillery District. It's one of the rare modern feel places that also has kept it's architectural historical integrity. There is such a diversity of shops, cafe, galleries and theatres. You can decide to high ball or low ball, but it's all there.<br /> <br /> <br /></p><h3><br />Discovering Local <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ruthwilgress.com">Toronto Artist</a></h3><h3><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6157/6140998926_2a1864c3a8.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="300" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6157/6140998926_2a1864c3a8.jpg?width=300" class="align-left" alt="6140998926_2a1864c3a8.jpg?width=300" /></a></h3><p>It's very seldom do you go into an establishment these days and see bare walls. They can just offer the wall space to artists who'd rather have their art work on public walls than hiding in their studio spaces. I don`t create my art work with the purpose to sell, but if I can make profits from my artistic endeavors I am more than pleased. Especially because it provides with the financial opportunity to continue on my creative journey. <br /><br /></p><h3><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6156/6140446443_2446ba5087.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="300" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6156/6140446443_2446ba5087.jpg?width=300" class="align-right" alt="6140446443_2446ba5087.jpg?width=300" /></a></h3><p>Displaying art work in public is a great opportunity to gain exposure. The difficult task can be placing a monetary value on your art work. It can also be a challenge for buyers to decide on what is a price that is worth while. Sometimes negotiation can be involved and is encouraged by artists. I always consider the cost of supplies, time and effort I put into the art work. There are so many talented artists out there trying to figure the value of their work. <br /><br /><br />Toronto artist Ruth Wilgresshas has worked on her <a target="_blank" href="http://www.duo.ca/">business storytelling</a> and branding with explanations about her paintings. She incorporates discarded computer components into her paintings to make various messages about technology on our modern-day society. It's not all bad messages either. With her five paintings using hard drive chips, laptop speakers, broken cds, and keypads she develops visually pleasing illustrations on the issues like global warming and human connection. <br /><br /><br /><strong>Cafe Uno</strong>, where they were displayed, is a reasonably priced casual restaurant where you can grab a smoothie, sandwich, salad or gelato and enjoy the historical heritage of the building with it's cool friendly rustic/mod ambiance. A good place to take a walk from the downtown core and see some of Canada's history. </p><p><br /><br /></p></div>The Importance of Travelhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/the-importance-of-travel2011-09-17T12:22:51.000Z2011-09-17T12:22:51.000ZKaleigh Layhttps://tripatini.com/members/KaleighLay<div>The other day, while we were watching our little girl twirl around the living room, James asked me if I could think of anything in life that provided as essential an experience as having a child. (Yes, we get quite philosophical at times ;) ) I thought about it, and the only other thing I could come up with was travel. Just as if you have never had a child, there is this whole realm of life that you just never experience if you never travel (which describes many, many people I have met over the years). There is, quite literally a whole world that you have missed out on. Now, of course, I wouldn't trade my daughter or family for travel, but I would trade just about anything else in my life for that experience, and in many ways, we have. <br /><br /><br /> We are not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, but have traveled to much of Europe, a little of Africa and all but 9 of the United States. We are in our early 30's, and we live unlike anyone we know. Rather than spending money on SUVs or a large house, we live below our means and redirect the extra money to travel. <br /><br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><br /> I started this blog thinking that I was going to answer the question as to "why" travel was so important to us. Instead, I want to find out the answer to my question "why not?" I have heard many excuses over the years, so we'll start with those.<br /><br /><strong>Money</strong>: The most common excuse, of course. This is the one that I get when I am sheepishly telling my aquaintences that, yes we are going to Disney World again, or that we have a cruise in Europe planned. They eye my very unfashionable clothing, shake their heads, and exclaim "we don't have the money for anything like that. We are lucky to get down to the beach once a year!" And I feel guilty. But, then I think about how my husband really doesn't make more money than they do, and I look at their fancy new car, visit their 2500 sq ft houses, eye their high-class wardrobe and come to the realization that we just have different values than they do. <br /><br />For those who I meet who really don't have the money to travel like we do, and have no way of getting it, there is still travel to be had. When we were first married, we were broke, as normal college students tend to be. But still, we traveled within our means. One weekend we went only an hour away to Natchitoches, LA and visited the old French fort there, played mini-golf and ate at Ryan's. We ended up with a private tour of the fort with a cute little old lady, dressed up in pioneer garb, leading us around and storytelling as only these type of people can. <br /><br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><br /> Also this year, we went down to New Orleans for one weekend, in addition to hitting all the state historic sites near our home. Some of them weren't great, but some were, and you know what? I can't remember much more from that first year of marriage, but I remember every one of those trips vividly. And each of them were done for very little money. Even to this day, if we are visiting family or going through a new area, we still try to stop and see whatever tourist thing they offer (especially historic sites). <br /> Most recently, while visiting my home town of Lafayette, LA, we had an extra afternoon, and decided to head down to St. Martinville, where the Evangeline tree of the Longfellow poem still resides, and ended up in a museum dedicated to the Acadians. There was a presentation at the end of the museum that brought us to tears. And this was only about 20 minutes from where I grew up. In 5 years, I won't remember much else about that visit, but I will remember St. Martinville and Evangeline. <br /><br /> All of this is actually a rebuttal to another very common excuse: <strong>Time Off Work</strong>. I agree, it is necessary to have a decent amount of vacation time to do most extensive vacations, and many people are forced into vacationing when everyone else is vacationing, in the summer. But really, the only place that I have visited that I just will not visit again in the summer is Walt Disney World. (Okay, add Washington D.C. to that as well, but that is more a personal thing having to do with my hating to walk in the heat without tree or building cover.)<br />But, as I have proven above, you can have memorable travel experiences just worked into your everyday life and on weekends. We see every time we leave town as an opportunity to stretch our travel legs. Even within our town, we make sure to see the attractions, which can make for a memorable afternoon or evening. Although, we have yet to make it down to the Hank Williams Museum downtown. Eventually... <br /><br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /> So, why else, when it is so easy, and often cheap, to have some neat experiences do people not place importance on travel? <strong>"I just don't care about that stuff</strong>" This is the one that gets me the most because it is the one I least understand. What, exactly, are they claiming to not care about? The world around them? History? Art? Natural beauty? Man-made beauty/ architecture? I think that these people are missing the boat completely. Even if you aren't "interested" in the above things, travel can remedy that. I learn more through travel than I ever have in any classroom or through any book. One of the things I am most excited about is showing our daughter the world and seeing her learn as we travel. I wasn't interested in visual art in the least before visiting Europe, but after being there and learning about the people who created it, (and seeing some really great examples), I love art now and visit even the most piddly museums wherever I go, in hopes of seeing something that stirs me. <br /><br /><br /> And if I had known how much I enjoy architecture, when I was in college I might have majored in it, or at least taken a class. I am not trying to say that I am more "cultured" or smarter than anyone else. I am just a small-town Southern girl. But, I know what I like, and you have to actually see more of the world to see what you like. <br />Without travel, I would have never known that I LOVE Indian food, that, for some reason, my brain picks up the Italian language more quickly than others, and I wouldn't have met amazing people who have helped to shape my view of the world. <br /><br /><br /> From Tarek, my Tunisian tour guide and now good friend who gives me a window into Muslim culture to Daniela, who struggled with my poor Italian over skype before picking me up from the airport in Florence and treating us to an amazing night out in Fiesole, to Eliza and Maynard who love Disney as much as we do, to Davis and Becca, who are just another Southern couple that love to travel like us. <br /><br /> Even if you disagree with me about how important travel is, I hope this blog has at least encouraged you to make memories with your family because that is the biggest reason that I love travel. Years down the road, you won't remember the day to day drudgery of work and life, but you will remember those times when you did something out of the ordinary, even if it didn't go so well. (Sometimes those are the best stories!) So get out there and travel, even if it is to your local museum, fort, beach or state capital, and make some memories!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.cruizecast.com/1/post/2011/09/the-importance-of-travel.html" target="_blank">Original post with pictures</a></div>Britto brilla en altamarhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/britto-brilla-en-altamar2011-09-19T16:44:38.000Z2011-09-19T16:44:38.000ZRaisa Rivashttps://tripatini.com/members/RaisaRivas<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008653270,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="550" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008653270,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9008653270?profile=original" /></a></p><p>Vuelvo a escribir de Britto y no es que nos hayamos hecho amigos luego de que conociera al famoso artista Pop brasileño en Finlandia, en el 2010. En esa ocasión el nombre ni siquiera me era familiar, y que me perdonen los millones de fans que tiene alrededor del mundo.</p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008653485,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="200" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008653485,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" alt="9008653485?profile=original" /></a>Pero Romero Britto fue la estrella invitada para compartir con el grupo de periodistas que viajamos hasta ese país para ver el Allure of the Seas de Royal Caribbean. Ese, que es el barco más grande del mundo, es gemelo del Oasis of the Seas y fue construido en el <a target="_blank" href="http://todosobrecruceros.com/1108/2010/09/07/primer-vistazo-al-allure-of-the-seas/">astillero STX</a>, del pueblito de Turku, en Finlandia. Desde esa ocasión me cautivó que de estrella solo tenía una gran trayectoria, pero nada de poses y distancias. Lucía un hombre sencillo y afable, y no solo a mí que me causó esa impresión, sino a todos los que lo conocimos.</p><p>Lo volví a ver cuando estrenó <a target="_blank" href="http://todosobrecruceros.com/1889/2010/12/02/navegamos-en-el-allure-of-the-seas-el-mas-grande-del-mundo/">el Allure</a>, y él igual de sencillo, compartió con cientos de pasajeros que conocían al dedillo su trabajo y que compraron su mercancía con tal pasión que la hicieron agotarse en el viaje inaugural. Allí conocí una buena parte de su obra, tal vez la más comercial, desde los cuadros hasta las famosas carteras, osos en cristal, mariposas, maletas, relojes y accesorios para la casa. En el Allure se estableció su primera galería en altamar, con tanto éxito que ya hay otra en el Freedom of the Seas, pero él es un consagrado artista cuyas obras han recorrido los mejores museos del mundo. Con Royal Caribbean tiene una extensa relación iniciada en el 2003 cuando su trabajo decoró el deck de la piscina del Mariner of the Seas.</p><p>El artista define su arte como colorido, esperanzador y entusiasta y dice que le encanta la idea de tener una galería <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008654060,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="250" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008654060,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-right" alt="9008654060?profile=original" /></a>en los barcos, ya que así su trabajo no queda estático sino que viaja alrededor del mundo. Se declara viajero empedernido aunque dijo que nunca ha roto los lazos con su natal Brasil, lugar que ama profundamente y que nunca ha dejado de visitar.</p><p>Al preguntarle cómo se describe, dice que es un optimista que le gusta hablar de soluciones y no de problemas y que con su arte busca crear un lenguaje universal. Dijo que es un admirador de Pablo Picasso y Matisse, entre otros maestros y que el artista brasileño Francisco Brennand ha sido el más influyente en su carrera.</p><p>Considerado por muchos un genio contemporáneo, Britto nació en Recife, en el noreste del país sudamericano. Empezó a pintar desde muy pequeño pero a los 20 años se dio cuenta que podía vivir del arte y no solo lo ha logrado, sino que ha ayudado a miles de personas a través de sus obras caritativas, que son numerosas. La campaña que hizo para ‘Absolute Vodka’ puso su nombre en el mapa mundial, pero considera su mejor obra seis pinturas que hizo para las Naciones Unidas, que fueron usadas para crear millones de sellos de correo.</p><p>La fama del artista no se detiene y aunque suena más por su arte, en ocasiones protagoniza otras noticias, como la reciente demanda por la falsificación de su marca en cientos de tiendas en Puerto Rico. Por lo visto habrá Britto para rato por mar y tierra para beneplácito de sus miles de fans.</p><p><ins style="display:inline-table;border:medium none;height:250px;margin:0pt;padding:0pt;visibility:visible;width:250px;"><ins style="display:block;border:medium none;height:250px;margin:0pt;padding:0pt;visibility:visible;width:250px;" id="aswift_1_anchor"><br /></ins></ins></p></div>San Antonio features art exhibitshttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/san-antonio-features-art-exhibits2011-08-31T20:35:34.000Z2011-08-31T20:35:34.000ZBeverly Burmeierhttps://tripatini.com/members/BeverlyBurmeier<div><a href="http://www.goingonadventures.com/2011/08/san-antonio-features-art-exhibits.html">http://www.goingonadventures.com/2011/08/san-antonio-features-art-exhibits.html</a> Enjoy various forms of art on exhibit this fall in San Antonio.</div>‘Decadent’ Russian Art, Still Under the Boot’s Shadowhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/decadent-russian-art-still2011-04-01T09:08:16.000Z2011-04-01T09:08:16.000ZKhusanov Davronhttps://tripatini.com/members/KhusanovDavron<div><p style="text-align:center;">“<a href="http://www.desertofforbiddenart.com/" title="film’s Web site">The Desert of Forbidden Art</a>”</p><h6 class="byline">By <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/b/ellen_barry/index.html?inline=nyt-per" title="More Articles by Ellen Barry" class="meta-per">ELLEN BARRY <br /></a></h6><h6 class="dateline">Published: March 7, 2011</h6><p>MOSCOW — Later this week moviegoers in New York will learn the strange story of Igor V. Savitsky, an obsessive collector credited with saving tens of thousands of avant-garde artworks from Soviet authorities who forced artists toward Socialist Realism in the 1930s.</p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008605079,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008605079,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="190" alt="9008605079?profile=original" /></a></p><h6 class="credit">Savitsky Collection “Crimson Autumn” (1931), by Ural Tansykbaev, at the Nukus Museum in Uzbekistan. The museum is the subject of a documentary, “The Desert ofForbidden Art,” opening on Friday.</h6><p>“<a href="http://www.desertofforbiddenart.com/" title="film’s Web site">The Desert of Forbidden Art</a>,” an American-made documentary, will try to draw international attention to Mr. Savitsky’s life’s work: a museum in the parched hinterland of Uzbekistan that is home to one of the world’s largest collections of Russian avant-garde art. Until now the museum has been known chiefly to journalists and art lovers who returned from the remote city of Nukus with a dazed look and a remarkable tale, as if they had stumbled into Ali Baba’s cave.</p><p>It would not seem the time for an official crackdown.</p><p>But late last year Uzbek officials abruptly gave the <a href="http://www.savitskycollection.org/" title="museum’s Web site">Nukus Museum</a> 48 hours to evacuate one of its two exhibition buildings, so staff members ended up stacking hundreds of fragile canvases and paper works on the floor of the other space. The building has since stood empty, its fate unknown, and more than 2,000 works are no longer on view at the museum, more formally known as the Karakalpakstan State Museum of Art. The museum’s director, Marinika M. Babanazarova, who has fiercely guarded the collection for 27 years, was not permitted to travel to the United States for a trip that was to include a screening of the documentary at the <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/n/national_gallery_of_art/index.html?inline=nyt-org" title="More articles about National Gallery of Art" class="meta-org">National Gallery of Art</a> in Washington.</p><p>And over the last year Ms. Babanazarova’s staff members have undergone 15 government audits, in which they have repeatedly been asked to explain their travels overseas and the nature of their contacts with foreigners, she said.</p><p>“We have to prove that we are doing something good for the country, that we are not a gang of bandits,” said Ms. Babanazarova, 55, who has run the museum since Mr. Savitsky’s death in 1984. “It’s a great satisfaction that we are getting international recognition. On the other hand, it complicates our lives, to be honest.”</p><p>Officials from the Foreign Ministry and Culture Ministry in Uzbekistan did not respond to written questions submitted last month by The New York Times.</p><p>In the 1990s, when Western journalists and diplomats first happened upon the museum, it seemed like the beginning of an art-world fairy tale. Hanging in crude frames were vivid, saturated works that ran the gamut of early-20th-century styles, from Fauvism and Expressionism to Futurism and Constructivism. The Savitsky collection promised to fill in a missing chapter of art history, chronicling mostly forgotten Soviet artists who were exploring new directions before the early 1930s, when the Stalin regime condemned “decadent bourgeois art” in favor of idealized paintings of factory and farmworkers.</p><p>Some of the artists complied; some were locked up as dissidents; their work wound up in attics and storerooms. It might have remained there except for Mr. Savitsky, who persuaded their families to entrust him with the canvases and carried them back in massive rolls to Nukus, the city he made his home after visiting it as part of an archaeological expedition.</p><p>“It’s an extraordinary collection because it really does tell the story of the twilight zone of the Russian avant-garde,” said John E. Bowlt, director of the Institute of Modern Russian Culture at the <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/u/university_of_southern_california/index.html?inline=nyt-org" title="More articles about University of Southern California" class="meta-org">University of Southern California</a> in Los Angeles. “It’s a kind of diary, and a very sad one.”</p><p>The outside world took notice of the discovery. In 1998, after The New York Times ran a lengthy <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/04/arts/art-in-a-far-desert-a-startling-trove-of-art.html" title="the article">article</a> about the museum, a group of 85 artists and scholars chartered a flight from New York to see the collection. Curators in Germany and France arranged to exhibit parts of it in Europe, and museums in the United States and Russia seemed to be next in line.</p><p>“The collectors from the West started to come in their private planes, bringing bags of money, showing this to us,” Ms. Babanazarova told the filmmakers. “Of course, they had very good taste, we understood this immediately — they wanted the best pieces.”</p><p>Her friends urged her to sell a few paintings, if only to provide better conditions for the rest of the collection. But Ms. Babanazarova refused, partly out of fear that one sale would prompt the government to auction off the best works.</p><p>More than a dozen years later the collection remains intact. But it also remains hidden from the public. After exhibitions in Germany and France in the 1990s, the Uzbek Ministry of Culture has consistently refused invitations to display the collection overseas, Ms. Babanazarova said. (One exception was three paintings now on view in the Netherlands.)</p><p>There has been no clear explanation for this policy, but it may reflect Uzbeks’ lasting ambivalence toward Russia’s imperial influence. Independent since 1991, Uzbekistan vigorously promotes native art forms like weaving and engraving. The works in Mr. Savitsky’s collection — many made by ethnic Russians — have no place in that campaign.</p><p>“Despite all the publicity, it’s dormant,” Mr. Bowlt said. “It’s a shame — there are so many extraordinary paintings by virtually unknown artists that deserve to be talked about, written about. It hasn’t happened.”</p><p>Uzbek authorities have shown bursts of support for the collection. In 2003 <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/k/islam_karimov/index.html?scp=1-spot&sq=Islam%20Karimov&st=cse" title="Times Topics Page on the president">President Islam A. Karimov</a> himself came to Nukus to inaugurate a new museum building, which Ms. Babanazarova called “one of the best buildings in the country,” and Mr. Savitsky received a posthumous state honor. And last year the Foreign Ministry of Uzbekistan financed its own documentary on the Savitsky Collection, which will be shown in Uzbek embassies in a bid to attract tourists to Nukus.</p><p>Nevertheless, one day last November when Ms. Babanazarova was out of town, officials backed up trucks to the museum’s old exhibition building and ordered workers to remove all the artworks, saying the building, which dates to the 1950s, would be demolished as part of an urban renewal project. David Pearce, chairman of the <a href="http://www.savitskycollection.org/pages/Karakalpak_Friends.html" title="the group’s Web site">Friends of the Nukus Museum</a>, a nongovernmental organization, said a deputy minister of culture assured him late last year that the state planned to build new space to replace what was lost, and that it would be ready by this fall. But months have passed with no evident progress.</p><p> </p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008605276,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008605276,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="190" alt="9008605276?profile=original" /></a>Savitsky Collection/Karakalpakstan State Museum of Art</p><p class="caption">The Nukus Museum in Uzbekistan houses one of the world’s largest collections of Russian avant-garde art, deemed decadent and bourgeois by the Stalin regime. Paintings there include “The Bull,” by Vladimir Lysenko.</p><p class="caption"> </p><p>Museum supporters — who include current and former Western diplomats — say they have no idea what the government is planning. Some suggested that Ms. Babanazarova had run afoul of officials because of her fierce defense of the collection or her independent contacts with foreigners.</p><p>“I think it’s sort of ignorance and circling the wagons, it’s fear,” said Amanda Pope, a director of the new American documentary, with Tchavdar Georgiev. “No one will explain.”</p><p>“The Desert of Forbidden Art” outlines various threats facing the collection, including the fear that the best paintings will disappear into private hands, but it does not include the most recent developments. The directors said they especially worried about what would happen without the efforts of Ms. Babanazarova, a tenacious woman whose grandfather served as the leader of the region. They also hoped that their film would revive efforts to exhibit the works in the West.</p><p> </p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008605876,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008605876,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="190" alt="9008605876?profile=original" /></a>Savitsky Collection/Karakalpakstan State Museum of Art</p><p class="caption">Lev Galperin’s “On His Knees.”</p><p class="caption"> </p><p>But on the eve of the film’s New York release on Friday at Cinema Village, in Greenwich Village, officials in Uzbekistan were questioning Ms. Babanazarova repeatedly — asking her “to prove that we are not doing anything bad,” as she put it.</p><p>Asked what prompted the scrutiny, Ms. Babanazarova said she had no idea. But she speculated that officials’ wariness might simply reflect the nagging strangeness of the Savitsky story — the sequence of events that resulted in a collection of extraordinary value being housed in the middle of nowhere.</p><p>“They don’t believe it — that some oddball Savitsky put it together, and then a new group of oddballs are preserving the collection,” she said. “Something about it doesn’t make sense to some officials.”</p><p class="caption"> </p></div>Les Eyzies-de-Tayac - New Centre for Prehistory Openedhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/les-eyziesdetayac-new-centre2011-02-04T14:36:23.000Z2011-02-04T14:36:23.000Zfrance-vacances.co.ukhttps://tripatini.com/members/francevacancescouk<div><span class="postbody font2"><br /></span><p><span class="postbody font2"><span class="font-size-2" style="font-family:verdana, geneva;font-size:x-small;">With the aim of bringing an entertaining as well as educative experience to the discovery of the origins of mankind, a brand new centre of Prehistory has been inaugarated at Les Eyzies in the Dordogne.</span></span></p><p>The Vezere Valley in the Dordogne has been inhabited by man for as long as 400,000 years, it was here in 1868 that Cro-Magnon man was first identified. Much of our knowledge about the origins of man is related to discoveries made in the region over the last two hundred years</p><p> </p><p><img height="273" width="400" src="http://www.france-vacances.co.uk/wpimages/Les%20Eyzies1.jpg" alt="New Centre of Prehistory at Les Eyzies" /></p><br /><p>There are 15 prehistoric sites recognised by UNESCO and this is unique in the world. However, although the prehistoric caves at Lascaux attract 250,000 visitors each year these other sites are less known</p><p><a target="_blank" href="http://eyzies.monuments-nationaux.fr/en/">The new centre</a>is accessed by a bridge from the Sarlat road, giant screens, 3D mock ups and multimedia presentation bring fun and an educational experience to the visitor, in three languages, French, English and Spanish. The reference library and reading room has access to over 36,000 documents on prehistory.</p><p>The continuing development of tourism focused on the prehistory of the Dordogne will see a worldwide exhibition of reproductions of stone age art on a global tour in 2012 and the future construction in 2014 at Montignac at the foot of the hill of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lascaux.culture.fr/#/fr/02_00.xml">Lascaux of a center dedicated to prehistoric art</a></p><p>When visiting the area which is steeped in history and pre-history you can either choose to stay in a hotel, chambre d'hote (bed and breakfast accommodation) or select a self-catering property like <a target="_blank" href="http://www.owners-direct-dordogne.com/page4.html">Cottage Le Capiol</a> in the scenic village of Cenac et Saint Julien on the River Dordogne or <a target="_blank" href="http://www.france-vacances.co.uk/page7.html">La Sarladise</a> in the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sarlat-tourisme.com/en/">town centre of medieval Sarlat</a></p></div>Everyone can be artistic at Hands on Art in Door County, WIhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/everyone-can-be-artistic-at-12010-12-21T03:39:09.000Z2010-12-21T03:39:09.000ZBeverly Burmeierhttps://tripatini.com/members/BeverlyBurmeier<div><p><a href="http://stripedpot.com/2010/12/20/everyone-can-be-artistic-at-hands-on-art-in-door-county-wi/">http://stripedpot.com/2010/12/20/everyone-can-be-artistic-at-hands-on-art-in-door-county-wi/</a> Let your creativity loose and make unique art objects at this "place to play."</p></div>Japan's Art Museum Turned Hotelhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/japans-art-museum-turned-hotel2014-08-11T14:06:09.000Z2014-08-11T14:06:09.000ZDavid Paul Appellhttps://tripatini.com/members/DavidPaulAppell16<div><p><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008566478,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="" style="float:right;" />Some hotels and resorts throughout the world make a big deal out of their collections of painting and sculpture. But leave it to the Japanese to go all the way and actually build a hotel around an art museum. The wee island of Naoshima, in Japan's Inland Sea off the Honshu coast between Osaka and Hiroshima, has gotten quite the elegant little rep in recent years for its modern art museums, of all things, thanks to a local textbook publisher called Benesse. That includes the Chichu Art Museum, the Art House Project, and <b><a href="http://www.naoshima-is.co.jp/?index#/house" target="_blank">Benesse House</a></b>, a four-building complex designed by Pritzker winner Tadao Ando, mixing gallery space and outdoor installations with eateries, a spa, a shop, a monorail, and 49 guestrooms.<br /> <br /> <img width="200" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008566873,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="" style="float:left;" />And if you know anything about contemporary art, the works are some pretty top-tier stuff from some pretty heavy hitters, like Yoshihiro Suda, Niki de Saint-Phalle, Frank Stella, David Hockney, Andy Warhol, Richard Long, and David Tremlett. And it's not just public areas that are tarted up -- each room contains at least one original artwork (for example, if you're a Keith Haring fan, book room 401 in the dramatic hilltop Oval building, where you can gaze to your heart's content upon two of his works, <i>Untitled</i> and <i>Free South Africa</i>). The rates aren't exactly starving-artist territory, so if you find them a mite steep (from ¥34,650/US$380/CA$395/£260), you can always hop the ferry over and have a peep around; you can see most of the galleries without an overnight stay, plus get stoned and aromatherapized in the spa and chow down on Japanese and Western cuisine.</p></div>Chicago's Year-Round Public Art Showhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/chicagos-yearround-public-art-12014-08-02T16:23:04.000Z2014-08-02T16:23:04.000ZTripatinihttps://tripatini.com/members/Tripatini<div><p style="line-height:.26in;margin-bottom:.18in;" align="left"><font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="3">by <a href="http://www.tripatini.com/profile/MaryBergin">Mary Bergin</a></font></font></font></p>
<p><img style="float:right;" alt="" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008549665,original{{/staticFileLink}}" /></p>
<p style="line-height:.26in;margin-bottom:.18in;" align="left"><font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="3">Scattered throughout Chicago, Illinois is evidence of</font></font></font> <span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;color:#000000;font-size:17px;" class="Apple-style-span">creative minds at play: more than 700 pieces of public art. Although local artists get the most commissions, some of the biggest names in modern art — Picasso, Chagall, Calder, Miro -- have also made their mark here, turning “The City That Works” into a world-class museum of modern sculpture. Even better, this museum charges no admission and its works earn the appreciation of not just art experts, but everyone from toddlers to retirees.</span></p>
<p style="line-height:.26in;margin-bottom:.18in;" align="left"><font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="3">Moreover, it will continue to grow. The Percent for Art Ordinance, passed in 1978, requires all the construction budgets of public buildings and spaces to set aside 1.33% of expenses for artwork. In 1999 officials created another fund to maintain the Chicago's outdoor art collection, which is further fattened by private-sector donations. Of the 100-plus public art projects downtown, these are among my favorites:</font></font></font></p>
<p style="line-height:.26in;margin-bottom:.18in;" align="left"><font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="3"><b>Chicago Picasso, aka "The Picasso,"</b></font></font></font> <font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="3"><span style="font-weight:normal;">50 W. Washington St. The 50-foot-tall sculpture in Daley Plaza (above right) looks like a baboon, lion, or long-necked woman – depending upon who’s doing the critique. Good. Art should be subject to interpretation.</span></font></font></font></p>
<p style="line-height:.26in;margin-bottom:.18in;" align="left"><font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="3"><span style="font-weight:normal;">People yelped in disgust when the steel “monstrosity” was unveiled in 1967, but now it’s one of Chicago's most beloved icons, situated where people gather for all sorts of events, from concerts to</span></font></font></font> <font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="3"><i><span style="font-weight:normal;">Christkindlmarkts<br /></span></i></font></font></font> <font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="3"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="font-weight:normal;">(Christmas markets). Kids climb the Picasso and turn the base into a slide. Every once in a while the sculpture gets a big Cubs or White Sox cap.</span></span></font></font></font></p>
<p><img style="float:left;" alt="" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008549696,original{{/staticFileLink}}" /></p>
<p style="line-height:.26in;margin-bottom:.18in;" align="left"><font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="3"><span style="font-style:normal;"><b>Cloud Gate</b></span></font></font></font> <font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="3"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="font-weight:normal;">(left), near the north end of Millennium Park. This shiny, silver bean mirrors the city at the entrance to Millennium Park, its surface capturing an ever-changing picture of the skyscape and its people. Artist Anish Kapoor used liquid mercury as a design inspiration and stainless steel as his material, creating a work that glistens and feigns movement. Walk under the sculpture’s 12-foot (3 1/2-meter) arch, look for seams (amazingly, you won’t find any) and consider your own reflection. As with funhouse reflections, perspectives morph and bend, depending upon your angle.</span></span></font></font></font></p>
<p><img style="float:right;" alt="" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008549860,original{{/staticFileLink}}" /><span style="line-height:24px;" class="Apple-style-span"><font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="3"><span style="font-style:normal;"><b>The Crown Fountain</b> <span style="font-weight:normal;">(right), Michigan Ave. and Monroe St. Millennium Park's Crown Fountain engages all ages in ways far beyond the typical geyser of water, especially during summer. Picture a</span></span></font></font></font> <span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;color:#000000;font-size:17px;" class="Apple-style-span">giant photo slide show of Chicago faces covering two blocks of glass 50 feet (15 meters) high that flank a shallow pool of water.</span></span></p>
<div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000" size="5" face="Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="line-height:24px;font-size:17px;" class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></font><p style="line-height:.26in;font-style:normal;margin-bottom:.18in;font-weight:normal;" align="left"><span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;color:#000000;font-size:17px;" class="Apple-style-span">Watching the faces change is interesting enough, but every few minutes water spews from a pair of puckered lips on screen, much to the delight of sun-scorched visitors. Kids position themselves to get squirted, which is exactly what Spanish artist Jaume Plensa envisioned.</span></p>
<p style="line-height:.26in;margin-bottom:.18in;" align="left"><font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="3"><span style="font-style:normal;"><b>Bronze Cow, aka Hanig Cow</b></span></font></font></font><font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="3"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="font-weight:normal;">, 78 E. Washington St. Herd of cows? Of course you have, and none was more remarkable than the invasion of nearly 320 in Chicago in 1999, the first Parade of Cows in the United States. A walking tour of the artwork was a hit with tourists, and the statues eventually were auctioned, raising money for nonprofit causes.</span></span></font></font></font></p>
<p style="line-height:.26in;font-style:normal;margin-bottom:.18in;font-weight:normal;" align="left"><font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="3">The eyes of this particular bovine, made of dulled bronze, contain reflections of Chicago’s Historic Water Tower and the Picasso sculpture in Daley Plaza. This lovely Bossy was a gift to Chicago from private donors, including the family of Peter Hanig, who was instrumental in first bringing the endearing Parade of Cows to Chicago. Themed public art projects have since been replicated throughout the nation. Redemption, perhaps, for all that trouble caused in 1871 by Mrs. O’Leary’s cow.</font></font></font></p>
<p style="line-height:.26in;margin-bottom:.18in;" align="left"><font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="3"><span style="font-style:normal;"><b>Flamingo</b></span></font></font></font><font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="3"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="font-weight:normal;">, 50 W. Adams St. Call ’em like you see ’em. Anchoring the Federal Plaza is the 1973 work of Pennsylvania sculptor Alexander Calder, the first work commissioned under the Percent for Art program. Color?<br /> What you say is orange or red is technically vermillion here.</span></span></font></font></font> <font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="3">The 50-ton (45,000-kilo) abstract steel sculpture is named after a graceful bird, but it also resembles a nimble gymnast doing a back bend. It’s humbling enough to walk under; don’t even think of climbing it.</font></font></font></p>
<img style="float:right;" alt="" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008551072,original{{/staticFileLink}}" />
<p style="line-height:.26in;margin-bottom:.18in;" align="left"><font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="3"><span style="font-style:normal;"><b>The Four Seasons</b></span></font></font></font> <font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="3"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="font-weight:normal;">(right), 10 South Dearborn St. Outside of Chase Tower, surrealist<br /> Marc Chagall’s mosaic covering a 70-foot (21-meter) slab celebrates human life and spirit as they age. This</span></span></font></font></font> <span style="font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;color:#000000;font-size:17px;" class="Apple-style-span">contemplative piece, installed in 1974, contains thousands of chips and hundreds of colors that produce an odd and whimsical mesh of frolicking dancers, fish adrift and lilting musicians. Can't miss it.</span></p>
<p style="line-height:.26in;margin-bottom:.18in;" align="left"><font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="3"><span style="font-style:normal;"><b>Miro's Chicago</b></span></font></font></font><font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="3"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="font-weight:normal;">, 69 West Washington St. This one is easy to miss, because Joan Miro’s multimedia work sits across the street from the more imposing Picasso in Daley Plaza. The Spanish artist’s playful statement about Chicago and feminism was erected in 1981. The 39-foot (12-meter) figure's sturdy lower torso curves out like a bell, and atop its head is a thick bronze fork, tines aiming skyward, symbolizing rays of light beaming from a star.</span></span></font></font></font></p>
<p style="line-height:.26in;margin-bottom:.18in;" align="left"><font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="3"><span style="font-style:normal;"><b>Agora</b></span></font></font></font><font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="3"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="font-weight:normal;">, Michigan Ave. and Roosevelt Rd. People's moods darken at the south end of Grant Park while meandering around</span></span></font></font></font> <font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="3"><i><span style="font-weight:normal;">Agora</span></i></font></font></font><font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="3"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="font-weight:normal;">'s 106 headless cast-iron figures, each nine feet tall. This 2006 work by Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz ranks among the most emotional and controversial in Chicago. See if it hits a nerve: The eerie figures look alike from afar but details differ when up close.</span></span></font></font></font></p>
<p style="line-height:.26in;font-style:normal;margin-bottom:.18in;font-weight:normal;" align="left"><em><font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="3"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="font-weight:normal;">See these and other public art spots on your own (visit</span></span></font></font></font></em> <a href="http://www.explorechicago.org/city/en/supporting_narrative/attractions/dca_tourism/Public_Art.html"><font color="#0026E2"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="3"><span style="font-style:normal;"><u><span style="font-weight:normal;"><em>Explore Chicago</em></span></u></span></font></font></font></a><em><font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="3"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="font-weight:normal;">),<br /> or take an art sightseeing excursion via bus and foot through</span></span></font></font></font></em> <a href="http://www.chicagoneighborhoodtours.com/"><font color="#0026E2"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="3"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="font-weight:normal;"><em>Chicago<br /> Neighborhood Tours</em></span></span></font></font></font></a><font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="3"><span style="font-style:normal;"><span style="font-weight:normal;"><em>.</em></span></span></font></font></font></p>
<p style="line-height:.26in;margin-bottom:.18in;" align="left"><font color="#000000"><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><font style="font-size:13pt;" size="1"><i><span style="font-weight:normal;">Photos 1-3: Mary Bergin.</span></i></font></font></font></p>
</div></div>Coffee, Cake and Kinkhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/coffee-cake-and-kink2010-03-12T16:30:00.000Z2010-03-12T16:30:00.000ZA Hedonist's Guide To...https://tripatini.com/members/AHedonistsGuideTo<div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Helvetica Neue Light', Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Part-café, part-shop, part-gallery, Coffee, Cake and Kink is a melting pot of owner Alan Cassidy’s three favourite things. The welcoming two-tiered space is where erotic art lovers come to leaf through kinky books and peruse the latest fetishist exhibitions while supping on Fairtrade coffee and eating handmade cake. Cassidy’s open-minded approach to sexuality is demonstrated by the seminars hosted here on subjects such as spanking, swinging and erotic photography. A ‘bring a bottle’ policy applies after 6pm for which there is a £5 corkage charge. Most of what you see – including the toys, books, prints and cuffs – is for sale. Be careful not to choke on your coffee.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Helvetica Neue Light', Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight:bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">More info:</span> <a href="http://www.hg2.com/cities/london"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">http://www.hg2.com/cities/london</span></a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue Light', Arial, sans-serif" size="6"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:19px;"><b><br /></b></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p style="text-align:left;"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue Light', Arial, sans-serif" size="6"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:19px;"><b><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008539693,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="" /></b></span></font></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"></p><br /></div>A journey through the Kingdom of Ifehttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/a-journey-through-the-kingdom2010-03-15T20:11:43.000Z2010-03-15T20:11:43.000ZHarry Bunnellhttps://tripatini.com/members/HarryBunnell<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Georgia, serif;line-height:20px;"><a class="noborder" href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008537682,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img width="180" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008537682,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="" style="float:left;" /></a></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Georgia, serif;line-height:20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">When German archaeologist Leo Frobenius first discovered beautiful terracotta sculptures and copper cast head pieces in Nigeria in 1910, he proclaimed that he had discovered Plato’s lost city of Atlantis. European attitudes were so negative to African abilities that he reasoned that the artworks must be the work of foreign settlers, inconceivable to be created by African hands.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Eventually as more works surfaced through further discoveries, explorers began to change their attitudes. The Western world was amazed by their level of detail and quality, so much so in fact that when the exhibition was first opened to the public in the British Museum back in 1948 the London News praised the artworks as "Mysterious Ife Bronze Heads: African art worthy to rank with the finest works of Italy and Greece." Having visited the Kingdom of Ife exhibition at the British Museum last weekend I would have to agree!</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">This collection has been two years in the making with collaboration between the British Museum, the Museum for African Art, and the Fundación Marcelino Botín in Santander, Spain, and all made possible by Nigeria's National Commission for Museums and Monuments. It is the first time many of these works have been seen outside Nigeria, and most of the near one hundred objects are on loan from museums in Lagos and Ife. Before shipping the artefacts to London, the British Museum sent a team to Nigeria to train local museum staff in packing objects for loans, installing exhibitions and conservation.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The large range of artefacts on display is breath-taking and the collection shows the complexity and mystery of the Kingdom of Ife, a rich and powerful West African city-state in what is now south-west Nigeria.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The origins of Ife can be traced back to 800AD, the heartland of the Yoruba people and grew due to trade links in the 12</span></span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">th</span></span></sup> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">to 15</span></span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">th</span></span></sup> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">century. The kingdom fell into decline when other city states like Benin emerged. The artworks give an amazing cross section of Ife society; including royalty, slaves, warriors and the sick. Many of the masks have facial markings created by facial striations or in some cases the mask had raised welts created using blister beetles. Cantharidin from these beetles is a poisonous chemical causing blistering of the skin, a practice so painful that it had to be abandoned. Another sculpture that really stood out was that of a man suffering from testicle elephantiasis who had probably travelled to Ife to be cured.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">However, the sculptures that are most likely to capture the imagination of the visiting public are the magnificent copper heads that depict Ife royalty. Many of these heads were worn in ceremonies even though some of them weigh up to 9kg! The process used to create the copper and brass sculpture is called lost-wax. Check out this</span></span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcehaHLwL1Y"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">video</span></a></span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">to see how it’s done, an amazing and skilful technique.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The £8 entry fee was worth every penny and I would recommend the exhibition to anyone. This is another example of a renewed interest in West African culture as outlined in Thomas’ previous</span></span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><a href="http://wadiscovery.blogspot.com/2010/03/increasing-popularity-of-west-africa.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">blog</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. I for one cannot wait for the summer in the UK and the festival listings that are sure to feature many great West African musicians.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Kingdom of Ife is at the British Museum, Great Russell Street, London, until June 6</span></span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">th</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">.</span></span></span></p></div>