National Treasures: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

June 2008 | BY The AmericanStyle Staff | Issue 61 | NO COMMENTS

: Point State Park welcomes visitors to Pittsburgh, above. Emilio Santini is seen flameworking at the Pittsburgh Glass Center, part of the burgeoning arts movement in the Penn Avenue Arts district. Photography by Mark Ludwig

With the celebration of its 250th birthday underway, Pittsburgh rolls in at No. 3 with grand style. Highlights of the yearlong festivities include a very special birthday gift-a $35 million transformation of Point State Park, the city’s signature “entrance”-and the 250 Festival of Lights, when artists will transform downtown buildings into works of art in October and November.

“I love Pittsburgh’s funky-friendly vibe,” wrote AmericanStyle reader Bibi Hahn, of Berkeley Springs, W.Va. “Pittsburgh has several neighborhoods reinventing themselves,” added Pittsburgh resident Rob Latta.

One organization, the nonprofit Friendship Development Associates (FDA), is behind a major project, the Penn Avenue Arts Initiative (PAAI). In 1998, FDA purchased an initial set of 16 buildings through the PAAI; this year it is developing the f inal two. To date, it has helped 16 artists purchase homes, 43 artists rent space, located six arts organizations (including the Pittsburgh Glass Center) and continues to support the growth of more than 300 artists in the district. Its latest project, the Glass Lofts, will house residences, offices, a restaurant and several artist studios when complete.

Art is going to be a major force in Pittsburgh this year. The 55th Carnegie International “Life on Mars” (running May 3-Jan. 11, 2009) opened in the spring for the first time since 1924, and also takes a title for the first time ever. The exhibit posed the question, “Is there life on Mars?” to 40 international artists. Beginning concurrently (and running through Aug. 24), the Pittsburgh Filmmakers and Pittsburgh Center for the Arts present the 2008 Biennial. In addition to showcasing a “continuum of visual arts,” this year’s show will see a new cinema program and art performances.

National Treasures: Scottsdale, Ariz.

June 2008 | BY The AmericanStyle Staff | Issue 61 | NO COMMENTS

: Scottsdale’s Main Street is bursting with art galleries and public art, including Colores by Wilde Meyer gallery, which features Doug Weigel’s brightly painted steel sculpture “Doug’s Gang” out front. Photography by Pamela Parisi

Commonly known as “The West’s Most Western Town,” Scottsdale could also be called “The Land of Art Galleries,” since it seems like a new one is added to the 125-plus list every day.

“Scottsdale has the most beautiful art galleries in the country,” wrote reader Linda Homonoff, of Barrington R.I., in casting her vote. It’s a “great art community and shows great contemporary art in a traditionally Western town,” agreed Wendy Haas, of Tempe, Ariz.

The city boasts a popular Thursday evening ArtWalk, established by the Scottsdale Gallery Association 30 years ago. Downtown hotspots include Main Street, Marshall Way, Old Town and Fifth Avenue, which offer an eclectic mix of galleries, studios, restaurants and shops. Be prepared to experience it all-everything from Native American craft to edgy, contemporary art is offered downtown.

The Scottsdale Public Art Program commissions art installations and works with developers to fund art projects throughout the year. Most recently, it has worked with the developers of the $250 million Scottsdale Waterfront to permanently install Donald Lipski’s gigantic walk-in kaleidoscope “The Doors.” The program has also seen the city cast in Jell-O, watched the RedBall Project bounce through its streets and seen Audio Ballerinas perform at the Scottsdale Arts Festival in March.

The Heard Museum North Scottsdale has also undergone dramatic changes. It moved to a new 11,000-squarefoot facility last year, opening two galleries to showcase both its permanent collection and special exhibitions, an outdoor sculpture garden, cafe and museum store.

National Treasures: Buffalo, N.Y.

June 2008 | BY The AmericanStyle Staff | Issue 61 | NO COMMENTS

: Buffalo’s highly anticipated Burchfield-Penney Art Center, shown here in an artist’s rendering of the main gallery, will reopen this fall. Photography By WWW.DBOXSTUDIOS.COM

As if predicting the city’s No. 1 ranking, mayor Byron W. Brown declared 2008 the “Year of the Arts” in Buffalo during his State of the City Address in February. To back up his claim, he dedicated $1 million to build a new Urban Arts Center.

The city received enthusiastic support from AmericanStyle readers across the country, who repeatedly called it “a hidden jewel” and “a well-kept secret.” That’s probably because Buffalo’s art scene is as varied as the people who live in it. “You name it, we have it,” wrote Buffalo resident Amy Proctor.

One of the largest, most anticipated projects in the area is the opening this fall of the Burchfield-Penney Art Center at its new, expanded location on the Buffalo State College campus. Its 84,000 square feet will include exhibition space, educational facilities and an arts conservation laboratory, all with a focus on western New York artists.

The other major player in town, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, announced plans for expansion earlier this year. Although planning only recently began, the architecture committee intends to expand the space while making a lasting creative impact. In the meantime, the gallery’s best-kept secret is its free Friday “Gusto at the Gallery” events, hosting everything from poetry slams to lectures and performances.

Buffalo is also dedicated to working artists. Local nonprofit Belmont Housing Resources worked with Minneapolis- based Artspace Projects to complete the $16.2 million Artspace Buffalo Lofts, 60 affordable housing units with shared studio space in a historic midtown building.

National Treasures:
Washington, D.C.

June 2008 | BY The AmericanStyle Staff | Issue 61 | NO COMMENTS

: A new addition, the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard at the Smithsonian’s Patent Office Building, is visible above. Photography by COURTESY OF KEN RAHAIM / SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

The presidential candidates aren’t the only ones vying for a ticket to the nation’s capital, a newcomer to our poll’s top three. Some 15 million people visit Washington, D.C., each year, most of them hoofing it around town in their Nikes, a recent Brookings Institution survey named D.C. the country’s most walkable major city.

Politics and monuments aside, what appeals to so many art lovers about D.C. is its commitment to art for everyone. “Washington has, in my experience, the finest and most universally accessible museums,” said reader and Buffalo, N.Y., resident Christina Wos Donnelly. “Many are open 364 days a year and are always free!”

But don’t think that accessible means you’ve seen it all. There is plenty of renovation going on around town. The historic Patent Office Building, home to the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, recently completed the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard, a spectacular enclosed garden that will be home to year-round performances and special events. The roof is a wavy glass and steel structure that appears to float over the courtyard, letting in natural light to create an idyllic spot for quiet contemplation. The Textile Museum will also be coming to the neighborhood in fall 2009, when it opens its second location at 421 7th Street NW, with a welcome 23,400 square feet of space.

National Treasures: Chicago, Ill.

June 2008 | BY The AmericanStyle Staff | Issue 61 | NO COMMENTS

: “Chicago has fallen in love with the art of Mark di Suvero,” says Lois Weisberg,commissioner of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. Five of his sculptures, including “Orion,” are installed in Millennium Park through October.

Always a bridesmaid, Chicago has sat comfortably in the No. 2 spot for the last four years. But the arts scene in this city, billed as an “open-air museum” thanks in part to magnificent Millennium Park, is anything but sedentary, with new projects, improvements and public art installations constantly in the works.

“Chicago is a staple in my traveling routine,” said AmericanStyle reader Justin Crockett, of Columbus, Ohio, on his ballot. “The city has so much to offer, I am frequently overwhelmed by my choices when it comes to art and theater.” Adds Sarasota, Fla., resident Elena Hernandez- Ron, “Chicago is a city of public art and sculpture.”

Adding to that reputation is a new addition to Millennium Park, f ive Mark di Suvero sculptures installed in the outdoor Boeing Galleries through mid-October. The largest of the pack, the bright-orange “Orion,” measures in at 53 feet high and weighs nearly 12 tons.

Work has begun on the Nichols Bridgeway, a 625-foot pedestrian bridge connecting Millennium Park to the Art Institute’s new Modern Wing, which will house the museum’s modern collection. The exterior “curtain walls” of the Renzo Pianodesigned Modern Wing are now complete; double-layer glass panels will protect art from harmful rays while bathing it in natural light. The three-story building will include a sculpture terrace, the perfect diversion after a walk through the park. Both the bridge and the Modern Wing are scheduled to open in early 2009.

The city is also offering a new program this summer, Chicago Public Art Tours. Just $20 will get visitors a guided tour through some of Chicago’s distinct neighborhoods, with stops to see the public artworks that help make them so colorful.

National Treasures: New York

June 2008 | BY The AmericanStyle Staff | Issue 61 | NO COMMENTS

: Classic meets contemporary in New York: the Leon Levy and Shelby White Court is part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s New Greek and Roman Galleries. Photography by THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, NEW YORK

Don’t mention the words “economic slowdown” to New York, once again topping the list of our readers’ favorites. The Big Apple hosted a record-breaking 46 million visitors in 2007-visitors who spent $28 billion. And much of that money is being reinvested into the city in the form of new arts institutions and beautification projects.

New York “boasts an infrastructure to support and advance the work of local artists and arts organizations of all sizes, shapes and forms,” said AmericanStyle reader Susan Boskoff, of Reno, Nev., in casting her vote. The much-anticipated New Museum of Contemporary Art opened on the Bowery in December. The seven-story, 60,000-square-foot glimmering metal-mesh structure is the first art museum to be built from the ground up in downtown Manhattan.

Then there’s the expansive new Museum of Arts & Design building at Columbus Circle, set to open its doors in September. The 54,000-square-foot space will allow MAD to dedicate galleries to its growing permanent collection for the first time in its history. It will also house the new Tiffany & Co. Foundation Jewelry Gallery, offering contemporary jewelry exhibitions and publicly accessible study storage of the museum’s entire jewelry collection.

At The Metropolitan Museum of Art, recent renovations include the New Greek and Roman Galleries, Galleries for 19th- and Early 20th- Century European Paintings and Sculpture, the Wrightsman Galleries for French Decorative Arts and the brand-new Joyce and Robert Menschel Hall for Modern Photography.

A lesser-known project in the works? The transformation of Manhattan’s High Line, a retired elevated rail structure running through the Chelsea historic district and a concentration of art galleries, into an innovative public space. Robust plantings, overlooks and a butterfly garden will help make the 1.5-mile stretch an accessible way for pedestrians to rise above the hustle of the city streets. The first section is set to open in the fall.

Editors Note : Travel + Lists? Priceless

May 2008 | BY Hope Daniels | Issue 61 | NO COMMENTS

: You run into the most interesting things while traveling. This inviting street scene is along Quebec City’s Rue Petit-Champlain.

I don’t think I’ve ever come across a list I didn’t love. Seven Wonders of the World? David Letterman’s Top 10 lists? The 100 Places to See Before You Die? Any of the many ongoing New York Times Best Seller lists? Yes, yes, yes and yes! I’ll even admit to a particular fondness for “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.”

If you too are compulsively lured by lists, you know exactly what I mean: all those items placed in rank order to highlight the biggest, the best, the finest, even the worst are simply too hard (and too good) to resist.

Which brings me to AmericanStyle‘s Top 25 Arts Destinations. Started 11 years ago as what we thought would be a one-time-only readers’ poll, our U.S. arts cities competition has grown over the years into a major event fueled by travel-minded readers and encompassing everyone from city boosters, cultural organizations, grassroots arts groups and visual arts bloggers to the national media.

In the beginning the list was simple: 25 cities, large or small, selected by sheer number of votes cast by AmericanStyle readers for locations they felt had the most to offer travelers focused on the visual arts. Top performers in the early years always included New York, Chicago and San Francisco, as well as smaller cities like Santa Fe, New Hope, Saugatuck and (in 2000) all of Cape Cod.

As the competition continued through the years, however, we saw it becoming increasingly difficult for smaller (yet considerably arts-worthy) communities to compete. So in 2005 we leveled the playing field and restructured the ballots into three distinct categories based on population.

The result? Three lists of 25 Top Arts Destinations, large, mid-sized and small, and an even wider range of fascinating cities hand-picked by AmericanStyle readers to put on your own “Best Arts Places to Visit” list. Enjoy!

Hope Daniels
Editor-in-Chief

Arts Walk: Asheville

April 2008 | BY Marla Hardee Milling | Issue 61 | NO COMMENTS

: A 10-minute trip north of the city will bring you to the picturesque setting of Grovewood Gallery.

In the past decade, Asheville, N.C., has experienced a rebirth of sorts. Once booming, its downtown suffered a slump in the 1980s and became almost desolate. Today there are few reminders of that grim period, as the city’s heart pulses with a menagerie of new condos, cafes, entertainment and, of course, art.

Ranked by AmericanStyle readers as one of America’s Top Arts Destinations, Asheville is much more than just a naturally beautiful locale in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It practically qualifies as a work of art itself, with stunning Art Deco architecture, outdoor sculptures lining a creative 1.7-mile Urban Trail that winds through downtown, and a work-in-progress: the Pack Square Park. When completed later this year, this newly updated 6.5-acre public area, located in front of the Buncombe County Courthouse and Asheville City Hall, will boast the work of several area artists, including Weaverville, N.C., artist Kathy Triplett, whose one-of-a-kind sculptural ceramic tiles will decorate the main stage of the park.

There are many points of entry to begin an Arts Walk in Asheville, but you can’t go wrong by starting on Biltmore Avenue at some of John Cram’s successful enterprises: Blue Spiral 1 (38 Biltmore Ave., 828-251-0202) and the new Bellagio Everyday (40 Biltmore Ave., 828-255-0221). Cram’s first store, New Morning Gallery (7 Boston Way, 828-274-2831), and the original Bellagio (5 Biltmore Plaza, 828-277-8100) are both located in historic Biltmore Village, about 10 minutes south of the downtown area. Biltmore Village is at the entrance to George Vanderbilt’s famed Biltmore Estate—a tour through the estate, America’s largest private residence, is another treat for art lovers.

Last year, Cram bought the building next to Blue Spiral 1 and expanded the gallery, and also opened Bellagio Everyday, which offers innovative art-to-wear at a variety of price points. The new building included something that Cram says he loves dearly. It’s a freight elevator, which makes moving large objects among the building’s three floors a much simpler task. Blue Spiral 1 features 30 annual exhibitions, as well as works by more than 100 Southeastern fine artists and craftsmen. “The gallery keeps reinventing itself,” says gallery director Jordan Ahlers. “There’s always a different group of artists.”

: If you’re ready to escape the hustle and bustle, Asheville offers plenty of opportunities, including the gardens of the Biltmore Estate.

Pick up a copy of the 2008 Asheville Downtown Gallery Guide before you leave Blue Spiral 1. It provides a map of locations for area galleries, studios and museums.

A few streets over, across from the popular Malaprop’s Bookstore, is Ariel Gallery (46 Haywood St., 828-236-2660), a cooperative featuring the work of about 20 local artists. Weaver Vicki Essig is one of Ariel’s founding artists, who came together in 2002. The gallery features handcarved pottery by Karen Newgard and glasswork by William and Katherine Bernstein, as well as exquisite jewelry, handcrafted furniture and works in clay and metal.

Eclectic and whimsical art fills Asheville’s former Woolworth store. Now called Woolworth Walk (25 Haywood St., 828-254-9234), the two-level space features booths offering jewelry, paintings of Asheville landscapes and familiar downtown buildings by artist Jeff Pittman, pottery and other art for sale. Plus, the old Woolworth soda fountain has been updated and is back in business.

From Haywood Street, turn up Battery Park and stroll to the Grove Arcade (1 Page Ave.), which contains stores like Mountain Made (1 Page Ave., Suite 123, 828-350-0307), boasting the work of more than 80 western North Carolina artists. Manager Melinda Knies points to Tommy Williams, who created the tile on the front of the store’s counter, as one of the rising stars in the pottery world. Mountain Made also features hand-blown ornaments and goblets by Jason Probstein and handcrafted furniture by Ronno L. Cooke. Profits from Mountain Made support Mountain BizWorks’ small business development services.

Another stop in the Grove Arcade is the Arts & Heritage Gallery (1 Page Ave., Suite 115, 828-255-0775). This gallery features rotating exhibits and demonstrations by artists in residence, as well as regular artwork for sale, including traditional Cherokee crafts, basketry by Billie Ruth Sudduth and small, layered wood bowls by Jim McPhail. Gallery manager Sylvia Organ shows off a unique part of this store—a huge Mountain Stories laser map. There’s an interactive screen to help viewers explore the history of crafts in this region.

And don’t miss the famed Grove Park Inn (290 Macon Ave., 800-438-5800), created by E.W. Grove, the same man behind the downtown Arcade. Located about 10 minutes north of downtown, the inn is decorated with Arts & Crafts furniture. A stop at the next-door Grovewood Gallery (111 Grovewood Road, 828-253-7651) is a must for its impressive display of garden sculpture, handcrafted furniture, ceramics, jewelry, glass and more.

Redefining Haute Couture

April 2008 | BY admin | Issue 61 | NO COMMENTS

: Jack and Elizabeth Gualtieri frame an abalone blister pearl with 22kt gold granulation in the “Empress I Pendant.”

When you hear the phrase haute couture, the first thing that probably comes to mind is high-end fashion. Artist Suz Andreasen is out to change that notion with The Couture Jewelry Awards, a highly selective new competition for studio jewelers, juried by some of the most knowledgeable curators and professors in America today.

A one-day exhibition and sale unveiled the winning artists’ work to the public in December at the Pratt Mansion in New York. It featured 44 jewelers, who sold work ranging from plastic married with silver to luxurious 22kt gold coupled with precious stones.

: Debra Adelson’s “East/West” pendant stands out with colorful acrylic and unexpected tanzanite accents.

Andreasen chose the word couture to emphasize the wearability of the jewelry. To “change the perception of jewelry, you have to completely re-identify it in a new movement,” she maintains. In essence, it’s not mere ornament, it’s wearable art.

For more of “Redefining Haute Couture,” pick up the June 2008 issue of AmericanStyle today!

Behind Closed Doors

April 2008 | BY Karen S. Chambers | Issue 61 | NO COMMENTS

: Large-scale ceramic pieces by Beth Cavener Stitcher, including “Small Lives,” hold pride of place in this collection. Photography by Edward Biamonte

Behind the doors of an unremarkable house in one of Phoenix’s many gated communities that favor conformity in style over creativity lies a surprise: a collection of ceramics that is challenging and confrontational, disquieting and sometimes even disturbing.

From the front door the dining table is visible, with Beth Cavener Stichter’s “Small Lives” centerpiece setting the tone for the rest of the collection. Sitting on their haunches, the artist’s larger-than-life-size hares face off on the tabletop. If luck were determined by size, their large back feet would guarantee a record-breaking lotto win. With heads stretching upward like coyotes baying at the moon, these creatures are miles away from any cute cottontail.

: A pit-fired tulip vessel by Glen Nipshank is displayed in the dining room.

Another Stichter sculpture, “Object Lesson: Dissension,” dominates the living room. A ghostly white, full-size goat is hoisted in a sling by a winch anchored in the ceiling, counter-balanced by a full-scale wooden barrel. Again, Stichter has created a disturbing and enigmatic tableau.

For more of “Behind Closed Doors,” pick up the June 2008 issue of AmericanStyle today!

Arts Travel: A Capital Celebration

April 2008 | BY Christine Kloostra | Issue 61 | NO COMMENTS

Moving beyond its reputation as the birthplace of the Beatles, Liverpool was recently named the 2008 European Capital of Culture by the Council of Ministers of the European Union.

In celebration, the city has assembled a massive calendar of cultural events for the year, and kicked off the festivities in January with a performance at the St. George’s Hall Plateau that attracted tens of thousands of visitors.

Upcoming events include:

“Gustav Klimt: Painting, Design and Modern Life in Vienna 1900,” at the Tate Liverpool May 30- Aug. 31, is an expansive exhibition covering the artist’s life and work.
Design Show Liverpool at the Crypt, Metropolitan Cathedral, June 19-22, offers work from more than 150 top-notch designers.
“Le Corbusier—The Art of Architecture,” at the Crypt, Metropolitan Cathedral, Oct. 2-Jan. 18, 2009, will showcase the architect’s accomplishments.

And, in a nod to one of its most famous residents, a concert featuring Sir Paul McCartney will be held June 1 at Anfield Stadium. For more information on all the events, visit www.liverpool08.com.