Arts Travel: Real-Life Landscapes

June 2006 | BY Christine Kloostra | Issue 50 | NO COMMENTS

Artist Arthur Wesley Dow spent time in France, Boston and New York. Home, however, was Ipswich, Mass., which he memorialized in many paintings.

Dow’s “View of Ipswich” is among the 100 paintings in the Peabody Essex Museum’s “Painting Summer in New England,” the Salem, Mass., museum’s first blockbuster exhibition since its recent expansion.

Dow isn’t the only native son in the exhibition, and the local tourism industry is capitalizing on the connection with “Art Escapes—Experience the Place that Inspired the Art.”

The program, which continues through November, provides hotel packages, art-inspired entrees at participating restaurants and an art trail that includes museums, historical sites and galleries in a dozen cities in the North of Boston region.

“Painting Summer in New England” also includes works by Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper, Norman Rockwell and Andrew Wyeth. It closes Sept. 4.

For more information, visit www.escapesnorth.com.

Arts Travel: The Artful Getaway

June 2006 | BY admin | Issue 50 | NO COMMENTS

If your ideal vacation doesn’t include a beach, we’ve found the perfect spot for you. Don’t miss the chance to take weeklong, weekend or daily workshops in the valley of the San Jacinto Mountains in southern California. The Idyllwild Arts Summer Program 2006 includes workshops in clay, mixed media, watercolor, jewelry, painting and writing from late June through August.

Workshops range from beginner to intermediate, and each average six hours of instruction per day. They also include lectures, extended studio hours and student work exhibitions.

The “Native American Arts Festival,” a part of the 2006 Summer Program, adds depth to ongoing workshops in Navajo weaving and inlay jewelry by providing performances, lectures and discussions with artists and scholars. It will take place July 9-14.

Room and board are offered, as well as many off-campus motel and camping options. Concurrent programs for kids are also available. Class sizes are limited, so early registration is encouraged. For more information, call 951-659- 2171 or visit www.idyllwildarts.org.

Arts Travel: Modernism Celebrates 80 Years

June 2006 | BY admin | Issue 50 | NO COMMENTS

The Bauhaus Building, described as “the icon of Modernism,” celebrates its 80th anniversary this year. Located in Dessau, Germany, the Bauhaus was one of the first schools of design, bringing together some of the greatest contemporary architects and artists under one roof. A three-month exhibition will explore the restoration of the building, the impact it has had on the mass media, and the building’s interior architecture, which has become a prototype of modern spatial organization.

After long periods of disuse, the Bauhaus Building, which originally opened in 1926, has undergone years of renovations. In this sparsely elegant structure, designed by Walter Gropius, form follows function; utility gives birth to design.

The Bauhaus played an important role in shaping the sleek modern design that contemporary society recognizes today. Plan a trip to the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation and celebrate the history of this institution. Highlights include:

• The “Bauhaus Colour Festival,” which will celebrate the power of the color white, on Sept. 2.
• “Modern Internationalism—Global World Culture,” which will address the role that internationalism has played in the history of the Bauhaus, scheduled for Dec. 1-2.
• “Icon of Modernism,” running Dec. 2 through March 11, 2007, which will offer tours in English and explore the restoration, use and impact of the Bauhaus Building. Log on to www.bauhaus-dessau.de for more information.

Arts Travel: Cracking the Code

June 2006 | BY Christine Kloostra | Issue 50 | NO COMMENTS

Since the 2003 publication of The Da Vinci Code, the City of Light has been transformed into a City of Mystery for many of the book’s fans.

The Esprit Saint-Germain is among the Parisian venues capitalizing on the code craze, offering guests an optional guided tour of the novel’s landmarks, including the pivotal Saint-Sulpice church, located across the street from the hotel.

The four-hour walking tour begins at the Louvre, the site of the book’s initial crime, and continues to other sites, such as the Jardin des Tuileries and the Arc du Carrousel. The private tours are led by a guide and can be customized to the guest’s preferences.

The boutique hotel, opened in 2004, is located in the Saint-Germaindes-Prés district on the city’s Left Bank. For rates and information, visit www.espritsaintgermain.com.

Arts Travel: Turning on Tiffany

June 2006 | BY Christine Kloostra | Issue 50 | NO COMMENTS

Louis Comfort Tiffany fans, rejoice! This summer brings not one, but three exhibitions of the designer’s work, from lighting to metalwork.

“Electric Tiffany” at the Paine Art Center and Gardens in Oshkosh, Wis., is the largest exhibition of original Tiffany lamps ever shown outside of New York City, with 50 examples of his table, floor and hanging lamps. The exhibition closes Oct. 8.

A wider range of Tiffany’s work is on dis play at the Saint Louis Art Museum through Oct. 29. “Louis Comfort Tiffany” includes not only lighting, but also vases, pottery and other works in metal.

The Dallas Museum of Art hosts the largest Tiffany exhibition, “Louis Comfort Tiffany: Artist for the Ages,” through Sept. 3. Featuring 120 works, the show provides an in-depth exploration of the development of Tiffany’s style.

Arts Travel: 2 Queen Beds, Non-Smoking, with Gallery

June 2006 | BY Christine Kloostra | Issue 50 | NO COMMENTS

From Belgium to Boston, art hotels are all the rage. Lobby galleries, custom painted guest rooms and discounts for partner museum members are among the artful amenities some of these hotels offer guests.

A few of our favorite domestic destinations:

• The Onyx Hotel, Boston: A partnership with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the museum’s school allows the Onyx to mount six-month exhibitions of students’ work in the hotel lobby. Hotel guests are provided with in-room literature about the artist, as well as promotional materials for the museum. Museum members and the school’s students and faculty get hotel rate discounts.
• The Alexis Hotel, Seattle: This luxury hotel boasts an indoor “Art Walk,” devoted to changing exhibitions of work by Pacific Northwest artists, organized by the hotel’s curator. Specially- themed suites include the John Lennon Suite, celebrating the Beatle’s artwork, and the Pacific Northwest Gallery Suite.
• Hotel des Arts, San Francisco: A boutique hotel for the budget-minded, the Hotel des Arts has taken the art hotel concept beyond its lobby gallery. The hotel offers a number of “painted rooms,” each one painted by a local emerging artist, selected by the hotel in conjunction with a local gallery.

Arts Tour: Middle Tennessee

June 2006 | BY Janis Hashe | Issue 50 | NO COMMENTS

Everyone is familiar with the big names and bluegrass rhythms that have come out of Nashville, Tenn. But a scenic drive down the winding country roads and up the rolling hills of Middle Tennessee reveals a lesser-known treasure: nestled in the hollows of the Cumberland region are hundreds of talented craft artists.

During the Great Depression, many families in the region traded their handmade wares—white oak baskets and chairs—for lamp oil, sugar, coffee, cloth or thread. Their carefully crafted pieces were carted off to major cities including Detroit and New York to be peddled on the streets. Then in the 1960s, the area drew in newcomers looking to get back to the land. The new ideas and techniques brought by these transplants, coupled with the traditions of the long-time local crafters, created the colorful art community that the region is known for today.

Maybe it’s the surroundings that inspire: while in Middle Tennessee, you’re never more than a s tone’s throw away from an abundance of award-winning golfing greens, mountain and horse trails, or quiet rivers.

For more of “Arts Tour: Middle Tennessee,” pick up an August 2006 issue of AmericanStyle today!

Wonders Never Cease

June 2006 | BY The AmericanStyle Staff | Issue 50 | NO COMMENTS

Name the seven wonders of the world.

Can’t do it? Of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, only one still exists—the Pyramids of Giza. The others, from the Hanging Gardens of Babylon to the Temple of Artemis, have fallen victim to the ravages of time and natural disasters.

Bernard Weber thinks it’s high time for a new, up-to-date list. The Swiss entrepreneur has been working since 1999 to select a new set of seven international landmarks, launching a global voting initiative centered on his website at www.n7w.com.

Nominations came in from around the world, resulting in an initial list of 77 top vote-getters that was reduced to 21 by a panel of architects in January. The final list of the “New 7 Wonders” will be announced in January 2007.

Cast your vote for your favorite site online.

Who’s Who in Art History

June 2006 | BY The AmericanStyle Staff | Issue 50 | NO COMMENTS

If you’ve ever taken a course in Art History, chances are you know Janson.

Janson’s History of Art: The Western Tradition (Pearson Prentice Hall, $92) has been the textbook of choice for professors across the United States since it was first published in 1962. The new edition, the first thorough revision of the text, aims to reclaim some of the book’s recently lost luster.

The 1,200-page seventh edition was completely reorganized and revised by six authors, who each compiled chapters in their individual area of expertise, ranging from Ancient to Modern art, a first for the text.

In fact, this is the first edition of the book not to have a Janson associated with it—initial author H.W. Janson’s son Anthony retired in 2002. As a result, the book’s original concept of showcasing individual artists and artworks has been abandoned in favor of a context-based approach.

For the first time, Janson’s includes decorative arts, ranging from Greek pottery to Wedgwood’s jasperware porcelain.

Craft Project Aids Cancer Research

June 2006 | BY The AmericanStyle Staff | Issue 50 | NO COMMENTS

If you’re looking for a way beyond mere monetary donations to contribute to breast cancer research, look no further. Developed by Maryland artist and entrepreneur Gary Rosenthal, The Glass Ribbon Project enables groups to create pink and white glass mosaics that will adorn copper, metal and brass works from The Gary Rosenthal Collection. The glassmaking kits are sent free of charge, upon request, with 10 percent of the proceeds from each piece donated to local breast cancer organizations.

New to The Glass Ribbon Project is the Women of Valor Collection, which celebrates women whose lives have been changed by the disease through a Judaica collection of candlesticks, spice boxes, bookmarks and sculptures. Soon to come are the Women of Valor Awards, a program that will recognize women across the U.S. who have demonstrated exemplary strength and performance in support of breast cancer care, awareness and prevention efforts.

To purchase a Glass Ribbon Project gift for a loved one or to start a group of your own, visit www.collectgaryrosenthal.com.