Art

Seeking Serenity at Portland’s Spectacular Japanese Garden

Gorgeous grounds, stunning views and an authentic Japanese experience have been delighting visitors to Portland’s spectacular Japanese Garden since 1963. Now, the beautiful 12-acre oasis, which includes five separate gardens with plenty of peaceful seating areas for reflection, a Japanese Tea House, tranquil ponds, and meandering paths perfect for contemplation, has even more to offer. Last month the new $33.5 million Cultural Crossing opened to visitors.

Follow the footpaths, steps and bridges that lead to each of the separate and distinctive garden spaces within Portland’s Japanese Garden.

The new $33.5 million Cultural Crossings expansion project includes new exhibition space, library, tea house and additional garden areas, all designed to enhance the authentic Japanese experience for visitors.

Designed by respected architect Kengo Kuma, the Cultural Crossing’s new buildings provide the perfect showcase for traditional Japanese arts and culture and serve as a venue for family-friendly activities and interesting demonstrations. An already popular attraction is even more appealing with the new expansion project. No wonder the lines for tickets are long. Purchase tickets online and check-in at the membership desk, exchange your voucher for a ticket there, and avoid the serpentine lines that are sure to continue for some time.

Minutes away from Portland’s busy streets, the Portland Japanese Garden is an oasis of tranquility.

Many visitors take the complimentary shuttle up to the gardens and walk back down to the parking area along the paved pathways.

Visitors can either take a complimentary shuttle bus or walk up the pathway to the open and airy Japanese Arts Learning Center–the heart of the new project with performance space, library and classroom.

Young visitors take a break on the steps inside the new Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center.

The ground level Tanabe Gallery currently hosts an exhibition of ceramics, calligraphy, and sculpture by former Japanese Prime Minister Hosokawa Morihiro.

A delightful display of ceramics, calligraphy, and sculpture by former Japanese Prime Minister Hosokawa Morihiro are currently on exhibit in the Tanabe Gallery and Pavilion Gallery.

The expansive display, Hosokawa Morihiro: The Art of Life, a Rebirth in Clay, continues in the Pavilion Gallery, which also includes a portable teahouse. Two additional “Art in the Garden” showcases, one featuring Kabuki costumes and the other, Noh masks and costumes, are scheduled for later in the year. The Japanese Garden will host related events and activities associated with both.

A portable tea house with the implements needed to perform a classic Japanese tea ceremony are part of the current exhibition. Noh masks and costumes and Kabuki costumes will be featured in the galleries later this year.

Now, to explore these magnificent gardens! The Strolling Pond Garden was our first stop, after a visit to the Learning Center and Gallery. Visitors can walk across the “iconic Moon Bridge” over the Upper Pond and enjoy the views.

Stroll the “Zig-Zag Bridge” over the Lower Pond which is surrounded by iris. It had not quite bloomed at the time of our visit, but was close. The aptly named Heavenly Falls provide the perfect backdrop to the Lower Pond and were a popular “selfie stop.”

The Heavenly Falls provide the perfect backdrop for contemplation or photo opps.

Follow the rough stepping stones along a lantern- lined path through the beautiful Japanese Tea Garden to the authentic Kashintei Tea House. Typically, the tea garden is a place to appreciate nature’s beauty and “the art of living in harmony” while leaving the cares of the world behind. This is certainly the case at the Portland Japanese Garden—it is so serene it’s easy to forget you are mere minutes from busy city streets.

Visitors are invited to leave their worldly cares behind when they explore the authentic tea garden and Kashintei Tea House.

The Kashintei Tea House, which is where tea demonstrations and related events are held, was brought to Portland from Japan and reassembled here.

Contact the Japanese Garden to learn when tea demonstrations and other events are scheduled for the Kashintei Tea House.

The Portland Japanese Garden has a lovely Sand and Stone Garden, created by Professor Takuma Tono, the Garden’s chief designer in the 1960s. These “dry landscape” gardens are sometimes called “Zen Gardens” because they are often found at Zen monasteries and are meant to invite quiet contemplation. The Sand and Stone Garden here illustrates an important Japanese concept—“the beauty of blank space.”

Enjoy your moments of Zen at the Sand and Stone Garden.

Recent additions to Portland’s Japanese Garden include the Natural Garden, which features local plants not typically associated with Japanese gardens and depicts seasonal change.

The cherry blossoms were in full bloom during our recent visit to Portland’s Japanese Garden.

The small courtyard garden (Tsubo-Niwa) and the Ellie M. Hill Bonsai Terrace are both new and located near the Tateuchi Courtyard in the Cultural Village.

Visitors are treated to an exquisite display of bonsai at the new Ellie M.Hill Bonsai Terrace.

The Flat Garden, which highlights each of the four seasons with specific plantings and trees is popular with visitors. The weeping cherry tree on the left represents spring while a 100- year old maple depicts autumn.

The Flat Garden is meant to be viewed from a single angle either from inside a home, where the door or window serves as a frame, or from a verandah, as these visitors are doing.

The gravel stands in for water, signifying summer in the Flat Garden.

After you’ve finished strolling around the gorgeous gardens and interesting exhibitions, stop in and sample the fare at the new Umami Café. During our visit, just a week after the April 2 reopening, the café was not yet serving food but was offering complimentary samples of four delicious teas from Tokyo-based Jugetsudo Tea Company. (Update– Light snacks and sweets were available on subsequent visits.)

Stop in the new Umami Cafe for a restorative cup of tea and authentic Japanese sweets and snacks.

During our visit, guests were offered four different and delicious teas as part of a complimentary tea tasting.

When His Excellency Nobuo Matsunaga, the former Ambassador of Japan to the United States, visited the Portland Japanese Garden, he proclaimed it “the most beautiful and authentic Japanese garden in the world outside of Japan,” according to the organization.

Tranquil settings such as this one near the Upper Pond, have been drawing visitors since 1963.

They currently report more than 350,000 visitors annually, a number that will surely grow with the addition of the new Cultural Crossroads expansion. Be sure to add this spectacularly beautiful and serene spot to your Portland itinerary. For updated information on tickets, events and hours click here.

Treasures of Berlin’s Museum Island

Take a stroll through the Brandenburg Gate, down Unter den Linden, to the banks of the River Spree. There you’ll find some of the world’s most intriguing and important cultural treasures—the Ishtar Gate, the bust of Nefertiti and so many extraordinary antiquities, classical sculpture and masterworks, it is impossible to imagine they could all be in one place—but they are—Berlin’s Museum Island.

Museumsinsel http://www.smb.museum is home to five separate historical museum buildings, each designed by a well-regarded architect of the time and now part of a UNESCO world heritage site. Here you will find the Pergamonmuseum, Altes (Old) Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie, the Bode-Museum, and the Neues (New) Museum.

The museums on Berlin’s Museumsinsel are a treasure trove of important paintings, sculpture, and antiquities from around the globe.

According to Visit Berlin, more than 3 million people come each year to view the collections that range from prehistory to 20^th century art. Savvy travelers will want to purchase a Museum Pass, which provides entry to 50 major and lesser-known museums, including the five on Museum Island, over three consecutive days for one low fee. The price was 24 Euro when we visited in November. Passes are available at Berlin Tourist Info points, in the museums, and online at Shop.visitberlin.com.

The magnificent Ishtar Gate, believed to date from 170 AD, was dedicated to Zeus and Athena. It was brought to Berlin from Western Turkey in 1903.

The long lines and crowded galleries attest to the fact that the Pergamon Museum is on nearly every visitor’s short list of places to visit in Germany’s capitol city. It should be. The magnificent Pergamon Altar, Ishtar Gate, and marvelous sculpture and other works from ancient Sumeria, Babylon, Assyria, and modern day Iraq, Turkey and Syria are all on display here. Restoration is underway on the Ishtar Gate, but it remains open for viewing. The Pergamon Altar was closed for restoration during our recent visit and will reopen in 2019. We were fortunate to see it several years ago.

Detail from the Processional Way, which leads to the Ishtar Gate, at the Pergamon.

Stunning Roman mosaics cover the floor in the gallery that contains the Market Gate of Miletus, built in the 2nd century AD in Turkey and excavated and brought to Berlin in the early 1900s.

The stunning Aleppo Room at the Pergamon, seen through protective glass walls.

Facade of the Caliph Palace Mshatta from Amman/Jordan from the 8th century. The 33 meter long, 5 meter high facade was brought to Berlin in 1903 to the Bode Museum. In 1932 it was reconstructed in the Pergamon.

We practically had the galleries to ourselves when we visited the Bode-Museum in November. This beautiful museum boasts art from the Byzantine and Roman Empires, a spectacular sculpture collection spanning from the early Middle Ages to the late 18^th century, and one of the most extensive numismatic collections in the world. We could not understand why the Bode wasn’t full of people enjoying these art treasures.

Pedro Roldan’s Our Lady of Sorrows (Mater Delorosa) at the Bode-Museum.

The Bode-Museum is known for it’s sculpture collection. Friezes, sacred art and other cultural treasures are also on display.

Don’t miss the extensive numismatic collection at the Bode. It’s one of the most comprehensive in the world.

The Bode also has a lovely café where we enjoyed a delicious and very reasonably priced lunch along with views over the Spree. The cafe balcony overlooks the museum’s grand entrance below.

The comfortable cafe at the Bode was perfect for a light lunch.

Save room for dessert!

If Impressionist works are more to your liking, visit the Alte Nationalgalerie, home to 19^th century works by Renoir, Manet, Monet, and Cezanne, Adolph von Menzel and other well regarded artists of that time period. The Alte Nationalgalerie was the third museum to open on Museum Island.

The Alte Nationalgalerie is home to a fine collection of 19th century paintings– part of Berlin’s State Art Collection.

Housed in one of Berlin’s most impressive neoclassical buildings, the Altes Museum was dedicated in 1828 by Friedrich Wilhelm III for “the study all antiquities and the free arts”. The museum’s permanent collection centers on classic antiquities covering Etruscan, Roman and Greek art and includes urns, vases, sarcophagi, friezes, pottery and sculpture.

The Altes Museum is a popular destination for student and tour groups.

The 3300 year-old bust of Nefertiti is among the highlights at the Neues Museum, or New Museum. After sustaining significant damage during World War II, the building, which was designed by Friedrich August Stuler and constructed between 1843 and 1855, was abandoned. In 2003, extensive restoration began and the museum opened in 2009 with three main collections—Egyptian art from the Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection, prehistoric objects from the Museum for Prehistory and Early History, and classical antiquities. Visitors will find works from around the globe including the Middle East, North Africa, and Northern Europe at the Neues Museum.

For updated information on each of the museums on Berlin’s Museum Island and details on permanent collections, temporary exhibitions, admission, hours and directions, please visit http://www.smb.museum.

Note: The banner image is the Cathedral of Berlin known also as Berlin Dom, located on Museum Island. In addition to church services, the Berlin Dom is open for tours. Numerous concerts and other events are also held there throughout the year. To the right is the Berlin TV Tower, constructed by the Soviets during the Cold War and now a popular tourist destination.

Carneros: Art, Bubbles and Fine Dining

This lovely path leads to the di Rosa Collection– one of the most extensive contemporary art collections in Northern California.

If you’re ready for a break from wine tasting and need to get off the well-trodden and always busy wine road that is Route 29, head over to the tranquil Carneros District and stop in at the di Rosa Collection. This lovely property has been open to the public since 2000, when it was incorporated as a nonprofit public trust.

The Gatehouse Gallery features rotating exhibitions of contemporary art.

Rene and Veronica di Rosa’s extensive contemporary art collection includes some 2,000 works by 800 artists including Richard Shaw, Bruce Nauman, Larry Sultan, John Buck, Allan Rath, Paul Kos, Viola Frey and many others and is considered to be one of the most important collections in Northern California.

Book a tour to see the entire collection both inside the buildings and around the gorgeous grounds.

The works are displayed in three buildings and throughout the property. The modern Gatehouse Gallery is home to rotating exhibitions of modern paintings, sculpture, multi-media and interactive pieces.

A recent exhibition in the Gatehouse Gallery.

An interactive piece lets visitors…

…blow giant smoke rings!

Tongue-In-Cheek, a recent exhibition at Gatehouse.

Gallery admission allows access only to the current exhibition on view in the Gatehouse and is self-guided. To experience the entire collection, set aside 1-1/2 to two hours for the superb guided tour of the outbuildings, including the chapel, and the exquisite grounds. It is best to book the guided tour in advance to avoid disappointment.

Take a tour and experience the art outdoors.

You’ll likely see peacocks racing through the tall grass around many of the outdoor sculptures including, “Field Hands.” The catalog of the permanent collection, Local Color, makes a great souvenir or a gift for an art-loving friend. Click here for updated information.

Outside art.

Domaine Carneros is right across the road from di Rosa.

After your tour of the di Rosa Collection, go across the street to the elegant Domaine Carneros—it’s home to Tattinger’s California sparkling wines. Reservations are required.

Domaine Carneros– Taittinger’s California Sparkling Wine.

There are numerous options for tasting from flights to single glasses. Take your glass out onto the beautiful terrace and enjoy the spectacular view across the vineyards of the Carneros District.

Enjoy a drink in this pleasant lounge area at Farm.

One of my favorite dining destinations is in the Carneros, just a short distance away—Farm at the Carneros Inn. We have celebrated many memorable meals here and the last, which happened to be an anniversary, was no exception. Start with your libation of choice and relax outside on the comfy couches that surround the open fire. Depending on the hour, you’re likely to see children running happily around the lawn—much better here than in the dining room!

The dining room is casual but elegant.

The menu at Farm changes often to reflect the restaurant’s commitment to local, seasonal and sustainable produce, fish and meat. The cuisine is contemporary Californian and the wine list draws almost entirely from California producers.

The wine list focuses on Californian bottlings. Our somm gave us terrific recommendations like this Philip Staley 2012 Viognier.

Service is impeccable and the room is spare yet elegant. The restaurant is open daily for dinner only and reservations are a must.

A complimentary amuse bouche began our dining adventure.

Even a chicken breast is elevated to new culinary heights at Farm.

The halibut was sublime.

A chocolate lover’s dream dessert.

A lovely finish to a beautiful meal.

The hotel also has a casual option called Boon Fly, which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Reservations are only available at dinner. This is great place to stop if you want a quick and tasty lunch and are in the mood for a burger, salad or sandwich.

Mix it up a bit and add Carneros to your itinerary. You’ll be glad you did!

Note– I have updated this post to reflect the need for reservations during the current coronavirus crisis, though other elements of your visit may also change. Please check with individual wineries, restaurants and galleries for details and requirements.

Art and Wine in Napa Valley—A Visit to Mumm Napa and Hall Wines

A surprising number of Napa wineries also have art galleries on their premises. The Hess Collection, Clos Pegase, and Hall Wines –more on that winery later—are among our personal favorites.

Mumm Napa is a great place to stop for a glass of sparkling wine and a visit to their photo gallery.

We frequently stop by Mumm Napa to see what’s new in their gallery, which features fine art photography. This time, we grabbed a glass of their California sparkling—always choosing one that is not readily available outside the winery, like the Santana or a DVX Cuvee – and headed off to see the Graham Nash photos then on view. The primarily black and white photos focused mostly on Nash’s days as part of the band Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.

Mumm Napa’s gallery features fine art photography and exhibitions changes frequently.

A color photo by singer/songwriter Graham Nash on view at Mumm Napa’s photography gallery.

Mumm’s permanent collection includes a sizable collection of Ansel Adam’s black and white photos of Yosemite and other beautiful California locations.

Mumm’s photo exhibits change frequently and you may be lucky enough to visit while they’re hosting an artist’s reception.There is no charge for admission to the Mumm gallery nor are you required to purchase wine, but why wouldn’t you? After viewing the photos, relax on their expansive verandah with another glass and enjoy the pleasant views out over the vineyards.

Hall Wines has a truly marvelous contemporary art collection and they make delicious wines, too, which were two reasons we chose to stop in. Located on Route 29 in St. Helena, visitors can’t help but notice the huge metal rabbit that appears to be leaping over the vineyards (shown above). Lawrence Argent created the sculpture. He is also the artist responsible for the gigantic red rabbit titled, “Leap,” in the Sacramento, CA airport. Hall’s owners, Kathryn and Craig Hall, were quite taken by the airport piece and had a similar one commissioned for the winery.

Baldessari’s camel greets visitors to Hall Wines in St. Helena.

Please don’t ride the sheep!

Guests at Hall are greeted by a whimsical flock of sheep by Francois- Xavier Lalanne and a camel sculpture by John Baldessari, both positioned close to the main entrance. Other contemporary pieces on view include a an enormous piece constructed of “temperamental” index cards by Peter Wegner and a huge wall hanging fashioned from embroidered and bedazzled textiles (read repurposed sweaters) by Nick Cave. You’ll find fiber optic art, a crazy kaleidoscope by Alyson Shotz that looks out over the vineyards behind the modern tasting facility, and many more edgy pieces to capture your imagination by highly regarded artists like Russell Crotty, Joel Shapiro, Anya Gallaccio, Jaume Plensa, Jesus Moroles, Ivan Navarro, Spencer Finch and others.

Wenger’s “temperamental” index cards are prominently displayed in the visitor’s center.

This piece by Nick Cave was fashioned from repurposed textiles like embellished sweaters.

Outside, you’ll find more art including a number of structures by Patrick Dougherty reminiscent of the “Big Bamboo” installation that was on display, and available for climbing, at Rome’s Macro Museum in the Testaccio during one visit. Please do not climb any of the art at Hall. There are plenty of benches to rest on to contemplate life and watch the grapes grow. There is also a barn on the property available for private functions.

It’s fun to explore these “structures” on the grounds at Hall Wines.

Hall hosts private events in this barn.

After touring the collection outside, head back in to the LEED® Gold certified building for what the Halls tout as #crazygoodcabernet—and it is. The attentive and very knowledgeable wine hosts will tell you everything you want and need to know about the provenance of the grapes, the processes used and the excellent wines you will taste here. There is a fee for tasting and several options are offered. Reservations are requested.

Step inside the beautiful tasting room for some #crazygoodcabernet.

Hall also has a well-stocked gift shop with just about anything the wine aficionado could want, including a suitcase designed to carry those precious bottles back home on the plane.

The gift shop has something for every wine fan.

Wineries cannot compete with their own distributors by discounting prices so sometimes it’s wise to wait until you get home to buy—this applies to all wineries in California. If you fall in love with a wine that’s only available at the winery, buy it! California wineries ship to most states.

Looking for more art? Click here.

Note– I have updated this post to reflect the need for reservations during the current coronavirus crisis, though other elements of a visit may also have changed. Please check with individual wineries for details and requirements.

Seattle: Whirlwind Weekend in the Emerald City

Art, food and fun highlighted our three-day weekend in the Emerald City. We started off our Saturday morning with a monorail ride from the central shopping area to the Center City area, home of the iconic Space Needle. The monorail, which was built for the 1962 World’s Fair, costs just $3.00 and is only $1.50 for seniors, children under 12, disabled, and active duty military.

It’s a quick but fun ride on Seattle’s monorail.

The trip takes only minutes between Westlake Center Station at 5^th and Pine Streets and The Seattle Center Station. Purchase your ticket at the kiosk or from the cashier as you enter the train. The monorail runs every seven minutes or so from 8:30 a.m. on weekends (7:30 a.m. during the week) until 11 p.m.

Sonic Bloom greets visitors walking to EMP or Chihuly Garden and Glass. The “sunflowers” move and emit sound.

The monorail drops you off steps from at the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden and Glass and MoPOP Museum (formerly called Experience Music Project).

Seattle’s iconic Space Needle was built for the 1962 World’s Fair.

We’d been to the Space Needle on previous visits so headed right to the Chihuly Garden and Glass.

There’s a reason Chihuly Garden and Glass is on everyone’s Top 10 list. Don’t miss it!

We should have bought our tickets online—the lines were long for the cashiers inside and at the outdoor kiosks, and cost more than the online price. Plan ahead! Once you have your ticket and have reached the admission area, ask to have your arm stamped so that you can return in the evening (6 p.m. to 10 p.m.) to view these magnificent glass works illuminated. The sun sets quite late in Seattle during the summer months so keep that in mind when planning your return visit.

Prepare to be amazed. Detail of Chihuly’s Sealife Tower.

The Chihuly Garden and Glass is included in Seattle’s City Pass so if you plan to visit more than one of the included attractions—yes, the Space Needle is one of them—you may want to opt for the City Pass. You’ll save money and time since you won’t wait on line.

Tabac Basket in the Northwest Room.

Once inside, be prepared to be awed. There is a reason Chihuly Garden and Glass is on everyone’s “must see” list. We heard more than a few “wows” as soon as we stepped into the first gallery. Dale Chihuly’s glass art works are artistic, whimsical and beyond stunning.

Mille Fiori-– A thousand flowers- delight the senses.

These photos cannot capture the splendid forms, movement, intricacy and vibrant colors in Chihuly’s work but they do give an hint of what you’ll experience at Chihuly Garden and Glass. It is a magical place.

Persian Ceiling floods the room with color from above.

It seems as you move from gallery to gallery the works get progressively more beautiful and intricate. The lighting, staging and even the music in the galleries combine to create a magnificent experience.

Ikebana and Float Boats capture the viewer’s imagination.

A stroll through the gorgeous gardens is another delight. The art is so beautifully integrated in the various plantings that you’ll want to linger.

A view in the garden.

Northwest timber is integrated in the glass garden.

We had the added benefit of a spectacular day—clear, blue skies and temperatures in the mid-70s. The soothing background music being performed by a gentleman playing the Eyhu on the street just outside the garden added to our enjoyment.

Soothing music further enhanced our enjoyment of the gardens.

The works on display are included in a fairly comprehensive catalog titled, Chihuly Garden and Glass, available in the gift shop in the lobby. It is one of many available volumes featuring Mr. Chihuly’s art. In addition to the usual museum gift shop items like books and calendars featuring the artist’s work, original pieces of Chihuly’s glass art are also on offer and priced from $5,000.

This is no ordinary gift shop.

A spectacular souvenir.

If you’ve worked up an appetite after your stroll through the garden, head over to the Seattle Center Armory a few steps away. Originally built in 1939 to house the 146^th artillery and its half-ton tanks, it was repurposed for the 1962 World’s Fair and became the city’s first vertical shopping mall, called the Food Circus.

Once home to an artillery unit and half-ton tanks, the Armory now features food and family fun.

Today, in addition to a public space that hosts more than 3,000 free family entertainment and cultural events each year, you’ll find a food court that’s got something for everyone. Though Starbuck’s and Subway do have a presence here, they share the main floor with more interesting offerings from the likes of Eltana’s Wood- Fired Bagel Café, Seattle Fudge, MOD Pizza, Kabab, Cool Guys Fry Bar, Ceres Roasting Company, Bigfood BBQ, Quincy’s (burgers and seafood) , Blue Water Taco, Plum Pantry (vegan and organic selections), The Confectional and Skillet Counter.

The Seattle Center Armory is a busy place at lunchtime.

Mediterranean street food, beef baracoa, fish tacos, Belgian style fries, individual cheesecakes, pizza, vegan fare, and a terrific fried chicken sandwich are among the tantalizing possibilities we deliberated for lunch.

So many choices…

We chose Skillet Counter where the Fried Chicken Sammy with a fennel seed crust, kale, and jalapeno aioli on a potato roll called out to my traveling companions. I had a delicious curried carrot soup and a salad. We met Chef Mike “Mookie” who kindly shared his recipe for the soup and the aioli. Looking forward to whipping up some of that at home!

Skillet Counter’s Chef Mike aka “Mookie”

If you’ve got little ones in tow—you’re in luck—Seattle’s Children’s Museum is just downstairs. Here you’ll find interactive exhibitions, hands on, and age appropriate activities for children ages 10 months to 10 years.

Seattle Children’s Museum is lots of fun for the little ones.

After our satisfying lunch at Skillet Counter, we headed down towards Elliott Bay to the Olympic Sculpture Park, part of the Seattle Art Museum. So much to see and do in the Emerald City!

Art, Yoga and More at Seattle’s Frye Museum

Welcome to the Charles and Emma Frye Art Museum.

Charles and Emma Frye began collecting art in 1893 focusing primarily on French and German artists from the 19^th and early 20^th centuries. The couple built an impressive Founding Collection of 230 paintings, now on permanent display at their namesake museum in Seattle’s Capitol Hill area. The museum is open to the public at no charge, as the Fryes intended when they established the Charles and Emma Frye Free Public Art Museum in 1952.

The museum has expanded and been updated since it opened at its current location in 1952.

The Fryes had a particular interest in German painters of the mid-19^th Century Munich School including Wilhelm Leibl, Franz von Lenbach and Max Slevogt whose works, along with other prominent painters of the period, are part of the Founding Collection.

Henry Raschen’s 1913 portraits of Emma and Charles Frye hang in the Frye Salon.

The Frye’s Permanent Collection includes not only those works collected by Charles and Emma, but also later acquisitions made by the Frye Foundation. These later aquisitions expanded the collection to include American artists as well as European painters other than the French and German artists the couple built their original collection upon.

Acquisitions by the Frye Foundation expanded the collection to include American artists.

Gilbert Stuart and John Singleton Copley’s Colonial Period paintings hang alongside the American Realism works of Winslow Homer and Thomas Eakins. Mary Cassatt, James McNeil Whistler, and John Singer Sargent are among the ex-pat painters whose Impressionist works are displayed.

Paintings are hung as they once were in the Frye home gallery.

Portrait of Chief Seattle by Henry Raschen, 1916.

The vast collection of paintings covers every wall in the Frye Salon with the works hung as they once were in the Frye’s home gallery. The Frye Salon is reminiscent of Boston’s Isabella Gardener Stewart Museum. In other words, there is not much space between the works and they are not hung in any apparent order— historical, religious and allegorical paintings hang beside portraits, landscapes and seascapes. There are several copies of a hardcover guide available to visitors in the gallery that identifies and describes each work and artist.

Visitors reference gallery guide to identify paintings and artists.

The helpful guide is available only in the gallery. There are several other books about the museum and its collection for sale in the shop, but not the gallery guide.

In addition to the Permanent Collection, there are several changing contemporary exhibitions.

The Frye features contemporary art as well as European and American paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries.

We enjoyed the two Andy Warhol exhibitions currently on view. During the 1970s, Warhol recorded a reported 40,000 Polaroids documenting his personal and professional endeavors. Warhol’s Little Red Book #178 is a collection of 19 Polaroid pictures of his friends and other celebrities taken in 1970 while he made his film L’Amour.

Little Red Book #178 has 19 of the reported 40,000 Polaroid photos Warhol took in the 1970s.

From 1964-1966, Warhol recorded hundreds of visitors to his studio, called The Factory, using a Bolex camera. Warhol’s 12 Screen Tests features artists and celebrities who were instructed to sit still for the length of a 16 mm film—about three minutes. Subjects featured in 12 Screen Tests include Dennis Hopper, Edie Sedgwick, Susan Sontag, Lou Reed, Bob Dylan, Marcel Duchamp and Brooke Hayward. Not everyone was capable of the task assigned. Bob Dylan’s Screen Test shows him smoking a cigarette and fidgeting throughout.

Hundreds of Warhol’s Factory visitors were filmed for his series of “Screen Tests.”

Subjects were meant to be still for the three minute films, but Bob Dylan fidgeted and smoked throughout his “Screen Test.”

Also on view is Structure and Ornament, a multi media exhibition of Leo Saul Berk’s work based on the iconic Chicago-area Ford House, his childhood home.

Berk’s dream about sleeping on the floor at Ford House was the inspiration for “Heat Signature.”

The artist refers to his work as “a riff on the house,” which has historical significance and was designed by architect Bruce Goff. The exhibition includes the history of the home, photographs and films, along with Berk’s sculptures and other works, based upon the unique structure and the artist’s memories of living there.

Leo Saul Berk’s childhood residence, the iconic Ford House, was the basis for the “Structure and Ornament” exhibition now on view.

“Cone Twelve,” Berk’s aluminum composite and stainless steel sculpture.

“Mortar and Marbles” is a to-scale representation of a section of the Ford House’s curved coal walls.

Also currently on view is: American Portraits: 1880-1915– a selection of portraiture by artists whose works are included in the Founding Collection.

Museum visitors relax and enjoy the “American Portraits: 1880-1915” exhibition.

The Museum has a nice little café with an outdoor garden. Sandwiches, soups, sweets and other simple but satisfying offerings are available at very reasonable prices.

The Frye’s cafe has a lovely garden area and is a nice option for lunch or coffee.

When we arrived at the Frye Museum, we were told that one of the galleries was closed for yoga, but would soon reopen. Every Sunday morning, a yoga class takes place there, accompanied by local experimental musicians—just one of the creative classes the Museum hosts along with art classes for everyone from pre-schoolers to life-long learners, meditation, film presentations, lectures, performances and creative aging programs for adults suffering dementia. A complete program listing is available at www.fryemuseum.org.

Charles and Emma Frye would no doubt be pleased to see their wish– that the public enjoy free access to art, that ‘perfection of good-nature,’ continues to be a reality today, thanks to their free art museum.

Art Oasis- Faye Sarkowsky Sculpture Garden

Art and nature lovers share a common destination– the Faye Sarkowsky Sculpture Garden in Palm Desert. The stunning sculpture garden is located within the Eric Johnson Memorial Gardens and is part of the Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Desert. Contemporary sculptures are installed among the four beautifully landscaped acres that surround The Galen, the museum’s LEED-certified building.

Felipe Casteneda’s Seated Thinking Woman

Walks Among Stars by Dave McGary

This welcoming garden, which is open to visitors all year long, includes soothing water features, winding walkways, beautiful native plants and plenty of quiet nooks for contemplation. As you stroll along the pathways it’s easy to forget that this lovely oasis of art and nature is located off a busy street between sprawling shopping malls.

Blue glass in the pavement paths through the garden replicate a winding river. The pavilion is used for concerts and events.

The contemporary sculptures on display include works by international artists such as Felipe Casteneda, Gio Pomodoro, Betty Gold, Dan Namingha, Donald Judd, Yehiel Shemi and Dave McGary. Downloadable self-guided tour information is available on the museum’s website. Admission to the garden is free.

Barry Flanagan’s Acrobats

Peter Reginato’s Midnight and Morning Rain…Waiting for Miro

The Faye Sarkowsky Sculpture Garden is also used for concerts and events. For complete and updated event information contact the Palm Springs Art Museum.

Hats Off to Degas–Lucas Shakes Things Up at SF’s Legion of Honor

San Francisco’s venerable Palace of Legion of Honor, part of the city’s Fine Arts Museums, is currently hosting the very popular Degas, Impressionism and the Paris Millinery Trade.

The extensive exhibition focuses on the impact of the millinery trade in Paris during the Belle Epoch era on the work of Degas and his contemporaries. Paintings and pastels by Degas, Renoir, Edouard Manet, Mary Cassatt, Toulouse- Lautrec and others, some never before shown in the U.S., are featured. In addition to the splendid impressionist paintings, included in the exhibition are 40 marvelous examples of millinery from that time period—in other words—hats!

Hats featuring flowers were popular in the 19th and 20th centuries. Silk, cotton, velvet and paper were all used to construct artificial flowers like those shown here.

Some patrons were definitely in the spirit of things.

These hats range in size and complexity from the sublime to over the top. One chapeau is topped with an entire owl, which had been preserved specifically for that purpose. There are plumes, beads, metallic wire, ribbons and flowers adorning these mostly enchanting toppers.

Plumage from domestic and exotic birds, including ostrich and owls, often were used to embellish luxury ladies’ hats.

These hats all sport fashionable feathers. The hat on the left features a complete owl while the one on the right has an African starling above its brim.

A visitor admires Manet’s “At the Milliner’s”–one of about 40 paintings and pastels in the exhibition.

Men’s hats are included in the exhibit too. There are fine examples including boater and bowler hats, along with a sketch of Degas himself in a top hat.

Bowlers and top hats, along with carrying cases, are part of the exhibit.

The 42 year-old Edgar Degas is shown here wearing a top hat.

The exhibition was quite crowded, mostly with ladies of a certain age, oohing and ahhing over the millinery creations. There were a few patrons sporting hats and we spotted several of the museum’s docents in the spirit of things– wearing lovely fascinators.

Feathered finery got a lot of attention from visitors.

We didn’t take a docent-guided tour but shared our table at lunch with a group of ladies from the San Jose area who had and raved about it. It is necessary to reserve a spot for a guided tour in connection with this exhibit.

This docent wears a fine fascinator for her presentation. Reservations for the free tours are essential for this exhibition.

Some of the Impressionist paintings in this exhibition have not been shown in the U.S. before.

Special exhibition tickets are required for the Degas exhibit, in addition to the general admission fee for the museum. This doesn’t seem to be keeping the crowds away at all downstairs. There were numerous tour groups vying to get close to the works during our midweek trip to the Legion of Honor.

Special exhibition tickets are required, in addition to general admission. The galleries became quite crowded at times.

Upstairs in the galleries featuring Rodin’s classic sculpture, visitors can enjoy near solitude—at least during our visit. Displayed with the August Rodin: The Centenary Installation, which honors the 100th anniversary of the artist’s death, you’ll find the provocative work of Sarah Lucas. Sarah Lucas:Good Muse is the first major exhibition of the UK artist’s work in the U.S.

The museum is best known for its ancient and classical European collections which includes paintings, sculpture, furnishings and porcelain.

Sarah Lucas’ work brings contemporary art and controversy to the Legion of Honor.

Sarah Lucas:Good Muse would probably be much more comfortable at the SFMOMA (SF Museum of Modern Art) than at the classically- focused Legion of Honor. The docent who provided a tour of the exhibition shared that many patrons and members of the museum were more than a little unhappy with Lucas’ work.

Giant plaster cast boots, soft sculptures and a series of Lucas’ yellow urinal sculptures are on display among the 50 bronze, plaster and marble works by Rodin.

Lucas’ sculptures, made from plaster, panty hose, florescent lights, a bedspring and mattress, cigarettes and other materials, allude to sexual interactions, availability, empowerment, and domestic responsibilities, according to the docent. She also pointed out examples where Rodin’s work related to the themes of Lucas’ pieces.

“Washing Machine Fried Eggs” invites discussion of women’s sexual and domestic roles.

Apparently the artist wanted to “bring color” to the galleries and chose to include a series of yellow urinal sculptures displayed atop small refrigerators, placed among Rodin’s classic sculpture. We found the juxtaposition interesting but could easily understand the contretemps. At the entrance to the galleries where Lucas’ work is displayed, there are signs warning that the art may not be appropriate for all viewers. We have chosen not to include photos of the most controversial work for that reason.

Electricity in this piece “keeps the energy up” according to the artist.

Degas, Impressionism and the Paris Millinery Trade closes September 24 and Sarah Lucas: Good Muse closes September 17. Go see these very different exhibitions for yourself and let us know what you think. A day at the Palace of Legion of Honor is always a day well spent.

MoMA’s Must See Picasso Sculpture Closes Soon

In just over a month’s time, one of the most extensive and engaging exhibitions of Pablo Picasso’s sculpture ever presented in the United States will close. If you haven’t already visited the Museum of Modern Art’s marvelous retrospective of the painter’s rarely seen works, get your tickets and go see it before it closes on Feb. 7, 2016. http://www.moma.org

A visitor examines Picasso’s Man With A Lamb (1943).

For the first time since 1967, New York’s MoMA presents one of the largest exhibitions of the painter’s three-dimensional work. The exhibit includes more than 100 sculptures plus photographs and works on paper, many never before displayed in North America. I was fortunate to see the exhibition during the Member Preview before it opened to the public in September.

Left foreground, Woman with Child (1961), center rear, Head of a Woman (1957), right, Chair (1961). All three of these sculptures are painted sheet metal.

While Picasso was a formally trained painter, he was a self-taught sculptor and his work reflects the exuberance and personal relationship he had with the art form. He kept most of his sculptures in his personal possession rarely allowing these works to be displayed. One of the first and only times some of these pieces were presented publicly was in 1966 at a major retrospective at the Petit Palais in Paris when the artist was 85 years old. The following year, the MoMA staged Sculpture of Picasso in New York featuring many of the same works. Picasso’s sculptures have not been on public view on such a grand scale since.

Insect (1951) was created from fired white clay and painted.

Picasso was fond of unconventional techniques and materials and frequently used found objects and materials including scrap wood, wire, metal and cardboard in his sculpture. Wicker baskets, pie tins, palm fronds, toy cars and many other scavenged items found their way into Picasso’s work. He used a bicycle seat and handlebars to create Bull’s Head, which was on loan from a private collection, for example.

Bull’s Head, (Spring 1942) is a repurposed bicycle seat and handlebars.

Left, bronze Pregnant Woman (1949). Right, Flowery Watering Can (1951-52) incorporates a watering can, plaster, nails and wood.

Museumgoers will learn that Picasso’s forays into sculpture were influenced by many sources including ceramics and woodcarvings by Paul Gaugin and Edgar Degas as well as by Oceanic and African sculpture. His themes run the gamut from political expression to family life. Just as in his paintings, women are frequent subjects in Picasso’s sculpture.

Left, Bather (1931) bronze. Right, Head of a Woman (1932) plaster.

Left, Woman with Vase (1933) bronze. Center, Head of a Warrior (1933) plaster, metal and wood.

He enjoyed reinventing and reimagining many of the same themes as the exhibition demonstrates. His Glass of Absinthe – six different polychromed bronze pieces each including an actual absinthe spoon, is a good example of this.

Seated Woman (1947), Standing Woman (1945), Seated Musician (1950), and Seated Faun (1950) are among the small earthenware, terracotta and clay pieces in this display case.

Visitors to Museum of Modern Art http://www.moma.org will need timed tickets to see the Picasso Sculpture exhibition. Only members, corporate members and guests accompanied by members are exempt from this. Each day a limited number of tickets will be available for same day viewing but we strongly suggest that you get your tickets in advance to ensure you don’t miss this wonderful exhibition.

Woman with Outstretched Arms (1961) painted iron and sheet metal.

Published in conjunction with the exhibition and available in the MoMA’s book and gift shops, the Picasso Sculpture catalog makes a beautiful souvenir that will allow you to revisit your favorite works again and again.

Go to The Galen-The Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Desert

UPDATE: THE GALEN IS PERMANENTLY CLOSED!

Go ahead. Put down your golf clubs, get up from that poolside chaise and go to The Galen. Open since 2012, The Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Desert is housed in an 8,400 sq. ft., LEED- certified building called The Galen and features photography, sculpture, painting and new media exhibitions, at no charge.

Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra and Gerald Ford may have streets named after them in this affluent desert community, but it’s Lucille Ball who’ll welcome you to the marvelous Personalities: Fantasy and Identity in Photography and New Media exhibition now on display through May 3, 2015 at The Galen.

Morning by Yehiel Shemi is part of the museum’s Faye Sarkowsky Sculpture Garden.

A gorgeous, nearly life- sized photograph of America’s favorite red head, “Lucille Ball, Lover Come Back” by Ray Jones, leads the way into a fascinating exploration of the photographic portrait from early daguerreotypes, circa 1851 and 1860, to a 2013 video portrait by Brian Bress created during the artist’s residency at the MACRO in Rome. Bress’s work, titled “The White and the Yellow Hunter,” is revealed, and then just as quickly, hidden, from the viewer.

Unfortunately, no photography was permitted in the galleries so I will have to tell, instead of show, what I saw.

In addition to Lucille Ball, notables whose images grace the galleries include: Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich, Bette Davis, Steve McQueen, Francis Bacon and Salvador Dali. Works by Diane Arbus, Richard Avedon, Harry Callahan, Weegee (Arthur Fellig), Robert Mapplethorpe and other photographers, some better known than others, are included in the exhibition.

LWS-105-2, LWS 95-4 and LWS 237-7 are part of a series of photos taken over a 30-year time period by Milton Rogovin, a retired optometrist. Dr. Rogovin began photographing people and places, some year after year, in Buffalo’s down and out Lower West Side, when he was 62 years old. He completed the project when he was 92.

Among the images I found most striking was one of a hyena handler (that there were such people was a bit of a revelation) called, “Abudullah Mohammed with Mainasara.” The photo was taken in Ogre Remo, Nigeria by Pieter Hugo and is part of his series The Hyena and Other Men. Ike Ude’s “Sartorial Anarchy #5,” Andrew Bush’s “Deerheadman,” and Jono Rotman’s image of the tattooed countenance, “Denimz Rogue,” from his Mongrel Mob series, were other standouts.

Several videos are also on display, including one by Marina Abramovic titled “The Kitchen V- Carrying the Milk.” It’s a 12 minute and 43 second video of the performance artist holding a bowl of said beverage. Tony Oursler’s doll in a suitcase featuring a video- recorded face, with sound, called “Passage,” also drew quite a bit of attention.

The exhibition also provides the opportunity to walk on water, or at least walk on five underwater images of the artist, Wang Wei, in “1/30^th of a Second.” I enjoyed watching a school group gingerly step on the images, one by one, as the docent explained what they were seeing.

After you’ve enjoyed The Galen, step outside. The stunning four-acre Faye Sarkowsky Scupture Garden, also at no admittance charge, surrounds the museum. More on that later—with photos!

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