Browsing Tag

Sculpture

Napa Valley Winery Visits and our First Stop- B Cellars

Gone are the days when it was possible to drive up and down Route 29 or the Silverado Trail and pop into wineries for complimentary tastings. Though there are plenty of wineries that are open to all during posted hours, many are open for tours and tastings by appointment only.  Most now require reservations due to the Covid-19 crisis. It is also rare to find a winery that offers complimentary tastings. Buses, and even limos, are discouraged at most wineries these days, too. We think these are all positive changes and if you’ve ever seen large, loud groups who’ve clearly been doing more drinking than “tasting” you’ll probably agree.

IMG_8194

B Cellar’s owners preserved many of the older oak trees on the property when they built the new winery facility.

The Napa Valley has nearly 500 wineries with tasting rooms so to make the most of your trip, it’s important to do some homework. Look at a map of the Napa Valley and find where your favorite wineries’ tasting rooms are located because sometimes they are not where the wine is actually made. You won’t want to waste time driving up and down the Valley backtracking, so plan your itinerary with location in mind. Our rule of thumb is no more than three winery visits a day and only two if the tours and tastings are very extensive. Do some research and contact your favorite wineries to see what they offer and reserve accordingly. Many offer a range of “experiences.”

When walk-in visits were allowed and most people just turned up, by booking a visit you’d frequently get to taste special bottles and have the chance to really learn about a particular winery and its wine maker. You’d also avoid the crowded tasting room experience, though the current public health crisis limits the number of people allowed at wineries.

IMG_8193

B Cellars open demonstration kitchen.

On our last visit to Napa Valley we began with a trip to B Cellars in Oakville. We had first visited them back in 2014, when the winery was being built and our tasting took place in a construction trailer. The wines were spectacular then too, but now the setting befits the wine! The  Hospitality House, with several tasting areas inside and out, is situated on gorgeous, expansive grounds and includes a demonstration kitchen, a culinary garden, chicken coop, wine production facilities, wine cave and event space.

IMG_8201

The grounds are populated by Seward Johnson’s lifelike sculptures of people involved in daily tasks like shopping, gardening and just relaxing.

The winery, which was founded in 2003 by Duffy Keys and Jim Borsack, with the highly respected Kirk Venge as winemaker, offers several tasting experiences. Most take about 90 minutes. Since we would be coming right after lunch, we chose the Sojourn, which included B Cellars Flagship wines and several delicious local cheeses.

We were greeted with a taste of the 2013 Juliana Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, which we enjoyed on the expansive terrace. We moved over to an umbrella- shaded table and began our tasting in earnest with a 2012 Dutton Ranch Chardonnay.

IMG_8184

The Hospitality House has tasting areas inside and out.

Red wines we tasted included the 2013 Manzana Vineyard Pinot Noir, a 2009 Blend 24, and 2012 Ehrlich Cabernet Sauvignon. Our delightful and knowledgeable wine host Alex also poured us several wines not typically included on the Sojourn tasting including a 2012 Blend 26.

IMG_8191

Our knowledgeable wine host Alex.

IMG_8196

The wine cellar has plenty of private event space.

After our tasting we elected to tour the grounds and wine cave with Alex—a lovely and memorable afternoon at B Cellars and a great place to begin our Napa Valley wine adventure.

Note– I have updated this post to reflect the need for reservations during the current coronavirus crisis.  Please check with individual wineries for details and requirements.

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.

IMG_6395

Felipe Casteneda’s Seated Thinking Woman

IMG_6396

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.

IMG_6399

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.

IMG_6405

Barry Flanagan’s Acrobats

IMG_6398

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

IMG_0797

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.

IMG_0746

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.

IMG_0775

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.

IMG_0799

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

IMG_0811

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.

IMG_0768

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

 

IMG_0771

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.

IMG_0807

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.

IMG_0783

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.