Venturing Around A Dutch Master at the National Gallery

The National Gallery of Art's East Wing on the Mall has a new exhibit on another Dutch Master. While Gabriel Metsu is not as well known as Johannes Vermeer or Rembrandt van Rijin, he is being celebrated as someone on par with these masters by a recent Washington Post art review. The show features 34 paintings by the artist including one on loan from Queen Elizabeth II.

As someone who has a good friend who is Dutch and has been to Amsterdam twice, I am somewhat familiar with the adoration the Dutch have for Vermeer and Rembrandt (and from more modern times , Van Gogh) but Metsu was not a name mentioned to me when going to The Rijksmuseum. His work certainly depicts the everyday life themes just as his contemporaries painted as well. The brush strokes bringing the silk of a dress of a rich patron's wife to life or the ruddy cheeks of a peasant women in the market added to her grittiness.

There are many wonderful works on view and worth seeing. The show has opened two weeks ahead of schedule yet, the docent did not know why when I asked. This may account for the fact there were no postcard images of the show on sale, only the heavy catalogue was available. As I left the East Wing and ventured over to the West Wing of the Museum, a funny thing happened along the way. I stopped in the large gift shop and found there was a postcard of a painting another less known Dutch Master, Gerard ter Burch II. The painting titled, The Suitor's Visit, c.1658 was similar to one I just viewed in the East Wing by Metsu, titled, A Man Visiting a Woman. If fact after purchasing my postcard, I learned the ter Borch painting is part of the National Gallery of Art's permanent collection on display in the West Main Floor Gallery 50.

On the left is ter Borch's The Suitor's Visit from the National Gallery of Art in Washington's website and on the right, a photo of Metsu's work of A Young Man's Visit from the National Gallery of Ireland's website and the photo credit per the website, Mike Fear. Metsu painted his work in 1662-4 and ter Borch in 1658 so I ask you is Metsu a Master or a Master copy cat? Yes, it has been written that Metsu was influenced by ter Borch but this is too close. Also, on the NGA website, it makes the comparison of Metsu's The Intruder another painting in this interesting exhibit but it is NOT similar to ter Borch's The Suitor's Visit because the settings are in two completely different places. Either way, from my humble art knowledge, the NGA has failed to point out within its Metsu exhibit, the ter Borch painting and with its printed material the duplications. Still the NGA exhibit is worth the trip. A special gallery talk about the Metsu exhibit is scheduled for Friday, April 22 at 3pm. I say go!

Cherry Blossom Festival: Crowds & Blossoms Galore

Finally, Mother Nature cooperated and the weather was a delight today. With my one day off, I ran errands in the morning and headed over to the Tidal Basin to enjoy the Cherry Blossoms Festival. This being a Sunday and a sunny day, the tourists were out in droves. Maneuvering among the hoards of kids and baby carriages, I ventured up the escalator at the Smithsonian metro stop hearing at least four different languages I recognized and several more I did not.

This is part of what makes Washington, D.C. so great and why the annual festival is a family favorite. The Cherry Blossoms, trees given as a gift from the people of Japan in 1912, makes everyone smile and brings together people of all ages and cultures. It may have been crowded but everyone was happy to be outside enjoying the lovely weather and the beautiful blossoms.

Cameras were everywhere, from the point and click to the professionals with long lenses to the television crews; all trying to capture the delicate pink flowers. Couples, old and young, holding hands, father and sons playing soccer or football abound. Paddle boats filled the Tidal Basin as the Jefferson Memorial stood proudly.

A girl group drum band was part of the afternoon entertainment but had just finished by the time I got over to the festival and young girls in colorful kimonos were stopped by all for pictures.

Of course not all the action was south of Independence Avenue. At Union Station, a duo played jazz for those coming and going.



Overall a wonderful spring day as I ventured around.

Venturing Around Food

In the past few weeks, several friends from New York have ventured down to the Nation's Capital for work events or vacation. It was great opportunity to enjoy the culinary delights at several restaurants.
Filomana's in Georgetown has been around for 25 years and continues to serve up a wide selection of great Italian food. Despite the heavy down pour of rain, inside the pretty restaurant was super busy on a Thursday night. Once inside the door, head down the stairs to an elegant room. There were five of us without reservations for the upscale eatery but we didn't have to wait long. The portions were large and if you order dessert, the cake or pie is huge- great for sharing. Filomana's is small and the space is tight but you will have a wonderful evening with delicious food. $$$$

Matchbox in Chinatown is always fun and is packed on a Monday night last week. The red brick building is a former Chinese grocery store and has three levels. The exposed brick inside and the various "matchboxes" encased within the tables is not fussy and lets you focus on the food. The wine list offers a wide variety of wines from around the world but nothing local, that however was the only disappointment. We had a bottle of Penfold's and ordered the crab sandwich and the restaurant's burger with the trimmings. For dessert, try one of the special martinis. $$$

Eastern Market offers a plethora of places to eat. The latest is Ted's Bulletin. Its 1930s diner like feel makes it perfect for a Sunday afternoon brunch. The place is small and the line to get in is long. For those who can't wait, there is carry out. But if you don't mind the wait, sitting at the bar with a huge cup of coffee makes for great people watching. I recommend the Bloody Mary and the omelet. My friend, the pancakes. Kids are welcome. $$

Venturing towards Green, Planet Forward

With oil jumping to over a hundred dollars a barrel, gas prices skyrocketing and the White House considers tapping into the U.S.'s strategic oil reserve, thinking green is not just for the upcoming St. Patrick's Day festival. In fact, this is what Planet Forward, a George Washington University project that explores energy and climate issues with experts and through student projects, is doing year around.

On Wednesday, Planet Forward, lead by former CNN veteran now professor at GW, Frank Sesno, taped its Innovator of the Year Awards show. The taping featured seven finalists from around the country and three judges. But the audience (in which I participated ) got to vote via text, with 80% of the audience using that method and the rest resorting to pen and paper. The winner for now is a secret but will be revealed when the one hour special airs on PBS stations throughout the country, April 8, 2010.

The judges were Thomas Connelly, executive vice president and chief innovation officer for DuPont; the former Governor of Michigan, Jennifer Granholm; and Andrew Revkin, writer of the Dot Earth blog for The New York Times. They gave feedback and asked critical questions of the finalists who were present.

Planet Forward asked students at GW, other universities and individuals to come up with solutions or explain research studies that could be marketable that are changing the way we are using energy or thinking about energy and the climate. Students were asked to use social media to gather ideas and move the idea from concept to reality.

Each project was told in video form with Sesno as the voice of the package. One of my favorite finalists featured the Empire State Building and the impact of retrofitting all 6,514 windows in the iconic skyscraper. Serious Material, a Sunnyvale, Calif.-based window company used Argon gas between the panes and pushed the efficiency from a low level of R2 to a high of R8. But there was no video of the people actually installing the windows, hanging outside the 102-story tower, which would have been more interesting then video of making of the technological advanced windows. Still, if a 1930s Art Deco building can do it, all buildings have the potential to be more efficient.

The Fighter Hooks You

The movie, "The Fighter" is not really a boxing movie but a film about a trio of personalities all vying to be heard above their emotional pain. The real life story turned into a movie by Mark Wahlberg is worth seeing because of the excellent performances by the stars.

There is the mother, Alice Ward played by Melissa Leo, who knows how to manipulate the family in one look. Then there is the older brother who almost became a champion boxer ( HBO's real footage with Sugar Ray Leonard) but threw it all away on drugs, Dicky Eklund, played by Christina Bale. Finally the younger half-brother, Micky Ward, played by Mark Wahlberg, who is torn between the two and almost lets his dream slip away because of his loyalty to both. Amy Adams, who has the best accent as Charlene, is the woman who pulls Wahlberg's Micky, into another direction and helps him get out from under his brother shadow.

Micky is on the cusp of being a champ but is letting his love for her brother and mother get in the way. Fate plays a role (just like that other true life tale, "The King's Speech") and the brother, Dicky is arrested and sent to jail. Time gives both a new outlook on life and Wahlberg's Micky finally stands up to mom and the brother (after being released from jail) to take his big step to becoming a champion.

Bale should win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor as Dicky Eklund in "The Fighter." He should because his performance as the brother , long the "pride of Lowell" who is now crackhead, is riveting. When the movie is over, while the credits are rolling, you see the real brothers, Micky and Dicky and you instantly see, yes, Bale nails the brother in mannerisms.
Leo, as the mother, delivers the right mix of mother's love and guilt in a twisted way that leaves you cheering when the her husband tells her she is out as Micky's manager. The plate smashing scene is great but must have been much worst in real life.
One of my favorite scene's is the five sisters piling into the car and going over to Charlene's to tell her off and get Micky away from her. Thankfully, everyone comes to their sense and takes their egos out of the way so Micky can move forward. A great movie because of the strong acting.

Short Animated Films, some hidden gems

The five Oscar nominated short animated films offer movie goers a glimpse into other cultures or views on political stances. This year’s batch is neither as entertaining nor as innovative as last year’s group which included the delightful parody on America’s consumerism, “ Logoroma,” from France which won the Oscar.

I went to my local E Street, one of the few places left in Washington, D.C. that show films in the art house genre for film buffs over movie attendees. No previews for the screening which was a nice change as I settled in for 90 minutes of entertainment which showed the five nominees and two highly recommended shorts.

First up was from France: Madagascar, a 12 minute long short on travel and religion. The film moved between black and white to drawings with color that came to life with English subtitles. The translation didn’t really help explain why the central character would travel four or five hours to a funeral in the mountains of a stranger’s relative and then suddenly shift to water and beach scene. But the story itself is loosely based on the film makers’ travel to that particular country.

Next was USA’s entry into category, “Let’s Pollute,” a six-minute long political statement on the environment. The short was a sarcastic take on America’s seemingly oblivious way of life to ‘want it, waste it.’ The packed audience laughed but the film was a warning to not be chained to “Captains of Conscientiousness,” by Stuart Ewing.

The Gruffalo from UK, is based on a children’s book is reminiscent of “Where the wild Things Are” but less so. It was also the longest of the group at 30 minutes. The animation was colorful. A mouse is the protagonist and how he uses his wit to outwit several mortal enemies: a fox, a snake and an owl with a made up creature or how he uses a lie to avoid danger. In the end, it is the mouse that encounters the real character of his imagination but once again, he outwits the “enemy.” All this is told by a mother squirrel ( voice of Helena Bonham Carter) for her two little baby squirrels. Cute story that could be a little scary for some little ones. I vote for this one.

The Lost Thing a short from Australia was dull and a very long 15 minutes. The person sitting next to me did in fact, leave. It’s about a young boy who finds a thing that looks like a cross between an octopus and a diver’s helmet on the beach. He takes it home but knows he must find it a place to live and his adventures along the way.

The last nominee was Pixar’s Day and Night, a six minute short that was part of the Toy Story III preview. Clever marketing because the little film has gained a huge following. It was cute but should it win? No. The story using 2-D and 3-D centers on two clouds, one day, one night and their unlikely but eventual friendship. A metaphor for real life that you can have opposites come together and appreciate differences.

The two bonus shorts included URS from Germany and The Cow who wanted to be a Hamburger. URS was depressing, skip it. “The Cow” however, was entertaining but was definitely, political. The animation is not as well done as the nominated shorts but it was funny. The story was about a little calf grazing in the field with his mother and sees a large bill board for a “Happy Burger.” He decides then and there to grow up and be a “Happy Burger,” not really understanding the pitfalls that await him. The message is twofold: everyone is taken in by ads in this case bill board ads, and consider becoming a vegetarian. If you have time, go see the films in this category and you can appreciate this category when it goes up.

Journ 459 My trip to AU's Katzen Art just for traffic circles

This is from FEB 4th on my other site before this was created.

This past week I went to art reception at the Katzen Art Center at American University. The space is three levels and is large like a department store. The Center has in its collection over 300 works of art from fine, to pop and folk art.

This exhibit on display is modern and consisted of works from six female artists. It was quirky. In fact, two of the artist focused on circle themes, on their own, one using records, the other video projections.

On the first level was the work of Dafna Kaffeman, entitled "What Could be Sweeter Than Going to Paradise?" The phrase is something a young Palestinian girl said that Kaffeman, who is Jewish, took as her theme. The quotes were from post-terrorist attacks in Israel. She had that phrase and others embroidery in Hebrew on high quality handkerchiefs. Then using wax, made fine, delicate flowers to surround or frame the square shape material. Each Lucite box, about two dozen, was about 12 inches high by 12 inches wide, on mounted on the wall in a single row for the installation. Each piece had its own message. You had to get close to to read and to see the details of the fine work of the embroidered quotes and wax sculpted in flowers. I liked the displays but after looking at few, I was ready to move on to something else.

Upstairs, it was all action, music and motion moving quickly. Marisa Baumgartner had a video installation. Projecting on the various walls were moving roulette wheels, six feet high but in the middle, photos of different people, places and things. The colorful wheels were to represent "traffic circles" a way of life for those of us who live in DC area. The dark room and the projector lights gave the room a feeling of being in a disco. Not my type of art but others were smiling and taking photos of themselves in front of the moving videos that were being beamed onto the wall.

The other circle project was from Nicole Cohen who used old vinyls with maps. Again, DC is full of circles from a transportation perspective so locals may have appreciated the show.

I am person who likes to go into museum gift shops. Katzen's gift shop is tiny compared to the actual space for displaying the art. Only 20 feet by 10, is my ballpark guess. It does have an eclectic mix of items including works by local artists for sale; something you would not find with the big institutions downtown. On a scale of one to five, it is 3 because of the unique items but too small to offer an out-of-towner a large selection.

Katzen is fun for an art reception- the food, the atmosphere and to see many people if you live in that the neighborhood -but not for going alone. I was with friends so it was fun.

Post for Journ 459

This blog is for my class on New Media Entrepreneurship on a topic we feel strongly about that may lead to a new media business.
Two things I really enjoy doing: museums and movies. Fortunately when it comes to museums, art galleries or exhibits, where I live, there is a treasure trove of places to visit. Unfortunately, it comes to the movies, in particular, foreign films or art house films, there are slim pickings in this town. Yes, there are plenty of places to see the so-called "blockbusters" or mega summer hit but those quirky,off the beaten path movies are hard to find and rarely stay for long at the one place I like.
Either way, I plan to blog about what I have seen, AS I VENTURE AROUND!