California African American Museum on Tuesday

After a delightful lunch with my friend Margaret at Smitty's in Pasadena, I roamed to the Exposition Park area of L.A. to visit CAAM.  The museum now has several excellent exhibits of Art by African Americans.

The first one I visited were photos by Roberto Chile entitled "Afrodescendents."  These are photos he took in Guanabacoa, Cuba which was the site of where ships carrying captured Africans docked and sold into slavery.  Most of the Africans brought as slaves were sold in South American and the Caribbean.  Up to two-thirds of the population of Cuba identify as part African. The pictures are meant o show "the sublime beauty of certain aspects of Afro-Cuban culture while inviting you into the emotional intimacy of daily life."

Roberto Chile

The next exhibit I visited is entitled "The Legacy of the Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company:  More than a Business.  This is a savings and loan company that was founded by African Americans under the leadership of William Nickerson, Jr.Norman Houston and George Beavers.  Their one room business grew and they built a a new office on Central Avenue and later a new building designed by African American architect Paul Williams in 1948 on the corner of Western and Adams Blvds.  At the same time they commissioned two historic murals for the lobby by artists Charles Alston and Hale Woodruff and hired artist William Pajaoud to curate and collect what became the largest U.S. collection of corporate-owned African American art.  Many of the items were sold in a bankruptcy in 2009.  But many were collected for this exhibit and can be seen below.

The Embrace by Elizabeth Catlett

Photos of the large murals are being exhibited.  The one above is called Colonization and Exploitation by Charles Alston.  Below is Settlement and Development by Hale Woodruff.

Other exhibits at the museum are "Soul Stirring:  African American Self-Taught Artists from the South," "Things That Cannot Be Seen Any Other Way:  The Art of Manuel Mendive," ""Diverted Destruction 6" and "The March on Washington A Tribute, 50 Years Later."

Above a painting by Roy Ferdinand born in Gert Town New Orleans 1959 died 2004..."The Goya of New Orleans."

Below are Manuel Mendive's works.

Roaming in San Francisco on Friday and Saturday

Colleen and I adeptly used the Oakland/San Francisco public transportation system...including the ferry, Bart and MUNI buses to negotiate our way to favorite places in the Bay area.  First it was off to Golden Gate Park and to the California Academy of Science where we enjoyed lunch in the Moss Room.  The Moss Room is another creation of Charles Phan, Executive Chef.  He is also the creator and Executive Chef of the Slanted Door in the Ferry Bldg. in the City.  We enjoy his Vietnamese styled food so much that we ate there the next day.

The Moss Room is in the basement of the Science Center and features a living wall and a pond which is home to Asian River Fish.

I then strolled over to the De Young Art Museum across the beautiful park.  Here are pictures of some of the things I enjoyed.

A view of the De Young from the Science Center...yes that tower is part of it.

Scenes from the park which is 20% larger than Central Park in New York City.  It was the scene of the 1894 Midwinter International Exposition

Mary Cassatt, American,  (1844-1926) painted this portrait of her mother in 1889

John Singer Sargent, American, (1856-1925) painted this portrait of Caroline de Bassano in 1884

"A Dinner Table at Night" by John Singer Sargent, 1884

"Trout Stream in the Tyrol," 1914 by John Singer Sargent

"The Courtship," 1878 by Thomas Eakins, American, (1844-1916)

"The Last Moments of John Brown," 1884 by Thomas Hovenden, American (1840-1895)
The painting depicts abolitionist martyr John Brown (1800-1859) being taken to his execution.

"Moses, the Baltimore News Vendor," 1858 by Thomas Waterman Wood (1823-1903) American

"Market Woman," 1858 by Thomas Waterman Wood

"Albert Post," (Second Lieutenant in the Union Army) 1864 by Winslow Homer, American, (1836-1910)

"Ocean Park 116" 1979 by Richard Diebenkorn, American (1922-1993)

"Hovor II," 2004 by El Anatsui, Ghana/Nigeria (b. 1944) Woven aluminum and copper wire.

"The Master Printer of Los Angeles," 1973 by David Hockney, English, b. 1937, color lithograph and screen print.

"Celia," 1973 by David Hockney, Lithograph

"Celia with Guest," 1986 by David Hockney, Color xerographic print

"Green Leaf Vase," 1990 by Dale Chihuly, American, b. 1941, Blown Glass

"Slivered Venetian with Spring Green and Wine Spotted Flowers," 2010 by Dale Chihuly, Blown glass

By Dale Chihuly

Later we found our way back to the Embarcadaro for a sip and snack before we took the later ferry back to Oakland.

Is that Artistic or just a shaky photographer?

On Saturday morning it was back to the Ferry Building for the farmers' market and tastes of many goodies and a sip of wine before lunch at The Slanted Door, for more delicious Vietnamese food, sitting outside on the pier watching the world go by.

Looks just like this but with lots of people on a beautiful Saturday morning.

I strolled toward the Yerba Buena Center and on my way enjoyed this man with his home made drums...drumming for Peace outside the Ferry Building.  There's Hope!



The Yerba Buena Center for the Arts features contemporary arts representing the diverse cultures of San Francisco.  It is adjacent to a park and the convention center on Mission.  I viewed an exhibit on the works of Bill T. Jones who is an American artistic director, choreographer and dancer born in 1952 in Florida.  He formed the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company with his late partner in 1982.

"Table, Masks and 13 chairs from Last Supper at Uncle Tom's Cabin/The Promised Land," 1990 by Huck Snuder, used in a three act production by Bill T. Jones.

Photos of Bill T. Jones whose body was  painted on by the photographer Keith Harin

Thursday Night with Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil

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Yefim Bronfman, piano and Gustavo Dudamel conducting Tchiakovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor
(Thanks to L.A. Times Photo)

Julien Beaudiment, Principal Flute

The L.A. Phil was in full force and energy under the leadership of Gustavo Dudamel on Thursday.  The orchestra opened with a world premiere of Shing Kham written by Peter Lieberson and finished by Oliver Knussen.  Peter Lieberson was born in 1946 in New York and Died in 2011 in Israel.  He studied Tibetan Buddhism and perhaps wrote this as he was dieing of lymphoma and moving on up. 

This percussion concerto with full orchestra had a timpanist, 4 percussionists playing piano (doubling celesta), harp and a solo percussionist Pedro Carneiro, playing marimba, snare drum, 6 tom-toms, bass drum, 6 wooden tom-toms, 4 suspended cymbals and a triangle.  There was a lot of action and sounds in 10 minutes and great fun to see. and hear.

Next was the Schubert Symphony No. 4 in C minor, "Tragic."  Franz Schubert was born in Vienna, Austria in 1797 and died at age 31 in 1828.  He created nearly 1000 music compositions during that short life.  The "Tragic" was written when he was 18 but not played publicly until 21 years after he died....tragic.  It is a beautiful symphony and well executed by the Phil.

After the intermission out came the Steinway Piano and Yefim Bronfman, Artist-in-Residence with the New York Philharmonic.  He played an amazing rendition of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No.1 in B -flat minor, composed in 1874-75 when Tchiakovsky was 34.  This beautiful music made famous by Liberace and others is perhaps one of the most popular classical music pieces.  Bronfman's performance was greeting by a standing ovation and cheers of bravo.  Eventually he relented and played an encore with Gustavo setting on the podium next to the piano like a little boy.  Bravos were also given to Julien Beaudiment, the new principal flutist, who performed several of the concerto's solo pieces beautifully.

Giacomo Puccini: Master of Melody at UCLA

On Wednesday I began my 6 week class on Giacomo Puccini, the master opera music composer, at UCLA extension.  The instructor is Earl J. Schub who has taught for years.  This week we learned that Puccini was born on December 22, 1858 in Lucca, Italy to a father and grandfather who were musicians.  He had many sisters who along with his mother pampered him and shielded him from adversity which perhaps led to Giacomo not being able to say no to wine, women, and song.

Puccini wrote his first mass in 1876 at age 18 while studying at the Milan conservatory.  However, he fell in love with operas especially those by Verdi.  One of his operas was Le Villi in 1884 and another was Edgar in 1889.  Neither were well received.  However, Manon Lescaut in 1893 with Giuseppe Giacosa as librettist was a hit when it premiered in Turin then was moved to Milan.

The instructor played music from the first two operas and then played a DVD of a recording made by young Placido Domingo as tenor and Renata Scotto the dramatic soprano.  Yes, like many operas, the soprano dies in the end with the dashing tenor holding her in his arms.  Like Puccini's other famous operas, the music is beautiful and left me walking away humming a melody.

Giacomo Puccini 1858-1924

Renata Scotto and Placido Domingo in Manon Lescaut

Walt Disney Hall 10th Anniversary Celebration in Grand Park

On Sunday afternoon, Colleen and I met cousin Rob at Grand Park in L.A. between the music center and city hall.  We found a great spot to view a large screen to watch a concert at Disney Hall celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Hall.  The actual concert was held a block away at the concert hall and we watched on a large screen at the park...enjoying our lawn chairs, KFC, and beverage of our choice.

The concert included a performance of some of the Youth Orchestra Los Angeles, YOLA, members.  Also Herbie Hancock performed, the pipe organist gave a concert, and a Latino musical group got the audience rocking.  The leader of this group said that playing at Disney Hall was a big step up from playing for change on Olvera Street a few blocks away.  Then the L.A. Phil orchestra took the stage with Gustavo Dudamel conducting members of YOLA setting beside and played a rousing Tchaikovsky number.  It was a beautiful afternoon in the park with children of all ages enjoying the magic of music.

Walt Disney Concert Hall

Gustavo Dudamel, conductor

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