Last Night at the Goethe-Institut with Alfredo Corchado

Alfredo Corchado, Dallas Morning News Mexico bureau chief and author of "Midnight in Mexico" was at the Zocolo sponsored event and spoke of his life and his hopeful views on Mexico's future.  Corchado was born in Mexico and came to California as a child with his parents, "braceros" who wanted a better life for their children.  He grew up picking in the fields of the San Joaquin Valley.

Corchado does not want to be one of those Mexicans who come to America and abandon their homeland.  He is a poud son of Mexico.  He loves the country especially the music with "songs that make the soul weap."  By living in Mexico City and also El Paso, Texas, he can represent his home country in the U.S.  He said that El Paso is the Ellis Island of our age.

Regarding the drug wars, there have been 100,000 killed since 1986 with only a 5% conviction rate.  He said for there to be peace, there must be justice.  He has been threatened 4 times as his "beat" includes the drug wars. 

Still he is optimistic.  He said that Mexico is learning to build a civil society even on the blood of their children.  One piece of evidence lies in the work of journalists there...three Mexican journalists won Pulitzer Prizes.  For every journalist who is threatened, censored, disappeared, or killed, there are some who are willing to risk their lives to break news.  Reporters are more hopeful than hte people they cover.

Roaming at the Norton Simon with Friends

Twas a beautiful Monday for lunch in the Norton Simon Garden with friends Bonnie and Marge.  The day lilys in yellow and orange were abloom as were beautiful yellow flowering trees.  The lily pads were awash with flowers and the dragon flies were abuzz. 

The food was good and the company was the greatest.  Friends are the greatest gift.  It was also wonderful to see some of my favorite bronze sculptures.

"The Family" by Henry Moore

"King and Queen" by Henry Moore

Degas' Fourteen-year-old Dancer

Rodin's Burghers of Calais

The Getty Center with Cousin Mary Kay and Jim

It was a June Gloom but still a nice day to be at the Getty Center.  We roamed through the "Overdrive, L.A. Constructs the Future 1940-1990" exhibit and visited some 19th Century paintings that we love.

The Overdrive exhibit showed architectural drawings and models that were proposed and/or built in L.A. during that period.  That included the space ship like restaurant in the middle of LAX, plans for Century City, the development of Bunker Hill, the Museum of Art, Music Center and Disney Hall.  My favorites were the plans and samples for the temporary buildings and facades for the 1984 Summer Olympics.  I enjoyed recalling the L.A. look at that time remembering that magical period when L.A. seemed so perfect.

Below are some of the paintings that I especially appreciated today:

Edgar Degas self-portrait about 1857 when he was 23 years old

"The Rue Mosnier with Flags," 1878 by Edouard Manet, French, 1832-1993 Oil on Canvas.
Manet painted this from his studio window on a day with patriotic decorations with a disabled veteran.  The bright colors and bold brushwork reflect the Impressionist style.  The subject shows the inequities in French Society.

"After the Bath," 1895 by Edgar Degas, French, 1834-1917
Degas painted women in movement, dancing, ironing, bathing, although he never married and lived alone much of his life.  Some say that Degas disliked women and showed them in unflattering poses. 

"Still Life with Flowers and Fruit," 1869 by Claude Monet, Friench, 1840-1926
Monet painted this outside along the Seine River near Paris.  This is his largest and most beautiful still lifes.

"The Road from Versailles to Saint-Germain," 1875 by Alfred Sisley, English, 1839-1899
Sisley was born in Paris of English parents and one of the founding members of the Impressionists group.  Thiis was painted outside with summer sunshine.

"Portrait of Louis-Antoinette Feuardent," 1841 by Jean-Francois Millet, French 1814-1875
He painted this portrait of a friend.  However, he is best know as a painter of peasant life.

"Italian Landscape," 1835 by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, French, 1796-1875

Detail of the above painting showing peasants dancing happily in a field.

"Landscape with Lake and Boatman,"1839 by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot.
A critic at the time this was displayed at the Paris Salon wrote that "he produces calm, sad paintings, full of thought and lofty character...this is a masterpiece for its quality of line and the gentle harmony of its light."

A detail of the above painting.  I like the figure of the man on the lake with the reflections of the country side.

Zocolo Interviewed Debbie Allen at Petersen Automotive Museum

On Monday night I attended an event sponsored by Zocolo Public Square at the Petersen Automotive Museum.  The event was an interview with Debbie Allen.  I have admired Debbie since the days of the television series "Fame."  In the '80's, my daughter and I would watch on weekly T.V. the trials and triumphs of the intercity arts high school students and faculty and enjoy the musical creativity and the wonderful dance.  Debbie played a teacher, Lydia Grant and created the dance.  She later choreographed ten Academy Awards Shows, two Emmy Awards, and a Gold Globe Awards.  I saw her two years ago in the production of "Twist" at the Pasadena Playhouse.  Her accomplishments are amazing and when she talks, you can see why.  She is smart, quick, creative and full of energy.

Currently, this 63 year old dynamo is running DADA, the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in L.A. where 70% of the students are on scholarship.  She praised Wallis Annenberg for her generousity that helps to make that happen.  She is on her way to Australia this week for a production of "Freeze Frame" where she is taking some of her students to perform.

Debbie Allen is the the sister to Phylicia Rashad, the former Mrs. Huxtable on the Bill Cosby Show.  Phylicia is currently in a play at the Ahmanson Theater in L.A.  Her brother is a Jazz composer Tex Allen.

So where does all this creativity and brilliance come from?  She was born in Huston, Texas to orothodontist Andrew Arthur Allen Jr. and Vivian (Ayers) Allen, a poet, pianist, and museum art director.  She graduated from Howard University.  She wanted to be a ballet dancer, but not accepted as black girls were not accepted in the segregated South.  She lived with her mother in Mexico City for a while and learned that she was accepted and admired by the people there.  She said her mother made them believe that they could do anything.  "She still kicks my ass," at the age of 90.  Her mother was tough and exposed them to much of what life has to offer.

She talked about her determination to produce the movie "Amistad" because the story of the black slaves taking over the ship and returning to Africa was not known.  She talked how she got in for a 5 minute meeting with Steven Spielberg and after an hour and a half, he was determined to make the movie with her.  So the movie which was 19 years in the making is now in every college library in the country so people can know about this piece of American history.

Debbie's passion now is arts in the schools.  She said we need to strongly advocate for arts and music in the schools....they are proposing to drop all arts in the elementary schools in L.A.  She called on the creation of "Mommy Gangs" to take over the schools.  She said we have to protest and take over the I 10 Freeway.  Go to: adoptthearts.org to find out ways to help keep arts and music in the schools.  They have donated over 1000 refurbished and new instruments to L.A. schools.

The event gave me an opportunity to roam around the automotive museum and admire the beautiful cars on display.  I remembered fondly the 1959 Cadillac Convertible when it was new with those amazing fins.  I even rode in one with a friend....great memories and below is a picture of the fins of a red one. 

1939 Packard

1951 Ford Country Squire

Steve McQueen's Jag

A Visit to the Arts District

Roaming through the Arts District on Monday was a joy.  I love the murals and wall art and stolling into the shops with creative items to purchase.  I also roamed into the D District Gallery on E. 3rd Street and viewed the works of Stephen Seemayer.  He documented the Occupy L.A. movement in 2011 at the City Hall with pictures and art work collages.  I appreciate his work and purchase a poster that I am enjoying. 

This is one of the wonderful murals on the Walls of the Arts District in Los Angeles near 3rd and Traction.

Saturday Night at the Pasadena Pops

Michael Feinstein had his orchestra director debut with the Pasadena Pops at the Arboretum last night. It was a beautiful night with great music from Michael's song book. The music ranged from a salute to Benny Goodman to the Judy Garland Carnegie Hall Overture. Special solos were sung by Cheyenne Jackson and Lari White.

Michael closed with a tribute to Marvin Hamlish. Just a year ago, Marvin conducted the Pops and Michael sang as a guest artist. Three weeks later, Marvin died suddenly. Michael talked about Marvin and sat at the grand piano singing "Memories" for which Marvin wrote the music. It was a moving ending to a wonderful evening

Sandra Booker Jazz at LACMA

Tonight I enjoyed the hard driving soulful swing of Sandra Booker at the museum.  She and her band got the crowd swaying, nodding, clapping, and dancing to the music. She is a New Orleans native with an Afro-Cuban beat to much of music.