Help me Start Something That Matters!

I've just finished reading Blake Mycoskie's amazing book, Start Something That Matters. Some of you may know Blake from his unique company TOMS  founded on a simple principle of buy one, give one. Every time you buy a pair of TOMS shoes, a pair is given to a child in need. (He has since expanded into eyewear which applies the same principle.) TOMS has inspired me to start my own non-profit for the arts.  After watching the Haiti Earthquake on TV a couple of years ago, I saw images of children lying in hospitals.  Their immediate survival  needs were taken care of  but they were missing one essential secondary need every mother  knows. Crayons and Paper. Art Heals the Soul.  As they languished in hospitals or camps, boredom is the next obstacle to overcome. I would like to start a non-profit to simply give kids crayons and paper.  How can I start? Whoever gives me the best suggestion will receive a free copy of Blake Mycoskie's Start Something That Matters.

Priceless Art Treasures in Downtown Santa Ana

Two statues by  famed artist Raymond Kaskey, the designer of the World War II Memorial on the National Mall in Washington DC are featured in front of the Ronald Reagan Federal Building in downtown Santa Ana!   I couldn't believe it.  I was walking around the art district downtown and stumbled upon these beautiful statues.  Raymond Kaskey is responsible for most of the beautiful statues you see in cities on the East Coast.  I knew his work from living in Charlotte, North Carolina where his works are prominently displayed in the down town square.  These are the only works by Mr. Kaskey in the lower Western United States. The only other west-coast statue is Portlandia in Portland Oregon.  Portlandia is second largest bronze statue in the United States, the first being the Statue of Liberty. Just think, Los Angeles doesn't have them, San Francisco, nor San Diego, but downtown Santa Ana! 

Let Your Art Fly !

The John Wayne Airport is holding it 22nd annual Student Art Contest.
If you are in K-12 you vcan submit artwork.  The theme is "Silent Flight".  You can bring your art to any Orange County Public Library before 4 pm on November 2.

Two winners will be selected. K-6 and 7-12. The winners will be on display Dec. 9-Jan. 16 in the Thomas Fr. Riley Terminal.

Winners will compete at state, national, and international level of competition. Everyone receives a certificate and winners will receive prizes.

You can pick up materials at any Orange County Public Library or click here for airport website: 

This "Trash" Is Not Garbage!

On October 15, The New Children's Museum of San Diego will feature a new exhibit titled TRASH. Featuring Artists from around the world, this exhibition is designed to re-think how we view and feel about "trash".

There will be a Street Festival and Public Opening | 10am–4pm

Free admission sponsored by ScholarShare College Savings Plan!

This is worth the 2 hour drive down to San Diego! The artists featured for this event are world renowned, and the museum itself is a sight to behold.  The museum is for children of all ages.

Celebrate the opening of TRASH with an action-packed street fair, featuring award-winning talent, kid friendly entertainment and special trash inspired art projects. Families will enjoy food truck fare, experience interactive demonstrations and learning opportunities, and explore the new exhibition.

Isamu Noguchi at Laguna Beach Art Museum

Now through October 2, 2011, Isamu Noguchi an internationally celebrated Japanese-American artist and designer is featured at the Laguna Beach Art Museum.  Noguchi: California Legacy is comprised of three parts that examine the impact Noguchi had in California.  California Scenario: The Courage of the Imagination based on Noguchi’s South Coast Plaza sculpture garden commissioned by Henry T. Segerstrom thirty years ago; 2) What is Sculpture? Akari from the Venice Biennale, from the 1986 Venice Biennale exhibit in which Noguchi, that year’s United States Representative, exhibited his Akari light sculptures; and 3) Noguchi at Gemini G.E.L., consisting of the sculpture multiples that Noguchi created in 1982 at atelier Gemini G.E.L. in Los Angeles.
According to the Laguan Beach Independent, the exhibition encompasses models and drawings pertaining to “California Scenario,” a popular sculpture garden in Costa Mesa and “Noguchi Plaza,” another plaza-like installation in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo. Modeled on an Italian piazza, the latter surrounds a sculpture (“To the Issei”) dedicated to the first generation of Japanese immigrants who paved the way for following generations.
In the densely developed blocks around South Coast Plaza and the Segerstrom Performing Arts Center, “California Scenario” is a tranquil oasis and a powerful monument to the grandeur of California’s natural endowments that include redwood forests, mountains and deserts and a flow of water. The pyramid placed in a corner of the plaza alludes to the diverse cultures that have shaped every facet of California history.
“It took 30 years to realize Noguchi’s vision,” said Laguna curator Grace Kook Anderson. “The garden looks no longer barren. Today the rocks are weathered, vegetation is mature and it’s a popular visiting spot. It’s exactly as Noguchi had envisioned since he believed that people activate space,” she added.

Drop-In Family Art Inventions at Bowers Museum

On Friday, September 30, 2011, 10 AM- 4 PM Bowers invites you to create innovative and unique cultural art projects.  Each weekend will feature new techniques and material. Recommended for ages 5 and up; parents and grandparents welcome, too! Free to members; free with paid admission; $8 single. You can check out their website here

Fine Art at D23

Disney had it's third annual D23 convention and it was a delight not only to Disney fans but for appreciators of fine art.  There were numerous fine artists featured, displaying their works with a Disney theme.  My favorite had to be the folks at Acme Art. Their tonal quality and color really captured the essence of  Disney characters. Marvel comics made it's debut with a wonderful presentation by the head of Marvel talking about it's history and it's future with Disney.  The one person I really wanted to see, John Lasseter, was impossible to view unless you stood in line for hours. He was speaking on the new Cars land in California Adventures.  The equivalent of  watching Thomas Edison talking about the light bulb. Or Walt Disney himself talking about his upcoming theme park. I was sorry to miss him.
What I thought most interesting was the Disney Corporate display that featured the incredible community work Disney participates in.  There was a opportunity to send letters to servicemen and women. Build a box for the red cross amongst other service projects.
D23 comes around every two years, so make your reservations now for 2013!

Visit Italy in San Diego

Now through September 18, The Timken Museum in San Diego is hosting works by artist George Inness.  a 19th century American artist who fufilled his desire to paint Italy. Mr. Inness is credited as being one of the founders of "tonal" painting. Tonal means on a scale 1-10, White being 1, Dark being 10 painting all shades in between. So essentially it's painting in shades of color.  It's beautiful!! You can see an example of his work here

Waves of History at International Surfing Museum

Want to bask in the after-glow of last weeks US Surfing Championship in Huntington Beach?  Go to the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum off Main Street. It's a must see for anyone interested in surfing or surf culture. I remember as a teenager going to the US Surfing Championship where a couple hundred people sat on the beach listening to a single loud speaker narrating the action. Now with thousands of people attending surfing events, the Surfing Museum captures the sport's essence in simpler times. The museum has several exhibits including early pioneers of surfing featuring the man who started it all, Duke Kohanamoku. "The Duke" captivated fans through his Olympic fame to popularize surfing. Past surfing champions both local and international are predominately featured including the current US Surfing champion.

The museum shows the development of the surfboard, featuring a circa 1919 solid wood board  illustrating surfboard's progression from it's long board beginnings, with limited maneuverability, to it's modern shorter version which allows tricks.
The music section pays homage to music associated with surfing. The Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, and of course Dick Dale, showcasing his original guitar.
There is a fun display featuring sand from beaches all over the world inviting visitors to contribute sand collected.
My favorite exhibit is the continuous running of the iconic surf movie Endless Summer.  If aliens came to this planet and wanted to know about it's culture, this movie would be my choice.You cannot watch it and be depressed. Its esoteric premise following surfers while they search for the perfect wave is brilliant in it's simplicity and aesthetics.  You are transported into a serene state of being.  The fact that the original camera used to film that masterpiece sits in the corner is a thrill.
The Surf Museum is located at 441 Olive Avenue in Huntington Beach. Admission is free. Check the website for day and open times. click here for museum information

Laguna Beach Art Festivals

 Summer is here and so are the Laguna Beach Art Festivals! Yay! Two of the most child friendly festivals are Sawdust and Art-A-Fair. Art-A-Fair is better as it does'nt require an entrance fee for families to participate in great art projects hosted and taught by some of the greatest artists in the world! Go to the front entrance where a tent is set up ready  for your budding artists! If you'd like to look around in the festival, you can enter for free if you patronize Tivoli Too, the restaurant in the back of the venue .  If you don't want to spend money for lunch, get an ice tea and enjoy what I think is the most amazing art in Laguna Beach.

Opening Day Celebration at OC Museum of Art, April 10

OC Museum of Art is haveing a special opening day celebration for Alexander Calder and Contemporary Art: Form, Balance, Joy.
This event is Free!!

Taking a Closer Look at the Mona Lisa

This is an interesting story on the recent analysis of the Mona Lisa in the Louvre. It's amazing how different individuals view art.  Art's true value is in the impression it gives the observer.  In other words, how it touches you.  It's the same principle as taking a beautiful flower and dissecting it.  To an artist, the beauty is in the flower outer appearance.  To a scientist, its beauty is in it's inmost parts.  To a philosopher, it's what it represents.  How do you view the Mona Lisa?  What is most interesting about it to you?
Click Here Mona Lisa

Google Brings Great Art to Your Computer

Google has announced a web site that brings all the great museums of the world together on one high resolution site.  Even though most museums have web sites to view their collections, this one allows the viewer a high resolution look at individual  paintings.   Check it out on googleartproject.com It's magnificent!

Kidfunk Family Festival, New Children's Museum of San Diego

Kidfunk Family Festival!


Saturday, February 12

10am–4pm

Free with Museum admission. $10.00 per adult and child

See the following schedule for the exciting events!!



RHYTHM CHILD

10 – 11AM

ages 1–5, all welcome

Norman Jones of Rhythm Child performs award-winning songs with a mix of drum loops, live percussion, soulful vocals, upbeat arrangements, and classic melodies. Rhythm Child strives to provide parents, teachers, and caregivers with opportunities to interact with their children in order to bring about cultural understanding, musical appreciation, and creative expression.



SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL

11AM – 12PM

ages 3 and up

San Diego Zoo Global will present “Around the World with Wild Wes”, a special musical adventure offering an inside look at wildlife and exotic animals. Through animal inspired songs, Wild Wes will teach families about each visiting live animal and their unique habitats.



EGG

12 – 1PM

ages 4, all welcome

Jeff Fuller and his alternative rock band, Egg, pride themselves on cross-generational appeal. Taking inspiration from Shel Silverstein, Cake, and Dr. Seuss, Egg’s fun-filled beats are crafted to be mature enough for parents with lyrics that kids love. Their hit album “Sunny Side Up” features songs such as “Hiccups,” “Flip Flops,” “La La La (I Love You),” and more. Egg has received significant recognition in parenting publications for their quirky and clever songwriting, including a special mention in Condé Nast’s former mom favorite, Cookie Magazine.





SUPER GALACTIC BEAT MANIPULATORS

1 – 2PM

ages 6 and up, all welcome

The Super Galactic Beat Manipulators consists of dancers from all over San Diego who strive to create a dynamic family atmosphere. Representing "Family Royale," a dance crew collective that includes JabbaWockeeZ, BoogieMonstarz, and Press PLAY, these teams focus on the importance of community and diversity, as well as like-mindedness in dance training and discipline. SGBM will be showcasing new moves and leading kids in workshops following their performance.





INTERACTIVE KARAOKE & LIVE DJ

2 – 4PM

all ages

Kids and families will also have an opportunity to showcase their own vocal talents and dance moves with interactive karaoke and a live, family friendly DJ. Museum gallery guides will lead sing-a-longs and special workshops to encourage the crowd to move!