Today, Sunday, is the last day of the 2012 LA Art Show. A visit pays off for the whole family! There is so much to see that not only kids are busy watching but also participating.
It’s an experience to watch so much different art of all kinds of styles at one place. There are also special events offered throughout the day. From printmaking to fine art lectures. Some showcasing galleries have some of their artists present and one can engage with the artists, talk about their art and find out more about them and their work first hand. Corzine Fine Art (Booth B140) had a special event: Artist Yuri Yuroz decorates white T-shirts (don’t forget to bring one with you!) with a painting.
On another side of the exhibition hall, James Peterson’s spectacular installation ‘Hypoxia’ is attracting admirers of all ages. Children are in heaven here since the artist actually encourages them to touch and experience his artwork. In fact interaction with his installation is necessary to bring the installation ‘to life’: Touch causes certain lights to turn on in parts of the installation while sudden blows of air create unexpected movement.
The LA Art Show is open today, Sunday, January 22, 2012, from 11am – 5pm
Metropolis II by Chris Burden has opened to the public Saturday, January 14, 2012. It’s an experience! Should you be in L.A. for the weekend, do pay LACMA a visit and check out this outstanding exhibition. An “elaborate system of 18 roadways including one 6-lane freeway and HO scale train tracks…” and 1200 custom manufactured die-cast cars make you feel like being in the midst of a mini New York or Los Angeles . An impressive structure of steel, aluminum, shielded copper wire, glass, plastics, wood and even legos take the viewer with amazement. One can spend quite some time discovering all kinds of different buildings and world landmarks like the Eiffel tower and Saint Basil’s Cathedral on the Red Square in Moscow.
This upcoming Monday is part of Target Free Holiday Mondays, which offers free entrance to all LACMA shows and a variety of children activities throughout the day. Not only will you get a look at this amazing architectural design gem, but your kids will have a moment of awe and can continue the day at LACMA with all kinds of other fun activities.
NEXGEN the LACMA Youth membership lets accompanying adults visit for free
By the way, should you have children at the ages of 3-18, get them a NEXGEN membership. It’s a free membership for children and allows one accompanying adult per child to visit LACMA for free.
My son and I just spent a great day at LACMA and actually could take a sneak preview on Metropolis II on Friday, when LACMA offered a special member preview day before the official opening of Metropolis II yesterday.
We continued our LACMA adventure with viewing the art collection at the Broad Contemporary Art Museum. Already the building with its contrasting red elements and the steep escalator, that my son named the ‘escalator to the sky’ is a delight for the eye. Inside, one can experience the fascinating paintings and sculptures of so many famous artists like Jeff Koons, Baldessari and more.
Should you love Expressionism, then walk over to the Ahmanson building. The Rifkind Gallery for German Expressionism offers quite a selection of Kirchner, Pechstein and Co. An entire small exhibit is dedicated to Ludwig Meidner: Ecstatic Expressionism, which will be on view until April 15th. Quite an impressive selection of other representatives of modern art can be found here on level 2 as well. From Picasso, Klee, Otto Dix to Motherwell, Rothko, Pollock, Sam Francis and Liechtenstein.
“Telling the story of the birth of the LA art scene” – PACIFIC STANDARD TIME at LACMA
German design bei Kem Weber - Desk & Chair
California Design, 1930–1965: “Living in a Modern Way” is another exhibition that should be on your agenda. As part of Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945-1980 it gives a chronological overview through the many historical highlights that shaped California Design.
January 5th in 1933 marked the day when construction for the Golden Gate Bridge began. Five years later on May 27, 1937 the Golden Gate Bridge opened to pedestrian traffic and became a world known landmark.
“May 27, 2012 marks 75 years for the Golden Gate Bridge and a wonderful opportunity to recognize the history, beauty, and ingenuity of this famous span…” (GodenGateBridge75.org) San Francisco is getting ready for the 75th anniversary celebrations.
The two-day Golden Gate Festival, from May 26-27, 2012 will recall and tell the story of the bridge. If you like to see what kind of activities are planned or want to read up on the Golden Gate history, or read about some fun facts, check out these links: Golden Gate Bridge 75th Anniversary & Golden Gate Bridge Research Library.
Take a virtual walk over the Golden Gate, in case you are not in San Francisco…
Many countries around the world celebrate Christmas in different ways and on different days. In Germany, Austria and the German part of Switzerland it is custom to celebrate Christmas on the evening of December 24th, and many families end the holy night with the midnight mass at local churches. In contrary to the American Christmas Eve parties the celebration is one mostly with only the immediate family. The days of the 25th and 26th are the days to visit other relatives and close friends and celebrate with them as well.
December 24th is also often the day when the Christmas tree is festively decorated together with the whole family and some pay a last visit to the Christkindel markets, which close that afternoon until next year’s Christmas season.
Who will bring the presents to the children in Germany? Well, this depends if one is from the south or the north. The children in the north of Germany traditionally have the “Weihnachtsmann” similar to Father Christmas bring the gifts in the evening, whereas in the
south of Germany, and also in Austria, children are waiting for the “Christkind” (Christ Child) to bring them presents.
With this CaliforniaGermans wishes you all a wonderful Merry Christmas, Fröhliche Weihnachten, and a prosperous and happy New Year!
If you would like to know where you can find a German Christmas Eve church service in your neighborhood, please follow the link to the German Consulate.
Reconnect to the magic of Christmas a different way and find peace and tranquility despite the hectic that surrounds this busiest time of the year.
Winter time is a perfect time to spend at the beach. Especially if the weather is as beautiful as it was for the last few Advent weekends. One can spend hours walking on the sand without the summer crowds and just enjoy the waves crashing at the feet and watching the pelicans sail over the ocean. It’s perfect for reconnecting with your mind, soul and the elements.
Some beaches have special attractions for the holiday season like ice skating while watching the sunset over the ocean. Ice skating by the beach has become a tradition at the Del Coronado Hotel in San Diego, the hotel where “Some Like It Hot” was filmed starring Marilyn Monroe.
Del Coronado’s beloved holiday tradition starts every year right after Thanksgiving. The hotel has an ice rink set up right in front of the hotel’s beach promenade, looking over the beautiful wide, white beaches - the sand here by the way seems much softer and whiter than anywhere else in SoCal, so I found. After the ice skating sessions one can relax with hot cocoa and other goodies at the coffee bar or the restaurant right at the promenade. It’s a great and fun time well spent with family and friends!
It’s great feedback for us to hear that some of you are inspired by the suggestions and links on our CaliforniaGermans Facebook Page and visit some of the suggested exhibitions, concerts, or other events like the one at the Hammer Museum in L.A. yesterday.
The Hammer welcomed activist Angela Davis in conversation with Robin Levi, human rights director of Justice Now and CaliforniaGermans reader Christian Klugmann was there! Thank you Christian for sharing!
Christian Klugmann with Angela Davis at Hammer Museum in Los Angeles
With the First Advent today Christmastime has officially started. Christmas markets in Germany traditionally open their doors on this weekend and it’s the cozy time of chestnuts and Glühwein.
Also here in California homes are being decorated with Christmas lighting and harbor cities are gearing up for the boat light parades. Christmas tree lighting events in malls have already taken place last week before Thanksgiving and winter festivals like the Sawdust Winter Fantasy Festival in Laguna Beach do their best to get you in the holiday spirit. Take a stroll with us through Sawdust Winter Fantasy Festival with our slideshow below.
It’s always fun to travel up north and visit San Francisco, but also nearby Berkeley is an adventure. We love to visit Berkeley. The town is full of life but different from what one expects from cities like San Francisco. Here at Berkeley, controversy lies in the air. One can practically feel the pulsating discussions about ideas that might one day change the world and the rebellious attitude towards pressing political questions affecting the nation but also the world.
Not pretty at first sight perhaps, Berkeley seems to be a bit run down almost reflecting the present state of American economy with homeless people making their way through the streets asking for a bit of support to meet living expenses. But allowing yourself to dive into the mentality of the town and breathing in the politically charged air, Berkeley grows on you and you will love it for what it represents. It’s an intellectually charged place where even the homeless guy at the corner recites his own poetry on “Weltschmerz” or joins in a heated political discussion.
Sure enough also this time we witnessed a friendly demonstration against Wall Street. Since it was Homecoming weekend and the football game of the Cal Bears versus the USC Trojans had just taken place, quite a few USC students were in town representing the more conservative standpoint on political views. Dressed in suits and formal gowns, they were carrying signs that read, “I love capitalism”. I must admit their group stood there a bit forlorn and some onlooker just shouted at them “Go back home…!”
The end of our weekend trip marked a visit to the new California Academy of Sciences at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. What a fantastic museum! It’s impressive how the museum combines a natural history museum, an aquarium and a planetarium all under one roof. And what a roof this is! It’s a living roof with 2,5 acres of native California plants that provide insulation and it “…reduces the urban heat island effect. …It features an expansive solar canopy, an extensive water reclamation system, and walls insulated with recycled blue jeans!” This is sustainable design and green architecture right at its best, and “…it just may be the greenest museum on the planet.”
Enjoy impressions of a weekend trip to Berkeley & San Francisco…
If you were wondering why you couldn’t find your favorite Porsche car key chain at one of the Porsche Design Stores, then listen in on excerpts of last Sunday’s Porsche Design presentation by Roland Heiler.
Porsche Design had a presentation and reception at the Porsche Dealership in Newport Beach past Sunday. Roland Heiler, mastermind behind Porsche Design gave an insightful presentation on what Porsche Design is all about and how it differentiates itself from other Porsche brands like Porsche Driver’s Selection .
As the audience learned, Porsche Design was founded in 1972 by Prof. Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, grandson of Porsche’s founder and designer of the legendary Porsche 911. Focus of Porsche Design is on high end, timeless design projects that are exclusive and functional in one.
Following this approach one can find distinctive fashion for men and women, luxury items like watches but also stylish and ergonomically perfectly designed tennis shoes (in collaboration with Adidas) in designated Porsche Design Stores or choose to get a Porsche Design kitchen (in collaboration with Poggenpohl). Two of the latest Porsche Design projects are a futuristically designed yacht and the design of a luxury apartment building in Florida with elevators bringing you and your car right to the doorsteps of your home.
Mr. Heiler, Managing Director of Porsche Design Studio in Austria, has a long history with Porsche and was director in the Porsche styling studio in Huntington Beach. He was the perfect authority to give an oversight not only of Porsche Design but also the brand Porsche itself.
Porsche Driver’s Selection products on the other hand are only available at Porsche dealerships or on the website and feature lifestyle items like a Porsche car computer mouse or memory stick, little model cars and also clothing, all related to the car Porsche and Porsche Motorsports rather than to the exclusive designer lines at Porsche Design.
them and their work first hand. Corzine Fine Art (Booth B140) had a special event: Artist Yuri Yuroz decorates white T-shirts (don’t forget to bring one with you!) with a painting.
encourages them to touch and experience his artwork. In fact interaction with his installation is necessary to bring the installation ‘to life’: Touch causes certain lights to turn on in parts of the installation while sudden blows of air create unexpected movement.
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