SFMOMA Announces the Election of Three Trustees and Appointment of Two Senior Staff Members

Harry J. Elam, Jr., Pamela J. Joyner and Sonya Yu Join the Museum’s Board of Trustees

Davida Lindsay-Bell and Ann von Germeten Assume Senior Roles for the Museum

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) yesterday announced the election of three new members to its Board of Trustees: Harry J. Elam, Jr., Pamela J. Joyner and Sonya Yu. Each will serve a three-year term, effective immediately. The new trustees bring substantial experience in education, philanthropy, collecting, creativity and technology to their board service.

Left to right: Harry J. Elam, Jr. (photo: L. A. Cicero, courtesy Stanford University); Pamela J. Joyner; Sonya Yu (photo: Zack Lara); Davida Lindsay-Bell; Ann von Germeten

In addition, the museum announces the appointment of two senior leaders: Davida Lindsay-Bell joins as chief human resources officer and Ann von Germeten joins as chief marketing and communications officer.

New Trustees

HARRY J. ELAM, JR.

Harry J. Elam, Jr.; photo L. A. Cicero, courtesy of Stanford University

Harry J. Elam, Jr. is the Olive H. Palmer Professor in the Humanities, the Senior Vice Provost for Education, the Vice President for the Arts and the Freeman-Thornton Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education at Stanford University.

Elam is an internationally recognized scholar on African American theater and performance, most particularly on the late playwright August Wilson. He is the author and editor of seven books, including the Erroll Hill Prize-winning The Past as Present in the Drama of August Wilson. His articles and essays have appeared in a wide variety of journals and collections in the United States and abroad.

Professor Elam is the winner of the Betty Jean Jones Award for Outstanding Teaching from the American Theatre and Drama Society, the winner of the Excellence in Editing Award from the Association of Theatre in Higher Education and the winner of the Distinguished Scholar Award from the American Society of Theatre Research. He was inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Theatre in 2006 and, in 2014, awarded the Career Achievement Award from the Association of Theatre in Higher Education. In October 2019, Elam was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. At Stanford, he has been awarded six different teaching awards.

In addition to his scholarly work, Elam has directed professionally for over 25 years. Most notably, he has directed many of August Wilson’s plays, including Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Two Trains Running, and Fences, the latter of which won eight Bay Area “Choice” Awards.

Professor Elam received his AB from Harvard College in 1978 and his PhD in Dramatic Arts from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1984.

PAMELA J. JOYNER

Pamela J. Joyner; photo courtesy of SFMOMA

Pamela J. Joyner has nearly 30 years of experience in the investment industry. She is the founder of Avid Partners, LLC, where her expertise has been in the alternative investment arena. Currently, Joyner is focused on her philanthropic interests in the arts and education.

Joyner is a trustee of the Art Institute of Chicago and the J. Paul Getty Trust, chair of the Tate Americas Foundation and a member of the Tate International Council and the Tate North America Acquisitions Committee. She is also a member of the Director’s Circle of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and a member of the Modern and Contemporary Art Visiting Committee of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. In the education arena, Joyner serves on the board of the Art + Practice foundation in Los Angeles.

Joyner’s previous philanthropic positions included serving as a member of President Obama’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities; a trustee of Dartmouth College and chair of its Investment Committee; a trustee of the New York City Ballet; a board member of the School of American Ballet; a trustee and co-chair of the San Francisco Ballet Association; a board member of the MacDowell Colony; and a trustee of the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, as well as other arts and educational organizations.

CDC Issues Federal Quarantine Order to Repatriated U.S. Citizens at March Air Reserve Base

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), under statutory authority of the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, has issued federal quarantine orders to all 195 United States citizens who repatriated to the U.S. on January 29, 2020. The quarantine will last 14 days from when the plane left Wuhan, China. This action is a precautionary and preventive step to maximize the containment of the virus in the interest of the health of the American public.

PHIL ID #23311 – This illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Note the spikes that adorn the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion, when viewed electron microscopically. This virus was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China.

This legal order will protect the health of the repatriated citizens, their families, and their communities. These individuals will continue to be housed at the March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, California. Medical staff will continue to monitor the health of each traveler, including temperature checks and observation for respiratory symptoms. If an individual presents symptoms, medical care will be readily available. Even if a screening test comes back negative from CDC’s laboratory results, it does not conclusively mean an individual is at no risk of developing the disease over the likely 14-day incubation period.

This legal order is part of a public health response that is necessary to prevent the transmission and spread of this virus in the U.S. The World Health Organization (WHO) yesterday declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The current epidemic in Mainland China has demonstrated the virus’s capacity to spread globally. CDC is using one of the tools in our toolbox as a way to contain the potential impact of this novel virus on the United States.

This outbreak investigation is ongoing; we learn more every day about this newly emerging virus. First and foremost, CDC is committed to protecting the health and safety of all Americans. While CDC continues to believe the immediate risk to the larger American public is low at this time, this legal order has been put in place as a necessary step to fully assess and care for these repatriated Americans, protecting them, their loved ones, and their communities.

For the latest information on the outbreak, visit CDC’s Novel Coronavirus 2019 website.

Smithsonian Curators To Collect 2020 Presidential Election Memorabilia

Curators from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History are traveling to a variety of campaign events, including the Feb. 3 Iowa caucus and the Feb. 11 New Hampshire primary to collect materials and memorabilia reflecting the electoral process. In addition to Iowa and New Hampshire, political history curators Lisa Kathleen Graddy, Jon Grinspan and Claire Jerry will collect from the Democratic and Republican national conventions this summer to augment the national collection, as well as from debates, rallies, protests and digital campaign activities.

“By actively collecting new materials at the primaries and the party conventions every four years, the museum documents the political campaign process and can share the spirit and complexity of the presidential campaigns with the American public, both now and in the future,” said Anthea M. Hartig, the Elizabeth MacMillan Director of the museum.

The museum’s Political Campaign collection of more than 100,000 objects is the largest of its kind, containing artifacts dating as far back as the inauguration of President George Washington. The collection includes items related to presidential history and political campaigning, as well as the history of the White House and first ladies; civil rights, women’s suffrage and reform movements; the World War II home front; and labor history.

“These objects represent a celebration of democracy and how people and parties express their identity and their campaigns,” Jerry said. “Whether it’s handmade or mass-generated, each object represents history in the making by showing how candidates communicate with the public and how the public in turn communicates with the candidates.”

The broader political history collection includes some of the country’s most important national treasures, including the small portable desk on which the future President Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, the top hat President Abraham Lincoln wore the night he was assassinated and items from the 2016 presidential election.

The museum will open an exhibition on the power of campaign rhetoric and language in July 2020 prior to the party conventions. The display will share the value and role of political or campaign words and language; encouraging visitors to look beyond the sound bites. It will feature historical images and an array of words in a super-graphic as well as a podium from the 1976 presidential debate, a speech timer from the 2012 convention and campaign material from 1896, 1964 and 1992. Words themselves will be considered “objects.”

The ongoing collecting is an initiative to acquire materials that capture the atmosphere and the democratic spirit of the primaries and conventions. It allows researchers and visitors to observe and compare how each election season brings new trends, strategies and methods of communication to the political forefront. A large selection of objects collected in the past is on view in “American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith,” an exhibition that examines the bold experiment to create a government “of the people, by the people and for the people.

Through incomparable collections, rigorous research and dynamic public outreach, the National Museum of American History explores the infinite richness and complexity of American history. It helps people understand the past in order to make sense of the present and shape a more humane future. The museum is located on Constitution Avenue N.W., between 12th and 14th streets, and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). Admission is free. For more information, visit http://americanhistory.si.edu. For Smithsonian information, the public may call (202) 633-1000. On social, the museum can be found on Facebook at @americanhistory, and on Twitter and Instagram at @amhistorymuseum.

National Portrait Gallery Presents a Portrait of the Late Kobe Bryant

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery presents a portrait of the late Kobe Bryant (1978 – 2020), marking the death of the famed American athlete. The 2007 gelatin silver print photograph by Rick Chapman will be on view on the museum’s first floor until further notice.

“Kobe Bean Bryant” by Rick Chapman, 2007. Selenium-toned gelatin silver print. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of the artist and ESPN. ©2007 Rick Chapman

Born in Philadelphia, Kobe Bryant was the son of a well-traveled basketball player, Joe “Jellybean” Bryant. He spent some of his youth in Italy, where his father played professionally for a European league, before moving back to Philadelphia, where he was drafted out of high school in 1996. Bryant spent nearly his entire career as a shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers. He won five NBA championships and scored 33,643 points during his career. Bryant was the league MVP in the 2007–2008 season and an 18-time All Star. While his skills on the court were undeniable, Bryant was extremely competitive and known for his temper. And, in 2003, his image was tarnished when he was charged with sexual assault, causing him to lose endorsement deals. He and the accuser reached a settlement in 2004.

After retiring from basketball in 2016, Bryant founded Granity Studios. Dear Basketball, which he wrote and narrated, won the Academy Award for best animated short film in 2018.

On Jan. 26, 2020, a helicopter crash resulted in the untimely death of Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven other passengers. Bryant leaves behind his wife of almost 19 years, Vanessa, and three other children.

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery tells the multifaceted story of the United States through the individuals who have shaped American culture. Spanning the visual arts, performing arts and new media, the Portrait Gallery portrays poets and presidents, visionaries and villains, actors and activists whose lives tell the American story.

The National Portrait Gallery is part of the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture at Eighth and F streets N.W., Washington, D.C. Smithsonian Information: (202) 633-1000. Connect with the museum at npg.si.edu, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

Travel in Love: Celebrate This Valentine’s Day The Four Seasons Way At Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens

Love is in the air at Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens, as the Hotel embraces the art of romance and prepares to host a 2020 Valentine’s Day celebration like no other. Guests can treat their significant others to exquisite dining or a romantic getaway with an overnight stay at the most iconic hideaway of the Athenian Riviera.

(Image courtesy of The Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts)

Mercato sparks the romance with a fabulous four-course dinner carefully crafted by Chef Bertrand Valegeas, served throughout the weekend from Friday, February 14 until Sunday, February 16, 2020.

(Image courtesy of The Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts)

A glass of Taittinger Rosé Champagne introduces patrons to the romantic dining experience before the first course of red carabineros shrimps with marinated foie gras and passion fruit coulis arrives to the table. Savour the second course, the signature homemade lobster ravioli with black winter truffle and lime zest. Then, the third course is a choice between US prime beef fillet with chanterelle mushrooms, pomme Maxim’s, caramelised onions and guanciale, or roasted fillet of sole with oscietra caviar beurre blanc, basil and beetroot gnocchi. The exquisite night ends on a sweet note with a dessert created for this special occasion: a red berries heart with lime cream, vanilla and tonka bean ice cream, and then guests can take with them an assorted chocolates box as a souvenir of the time they spent in Four Seasons in Athens. The dinner is priced at EUR 75 per person.

(Image courtesy of The Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts)

The romantics will wish to celebrate love all weekend long with an overnight stay. The Hotel’s Valentine’s Weekend Package offers the special room rate of EUR 250 per night for stays between February 13 and 16, 2020 along with themed in-room amenities, a bottle of sparkling wine, a celebration cake and late checkout. Impressing a loved one has never been easier with the help of the concierge team, who can help create the most memorable touches: stage a guest room with red roses, champagne for two, a path of rose petals, chocolate truffles and more.

(Image courtesy of The Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts)

To book the Valentine’s Weekend Package, call +30 210 890 1000 or email reservations.athens@fourseasons.com.

92nd Oscars® Governors Ball Creative Team Announced

Academy governor Lois Burwell, event producer Cheryl Cecchetto and master chef Wolfgang Puck will team to create this year’s Governors Ball, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ official post-Oscars® celebration, which will immediately follow the 92nd Oscars ceremony on Sunday, February 9.  The Ball’s 1,500 invited guests include Oscar® winners and nominees, show presenters and other telecast participants.

Harmony and relaxation inspire the design for the 92nd Oscars Governors Ball. The color palette will be a soothing mix of copper and bronze metallics with accents of eggplant and amethyst. The ballroom will be lit by 2,000 tubes of light in a spectacular floating chandelier made from recycled materials in varying finishes and textures.

GOVERNORS BALL DÉCOR RENDERINGS

For the third time as the Academy’s Awards and Events Committee chair, Burwell will oversee the décor, menu and entertainment planning of the Ball. An acclaimed makeup artist, she won an Oscar for her work on “Braveheart” and earned a nomination for “Saving Private Ryan.” Her other feature credits include “The Princess Bride,” “War Horse,” “Lincoln” and “Ready Player One.” Burwell, a member of the Academy since 1997, is currently serving her second term as Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch Governor and holds the office of First Vice President on the Academy’s Board of Governors.

In her 31st year producing the Governors Ball, Cecchetto and her multi-talented team at Sequoia Productions will collaborate with Burwell on every aspect of the production, from concept to design, from on-site construction to day-of execution and management. In collaboration with a diverse group of designers, technicians, administrators and managers, the Sequoia team will work on-site and behind the scenes on blending décor, catering, entertainment, staffing and logistics into a fluid and flawless guest experience.

On the Menu: Cacio e Pepe Macaroni and Cheese

On the Menu: Vegetable Rice Paper Roll

For the 26th consecutive year, legendary chef Wolfgang Puck and the Wolfgang Puck Catering team will set the culinary stage for Hollywood’s biggest night. Puck, Vice President of Culinary Eric Klein and a kitchen team of 200 will bring a menu of more than 70 imaginative dishes to life with 70% of them being plant-based. One-bite hors d’oeuvres, tray-passed small-plate entrees and action stations will feature vegan dishes such as Sweet Potato Tempura with Mint Cilantro Aioli, Maitake Mushroom Salad with Eggplant Baba Ghanoush, and Housemade Campanelle Pasta with Preserved Meyer Lemon, Artichokes and English Peas, alongside additional new dishes such as Beet Macaron with Herb Goat Cheese, Cacio e Pepe Macaroni and Cheese, and Winter Spice French Toast with Pumpkin Crème Brûlée. On the sweeter side, the pastry team of Kamel Guechida, Garry Larduinat and Jason Lemmonier will create nearly three dozen show-stopping desserts. In addition to the signature 24K Gold Dusted Chocolate Oscars will be dozens of chocolate desserts created with Valrhona’s Inspiration and Guanaja vegan chocolates. Wolfgang Puck Catering CEO Carl Schuster will direct more than 900 event staff through the evening’s intricately detailed logistics to deliver a true restaurant-style hospitality experience.

On the Menu: The Golden Age

On the Menu: When You Have Passion…

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a global community of more than 9,000 of the most accomplished artists, filmmakers and executives working in film. In addition to celebrating and recognizing excellence in filmmaking through the Oscars, the Academy supports a wide range of initiatives to promote the art and science of the movies, including public programming, educational outreach and the upcoming Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which is under construction in Los Angeles.

Carnegie Hall Announces Winners of Dream Wedding Contest

Kira Helper and Dmitri Burtis of Boston, MA Win a Dream Wedding and Reception in the Weill Terrace Room and Weill Music Room atop Carnegie Hall on April 25, 2020

After receiving submissions from more than 800 couples from across the United States, Carnegie Hall has awarded its Dream Wedding to Kira Helper and Dmitri Burtis of Boston, MA. Their entry was selected for its creativity and originality as they mused on love and the meaning of music in their original submission video.

Kira Helper and Dmitri Burtis of Boston, MA Win a Dream Wedding and Reception in the Weill Terrace Room and Weill Music Room atop Carnegie Hall on April 25, 2020. Photo at top of release by Holy Smoke Photography

Composer and drummer Dmitri Burtis first met musical theater performer and music therapist Kira Helper as undergraduate students at Berklee College of Music about five and a half years ago through a mutual friend. In September 2018, Dmitri proposed in the Kyoto Garden of Holland Park while on a trip to London. On winning the Grand Prize, the couple offered “We just feel so grateful for this opportunity. What a way for us to start the rest of our lives together!”

The Grand Prize includes a ceremony and reception on April 25, 2020 for 100 guests in the Weill Terrace Room and Weill Music Room atop Carnegie Hall, plus catering by Constellation Culinary Group, event design and planning by NYLUX Events, hotel accommodation by Park Hyatt New York, ceremony music by Ensemble Connect, graphic design by Amy Glaser, hair and makeup by Beautini by Brittany Lo, wedding cake by Cakes by Andrea, photobooth by Capture Pod Studios, photography by Kylee Lee, and DJ and party services by Shiran Nicholson/Nicholson Events, décor by Adam Leffel Productions, and printed materials by Print Shoppe Club.

Matching the artistry and grandeur of its world-renowned performance venues, Carnegie Hall’s extraordinary classic and contemporary event spaces feature an expansive rooftop terrace, a private dining room with historic fixtures, and newly renovated, flexible spaces with dramatic windows that showcase Central Park and skyline views.

Whether for an elegant wedding, festive family celebration, chic corporate gathering, or non-profit gala, Constellation, Carnegie Hall’s on-site exclusive culinary partner, brings each host’s vision to life with delicious fare presented beautifully and served with choreographed precision. For more information to help plan your next event at Carnegie Hall, visit carnegiehall.org/eventspaces.

American industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and Louise Whitfield were married on April 22, 1887 in a quiet ceremony attended by a small number of family and friends. Immediately afterwards, they boarded a ship for their honeymoon in Great Britain. On that trip, it is believed that Andrew first considered building a new music hall in New York City. Since 1891, Carnegie Hall has set the international standard for excellence in musical performance. From Tchaikovsky, Dvořák, Mahler, and Bartók to George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman, Judy Garland, Count Basie, The Beatles, and Frank Sinatra, the Hall has been the aspirational destination for the world’s finest musicians.

Today, Carnegie Hall presents a wide range of performances each season on its three stages—the renowned Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage, intimate Weill Recital Hall, and innovative Zankel Hall—including concert series curated by acclaimed artists and composers; citywide festivals featuring collaborations with leading New York City cultural institutions; orchestral performances, chamber music, new music concerts, and recitals; and the best in jazz, world, and popular music. Complementing these performance activities, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute creates extensive music education and social impact programs that annually serve more than 600,000 people in the New York City area, nationally, and internationally, playing a central role in Carnegie Hall’s commitment to making great music accessible to as many people as possible. For more information, visit www.carnegiehall.org.

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation Appoints Cyra Levenson as Deputy Director and Gail Engelberg Director of Education and Public Engagement

Richard Armstrong, Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation announced the appointment of Cyra Levenson to the position of Deputy Director and Gail Engelberg Director of Education and Public Engagement. Levenson will be responsible for the development and implementation of learning and engagement opportunities for modern and contemporary art and architecture at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, and will have a significant role in partnering across the foundation’s international network. She comes to the Guggenheim Museum from the Cleveland Museum of Art, where she was Deputy Director and Head of Public and Academic Engagement. Levenson will begin her new position on March 3, 2020.

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation Appoints Cyra Levenson as Deputy Director and Gail Engelberg Director of Education and Public Engagement

“For more than two decades, Cyra has built a distinguished career in museums with a powerful, public-centric vision focused on inclusivity and collaboration. Her enthusiastic and bold approach makes her the ideal person to advance our work ensuring constituencies of all ages and backgrounds have access to the transformative and meaningful experiences that art provides,” stated Armstrong. “We look forward to her being in active dialogue across the Guggenheim’s international constellation and furthering our mission of presenting the art of today.”

“The Guggenheim is a place that is dedicated to the exchange between artists and the broader world, making it possible to explore new ways of seeing and new ways of understanding,” said Cyra Levenson. “I’m honored to be able to play a part in that wonderful expanding vision.”