Black History Month Programming at The National Museum of African American History and Culture

February, March Public Programming Begins With Discussion on Interim Director Spencer Crew’s Latest Book “Thurgood Marshall: A Life in American History”

“Proud Shoes: The Story Of An American Family” Exhibition Opens In Family History Center

A discussion with Spencer Crew, interim director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, on his new book Thurgood Marshall: A Life in American History will lead the winter programming at the museum. Crew will join in conversation with Paul Finkelman, president of Gratz College about the newly released biography, detailing the life of America’s first black Supreme Court justice and his cultural and historic significance. Several programs will celebrate Black History Month and Women’s History Month, including a musical performance and discussion on African American women in jazz, an interactive program on food accessibility and a discussion about African American women’s contributions in World War I at home and abroad. All programs held in the museum’s Oprah Winfrey Theater will stream live on the museum’s Ustream channel at ustream.tv

Historically Speaking: Thurgood Marshall—A Conversation Between Spencer Crew and Paul Finkelman

Monday, Feb. 10; 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. (Oprah Winfrey Theater)

Spencer Crew, interim director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, will discuss his recently published biography of America’s first black Supreme Court justice, Thurgood Marshall, with moderator Paul Finkelman, president of Gratz college and a specialist on American constitutional and legal history. Crew’s latest publication, Thurgood Marshall: A Life in American History, chronicles the justice’s legendary career as a civil rights litigator and founder of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. A book sale and signing will follow the discussion, courtesy of Smithsonian Enterprises. Admission is free; however, registration is required at https://nmaahc.si.edu/events/upcoming.

The American Society Of Magazine Editors Announce Finalists For 2020 National Magazine Awards

The New York Times Magazine, New York, National Geographic Top List With Most Nominations For Coveted Ellie Awards;

Annual Awards Show To Be Held At Brooklyn Steel On March 12

Former Esquire Editor-In-Chief David Granger To Receive Magazine Editors’ Hall Of Fame Award

Pamela Colloff Ties Record For Most Nominated Female Writer In Awards History

The American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) today announced via Twittercast the finalists for the 2020 National Magazine Awards for Print and Digital Media. ASME will celebrate the 55th annual presentation of the Ellie Awards and honor the 112 finalists on Thursday, March 12th, at Brooklyn Steel, a music venue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

The American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) logo. Provided by ASME

This year, the Magazine Editors’ Hall of Fame Award will be presented by journalist Tom Junod to David Granger, former editor-in-chief of Esquire magazine. Junod previously wrote for Granger at GQ and Esquire, where his work included the cover story on Fred Rogers that inspired the movie “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.”

Winners receive “Ellies,” the elephant-shaped statuettes modeled on Alexander Calder’s stabile “Walking Elephant” that give the awards their name.

The evening reception will include the presentation of the 2020 ASME Award for Fiction to The Paris Review, as well as honors for the five winners of the 2020 ASME Next Awards for Journalists Under 30. More than 500 magazine editors and publishers are expected to attend the annual event.

Other highlights in 2020 include Pamela Colloff, ProPublica senior reporter and The New York Times Magazine staff writer, receiving her seventh nomination with “False Witness.” Colloff now ties the overall record for most nominated female writer in awards history with The Atlantic’s Caitlin Flanagan.

The New York Times Magazine led the nominations with 10, the most in its history, with three nominations (General Excellence, Podcasting, Public Interest) honoring The 1619 Project, which “aims to reframe the country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of our national narrative,” according to the magazine. Rounding out top finalists were New York magazine and National Geographic with nine and eight nominations respectively.

Titles with multiple nominations also included Bon Appétit and The New Yorker with six each, and SELF and Texas Monthly with four.

Sixty-two titles were nominated in 22 categories. Twenty publications were nominated for the most prestigious honor, General Excellence. Nominees include large-circulation titles such as Cosmopolitan (which also received its seventh-consecutive nomination in Personal Service), regional titles like Atlanta, special-interest magazines like National Parks, literary journals like Oxford American and digital-first publications like The Trace.

Bon Appétit was nominated for the ninth consecutive year in General Excellence, the most consecutive nominations in that category in the history of the awards. Aperture and New York magazine received their fifth-consecutive nominations in General Excellence, while The Marshall Project received its fourth-consecutive nomination in General Excellence.

Ten media organizations were first-time finalists in any category: 1843, Catapult, the Charleston Gazette-Mail, Emergence, Gimlet, National Parks, Quanta, Stranger’s Guide, Vox, and The Washington Post Magazine for its “Prison” issue featuring the work of currently and formerly incarcerated Americans.

Taffy Brodesser-Akner received her first nomination for Feature Writing with “All That Glitters,” a piece featured in The New York Times Magazine on gender discrimination and sexual harassment at Sterling Jewelers. Jia Tolentino is also a first-time finalist in Columns and Commentary for her work in The New Yorker.

New York magazine and The Cut writer Rebecca Traister received her fourth nomination in six years for her profile of Elizabeth Warren.

“This year’s finalists for the National Magazine Awards showcase an incredible range of innovative, inspiring journalism from 62 magazines and websites,” said Sid Holt, executive director of ASME. “Columbia and ASME join me in congratulating the many writers and editors nominated today—their work underscores the power of magazine journalism to entertain and challenge readers and listeners both in print and online.”

National Magazine Awards 2020 Finalists

General Excellence, News, Sports and Entertainment

• The California Sunday Magazine
• ESPN The Magazine and ESPN Cover Story
• The Marshall Project
• New York
• The New York Times Magazine

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s 2019 Holiday Opening Night Gala Benefit Performance And Party Honors Philanthropist Elaine Wynn & The Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation

One-Night-Only Program Will Include Two Merce Cunningham Centennial Solos and Special Performance to Memorialize Opera Great Jessye Norman

Celebration Launches Ailey’s Holiday Season at New York City Center, December 4 – January 5

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will launch a five-week holiday season on December 4 with a star-studded gala benefit performance at New York City Center and party at the New York Hilton Midtown Grand Ballroom. The special evening celebrates philanthropist Elaine Wynn and the Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation. Wynn’s generous contributions have supported the creation of new works as well as the Elaine Wynn & Family Education Wing, which in 2017 added three floors – featuring four dance studios and two classrooms – to The Joan Weill Center for Dance, New York’s largest building dedicated to dance.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater logo

The one-night only performance at 7pm will feature two Merce Cunningham Centennial Solos that were part of this year’s 100th anniversary celebration of his birth – marking the first time this landmark choreographer’s work will be seen on the Ailey stage – as well as a special excerpt of Artistic Director Robert Battle’s Channels to honor and memorialize opera great Jessye Norman, set to her recorded performance of a Johannes Brahms lied – a 19th -century German art song. Following the inspiring finale of Revelations, performed with live music, prominent figures in the worlds of entertainment, business, philanthropy and politics will join Robert Battle and Ailey’s extraordinary dancers for a dinner/dance in the Hilton New York Grand Ballroom.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theaters Solomon Dumas.
The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will launch a five-week holiday season on December 4 with a star-studded gala benefit performance at New York City Center. Photo by Andrew Eccles

The event’s co-chairs are Emily & Len Blavatnik, Paulette Mullings Bradnock & Howard Bradnock, Melody Hobson & George Lucas, Daria L. & Eric J. Wallach and Joan & Sandy Weill. Proceeds from the annual benefit will support the creation of new works, scholarships to The Ailey School, and Ailey’s educational programs for children.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Alvin Ailey’s Revelations Performed with Live Music. Photo by Christopher Duggan.

Ailey’s holiday season features special programs such as an evening celebrating The Ailey School’s 50th Anniversary (December 10); a tribute performance for Associate Artistic Director Masazumi Chaya, which will highlight his extensive career of nearly five decades as he concludes his final season with the Company (December 22); and world premieres Greenwood (December 6), a powerful work by Donald Byrd that draws on the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and Ode (December 10), offering a meditation on the beauty and fragility of life in a time of growing gun violence by Ailey dancer and Resident Choreographer Jamar Roberts.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Jacqueline Green. Photo by Andrew Eccles

20th Annual SOUND UNSEEN | FILM + MUSIC FESTIVAL Announces 2019 Full Film Lineup

The Sound Unseen Film + Music Festival (November 12-17) announced the film lineup for this year’s 20th Anniversary edition of the film festival.

Highlights include a special appearance of John Doe with the screening of W.T. Morgan’s documentary X: THE UNHEARD MUSIC, award-winning filmmaker Ondi Timoner coming to Sound Unseen with a 15th Anniversary screening of her film, DIG!, as well as a special presentation of the MAPPLETHORPE Director’s Cut. Sound Unseen also announced that Scott Crawford’s BOY HOWDY: THE STORY OF CREEM MAGAZINE, would be the Closing Night selection.

In the fall of 1999, Sound Unseen introduced itself as a unique, cutting edge “films-on-music” festival in Minneapolis. Formulated as a cultural organization dedicated to the role of film and music as a conduit of powerful ideas and diverse viewpoints. Its mission is to foster a greater appreciation of cinema, to bridge cultures, create and expand community, provide cultural exchange, networking opportunities and educational outreach through regular interaction with great films, filmmakers, musicians and artists.

Since its inception, It has established itself as one of the premiere niche festivals in the country, but more importantly as a vital part of the regional cultural scene. Now in its 19th year, the festival has expanded to include year-round programming, unique pop-up events, and special screenings including world and regional premieres.

Mystify: Michael Hutchence will have its Minnesota Premiere at the 20th Annual SOUND UNSEEN | FILM + MUSIC FESTIVAL

Named “One of the 25 Coolest Film Festivals In The World” by Moviemaker Magazine in 2016, the “Best Winter Film Festival” by the Star Tribune 2012, and the “Best of the Fests 2010” from Mpls/St Paul Magazine, Sound Unseen continues its tenure as the region’s premiere films-on-music festival. While bringing the best in documentaries, short films, and music videos it also showcases rare concert footage, interactive panels, and live music events. As part of its year-round presence, Sound Unseen offers a successful monthly screening series and special events throughout the Twin Cities. This diversity in content is one of the things that separates Sound Unseen from the typical outdoor mega concerts and film festivals.

Sound Unseen Festival Director Jim Brunzell and Producer/Co-Programmer Rich Gill, said, “Our lineup this year is a wonderful mix of films hot on the film festival circuit, classics, and screenings that include appearances by wonderful filmmakers and musicians. We are really excited about this group of films and events built around them that should make our 20th Anniversary edition truly memorable.”

Scott Crawford’s BOY HOWDY: THE STORY OF CREEM MAGAZINE joins the previously announced Seamus Murphy’s A DOG CALLED MONEY (Opening Night), and Brandon Vedder’s STRANGE NEGOTIATIONS (Centerpiece) to complete an impressive trio of Gala screenings. BOY HOWDY: THE STORY OF CREEM MAGAZINE looks at the seminal Creem Magazine‘s humble beginnings to becoming one of the publications of record for rock n’ roll. Fifty years after publishing its first issue, “America’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll Magazine” remains a seditious spirit in music and culture. The film features interviews with Cameron Crowe, Alice Cooper, Kirk Hammett, Joan Jett, Michael Stipe, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Chad Smith, Peter Wolf and Wayne Kramer.

The one and only John Doe of X will come to Sound Unseen as part of a presentation of W.T. Morgan’s X: THE UNHEARD MUSIC. Screened on 35mm, the film is one of the best music films of the punk era. Shot over the course of five years, this documentary presents spectacular live performances interspersed with interviews with the band members and associates.

The only filmmaker to be a two-time Sundance Film Festival Grand Prize Jury Winner, Ondi Timoner comes to Minnesota with two of her films. The first is the 15th Anniversary screening of DIG!. The 2004 documentary looked at the collision of art and commerce through the eyes of The Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre. The film was acquired by the Museum of Modern Art for their permanent collection. Timoner will also be on hand for her Director’s Cut of MAPPLETHORPE. Led by a devastating performance by Matt Smith in the title role, the stylish and well-crafted biopic covers the full life of its subject, world renowned and controversial photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, most frequently providing an alluring view of New York in its grittiest era.

Other highlights include; ALL I CAN SAY, a film created from hours of home video footage shot by tragic Blind Melon front man Shannon Hoon; Martha Kehoe and Joan Tosoni‘s GORDON LIGHTFOOT: IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND, a portrait of Canada’s most famous singer-songwriter; Tyler Measom’s I WANT MY MTV, which traces the beginnings and exploding influence of the music video channel; Steven Gaddis’ LIVE FROM THE ASTROTURF: ALICE COOPER, about a super-secret concert event at a record store in Dallas, featuring the legendary shock rocker; the North American premiere of Simon David’s TIME AND PLACE, about cult favorite Atlanta R&B artist Lee Moses; and Brent Hodges’ WHO LET THE DOGS OUT, which explores the history, influence, and story behind the famous (or infamous) song.

For more information about Sound Unseen, as well as how to purchase tickets, go to: http://www.soundunseen.com.

The 2019 Sound Unseen Film Festival official selections:

Opening Night Selection

A DOG CALLED MONEY MIDWEST PREMIERE

Director: Seamus Murphy

Countries: Ireland/UK, Running Time: 90 min

Alternative-music icon PJ Harvey’s ninth studio album, 2016’s “The Hope Six Demolition Project,” was created through a unique process that blended travelogue, photography, performance art, and now a documentary feature. It began when Harvey, looking to develop a new set of politically tinged songs that would also evoke a tangible sense of place, decided to accompany award-winning photojournalist and filmmaker Seamus Murphy as he travelled on assignments to war-torn regions in Afghanistan and Kosovo, as well as to the poor, mostly black neighborhoods of Washington, D.C.

CENTERPIECE SELECTION

STRANGE NEGOTIATIONS MINNESOTA PREMIERE

Director: Brandon Vedder

Countries: USA, Running Time: 91 min

After renouncing his long-held Christian beliefs and walking away from his critically-acclaimed band, Pedro the Lion, musician David Bazan retreated into a solitary life of touring solo, struggling to rebuild his worldview and career from the ground-up, and to support his family of four. STRANGE NEGOTIATIONS finds David a decade into his journey, during which he has become a sort of reluctant prophet to Americans reeling from their country’s own crisis of faith highlighted during the 2016 presidential election.

CLOSING NIGHT SELECTION

BOY HOWDY: THE STORY OF CREEM MAGAZINE MINNESOTA PREMIERE

Director: Scott Crawford

Country: USA, Running Time: 75 min

Capturing the messy upheaval of the ’70s just as rock was re-inventing itself, the film explores Creem Magazine’s humble beginnings in post-riot Detroit, follows its upward trajectory from underground paper to national powerhouse, then bears witness to its imminent demise following the tragic and untimely deaths of its visionary publisher, Barry Kramer, and its most famous alum and genius clown prince, Lester Bangs, a year later.

Getting a Haircut at Sport Clips Haircuts Now Through Veterans Day Can Help A Hero

Campaign Supports Military Scholarships Through The Veterans Of Foreign Wars of The United States

Getting a haircut now through Veterans Day will support service member and veteran scholarships as a part of Sport Clips Haircuts annual “Help A Hero” campaign that kicks off in stores today. The Help A Hero Scholarship program is designed to reduce the burden of college, graduate and technical school tuition often needed to pursue post-military careers and is administered by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. (VFW). The goal this year is to raise $1.5 million toward scholarships in the more than 1,800 Sport Clips Haircuts stores across the country.

Sport Clips Haircuts. (PRNewsFoto/Sport Clips)

In just six years, 1,450 military and student veterans have been awarded Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarships with the nearly $6.5 million donated to date by Sport Clips Haircuts, its clients and product partners. These scholarships provide up to $5,000 of assistance per semester to help cover the cost of tuition and fees for service members and veterans in the rank of E-5 and below.

“I used my G.I. Bill benefits to obtain my B.A. and even the first three semesters of my M.A. before exhausting my benefits,” says Christopher Mynatt, a U.S. Navy veteran. “The VFW and Sport Clips are the reason I will never have to pay for school out of pocket.“

Getting a haircut now through Veterans Day will support service member and veteran scholarships as a part of Sport Clips Haircuts annual “Help A Hero” campaign.

Many locations are also offering free haircuts to service members and veterans with valid military identification – check here for participating stores and store hours. Anyone can support the cause by making a donation when checking out at a Sport Clips location. On Veterans Day, November 11, the company donates an additional dollar for every haircare service to the scholarship program, which added more than $100,000 to the total last year and will be even higher in 2019.

“These scholarships are making a difference in the lives of so many who have served our country in the military. Right now, there are 165 student veterans attending colleges and certification programs here in the U.S. with the aid of Help A Hero Scholarships,” says Gordon Logan, Sport Clips founder, CEO, Air Force veteran and VFW Life member. “Whether it’s graduate school or beauty school, it’s an honor for us to be able to thank those who serve by helping them toward the degrees and certifications to pursue civilian careers.”

The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is the nation’s largest and oldest major war veterans organization. Founded in 1899, the congressionally-chartered VFW is comprised entirely of eligible veterans and military service members from the active, Guard and Reserve forces. With more than 1.6 million VFW and Auxiliary members located in 6,200 Posts worldwide, the nonprofit veterans service organization is proud to proclaim “NO ONE DOES MORE FOR VETERANS” than the VFW, which is dedicated to veterans’ service, legislative advocacy, and military and community service programs. For more information or to join, visit our website at vfw.org.

“Our student veterans can face a lot of adversity while pursuing higher education,” said William “Doc” Schmitz, VFW national commander. “With the help of Sport Clips Haircuts and its generous patrons, we’re so pleased to have the opportunity to ensure the financial burden is alleviated during an already stressful time in these veterans’ lives.”

Sport Clips Haircuts is headquartered in Georgetown, Texas. It was established in 1993 and began franchising in 1995. The sports-themed haircutting franchise, which specializes in haircuts for men and boys, offers online check in for clients, and is ranked by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the “Fastest-Growing Franchises” and #17 in its “Franchise 500.” There are more than 1,800 Sport Clips stores open in the U.S. and Canada, and as the “Official Haircutter” of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), offers veterans preferential pricing on haircuts and franchises, and was named a “2018 Best for Vets: Franchises” by Military Times.

Sport Clips provides “Haircuts with Heart” through its annual Help A Hero fundraiser that has contributed $7.5 million to the VFW; national partnership with St. Baldrick’s Foundation, the largest private funder of childhood cancer research grants; and other national and local philanthropic outreach. Sport Clips is a proud sponsor of Joe Gibbs Racing‘s NASCAR drivers Erik Jones and Denny Hamlin, Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan Indy Car driver Sebastien Bourdais, and partners with numerous NCAA and professional sports teams. To learn more about Sport Clips, visit sportclips.com.

Holiday Gift Guide 2019: Williams-Sonoma, Inc. Brands Launch Holiday Collections Benefitting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®

Collections now available online; A portion of sales from each collection benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. brands Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, Pottery Barn Teen, Mark & Graham, West Elm and Williams Sonoma celebrate the launch of their exclusive holiday collections benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®.

This year’s assortment includes: celebrity-designed water bottles from Pottery Barn Teen; playful ornaments inspired by patients’ artwork and a special edition Anywhere Chair® from Pottery Barn Kids; a ceramic catchall and whimsical ornaments from Pottery Barn; keepsake ornaments and totes from Mark & Graham; double-sided knit and faux fur throws from West Elm; as well as a mug set, spatulas and chocolate confections featuring patients’ artwork from Williams Sonoma.

Williams-Sonoma logo

“We are incredibly grateful for the imaginative and meaningful ways Williams-Sonoma, Inc. creates opportunities for people of all generations to engage in the lifesaving mission of St. Jude, especially around the holiday season,” said Richard Shadyac Jr., president and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “By introducing ornaments inspired by St. Jude patient artwork, designing beautiful gifts, and inviting celebrity friends to create items as well, the brands are helping raise critical funds and awareness for St. Jude to fulfill its mission: Finding cures. Saving children.”

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has partnered with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital since 2005 through various fundraising efforts.

“Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is a proud partner of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and is honored to have helped in its lifesaving mission for the past 15 years,” said Laura Alber, president and CEO of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. “Thanks to the generosity of our customers and employees we have raised more than $47 million since 2005, and we look forward to continuing to support the hospital in its tireless efforts with the launch of these exclusive holiday collections.”

Details of each brand’s St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital assortment is listed below:

• Pottery Barn Teen releases special edition water bottles featuring one-of-a-kind artwork by Olympic medal freeskier and actor Gus Kenworthy; actor and singer Cody Simpson; singer and songwriter Austin Mahone; Olympic Gold medal gymnast Laurie Hernandez; and actress and entrepreneur Genevieve Hannelius. The celebrity artwork includes song lyrics (Cody Simpson), out-of-this world graphics (Genevieve Hannelius), a simplistic and serene nod to nature (Austin Mahone) as well as personal mantras such as “Be Kind” (Laurie Hernandez) and “Be True” (Gus Kenworthy). Twenty-five percent of the purchase price from each water bottle sale will directly benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
• Pottery Barn Kids introduces four new ornaments inspired by artwork from patients at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This year’s playful felt ornaments include a colorful sequined rainbow fish, an animated pine tree, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus. Pottery Barn Kids is also releasing a special edition Anywhere Chair®, benefitting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The St. Jude Peanut Bear Cozy Sherpa Anywhere Chair® is GREENGUARD Gold Certified and the perfect cozy kid-size chair for reading, relaxing or snuggling. Fifty percent of the purchase price from the ornaments and twenty-five percent of the purchase price of the Anywhere Chair® will directly benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
• Pottery Barn debuts a collection of products benefitting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, including two holiday ornaments and a ceramic catchall featuring the word “LOVE” written in nostalgic green and red plaid lettering. The holiday ornaments are both Fair Trade Certified and include a St. Jude teddy bear wearing a cozy hat and scarf, as well as a whimsical pair of felt reindeer holding a heart. Twenty-five percent of the purchase price will directly benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
• Mark & Graham debuts holiday ornaments with personalization options designed to become forever keepsakes. An inscription, such as a date, or a child’s name can be engraved on the timeless boy or girl silhouette ornaments, which are available in gold or silver-plating. Additionally, Mark & Graham will offer a 100% cotton canvas totes bearing the same timeless boy or girl silhouette and a child’s name. Free gift wrapping is included. Twenty percent of the purchase price will directly benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
• West Elm releases two special edition, double-sided knit and faux fur throws benefitting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Each St. Jude Faux Fur Chunky Knit Throw offers style and comfort, and is certified healthy for you and the environment through Oeko-Tex® textile certification. The West Elm St. Jude Faux Fur Chunky Knit Throw is available in Natural Canvas and Heathered Pewter. Fifty percent of the purchase price will directly benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
• Williams Sonoma launches a collection of products benefitting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital including spatulas, a mug and chocolate confections. The St. Jude Spatulas for Williams Sonoma feature festive holiday designs inspired by artwork created by St. Jude patients. The set of four St. Jude Gold Heart Mugs features a gleaming heart created from real gold. The St. Jude Chocolate Thins are prepared directly on the celebrated Poundbury Estate by British Master chocolatier House of Dorchester and the paper wrappers feature original drawings by the young patients of St. Jude. Twenty-five percent of the purchase price will directly benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Its purpose is clear: Finding cures. Saving children.® It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to more than 80 percent since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude won’t stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude freely shares the discoveries it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. Join the St. Jude mission by visiting stjude.org,

Absolut® Helps Gift The Giving Spirit This Holiday Season With One Warm Coat® & Coat Drives Across The Country

Absolut® has announced its mission to help those in need this holiday this winter and to inspire others to gift a giving spirit all season long – with the unique help of national non-profit organization One Warm Coat and partnership with Sofar Sounds.

“For Absolut, being Planet Earth’s Favorite Vodka isn’t just a tagline – it’s in the fabric of our brand’s DNA and guides the actions we take in the world toward the betterment of our planet – and its people,” said Regan Clarke, Vice President, Absolut. “That’s why we’re doubling-down on partying with a purpose this holiday season by both donating – and facilitating local donation concert drives – to provide warmth to 100,000 people in need.“

Gift a Giving Spirit – Small Gifts, Big Impact

Absolut has brought together partners One Warm Coat and Sofar Sounds to reimagine the traditional coat drive during the holidays. As a brand that has always done things differently, the company hopes to illustrate the big impact one simple act can have on the community around us – especially for those in need.

“One coat may not seem life-altering to some – but for one of the hundreds of thousands of people in peril during extremely cold weather conditions each year, it could be lifesaving,” said Beth W. Amodio, President & CEO of One Warm Coat. “We are grateful to Absolut for providing warmth to 100,000 people in need. It is inspiring to see brands partner with organizations to make real change in the world.“

With Absolut’s donation to warm 100,000 people through One Warm Coat, the brand is helping everyone, everywhere sparkle a bit brighter every time you gift, sip or serve Absolut this season.

One Coat, One Concert – Absolut x Sofar Sounds

With the help of Sofar Sounds, a company that brings local communities and artists together in unique and intimate locations, Absolut is hosting four concerts in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia – each with a simple suggestion: bring a coat, see the concert.

The Absolut X Sofar Sounds concerts will provide an opportunity for locals to support their community in need by accepting gently worn coats in exchange for the intimate concert experience. The brand is also hoping to inspire a ripple effect by rewarding the simple act of giving back in the hopes of concertgoers continuing to pay it forward with their friends and families throughout the holiday season and beyond.

Mix. Mingle. Drink & Jingle.

From celebrating Friendsgiving, to New Year’s Eve bashes, to hosting friends for a cozy night in – add a little purpose to your party with a festive favorite or soon-to-be holiday staple cocktail, like:

Absolut Jingle Buck

Absolut Jingle Buck

Ingredients:

• 1 Part Absolut Vodka
• ¾ Part Cranberry Juice
• ¾ Part Lime Juice
• 2 Parts Ginger Ale

How to Mix: Add ingredients to glass with ice. Stir briefly. Garnish with two fresh cranberries and rosemary sprig.

Absolut Juice Edition Apple Sangria

Absolut Juice Edition Apple Sangria

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ Parts Absolut Juice Edition Apple
• 2 Parts Red Wine
• 4 Dashes Angostura Bitters
• ½ Part Triple Sec or Orange Liqueur

How to Mix: Mix all ingredients in a glass with ice. Garnish with orange slides, apple slices and grapes.

One Warm Coat is a national nonprofit organization that provides free, warm coats to people in need. The Coat Drive Program supports individuals, groups, companies and organizations across the country by providing the tools and resources needed to hold a successful coat drive. Coats are distributed in the communities where they were collected, to children and adults in need, without charge, discrimination or obligation. Since One Warm Coat began in 1992, volunteers have hosted more than 35,000 coat drives and more than 6 million coats have been distributed to people in need.

Sofar Sounds is a global community creating space where music matters. Sofar reimagines the live music experience through curated, secret performances in more than 400 cities around the world. Founded in Londonin 2009, Sofar brings guests and artists together in unique locations, without the distractions that plague other live events. Sofar shows begin as a secret: guests sign on for three unnamed performances at undisclosed locations, hosted by community members in everyday spaces — from living rooms and rooftops, to retail stores. Through the transformation of these spaces into captivating venues, Sofar serves as a platform for artists to connect with engaged audiences in cities around the world. Sofar invites guests to discover new artists, spaces, people, neighborhoods and cities, whether at home or abroad, creating an inclusive and accessible global community where people make genuine connections. To learn more about Sofar Sounds, check us out at www.sofarsounds.com.

Visit Absolut.com/Holiday for more information on where and how to donate a coat near you, discover more holiday cocktail recipes and #PartywithaPurpose on Absolut’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

vineyard vines Announces Continued Partnership with Bright Pink in Honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

vineyard vines, the lifestyle apparel brand best known for its smiling pink whale logo, is continuing their partnership with Bright Pink, the only non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention and early detection of breast and ovarian cancer. The limited-edition collection includes styles for the whole family and accessories bearing the brand’s whale logo paired with the breast cancer awareness Pink Ribbon. In the continued effort to promote Breast Cancer Awareness, from September 23 to October 31, 2019, vineyard vines will donate 20% of all sales from the product collection to Bright Pink. The assortment will be made available for purchase at vineyardvines.com and select vineyard vines stores.

Marking the third year of this partnership, this special collection raises much needed awareness around breast and ovarian cancer, while honoring loved ones who have been lost or are presently fighting. Priced from $32.50-$95.00, the assortment includes some of the brand’s best-selling tee silhouettes for men, women and kids, as well as a silk tie detailed with the brand’s smiling pink whale logo paired with the iconic Pink Ribbon.

Big & Tall 2019 Breast Cancer Awareness Long-Sleeve Pocket T-Shirt, $48

“Continuing our partnership with Bright Pink is an important, personal mission, as we lost our mom to cancer and experienced first-hand the effects this horrible disease has on loved ones,” said Shep Murray, vineyard vines CEO & co-founder. Ian Murray, vineyard vines CEO & co-founders adds, “We are grateful that we can continue to work with Bright Pink whose mission is to empower and educate women to know their risks and manage their health proactively.“

“Bright Pink is so proud to team up with Vineyard Vines for a third year this fall to spread our message of Breast & Ovarian Cancer prevention to customers nationwide. Through the generosity of vineyard vine’s commitment to our mission we will have the power to educate and equip thousands of women on their breast and ovarian cancer risk, and together we will create a more beautiful and brighter future,” said Katie Thiede, CEO Bright Pink

Bright Pink logo

Bright Pink is a national nonprofit focused on the prevention of breast and ovarian cancer. The organization’s mission is to save women’s lives from breast and ovarian cancer by empowering them to know their risk and manage their health proactively. Bright Pink’s innovative programs motivate women to prioritize prevention, help women assess their risk for breast and ovarian cancer, equip women with personalized risk-management recommendations, and empower women to manage their health proactively in partnership with a healthcare provider. Since 2007, Bright Pink has inspired over 1.5 million women to be their own best health advocates.

In conjunction with the special collection, the vineyard vines website will enable consumers to proactively take their health into their own hands through Bright Pink’s “AssessYourRisk.org” self-evaluation. Additionally, starting this month, vineyard vines and Ocean Spray will partner to support Bright Pink by uniting to further empower women to take charge of their health.

A company best known for its whimsical neckties and smiling pink whale logo, was founded in 1998 on Martha’s Vineyard when brothers Shep and Ian Murray cut their ties with corporate America to start making ties that represented the Good Life. In addition to signature neckwear, vineyard vines offers a variety of clothing and accessories for men, women and children. Products are sold in over 600 specialty and department stores worldwide, through a seasonal catalog at 1.800.892.4982, online at vineyardvines.com and at over ninety freestanding stores.

Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture Announces Fall Programming Schedule

Fall Programming Launches With Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch’s Book Event on Third Anniversary of National Museum of African American History and Culture

Two Book Discussions, Screening of the New Film “Harriet” and the 25th Anniversary Event of Furious Flower Poetry Center With Nikki Giovanni and Sonia Sanchez Are Featured

Lonnie G. Bunch III, the 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian, will host a book talk Tuesday, Sept. 24, to kick off fall programming at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. Bunch will join Scott Pelley of CBS 60 Minutes to discuss his new book A Fool’s Errand: Creating the National Museum of African American History and Culture in the Age of Bush, Obama, and Trump. The Washington, D.C., leg of Bunch’s national book tour celebrates the third anniversary of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which opened Sept. 24, 2016. A Fool’s Errand provides an inside account on how Bunch planned and managed the challenges of choosing a construction site, commissioning a team of architects, raising more than $400 million, designing exhibitions and building a collection of nearly 40,000 objects. The Washington event is sold out; however, the discussion will be streamed live. More information about the national book tour is available on the museum’s website.

Scheduled fall programming features two book discussions, a LGBTQ speakeasy event with comedian Sampson McCormick and a screening of the new film Harriet. All programs held in the museum’s Oprah Winfrey Theater will stream live on the museum’s Ustream channel at ustream.tv. All programs are free.

September and October Programming

Lectures & Discussion: A Fool’s Errand by Lonnie Bunch

Tuesday, Sept. 24; 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. (Heritage Hall)

On the museum’s third anniversary, newly appointed Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch and Scott Pelley will delve deeply into Bunch’s latest book, A Fool’s Errand, which chronicles the strategies, support systems and coalitions he put in place to build the Smithsonian’s 19^th museum, one that would attract more than 4 million visitors during its first two years. The book goes on sale the same day, Sept. 24. The event is sold out; however, the discussion will stream live on the museum’s Facebook Live channel.

NMAAHC LIVE: Furious Flower 25

Saturday, Sept. 28; 1 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. (Oprah Winfrey Theater, Heritage Hall)

To celebrate African American poets and poetry, the museum will host James Madison University’s Furious Flower Poetry Center’s 25th anniversary with eight hours of poetry-focused programming open to the public. Founded in 1994 the Furious Flower Poetry Center is the nation’s first academic center of black poetry for creative writers, scholars and poetry lovers. The festivities commence with discussions, workshops and a performance by the Swazi Poets of South Africa, beginning at 3:45 p.m. The day concludes with two hours of readings and performances by 25 of the nation’s most storied American poets, including Sonia Sanchez, Nikki Giovanni, Gregory Pardlo, Tyehimba Jess, Yusef Komunyakaa and Terrance Hayes. Books by participating poets will be available for sale and signing courtesy of Smithsonian Enterprises. Admission is free; however, registration is required at https://nmaahc.si.edu/event/upcoming.

A Speakeasy Evening: LGBTQ Celebration

Tuesday, Oct. 15; 7 p.m. (Museum Concourse and Oprah Winfrey Theater)

Inspired by the prohibition-era clubs of the Harlem Renaissance where speakeasies like the Cotton Club and the Savoy Ballroom thrived, the museum invites visitors to attend a LBGTQ speakeasy for allies of all gender identities and orientations to experience camaraderie, comedy and art. The evening starts with a reception on Concourse Level with light refreshments. Following the reception, the museum will screen the short film Happy Birthday, Marsha! The fictional film reimagines transgender rights pioneers, Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, in the hours leading to the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York City. The program will conclude with social commentary by noted comedian Sampson McCormick. Registration is required at https://nmaahc.si.edu/event/upcoming.

Historically Speaking: A DNA Story: An Adoptee Traces Her Biological Roots With Dena Chasten, Saturday, Oct. 19; noon

Special guest Dena Chasten will share her journey as a 12-year-old adoptee to find her family roots. Through public records’ search and interviews, Chasten was able to locate her birth parents and later used DNA testing to discover her identity and ancestry. Chasten will explore how a class assignment led her on a life-changing journey of self-discovery and identity affirmation. To register for the event, email familyhistorycenter@si.edu.

Historically Speaking: The Bold World by Jodie Patterson

Wednesday, Oct. 23; 7 p.m. (Oprah Winfrey Theater)

Based on her memoir The Bold World, social activist and author Jodie Patterson will reveal how she reshaped her attitudes and beliefs, as well as those of her community, to meet the needs of her trans-gender son, Penelope. Patterson has been lauded for her activist work and sits on the board of a number of gender/family/human rights organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign. The discussion will be moderated by Thelma Golden, director of the Studio Museum in Harlem. Following the discussion, Patterson’s book will be available for sale and signing courtesy of Smithsonian Books. Registration is required at https://nmaahc.si.edu/event/upcoming.

Cinema + Conversation: Harriet

Thursday, Oct. 31; 7 p.m. (Oprah Winfrey Theater, Heritage Hall)

Harriet, “Be free or die“. directed by: Kasi Lemmons, starring: Cynthia Erivo, Janelle Monae, Leslie Odom Jr., Jennifer Nettles

Join the museum for a special screening and discussion of the new film Harriet, based on the life of iconic abolitionist and Underground Railroad-conductor Harriet Tubman. Directed by Kasi Lemmons, the biopic Harriet follows Tubman’s escape from slavery and subsequent missions to free dozens of enslaved men and women through the Underground Railroad. Details of the screening will be made available at https://nmaahc.si.edu/event/upcoming.

Since opening Sept. 24, 2016, the National Museum of African American History and Culture has welcomed more than 5 million visitors. Occupying a prominent location next to the Washington Monument on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the nearly 400,000-square-foot museum is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive cultural destination devoted exclusively to exploring, documenting and showcasing the African American story and its impact on American and world history. For more information about the museum, visit nmaahc.si.edu.

Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness Will Join SMIRNOFF™ Vodka at the 2018 NYC Pride March

In Honor of LGBTQ Pride month and Inclusivity for all, SMIRNOFF Vodka Pledges to Donate an Additional One Million Dollars to the Human Rights Campaign in Support of the LGBTQ Community

This Sunday, SMIRNOFF™ vodka continues its decades of support for the LGBTQ community by partnering with Queer Eye television personality, hairdresser, web series star and podcaster, Jonathan Van Ness, to bring love in all its forms to life at the NYC Pride March. From dancing in the streets with SMIRNOFF drag queens to self-love selfies to strutting alongside marchers up Fifth Avenue, Van Ness will join the brand at the 2018 Pride March to encourage people everywhere to show their support for equality and love of all kinds.

Smirnoff logo

“SMIRNOFF is all about inclusivity and democratizing fun times for everyone, which totally speaks to me as a member of the LGBTQ community,” said Van Ness. “I could not be more excited to join SMIRNOFF for this year’s New York City Pride March. It truly is the ultimate celebration of love and equality for all, and once you add SMIRNOFF into the mix it becomes one big, fabulous, inclusive party. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?!“

SMIRNOFF’s Pride March celebration is meant to showcase that Pride comes in all different flavors, shapes, and colors. To celebrate PRIDE loud and proud, SMIRNOFF will have a large presence in this Sunday’s New York City Pride March. The brand has proudly participated in the parade since 2013, but is prepared to make this the biggest year yet with an over-the-top float, that is bold and inspiring, just like the LGBTQ community, in celebration of love in all its forms and “Pride in Every Flavor.” In addition to Jonathan van Hess as its host, the brand will also host 200 marchers, electrifying special guests will be performing along the parade route to get the crowd excited and engaged. In addition to New York City, SMIRNOFF is excited to bring its celebration of “Pride in Every Flavor” to Pride Marches in San Francisco, Atlanta, San Diego and more.

SMIRNOFF ‘Love Wins’ bottles

SMIRNOFF originally launched its “Love Wins” campaign in May 2017 with its limited-edition “Love Wins” bottle packaging for SMIRNOFF No. 21 vodka. Now, in 2018, the “Love Wins” bottles are back and are available nationwide for a limited time. Inside each bottle is the iconic SMIRNOFF No. 21 vodka, triple distilled and ten-times filtered, from the world’s most awarded name in vodka in the last ten years. As a brand that has supported the LGBTQ community for several decades, and was honored alongside DIAGEO with the prestigious 2018 Corporate Equality Award by the HRC this past February, SMIRNOFF is proud to continue to support love in all its forms.

SMIRNOFF’s redesigned 2018 “Love Wins” bottles feature the newly updated, special-edition bottle packaging, which highlights 34 real LGBTQ couples from across the United States. Each couple featured on the 2018 packaging submitted their photos through the brand’s website last year for a chance to be a part of the SMIRNOFF “Love Wins” campaign. Jessica & Whitney from Alabama, whose story began with a simple Facebook message, and Jeremy and Wutichai from Washington, D.C., who met while volunteering for the Peace Corps in Thailand, are just some of the real couples featured on the new bottles currently on shelves across the United States. Every SMIRNOFF “Love Wins” bottle is unique, with a different set of photographs that display real love and real people, along with its iridescent rainbow aesthetic and LGBTQ SMIRNOFF logo.

SMIRNOFF’s Ad Creative

In addition to the brand’s partnership with Van Ness, SMIRNOFF has also announced an increased commitment to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), with a pledge to donate $1 for every SMIRNOFF “Love Wins” bottle made to the HRC for a minimum of one million dollars over three years, starting in 2019. These funds will go towards supporting local HRC events to drive awareness of the fight for LGBTQ equality and help empower those who are leading that fight for equality in HRC’s 32 volunteer-led local steering committees in communities across the country.

Philadelphia Museum of Art to Present New Work by Rachel Rose

Philadelphia Museum of Art Presents a New Work by Rachel Rose, On View May 2 through August 18, 2018

Rose is the Inaugural Recipient of The Future Fields Commission in Time-Based Media Grant

The Philadelphia Museum of Art will present a new video installation by Rachel Rose, the inaugural recipient of the Future Fields Commission in Time-Based Media, which has been jointly awarded to the artist by the Museum and the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo. A project under development for nearly two years, this commission represents the most ambitiously scaled production in the artist’s career to date, leading to the creation of a work that will enter the collections of these two institutions. Titled Wil-o-Wisp, Rose’s work will be on view from May 2 through August 18, 2018, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It will then travel to the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo in Turin, Italy, where it will open in November.

Production image from Wil-o-Wisp, 2018, by Rachel Rose (Jointly owned and commissioned by the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo. Funding is made possible for the Philadelphia Museum of Art through the Contemporary Art Revolving Fund). Photo by Nancy Green, on-site at Plimoth Plantation, Massachusetts, 2017.

Timothy Rub, the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s George D. Widener Director and Chief Executive Officer, stated: “Seeing this project evolve since the awarding of the commission has been deeply gratifying. It demonstrates just how vital it is for institutions like ours to support emerging talent at precisely the time when such support is needed. This collaboration with our partners in Turin has also provided a wonderful opportunity to expand and strengthen our engagement with contemporary art.”

Production image from Wil-o-Wisp, 2018, by Rachel Rose (Jointly owned and commissioned by the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo. Funding is made possible for the Philadelphia Museum of Art through the Contemporary Art Revolving Fund). Photo by Nancy Green, on-site at Plimoth Plantation, Massachusetts, 2017.

In 2016, the two esteemed arts and culture organizations established the Future Fields Commission in Time-Based Media as a collaborative initiative to jointly commission and acquire new work by artists from around the world who are active in video, film, performance, and sound. The Commission supports the creation and production of a new work every two years that will be presented at both the Museum and the Fondazione. With its unique focus and its commitment to the joint acquisition of the works produced with the support of this initiative, the commission aims to give unprecedented opportunities to international artists who are exploring new territory in these experimental modes of contemporary art. Rachel Rose is the inaugural recipient.

Production image from Wil-o-Wisp, 2018, by Rachel Rose (Jointly owned and commissioned by the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo. Funding is made possible for the Philadelphia Museum of Art through the Contemporary Art Revolving Fund). Photo by Nancy Green, on-site at Plimoth Plantation, Massachusetts, 2017.

Rachel Rose has emerged as an important voice in contemporary video, widely recognized for her deft digital editing that aligns disparate visual images and historical references. This new commission has provided her with an opportunity to widen the scope of her interests by investigating narrative devices and story-telling. In Wil-o-Wisp, the artist has directed a live action video in which a woman’s fate becomes inextricably tied to moments of upheaval, suspicion, and persecution in 16th century agrarian England, a time during which the Enclosure Movement led to the privatization of land throughout the country. The video follows various vignettes of Elspeth’s life, cycling between familial moments and tragedy, the practice of magic and her persecution.

Rose strings dramatic moments together with temporal shifts, varying rhythms, an emotive score, and carefully constructed visual effects. The work reflects upon the harsh realities of English rural life during a time of a rising culture of suspicion in which women, such as Elspeth, engaging in nontraditional healing practices were often seen as threatening to an increasingly regulated society. The title of the work, Wil-o-Wisp, refers to ghostly lights that could be seen hovering at night over bogs and marshes and that, in folklore, could have the sinister effect of leading people astray. In Rose’s work, the title speaks to the characters whose paths are determined both by willful choices and the power of coincidence.

Directing a cast and crew of about thirty people, Rose shot the work at Plimoth Plantation, a living history museum in Plymouth, Massachusetts, that offered a period setting of houses in an English vernacular style and an austere winter landscape. Working with both trained and street-cast actors, as well as Plimoth Plantation guides, Rose both utilized the character of the site and added to it, creating her own imagined world within this setting. From costumes to set decorations, Rose combined period and contemporary materials.

Production image from Wil-o-Wisp, 2018, by Rachel Rose (Jointly owned and commissioned by the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo. Funding is made possible for the Philadelphia Museum of Art through the Contemporary Art Revolving Fund). Photo by Nancy Green, on-site at Plimoth Plantation, Massachusetts, 2017.

Rose’s video is characterized as much by her intensive approach to post-production as by the attention she gives to the script and on-set staging. After filming the work in Plimoth, she added components such as a narrative sung by an ethereal voice in iambic pentameter. Orchestral and electronical scores serve to gather momentum and produce an emotional effect. Animals and people generate ghostly doubles, and a bright green moss seems to take over the barren landscape. In this work, Rose also continues her use of Medieval marginalia: drawn characters that populated Medieval manuscripts are here collaged to form words announcing certain protagonists and moments within the larger narrative. These elements coalesce with the depicted dramatic events to create a world in which the circumstance of history meets the coincidence and magic of fate.

Installed as a single-channel video and approximately ten minutes in length, Wil-o-Wisp will fill a large gallery that will include an eighteen-foot widescreen. It will be framed within an environment which is currently under development by the artist.

Erica Battle, The John Alchin and Hal Marryatt Associate Curator of Contemporary Art, said: “While Rachel Rose’s carefully woven narrative is set in the past, it speaks to larger themes and concerns that are relevant to our world today. Wil-o-Wisp reflects the inescapable feeling that history is cyclical.”

Rachel Rose (American, born 1986) creates video installations that combine video, sound, and architectural elements. She has had solo exhibitions at the Kunsthaus Bregenz, Austria (2017), the Aspen Art Museum (2016), the Museu Serralves in Porto, Lisbon (2016), the Serpentine Sackler Gallery in London (2015), and the Whitney Museum of American Art (2015). She was the recipient of the Frieze Artist Award (2015), and her work is collected by prominent institutions such as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; LUMA Foundation, Arles; Musée d’Art Moderne, Paris; Ishikawa Foundation; Tate, London; and the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, among others. Rose received a BA from Yale University, New Haven, as well as an MA from the Courtauld Institute of Art, London, and an MFA from Columbia University, New York.

Giving Where It Matters: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Marks Unprecedented Milestone

Parton’s Imagination Library Reaches One Million Books Distributed Each Month

“You can never get enough books into the hands of enough children.” – Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which began as a small community outreach in Parton’s native Sevier County, Tennessee, has evolved to become the largest literacy program in the world. In December, the “little literacy program that could” will mark another impressive milestone—ONE MILLION BOOKS GIFTED TO CHILDREN AROUND THE WORLD EACH MONTH.

Founded in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting organization that has, to date, mailed more than 85 million books to children in Australia, Belize, Canada, United Kingdom and the United States. Each month, the program currently mails more than one million specially selected, high-quality, age-appropriate books to registered children from birth until they start Kindergarten in participating communities. Parton envisioned creating a lifelong love of reading in children, preparing them for school and inspiring them to dream. Recent studies suggest participation in the Imagination Library program is positively and significantly associated with higher measures of early language and math development. Penguin Random House is the exclusive publisher for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

To celebrate the unprecedented success, Evey Johns, a two-year-old from Conway, Arkansas who just enrolled in the Imagination Library, has been randomly selected to receive a $30,000 college scholarship. The announcement was made by Parton during her Pure & Simple concert tour stop in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee on Nov. 15. The concert raised $500,000 to benefit the Imagination Library.

Dolly Parton’s Pure and Simple concert in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee raised $500,000 for her Imagination Library. (Photo: Business Wire)

“I thought long and hard about the best way to honor our achievement of reaching a million children a month,” Parton said. “The Imagination Library is all about inspiring dreams, so what better way to pay tribute to this moment than by helping one special child pursue her college degree. I’m thrilled that today I can let the world know that precious little Evey Johns from Conway, Arkansas will receive a $30,000 scholarship for the college of her choice.”

Evey Johns from Conway, Arkansas received a $30,000 scholarship from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in honor of the program reaching 1 million books distributed each month. (Photo: Business Wire)

“The thought of our daughter Evey going to college has been just that—a thought,” explained Evey’s mother, Connie. “Due to the enormous kindness and generosity of the Dollywood Foundation, that thought has now become a reality. Our family now has the means to develop a solid plan for our daughter’s future education. Thank you all so much for this unbelievable opportunity for our daughter.”

The scholarship will be held in a special account and distributed to Johns when she enrolls in college. Over the next 16 years, the amount of scholarship should grow to nearly approximately $50,000. Johns is enrolled in the Imagination Library in Conway thanks to the local affiliate in her area, Arkansas Preschool Plus.

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Presents New Art from Greater China That Explores the Concept of Place through Storytelling

Second Exhibition of The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Chinese Art Initiative Features Works Commissioned for Guggenheim Collection

Exhibition: Tales of Our Time

Venue: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Avenue, New York

Location: Tower Levels 4 and 5

Dates: Now through March 10, 2017

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum presents Tales of Our Time, an exhibition featuring nine newly commissioned works by artists born in mainland China, Hong Kong, or Taiwan. This is the second exhibition of The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Chinese Art Initiative, a long-term research, curatorial, and collections-building program at the Guggenheim Museum.

The exhibition’s title refers to the 1936 book Gushi xin bian (Old Tales Retold) by the influential Chinese modernist, social activist, and literary giant Lu Xun. In the book, Lu reinvents Chinese legends, as he considers these tales to be not only a literary genre, but also a strategy for critiquing social conditions and reconstructing history through storytelling.

Though diverse in subjects and strategies, the works are united by the artists’ use of storytelling to propose alternative ways of looking at place. Working in drawing, animation, video, photography, sculpture, installation, and participatory intervention, the artists in the exhibition address the concept of geography and territory in ways as specific as where they are based or as big as China itself, which they see as a concept constantly being questioned and reinvented. These artists freely cross divides to examine the tensions between past and present, myth and fact, reality and dreams, rationality and absurdity, and individuality and collectivity.

The artists represented in Tales of Our Time are Chia-En Jao, Kan Xuan, Sun Xun, Sun Yuan & Peng Yu, Tsang Kin-Wah, Yangjiang Group, and Zhou Tao.

Tales of Our Time is organized by Xiaoyu Weng, The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Associate Curator of Chinese Art, and Hou Hanru, Consulting Curator, The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Chinese Art Initiative. Kyung An, Assistant Curator, Asian Art, provides curatorial support. The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Chinese Art Initiative is part of the Guggenheim’s Asian Art Initiative, directed by Alexandra Munroe, Samsung Senior Curator, Asian Art and Senior Advisor, Global Arts. All commissioned works will enter the Guggenheim’s collection.

“Curators Xiaoyu Weng and Hou Hanru have taken a dynamic and collaborative approach, as they worked closely with the commissioned artists to explore the questions and insights that drive these art practices. We hope that these works will inform new understanding of global contemporary art through the lens of Chinese culture today,” stated Richard Armstrong, Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation. “The Guggenheim is grateful to The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation for its sustained commitment to this effort.”

Ted Lipman, CEO of The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation, congratulated the commissioned artists and noted, “Contemporary Chinese art, along with the dialogue around it, is a dynamic and increasingly important force shaping the global cultural landscape. The Chinese Art Initiative at the Guggenheim is designed to offer a fresh perspective on Chinese culture and its relationship with contemporary society. The Foundation hopes the impact of this initiative will be a lasting one.”

Chia-En Jao (b. 1976, Taichung, Taiwan). Arms no. 31, 2016. Cast aluminum, textile patchwork, display case with fabric swatches, and paper handout with text. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Collection. © Chia-En Jao. Installation View: Tales of Our Time. Photo: David Heald

“The artists represented in Tales of Our Time vary greatly in their practices and viewpoints,” says Xiaoyu Weng. “But they share a broad perspective, one that places China’s culture, history, and social reality in the context of the wider world. And like so many artists today, they register acute discomfort with the tension between the personal experiences of regular people and the dominant narratives and conventions of power.”

Sun Xun (b. 1980, Fuxin, Liaoning Province), Mythological Time, 2016 (details). Two-channel color HD animated video, with sound, and ink, graphite and acrylic on mulberry bark paper. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Collection. © Sun Xun

Tales of Our Time is installed on two Tower Levels of the museum. Visitors may enter Tower Level 4 through a passageway lined with fantastic visions inspired by the natural world, drawn in the classical Chinese style on traditional bark paper by Sun Xun (b. 1980). Sun’s installation Mythological Time (2016) centers on his hometown of Fuxin in northeastern China, a coal-mining town that was once the pride of modern-era Chinese industrialization, but which the artist portrays as merely a fleeting scene over many millennia. A second monumental wall-size painting by Sun Xun depicting a surreal prehistoric landscape is also on view. Two video streams are projected onto its surface, sending animated creatures cavorting next to those drawn on paper with ink and acrylics.

Chia-En Jao (b. 1976, Taichung, Taiwan), Taxi, 2016, Color UHD video, with sound. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Collection. © Chia-En Jao

Taxi (2016), a video installation, presents conversations conducted by the artist Chia-En Jao (b. 1976) with taxi drivers in Taipei. The artist asked drivers to take him to historically contested destinations in the city, such as a branch of Chang Hwa Bank where a mass protest was suppressed by Chiang Kai-shek’s military regime in 1947, the Presidential Office Building, the Grand Hotel, or the National Taiwan Museum. Recorded documentary style, the conversations meander through difficult memories of the Japanese occupation and martial law to present-day concerns. The artist has also created a flag for the installation, a traditional coat of arms representing many aspects of Taiwanese society, including its aboriginal communities. Through this investigation into the powerful connection between history and storytelling, Jao creates a mental map of Taipei that honors individual memory and experience.

Zhou Tao (b. 1976, Changsha, Hunan Province), Land of the Throat, 2016 Installation with two-channel color HD video, with sound. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Collection. © Zhou Tao

Nearby Taxi on Tower Level 4 is a futuristic, pod-like video installation by Zhou Tao (b. 1976). Land of the Throat (2016) evokes a phenomenon characteristic of China’s urbanization today: the construction of the new and the consequential transformation of the land. Two synchronized videos composed of footage recorded in Guangdong, China and Arizona are projected onto opposite sides of an enclosed structure in the gallery space. A cow chained to an abandoned industrial washing machine moos in an otherwise silent, desolate landscape; workers pour out of construction sites; children play aimlessly; dogs and rats roam near fishing holes; and rescue workers in Shenzhen care for survivors injured in the city’s 2015 landslide.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel Announces “Shakespeare 400 Chicago,” The Largest Global Celebration Of Playwright’s 400-Year Legacy In 2016

Celebration Will Engage Top Chicago Cultural Institutions in Yearlong International Festival

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel was joined by Chicago Shakespeare Theater Artistic Director Barbara Gaines, Executive Director Criss Henderson, and leaders of the City’s cultural institutions today to announce Shakespeare 400 Chicago, a yearlong international arts festival in 2016 celebrating the vibrancy, relevance and reach of Shakespeare. As the world commemorates the four hundred years since Shakespeare’s death in 1616, Shakespeare 400 Chicago brings together the city’s resident world-class institutions across disciplines, and welcomes leading artists from around the globe to make Chicago their stage. Anticipated to be the world’s largest and most comprehensive celebration of Shakespeare’s enduring legacy, Shakespeare 400 Chicago is making “no small plans.”

“Chicago will take center stage in 2016, as more than 1,000 local and international artists will create a global celebration of Shakespeare like no other in the world,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “During this landmark year, Shakespeare will be alive on our stages, in our schools and across our neighborhoods. The power of our world-class cultural institutions uniting behind one theme serves to amplify Chicago’s role as a global destination for cultural tourism.”

Spearheaded by the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, this yearlong Quadricentennial festival will engage more than 500,000 Chicagoans and visitors to the City through 850 events exploring how Shakespeare’s words continue to live in Chicago and throughout the world’s great theater, dance, literature, music, cuisine and spectacle.

Shanghai Peking Opera’s The Revenge of Prince Zi Dan based on Hamlet, featured at the Harris Theater of Music and Dance as part of Shakespeare 400 Chicago in 2016. Photo by EFE/Leopoldo Smith Murillo.

With leading support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, a diverse array of work across artistic disciplines will highlight Shakespeare’s timeless inspiration of playwrights, painters and poets, composers and choreographers. Among the more than 60 Chicago institutions joining Chicago Shakespeare in offering performances, events and exhibitions are: the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago Humanities Festival, Chicago Mariachi Project, Chicago Park District, Chicago Public Libraries, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Harris Theater for Music and Dance, Illinois Humanities, Joffrey Ballet, Logan Center for the Arts, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art, Negaunee Music Institute, Newberry Library and WTTW.

Jonathan Pryce as Shylock in Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre’s production of The Merchant of Venice, featured at Chicago Shakespeare Theater as part of Shakespeare 400 Chicago in 2016. Photo by Manuel Harlan.

Highlights from Chicago partners include: Lyric Opera of Chicago presents Charles Gounod‘s soaring Romeo and Juliet; Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Maestro Riccardo Muti culminates his cycle of Verdi‘s Shakespeare operas with Falstaff; Art Institute of Chicago highlights Shakespeare-inspired visual art in a special exhibition; Chicago chefs and restaurateurs, including Rick Bayless, Alpana Singh and Ryan McCaskey, will create a culinary “Complete Works” in restaurants across the city; and Newberry Library’s “Creating Shakespeare” exhibition will bring together treasures from the British Library and the Folger Shakespeare Library alongside the Newberry’s own renowned Shakespeare collection.

Back from L to R: Jackson Doran (Cassio), GQ (Iago), JQ (Loco Vito) and Postell Pringle (Othello) in Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Othello: The Remix, featured as part of Shakespeare 400 Chicago in 2016. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

Chicago Shakespeare‘s centerpiece of the celebration is Barbara Gaines’ electrifying six-play history cycle, Tug of War, including Edward III, Henry V, Henry VI, Parts 1, 2 and 3, and Richard III. Two action-packed dramas in the spring and fall of 2016 trace the rise and fall of kings—and the uncommon courage of common men.

Belarus Free Theatre’s King Lear, featured at Chicago Shakespeare Theater as part of Shakespeare 400 Chicago. Photo by Nicolai Khalezin.

The company of the Company Theatre of Mumbai’s Piya Behrupiya, a Hindi version of Twelfth Night, featured at Chicago Shakespeare Theater as part of Shakespeare 400 Chicago. Photo courtesy of Company Theatre.

“Chicago Shakespeare has been honored to serve as a cultural ambassador for our city—importing astonishing work from around the world and exporting our work to leading international festivals,” reflected CST Executive Director Criss Henderson. “Shakespeare 400 Chicago deepens our role as a global theater reflective of our global city—and demonstrates how Shakespeare’s timeless words continue to inspire artists across disciplines and across cultures.”

Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Maestro Riccardo Muti culminates his cycle of Verdi’s Shakespeare operas with Falstaff. featured at Chicago Shakespeare Theater as part of Shakespeare 400 Chicago.

International artists participating in Shakespeare 400 Chicago will hail from Australia, Belarus, Belgium, China, Germany, India, Mexico, Poland, Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom and beyond. International highlights include: Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre‘s The Merchant of Venice, starring Jonathan Pryce at Chicago Shakespeare; Shanghai Peking Opera‘s The Revenge of Prince Zi Dan (based on Hamlet) and the Hamburg Ballet‘s Othello at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance; (In)Complete Works: Table Top Shakespeare from Forced Entertainment at the Museum of Contemporary Art; Also, the Cheek by Jowl/Pushkin Theatre of Moscow production of Declan Donnellan‘s Measure for Measure; Belarus Free Theatre‘s King Lear; National Theatre Studio‘s Sancho: An Act of Remembrance, written by and starring Paterson Joseph; The Company Theatre of Mumbai‘s Hindi translation of Twelfth Night—Piya Behrupiya; Songs of Lear from Poland’s Song of the Goat; and Filter and the Royal Shakespeare Company‘s music-infused Twelfth Night—all at Chicago Shakespeare.

HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT: Portraits of Hunger in NYC

A Riveting New Exhibition Presented by Food Bank For New York City & Brooklyn Historical Society by Photojournalist Joey O’Loughlin

“As you look at the pictures, please consider: What would you do if you couldn’t feed your family?” – Joey O’Loughlin

Jewish families in Brooklyn lines up each Friday for bread for Sabbath dinner. Keeping kosher is hard for families who live in poverty. The food tends to be expensive and the number of kosher pantries is limited. The majority of poor Jewish families who live in NYC lives in Brooklyn. Photo Credit: Joey O’Loughlin

Food Bank For New York City and the Brooklyn Historical Society (BHS) is co-presenting a joint exhibition Hidden In Plain Sight: Portraits of Hunger in NYC. The exhibition, which open to the public on November 6, 2015 and be presented at the Brooklyn Historical Society‘s 1881 landmark building, will feature the photographs of Brooklyn-based photojournalist Joey O’Loughlin. The exhibit reflects the extraordinary diversity of location, population, and experience in food pantries throughout New York City, where hundreds line up to receive free groceries and is designed to raise awareness of the causes and impact of food poverty as a devastating reality of contemporary urban life.

Food Bank For New York City Logo (PRNewsFoto/Food Bank For New York City)

Food Bank For New York City has been the city’s major hunger-relief organization working to end hunger throughout the five boroughs for more than 30 years. Nearly one in five New Yorkers relies on Food Bank for food and other resources. It takes a strategic, multifaceted approach that provides meals and builds capacity in the neediest communities, while raising awareness and engagement among all New Yorkers. Through its network of more than 1,000 charities and schools citywide, Food Bank provides food for more than 64 million free meals for New Yorkers in need. Food Bank For New York City‘s income support services, including SNAP (food stamp) screening and free tax assistance for the working poor, put more than $150 million each year into the pockets of New Yorkers, helping them to afford food and live with greater dignity and independence. In addition, Food Bank’s nutrition education programs and services empower more than 275,000 children, teens and adults to sustain healthy diets on very limited budgets. Working toward long-term solutions to food poverty, Food Bank develops policy and conducts research to inform community and government efforts. (Learn how you can help at www.foodbanknyc.org.)

HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT: Portraits of Hunger in NYC. Photo Credit: Joey O’Loughlin

Nearly one in five New Yorkers relies on Food Bank For New York City‘s programs and services. During the past year, the organization has seen the need for emergency food in New York City increase while the resources required to combat hunger and poverty have decreased. The number of meals that vulnerable New Yorkers are missing due to lack of sufficient resources tops a staggering 241 million, representing an enormous Meal Gap. The Meal Gap, adapted as the City’s official measure of food insecurity, has now been geographically mapped to reveal where hunger lives – enabling Food Bank to allocate resources to areas with the highest need across New York City.

“What would you be willing to do if you couldn’t afford to feed your children?“
Image from the exhibit, HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT: Portraits of Hunger in NYC by Photojournalist Joey O’Loughlin

For nearly three years, Ms. O’Loughlin documented the people behind the statistics by photographing and interviewing clients at Food Bank For New York City‘s citywide network of food pantries– the last line of defense against hunger for New Yorkers in need — to reveal the people who run them, and the people who wait on their lines. Through these images, Ms. O’Loughlin asks the question, “What would you be willing to do if you couldn’t afford to feed your children?“

HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT: Portraits of Hunger in NYC. Photo by Joey O’Loughlin

“People are always shocked to learn that one in five people on our pantry lines has a job,” said Margarette Purvis, President and CEO of Food Bank For New York City. “No one wants to believe that you can work your entire life and still not be able to afford food. The myth is, they did something wrong. The fact is, they didn’t. Children, the working poor and the elderly on fixed income are the most severely affected by hunger. These are the faces highlighted in this exhibit in order to combat the myths about hunger. We hope that this exhibit and related programming will foster empathy and awareness among New Yorkers, and inspire them to advocate for hunger-relief resources and opportunities that so many of us now need to survive in this challenging economy.“

HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT: Portraits of Hunger in NYC. Photo by Joey O’Loughlin

The exhibit takes viewers from food pantry line to the home pantry. While most food pantries work hard to ease the experience, lining up for food can be dehumanizing. On the line, you’re both on display and socially invisible, but at home, you’re like everyone else. By juxtaposing images of food lines with those taken inside people’s homes, this exhibit puts a face on the everyday New Yorkers–often strong mothers and grandmothers–who must participate in the complicated economic balancing act that allows them to stay in their homes, and retain their family dignity. As family dinner is a universal point of connection, the exhibit will also feature images of home-cooked meals made from pantry groceries. Family history and personality are revealed in images of meals and around the table.

HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT: Portraits of Hunger in NYC. Patrick is 46 and disabled by AIDS. He was outed in the military, less than honorably discharged and never completely regained his footing. He worked for Housing Works for years and lives in subsidized housing on Staten Island. Patrick depends on food pantries to get by, and can offer a remarkable accounting of his living expenses, balanced down to the penny.  Photo by Joey O’Loughlin

Through interpretive materials in the exhibition, and a focus on people and places throughout New York City, it is hoped that the exhibit will provoke thoughtful discussion on both cross-cultural and cross-generational experiences. Public programming around the exhibition will include panel discussions featuring historians and food justice advocates, among others. Programs will engage visitors in questions about hunger and poverty, raising awareness about this increasingly pervasive issue. The exhibition will be on view at BHS from November 6, 2015 – November 13, 2016.

“We are proud to exhibit the thought-provoking images in “Hidden in Plain Sight,“‘ said Deborah Schwartz, President of Brooklyn Historical Society (BHS). “O’Loughlin’s photo essay continues the mission of BHS to tell stories which have been overlooked, yet are part of our collective experience and living history. Our hope is that this exhibition sparks a conversation about the inequalities in food access that affect us all, and the solutions we can work on together to overcome them.”

HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT: Portraits of Hunger in NYC. Emily Diac, aged five years old, waited while her mother shopped at a food pantry. One in four New York City children doesn’t have enough to eat. Times are especially hard for poor families in NYC and the family has since left NYC for Marietta, Georgia, where her mother works at a Sam’s Club and her father is a maintenance man. Photographed by Photojournalist Joey O’Loughlin

Joey O’Loughlin is a photojournalist, producer and writer with more than two decades of experience in news, informational and cultural programming. Her photographic work supports humanitarian efforts in the United States and around the world. In 2012, O’Loughlin worked with the Brooklyn Public Library to show how library experiences are woven into the fabric of people’s daily lives, and why libraries are valuable in challenging economic times. The resulting photographic multimedia project “Where Do the Books Go?” was installed at the Brooklyn Public Library, and was featured in the New York Daily News, as well as other publications

Fall 2015 Travel: Michigan’s Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park Celebrates Autumn with Chrysanthemum Exhibition

The “Chrysanthemums And More!” Exhibition Features Vibrant Chrysanthemum Displays, Family-Friendly Activities And More, Now Through To November 1.

Christmas and Holiday Traditions Around the World to Follow

The Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is pleased to present the fall exhibition, “Chrysanthemums and More!” now opening to the public. This exhibition, the largest of its kind in Michigan, features expansive displays of chrysanthemums, fall foliage and family-friendly activities. The exhibition will be on display until November 1.

One of the world’s most significant botanic and sculpture experiences, the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park (1000 E Beltline Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525) serves nearly 600,000 visitors annually. Meijer Gardens was recently ranked in the top 100 most-visited art museums worldwide by Art Newspaper, the leading publication in global art news. The 158-acre grounds feature Michigan’s largest tropical conservatory (The Lena Meijer Tropical Conservatory); one of the largest children’s gardens (The Lena Meijer Children’s Garden) in the country; arid (Earl and Donnalee Holton Arid Garden) and Victorian (Earl and Donnalee Holton Victorian Garden) gardens with bronze sculptures by Degas and Rodin; a carnivorous plant house (the Kenneth E. Nelson Carnivorous Plant House); outdoor gardens (The Gwen Frostic Woodland Shade Garden, The Leslie E. Tassell English Perennial & Bulb Garden, and The New American Garden); and a 1900-seat outdoor amphitheater (The Frederik Meijer Gardens Amphitheater), featuring an eclectic mix of world-renowned musicians every summer.

The Lena Meijer Tropical Conservatory at the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.

The internationally acclaimed Sculpture Park features a permanent collection including works by Rodin, Oldenburg, Weiwei, Moore, Serra, Bourgeois and Plensa, among others. Indoor galleries host changing sculpture exhibitions with recent exhibitions by Picasso, Degas, di Suvero, Borofsky, Calder and Dine. In June 2015, the 8–acre Richard & Helen DeVos Japanese Garden at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park opened. Created by renowned designer Hoichi Kurisu, the garden features sculpture by Anish Kapoor, Zhang Huan and Guiseppe Penone, among others.

Chrysanthemums in bloom at The Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park fall exhibition, “Chrysanthemums and More!” now opening to the public. (Image provided by The Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park)

Chrysanthemums in bloom at The Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park fall exhibition, “Chrysanthemums and More!” now opening to the public. (Image provided by The Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park)

This year’s focus will be on the historical significance of the chrysanthemum to many cultures, including the Japanese people, which ties in with Meijer Garden’s 2015 theme: Welcoming the World. The Japanese prominently place images of bright, golden yellow blooms on the imperial seal of the emperor, and in honor of The Richard and Helen DeVos Japanese Garden, yellow will be this season’s featured color. 

Chrysanthemums and More! is the largest of its kind in Michigan, featuring expansive chrysanthemum displays, fall foliage and family-friendly activities. Indoors, the Seasonal Display Greenhouse features a cascading chrysanthemum-covered wall as the main focal point. Presentations of chrysanthemum spheres, large disbuds and beds of colorful planting complement this display in the nearby Victorian Greenhouse. Outdoors, expansive beds of lush chrysanthemums are arranged in large sweeps of scarlet, purple, orange and gold.

“Chrysanthemums & More has become a true fall tradition. Mums provide a bold impact of color that transforms Meijer Gardens,” explained Steve LaWarre, Director Of Horticulture, “We’re brushing landscapes with bursts of gold and yellow in honor of the Japanese tradition.”

Hundreds of mums for the exhibition are gathered in the growing greenhouses, pre-exhibit at The Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park (Image provided by The Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park)

Deborah Butterfield’s Cabin Creek, a sculpture in the permanent collection of the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. Known for her craftsmanship and creative use of materials, Butterfield portrays the essence of the creature’s spirit and energy, bringing equine sculpture into contemporary prominence. (Photo by William J. Herbert/Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park )

Visitors will be greeted with chrysanthemums throughout the Grand Entry Garden and Cook Entry Arbor, and delighted by abundant floral arrangements as they walk through the main building. Upon entering the Seasonal Display Greenhouse, a statuesque chrysanthemum column will present itself as the main focal point. Presentations of chrysanthemum spheres, a five-sphere topiary, large disbuds and beds of colorful planting will complement this feature in the nearby Victorian Greenhouse.

Outdoors, expansive beds of lush chrysanthemums will be arranged in large sweeps of orange, purple and gold and will be balanced by ornamental cabbage and kale.

Activities, such as the Fall Bonsai Show, Giant Pumpkins and Hallowee-Ones, are full of family fun throughout the exhibition. Mum Day on October 18 will give visitors a chance to take a walking tour lead by horticulture staff, enjoy informational demonstrations and learn more about the chrysanthemum.

The Taste of the Gardens Café will feature seasonal daily dinner specials on Tuesday evenings, with some seasonal ingredients coming from Meijer Gardens’ own Michigan’s Farm Garden.

Exhibition Programming

Herb & Gourd Fest

Herb & Gourd Fest

Saturday, September 19, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, September 20, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Be inspired with new ways to use herbs and gourds at this year’s Herb & Gourd Fest. Discover a variety of ways to use chives, oregano, turmeric and lemon verbena, and sample foods made with them. Discover this year’s “Herb of the Year,” savory, and learn about the many different types and uses. This event is included with admission to Meijer Gardens.

Fall Bonsai Show

Giant Pumpkins at Michigan’s Farm Garden

Hallowee-Ones

‘Chrysanthemums and More!’ exhibition

Fall Bonsai Show

Saturday, October 3, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, October 4, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

See a variety of bonsai, from trees in the early stages of training to lovely older trees, displayed by members from the West Michigan Bonsai Club. Shop for bonsai supplies and trees. Learn about materials and techniques used and vote for your favorite tree. This event is complimentary.

Fall Family Days

Sunday, October 10 and 11, 1 to 4 p.m.

The Lena Meijer Children’s Garden at the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. (Photo Credit: Michael Barera)

Visit the Children’s Garden for fall family fun. Activities include something for each of the senses: flower prints in the Kid-Sense Garden, weaving autumn tales in the Storytelling Garden and old-fashioned games in the Log Cabin. This event is included with admission to Meijer Gardens. 

The Lena Meijer Children’s Garden is one of the most interactive children’s gardens in the country. Here children can look through viewing ports to answer questions about sculpture, dig into the sand quarry to uncover information about fossils and build bridges over the Great Lakes water feature. They can explore tree houses, a log cabin, a butterfly labyrinth, a sense garden and a child-sized beaver lodge. Highlighting hundreds of plants as well as whimsical, child-oriented sculptures, it is perhaps the only children’s garden in the United States with natural wetlands running right through the middle of it.

Giant Pumpkins at Michigan’s Farm Garden

Saturday and Sunday, October 17 and 18, 1 to 4 p.m.

Michigan’s Farm Garden at the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. (Photo Credit: Michael Barera)

Weighing in at hundreds of pounds, these pumpkins will amaze kids and adults alike. Enjoy a cooking demonstration (1:30 and 3 p.m.) that will highlight the versatile use of this popular fall gourd. This event is included with admission to Meijer Gardens.

National Geographic Live Announces Fall 2015 Season Lineup. Season Includes First Ever National Geographic Photo Fest

Hear explorers’ thrilling reports from the field, be inspired by National Geographic photographers, go on assignment with a Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist and experience the excitement of Telluride Mountainfilm, all without leaving Washington.

National Geographic Live announced its 2015 fall season lineup of events at National Geographic’s downtown Washington, D.C., headquarters. The fall schedule features 11 fascinating events that reflect National Geographic’s belief in the power of science, exploration and storytelling to change the world, including presentations by Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Lynsey Addario and renowned climber Jimmy Chin. Tickets go on sale Aug. 10 and may be purchased online at natgeolive.org/dc, via telephone at (202) 857-7700 or in person at the National Geographic Museum ticket desk between 10 am. and 6 pm. All events take place in National Geographic’s Grosvenor Auditorium. Free parking is available in the National Geographic underground garage for programs that begin after 6 pm.

National Geographic Live is the live events division of the National Geographic Society, a global nonprofit membership organization driven by a passionate belief in the power of science, exploration and storytelling to change the world. Drawing from a broad roster of talent including renowned photographers, scientists, authors, filmmakers and adventurers, National Geographic Live’s critically acclaimed programs have connected with audiences worldwide for over a century.

“We look forward to providing Washingtonians with another season of illuminating programming that offers inspiration and entertainment to audiences of all ages. They will have the opportunity to see, hear and, in some cases, even taste the experiences our incredible explorers and storytellers have to share,” said Andy van Duym, National Geographic’s vice president for National Geographic Live.

The fall season kicks off on Sept. 16 with “Pope Francis and the New Vatican,” a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the August 2015 National Geographic magazine cover story and corresponding book, with National Geographic magazine Editor in Chief Susan Goldberg, writer Robert Draper, photographer Dave Yoder and special guest Archbishop of Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl. The season closes on Jan. 16 with the first ever National Geographic Photo Fest, where the audience will have the opportunity to meet and be inspired by renowned National Geographic photographers on the heels of the annual invitation-only National Geographic Photography Seminar.

The Nat Geo Live fall schedule also includes two student matinees featuring modified versions of the evening presentations geared toward students. Nat Geo Live’s student matinees are supported by education sponsor Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions. On Nov. 4, photographer and National Geographic Fellow Joel Sartore will present to students about Photo Ark, his ongoing quest to document biodiversity by photographing the world’s most endangered species before they disappear. A Photo Ark exhibition will be on display in the National Geographic Museum beginning Nov. 5. The fall student matinee schedule wraps up on Dec. 8 with photojournalist Ami Vitale and “Rhinos, Rickshaws & Revolutions.” Nat Geo Live’s student matinees are open to school groups for $10 per student, which includes admission to the National Geographic Museum. For tickets or more information on the student matinees, call (202) 857-7281.

SEPTEMBER 2015

POPE FRANCIS AND THE NEW VATICAN

SEPT. 16, 7:30 PM

A week before the first papal visit to the United States since 2008, join National Geographic magazine Editor in Chief Susan Goldberg for a behind-the-scenes look at the August 2015 cover story of National Geographic magazine, “Will the Pope Change the Vatican?” National Geographic was given special access to the pope and permission to document his daily life inside the Vatican for the story. Goldberg will moderate a conversation about this remarkable man with writer Robert Draper, photographer Dave Yoder and special guest Archbishop of Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl. A sale and signing of Draper and Yoder’s recently published book, POPE FRANCIS AND THE NEW VATICAN, will follow. The event is sponsored by The PNC Foundation.

OCTOBER 2015

WHEN TOUGH MEETS TECH: EXPLORATION’S NEW FRONTIER

OCT. 15, 7:30 PM

National Geographic explorer Mike Libecki is on a quest to conquer the world’s last unclimbed peaks. Follow Libecki as he tackles mud and mayhem on the massive Poumaka Tower in French Polynesia, encounters fear and friendship on the Bamiyan slopes of Afghanistan and dodges polar bears while exploring Greenland’s icy waters, all backed by the technology that helps his teams summit and bring the stories back to us. The event is sponsored by Dell.

THE DEFENDERS: INSIDE THE WILDLIFE TRADE

OCT. 22, 7:30 PM

Get an insider’s look at National Geographic’s new Special Investigations Unit (SIU), which was established to expose elephant poaching and combat the illegal wildlife trafficking that’s driving many animals to extinction. The unit’s director, investigative reporter and National Geographic Fellow Bryan Christy, will take the stage to share how the SIU is going undercover to report surprising stories that are making a difference around the globe.

NOVEMBER 2015

BUILDING THE PHOTO ARK

NOV. 4, 7:30 PM

Photographer and National Geographic Fellow Joel Sartore is on a mission to capture portraits of the world’s most endangered species before they disappear. With ingenuity, wit and a serious Midwestern work ethic, Sartore has created the Photo Ark project, the largest archive of its kind, with 5,000 images and counting. Hear about his comical mishaps, endearing encounters and personal stories to document a world worth saving. A Photo Ark exhibition will be on display in the National Geographic Museum beginning Nov. 5.

IT’S WHAT I DO: A PHOTOGRAPHER’S LIFE OF LOVE AND WAR

NOV. 11, 7:30 PM

Go on assignment with Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Lynsey Addario to the world’s most dangerous conflict zones. Addario has survived death threats and two kidnappings to bring back powerful images from hotspots such as Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan for National Geographic magazine and The New York Times. She’ll share the heart-pounding reality of working in war zones and explain what keeps her going back to places to which most of us would never venture.

TELLURIDE MOUNTAINFILM

NOV. 12-14, 7 PM

Over three unique evenings, enjoy a rich selection of films moderated by Telluride Mountainfilm’s director David Holbrooke and the unveiling of National Geographic’s 2016 Adventurer of the Year nominees. Since 1979, this festival held high in the Rockies has been one of the major events in the adventure film circuit, immersing audiences in issues that matter, cultures worth exploring, environments worth preserving, adventures worth pursuing and conversations worth sustaining.

PRISTINE SEAS

Macy’s Welcomes Back “American Icons” This Summer

Macy’s offers fashion from America’s favorite brands, early summer events and a partnership with Got Your 6 in support of America’s veterans

From May 13 to July 4, share photos using #AmericanSelfie for a chance to be included
in the national broadcast of Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks®

Macy’s announces the return of “American Icons,” launching this week in celebration of America‘s Independence Day (July 4th) and the American landscape, the people, places and things that make this country great. The campaign will kick off with #AmericanSelfie, a social media initiative inspiring customers to share photos of what America means to them, as well as fashions from celebrated designers and icons, in-store events and a special program in support of America’s veterans.

(Image courtesy of Macy’s)

“American Icons is a meaningful program that offers Macy’s a chance to connect with our customers in celebration of our great country,” said Martine Reardon, Macy’s chief marketing officer. “With #AmericanSelfie, they can show us why they love America while supporting Got Your 6, a nonprofit organization that serves to empower veterans and strengthen communities. We are also rolling out the latest fashion from the country’s most beloved brands and hosting fun summertime events to make this year’s tribute to America more special than ever.”

From now to July 4, Macy’s is inviting customers to use #AmericanSelfie to share their favorite “selfie” photos that capture the faces, places and things they love on Instagram and Twitter, to show people nationwide what they enjoy most about this country. In support of America’s military veterans, with each use of #AmericanSelfie, Macy’s will donate $1, up to $250,000, to Got Your 6, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping our returning service members make America stronger. Plus, #AmericanSelfie will be part of Macy’s annual 4th of July Fireworks show, the nation’s largest Independence Day display telecast nationally on NBC.

Got Your 6 is a campaign that unites nonprofit, Hollywood, and government partners and believes that veterans are leaders, team builders, and problem solvers who have the unique potential to strengthen communities across the country. As a coalition, Got Your 6 works to integrate these perspectives into popular culture, engage veterans and civilians together to foster understanding, and empower veterans to lead in their communities. The organization also knows that most veterans leave the military seeking new challenges, and the campaign ensures that there are opportunities for them to continue their service.

In the military, “Got your six” means “I’ve got your back.” The saying originated with World War I fighter pilots referencing a pilot’s rear as the six o’clock position. It is now a ubiquitous term in the military that highlights the loyalty and cooperation found in military culture. The Got Your 6 campaign chose this term, because it is emblematic of the many skills that veterans bring back into their communities when they return home.

Through entertainment industry partners, Got Your 6 works to normalize the depictions of veterans on film and television to dispel common myths about the veteran population. Through nonprofit and government partners, Got Your 6 likewise ensures successful veteran reintegration and empowers veterans to lead here at home. Together, Got Your 6 and its partners are shifting public perceptions so that veterans’ leadership and skills are recognized and utilized at home to strengthen communities.

Each year, around a quarter-million service members exit the military and re-enter civilian life. It is essential that Americans see the potential for veterans to strengthen our communities. Got Your 6 works to ensure that veterans return home to be seen as leaders and civic assets. For the past decade, our country has framed “veteran reintegration” as a major societal problem or struggle. On the contrary, Got Your 6 believes that it is crucial for Americans to see veteran reintegration as an opportunity, because veterans are uniquely suited to solve some of our nation’s most difficult challenges.

The average American has little first-hand connection to the military and often believes that, in general, veterans are much more likely than civilians to experience unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness, and various other issues. These notions are largely misconceptions. They paint a picture of veterans as “broken.” As a result, veterans often say they feel more pity than respect from the civilian population. When veterans fail to successfully reintegrate back into American society, it is often because their communities do not expect them to succeed or excel. Got Your 6 believes that if the country does not call upon returning veterans, then we will miss out on a generation of leaders.

Macy’s is continuing its partnership with Got Your 6 to help empower military veterans and families to make America stronger. In addition to the contribution made through the #AmericanSelfie initiative, Macy’s will host “Got Your 6 Saturday” on May 16, when customers can give $3 at any register and receive a savings pass, with 100 percent of the purchase price donated to Got Your 6. With this pass, shoppers will receive a 25 percent discount all day on purchases, exclusions and restrictions apply. Beyond “Got Your 6 Saturday,” Macy’s shoppers can still support America’s veterans from May 17 through May 25 by giving $3 for a 15 percent/20 percent discount savings pass to drive additional donations to Got Your 6 and its nonprofit partners.

Star-Studded Fashion
Macy’s has lined up an all-star cast of brands to offer shoppers the most covetable clothing and accessories – just in time for the warm weather season. Macy’s customers will be treated to collections by Calvin Klein, I.N.C. International Concepts, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, Martha Stewart Collection, Locker Room Lids, Thalía Sodi, Ryan Seacrest Distinction and the lovable characters from PEANUTS®, among others, for the hottest trends in fashion all summer long. This year’s talent and brands will be featured in the new print, digital and in-store American Icons advertising campaign, as well as a 112-page direct mail book of curated merchandise, also available at macys.com/americanicons.

Set against the ultra-modern backdrop of the new Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, Calvin Klein continues its tradition of cutting-edge, minimal designs. Featuring sleek silhouettes and a black-and-white color palette, the range is crisp and contemporary. Spring’s athletic vibe manifests in a dynamic way with moto-jackets and slide sandals, allowing for both fit and function.

I.N.C. International Concepts celebrates 30 years of fashion-forward designs, and has tapped world-renowned models Heidi Klum and Gabriel Aubry to lead the festivities. For women, the collection boasts eclecticism, featuring prints, colors, and details like fringe that give off a worldly vibe. For men, lightweight blazers, printed wovens and fitted jeans comprise a collection that emanates relaxed sophistication.

With a landmark Art Deco hotel in the heart of South Beach as a backdrop, the Thalía Sodi collection for American Icons exudes energy and excitement. Just in time for hot summer nights, Thalía Sodi offers customers a bold, vibrant collection of clothing, jewelry and footwear that is simply head-turning. Figure-flattering and feminine, the collection’s dresses and separates make women feel confident and beautiful. The use of bright colors and vivid prints reflects the vivacity of Thalía, and the use of gold throughout the statement footwear and jewelry highlight the glamour and opulence of the range.

Ryan Seacrest

Ryan Seacrest has proven to be a media powerhouse in broadcast and radio, all while impeccably dressed. Through his eponymous line, Seacrest brings the same polish and sophistication to men throughout the country. The Ryan Seacrest Distinction collection for American Icons features tailored suits, sport coats, trousers and shirting that are bold and clean. Ties, cufflinks and pocket squares provide the perfect finishing touches, creating undeniably stylish looks perfect for any occasion.

Philadelphia Celebrates The Fourth Of July In Star-Spangled Style: Tall Ships, Gay Rights Celebrations & Fireworks Highlight Eight Days Of Family-Friendly Fun

A highlight of Philadelphia’s multiday Fourth of July celebration, the fireworks over the Philadelphia Museum of Art wow onlookers along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and all over the city. In Fairmount Park, Lemon Hill is perfectly perched for optimal viewing, and those in the know head to the lesser-known spot to watch the dazzling show. Credit: Photo by J. Fusco for VISIT PHILADELPHIA™

When Fourth of July rolls around, Philadelphia—America’s birthplace—paints the town red, white and blue thanks to eight days of music, exhibitions, Colonial characters and re-enactments, patriotic ceremonies and fireworks. This year, the city (through the efforts of VISIT PHILADELPHIA^®) amps up the revelry surrounding the annual Wawa Welcome America! festivities with Tall Ships Philadelphia Camden, the largest sailing event in North America; and a citywide celebration of the 50^th Anniversary of the Gay Rights Movement.

On VISIT PHILADELPHIA^®’s official visitor website and blog, visitphilly.com and uwishunu.com, visitors can explore things to do, upcoming events, themed itineraries and hotel packages. Compelling photography and videos, interactive maps and detailed visitor information make the sites effective trip-planning tools. Along with Visit Philly social media channels, the online platforms communicate directly with consumers. Travelers can also call and stop into the Independence Visitor Center for additional information and tickets.

Here are a few highlights of Philadelphia’s patriotic party:

When the Tall Ships Philadelphia Camden pulls into port from June 24-28, 2015, visitors can watch the colorful parade of sail that includes the Gazela (pictured here) and L’Hermione, a replica of the ship that brought General Lafayette to the aid of the fledgling United States during the Revolutionary War, along with many other vessels from around the world. Ships will be docked on both sides of the river at Penn’s Landing and along the Camden Waterfront. Also on tap: live entertainment, hands-on activities and a dazzling fireworks display. Credit: Photo courtesy of Draw Events

• The billowing sails of more than a dozen majestic vessels mark the arrival of the Tall Ships Philadelphia Camden festival. Docked along both sides of the Delaware River waterfront will be elegant tall ships from France, Brazil, Canada and all around the globe. Visitors can tour the ships, including the L’Hermione, a replica of the French naval ship that brought General Lafayette to America to help fight the British. Also on tap: live entertainment, hands-on activities, games and a spectacular fireworks display to close out the largest sailing event in the United States in 2015. June 25-28. Penn’s Landing, Columbus Boulevard at Walnut Street; Camden Waterfront, tallshipsphiladelphia.com

Hundreds of aspiring salsa dancers dance the day away on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway for the Party on the Parkway, one of many events taking place during Wawa Welcome America!, Philadelphia’s multi-day celebration of the country’s birthday. Credit: Photo by R. Kennedy for Visit Philadelphia™

• Wawa Welcome America! kicks off with a lively block party and wraps up with the nation’s largest free Fourth of July concert and a fireworks grand finale. In between are movies, a concert by the Philly Pops in front of Independence Hall, patriotic ceremonies, Wawa Hoagie Day and more free, family-friendly fun. Various locations. June 27-July 4. (215) 683-2202, welcomeamerica.com

Some of the top names in music have performed at the annual Fourth of July concert at Penn’s Landing. The event, which draws huge crowds every year, is a favorite during Wawa Welcome America!, Philadelphia’s multi-day Independence Day celebration. Credit: Photo by J. Smith for Visit Philadelphia™

• Signature events marking the 50^th Anniversary of the Gay Rights Movement take place over Fourth of July weekend, with a reenactment of the Reminder Day demonstrations in front of Independence Hall, a wreath-laying ceremony at the historic marker that acknowledges the site of the demonstrations, panel discussions, a festival, concerts and more. July 2-5. Also on view throughout the weekend and beyond: Speaking Out for Equality: The Constitution, Gay Rights, and the Supreme Court, an exhibition at the National Constitution Center that tells the story of the gay civil rights movement through artifacts, photographs and legal precedents. June 5-September 7. During the weekend, visitors can delve into other aspects of LGBTQ history at exhibitions at the Free Library of Philadelphia, Taller Puertorriqueño, the National Museum of American Jewish History and The African American Museum in Philadelphia. Constitution Center, 525 Arch Street, (215) 409-6700, constitutioncenter.org; various locations for other happenings, reminder2015.org, lgbt50.org

Philadelphia’s rainbow colors shine brighter than ever during PrideDay in June, International Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. A fun, colorful and prideful parade winds through the Gayborhood, Historic Philadelphia and Penn’s Landing, where food, drinks, performances and more celebrating await. Credit: Photo by R. Kennedy for Visit Philadelphia™

The 2015 Architectural Digest Home Design Show Expands to Two Locations; Delivers New Programming, Special Events, and Installations

All Images by SocialShutterbug.com

The Architectural Digest Home Design Show, the premier U.S. luxury design fair, is set to run from March 19–22, 2015, at New York City’s Piers 92 & 94, 55th Street and Twelfth Avenue. The show is produced by Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. (MMPI), a division of Vornado, in partnership with Architectural Digest and co-sponsored by The New York Times.

Panoramic View at the 2014 Architectural Digest Home Design Show

 

The show explores the world of design through inspiring installations, high-caliber programming, exciting special events, and more, (featuring more than 400 premium brands and covers a range of categories including: furniture, accessories, art, kitchen and bath products, flooring, rugs, carpets, electronics, ceramics, stone + tile, wall covering, lighting, outdoor products, building products and more). The show, open to both the design trade and consumers, has expanded this year, taking over adjacent spaces Pier 92 and Pier 94, together with DIFFA’s (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS) showstopping DINING BY DESIGN. Popular areas such as Furniture & Furnishings, MADE, the SHOPS, and reFRESH will each feature a notably larger roster of new talent in addition to returning exhibitors like Scavolini, Ligne Roset + LV Wood, Orley Shabahang, PELLE, Asher Israelow, and Calico Wallpaper.

Design Trade Day at the 2014 Architectural Digest Home Design Show

Design Trade Day at the 2014 Architectural Digest Home Design Show

Design Trade Day at the 2014 Architectural Digest Home Design Show

Design Trade Day at the 2014 Architectural Digest Home Design Show

Butterfield Cafe at the 2014 Architectural Digest Home Design Show

Caliber at the 2014 Architectural Digest Home Design Show

Lori Morris Design at the 2014 Architectural Digest Home Design Show

Natuzzi at the 2014 Architectural Digest Home Design Show

New York Times Design Series at the 2014 Architectural Digest Home Design Show

Palo Samko at the 2014 Architectural Digest Home Design Show

Relaxing in the Foley&Cox Lounge at the 2014 Architectural Digest Home Design Show

Sub Zero Wolf at the 2014 Architectural Digest Home Design Show

The Schoolhouse Gallery at the 2014 Architectural Digest Home Design Show

Think Fabricate at the 2014 Architectural Digest Home Design Show

Tucker Robbins at the 2014 Architectural Digest Home Design Show

Voutsa at the 2014 Architectural Digest Home Design Show

Show highlights include:

• Exhibitions by a diverse range of 400+ brands in the luxury home market— from Fortune 500 companies to artisanal studios.

• More than a dozen new complimentary panels and talks by leading talents in 21st-century design, including a keynote presentation by Architectural Digest Editor in Chief Margaret Russell and the celebrated New York Times Design Series.

• New international exhibitors from the Netherlands, Turkey, Italy, and France.

DIFFA’s DINING BY DESIGN table viewing at Pier 92 at the Architectural Digest Home Design Show 2014: Ralph Lauren

 

• MADE—a juried show-within-a-show featuring artists and designers with limited-edition, custom, and one-of-a-kind objects and furnishings— welcomes 69 new exhibitors. It will be a showcase of talent from around the country (Austin, Brooklyn, Detroit, Nashville, Providence, Seattle, and more) and around the world. An expanded Los Angeles contingent at MADE will include Eric Trine, Parachute Home, Wolfum, 100xbtr, Brendan Ravenhill, Ria Leigh, Elyse Graham, BROOK&LYN, Mimi Jung, and Lewis Mauk. Additionally, more than 30 businesses exhibiting are women-owned or -run.

73rd Annual Peabody Awards Winners Announced

A record 46 recipients of the University of Georgia’s 73rd Annual Peabody Awards were announced today on CBS This Morning and www.peabodyawards.com. The winners, chosen by the Peabody board from almost 1,100 entries, comprise the best in electronic media for the year 2013. The Peabody statuettes will be formally presented on May 19 at a luncheon ceremony at the Waldorf=Astoria in New York City. Ira Glass, host and producer of This American Life, which now boasts five Peabodys, will be the emcee. (See complete list of 2013 recipients below.)

The Peabody Awards, the oldest in electronic media, are considered among the most prestigious and selective prizes. The Peabodys

A record 46 recipients of the University of Georgia’s 73rd Annual Peabody Awards were announced today on CBS This Morning and http://www.peabodyawards.com.

recognize excellence and meritorious work by radio and television stations, networks, webcasters, producing organizations and individuals. The 16-member Peabody Board is a distinguished panel of television critics, industry practitioners and experts in culture and the arts. Selection is made by the Board following review by special screening committees of UGA faculty, students, and staff.

Established in 1915, the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication offers undergraduate majors in advertising, digital and broadcast journalism, magazines, newspapers, public relations, publication management and mass media arts. The college offers two graduate degrees, and is home to the Knight Chair in Health and Medical Journalism and the Peabody Awards, internationally recognized as one of the most prestigious prizes for excellence in electronic media.

 

The latest Peabody recipients include a pair of high-profile political melodramas, Netflix’s corrosive House of Cards and ABC’s juicy Scandal; A Chef’s Life, a stereotype-cracking nonfiction serial about a farm-to-fork gourmet restaurant in North Carolina’s low country; Burka Avenger, an animated Pakistani series aimed at empowering girls; A Needed Response, a YouTube viral video created by two University of Oregon students that succinctly criticizes rape culture and champions r-e-s-p-e-c-t for women; and two distinctive probes of the dangers of brain injury in professional football, FRONTLINE‘s League of Denial: The NFL’s Concussion Crisis and ESPN’s Outside the Lines: NFL at a Crossroads: Investigating a Health Crisis.

“The quality of storytelling in electronic media continues to increase year-after-year, across platforms, producing organizations and nations,” said Dr. Jeffrey P. Jones, director of the Peabody Awards. “The unprecedented number of awards we gave this year reflects this fact. There simply are a larger number of stories that deserve our attention as citizens and consumers. And what a wonderfully rich and satisfying set of stories we’ve called attention to this year!”

International Peabody winners include the Philippines’ GMA Network for coverage of the assault and aftermath of Supertyphoon Yolanda (Haiyan); The Returned, an eerie, elegant supernatural drama from France; the realistic, compelling Danish political serial Borgen; and BBC World News’ in-depth reporting from Inside Syria’sWar.

Local Peabody recipients included  CBS-owned WBZ-TV and WBZ Newsradio for their peerless extended coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings and the ensuing dragnet; KING-TV in Seattle for its revelations about nuclear-waste leaks and mismanagement at a Hanford, Washington, storage facility; Nashville station WTVF-TV‘s reports about Tennessee officials’ involvement in shady business deals; and an exhaustive investigation of Louisiana political contributions – who gives, how much, and what does it buy – that combined the resources of New Orleans station WVUE-TV, The Times-Picayune and http://www.NOLA.com.

Other entertainment series honored included AMC’s Breaking Bad, which earned a second Peabody for its riveting final season; Netflix’s complex, character-driven prison drama Orange Is the New Black; Comedy Central’s racially shrewd sketch showcase Key & Peele; F/X’s The Bridge, an intense, cross-cultural crime drama set on and around the border between Texas and Mexico; and two distinctly different BBC America offerings: the naturalistic mystery Broadchurch and the wildly fanciful Orphan Black, a bioethical thriller about clones.

Web-based winners included Hollow (www.hollowdocumentary.com), an imaginative,  interactive site devoted to a struggling county in rural West Virginia, and A Short History of the Highrise (www.nytimes.com), a clever, highly visual tour of “vertical living.”

Issues of race and ethnicity were explored in several impressive recipients: The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross with Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Latino Americans, both shown on PBS, traced the history and the ongoing influence of peoples whose presence here predates the forming of the United States. Ken Burns’ The Central Park Five, also on PBS, revisited a infamous New York rape case that wrongly sent five black and Latino teenagers to prison. National Public Radio reporter Michelle Norris’ The Race Card Project used six-word summations of listeners’ thoughts about race as the basis of remarkably telling feature reports.

A trio of documentaries addressed difficulties facing students and educators in poor, high-crime communities.This American Life‘s two-part Harper High School on radio and PBS’s 180 Days: A Year Inside an American High School provide richly nuanced stories of students coping with challenges from child-rearing to gun violence. Best Kept Secret, also shown on PBS, took viewers inside a poor Newark school with an unexpectedly exemplary program for autistic and other special-needs students.

Culture and the arts were represented by such Peabody winners as TCM: The Story of Film, which combined a 15-part retrospective with telecasts of more than 100 classic movies, and Great Performances: Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy, a tuneful celebration of the influence of composers such as Irving Berlin, Oscar Hammerstein III and Stephen Sondheim. Sondheim had a documentary all to himself as well: HBO’s Six by Sondheim, which combined his ruminations on composing with archival and fresh performances of some of his greatest songs. CNN’s Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown was recognized for its unique recipe for blending culinary and cultural reporting.

The rich array of documentary winners included HBO’s tender Life According to Sam, the story of a teenager dealing with an accelerated aging disease, and the cable network’s Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God, an frank report about a Catholic priest who abused more than 200 students at a Milwaukee school for the deaf.

Other documentary winners included The Law in These Parts, a POV film exploring the alternative legal systemIsrael developed for governing its occupied Palestinian territories, and three Independent Lens productions:How to Survive a Plague chronicled the crucial role AIDS activists and organizations like ACT UP played in saving lives and hobbling the epidemic. The House I Live In took stock of what we have to show for our 40-year “war” on drugs, and  The Invisible War assessed the shameful problem of rape in the U.S. military and why it persists.

A pair of documentaries from Al Jazeera America‘s Fault Lines series demonstrated its broad reach and aggressive journalism. Haiti in a Time of Cholera examined the epidemic that has erupted since the 2010 earthquake and underscored the likelihood that U.N. peacekeepers are the source. Made in Bangladesh found evidence of prominent American retailers turning a blind eye to the dangerous practices of foreign subcontractors, practices that led to horrible tragedies like the clothing-factory fire in Bangladesh that killed more than 100 people.

Awards in news included a personal citation to Tom Brokaw, author and former anchor of NBC Nightly News,and another to the current NBC team for In Plain Sight: Poverty in America, an ambitious multi-platform assessment of poverty’s many faces and forms today. A Peabody went to One-on-One with Assad, a CBS This Morning segment in which co-host Charlie Rose civilly but persistently pressed Syria’s president for explanations of his war against his own countrymen. And the public radio series Reveal was honored for The VA’s Opiate Overload, a shocking report about overdose deaths at Veterans Administration hospitals.  

Wolf Trap Announces First Of Summer 2014 Performances

All Artists photographs Courtesy of Wolf Trap

Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts announces the first set of performances for its highly anticipated 2014 Summer Season. As America’s only National Park for the Performing Arts, Wolf Trap celebrates all genres of music in its 16-week summer season, welcoming all with a priority on accessibility and affordability.

“In this 30th anniversary year of the rebirth of the Filene Center following devastating fires—a process that saw the community band together to support the arts—we are proud to welcome the greatest names across the spectrum of music, including Lionel Richie, Yo-Yo Ma, Wynton Marsalis, and Josh Groban,” said Arvind Manocha, Wolf Trap Foundation President and CEO. “Whether you’re a fan of symphonic music, opera, R&B, or rock, every music lover can celebrate Wolf Trap this summer.”

Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by Catherine Filene Shouse (1896-1994), produces and presents a full range of performance and education programs in the Greater Washington area, as well as nationally and internationally. Wolf Trap features three performance venues: the outdoor Filene Center and Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods, both located at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, and The Barns at Wolf Trap, located down the road from the national park and adjacent to the Center for Education at Wolf Trap. The 7,028-seat Filene Center is operated in partnership with the National Park Service and annually showcases an extensive array of diverse artists, ranging from pop, country, folk, and blues to classical music, dance, and theatre, as well as multimedia presentations, from May through September.

Filene Center Interior. Photo Credit: Scott Suchman

Filene Center Lawn Seating . Photo Credit: Scott Suchman

 

The Barns at Wolf Trap is operated by the Wolf Trap Foundation year-’round, and during the summer months is home to the Grammy-nominated Wolf Trap Opera, one of America’s outstanding resident ensemble programs for young opera singers. Wolf Trap’s education programs include the nationally acclaimed Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts and Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods, a diverse array of arts education classes and grants, and a nationally recognized internship program that was included in Bloomberg Business Week’s 2009 List of “Best Places to Intern.” As part of its ongoing commitment to protect and preserve the environment, Wolf Trap offers Metro access and is a founding member of the Green Music Group.

Filene Center at night. Photo Credit: Scott Suchman

Filene Center at night. Photo Credit: Scott Suchman

Filene Center at night. Photo Credit: Scott Suchman

Wolf Trap’s second summer show announcement will follow on April 17, 2014. All shows are at the Filene Center at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna, VA (unless otherwise noted).

Full chronological listing of all 2014 shows announced to date follows:

May, 2014

A Prairie Home Companion
With Garrison Keillor and Special Guests
In association with Minnesota Public Radio & WAMU 88.5 FM
Friday, May 23 at 8 pm
Saturday, May 24 at 5:45 pm
The nation’s favorite radio host leads an ensemble cast through his radio variety show featuring comedy sketches, musical guests, and Keillor’s signature monologue, “The News from Lake Wobegon.”

Under the Streetlamp
Gentleman’s Rule
Friday, May 30 at 8 pm
Slick dance moves and tight harmonies from the retro-inspired Jersey Boys quartet and an eight-man a cappella powerhouse produced by the founder of Straight No Chaser.

June, 2014

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
Friday–Sunday, June 6–8 at 8 pm
Saturday & Sunday, June 7 & 8 at 2 pm
“Be Our Guest!” Belle and her enchanted entourage prove love conquers all in this family-favorite musical with an Oscar-winning score, featuring “Something There” and “If I Can’t Love Her.”

Annali Rose, Ashley Werhun, Benjamin Behrends, Brett Perry, Chanel Da Silva, Jason Hartley, John Michael Schert, Lauren Edson, Shawn Testin, Travis Walker, Yarinet Restrepo / TREY MCINTYRE PROJECT

Annali Rose, Ashley Werhun, Benjamin Behrends, Brett Perry, Chanel Da Silva, Jason Hartley, John Michael Schert, Lauren Edson, Shawn Testin, Travis Walker, Yarinet Restrepo / TREY MCINTYRE PROJECT

Trey McIntyre Project
Wednesday, June 11 at 8:30 pm
In its final D.C. performance, this inventive and bold contemporary ballet company performs to Queen’s glam-rock stylings.

RINGO STARR and his ALL STARR BAND 2014 l to r: Richard Page, Todd Rundgren, Ringo Starr, Steve Lukather, Gregg Rolie, Gregg Bissonette Photograph by Rob Shanahan

Ringo Starr

Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band
Featuring Steve Lukather, Todd Rudgren, Gregg Rolie, Richard Page, Mark Rivera, and Gregg Bissonette
Thursday, June 12 at 8 pm
Celebrate an era of rock ‘n’ roll virtuosos from The Beatles, Santana, Journey, Toto, and more! In a review of the 50-year anniversary Beatles tribute concert, The New York Times wrote, “The celebration, like that ‘Ed Sullivan Show’ a half-century ago, belonged to the Beatles themselves. First was Mr. Starr: bounding onstage to sing Carl Perkins’s ‘Matchbox,’ settling in at the drums to play and sing the Shirelles’ ‘Boys’ and finishing with a jolly ‘Yellow Submarine.’ They were still having fun.”

National Geographic Launches First Explorer-Curated Collection, ‘Shop the Road Less Traveled’ Online Boutique

Travels of Explorer Elizabeth Kapu’uwailani Lindsey Inspire Line of Hand-Crafted Goods

The National Geographic launches Shop the Road Less Traveled  (www.shoproadlesstraveled.com), an online shopping destination featuring a collection of handcrafted jewelry, accessories, textiles and home decor inspired by the travels of anthropologist, filmmaker and National Geographic explorer Elizabeth Kapu’uwailani Lindsey. The limited-edition collection reflects the rich cultures, traditions, colors and landscapes that Lindsey encountered on her recent visits to India, Thailand and Bali, and represents National Geographic’s first ever explorer-curated collection.

Products featured in a new online boutique from National Geographic, ‘Shop the Road Less Traveled.’ http://www.shoproadlesstraveled.com. (PRNewsFoto/National Geographic Society)

Each piece from the Shop the Road Less Traveled line offers consumers an opportunity to experience another part of the world and appreciate the work of its talented craftspeople. For the Shop the Road Less Traveled collection, National Geographic carefully selected pillows, ottomans, blankets, decor, jewelry and scarves that are made using ancient techniques. Brothers Suresh and Devander Garg’s intricate Hand-carved Elephant Festival Sculpture is created from a single block of kadam, an evergreen wood common in their home city of Jaipur, India. Jeweler Panapha’s Azure Leather Wrap Bracelet combines 24-karat gold beads and azure-dyed leather using a meticulous technique to yield a bracelet reflecting the vibrant atmosphere of her home in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

The line also includes elegant home goods like the textured Indian Jazz Pillow and bright Paisley Morning Pillow, both in rich turquoise hues. From Jaipur, known for its centuries-old tradition of jewelry making, come gold and red-orange onyx Jaipur Sunshine Earrings, which mimic the natural and architectural landscape of the city; and the Jaipur Amazonite Necklace that harkens back to the jewels of the Mughal Empire. The Boho-hobo Suede Bag, created in Noida, Uttar

National Geographic logo. (PRNewsFoto/National Geographic Society)

Pradesh, combines fine craftsmanship with contemporary touches.

Available only through the online boutique, the Shop the Road Less Traveled line offers colorful goods crafted by artisans using traditional techniques and featuring modern touches. Items purchased from the boutique help support these local artisans as well as National Geographic’s work of exploration, research, conservation and cultural preservation. The collection centers on three themes: Jewel Tones, which features handcrafted items in shades from teal to indigo; Neutral Luxe, which showcases texture, with a selection of handcrafted items in wood, leather, wool and stone; and Royal Accents, which emphasizes scarves, pillows and bedding in vibrant color.

Elizabeth Kapu’uwailani Lindsey was the National Geographic Society’s first female Fellow. A Polynesian explorer and a descendant of Hawaiian chiefs, English seafarers and Chinese merchants, she has dedicated her life to conserving the vanishing cultures of indigenous people, their knowledge and traditions. She is an award-winning filmmaker and anthropologist and is based in Hawaii and San Francisco.

“We journey to discover rich landscapes, beautiful works of art, enchanting cultures and centuries-old crafts that uphold these cultures. Recently I had such an experience as I traveled for three months in Southeast Asia. This collection is inspired by the spirit and beauty of these lands and their cultures,” said Lindsey, whose travels and work focus on the conservation of vanishing indigenous knowledge and tradition.

Visit www.shoproadlesstraveled.com for more information and to view the entire line.

Founded in 1888, the National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Its mission is to inspire people to care about the planet. The member-supported Society offers a community for members to get closer to explorers, connect with other members and help make a difference. The Society reaches more than 450 million people worldwide each month through National Geographic and other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; music; radio; films; books; DVDs; maps; exhibitions; live events; school publishing programs; interactive media; and merchandise. National Geographic has funded more than 10,000 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects, and supports an education program promoting geographic literacy. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com.