Coronavirus (COVID-19) Closures and Update

MoMA Temporarily Closes Museums and Stores in New York

MoMA announced today that it will close The Museum of Modern Art on 53rd Street, MoMA PS1 in Queens, and the MoMA Design Stores on 53rd Street and in Soho, effective immediately and through March 30. MoMA will continue to monitor developments with COVID-19 and regularly reassess this temporary closure.

Glenn D. Lowry, The David Rockefeller Director of The Museum of Modern Art, said: “Nothing is more important to MoMA than the health and safety of our community. We take seriously our responsibility as a civic institution to serve the public good. With that in mind, as it is more and more challenging to predict the impacts of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, we have decided to temporarily close MoMA.”

MoMA has been prepared for this possibility for several weeks and made the decision in ongoing consultation with public health experts, city and state officials, peer institutions, and the Boards of The Museum of Modern Art and MoMA PS1. There have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 among MoMA employees. Plans are in place to continue to support employees and MoMA’s better than best practice cleaning and sanitization protocols.

MoMA plans to re-open at the first opportunity that ensures the health and safety of all visitors and employees.

All Events at Carnegie Hall from Friday, March 13 through Tuesday, March 31, 2020 are Cancelled

All March events cancelled in effort to reduce spread of COVID-19

With the health and safety of its public, artists, and staff as its foremost priority, Carnegie Hall today announced that it will be closed for all public events and programming through the end of March, effective midnight tonight, in an effort to reduce the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19).

All events and programming at Carnegie Hall from Friday, March 13 through Tuesday, March 31, 2020 have been cancelled. For a list of performances at Carnegie Hall that are affected, please see the attached list or click here. Carnegie Hall events on Thursday evening, March 12 will take place as scheduled.

Upcoming education programming presented by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute—whether taking place at Carnegie Hall or in off-site locations—is suspended through March 31. All free Carnegie Hall Citywide performances in venues throughout New York City are cancelled through March 31.

All other scheduled concerts and programming starting on April 1, 2020 and beyond remain on the schedule pending the reopening of Carnegie Hall. The general public is encouraged to check carnegiehall.org/events for the most up-to-date programming information.

Patrons who purchased tickets by credit card from Carnegie Hall for a performance that has been canceled will receive automatic refunds; those who purchased by cash at the Box Office may email a scan or photo of the tickets to feedback@carnegiehall.org, along with complete contact details (name, mailing address, and phone number), through June 30, 2020, for a refund. Those who purchased tickets directly from other concert presenters should contact that presenter for refund information.

Patrons who have any further questions should contact CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800 or email feedback@carnegiehall.org. Please note that email and call volume may be high with limited in-house staff, and tickets may be refunded on a delayed schedule. We thank you for your patience as we navigate this evolving situation together.

Asian Art Museum, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Announce Temporary Closure Effective March 14, 2020

The Asian Art Museum, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF), comprising the de Young Museum and the Legion of Honor, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) collaboratively announce a temporary closure to the public effective at 5 pm PST on Friday, March 13. With their united focus on the health and safety of their visitors and staff members, the museums made this decision to align with local and federal guidelines and social distancing recommendations for the containment of the coronavirus.

The Asian Art Museum and SFMOMA will tentatively reopen to the public on Saturday, March 28, 2020, and the FAMSF museums will reopen on Tuesday, March 31, 2020. The museums will individually evaluate whether the closure timeframe needs to be extended.

ASIAN ART MUSEUM

The closure of the Asian Art Museum includes the museum, its café (Sunday at the Museum) and its store. More information can be found at asianart.org.

FINE ARTS MUSEUMS (FAMSF)

Both the de Young and the Legion of Honor, including museum cafes and stores, will be closed. Please find the most up-to-date information at deyoungmuseum.org/coronavirus-response.

SAN FRANCISCO MUSEUM OF MODERN ART (SFMOMA)

SFMOMA’s closure includes the museum, its restaurants (In Situ, Cafe 5 and Sightglass coffee bars), stores (museum and SFO store) and the Artists Gallery at Fort Mason. For the most up-to-date information including information on rescheduling a visit, go to sfmoma.org/coronavirus-update.

“Lagerfeld: The Chanel Shows” Exhibit Arrives At Four Seasons Hotel London At Ten Trinity Square

The Runway Afternoon Tea, Inspired By The Exhibition “Lagerfeld: The Chanel Shows,” Launches At Four Seasons Hotel London At Ten Trinity Square

The Exhibition Offers An Access All Areas Experience Of Karl Lagerfeld’s Most Influential And Monumental Fashion Shows Will Exhibit For The First Time In The Uk At The Forbes 5-Star Hotel

Widely regarded as one of the most outstanding photographers of his generation, Simon Procter’s exhibition features images captured backstage at Lagerfeld’s shows, providing a glimpse through his lens into the inner world of Chanel and the celebrated designer.

Following the Fall 2020/Winter 2021 shows at Paris Fashion Week, Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square and Art Photo Expo will present the UK debut of Lagerfeld: The Chanel Shows – an exhibition of photographs by renowned British artist Simon Procter, celebrating the work of the late Karl Lagerfeld. The exhibition will launch on March 18, 2020, and will be on display in the Rotunda Bar and Lounge at Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square.

Lagerfeld: The Chanel Shows – an exhibition of photographs by renowned British artist Simon Procter, celebrating the work of the late Karl Lagerfeld will launch on March 18, 2020, and will be on display in the Rotunda Bar and Lounge (seen above) at Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square.

Widely respected in today’s contemporary art scene and acclaimed as one of the most outstanding photographers of his generation, Procter was also one of Karl Lagerfeld’s most trusted documentary photographers, having been granted unprecedented backstage access at the Chanel shows. For more than a decade, Procter’s daring camerawork captured the energy and essence of the Chanel shows, visually recreating the epic sets. From a luscious forest scene to a rocket launch, Procter combines multiple photographs to illustrate in a single image the many perspectives of the intense but fleeting spectacle. Procter also captured images of Lagerfeld preparing models backstage, a privilege afforded to few, offering a unique glimpse into the inner sanctum of the fashion house.

Following Lagerfeld’s death in 2019, Rizzoli devoted a book comprising Procter’s photographs and candid never-before-seen images of Lagerfeld backstage entitledLagerfeld: The Chanel Shows.

The Rotunda Bar and Lounge at Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square.

Bringing the book to life, the large-scale photographs will line the circular perimeter of the Hotel’s Rotunda Bar and Lounge, and the exhibition will include some never-before-seen artworks. Guests will be offered an unparalleled look into the wide-ranging creativity of one of history’s most respected and iconic designers, making it essential viewing for all lovers of fashion and admirers of Chanel and Lagerfeld’s incomparable legacy.

In addition to the works showcased in Rotunda, limited edition artworks will be available to view and purchase in an adjacent gallery for the duration of the exhibition, with prices starting from GBP 5,500. The Lagerfeld: The Chanel Shows books will also be available for purchase in the gallery, including a limited number of copies signed by Procter himself.

Running until June 30, 2020, visitors can also enjoy The Runway Afternoon Tea inspired by Lagerfeld: The Chanel Shows by Simon Procter and a cocktail crafted by Director of Mixology Harry Nikolaou in celebration of the exhibition.

Carnegie Hall Presents The Eyes of the World: From D-Day to VE Day Saturday, June 6 and Tuesday, June 9 in Zankel Hall

Historian and Narrator John Monsky Captures the Dramatic Final Months of World War II With Multimedia Production Featuring 35-Piece Orchestra and Leading Broadway Artists, Historic Video, Original American Flags From Normandy Beach and Beyond, and Images from the Archives of Legendary Photojournalists

Historian and narrator John Monsky brings his groundbreaking American History Unbound series back to Zankel Hall on Saturday, June 6 and Tuesday, June 9 with The Eyes of the World: From D-Day to VE Day—an exciting multimedia production that tells the powerful story of the American landing on the Normandy beaches and subsequent 11 months of battle that finally secured victory in Europe.

On June 5, 1944, on the eve of D-Day, Major General Dwight D. Eisenhower told American forces, “The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you.” While D-Day marked a turning point and pathway to victory, the landings and eleven months of battle that followed would be among the most brutal for the American troops and Allied forces.

War photojournalist Lee Miller with American soldiers during World War II (photo taken by David Scherman)

This immersive concert experience, presented with the New-York Historical Society in the 75th anniversary year of VE Day, recounts this period through striking photography from the archives of American photojournalist Lee Miller, who, reporting for Vogue magazine, was among the 127 accredited female journalists covering the war, as well as letters home from a young American intelligence officer who landed at Normandy and fought with the army through VE day. Along the way, they connected with legendary American writer Ernest Hemingway and photojournalist Robert Capa. The paths of these four remarkable figures intersect and intertwine as they served as the “eyes for the world” from D-Day to eventual victory.

The program features the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, conducted by music supervisor Ian Weinberger (Hamilton), joined by leading Broadway vocalists including Nick Cordero (Waitress, A Bronx Tale), Kate Rockwell (Mean Girls), Tony LePage (Come From Away), and Bryonha Parham (After Midnight) performing evocative music of the era—from La Vie en Rose and Woody Guthrie’s What Are We Waiting On to signature songs of legendary bandleader Glenn Miller who volunteered for the Army at the height of his career—and selections from the film soundtracks of Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers. Tickets for the June 6 and 9 performances are on sale to the general public now.

The American History Unbound series, exploring watershed moments in American history, combines live music performed by celebrated Broadway actors and a full orchestra, incorporating film, photography, historic flags and material culture from Monsky’s personal collection. Narrated by Monsky with a script punctuated with his own memories and observations, each production includes powerful examinations of singular and pivotal events—from the Revolutionary War and Civil War to D-Day—turning points in history that changed America.

Decades ago, Monsky’s mother bought her 12-year-old son his first “flag,” a red kerchief (an artifact from Theodore Roosevelt’s unsuccessful 1912 presidential bid), to appease his boredom while on a routine shopping outing. Today, his collection of flags and textiles — tangible artifacts that connect us to our history — has become one of the finest in the country. As his collection grew, so did annual Flag Day presentations held in Monsky’s apartment. As the events grew larger in scope—adding bands and Broadway singers to accent his talks—they eventually required portal-widening-living room-construction to accommodate friends and family, all riveted by Monsky’s storytelling. Sought-after invitations to these informal gatherings attracted the attention of The New Yorker in 2012, when Monsky took a second look at the War of 1812, with a presentation that included the commissioning pennant from the great wooden frigate, the USS Constitution. Louise Mirrer, the President and CEO of the New-York Historical Society, where Monsky is a trustee, recalled, “I attended the Flag Day celebrations and was absolutely dazzled. One of those years after viewing…a really exceptional explication of history, I said to John, ‘you know, you should do that in our auditorium.’” She has since called his D-Day production “the most moving event ever presented on the Society’s stage.”

Monsky has been creating and performing his American History Unbound productions for over a decade and was recently honored by the New-York Historical Society. After two previous sold-out productions—The Vietnam War: At Home and Abroad (2018) and We Chose To Go To The Moon (2019)—The Eyes of the World is the third installment of American History Unbound to be presented at Carnegie Hall.

“John has a passion for combining storytelling, music, visuals, and film in unique and creative ways that bring history to life and that connect emotionally with his audiences,” said Clive Gillinson, Executive and Artistic Director of Carnegie Hall. “We look forward to this next edition which will take us through some of the most important moments of World War II, traveling on a journey that is sure to be powerful as well as illuminating.”

Like Monsky’s previous productions, The Eyes of the World includes tangible historic objects woven into the storytelling narrative, some of which have been in storage and not seen by the public for more than 75 years. His presentation includes the flag famously placed by Rudder’s Rangers on the rocks of Pointe du Hoc to mark the command post; a rarely-seen divisional color of the US 29th Infantry Division, which suffered tremendous losses on the beaches of Normandy; the flag from landing craft LCI 94, which picked up photojournalist Robert Capa from Omaha Beach on D-Day; community “service banners” hung in schools and churches across America, with blue stars indicating the number of their “boys” in service, plus more.

“I did not start out looking for the figures we follow in this production—Hemingway, Capa, Miller, and a young intelligence officer who landed on D-Day,” said John Monsky. “They revealed themselves as we researched a single flag flown on a Higgins boat and the boys it carried to the beaches. Every twist and turn surprised us as the story unfolded, with its conclusion making the hair on the back of my neck stand on end, as Lee Miller and others come together in some of the War’s most dark and haunting places.”

“We are grateful for the contributions of historian and author Alex Kershaw, the staff of the American Battle Monuments Commission and The National World War II Museum, as well as Katie Couric and John Molner for their encouragement and passion to tell the stories of American history. It’s also been an extraordinary privilege to work with Lee Miller’s family—her son Antony Penrose and granddaughter Ami Bouhassane—to expose her work to the wider audience it deserves.”

Artist June Edmonds Wins Inaugural AWARE Prize at The Armory Show

$10,000 Award Recognizes Best Booth Devoted To A Woman Artist In The Fair’s Main Galleries Section

Luis De Jesus Los Angeles is proud to announce that June Edmonds has won the inaugural AWARE Prize at The Armory Show 2020 in New York. The juried award is presented by the Paris-based nonprofit Archives of Women Artists, Research and Exhibitions (AWARE) and the Aware Foundation in collaboration with The Armory Show. The $10,000 prize goes to a female artist whose work is shown as a solo booth presentation within the fair’s main Galleries section.

June Edmonds (left) and Nicole Berry, Director of The Armory Show, co-presenter of the AWARE Prize. (Image provided by Luis De Jesus Los Angeles/The Armory Show 2020/Pier 94 | Booth 827/New York City)

“There are a lot of prizes today, but very few women [get them],” Aware cofounder Camille Morineau says. “A few years ago we launched a French Aware Prize in Paris, and when I was invited by the Armory to walk through the fair [around then], I became conscious that there were quite a lot of women in the fair and solo booths, and this felt new, interesting and strong.”

June Edmonds at The Armory Show – Luis De Jesus Los Angeles, Booth 827. (Image provided by Luis De Jesus Los Angeles/The Armory Show 2020/Pier 94 | Booth 827/New York City)

At the 2020 Armory Show, Edmonds was unanimously selected by the jurors who coalesced around the discovery of her flag paintings – a new body of work presented by Luis De Jesus Los Angeles at this year’s Armory Show. “We were all flabbergasted by Edmond’s work. I think that’s what fairs are about, discovering work and having strong experiences of the art that is beyond words,” Morineau says. “I didn’t know June’s work well, and fairs are a place of surprises and a place to learn. I hope that the prize will be about sharing these surprising and strong moments with other people.“

June Edmonds, Untitled Study for Flag Painting (2), 2020, acrylic on canvas, mounted on linen 20×16

June Edmonds was born 1959 in Los Angeles, where she lives and works. She received her MFA from Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia, and a bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University. She also attended Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture and is the recipient of a 2018 City of Los Angeles Individual Artist Grant (COLA) and Exhibition at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery; a California Arts Council Individual Artist Grant; Paducah Artist Residency in Kentucky; Helene Wurlitzer Foundation artist residency in Taos, NM; and Dorland Mountain Community artist residency in Temecula, CA. Edmonds has exhibited at the California African American Museum, the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Luckman Fine Art Gallery at CalState Los Angeles, Watts Tower Art Center in Los Angeles, CA; Angels Gate Art Center in San Pedro, CA; and the Manhattan Beach Art Center in Manhattan Beach, CA. Edmonds has completed several works of public art with the city of Los Angeles and the Department of Cultural Affairs, including an installation at the MTA Pacific Station in Long Beach, CA.. Her paintings are held in collections throughout the United States including the Davis Museum, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA; California African American Museum, Los Angeles, CA; The Pizzuti Collection, Columbus, OH; as well as Rodney M. Miller Collection, New York, NY; and Kelly Williams Collection, New York, NY, among others.

June Edmonds, Capitol Chasm Flag (2), 2020. acrylic on canvas 74×50
Capitol Chasm Flag is named for Mary Eliza Church Terrell. Terrell was born on September 23, 1863 in Memphis and was a well-known African American activist who championed civil rights and women’s suffrage in the late 19th and 20th century. An Oberlin College graduate, Terrell was a founder and charter member of the NAACP. She said: “Surely nowhere in the world do oppression and persecution based solely on the color of the skin appear more hateful and hideous than in the capital of the United States, because the chasm between the principles upon which this Government was founded, in which it still professes to believe, and those which are daily practiced under the protection of the flag, yawn so wide and deep.“

June Edmonds in studio. Courtesy of the Luis De Jesus Los Angeles Gallery.

Edmonds’s Flag Paintings explore the American flag as a malleable symbol of ideals, promises, and identity and create space for the inclusion of multivalent identities that consider race, nationality, gender, and political leanings. Each flag is associated with the narrative of an African American, past or present, a current event, or an anecdote from American history.

Carnegie Hall Announces 2020-2021 Artist Lineup for American Byways Concerts Curated by Rosanne Cash

Performances to Feature Two Exciting Double Bills: Legendary Producers and Songwriters T Bone Burnett and Joe Henry on November 13; and Grammy Award-Winning Artists The Fairfield Four and Ranky Tanky on February 25

Carnegie Hall has announced the all-star lineup of artists for two exciting double-bill American Byways concerts to be presented in Zankel Hall in the 2020–2021 season. Curated and hosted by singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash (who was a Carnegie Hall Perspectives artist in the 2015–2016 season), these one-of-a kind performances take New York audiences on a journey through American roots music, featuring Appalachian traditions, the blues, and more.

American Byways Block. Photo of T Bone Burnett by Josh Cheuse; Joe Henry by Jacob Blickenstaff; Ranky Tanky by Peter Frank Edwards.

On Friday, November 13, 2020 at 9:00 p.m., Cash brings together two iconic producers and songwriters––T Bone Burnett and Joe Henry—for a very special concert. Renowned for producing ground-breaking albums by artists including Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, Willie Nelson, and Elton John, Burnett was also behind the soundtrack for films like Walk the Line and O Brother, Where Art Thou?. Mentored in part by Burnett, Joe Henry has earned acclaim for producing albums by artists including Bonnie Raitt, Allen Toussaint, and Rhiannon Giddens (whom Burnett has worked with as well). For this rare double bill performance, Burnett’s fluid guitar-playing and thoughtful songwriting is paired with Henry’s deeply personal and marvelously eclectic style of storytelling with inflections of rock, folk, country, and jazz.

Multiple Grammy and Academy Award winner Joseph Henry “T Bone” Burnett is a producer, musician and songwriter. Known recently for composing and producing music for the critically acclaimed HBO series True Detective, his film work includes the five-time Grammy winning soundtrack for O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Big Lebowski, Cold Mountain, The Hunger Games, Crazy Heart and Walk The Line, amongst others. He has collaborated with numerous artists including Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Roy Orbison and won Album of the Year and Record of the Year Grammy Awards for Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’s Raising Sand.

In a career spanning more than 30 years, Joe Henry has left an indelible and unique imprint on American popular music. As a songwriter and artist, Mr. Henry is celebrated for his exploration of the human experience. A hyper-literate storyteller, by turns dark, devastating, and hopeful, he draws an author’s eye for the overlooked detail across a broad swath of American musical styles—rock, jazz and blues—rendering genre modifiers useless.

Mr. Henry has collaborated with many notable artists on his own body of work, including Don Cherry and T Bone Burnett (Shuffletown, 1990), Victoria Williams and the Jawhawks‘s Gary Louris and Marc Perlman (Kindness of the World, 1993), guitarists Page Hamilton (Trampoline, 1996), Daniel Lanois and Jakob Dylan (Fuse, 1999), Ornette Coleman, Brad Mehldau, Marc Ribot, Brian Blade, and Meshell Ndegeocello (Scar, 2001), Bill Frisell and Van Dyke Parks (Civilians, 2007), Jason Moran (Blood From Stars, 2009), Lisa Hannigan (Invisible Hour, 2014).

Nine Singers Advance To The Final Round Of The 2020 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions

The final phase of competition is the public Grand Finals concert on the Met stage, accompanied by the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra conducted by Bertrand de Billy, on Sunday, March 1

Winners will receive individual cash prizes of $20,000 and invaluable exposure in the opera world

Finals concert to be broadcast live on the Met’s website and SiriusXM

Following February 24th’s semi-final competition, nine young singers have advanced to the final round of the Metropolitan Opera’s 2020 National Council Auditions. In the public concert, finalists perform on the Met stage Sunday, March 1 at 3 p.m., for an audience of judges, agents, industry leaders, and the general public (in the auditorium and live on the radio). The finalists, chosen by a panel of opera administrators from the Met and other companies, each perform two arias with the Met Orchestra conducted by Bertrand de Billy. Prize money will increase for the first time in 20 years, with the winners receiving individual cash prizes of $20,000 (previously $15,000), and the prestigious and potentially career-launching title of National Council Auditions Winner. The remaining finalists receive $10,000 (previously $7,500).

The concert will be hosted by soprano Lisette Oropesa, a 2005 National Council Auditions winner, and will also feature a performance by tenor Javier Camarena, while the judges deliberate.

The concert will be broadcast live on Metropolitan Opera Radio on SiriusXM Channel 75, and streamed live on the Met’s web site, www.metopera.org.

The 2020 finalists, the regions they represent in the competition, and their hometowns are:

Carnegie Hall Presents The Crossing in Zankel Hall on Wednesday, March 25 at 7:30 PM

Grammy Award-Winning Choir Performs New York Premiere of Michael Gordon’s Travel Guide to Nicaragua Featuring Cellist Maya Beiser

On Wednesday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m. in Zankel Hall. Grammy Award-winning new music choir The Crossing, led by Donald Nally, performs the New York premiere of Michael Gordon’s Travel Guide to Nicaragua with cutting-edge cellist Maya Beiser, a work co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall as part of its 125 Commissions Project.

Photo of The Crossing by Kevin Vondrak and photo of Maya Beiser by ioulex.

Travel Guide to Nicaragua is inspired by Gordon’s hazy memory of his first eight years of life living on the outskirts of Managua, Nicaragua with his Eastern European parents who had emigrated to the country. In writing this third substantial work for The Crossing, Gordon—one of the founding members of Bang on a Can—also reaches beyond his childhood memories, pondering the world of the Maya and Aztecs and drawing on the words of poet Rube´n Dari´o and Mark Twain, who visited the country in the mid-1860s.

There’s a pre-concert talk at 6:30 p.m.: Conductor Donald Nally and composer Michael Gordon in conversation with John Schaefer, host of WNYC’s New Sounds and Soundcheck. Support for the 125 Commissions Project is provided by members of Carnegie Hall’s Composer Club.

Hailed as “America’s most astonishing choir” (The New York Times) and “ardently angelic,” (The Los Angeles Times), The Crossing is a Grammy-winning professional chamber choir conducted by Donald Nally and dedicated to new music. It is committed to working with creative teams to make and record new, substantial works for choir that explore and expand ways of writing for choir, singing in choir, and listening to music for choir. Many of its nearly 90 commissioned premieres address social, environmental, and political issues. With a commitment to recording its commissions, The Crossing has issued 19 releases, receiving two Grammy Awards for Best Choral Performance (2018, 2019), and five Grammy nominations in three years. They have presented nearly 90 commissioned world premieres.

The Crossing collaborates with some of the world’s most accomplished ensembles and artists, including the New York Philharmonic, LA Phil, the American Composers Orchestra, Network for New Music, Lyric Fest, Piffaro, Tempesta di Mare Baroque Chamber Orchestra, the Annenberg Center, Beth Morrison Projects, The Rolling Stones, the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), and more. The Crossing holds an annual residency at the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center in Big Sky, Montana where they are working on an extensive, multi-year project with composer Michael Gordon and filmmaker Bill Morrison. Their concerts are broadcast regularly on WRTI 90.1FM, Philadelphia’s Classical and Jazz Public Radio.

The Crossing’s recordings of Robert Convery and Benjamin Boyle’s Voyages (August 2019, Innova) and Kile Smith’s The Arc in the Sky (July 2019, Navona) were both nominated for 2020 Grammy Awards for Best Choral Performance. Lansing McLoskey‘s Zealot Canticles won the 2019 Grammy; The Crossing’s collaboration with PRISM, Gavin Bryars’ The Fifth Century (ECM, October 2016), won the 2018 Grammy Award; and Thomas Lloyd’s Bonhoeffer (Albany 2016) was nominated for the 2017 Grammy, all for Best Choral Performance. The Crossing, with Donald Nally, was the American Composers Forums’ 2017 Champion of New Music. The Crossing’s 2014 commission Sound from The Bench by Ted Hearne was named a 2018 Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Music. Learn more at www.crossingchoir.org.

Hailed for her “stirring emotional power” by The New York Times, Maya Beiser has been called a “cello rock star” by Rolling Stone, praised as “a force of nature” by The Boston Globe, and dubbed “the queen of Avant-garde cello” by The Washington Post.

Raised on a Kibbutz in the Galilee Mountains in Israel, by her Argentinean father and French mother, Beiser was discovered at the age of twelve by the late violinist Isaac Stern. Upon graduating from Yale University, she embarked on a rebellious career, passionately forging her artistic path through uncharted territories, expanding her art form and bringing a bold and unorthodox presence to contemporary classical music.

Beiser is a featured performer on the world’s most prestigious stages including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, BAM, The Kennedy Center, BBC Proms, London’s Southbank Centre, Royal Albert Hall and the Barbican, Sydney Opera House, Barcelona’s L’auditori, Paris’ Theatre de La Ville, Stockholm’s Concert Hall, and in major venues and festivals across five continents.

Among the wide range of artists she has collaborated with are Philip Glass, Louis Andriessen, Erin Cressida-Wilson, Brian Eno, Shirin Neshat, Steve Reich, Lucinda Childs, Michael Gordon, Julia Wolfe, Mark Anthony Turnage, David Lang, Bill Morrison, and Wendy Whelan.

Beiser’s discography includes twelve solo albums, many of them topping the classical music charts. In the summer of 2019, she launched her own record label – Islandia Music records – and released delugEON, a concept album that deconstructs the classical canon. On January 10 2020, she released “Bowie Cello Symphonic: Blackstar” – a reimagination of David Bowie’s last album – topping the Classical Crossover charts and receiving rave reviews. Beiser is the featured soloist on many film soundtracks, including an extensive collaboration with James Newton Howard.

Maya Beiser is a United States Artists Distinguished Fellow in Music and was a Mellon Distinguished Visiting Artist at MIT. Her mainstage TED Talk has been watched by over one million people. (www.mayabeiser.com)

Over the past 30 years, Michael Gordon has produced a strikingly diverse body of work, ranging from large-scale pieces for high-energy ensembles and major orchestral commissions to works conceived specifically for the recording studio and kaleidoscopic works for groups of identical instruments. Transcending categorization, his music represents the collision of mysterious introspection and brutal directness.

This season, the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players with Roomful of Teeth and Splinter Reeds premiere the concert-length In a Strange Land, the Strings of Autumn festival in Prague feature Gordon as composer-in-residence and perform Timber plus all of Gordon’s string quartets; and the percussion/piano/bass trio Bearthoven premieres a new work.

REI launches multiday active vacations in Shenandoah National Park and first international backpacking trip in Patagonia

Travel leader also introduces Norway and Slovenia adventures, expands cycling and Grand Canyon collections

REI Co-op‘s adventure travel company has introduced its first active trips in Shenandoah National Park, along with new trips in Norway and Slovenia. The global leader in small group active travel also announced its first international backpacking trip in Patagonia and continued expansion of its Grand Canyon and cycling collections.

REI Co-op Logo (PRNewsFoto/REI) (PRNewsfoto/REI Co-op)

“We intentionally design every active adventure to connect with local communities in a meaningful way that only REI can offer,” said Mark Seidl, REI divisional vice president of Experiences. “By doing so, we want our guests to gain a broader perspective of the world and be transformed through the experience.”

National Park Expansion: Shenandoah and Grand Canyon
Created in 1925, Shenandoah National Park was one of the first national parks in the eastern United States. Three REI itineraries are now available – a multi-sport Shenandoah National Park Adventure, Shenandoah Lodge-to-Lodge Hiking and Shenandoah National Park Weekend Cycling. All trips are four days in length with departures during spring blossoms through fall’s vibrant colors. Next month, REI will add a four-day Shenandoah backpacking trip to the collection.

Building on REI’s widely popular North America backpacking trips, the travel leader is introducing its first international itinerary to explore the undiscovered heart of Patagonia’s remote and rugged beauty. Pictured: Backpacking Patagonia – Fitz Roy and Los Glaciares National Park. https://www.rei.com/adventures/trips/latin/patagonia-argentina-backpacking.html

On REI’s multisport trip, guests hike to Shenandoah’s highest point and through deep caverns with streams and anthodite formations, zipline through the treetops, and float down the South Fork of the Shenandoah River. Star-filled evenings at camp are complete with hearty meals to refuel guests. The company’s lodge-to-lodge itinerary hikes a section of the Appalachian Trail from the doorsteps of iconic lodges that boast unique histories. The company’s cycling weekend stays at charming inns and lodges, providing a welcome reward from vigorous daily rides of 40 to 60 miles along the spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Adding to REI’s postcard-perfect national parks adventures is its expansion in the Grand Canyon. The company recently added six itineraries for a total of 14 adventures Grand Canyon National Park that range from three to eight days of hiking, backpacking and cycling. With so many options, adventurers can confidently select a trip based on his/her available time, interests and ability.

Backpacking Patagonia – Where Nature Reigns Supreme
Building on REI’s widely popular North America backpacking trips, the company is introducing its first international itinerary to explore the undiscovered heart of Patagonia’s remote and rugged beauty. On Backpacking Patagonia – Fitz Roy and Los Glaciares National Park, the eight-day adventure starts in the small outpost of El Chalten known as the region’s trekking capital. Guests hike through meadows and lenga forests, across moraines and glaciers, and up to breathtaking vistas. A trip highlight is a trek past iceberg-laden bays and over high passes to reach the unparalleled views of the second-largest non-polar ice mass in the world.

The co-op now offers seven itineraries in Patagonia ranging in length from seven to 13 days for hiking, cycling, kayaking and volunteer trail maintenance to protect the famous “W” trail.

New Europe trips: Norway and Slovenia
Known as the “land of the midnight sun” because one-third of the country is in the Arctic Circle, REI is expanding its classic Norway offering with the launch of two more itineraries – Norway Lofoten Islands Hiking and Norway Fjords Cycling. The nine-day archipelago hiking trip offers unparalleled beauty as guests hike up glacier-carved mountains to the reward of epic views, kayak “little Hawaii,” and experience life in remote fishing communities. Highlights also include a cruise through one of the country’s steepest and narrowest fjords in search of Europe’s largest eagle, a visit to the outermost and wildest islands of Værøy, and plenty of opportunities for traditional cold-water swims.

On REI’s Slovenia Hiking – The Alps to the Adriatic trip guests venture into the quiet solitude of the Julian Alps and more. The rugged Julian Alps are just as awe-inspiring as their Swiss and French cousins, with a big difference: far fewer hikers. Over eight days, marvel at high limestone peaks and dense spruce forests; raft the Soča River and swim in its pools and waterfalls; take a private tour of the subterranean chambers of the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Škocjan Caves; and discover the region’s wine, olive oil and local cuisine with visits to a prosciutto producer and local beekeeper farm. For such a small country, its beekeepers produce up to 2,500 tons of honey a year.

Skechers Collaborates with Goodyear on Footwear

An Expanded Range of Sketchers Styles Feature Goodyear Rubber Technology Outsoles For Enhanced Grip, Stability And Durability

Skechers Logo

Global footwear powerhouse Skechers is building on the technology in its footwear through a new collaboration with The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. Select styles across multiple categories for men, women and kids will utilize Goodyear rubber technology in custom Skechers outsoles that will deliver increased grip, stability and durability.

Skechers x Goodyear 2020 – Select Skechers styles now feature Goodyear Performance Outsoles for enhanced grip, stability and durability. (Photo: Business Wire)

“This collaboration is an example of two trusted brands coming together to create a high-tech product that will truly benefit our consumer,” said Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers. “Through this effort, select products will feature Goodyear Performance Outsoles, offering that extra edge where it’s needed most—be it enhanced stability on a run, excellent grip over slippery surfaces in the workplace, or durability on the playground for long-lasting wear. We expect this will resonate with our customers who need these innovations in the comfortable Skechers footwear that they love.”

Skechers Collaborates with Goodyear on Footwear (PRNewsfoto/The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Comp)

“Goodyear has always worked to create innovative products that provide consumers with high-performance tires, and now we’re using that same ingenuity to enable consumers to wear high-performance shoes,” said Christian Jurado, Goodyear’s global director of licensed products.

Skechers Collaborates with Goodyear on Footwear (PRNewsfoto/The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Comp)

The shoes, featuring Goodyear Performance Outsoles, are designed for durability with long-lasting wear, excellent grip on a variety of surfaces and weather conditions and enhanced stability through exceptional traction. This is made possible with Goodyear-developed rubber technology that contains a special polymer including sustainable soybean oil—a renewable, bio-based material used in some of the company’s top-performing tires – available in the U.S. and Canada – the Assurance® WeatherReady®, Eagle® Exhilarate® and Eagle® Enforcer® All Weather® and the Assurance ComfortDrive®.

VMFA 2020-21 Fellowship Program Supports 26 Student and Professional Artists

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is pleased to announce the 2020-21 recipients of VMFA fellowships. Twenty-six students and professional artists were selected from more than 500 applicants to receive a total of $146,000 towards professional advancements in the arts. The VMFA Fellowship Program has awarded more than $5.8 million to over 1,395 artists since 1940. Recipients must be Virginia residents and may use the award as desired, including for education and studio investments. Each year, professional curators and working artists serve as jurors to select fellowship recipients.

“The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Fellowship Program is proud to support student and professional artists working across the Commonwealth,” said Alex Nyerges, VMFA director and CEO. “We offer one of the largest fellowship programs of its kind in the United States and recognize this effort as a core part of our mission.”

Abigail Lucien, Sculpture, Richmond

Fellowship Recipients

VMFA awarded ten professional fellowships of $8,000 each this year. Professional fellowship recipients are:

Emma Gould, Photography, Richmond

Margaret Meehan, Sculpture, Richmond

• Paul Finch, New & Emerging Media, Richmond;
• Emma Gould, Photography, Richmond;
• Sterling Hundley, Drawing, Chesterfield;
• Sue Johnson, Mixed Media, Richmond;
• Abigail Lucien, Sculpture, Richmond;
• Margaret Meehan, Sculpture, Richmond;
• David Riley, Film/Video, Richmond;
• Dash Shaw, Drawing, Richmond;
• Jon-Philip Sheridan, New & Emerging Media, Richmond; and
• Susan Worsham, Photography, Richmond.

Dash Shaw, Drawing, Richmond

Sterling Hundley, Drawing, Chesterfield

Veronica Roberts, curator of modern and contemporary art at the Blanton Museum of Art, was the juror for the professional fellowship entries.

Undergraduate fellowships of $4,000 went to ten students this year. The recipients are:

Tatyana Bailey, Photography, Richmond

Zoe Pettit, Mixed Media, Mechanicsville

• Tatyana Bailey, Photography, Virginia Commonwealth Univeristy (VCU), Richmond;
• Emma Carlson, Film/Video, VCU, Des Moines, IA;
• Nicolas Fernandez, Photography, VCU, Fredericksburg;
• Erika Masis Laverde, Mixed Media, VCU, Glen Allen;
• Amuri Morris, Painting, VCU, Richmond;
• Megan O’Casey, Mixed Media, VCU, Arlington;
• Zoe Pettit, Mixed Media, VCU, Mechanicsville;
• Sarah N. Smith, Sculpture, VCU, Williamsburg;
• Nadya Steare, Drawing, George Mason University (GMU), Falls Church; and;
• Elizabeth Yoo, New & Emerging Media, VCU, Glen Allen.

Handel and Haydn Society Announces 2020-21 Season

Artistic Director Harry Christophers Will Celebrate Final Season With a Powerful Line-up of Favorites, Major Choral Works

The Handel and Haydn Society will celebrate Artistic Director Harry Christophers’s 12th and final season with nine major subscription concerts at Symphony Hall and the New England’s Conservatory’s Jordan Hall and select other venues. The 2020-21 season, the 206th in the organization’s history, will feature a host of Christophers’s favorite compositions and a powerful line-up of major choral works featuring the Handel and Haydn Society Orchestra, Chorus and notable guest artists.

Boston’s Handel and Haydn Society is dedicated to performing Baroque and Classical music with a freshness, a vitality, and a creativity that inspires all ages. H+H has been captivating audiences for 205 consecutive seasons (the most of any performing arts organization in the United States). Today, H+H’s Orchestra and Chorus delight more than 50,000 listeners annually with a nine-week subscription series at Boston Symphony Hall and other leading venues.

Handel and Haydn Society Announces 2020-21 Season

The season will feature guest conductors Harry Bicket, Jonathan Cohen, Laurence Equilbey, Raphaël Pichon, and Václav Luks. Special guest soloists will include sopranos Amanda Majeski, Amanda Forsythe, Carolyn Sampson, and Mary Bevan; mezzo-soprano Catherine Wyn-Rogers; tenors Nicholas Phan, James Way, Jeremy Budd, and Robert Murray; baritones Ryan McKinny, Tyler Duncan, and Sumner Thompson; countertenors Anthony Roth Costanzo, Iestyn Davies; and bass-baritones Henry Waddington and Matthew Brook.

The Handel and Haydn Society brings Classical and Baroque music to life on period instruments in historically informed performances. For the 2020-21 season, Harry Christophers has selected a series of acclaimed choral and orchestral works, rarely performed in one season. The selected compositions will highlight the immense talent of the Handel and Haydn Society Orchestra and Chorus. Christophers will conduct Handel’s Messiah and Israel in Egypt; and Haydn’s The Creation, Drum Roll symphony, and Theresienmesse.

Christophers was appointed Artistic Director at H+H in 2009, the thirteenth artistic director in the organization’s history. During his tenure, the organization has been transformed. H+H has grown to be regarded as one of the finest Baroque and Classical ensembles in the nation. Christophers led the organization through its 2015 Bicentennial. He has hired more than 60% of the current roster of musicians, whom he has led in 13 commercial recordings, the most of any H+H artistic director. There has been an increase in touring, sharing the H+H magic with audiences at Tanglewood and in New York City. During his tenure, subscription sales have risen more than 70%, and philanthropic support has risen significantly, including an increase in the endowment from $3 million to $11 million.

“Since his initial appointment, Harry Christophers has been the accomplished artistic beacon of the Handel and Haydn Society. Under his leadership, we’ve expanded, taking the Orchestra and Chorus to new heights and delivering one exceptional performance after another,” said David Snead, president and CEO of the Handel and Haydn Society. “In the upcoming season, we’ll celebrate his legacy, showcasing the compositions he loves best and shining a spotlight on the H+H Chorus. It will be a monumental season, not to be missed.”

The 2020-21 Season

The Handel and Haydn Society’s 2020-21 season begins on September 25 and 27, 2020 at Boston’s Symphony Hall with Brahms A German Requiem. Led by conductor Harry Bicket, the performance will open with the H+H premiere of Abendfeier in Venedit, Op. 19 from Clara Schumann, a close friend of Brahms and regarded as one of the most distinguished pianists and composers of the Romantic era. This composition, for an a capella chorus, will be followed by Brahms’s Ein deutsches Requiem, featuring soprano Amanda Majeski, baritone Ryan McKinny and the H+H Orchestra and Chorus.

The season continues with Bach + Vivaldi Gloria on October 23 and 25, 2020, at Symphony Hall. Conductor Jonathan Cohen will lead the H+H Orchestra in a rousing performance of J.S. Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 1, BWV 1066 followed by C.P.E. Bach’s Magnificat, featuring festive trumpets and drums, and Vivaldi’s sunny Gloria, RV 589. Soprano Amanda Forsythe, countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo, tenor Nicholas Phan, and baritone Tyler Duncan will join the H+H Orchestra and Chorus for the concert.

Walker Moving Image features Women With Vision: Then and Now

From 1994-2010, the Walker Art Center presented an annual month-long screening series featuring women directors, starting with a touring program “Women in the Director’s Chair (WIDC): Homegirls”, which blossomed into the Walker’s very own “Women With Vision” (WWV) festival. This March, the Walker Art Center will celebrate the legacy and influence of these groundbreaking programs that both launched and inspired so many women directors from our region.

Celebrate the legacy and influence of the Walker’s Women with Vision programs, which supported female filmmakers and sought to bring their experiences and perspectives to the forefront. Celebrated international directors screened side by side with local artists at all stages of their careers. Two past participants, Melody Gilbert and Kelly Nathe, guest curate and pay tribute to this era of film programming, largely helmed by Senior Curator Sheryl Mousley.

Image courtesy Walker Art Center.

“My indie filmmaking career kicked off in 2002 when Sheryl Mousley selected my first indie doc Married at the Mall to screen at the Walker in the Women with Vision program. I was so honored, and I know there are so many other women in our region who came up through this program just like me. Finding those filmmakers and having a reunion as well as celebrating the up-and-coming women filmmakers of today are reasons why I wanted to guest curate this program with Kelly Nathe. We both had life-changing experiences by screening films at the Walker, and we wanted to find out what happened to the others. And with the Academy Awards leaving women off the best director list again, we thought now would be a good time to do this.” —Melody Gilbert

The four-day program includes shorts screenings, on-stage conversations, introductions of new films by emerging local directors and a celebratory reception.

Image courtesy Walker Art Center.

“I have always believed that filmmaking is women’s work. When I came to the Walker in 1998, I took on the annual film program that had started in 1994 called “Women in the Director’s Chair” which had a local sidebar called “Homegirls.” I turned the program into Walker’s “Women With Vision” film festival, always keeping the local filmmakers at the center,” states Sheryl Mousley, Senior Curator, Moving Image. “After my eleven years with the festival, and only when a woman, Katherine Bigelow, in 2010 finally won the Oscar for Best Picture and Best Director, did I hear the shout, “We’ve won!” While ending the series on a high note, I vowed to continue showing women filmmakers at Walker throughout all our programs. I am proud to say that 25% of the Walker Dialogues are women, and the year-round cinema program continues to give voice to local filmmakers and celebrate the legacy and influence of women in international cinema. I am proud of all the Minnesota filmmakers who have shown their films at Walker. It is a wonderful history and confirmation of home-based talent.”

“My very first short film, Rock-n-Roll Girlfriend, screened in the WIDC: Homegirls program back in 1995 when I was still a student, and I can’t begin to explain how much my inclusion in the program meant to me back then. It remains a badge of honor to this day! I’ve always wondered what happened to all the women who started here. Where did they end up and how did the Walker program that focused on women directors shape their careers? Melody Gilbert and I were co-chairs of Film Fatales in Minnesota, an international organization of women and non-binary directors of feature films, and we both pondered that question and decided to go on a journey together to find these women as well as celebrate the emerging filmmakers in our region.” adds Kelly Nathe

Women with Vision: Then and Now
Guest curated by Melody Gilbert and Kelly Nathe
Thursday–Sunday, March 12–15

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Film Fatales Presents: New MN Shorts Showcase
Post-screening conversation with Film Fatales
Thursday, March 12, 7 pm
Walker Cinema, Free

Film Fatales MN. Photo courtesy Film Fatales.

Enjoy a sampling of recent works directed by MN women and selected by Film Fatales, a national organization of women and non-binary filmmakers advocating for intersectional parity in the film industry. The evening’s screening is followed by an onstage conversation led by Film Fatales about making the leap to feature filmmaking in our region.

Alison Guessou’s Happily Married After. Photo courtesy the filmmaker.

• Film Fatales Twin Cities Reel, 10 min
• Santuario, Christine Delp & Pilar Timpane, 3 min. (excerpt)
• A Winter Love, Rhiana Yazzie, 4 min. (excerpt)
• Master Servant, Julie Anne Koehnen, 3 min. (excerpt)
• North Side Boxing Club, Carrie Bush and Amanda Becker, 3 min.
• Peeled, Naomi Ko, 2 min.
• Muslim Sheroes of MN: Nimo Omar, Ariel Tilson, 4 min. (excerpt)
• The Coyote Way, Missy Whiteman, 4 min. (trailer)
• Oh My Stars, Cynthia Uhrich, 3 min. (excerpt)
• Happily Married After, Alison Guessou, 3 min. (excerpt)
• Little Men, Ayesha Adu, 3 min. (excerpt)
• Untitled Hmong Doc, Joua Lee Grande, 3 min. (excerpt)
• Underground, Beth Peloff, 3 min.
• Self-Creation, Shelby Dillon, 5 min.
• Jasmine Star, Jo Rochelle, 5 min. (excerpt)

Shelby Dillon, Self Creation, 2019. Photo courtesy the filmmaker.

Total run time: approximately 60 min.

New Productions of Aida, Die Zauberflöte, and Don Giovanni and Met Premieres of The Fiery Angel and Dead Man Walking Headline the Metropolitan Opera’s 2020–21 Season

Opening Night features a new Aida, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin and starring Anna Netrebko, Anita Rachvelishvili, and Piotr Beczała, in a new staging by Michael Mayer.

Maestro Nézet-Séguin, in his third season as Music Director, will conduct six operas, including new stagings of Aida, Don Giovanni, and Dead Man Walking, as well as three classic revivals and two Met Orchestra concerts at Carnegie Hall.

The six operas conducted by Maestro Nézet-Séguin will all be featured in The Met: Live in HD series—the most transmissions ever led by a single conductor in an HD season.

Renowned directors Barrie Kosky (The Fiery Angel), Ivo van Hove (Don Giovanni and Dead Man Walking), and Simon McBurney (Die Zauberflöte) make notable Met debuts with new productions.

For the first time in recent decades, the Met season will extend into June and will include no performances in February.

There will be more weekend opera than ever before, with 22 Sunday matinee performances, plus onstage post-performance discussions with the stars of each Sunday matinee.

Notable debuts include conductors Hartmut Haenchen, Jakub Hrůša, Giacomo Sagripanti, Speranza Scappucci, and Lorenzo Viotti and singers Varduhi Abrahamyan, Benjamin Bernheim, Amartuvshin Enkhbat, Lucia Lucas, Thomas Oliemans, Svetlana Sozdateleva, and Okka von der Damerau.

Other notable conducting engagements include Harry Bicket (Giulio Cesare), Gustavo Dudamel (Die Zauberflöte), and Simone Young (Billy Budd), among others.

The 2020–21 season will be General Manager Peter Gelb’s 15th as the Met’s General Manager.

The Metropolitan Opera announced its 2020–21 season, the first in which Yannick Nézet-Séguin assumes his full breadth of musical duties as the company’s Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer Music Director, conducting six productions. His schedule includes the Met premiere of Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking, the first contemporary opera conducted by the maestro on the Met stage, as part of his ongoing commitment to opera of our time at the Met, which will expand in the seasons to come.

The season—which includes five new productions and 18 revivals—kicks off on September 21 with the first new staging of Verdi’s Aida in more than 30 years, directed by Michael Mayer, conducted by Nézet-Séguin, and starring Anna Netrebko, Anita Rachvelishvili, and Piotr Beczała. Australian director Barrie Kosky makes his company debut with the Met-premiere production of Prokofiev’s The Fiery Angel, with Michail Jurowski leading an extraordinary cast in his Met debut. Two Mozart operas will also be seen in new stagings: an acclaimed production of Die Zauberflöte directed by Simon McBurney and conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, and a sophisticated new take on Don Giovanni, Ivo van Hove’s highly anticipated Met-debut production, conducted by Nézet-Séguin and starring Peter Mattei, Gerald Finley, Ailyn Pérez, and Isabel Leonard in the leading roles. And in April, Nézet-Séguin conducts the Met premiere of Jake Heggie’s 21st-century masterpiece Dead Man Walking, with a new staging by van Hove featuring Joyce DiDonato, Susan Graham, Latonia Moore, and Etienne Dupuis.

Following the successful addition of 16 new Sunday matinee performances last season, the Met will offer even more weekend options in 2020–21, with 22 Sunday matinee performances. Each Sunday matinee will be followed by an onstage post-performance discussion with the stars.

For the first time, the Met season will include no performances in February, with the company instead extending its performance calendar into the month of June.

In his third season as Music Director, in addition to the three new stagings, Nézet-Séguin conducts revivals of Fidelio, Roméo et Juliette, and Die Frau ohne Schatten, as well as two of three Met Orchestra concerts at Carnegie Hall in June. (Semyon Bychkov will conduct the first concert in the Carnegie Hall series, on June 10.)

“This is the season in which the Yannick era hits its stride,” said General Manager Peter Gelb. “In conducting six operas, he will be present throughout the entire season, raising the artistic bar for the orchestra, the chorus, and the entire company.”

“The artistic excellence we achieve each season is due to the invaluable contributions in the pit and on stage by the great Met Orchestra and Chorus,” Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin said. “This is an exciting time for opera, and I’m thrilled to be sharing my passion for it with the Met’s discerning and loyal audience, while deepening my relationship with this great institution. As we look forward to future seasons, we will not only continue to expand our repertoire with new commissions by living composers but will also be adding to our artistic ranks with more women on the podium and a greater emphasis on artistic diversity.”

Dozens of the world’s leading opera stars bring their artistry to 18 repertory revivals throughout the season, including Marcelo Álvarez, Jamie Barton, Piotr Beczała, Angel Blue, Stephanie Blythe, J’Nai Bridges, Lawrence Brownlee, Javier Camarena, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Stephen Costello, Diana Damrau, Joyce DiDonato, Gerald Finley, Angela Gheorghiu, Christine Goerke, Susan Graham, Greer Grimsley, Günther Groissböck, Ekaterina Gubanova, Anita Hartig, Evelyn Herlitzius, Quinn Kelsey, Tomasz Konieczny, Isabel Leonard, Peter Mattei, Angela Meade, Latonia Moore, Erin Morley, Anna Netrebko, Lisette Oropesa, Eric Owens, Ailyn Pérez, Susanna Phillips, Matthew Polenzani, Anita Rachvelishvili, Brenda Rae, Golda Schultz, Nadine Sierra, Stuart Skelton, Nina Stemme, Krassimira Stoyanova, Elza van den Heever, Christian Van Horn, Klaus Florian Vogt, Michael Volle, Pretty Yende, and Sonya Yoncheva. They perform alongside a number of significant newcomers to the Met stage, including Benjamin Bernheim, Okka von der Damerau, and Varduhi Abrahamyan. This is also a remarkable season for new conductors, with Hartmut Haenchen, Jakub Hrůša, Michail Jurowski, Nimrod David Pfeffer, Giacomo Sagripanti, Speranza Scappucci, Lorenzo Viotti, and Kensho Watanabe all appearing for the first time on the podium.

New Productions

OPENING NIGHT: Aida — Giuseppe Verdi

A set model by Christine Jones for the Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Verdi’s “Aida.”

• Opening: September 21, 2020
• Conductor: Yannick Nézet-Séguin
• Production: Michael Mayer
• Set Designer: Christine Jones
• Costume Designer: Susan Hilferty
• Lighting Designer: Kevin Adams
• Projection Designer: 59 Productions
• Choreographer: Oleg Glushkov
• Live in HD: October 10, 2020

Verdi’s opera receives its first new staging at the Met in more than three decades, with a season-opening premiere production directed by Michael Mayer, whose dazzling vision of ancient Egypt comes alive with intricate projections and eye-catching animations. Anna Netrebko and Anita Rachvelishvili portray archrivals Aida and Amneris on Opening Night—reprising their acclaimed partnership in the same roles from the 2018–19 season—and Piotr Beczała completes the triumvirate as Radamès. Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads a benchmark cast that also includes Ludovic Tézier as Aida’s father, Amonasro, and Krzysztof Bączyk in his Met debut as the King of Egypt. A co-production with the Bolshoi Theatre, this Aida also features Latonia Moore and Hibla Gerzmava in later performances of the title role, as well as Ekaterina Semenchuk and Marcelo Álvarez as Amneris and Radamès.

MET PREMIERE: The Fiery Angel — Sergei Prokofiev

Evgeny Nikitin as Ruprecht and Svetlana Sozdateleva as Renata in Prokofiev’s “The Fiery Angel.” Photo: Alfons Altman / Munich’s Bavarian State Opera

• Opening: November 12, 2020
• Conductor: Michail Jurowski
• Production: Barrie Kosky
• Set Designer: Rebecca Ringst
• Costume Designer: Klaus Bruns
• Lighting Designer: Joachim Klein
• Choreographer: Otto Pichler

Australian director Barrie Kosky, a bright and bold force in the opera world, makes his long-awaited company debut with the Met premiere production of Prokofiev’s devilish masterwork, conducted by Michail Jurowski, also in his Met debut. Portraying the vagabond knight Ruprecht, Evgeny Nikitin stars opposite Svetlana Sozdateleva, who makes her Met debut in the role of Renata, the pious young woman obsessed with a mysterious angelic lover. Kosky’s visually stunning production was hailed by the Financial Times as “a gripping evening” when it premiered in Munich in 2015.

New-York Historical Society Presents The Rock & Roll World Of Legendary Impresario Bill Graham

Immersive Audio Experience Featuring the Music of David Bowie, Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin, and Other Rock & Roll Icons and a Recreation of the Fillmore East’s Famous “Joshua Light Show” Bring Visitors into the Rock & Roll World

Bill Graham and the Rock & Roll Revolution On View Now Through August 23, 2020

Bill Graham between takes during the filming of “A ’60s Reunion with Bill Graham: A Night at the Fillmore,” Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, 1986 Courtesy of Ken Friedman

Bill Graham combined an ear for talent with an eye for business. A refugee from Nazi Germany and a child of the Bronx, he instinctively grasped rock & roll’s relevance and potential, swiftly becoming one of history’s most influential concert promoters.

The New-York Historical Society presents the rock & roll world of Bill Graham (1931–1991), one of the most influential concert promoters of all time. Bill Graham and the Rock & Roll Revolution, (opened February 14 and) now on view through August 23, 2020, explores the life and work of the legendary music impresario who worked with the biggest names in rock music—including the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, Santana, Led Zeppelin, and The Rolling Stones—and launched the careers of countless music luminaries at his famed Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco and the Fillmore East in New York City. Organized by the Skirball Cultural Center, which debuted the exhibition in Los Angeles, this comprehensive retrospective of Graham’s life and career explores some of the 20th century’s momentous cultural transformations through the lens of rock & roll.

American singer-songwriter and poet Jim Morrison (1943-1971), lead singer of The Doors, at the Winterland Auditorium in San Francisco, December 1967.
Gelatin silver print Iconic Images/Baron Wolman

Graham started using the 5,400-seat Winterland in 1966 for shows too big for the Fillmore Auditorium. Winterland became a communal hub, and people from across the Bay Area would cruise by on Saturday nights to see what was happening. Graham sometimes sold as many as 2,000 tickets at the door.

The Grajonca Family, Berlin, ca. 1938 Gelatin silver print Collection of David and Alex Graham

Born Wolfgang Grajonca in 1931, Graham’s Russian Jewish parents immigrated to Berlin searching for a better life; the Nazis’ rise to power crushed those dreams. When Hitler became chancellor of Germany, Graham’s mother put him on a children’s transport to France, thinking this would keep him safe. He never saw her again. His mother perished on the train to Auschwitz.

Showcasing more than 300 objects—including rock memorabilia, photographs, and concert posters—the New-York Historical presentation, coordinated by Associate Curator of Exhibitions Cristian Petru Panaite, highlights Graham’s personal connections to New York. Admission to the exhibition will be via timed-entry tickets and begins with a site-specific installation of “The Joshua Light Show,” the trailblazing liquid light show conceived in 1967 by multimedia artist Joshua White that served as a psychedelic backdrop to Graham’s concert productions in New York.

Jimi Hendrix performs at Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, February 1, 1968 Gelatin silver print Iconic Images/Baron Wolman
Graham once said: “Live, Jimi Hendrix was a combination of the ultimate trickster and the ultimate technician with great emotional ability. There was nobody close to him.”

Prince and the Revolution perform at the Cow Palace, Daly City, CA, March 1, 1985 Chromogenic print Courtesy of Ken Friedman
Graham continued enchanting audiences, presenting memorable shows featuring Madonna, U2, Prince, David Bowie, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Madonna performs during her Blonde Ambition tour, Oakland Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA, May 18, 1990 Chromogenic print Courtesy of Ken Friedman

Unique to New-York Historical is a special, immersive audio experience, providing a musical tour through the exhibition with songs by rock & roll superstars the Allman Brothers, Chuck Berry, Blondie, David Bowie, Cream, the Doors, Aretha Franklin, the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, KISS, Led Zeppelin, Madonna, Tom Petty, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Carlos Santana, the Rolling Stones, the Sex Pistols, and Neil Young, among others. Included in the four-hour soundtrack available to visitors are also mambo hits by Tito Puente that Graham loved in his early years in New York. The audio experience is generously sponsored by luxury audio brand Master & Dynamic. A playlist of featured songs is available on Spotify.

View from the audience: The Rolling Stones at Day on the Green Oakland Coliseum Stadium, Oakland, California, July 26, 1978 Gelatin silver print Iconic Iconic Images/Baron Wolman

After a long and involved courtship, Mick Jagger finally agreed to let Graham take the Rolling Stones on a nationwide tour of the U.S. in 1981. They played before three million people in 30 cities and grossed $50 million in ticket sales, making the tour the most profitable in rock & roll history.

“Even though Bill Graham and the Fillmore East transformed the city’s music scene in the late 1960s, few know about Graham’s immigrant background and New York roots,” said Dr. Louise Mirrer, president and CEO of New-York Historical. “We are proud to collaborate with our colleagues at the Skirball Cultural Center to present this exhibition in New York—Graham’s first American hometown—and to highlight his local experience. His rock & roll life was a pop-culture version of the American dream come true.”

Children’s Book Exhibition At The High To Tell Stories Of The Civil Rights Movement

This summer, the High Museum of Art will premiere “Picture the Dream: The Story of the Civil Rights Movement Through Children’s Books” (June 20–Sept. 20, 2020), an exhibition organized in collaboration with The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.

The exhibition is the first of its kind to delve into the events, people and themes of the civil rights movement, both celebrated and forgotten, through one of the most compelling forms of visual expression, the children’s picture book. The more than 80 artworks on view, ranging from paintings and prints to collages and drawings, will evoke the power and continuing relevance of the era that shaped American history and continues to reverberate today.

The year 2020 marks the anniversary of several key events from the civil rights movement. Sixty-five years ago, in 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Five years later, Ruby Bridges integrated her New Orleans elementary school, and four black students catalyzed the sit-in movement at the segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina.

These actions and more are explored in the exhibition with titles by beloved children’s book authors and artists as well as talented newcomers. “Picture the Dream” will emphasize children’s roles as activists and tell important stories about the movement’s icons, including Parks, Bridges, Congressman John Lewis, Ambassador Andrew Young and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“One of the guiding aspects of our mission is a commitment to family audiences. Through our children’s book exhibitions, we aim to help adult visitors open meaningful dialogues with the children in their lives and create memories that will last a lifetime,” said Rand Suffolk, Nancy and Holcombe T. Green, Jr., director of the High. “This exhibition will spark important conversations across generations about a crucial period in our nation’s history that connects directly to our city, a birthplace of the civil rights movement.”

The exhibition will be organized into three thematic sections that explore the forces that sparked the civil rights movement, its key players and events, and stories about the reemergence of activism in contemporary America. From Brown v. Board of Education and the Montgomery Bus Boycott to the March on Washington and Black Lives Matter, the picture books’ topics bridge the past and present, emphasizing how historical moments and leaders continue to inspire the struggle for equal rights.

Four Seasons Hotel Montreal Presents The City-Meets-Mountain Snow Experience: The Perfect 3-Day Montreal Getaway

• Enjoy the best of both worlds with the ultimate city and mountain getaway filled with winter fun, including skiing, snowmobiling, ice-skating, snowshoeing, a spa retreat and the finest gastronomy the city has to offer
• Guests can take advantage of a Third Night Free offer when booking two consecutive nights to extend the fun

Montreal is the seductive Paris of North America sitting at the edge of the Canadian wilderness. So, as such, the Four Seasons Hotel Montreal has crafted the quintessential winter experience to treat travellers and locals to the perfect Montreal winter escape. The luxurious package features a two-night stay with a complimentary third night to enjoy seasonal activities from intense to utterly relaxing.

MARCUS Lounge + Bar

On arrival, guests will settle in at MARCUS Lounge + Bar inside the Hotel’s bustling Social Square, where the city’s who’s who and global travellers mingle. They will challenge the resident mixologist to craft a bespoke cocktail just for them and follow their libation with dinner at MARCUS Restaurant, the first Canadian outpost by internationally-acclaimed Chef Marcus Samuelsson. Their senses will be awakened with an innovative feast of seafood and farm-to-table vegetables at this lively contemporary brasserie.

Four Seasons Spa

On the second day, guests will head for a rugged snow adventure at Mont-Tremblant, North America’s #1 ski resort in the East. They will ride a chauffeured SUV or private helicopter to exhilarating mountain slopes and sharpen their skiing and snowboarding skills with elite instructors. Alternatively, they may explore invigorating forest trails on a snowmobile, snowshoe or skate on a majestic frozen lake, and warm up with a hot chocolate at a luxurious mountain chalet. At nightfall, they will stroll under the twinkling lights of Mont-Tremblant’s European-style pedestrian village and enjoy dinner before returning downtown to the enveloping comfort of their Four Seasons room.

On the last day, their winter adventure will continue on Mount Royal Park, a mountain in the heart of the city, minutes away from the Hotel. They will venture through its winding paths on snowshoes or cross-country skis, skate on Beaver Lake, or snow-tube down the hills with their whole family. As the sun sets, they will relax and restore their body and mind at Four Seasons Spa, where they may explore the sensations of Kneipp hydrotherapy, solo or couple massages, steam sauna, and a glass of champagne poolside before drifting to dreamland on a Spa daybed.

This package is available by calling +1 514 843 2500, or emailing reservations.montreal@fourseasons.com

Advance booking is required with a minimum of 48 hours’ notice. Inclusions cannot be modified or substituted. This experience is not valid in conjunction with any other offer or contract, and does not apply to groups. Rates are per room, per night, may vary by arrival date, and do not include taxes, service charges, gratuities or surcharges, unless otherwise noted. Early departure fees may apply, and rates and availability are subject to change, with some blackout dates in place.

All Images provided by the Four Seasons Hotel Montreal.

Valentino Longo Of Four Seasons Hotel At The Surf Club Crowned North America’s Most Imaginative Bartender

Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club Head Bartender Valentino Longo has been named North America’s Most Imaginative Bartender presented by Bombay Sapphire Gin.

Valentino Longo Of Four Seasons Hotel At The Surf Club Crowned North America’s Most Imaginative Bartender

The creative genius behind Le Sirenuse Champagne Bar won the 13th Annual Bombay Sapphire Most Imaginative Bartender Competition. From New Orleans to Texas, and all the way north of the border in Ontario, Canada, twelve finalists made the trip to Chicago to participate in the competition.

Prior to the final round, Longo participated in a series of competitions across the United States, including in Nashville and his current home, Miami. His undeniable talent and creativity brought him to the grand finale where he participated in three challenges. Continuing to push boundaries and think outside of the box, Valentino mastered each stage of the competition, the Botanical Stage, the Canvas Challenge and of course, the Final Cocktail Challenge.

The Decisive Moment used Bombay Sapphire Gin, fortified bergamot and sherry lactic blend, garnished with two drops of coconut olive oil and two drops of coffee balsamic.

Incorporating the premium gin, Bombay Sapphire, the finalists were instructed to craft an original, new and innovative cocktail to present to the judges in under seven minutes. His final cocktail, The Decisive Moment used Bombay Sapphire Gin, fortified bergamot and sherry lactic blend, garnished with two drops of coconut olive oil and two drops of coffee balsamic.

Though dreaming up beautifully handcrafted cocktails is what he does best, to Longo, the art of bartending is a method of storytelling, a state of mind and a philosophy. Between his craftsmanship and unique view on bartending, his narrative certainly resonated with the judges. The Most Imaginative Bartender competition feeds into Bombay Sapphire’s “Stir Creativity” platform, based on the belief that creativity exists within everyone, and Valentino’s artistry is unparalleled.

“Competing with eleven of the best bartenders in the US has been not just a privilege, but a true honour,” says Longo. “We all learned how much we can give and how much we believe in ourselves but mostly, we learned that we’re true artists in what we do in and outside of the bar. Thank you to Bombay Sapphire and Tales of the Cocktail for giving us a platform to express ourselves, reaching spaces that we didn’t even know we could. Thank you for believing in this industry.“

Longo will return to Miami as a national winner and continue to share and showcase his expertise with those who visit the Surfside paradise. Le Sirenuse Champagne Bar is open Sunday through Thursday from 3:00 pm to 12:00 midnight, and Friday through Saturday from 3:00 pm to 12:30 am.

To make a reservation, email lesirenuse.miami@fourseasons.com or call +1 786 482 2280.

Nat Geo WILD Rings in the New Decade and Its 10th Anniversary by Announcing Robust Slate of New Series and Specials

The Network’s Wild Look Ahead Includes Diverse Programming From Multiple Genres: Veterinary Profiles, Zoo Docs, Animal Rescue & Conservation and Sweeping Natural History

Beloved Australian Actress Naomi Watts to Narrate Franchise Series SECRETS OF THE ZOO: DOWN UNDER, Premiering March 1

Additional Key Announcements Include:

Next Season of Hit Series SECRETS OF THE ZOO (2/23)

New Series ALASKA ANIMAL RESCUE (4/11) and WORLD’S BIGGEST ZOO (Fall 2020)

New Natural History Special THE REAL BLACK PANTHER (Winter 2020) and Return of SAVAGE KINGDOM (Winter 2020)

New year, new decade, New “Roaring” ’20s — and Nat Geo WILD certainly has a lot to roar about. Celebrating its 10th year on the air, the fastest-growing network for animal lovers of all ages celebrates its wild achievements throughout the past decade by announcing its robust 2020 programming slate.

The network that made the Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan a household name has launched more than 200 series and 780 specials in its decade on air. Since the network first took to the airwaves on March 29, 2010, Nat Geo WILD has commissioned more than 2,000 hours of content and has grown by nearly 10 million households, reaching 59.3M in the U.S. Its global footprint delivers 247M international households in 131 countries in more than 40 languages.

“Nat Geo WILD has distinguished itself as the premier destination for viewers who love animals and the natural world as much as we do. Over the years, we’ve been incredibly successful in breaking through with passionate animal caregivers, experts and advocates who are the heart and soul of our biggest hit series. We’ve also transformed National Geographic into a world leader in the creation of awe-inspiring blue-chip natural history,” says Geoff Daniels, executive vice president of global unscripted entertainment for National Geographic Global Networks. “I couldn’t be more proud of our results; the real-world impact we’ve had over these past 10 years; the lives we’ve touched; and the trails we continue to blaze. This is all in service of National Geographic’s mission and commitment to inspiring family audiences everywhere to join us in making our planet a better place for all living things for generations to come.”

Following the success of network stalwarts like WILD’s top ranker and longest-running series, THE INCREDIBLE DR. POL, vet-based docuseries have developed into franchise series, including DR. K’S EXOTIC ANIMAL ER, DR. OAKLEY, YUKON VET and DR. T, LONE STAR VET.

Zoo programming has also taken off on the network with original hit series SECRETS OF THE ZOO, featuring the world-renowned Columbus Zoo in Ohio, leading to the greenlight of SECRETS OF THE ZOO: TAMPA — which is posting strong numbers after only two weeks on air. And now, we’re going bigger — MUCH bigger — to the only country in the world that’s also a continent. SECRETS OF THE ZOO: DOWN UNDER premieres Sunday, March 1, at 10/9c, and is narrated by Academy Award-, Golden Globe- and BAFTA Award-nominated Australian actress Naomi Watts (“Luce,” “Mulholland Drive,” “The Impossible”). Watts, who is recognized for her love and concern for all of Australia’s indigenous animals, especially in perilous times, will lend her voice to this 10-part series set within the one of the world’s most famous zoos — Taronga Zoo — which employs more than 240 keepers who care for 5,000-plus animals. SECRETS OF THE ZOO: DOWN UNDER provides rare, behind-the-scenes access while also bringing to focus the horrific wildfires that have killed more than a billion of the continent’s animals.

Nat Geo WILD is renowned for its cinematic, natural history portfolio, underscored by its “Wild” franchise, beginning with early titles, including WILD MISSISSIPPI, AFRICA’S GREAT RIFT and WILD ALASKA. The successful performances of these specials launched a total of nearly 70 additional titles. Looking ahead, the network sinks its teeth further into natural history with the return of the beloved epic SAVAGE KINGDOM and the premiere of THE REAL BLACK PANTHER, profiling Saya, the only black panther in India’s Kabini Forest. This saga, told in first-person narrative, builds drama around Saya and his rival, Scarface, the current king of the forest, and tells an astounding story that defies the laws of natural selection.

NAT GEO WILD UPCOMING PROGRAMMING SLATE

*Schedule and Titles Subject to Change*

VET SERIES

New Series:

CRITTER FIXERS: COUNTRY VETS

Premieres Saturday, March 7, 10/9c; 6×60

Dr. Vernard Hodges and Dr. Terrence Ferguson are two lifelong friends who own and operate Critter Fixer Veterinary Hospital, located 100 miles south of Atlanta. Together with their loving staff, these physicians bring real heart, soul and a lot of humor to their treatment and care of more than 20,000 patients a year across their two locations. Between emergency visits to the office and farm calls throughout rural Georgia, this special team is constantly bombarded with unique cases. From a police dog with cactus thorns around her eye to a potbellied pig with life-threatening lacerations, for the Critter Fixer team, there is no such thing as “normal.”

Smithsonian Film Festival Celebrates Cultural and Linguistic Diversity

Fifth Annual Mother Tongue Film Festival Runs Feb. 20–23

The Smithsonian’s Recovering Voices Initiative will host a film festival that showcases films from around the world. Centered around the United Nation’s International Mother Language Day Feb. 21, the fifth annual Mother Tongue Film Festival will offer visitors the opportunity to see 21 films featuring 28 languages from 22 regions and hear from filmmakers who explore the power of language to connect the past, present and future. The four-day festival runs Feb. 20–23.

Vai looks on at her daughter Mata, filmed in Kuki Airani, one of seven Pacific Nations featured in Vai (2019). Photo courtesy of MPI Media

Recovering Voices is an initiative of the Smithsonian founded in response to the global crisis of cultural knowledge and language loss. It works with communities and other institutions to address issues of Indigenous language and knowledge diversity and sustainability. Recovering Voices is a collaboration between staff at the National Museum of Natural History, the National Museum of the American Indian and the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.

“The Mother Tongue Film Festival provides a forum for conversations about linguistic and cultural diversity,” said Joshua Bell, curator of globalization at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and director of the Smithsonian’s Recovering Voices Program. “It gives the public an opportunity to talk with directors, producers and scholars who devote their lives to documenting the human experience.”

Screenings will take place at multiple locations across the Smithsonian and Washington, D.C. A complete schedule of screenings, including times and locations, is available on the festival’s website. Doors will open approximately 30 minutes before each show. All screenings are free and open to the public, with weekend programming for families.

The festival kicks off with an opening reception Thursday, Feb. 20, at 6 p.m. at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. Festival highlights include:

• A performance by Uptown Boyz, a local intertribal drum group, before the screening of Restless River Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. in the National Museum of the American Indian’s Potomac Atrium. The film is set at the end of World War II and follows a young Inuk woman as she comes to terms with motherhood after being assaulted by a soldier. It is based on Gabrielle Roy’s 1970 short novel Windflower (La Riviere Sans Repos). This film contains a scene of sexual violence that some viewers may find disturbing.
• The world premiere of Felicia: The Life of an Octopus Fisherwoman Feb. 21 at 11 a.m. in the National Museum of Natural History’s Q?rius Theater. Felicia is one of the thousands of Malagasy fishermen and women on the Velondriake archipelago whose way of life is increasingly threatened by poverty and political marginalization. As an orphan and later as a mother, she turns to the sea as a means for sustenance, even when migration and commercial trawling threaten small-scale fishing operations. Like many other women in Madagascar, she embodies a steadfast willingness to keep moving forward in the face of major challenges.
• The North American premiere of Ainu—Indigenous People of Japan Feb. 22 at noon in the National Museum of Natural History’s Baird Auditorium. The film tells the stories of four elders from the declining Ainu population in Japan. It sheds light on their traditions, both past and present, and the efforts to keep the culture and language alive in Japan. A Q&A with the director will follow the screening.
• Age-appropriate viewers can enjoy Québec beer courtesy of the Québec Governmental Office during a late-night screening of Blood Quantum Feb. 22 at 8 p.m. in New York University Washington, D.C.’s Abramson Family Auditorium. The dead come back to life outside the isolated Mi’gmaq reserve of Red Crow, except for its Indigenous inhabitants who are strangely immune to the zombie plague. The local tribal law enforcement officer must protect his son’s pregnant girlfriend, apocalyptic refugees and the drunken reserve riff raff from the hordes of walking corpses infesting the streets of Red Crow. This film contains strong bloody violence and may not be suitable for younger audiences.
• A screening of One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk Feb. 23 at 3 p.m. in Georgetown University’s ICC Auditorium. The film is set in April 1961 as the Cold War heats up in Berlin and nuclear bombers are deployed from bases in the Canadian Arctic. In Kapuivik, north of Baffin Island, Noah Piugattuk’s nomadic Inuit band live and hunt by dog team as his ancestors did. When an agent of the Canadian government arrives, what appears as a chance meeting soon opens the prospect of momentous change, revealing Inuit-settler relationships humorously and tragically lost in translation. The events playing out in this film are depicted at the same rate as the characters experienced them in real life.

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

“A Collector’s Vision” at The Philadelphia Museum of Art

Through June 7, 2020, the Philadelphia Museum of Art will present a selection of rare and noteworthy examples of American fine and decorative arts drawn from the collection of the late H. Richard Dietrich, Jr. (1938-2007). A Collector’s Vision: Highlights from the Dietrich American Foundation tells the story of a collector whose foundation has long shared Americana and rare books and manuscripts through an extensive loan program to institutions around the county.

Long-term loans to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, including many objects in the exhibition, began in 1966 and continue to this day. “This partnership has certainly supported our museum– but, more importantly, we hope it has helped foster an appreciation for American art and its history even more widely,” says Timothy Rub, the George D. Widener Director and Chief Executive Officer, Philadelphia Museum of Art.

“Portrait of George Washington,” 1788, by James Peale (American, 1749 – 1831). Watercolor on ivory; gold case, 3 1/4 × 2 1/4 × 1/2 inches. On loan from The Dietrich American Foundation. 444-2008-2.

“Punch Bowl with Hongs of Canton,” c. 1790, Artist/maker unknown (Chinese, for the American market). Hard-paste porcelain with overglaze enamel decoration, Diameter: 14 3/8 inches. On loan from The Dietrich American Foundation. 68-1997-1.

Among the 55 objects on view in A Collector’s Vision are a delicate watercolor miniature of George Washington painted by James Peale and enshrined in a small gold case with a lock of Washington’s hair in the back; a signed Daniel Goddard bureau table from Newport; a quilt with squares depicting the life of President James Buchanan; Pennsylvania German frakturs and furniture; Chinese Export porcelain; and prints and watercolors.

“Coffeepot,” 1765-1770, by William Hollingshead (American (Philadelphia), c. 1723 –1808, active 1754 – 1785). Silver; wood handle. Including handle: 13 × 8 1/2 inches; Diameter (foot): 4 9/16 inches. On permanent deposit from The Dietrich American Foundation Collection to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. D-2007-37.

“Teapot,” 1765-1770, by Paul Revere, Jr. (American (active Boston), 1735 – 1818). Silver; wood handle, 5 3/4 x 9 1/2 x 5 inches. On permanent deposit from The Dietrich American Foundation Collection to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. D-2007-59.

A centerpiece is the re-creation of part of the Dietrich family’s living room in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, which includes a Paul Revere teapot, a John Singleton Copley portrait of John Bee Holmes; and a bombe desk attributed to Nathaniel Gould.

Angélique Kidjo Concludes her Perspective Series at Carnegie Hall

Special Guests Brittany Howard, Manu Dibango, Baaba Maal, and Yemi Alade Announced for Daughter of Independence Concert in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage on Saturday, March 14

Celebratory Program Marks Kidjo’s 60th Birthday an the Anniversary of Independence for Benin and 16 other West African Nations

On the heels of winning her fourth Grammy Award, Angélique Kidjo concludes her Perspectives series with Daughter of Independence on Saturday, March 14 at 8:00 p.m. in Stern Auditorium/ Perelman Stage. The concert marks both her 60th birthday and the anniversary of independence of her native Benin in addition to sixteen other West African nations. For this momentous occasion, Kidjo is joined by Grammy Award-winning vocalist Brittany Howard (of Alabama Shakes), legendary Cameroonian singer Manu Dibango, Senegalese singer and guitarist Baaba Maal, and Nigerian Afropop singer-songwriter Yemi Alade, to celebrate her remarkable musical career. Major support for the Angélique Kidjo Perspectives series has been provided by the Howard Gilman Foundation.

Angélique Kidjo Concludes her Perspective Series at Carnegie Hall with Special Guests Brittany Howard, Manu Dibango, Baaba Maal, and Yemi Alade. Photos courtesy of Carnegie Hall

“When I look back at 60 years of independence for my country, I feel that my life and career have been shaped in many ways by the postcolonial history of West Africa: I consider myself a true daughter of African independence,” says Kidjo. “I hope the audience leaves the March performance understanding that it doesn’t matter where you come from; it doesn’t matter your skin color or which language you speak. Music reduces it all to the fundamental element that speaks to us all as human beings.”

Program Information

Saturday, March 14, 2020 at 8:00 PM

Angélique Kidjo, Daughter Of Independence, Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage

With special guests

• Brittany Howard
• Manu Dibango
• Baaba Maal
• Yemi Alade

Tickets: $34–$90

About the Artists

Angélique Kidjo’s performances over the past two decades have thrilled audiences and left an indelible mark on the history of Carnegie Hall. In 2014, she closed Carnegie Hall’s UBUNTU festival with a tribute to singer Miriam Makeba that inspired concertgoers—including Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu—to rise to their feet and sing along. In 2017, Talking Heads lead singer David Byrne joined Kidjo on stage for her cover of the band’s hit “Once in a Lifetime” before she led a conga line that made its way throughout Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. The upcoming series is sure to give audiences more unforgettable moments with performances featuring outstanding guest artists joining together to celebrate one of music’s most vibrant voices.

Kidjo is one of the greatest artists in international music today. A creative force with 14 albums to her name, Time magazine has called her “Africa’s premier diva.” The BBC has included her in its list of the continents’ 50 most iconic figures, and, in 2011, The Guardian listed her as one of their Top 100 Most Inspiring Women in the World. Forbes magazine has ranked Angélique as the first woman in their list of the Most Powerful Celebrities in Africa. She is the recipient of the prestigious 2015 Crystal Award given by the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and the 2016 Amnesty International Ambassador of Conscience Award.

Met Exhibition to Focus on Artistic Legacy of Africa’s Sahel

January 30–May 10, 2020, The Met Fifth Avenue, Floor 1, Gallery 199

From the first millennium, Africa’s western Sahel—a vast area on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert, spanning what is today Senegal, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger—was the birthplace of a succession of influential states fueled by regional and global trade networks. On view now at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Sahel: Art and Empires on the Shores of the Sahara will be the first exhibition of its kind to trace the cultural legacy of the region, including the legendary empires of Ghana (300–1200), Mali (1230–1600), Songhay (1464–1591), and Segu (1640–1861). The exhibition will bring together some 200 works that were created in parallel to these developments, including spectacular sculptures in wood, stone, fired clay, and bronze; gold and cast metal artifacts; woven and dyed textiles; and illuminated manuscripts.

“This exhibition will celebrate the extraordinary—though relatively unfamiliar—cultural traditions of the western Sahel,” said Max Hollein, Director of The Met. “We’re deeply grateful to our colleagues around the world, especially in the Sahel, for lending the works of art that will bring this fascinating history to life. These highly innovative creations are sure to inspire a greater understanding of the Sahel’s complex history, and the pivotal events that unfolded in this global crossroads. Given the pressing matters confronting the region today, it’s especially important to reflect on its legacy of creative dynamism with our audiences.”

Equestrian (detail), 3rd–10th century. Bura-Asinda-Sikka Site, Niger. Terracotta. Institut de Recherches en Sciences Humaines, Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey, Niger (BRK 85 AC 5e5). © Photo Maurice Ascani.

The exhibition will bring into focus such transformative moments as the development of urbanism, the rise and fall of political dynasties, and the arrival of Islam. Highlights will include loans from the region’s national collections that will travel to the United States for the first time, such as a magnificent ancient terracotta equestrian figure (3rd through 11th century) excavated at the site of Bura in 1985, from the Institut de Recherches en Sciences Humaines, Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey, Niger; a rare 12th-century gold pectoral from Rao that is a Senegalese national treasure from the collection of the Institut Fondamental d’Afrique Noire Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar; and the Timbuktu manuscripts from the Mamma Haidara Memorial Library in Mali.

“Although the material artifacts created in the Sahel we will be presenting constitute our most immediate connection to its past, they have largely remained isolated and detached from the region’s history and succession of legendary states,” said Alisa LaGamma, Ceil and Michael E. Pulitzer Curator in Charge of Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. “What is today southcentral Mali is renowned for its traditions of wood sculpture produced by Dogon and Bamana masters. This exhibition seeks to anchor those more fully in what has been an ever-changing cultural landscape and situate them in relation to a more expansive array of its artistic landmarks. The immersive experience of this presentation will take you on a journey that underscores a many-layered past. A sense of continuity in the visualization of ideals of power and leadership will be embodied in a cavalcade of equestrian figures produced by regional artists over the course of the last millennium, led by the commanding Bura example from present-day Niger showcasing a breathtaking amount of detail down to the figure’s adornment of stacked bracelets and chokers and his mount’s harness.”

“There is so much focus on the challenges that the Sahel faces today: increasing desertification owing to climate change, security threats from extremists, and perilous desert and ocean crossings to Europe faced by migrants,” said Mamadou Diouf, Leitner Family Professor of African History at Columbia University, and a key curatorial advisor to the exhibition. “This presentation provides an opportunity to wonder at the Sahel’s legacy of creative ingenuity and resilience going back millennia.”

The exhibition’s opening gallery will dramatically juxtapose ancient sculptural creations, from the monumental to the miniature. An eighth-century three-ton megalith in the form of a lyre, originally from what is today the UNESCO World Heritage site of Wanar—now a fixture of downtown Dakar in Senegal, just outside the Institut Fondamental d’Afrique Noire Cheikh Anta Diop (IFAN Ch. A. Diop)—will be seen in relation to a nearly three-inch female torso known as the Venus of Thiaroye (pre-2000 B.C.), also in the IFAN Ch. A. Diop collection.

The exhibition will afford a broad survey of the region’s visual arts in relation to major historical events and architectural monuments across the western Sahel. Among the compelling works assembled are two terracotta sculptural representations created in Mali’s Inland Niger Delta dating from the 12th to the 14th century: a corpulent reclining figure of a male potentate excavated at Jenne-jeno that is a centerpiece of the Musée National du Mali, Bamako, and, from The Menil Collection in Houston, a kneeling female figure in a posture of intense devotion. A procession of 14 mounted warriors will extend the length of the exhibition—led by Niger’s iconic third-century Bura terracotta equestrian, unearthed in a necropolis, and culminating in a rider carved by a 19th-century Bamana master from Mali as a communal allegory of power. The adoption of Islam in the Sahel in the 11th century as well as the impact of global trade across the region will be illustrated through precious documents, including an illuminated portolan map on vellum from the Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris, produced in 1413 by the Majorcan cartographer Mecia de Viladestes.

National Portrait Gallery Presents a Portrait of the Late Kobe Bryant

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Image courtesy of The Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts)

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

(Image courtesy of The Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts)

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

(Image courtesy of The Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts)

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

(Image courtesy of The Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts)

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

Carnegie Hall Announces Winners of Dream Wedding Contest

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New-York Historical Society Leaps Into Election Year With Exhibitions Foregrounding Pillars Of American Democracy

Free Admission to Civics Exhibitions for College Students Through 2020

As election year 2020 begins, the New-York Historical Society is launching a series of special exhibitions that address the cornerstones of citizenship and American democracy. Starting on Presidents’ Day Weekend, visitors to Meet the Presidents will discover how the role of the president has evolved since George Washington with a re-creation of the White House Oval Office and a new gallery devoted to the powers of the presidency. Opening on the eve of Women’s History Month, Women March marks the centennial of the 19th Amendment with an immersive celebration of 200 years of women’s political and social activism. Colonists, Citizens, Constitutions: Creating the American Republic explores the important roles state constitutions have played in the history of our country, while The People Count: The Census in the Making of America documents the critical role played by the U.S. Census in the 19th century—just in time for the 2020 Census.

To encourage first-time voters to learn about our nation’s history and civic as they get ready to vote in the presidential election, New-York Historical Society offers free admission to the exhibitions above to college students with ID through 2020, an initiative supported, in part, by The History Channel. This special program allows college students to access New-York Historical’s roster of upcoming exhibitions that explore the pillars of American democracy as they prepare to vote, most of them for the first time.

“The year 2020 is a momentous time for both the past and future of American politics, as the centennial of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, coincides with both a presidential election and a census year,” said Dr. Louise Mirrer, president and CEO of New-York Historical. “This suite of complementary exhibitions showcases the ideas and infrastructure behind our American institutions that establish and protect our fundamental rights to make our voices heard and opinions count. We hope that all visitors will come away with a wider understanding of the important role each citizen plays in our democracy.”

Rembrandt Peale, George Washington (1732–1799), 1853 Oil on canvas New-York Historical Society, Bequest of Caroline Phelps Stokes
The Constitution defines the president’s power and duties in broad strokes. George Washington was the first to put them into practice and was keenly aware of his singular place in history. Willing to assert his authority, he was just as willing to acknowledge the office’s constitutional limits. He was a president, not a king.

Meet the Presidents, February 14 – ongoing

President John F. Kennedy addresses the nation during the Cuban Missile Crisis, October 22, 1962. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
As commander-in-chief, President John F. Kennedy could have tried to destroy the missiles with a military strike. Concerned about the risk of nuclear war, he instead asked national security advisers to develop other options. He ordered a naval quarantine to prevent Soviet ships from reaching Cuba and communicated directly with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. After 13 tense days, the Soviets removed the weapons.

Opening on Presidents’ Day Weekend, a special permanent gallery on New-York Historical’s fourth floor features a detailed re-creation of the White House Oval Office, where presidents have exercised their powers, duties, and responsibilities since 1909. Visitors to New-York Historical can explore the Oval Office, hear audio recordings of presidential musings, and even sit behind a version of the President’s Resolute Desk for a photo op.

President Lyndon B. Johnson talks with Martin Luther King Jr., Whitney Young, and James Farmer, December 3, 1963 LBJ Library photo by Yoichi Okamoto
Presidents are also the leaders of their party. However, serving both nation and party can be challenging, and leaders must sometimes choose between the two. President Lyndon Johnson put national needs first when he supported civil rights legislation that Southern Democrats had condemned.

President Harry Truman reads the Japanese surrender message surrounded by members of his Cabinet and others, August 14, 1945 Harry S. Truman Library & Museum
President Harry Truman’s Oval Office announcement that the Japanese had surrendered effectively ended World War II.

Presidents can furnish the Oval Office to suit their own tastes, and this re-creation evokes the decor of President Ronald Reagan’s second term, widely considered a classic interpretation of Oval Office design. The Resolute Desk, which has been used by almost every president, was presented by Queen Victoria of England in friendship to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880. The original was made from timbers from the British Arctic explorer ship H.M.S. Resolute, which was trapped in the ice, recovered by an American whaling ship, and returned to England. Other elements reminiscent of the Reagan-era on view include a famous jar of jelly beans, an inspirational plaque reading “It can be done,” and artist Frederic Remington’s Bronco Buster bronze sculpture of a rugged cowboy fighting to stay on a rearing horse.

Enit Zerner Kaufman, Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882–1945), ca. 1940–45 New-York Historical Society, Gift of Enit Kaufman
No president has faced a greater economic crisis than Franklin D. Roosevelt. Elected early in the Great Depression, he took immediate steps to create the economic relief and recovery programs known as the New Deal. He worked so effectively with Congress in his first 100 days in office that this period has since become a measure of a president’s early success

President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev have their first meeting at the White House, December 8, 1987 Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum
Presidents can furnish the Oval Office to suit their own tastes. This re-creation of the room evokes key elements of its appearance during Ronald Reagan’s second term. First Lady Nancy Reagan oversaw the office’s redecoration. She brought in Hollywood decorator Ted Graber and opted for a formal design that conveyed grandeur, power, and authority.

The Suzanne Peck and Brian Friedman Meet the Presidents Gallery traces, through artwork and objects, the evolution of the presidency and executive branch and how presidents have interpreted and fulfilled their leadership role. Highlights include the actual Bible used during George Washington’s inauguration in 1789 and a student scrapbook from 1962 chronicling JFK’s leadership during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Meet the Presidents is curated by Marci Reaven, vice president of history exhibits, and Lily Wong, assistant curator.

Women March, February 28 – August 30

Lori Steinberg
Pussyhat worn at Women’s March on Washington, 2017 Wool New-York Historical Society, Gift of Lori Steinberg, 2019.67.1
Clothing is frequently used by demonstrators to create a sense of unity or send a particular message. Many participants in the 2017 Women’s Marches wore home-made “pussy” hats. The original knitting pattern, created by the Pussyhat Project, was downloaded 100,000 times, and craft stores ran low on pink yarn.

State Presidents and Officers of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, 1892 Bryn Mawr College Special Collections
Although several Western states gave women the right to vote starting in 1869, the 1878 “Susan B. Anthony Amendment” proposing women’s suffrage gathered dust in Congress. New activism in the early 20th century reinvigorated the cause. While groups and individuals agreed on the end goal, they often disagreed philosophically. The National American Woman Suffrage Association, for example, initially pursued gradual change state by state, before focusing on a federal amendment.

For as long as there has been a United States, women have organized to shape the nation’s politics and secure their rights as citizens. Their collective action has taken many forms, from abolitionist petitions to industry-wide garment strikes to massive marches for an Equal Rights Amendment. Women March celebrates the centennial of the 19th Amendment—which granted women the right to vote in 1920—as it explores the efforts of a diverse array of women to expand American democracy in the centuries before and after the suffrage victory. On view in the Joyce B. Cowin Women’s History Gallery, Women March is curated by Valerie Paley, the director of the Center for Women’s History and New-York Historical senior vice president and chief historian, with the Center for Women’s History curatorial team. The immersive exhibition features imagery and video footage of women’s collective action over time, drawing visitors into a visceral engagement with the struggles that have endured into the 21st century.

Women activists with signs for registration, 1956 Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Frances Albrier Collection. © Cox Studio
Wartime civil rights organizing shaped later civil rights efforts, from the Montgomery Bus Boycott in Alabama to voter registration drives in San Francisco and school desegregation protests in New York City. These proved to be formative trials for a generation of women, who witnessed the power of direct action. Many also confronted the ways such campaigns privileged male leadership. Activists eventually would draw on these experiences to launch new movements energized by collective action.

Nordstrom Introduces See You Tomorrow: A Resale Shop Curated By Olivia Kim

See You Tomorrow will be available online and in the NYC Flagship store starting on Jan. 31

Nordstrom is proud to announce its latest creative projects initiative, See You Tomorrow, a new recommerce experience launching on January 31, 2020. Powered by Yerdle, See You Tomorrow offers customers both an online resale site and an in-store shopping experience in the NYC Flagship store.

(Courtesy of Nordstrom)

Curated by Olivia Kim, vice president of creative projects at Nordstrom, the resale shop will feature a thoughtfully edited, authenticated assortment of pre-loved apparel and accessories from highly coveted brands. The shop is another avenue for the retailer to encourage discovery and engagement with customers.

“We want to provide a unique and elevated resale shopping experience that encourages a sense of discovery and provides access to the brands our customers know and love, while giving them a convenient opportunity to participate in the circular fashion economy,” said Olivia Kim, “We want our customers to feel good not only about what they’re buying, but how they’re buying it.“

Nordstrom Incorporated logo. (PRNewsFoto)

At launch, the shop will be stocked with merchandise sourced from the Nordstrom Quality Center (NQC), the facility that receives and processes returned and damaged merchandise from Nordstrom’s full-price channels. All merchandise will be expertly cleaned, repaired and refurbished before it becomes available for sale at See You Tomorrow.

Customers can also participate by contributing their pre-loved items through a customer intake program in the Nordstrom NYC Flagship store in exchange for Nordstrom gift cards that can be spent at Nordstrom, Nordstrom.com, Nordstrom Rack, NordstromRack.com, HauteLook and Trunk Club. Coming soon, Nordstrom will also launch an online intake program where customers will have the ability to mail in merchandise.

“In addition to providing customers more ways to engage with us, See You Tomorrow is another step we’re taking to actively support our commitment to sustainability,” said Pete Nordstrom, co-president at Nordstrom. “We’re excited to show our customers another way Nordstrom is striving to leave the world better than we found it and circular fashion is another piece to this puzzle.“

Nordstrom has partnered with Yerdle, a technology and logistics startup company, to power the backend operations of the resale platform including cleaning and repairing of product, inventory processing and fulfillment, pricing and authentication of certain luxury designer items in partnership with Entrupy.

The merchandise assortment will include women’s apparel, women’s shoes, handbags, men’s apparel, accessories and shoes, children’s wear and a limited selection of jewelry and watches. Throughout the duration of the shop, See You Tomorrow will highlight special brand partnerships, starting with Ganni, a Coppenhagen-based contemporary fashion brand.

TheSee You Tomorrow shop at the NYC Nordstrom Flagship Store was designed and built in collaboration with artist and furniture designer Marc Hundley, who has previously collaborated with Kim on previous projects at the Nordstrom NYC Flagship store.

The shop will also feature a café space with food and beverage through an outpost of Bonberi Bodega. The offering will include sustainable market finds including fresh juices, salads, grain bowls, noodles and more.

Nordstrom NYC is located at 235 West 57th Street and open during store hours on Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

See You Tomorrow will be available to shop online starting Jan. 31 at Nordstrom.com/seeyoutomorrow.

Walker Art Center Presents Native-Directed Film Series INDIgenesis: Gen 3, Guest Curated by Missy Whiteman

INDIgenesis: GEN 3, A Showcase of Indigenous Filmmakers and Storytellers, March 19–28

Presented over two weeks, the series INDIgenesis: GEN 3, guest curated by Missy Whiteman (Northern Arapaho and Kickapoo Nations), opens with an evening of expanded cinema and includes several shorts programs in the Walker Cinema and Bentson Mediatheque, an afternoon of virtual reality, and a closing-night feature film.

The ongoing showcase of works by Native filmmakers and artists is rooted in Indigenous principles that consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations. GEN 3 connects perspectives and stories from the past, present, and future to convey Indigenous truths, teachings, and values.

“Indigenous artists use the creative process of filmmaking for revitalization and narrative sovereignty,” says Whiteman. “Our stories tell us where we came from, re-create our truths, affirm our languages and culture, and inspire us to imagine our Indigenous future. We come from the stars. How far will we take this medium?”

Throughout the program, join conversations with artists and community members centered on themes of Indigenous Futurism, revitalization, and artistic creation.

Opening Night: Remembering the Future
Expanded Cinema Screening/Performance
Thursday, March 19, 7:30 pm Free, Walker Cinema

Missy Whiteman’s The Coyote Way: Going Back Home, 2016. Photo courtesy the filmmaker.

Combining film, a live score, hoop dancing, hip-hop, and spoken word, a collective of Indigenous artists led by curator Missy Whiteman creates an immersive environment that transcends time and place. Guided by ancestral knowledge systems, traditional stories, and contemporary forms of expression, the expanded cinema program features performances by DJ AO (Hopi/Mdewakatonwan Dakota), Sacramento Knoxx (Ojibwe/Chicano), Lumhe “Micco” Sampson (Mvskoke Creek/Seneca), and Michael Wilson (Ojibwe). Archival found footage and Whiteman’s sci-fi docu-narrative The Coyote Way: Going Back Home (2016), filmed in the community of Little Earth in South Minneapolis, illuminate the space.

Missy Whiteman’s The Coyote Way: Going Back Home, 2016. Photo courtesy the filmmaker.

View The Coyote Way: Going Back Home trailer

Indigenous Lens: Our RealityShort films by multiple directors
Friday, March 20, 7 pm, $10 ($8 Walker members, students, and seniors), Walker Cinema

This evening of short films showcases a collection of contemporary stories about what it means to be Indigenous today, portraying identity and adaptability in a colonialist system. The program spans a spectrum of themes, including two-spirit transgender love, coming of age, reflections on friends and fathers, “indigenizing” pop art, and creative investigations into acts of repatriation. Digital video, 85 mins

Copresented with Hud Oberly (Comanche/Osage/Caddo), Indigenous Program at Sundance Institute (in attendance).

Lore
Directed by Sky Hopinka (Ho-Chunk Nation/Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians)

Images of friends and landscapes are fragmented and reassembled as a voice tells stories, composing elements of nostalgia in terms of lore. 2019, 10 min. View excerpt.

Adam Khalil, Zack Khalil, Jackson Polys, and Bailey Sweitzer’s Culture Capture: Terminal Adddition, 2019. Photo courtesy the filmmakers.

Culture Capture: Terminal Adddition
Directed by New Red Order: Adam Khalil (Ojibway), Zack Khalil (Ojibway), Jackson Polys (Tlingit), Bayley Sweitzer

The latest video by the public secret society known as the New Red Order is an incendiary indictment of the norms of European settler colonialism. Examining institutionalized racism through a mix of 3D photographic scans and vivid dramatizations, this work questions the contemporary act of disposing historical artifacts as quick fixes, proposing the political potential of adding rather than removing. 2019, 7 min. View excerpt.

Shane McSauby’s Mino Bimaadiziwin, 2017. Photo courtesy the filmmaker.

Mino Bimaadiziwin
Directed by Shane McSauby (Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians)

A trans Anishinaabe man meets a young Anishinaabe woman who pushes him to reconnect with their culture. 2017, 10 min. View excerpt.

The Moon and the Night
Directed by Erin Lau (Kanaka Maoli)

Erin Lau’s The Moon and the Night, 2017. Photo courtesy the filmmaker.

Set in rural Hawaii, a Native Hawaiian teenage girl must confront her father after he enters her beloved pet in a dogfight. 2018, 19 min. View excerpt.

Erin Lau’s The Moon and the Night, 2017. Photo courtesy the filmmaker.

Erin Lau. Photo courtesy the filmmaker. Photo By: Antonio Agosto

Shinaab II
Directed by Lyle Michell Corbine, Jr. (Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa Indians)

A young man seeks to honor the memory of his late father in a film that looks at Ojibwe ideas surrounding death and mourning. 2019, 6 min.

Daniel Flores’ Viva Diva, 2019. Image courtesy the artist.

Viva Diva
Directed by Daniel Flores (Yaqui)

This road trip movie follows Rozene and Diva as they make their way down to Guadalajara for their gender affirmation surgeries. 2017, 15 min. View excerpt.

Daniel Flores. Image courtesy the artist.

Dig It If You Can
Directed by Kyle Bell (Creek-Thlopthlocco Tribal Town)

An insightful portrait of the self-taught artist and designer Steven Paul Judd (Kiowa), whose satirical manipulations of pop culture for an Indigenous audience are gaining a passionate, mass following as he realizes his youthful dreams. 2016, 18 min. View excerpt.