by Sandy | Nov 5, 2009 | Art, Artist, Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, Exhibits, Galleries
Featured at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts in San Francisco is “3 Worlds – Myths / Bricks / Prints” with the diverse work of colorful Peruvian artist Luis Arias Vera, the late Casper Banjo, who used bricks to create his images, and Chicano poster artist Juan R. Fuentes.
Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts – MCCLA
2868 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA
(Images: “Pensando en la Paz”, silkscreen print, 1988, Fuentes and exhibit poster from the MCCLA)
by Sandy | Oct 31, 2009 | Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll
Happy Halloween !
by Sandy | Oct 24, 2009 | Art, Artist, Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, Exhibits, Galleries
The Kathleen McMahon Fine Art Gallery presents contemporary art by local San Francisco Bay Area artists.
“Spirit Boats” is the current exhibition – 3 women artists are featured: Jennifer Ewing, Margo Mullen and Elizabeth Stahl.
Kathleen McMahon Fine Art Gallery
3150 18th Street, Suite 105, San Francisco, CA
Image: “Sutro Baths”, Elizabeth Stahl, acrylic on canvas
by Sandy | Oct 22, 2009 | Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, Books, dvd
“Precious Ramotswe“ is Botswana‘s only female private investigator – the main character of the HBO series, now on DVD. Directed by the late Anthony Minghella, “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency “, was produced for the BBC in 2008 and then shown in the U.S. in 2009. It is based on the popular book series by Alexander McCall Smith.
“Precious” is played by Grammy winner Jill Scott. Tony Award winner Anika Noni Rose and Idris Elba from “The Wire” are also part of the great cast. As in the books, our bush tea drinking, lady sleuth tracks down wayward husbands, missing children and solves village mysteries all the while keeping to the traditions of her culture and maintaining the standards of both Queen Elizabeth and Nelson Mandela (she admires both).
There are 3 DVDs in the set and I enjoyed them all.“The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency“ has charm and heart. Great fun.
BTW: I noticed a few years back that Ms Ramotswe and the author’s name were listed week after week on the SF & Bay area California paper back bestseller list. I discovered that the Botswana detective has a worldwide cult following.
Books in the series:
* 1998 .The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency
* 2000 .Tears Of The Giraffe
* 2001 .Morality for Beautiful Girls
* 2002 .The Kalahari Typing School for Men
* 2004 .The Full Cupboard of Life
* 2004 .In the Company of Cheerful Ladies
* 2006 .Blue Shoes and Happiness
* 2007 .The Good Husband of Zebra Drive
by Bob Martin | Oct 18, 2009 | Art, Arts, Entertainment and Music, Creativity, Culture, Exhibits, Galleries, Museums
There are great history lessons contained with in the biography of an artist and the work that he or she produces. The first major 
exhibit of the works of the Armenian born Painter Arshile Gorky will be at the Grand Opening Cafesjian Center for the Arts from Nov. 8th to January 31 2010.
“The stuff of thought is the seed of the artist. Dreams from the bristles of the artists brush. As the eye functions as the brain’s sentry, I communicate my innermost perceptions through the art, my worldview.” – Arshile Gorky – “Abstract Expressionism”, by Barbara Hess
Gorky and his family fled the Armenian Genocide in 1915 when he was thought to be about 10 years old and eventually was able to migrate to the United States in 1920. His paintings tell me a lot about his life, what he he knew and what he wanted to find out his own life.
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by Sandy | Oct 14, 2009 | Arts, Entertainment and Music, Blogroll, Books, Writers
Blonde Faith, is the final book of the popular series, written by Walter Mosley.
We were introduced to Easy Rawlins in Devil in a Blue Dress, 1990. (This was also made into a great 1995 movie with Denzel as “Easy” and Don Cheadle as his explosively, lethal buddy “Mouse”.)
“Easy” becomes a reluctant private investigator in 50’s L.A. and the 10 books span a 20 year journey. What makes the perspective so interesting and different is that in addition to solving “who dunnits” (or, who didn’t) we get a chance to follow the black detective as he maneuvers gingerly thru life making a living, forming relationships, etc. in an often hostile environment. Very entertaining!
Easy Rawlins mysteries
Devil in a Blue Dress (1990)
A Red Death (1991)
White Butterfly (1992)
Black Betty (1994)
A Little Yellow Dog (1996)
Gone Fishin’ (1997)
Bad Boy Brawly Brown (2002)
Six Easy Pieces (2003)
Little Scarlet (2004)
Cinnamon Kiss (2005)
Blonde Faith (2007)
