[Otto Ernst Wiesenthal, the owner of Hotel Altstadt]
Vienna hotel makes for an exquisite, artful escape
Situated in the heart of picturesque Vienna, Hotel Altstadt provides visitors to the capital city of Austria a respite from the hustle and bustle of the busy city. Otto Ernst Wiesenthal, Art collector needed a gallery for his collection so he bought a apartment building and converted to a boutique hotel. You can even request the room with the Bösendorfer piano.
Getting up close and personal with the creative team behind one of the world’s most storied musical instruments
Bösendorfer ranks among the world´s oldest piano manufacturers. In operation since 1828, the company is both rich in tradition and world famous for its unmistakably inspiring sound and the outstanding quality of its instruments.
Recently, Art and Living went behind the scenes at the factory where these pieces of musical craftsmanship come to life. You can read all about it in our upcoming issue, but in the meantime, here’s a photo preview our coverage of the Bösendorfer creative team.
[Neigungsgruppe Design, organizer of Vienna Design Week: Lilli Hollein, left, Thomas Geisler, and Tulga Beyerle, right. Photo/Concept: Zajc & Zündel]
Looking forward to one of Europe’s great design gatherings
We know this one’s still a little ways off, but we thought we’d tell you about a great event coming up: the Vienna Design Week.
In cooperation with many partners — from Vienna museums to production and retail companies to designers from all over the world — all of Vienna becomes a platform and showplace of design for this one October week. Make no mistake: this isn’t just a trade fair, as the VDW takes place in a variety of venues and encompasses a multitude of smaller events.
Poignant exhibition showcases the intricacies of the human condition
Vienna’s Albertina Museum is currently showcasing an exquisite assortment of photographs exploring the human body its multitude of forms.
Whatever their artistic origins or national provenance, the artists featured in this show — Erwin Wurm, Gottfried Helnwein, Helmut Newton, Franz West, Chuck Close, John Coplans, Elke Krystufek and Marie Jo Lafontaine — focus on the body, its qualities of expression, or text and body (image) combinations in their works.
In all, there are about 80 photographic works from the holdings of the Albertina on display. Among these is Gottfried Helnwein’s image of a 1980s-era Michael Jackson, a visage which is particularly striking in the face of Jackson’s recent death.
We go inside the studios of Montblanc for a look at the creative team behind one of the world’s leading writing instrument manufacturers
Writing utensils seem so simple, yet Art and Living learned otherwise when we got to tour the design studios of renowned penmaker Montblanc. There’s a lot of design and artistry that goes into the crafting of these intricate pieces.
We’re hard at work on our latest issue, which will showcase our experience firsthand. But in the meantime, you can check out some photos we took of the journey.
Art and Living explores the old-world traditions of heralded glass and crystal maker Lobmeyr
Since 1823, when Joseph Lobmeyr sen. opened up a small glass shop in the center of the city of Vienna, Lobmeyr has been at the vanguard of fine crystal and glass products.
Today, the company is helmed by the Rath family. We recently caught up with Leonid A. Rath at Lobmeyr’s headquarters in Vienna to see the company’s magnificent wares and to chat about the art of glassmaking.
You can read about the experience in the upcoming issue of Art and Living Connoisseur. For now, here’s a sampling of some highlights of Lobmeyr’s artful products.
[Cathy Begien, “Black Out,” 2004. Still from video, color, sound; 5 minutes, 19 seconds. Photo: Courtesy of the artist and Winkleman Gallery
Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art stages a special exhibition featuring a new generation of feminist video artists
Currently on view at the Brooklyn museum is the exhibition Reflections on the Electric Mirror: New Feminist Video, which presents recent videos by a number of feminine video artists.
[Peter Petersen, senior director at Bang & Olufsen’s Idea Factory]
Art and Living takes a look at the magic that is the design of world renowned Bang and Olufsen electronics
Founded in 1925 in Struer, Denmark, Bang & Olufsen a/s is the creme-de-la-creme of audio and video manufacturers, producing a highly distinctive and exclusive range of televisions, music systems, loudspeakers, telephones, and multimedia products.
What makes them so highly distinctive, you ask? As Art and Living found out, it’s their high prioritization of top-notch design and creative engineering that really sets them apart. Here’s a photographic preview of our upcoming coverage of their amazing products, which we assembled after our recent tour of Bang and Olufsen headquarters and design studios.
An installation by one of the masters of 20th-century art comes to Palm Desert
For anyone familiar with the fine art or art history, Robert Rauschenberg is a name who needs no introduction. Challenging yet relevant, Rauschenberg was one of the New York artists when New York was the undisputed heavyweight champion of the art world. His work, along with the work other notable contemporaries, bridged the gap between Abstract Expressionism and Pop art.
[Left to right: Michael Sullivan, owner of LAcarGUY, with Ken Frank, chef/owner of La Toque, and Marty Collins, president/CEO of Gatehouse Capital and sponsor of LA All Stars band for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation event]
Art and Living-sponsored gala helps the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation raise $1.5 million. Sponsored by American Airlines, Toyota and Four Seasons Maui.
For information regarding the 2010 event, please contact Barbara Balik at bbalik@cff.org
This last weekend, fine wine and food lovers from around the world joined Art and Living and host of other supporters in participating in one of the nation’s largest single-day charity wine auctions, “A Culinary Evening with the California Winemasters,” at the Warner Bros. Studio backlot. The annual event, which showcases celebrated chefs and restaurateurs, winery owners and winemakers, raised $1,500,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Amazingly, 90.6 cents of every dollar raised at the “Winemasters” gala funds vital cystic fibrosis research and care programs. Cystic fibrosis remains North America’s number-one genetic killer of children and young adults.
This year, Cobblestone Vineyards returned as an Imperial Sponsor for the 20th incarnation of the evening. The event, which is a veritable who’s-who of California’s iconic chefs and wineries, has raised over $17 million since its inception.
[From Left: World Art Foundation Board Director Max Donner – Panel Moderator, Kevin Anderson of Anderson Galleries, Gaynor Strachan Chun 0f Ovation TV, Daniel M. Greene of Marsh Insurance, Jeff Marinelli of Art and Living]
By Max Donner
Beverly Hills Art Expert Panel Highlights Success Stories
L.A.’s role as the creative capital of the world is leading to a brighter future. Four local businesses that are following paths to success in a slow economy showed how in a panel presentation at the Beverly Hills Library on May 16.
Catching up with one of the great philanthropists of our time
By Lisa Stahl
For an institution once considered “establishment,” the current exhibit Burning Down the House is more than merely metaphor. Here at the Brooklyn Museum, wall space is finally repatriated.
In searing, provocative images, nearly fifty works on display at the Center for Feminist Art from feminist artists like Kiki Smith and Lorna Simpson explore gender inequality and perceptions. They participate in more than artistic exhibition; they celebrate the groundbreaking recognition of a movement both artistic and political.
The exhibit mirrors the passionate commitment to social change and gender equality of founder and financier Elizabeth Sackler. The center is her brainchild; it’s the first museum collection devoted not just to female artists but to feminist art.
Talking with the faces behind one of the world’s great cultural institutions
By Kathleen Joiner
On August 23, 2004, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center opened in Cincinnati, Ohio, steps from the banks of the Ohio River, the dividing line separating slave and free states in the decades leading to the Civil War. Housing slavery era artifacts, permanent and changing exhibits—including an original slave pen, a holding place for slaves awaiting auction—the Freedom Center tells the story of slavery, America’s struggle for freedom, while serving as a safe house to foster healing and restoration.
While the museum was still a concept, a diverse core group of citizens united to raise the necessary $110 million to start the institution. The mission was clear: To reveal stories about freedom’s heroes, from the era of the Underground Railroad to contemporary times, challenging and inspiring everyone to take courageous steps for freedom today.
We talked to some of these founders and current Freedom Center supporters about why building and growing the Freedom Center is paramount. Here’s what they had to say:
^ John Pepper, Retired CEO of Procter & Gamble and Co-Chair of NURFC’s Board of Directors: “The youngsters are the nucleus of change,” he says. “Change cannot be made if the history is unknown.”
[Left to Right: DreamHome Living Room Designer Grace Sielaff, Sheila Kennedy, and Chris Kennedy. DreamHome is a design house sponsored by Chicago’s Merchandise Mart that features nine couture rooms created by renowned Chicago designers and using furnishings from the Merchandise Mart. Image courtesy of Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc.]
In recent years, Chris Kennedy has worked tirelessly to promote art through politics, philanthropy, and sheer love of creativity
By Lynn Morgan
‘‘I don’t know if people who live in Chicago can explain to people who live in LA why art is important!” laughs Chris Kennedy, the president of Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. (MMPI), the owners and operators of the newly refurbished LA Mart and the producers of ten international art fairs, including Art Chicago, the Toronto International Art Fair, VOLTA and the Armory Show. Because of his involvement in the business of both fine and decorative art, he has a unique perspective on the importance of art to community and to commerce.
Matteo De Paolis of Navona Antiques in West Hollywood will host celebrated designer Joe Nye’s window installation in homage to Sister Parish.
The window unveiling is scheduled on the evening of May 7 in conjunction with the La Cienega Design Quarter’s first annual Legends event, and will display curtains with Chinoiserie print in vivid colors, an antique settee, historic tables from Navona, and decorative wall coverings painted by the fine artists at Gallagher Designs. Joe Nye’s inspiration behind the window vinette, iconic designer Sister Parish, has been a muse-like figure for Nye since he was a young boy. With this window display, Nye is pleased to have the opportunity to give tribute to Parish’s iconic works.
[Artist Dan Gallagher completes Joe Nye’s inspirational design]
Santa Monica exhibition showcases the work of artist Doni Silver Simons
Artist Doni Silver Simons opened an exhibition of her newest work on March 26 at Sherry Frumkin Gallery in Santa Monica. Silver Simons has built a career on the meticulous “marks” found throughout her paintings and drawings; the artist refers to her work as “doing lines,” and it is through these lines that she records the passage of moments, days, weeks and years. Viewers often recognize a language in the work, with the marks taking on multiple meanings and interpretations.
“People collect for different reasons. My family and I like the whole idea of living and working in art and design,” says Marty Collins, art collector and president/CEO of Gatehouse Capital, the largest independent developer of W Hotels and condominiums and the force behind Hollywood’s posh, new W Hotel and Residences, scheduled to open later this year. “We like having it woven into the fabric of our lives.”
Catching up with one of the great philanthropists of our time
By Tina Marie Tyler
There is something about Elizabeth Segerstrom that transcends wealth, art, and culture. It whispers of perspicacity, blushes of compassion, and radiates a gentle humanity that warms those around her. In a rare interview, she exudes the complexity of a woman determined to embrace life through art and on a foundation of family.
Neiman Marcus Topanga hosts cocktail party and silent art auction for artist Tommy Hollenstein to benefit Shane’s Inspiration and Canine Companions
Neiman Marcus Topanga hosted local San Fernando Valley artist Tommy Hollenstein (www.tommyhollenstein.com) and a selection of his paintings in the store to kick off the holiday season and to raise money for Shane’s Inspiration (www.shanesinspiration.com) and Canine Companions (www.cci.org). Tommy Hollenstein survived a biking accident that left him a quadriplegic and now uses his wheelchair wheels for his paint brush. His work portrays a whimsical world of his own invention layering vibrant colors applied by tire treads to create the perception of fluid motion in static space.
[Linda Valliant of Canine Companions; Bob Lugari, vice president and general manager of Neiman Marcus Topanga; Lucy Matsumoto of Shane’s Inspiration; and artist Tommy Hollenstein]
On April 1, LACMA presented the West Coast premiere of Valentino: The Last Emperor, a film that offers an unprecedented look into the world of haute couture by examining the creative genius of Valentino Garavani and his business partner, Giancarlo Giammetti–both recipients of the 2009 Costume Council Legend Award–who together created an international fashion empire.
[Linda Kunik, “Things Fall Apart #1033.” Courtesy of the artist/LAAA/Gallery 825]
Gala showcases developing art trends
Los Angeles Art Association hosted its annual gem benefit last Saturday, April 11 at Gallery 825. The event, widely embraced by the art community and leading collectors as a showcase of emerging art trends, featured the art of over 100 emerging, mid-career and established artists including Meeson Pae Yang, Dan Monteavaro, Julia Strickler and Steven Fujimoto. With over 200 original artworks beginning at $100, the event brought together budget-minded collectors as well as traditional connoisseurs! Getty Museum Director Michael Brand and wife Tina Brand served as the Benefit Co-Chairs and the Benefit Committee comprised many renowned cultural figures, including Harry Chandler, Howard N. Fox and Cheech Marin.
[Willem De Kooning, “Woman III,” 1952-53. Oil on canvas]
Heralded Collection makes showing at Sotheby’s New York from April 2-14, 2009
A loan exhibition from the collection of Steven and Alexandra Cohen closes out its run today at Sotheby’s in New York. Entitled Women, the exhibition focused on one area of the Cohen’s collection: works depicting female subjects. This remarkable assemblage of twenty masterpieces ranges from Edvard Munch’s Madonna and Pablo Picasso’s Le Repos to Willem de Kooning’s Women III and Andy Warhol’s Turquoise Marilyn, and it includes paintings, sculpture, works on paper and photographs by the most influential artists of the modern era. The collection has never before been exhibited to the public.
[Fabio Micucci, Micucci Collection; Mark Robinson, president of Boffi LA; Mariella Salvatori, commercial attache at the Italian Consulate of Los Angeles; Elena Manferdini, Atelier Manferdini]
Boffi Los Angeles and Ducati team up for an unprecedented showroom event
For one evening only, Boffi Los Angeles and Ducati teamed up to host an unprecedented event exploring the history of two of Italy’s foremost design legends. Boffi’s modern, minimalist showroom came alive with a stirring juxtaposition of Ducati motorcycles, visionary kitchen and bathroom designs, and a photo essay chronicling the remarkable parallel histories of Boffi and Ducati.
[Left to right: Chef Ken Frank, 2009 festival host and executive chef/owner of La Toque; Cheryl Jennings of KGO-TV, MC; Margrit Biever Mondavi, vice president of cultural affairs, Robert Mondavi Winery; Melissa Baker, 2009 featured artist; and Don Shindle, general manager of The Westin Verasa, Napa. Model Kathryn Hopgood portrayed “Magique de la Moutarde,” Melissa Baker’s 2009 festival artwork. Photo by Robert Cherwink]
This year’s series of events celebrating the Napa Valley’s other cherished plant was better than ever
Every year, the Napa Valley Mustard Festival provides “good news and vibrant activity” during the late winter, a period of time that used to be known as Napa Valley’s “slow season.” The line up of stellar events takes place when wild mustard blooms in the vineyards, offering visitors from far and wide immersion in the legendary wine region’s “good life.” Events this year offered something for nearly everyone, from no-cost and reasonably priced daytime events, to the seven-course Le Grand Diner à La Toque at The Westin Verasa, Napa.
MySpace Art Chat
ArtChat - Chat Forum 
