Fast Times at CCA

How radical is this photo?? We here at the museum have been flirting voraciously with the idea of holding a custom cycle exhibition, and the research I have been doing has produced some amazing results- one being this photograph! Now, I don’t know much about the motorcycle industry or “Kustom Kulture”, aside from mental pictures of beards and Budweiser, but it turns out that the community of biker enthusiasts is as colorful as a Maui rainbow and I. Am. Loving it! It’s a cacophony of cultures, ethnicities, occupations, styles, and genders that proves that motorcycles aren’t just reserved for the Hells Angels (as interesting as they are), but they are the framework for so many models of people. This industry is jam packed with creativity, proving it to be the perfect subject matter fit for a contemporary art museum . . . say, OURS? I’ve only had one experience on a motorcycle, that I can recall, and it includes being VERY sore-- like I’d ridden a horse for 10 hours straight-- for several days afterwards. That experience didn’t leave me wanting to get back on one anytime soon, for fear of permanently walking bow-legged, but in light of what I’ve been seeing, I think a ride on a hot Harley or Chopper is in the near future  We aren’t making any promises just yet, but stay tuned to see what we might come up with. The gasoline in our think tank is flowin’ and we’re revving up for an amazing summer!  Yeow!

Cabaret Voltaire: Zurich's Most Famous Unknown Landmark

The main reason for my stop in Zurich on my recent trip to Europe was, aside from the ridiculous-delicious chocolate and macarons, a visit to the Cabaret Voltaire, the birth place of the Dada.

Dadaism was both an artistic and cultural movement ranging from WWI through the early 1920s. In light of the atrocities of WWI, Dadaists promoted anti-war politics through the creation of art which flew in the face of established artist practices of the time. Collage employing pop-culture imagery, cardboard and construction paper - "base materials" which were not considered the media of "fine art"- were some of the tools the Dadaists used in their subversive coup of art and bourgeois culture. Not limited to the visual arts, Dadaists were performance artists, writers, poets and musicians. Their work and ethos would influence Surrealism, Pop, Fluxus and even the punk movement (it blows my mind to think men in spats were the original punks). "Dada" is, essentially, a nonsense word which is fitting for the international reach of the movement. Zurich, a cosmopolitan city at the confluence of several European cultures in a neutral country, was the perfect place for artists of many nationalities to come together to exchange radical ideas and to make equally ground-breaking art.

The Cabaret Voltaire is still standing, still showing art and still functioning as a club/performance/meeting place. The installation we saw included a fantastical cardboard city-scape reminiscent of Kurt Shwitters' Merzbau with an ominous voice telling us, wryly, not to trust architects. The husband and I had a great time sipping a surprisingly inexpensive cocktail, soaking in the images of Marcel Duchamp and Hugo Ball in his Karawane guise, browsing the gift shop and just reveling in the rich history. Yet, we were basically alone. I was shocked!

Do the people of Zurich not know what an important and super-funky landmark they posses? Do they just not care?  Am I just some giant art nerd? (likely, yes, as my husband kept referring to Hugo Ball as Hugo Boss just to annoy me) I'm not really sure. This free experience - yes a FREE experience in Zurich, one of the most expensive places on the planet - is the best kept secret in that city. I want everybody to know what they're missing...and yet, I don't. Maybe this can just be our little secret.

Later,
Beth

Immaculate Conception

“Art-lovers ask for amnesty for unauthorized Madonna mosaic”

http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/encinitas/article_d2cd5603-3918-56cd-bad1-342bdaeaa72e.html

“Surfing Virgin Mary mosaic attracts admirers, controversy”

http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/encinitas/article_a382d79c-1b77-57b1-8a29-f3ce9f95bef3.html

This past week another awesome act of artwork popped up in North County! While unsanctioned (my favorite kind), this piece looked as if it had tons of careful planning and some dollars behind it that would have had to come from the Arts Commission. BUT, alas, it was not an approved work and the artists are still a perfect mystery. The powers that be are denying responsibility, and are now left with some serious decision making on their hands. The Virgin of Guadalupe riding a surfboard, in an effort to “Save the Ocean” has been embraced by its surrounding community, but the council is saying it fits the definition of graffiti, no matter how edifying it is to the city’s landscape, and therefore must be removed. It’s a hard pill to swallow for the art lovers in Encinitas and other cities who have visited the piece in throngs since its installation. Many are now pleading for its amnesty. Every day while drive to my other job in Enci, I pass by the Virgin and see people touching it, taking pictures of it, talking with each other about it, and most recently, leaving flowers at its base in some sort of effort to either pay homage to the Saint herself or express their gratitude for such an “immaculate conception”. It’s been so great to see and hear people engaging in dialogue over artwork, and it would be a shame to have the catalyst for said dialogue removed.

x carissa

Bavarian Vegetarian: Meat-Free in Munich

I have just returned from my honeymoon, the first leg of which included a stay in Munich. Ahhh....Munich in the spring! We visited a castle in the Alps; caught the Dutch Masters at the Alte Pinekothek Museum; and, of course, dined in many fine biergartens. Well, it was a bit cold, so we were technically dining in the restaurants and not the actual beirgartens, but I digress.

When one thinks of Bavarian fare, the image will probably include many types of German sausage. The kraut-sausage combo was the main reason my husband Chris wanted to visit Munich. Becoming more and more vegetarian, I was truly worried about how much I'd enjoy eating during this leg of the trip. I shouldn't have been so narrow-minded! I was guilty of condensing an entire culture into the singular category of sausage fanatic (when that's really just the German to whom I'm married). I knew I wouldn't starve, but I was happily surprised at the true Bavarian flavors I could enjoy sans meat.

Our first stop was - inevitably- the legendary Hofbrauhaus. The appetizer was easy: a beer and pretzel. Any of-age traveler (which I most certainly am) should indulge in these specialties while in Munich as an homage to the region. While I had no idea what I was ordering from the vegetarian section (we didn't know they had English menus available at first), I ended up falling head-over-heels for some divine noodle dumplings in an outrageous mushroom gravy. The food, drink and oompah band combined as the perfect antidote to my jet lag.

Later we branched out to explore less-touristed biergartens like Chris' favorite Augustiner Keller. My extensive travel website research had produced nothing but great reviews for this place. Located in the financial district, Augustiner Keller offered a decidedly more subdued crowd of business people and locals. While Chris raved about the suckling pig (gross), I had a fantastic potato and broccoli au gratin with a tomato sauce. The combination was different, but quite comforting.



Our last stop was the Lowenbrau Park-Cafe, unassumingly tucked into the city's Old Horticultural Garden. The quaint Bavarian building belied a truly urbane and chic interior. We entered into a warehouse-like space containing a hip lounge/restaurant with chandeliers and ambient lighting. See the golden couches which greeted us at the door. The crowd appeared to be stylish young professionals. We were kiddie-corner from the Munich Conde Nast offices, so I shouldn't have been surprised. The menu was a mix of traditional and international bistro. I decided to follow suit with a dill cream cucumber salad (just like my mom would make in the summer), and a spinach, onion and goat cheese flat bread. Both were delicious; Chris even finished off my flat bread.

While I tried my best to stick to my veggie guns during this trip, a local sharing our table one evening let me know that there are a lot of meat-free Munichers, but they always cheat just a bit. I must admit, I may have transgressed with of a bite of wurst or two from Chris' plate. I guess that means I am a true Bavarian vegetarian.

Trans-Europe Express: Byron the Train Angel

Maybe it's just me, but has anybody else been totally confused and daunted by the Rubik's Cube which is European train travel? Perhaps I'm the only one who's been escorted by a overly-protective grandfather-type back to my hotel after asking him which train takes me from downtown Naples to Pompeii. My friend and I weren't exactly sure what he was saying as he spoke no English and we very little Italian, but I managed to make out "American" "girls" "alone" and maybe "bad." Naples, while fantastically rich in culture and kind inhabitants, has some very rough areas, particularly around the central train station - and this assessment is coming from a Detroiter! Add to that the epic garbage strike creating trash mountains in the city that day, this sweet, elderly man would not have us wandering the streets without a clear sense of direction. So, with a box of Christmas Panettone in hand, he made us get on a bus with him. I'm pretty sure he told the front desk staff to not let us wander out again.

After the Pompeii fiasco, I vowed the next time I traveled to Europe I would be a veritable train expert. Well, perhaps not an expert, but I certainly am not flying by the seat of my pants during my honeymoon from Munich to Rome (occurring as you read this). As soon as my husband and I settled on a multi-country itinerary, I knew I would need help negotiating the train companies from one country to another. Though hopping on a train just as it pulls away may seem romantic, there is a decided lack of romance in a conductor kicking you off at the next stop because you didn't realize you had to reserve your seat in addition to purchasing your ticket.

After a bit of Google searching I came across Budget Europe Travel Service.

 "Hmm...I'm going to Europe, I'm on a budget and I deifintely need some service concerning my travel," thought I.

I called and was connected with Byron. Byron is a train travel genius and has the patience of a saint! He steered me in the direction of the most budget-friendly multi-country pass, and didn't try to up-sell me on any frivolous extras. He warned me that I would have to purchase a $5 supplementary ticket for a 10 mile part of my train ride through Austria which would occur on my Munich to Zurich leg. If my husband and I didn't, we'd be ticketed and out an extra $100 by the end of our journey! How the heck was I supposed to know that on my own?

Byron is truly fantastic, and has come through on the multiple times I've called him for advice and guidance. He even told me exactly where to find the Naples-Pompeii platform within the Naples station, so I wouldn't be grandfathered away from the Villa of the Mysteries yet again. I received my train tickets, my necessary seat reservations and a complimentary train schedule book from Byron in the couple weeks he said I would get them. So, if your idea of awesome Euro-tripping is not worrying about anything train-related, talk to Byron at 800-441-2387, from 9-5 EST. I'll probably call him and tell him how much fun I had when I get back!

Ciao from Roma,
Beth

Patricia Patterson in the L.A. Times!

Our current exhibition "Patricia Patterson: Here and There, Back and Forth" received an awesome write-up in the Los Angeles Times this weekend! We had an excellent immediate response from it, including visitors all the way from L.A. and Riverside counties making their way down to the museum to see the show this past Sunday. (And, I'm sure there will be more where that came from!) If you haven't seen Patterson's work yet, come on in! It will be up 'till June 30th. Until then, please enjoy this article and get a glimpse at what we have going on here, right now, at the Center Museum. Thanks to Leah Ollman for such a great article!

x Carissa

Los Angeles Times Article: 'Here and There' with Patricia Patterson

Museum Hours:
Tues-Saturday, 10a-4p
Sundays, 1p-5p
Closed Mondays

For more info:
Call- 760.839.4120
Web- artcenter.org/museum

The Cardiff Kook does Van Gogh

Really quick! This is a little after the fact, but it’s a local happening that I thought should be recognized on our blog nonetheless. If you hadn’t seen it in the news already, the “Cardiff Kook” was recently (artfully) re-vamped to celebrate Vincent Van Gogh’s birthday (3/30/1853). The Kook statue has been a common target for public art projects, but next to the shark attack project last summer, I think this is one of the best! Thanks to local, Carlsbad artist, Bryan Syder for sharing his art with the entire community! Can’t wait to see what else he has in store, and who targets the Kook next.

Check out more of Bryan's art projects after the jump!

x Carissa