Happy Mother's Day

I have already written about the Mother's Day celebrations I attended on the Greek island of Ikaria during my visit there over the summer of 2014 in Mother's Day Greek Island Style. 

I wrote then:

"...what I especially love about these island celebrations and traditions, is that they are embraced equally by the very young as well as by the very old. No one shouts at the kids to sit down and keep quiet, or to stay out of the way of the performers. The whole square seems as if it is being rearranging constantly by an invisible hand that manages to keep dancers, children, organisers and visitors out of each other's way, as the evening progresses."

My parents emigrated to Australia from Ikaria just before the Second World War, and as much as I love New York City, Ikaria is my true second home. I had planned to return to the island this year, but another much bigger island (Manhattan) enticed me back for what may be my last visit. In the meantime, Ikaria is not going anywhere, and all being well I will return to Greece and the island in 2018.

For Mother's Day, 2017, I thought it appropriate to repost the video of the Mother's Day celebrations one more time--so clear away the tables and chairs and get dancing!

NYC Arts Round-Up #4: The Met Museum

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Credit: Benjamin Norman for The New York Times

~ Visit to the Met Could Cost You, if You Don’t Live in New York

An article in the New York Times caught my attention recently. Titled, Visit to the Met Could Cost You, if You Don’t Live in New York, the article, written by Robin Pogrebin reported that this venerable institution is thinking of charging “…a mandatory fee for non-residents.”

New Yorker’s reading this will be aware of course, that the Met currently has a suggested full priced entrance fee of USD$25. International visitors who have already been to the museum and paid the full price may not have been aware that they could have entered for free—if they had the confidence to front up and ask for free entry.

While comments for the article are now closed, there were many ‘for’ and ‘against’ arguments about the proposal among the 462 contributors, one of whom was myself. Here’s what I wrote: 

Interesting article and discussions. As it happens I live in Australia, but will be visiting New York City for almost three months over the coming summer. In preparation for this visit, just two weeks ago I paid for reduced annual membership to both The Met and to MoMA (each cost US$70 or AU$95.40).

Why? Because I intend to make multiple visits to both institutions during my stay, and paying for membership is the most economical way to enjoy the full range of benefits, along with the events and activities that both museums program across the summer months. Even if I visit each of the museums just once per week over ten weeks, my investment will have more than justified the initial expense. Of course I will miss out on the other nine months of my annual membership, but that’s part of what I call ’the cost of travel’. 

I also paid because I can. I would much rather pay for membership, even though I won’t be able to take full advantage of it over 12 months, if that membership helps those who genuinely can’t afford to visit either of these great museums, to do so for free.

Read the full article here…

A medicine vision by an unrecorded Arapaho artist (detail) ca. 1880 in Oklahoma.

~ In April, my attention was caught by an article by Katherine Brooks writing for the Huffington Post. In her piece; Native American Art Gets Its Rightful Place In The Metropolitan Museum, Brooks writes:

The American Wing of the storied Metropolitan Museum of Art has long held a collection of typically “American” artifacts: portraits of wigged colonial leaders, Tiffany chandeliers, Frank Lloyd Wright chairs, silver owned by Paul Revere Jr., quilts by unknown 19th-century makers.

Together they tell a specific, but noticeably incomplete, history of the United States.
Beginning in the fall of 2018, however, the American Wing will attempt to course correct by including a subgroup of art that has been regrettably missing from the section: Native American art. Thanks to a donation from collectors Charles and Valerie Diker, a batch of 91 works of Native American art will be headed for the American Wing, marking a historic change in the way art is curated at New York’s most famous museum.

While New York City is home to the National Museum of the American Indian (located in the old Customs House opposite Bowling Green), it is surely way past time that Native American culture was better represented at the Met Museum.

Read the full article here…

Making the Most of the Metropolitan Museum

The New York Times also has a very informative feature on how to get the best of any visit to that great institution and its massive collections. Among the highlights, Daniel McDermon includes five ‘Must See’ rooms (Greek and Roman Sculpture Court; the Vermeer Collection; Asian Art; the Impressionists; and the Temple of Dendur). He also writes about the amazing spaces within the museum, intimate treasures, what to see with kids, and much more.

Read the full guide here…

Ellis cartoon courtesy of The New Yorker

If you are looking for even more to do in New York City, the New York Times has several arts sections worth bookmarking and checking on a regular basis:

New York Times Arts…

New York Galleries this Week…

New York Times Arts & Entertainment Guide…

Yidaki: The Sound of Australia

Yidaki, at the South Australian Museum

I have been promoting the Yidaki exhibition currently taking place at the South Australian Museum for several weeks. Now that I have finally found time to edit together footage I recorded at the exhibition, it is time to say more about the show.

Yidaki (pronounced, Yid-ar-ki), is the traditional Australian Aboriginal name for what most of the world knows as the didjeridu—that seemingly impossible to play wind instrument made from the trunks of the Stringybark tree, hollowed out by very obliging termites.

The exhibition, Yidaki: Didjeridu and the Sound of Australia, can hardly be called large. You could walk through the various exhibits in around ten minutes, but if that is all you were to do, you would miss all the most important parts of the show. The exhibition gives visitors the opportunity to explore this iconic instrument through sound, story, moving image and through close examination of rarely seen examples of the instruments on display throughout the exhibition space. While the didjeridu now appears in music venues and concert stages around the world (often played by non-Aboriginal practitioners), it is important to note its origins and its place in Aboriginal culture.

Although the didjeridu, as an instrument, has also spread throughout Australian Aboriginal communities, it is important to know that traditionally the instrument was originally confined to tribes and clans that inhabited the far northern coastlines of Australia, today referred to as the Top End. More specifically, this exhibition focuses on the place the didjeridu has in Yolngu (pron,Yoll-nu) culture, where the instrument is called the yidaki.

Djalu Gurruwiwi, Yolngu people, Galpu clan. Yidaki virtuoso with yidaki. Image: SA Museum.

For the Yolngu people of North East Arnhem Land, yidaki are not just musical instruments, they are social instruments, instruments of healing, and of spiritual life. The exhibition has been created in collaboration with Yolngu people, particularly with the world’s foremost authority on yidaki - Djalu Gurruwiwi, who with his family introduce visitors to the instrument, and to its power and meaning in Yolngu life.

Djalu is a senior member of the Galpu clan, from the Yolngu people of North East Arnhem Land. Amongst the Yolngu, and around the globe, he is a universally recognised authority and the musical and spiritual traditions of yidaki. A quietly spoken but passionate man … Djalu has spent his life trying to share a profound and reconciliatory worldview that starts and ends with his instrument. This exhibition is an expression of his life’s work to use yidaki in bridging the gaps of understanding between people.

Here is my short video montage:

The heart of the exhibition is contained in the many audio-visual exhibits that are placed throughout the room. I said, above, that you could walk through the exhibition space in under ten minutes, but that would be a waste of your time, effort and money. If you were to sit and watch every piece of video footage, and stand still and focus your attention on the many sounds of the Yidaki that fill the room with an ever changing soundscape, you can easily spend and hour or more learning about this remarkable instrument. The whole point of the exhibition is to give you a glimpse into Yolngu culture, from the Yolngu point of view. As the exhibition guide states: 

“Yidaki without sound are just sticks of wood. So this is not an exhibition about objects, but about what yidaki do, how they speak, and what story they tell. This is a Yolngu story, being told for you in Yolngu ways. There are no labels so you need to stop and listen every now and then. It will be good for you. Yolngu experts and custodians (through sound and screen) will guide you through the exhibition space—inviting you to explore the stringybark forest, voyage with the West Wind and become immersed in the mesmerising power of yidaki sound.”

One of the musicians that features prominently in the yidaki exhibition is William Barton. In the video below he can be seen performing a virtuoso composition of his own which showcases the incredible variety of sounds that a skilled yidaki player can produce on what is essentially a hollowed out tree limb. Note: William Barton’s performance does not begin until just after the 2:30 mark.

If You Go

Yidaki: Didjeridu and the Sound of Australia

At the South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide

Now through until July 16, 2017

Hours: 10am - 5pm daily 

Admission

Adults: $17; Concession: $12; Child (aged 5-15): $5;

Children under 5 - FREE; Family (2 adults + 3 children) $35

Mother’s Day, Greek Island Style

Waiting for the dance to begin

I wonder if the children and adults participating in the Mother’s Day celebrations held in the Ikaria village of Kampos, understand how truly important maintaining their traditions are, not just for the islanders and their island, but for the maintenance of their national culture and identity?

I was pondering this as I watched and filmed some 25 traditional dances over several hours during the evening of May 11, 2014. There were six groups of dancers ranging in age from seven or eight years through to teens and adults. Ikaria, by the way, is a small island in the Aegean Sea, not far from the Turkish coast.

The island boasts a local culture that steadfastly clings to the traditions of the past, while at the same time enjoying the many rewards and benefits of modern life. Every year, beginning in May and running right through until late September, the islanders organise a series of festivals (paniyiri) that start late, and finish even later. I’m talking 9:00pm to 9:00am, for those participants with the most stamina. The less hardy, generally older members of the community, will head home any time between 2:00am and dawn, but many have been known to match it with the young generations.

Anyway, the Mother’s Day celebrations started early-ish, and ended well before midnight. I filmed the whole event, and I have put together a video compilation of many of the dances that occurred during the night. I was positioned about ten feet above the dance ‘floor’, off to one side of the village square. It wasn’t the best position to film the participants, but I’m more than happy with the birds eye view I had of the whole event.

The celebration was as formal as you might expect for an open air, village celebration. That is to say, there were a couple of speeches followed by much dancing, hand clapping, vocal encouragement for all the dancers, constant chatter from the audience, kids running around the dance area and sometimes between the dancers themselves. The village square is located next to the main road that runs through the centre of the village, so there was a constant stream of cars, trucks, motorbikes and assorted foot traffic passing by throughout the event. None of these distractions disturbed the dancers in the least. In fact, they are part and parcel of any island celebrations.

But what I especially love about these island celebrations and traditions, is that they are embraced equally by the very young as well as by the very old. No one shouts at the kids to sit down and keep quiet, or to stay out of the way of the performers. The whole square seems as if it is being rearranging constantly by an invisible hand that manages to keep dancers, children, organisers and visitors out of each others way, as the evening progresses.

The video below provides a composite look at Mother’s Day, Greek style, as celebrated in Kampos, Ikaria on the evening of May 11, 2014.

Friday Fotos – Moon Lantern Festival

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The Moon Lantern Festival is held as part of the annual OzAsia Festival which takes place every spring in Adelaide, Australia under the direction of the Adelaide Festival Centre. The OzAsia Festival celebrates the diversity of Asian life – from the Indian subcontinent, to Japan, China and Korea, and South-East Asia and Indonesia (and a multitude of places in between).

The OzAsia Festival and the Moon Lantern Festival are great examples of how our communities are exploring the links between Australia and our neighbours in the Asian region.

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The Moon Lantern Festival takes place each year when the moon shines brightest – at the time of the full moon on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. This festival celebrates the South-East Asian belief that the moon provides positive influences over the earth during this time of the year.

The Festival brings together families to enjoy the beauty of the moon, eat moon cakes, sing songs about the moon and take pleasure in each other’s company to celebrate this special event.

For Australia, the countries of the Asian region are of critical importance. They are our closest neighbours and major trading partners. Their rich traditional and contemporary cultures provide opportunities for our social, creative and intellectual development.

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The Moon Lantern Festival is celebrated by many Asian cultures including Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Laotians, Cambodians, Koreans, Japanese, Indonesians, Malaysians and Singaporeans. For many Asian cultures, the Moon Lantern Festival is the most important date in the second half of the lunar calendar and has been celebrated for thousands of years.

In Australia ‘mid autumn’ is early spring, so the first full moon of the new season is a important time, when winter is behind us and the energy of summer is on the horizon. People celebrate the beauty of the moon at public celebrations across Australia, as well as in backyards, with lanterns and moon cakes.

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In Vietnam the Moon Lantern Festival is one of the most popular family holidays, while in Korea the festival occurs during the harvest season when Korean families thank their ancestors for providing them with rice and fruits. The Japanese too celebrate the full moon in September, admiring the moons beauty and praying for a good rice harvest.

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And yes, despite a day of clouds and overcast skies, the full moon did make an appearance right on queue, soon after the sun set in the west and the Moon Lantern Festival got underway.

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Rabindranath Tagore Exhibition, NYC

The Asia Society Museum in New York City is presenting an exhibition of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s paintings and drawings.

Titled, Rabindranath Tagore: The Last Harvest, the exhibition marks the 150th anniversary of Tagore’s birth, and is the first U.S. museum exhibition devoted to his artistic legacy. The exhibition comprises more than 60 works on paper, drawn from three collections in India.

The exhibition runs September 9 through December 31, 2011.

While I have a large volume of the collected works of Tagore’s poetry, which includes many illustrations, I must admit to being pretty much in the dark about his career as an artist. In deed, Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941) is lauded around the world as a poet and writer, yet few outside India (including myself) know that he was also a highly regarded visual artist.

A transformative figure in the modern cultural history of India, Tagore began painting in 1924 at the age of 63 (there’s hope for me yet!). He had no formal training, but his artistic practice grew from his habits as a writer and poet, with revision marks and scratched out words on his manuscripts becoming free-form doodles.

He was encouraged to pursue art by his friend Victoria Ocampo, an Argentinian socialite and poet. With Ocampo’s help, Tagore mounted the first exhibition of his artwork in Paris in May 1930. The show then travelled to Europe, Russia and the United States, earning him much critical acclaim. He continued to paint until his death at the age of 80 in 1941.

Exhibition organization
The exhibition is divided into four thematic sections. A section titled The Beginning looks at the origins and development of his drawing and painting. Beyond the Pages explores Tagore’s landscape paintings. Discovery of Rhythm considers how his creative work in other fields, particularly music and dance, enabled Tagore to project movement and gestures into pattern, forms and fields of color in his drawings and paintings. The Faces of the World section explores Tagore’s representation of the human face, the most frequently recurring form in his painting.

About Tagore’s lifeBorn in 1861 to a wealthy and prominent Bengali family, Rabindranath Tagore published his first poetry collection at the age of 17. He attended school at the University College of London in 1878, but soon returned to India to manage his father’s agricultural estates. As Tagore’s fame grew in the West, he remained devoted to political and social progress in his home state of Bengal.

Tagore received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913—the first non-European to win the prize—for the English translation of his work Gitanjali. In 1915 he was knighted by the British government, but later renounced this title in protest of British involvement in the massacre of civilians in Punjab.

Rabindranath Tagore was a passionate advocate for the abolition of the caste system and for Indian independence, and he became good friends with Mohandas Gandhi, whom he was first to dub Mahatma (“great soul”). He wrote the national anthems of both India and Bangladesh. He died in 1941 without seeing an independent India.

Unfortunately, I won’t be anywhere near New York for the remainder of 2011, so I won’t be able to visit this exhibition, or take part in other events planned around the exhibition. However, if you are lucky enough to live in New York City, or are planning a visit between now and the end of the year, why not take the time to check out this exhibition during its four month run.

For more information about programs visit Asia Society…

About Asia Society Museum
Asia Society Museum is located at 725 Park Avenue (at 70th Street), New York City. The Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. and Friday from 11:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. Closed on Mondays and major holidays. General admission is $10, seniors $7, students $5 and free for members and persons under 16. Free admission Friday evenings, 6:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m. The Museum is closed Fridays after 6:00 p.m. from July 1 through September 15.

More Information
Rabindranath Tagore Exhibition…
Asia Society website…
Wikipedia…

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Below you will find a selection of the many books by and about Tagore on Amazon.Com. Click on the images to go directly to the Amazon page to explore further.

Things You Discover Walking – Nellie’s Garden

General view of Mitcham Railway Station

Just around the corner from home is my local train station. Mitcham railway station is one of a number of stops on the Belair line. The station opened in March 1883, and over the years has played a major role in the South Australian rail system.

Modern commuter train speeding through Mitcham station

Mural painted on side of station building

For example: the "Melbourne Express" (now The Overland) used to stop at Mitcham; and the station once operated as a parcel shipping depot. During World War I, the station served as a pick-up and drop-off point for troops stationed at the Mitcham Military Camp, and finally, the railway enabled huge quantities of stone to be moved from nearby Mitcham quarries, including much of that needed for the construction of the Outer Harbour breakwater in the early 1900s.

But that’s not what this blog post is about.

This post is about Nellie’s Garden.

Detailed view of station building and mural

Alongside the heritage buildings that compose the Mitcham railway station is a delightful area of well maintained landscaped garden, known as Nellie's Garden.

General view of station building and murals

The garden is named in honour of Nellie Iris Ellis (1920-1983) who established the garden during the 1950s and 1960s. Mrs Ellis was the wife of Bob Ellis, a former stationmaster.

General view of Nellie’s Garden

General view of Nellie’s Garden

The Garden features huge old trees, many large camellias and other shrubs as well as some native species. Nellie died in 1983 and her ashes were buried here. At the northern end of the garden a plaque commemorates her association with the garden which is maintained by a volunteer group supported by the City of Mitcham.

Plaque commemorating the life and legacy of Nellie Iris Ellis

Autumn colours in Nellie’s Garden

Old station outhouse or ‘dunny’ as we like to call them in Australia.

Another in my occasional series of Things You Discover Walking posts. You never know what you will discover in your local neighborhood or town when you get out of your car or subway line and take to the streets - walking. Try it yourself one day. You may be surprised at what you find just around the corner.

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Three New York City Cultural Institutions

China Institute building in New York City

There is more to New York City than tall buildings, the bright lights of Times Square, and free rides on the Staten Island Ferry. Visitors and locals looking for something on the road less travelled might consider a visit to one of these three cultural institutions, all of which provide year-round programs of lectures, exhibitions and courses that educate, inform and help add something unique to any New York visit.

China Institute
Founded in 1926, the China Institute in America is a nonprofit educational and cultural institution whose stated purpose is:
To promote education and culture in art, literature, science, history, and other subjects among Chinese and Americans, and to cultivate a mutual understanding between China and the United States and the citizens thereof…

It does this by providing scholarships and for other expenses of students studying in the United States, and for the exchange of information and views between Chinese and Americans.

The Institute, located at 125 East 65th Street, encourages a deeper understanding of China through programs, activities, courses and seminars on the visual and performing arts, culture, history, music, philosophy, language and literature. The China Institute is the oldest bi-cultural, non-profit organization in America to focus exclusively on China.

Upcoming Programs & Events
Curator’s Lecture: Blooming in the Shadows
Thursday, September 15, 2011, 6:30 – 8 PM
Kuiyi Shen and Julia Andrews, guest co-curators of the exhibition, will speak about their work on Blooming in the Shadows: Unofficial Chinese Art, 1974–1985.

Symposium
Saturday, September 17,2011, 9 AM – 4:30 PM
Blooming in the Shadows: Art and Culture at the Dawn of the Post-Mao Era. Renowned scholars and artists will speak on history and law, art history, literature, and performance to contextualize this ground-breaking exhibition.

Art Salon
Tuesday, September 20, 2011, 6:30 – 8 PM
A rare opportunity to meet three of the artists of the No Name Group to discuss their works in the exhibition.

Short Course: Windows to a Culture —The Fascinating Chinese Proverbs II
Tuesdays, November 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29. 6:30 – 8:30 PM
By popular demand, join us for another session of fascinating lectures by Ben Wang on a specially selected collection of Chinese proverbs.
More Information…

Japan Society (New York)

Japan Society building, New York City

Founded in 1907, Japan Society is a nonprofit, nonpolitical organization that aims to bring the people of Japan and the United States closer together through understanding, appreciation and cooperation. Its mission is: "To bring the people of the United States and Japan closer together in appreciation and understanding of each other, and each other’s way of life."

It does this with a busy program of performances, exhibitions, film screenings, lectures, conferences, courses, seminars, symposia and workshops, all of which occurs at Japan Society's landmark building located near the United Nations at 333 East 47th Street, New York.

Designed by Junzō Yoshimura as the first building in New York of modern Japanese architecture and opened in 1971, the elegant structure with its distinctive facade features a three-story indoor bamboo water garden, a 262-seat theater, art gallery, library, conference and administration facilities, and the world renowned Toyota Language Center.

Toyota Language Center
Beginning in 1972 with a single class, the Toyota Language Center has grown into one of the most respected learning resources in the nation for the study of Japanese language, offering comprehensive levels of Japanese as well as a variety of advanced and specialized courses, workshops and conversation classes. In 2005-2006 over 2,000 students were enrolled in 165 classes.

The C.V. Starr Library
Japan Society's C.V. Starr Library contains roughly 14,000 volumes (primarily in English), offering Society members a comprehensive resource for information on Japanese art, history, culture, society, politics, religion and many other subjects.

Upcoming Programs & Events
Exhibition: Fiber Futures: Japan's Textile Pioneers
Friday, September 16 — Sunday, December 18
Moving far beyond traditional utility, Japan's textile pioneers fuse past and present to create innovative, beautiful and sometimes challenging works of art.

Japan's Beer Revolution: The Birth, Death, and Resurrection of Japanese Craft Brewing
Wednesday, October 5, 6 PM
Thanks to Japanese craftsmanship, gourmet ingredients and attention to quality, craft beer in Japan has recently experienced a revolution.

Nintendo: What's Next for the House of Mario?
Thursday, October 6, 6:30 PM
Has a change in the industry toward lower-priced games for smartphones or tablets caught Nintendo flat-footed or will one of Japan's greatest corporations again find its way?
More information…

The Korea Society

Korea Society located on 8th floor of this 950 Third Avenue building

Like it Asian neighbours mentioned above, the Korea Society, at 950 Third Ave, New York, is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan, organization dedicated solely to the promotion of greater awareness, understanding and cooperation between the people of the United States and Korea. In pursuit of its mission, the Society arranges programs that facilitate discussion, exchanges and research on topics of vital interest to both countries in the areas of public policy, business, education, intercultural relations and the arts.

In 2006, The Korea Society became the official organizing body for the annual New York Korean Film Festival. Operating since 2001, the New York Korean Film Festival has become the largest showcase of Korean-made films in North America.

Upcoming Programs & Events
Korea for Beginners - Summer 2011
This series of workshops for educators, immerses participants in Korean language, history, religion, literature, film, politics, and pop culture, as well as the global tensions surrounding North Korea.

A Taste of The Kimchi Chronicles: Korean Cooking for an American Kitchen
Join The Korea Society in welcoming Marja Vongerichten, star of the new PBS series Kimchi Chonicles, and wife of famed chef Jean-Georges, as she cooks and shares recipes from her newly released cookbook, The Kimchi Chronicles.

Minhwa: Korean Folk Painting Workshop
Minhwa commonly refers to a genre of Korean folk art from the late Chosŏn era (17th–19th C.). Based on Shamanic, Buddhist, or Confucian themes, Minhwa, as a popular form, conveys freshness and vitality in a relaxed ambiance.

The Writings of Lee UFan
The Korea Society presents the writings of celebrated artist, poet, and philosopher Lee UFan, in conjunction with the Guggenheim Museum's retrospective exhibition, Lee UFan: Marking Infinity (June 24-September 28, 2011).

More information…

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