New Picasso Ceramics museum to open in Vallarius

Picasso's ceramics is from a PBS special

I have adored Picasso's ceramics from when I first spotted one. So much so that I was surprised to see I had not mentioned them in my many Picasso blog posts in the past. 

So I was excited to see this on artnet.com: 

Picasso’s Storied Ceramics Studio to Reopen as Museum: The Madoura Pottery workshop in Vallarius, France is undergoing an $8.2 million renovation.

Pablo Picasso’s famed ceramics studio is getting a second life, complete with a museum and lush new gardens. After nearly 30 years behind closed doors, the Madoura Pottery workshop in Vallauris, France is set to reopen to the public in 2027 following a €7 million ($8.2 million) transformation.

The atelier was opened 1938 by Suzanne Ramié, a significant French ceramicist, and her husband Georges. Over the years, it has been the birthplace of great acts of creativity by 20th-century greats like Picasso, Matisse, and Marc Chagall, before closing in 1997. Nearly three decades later, the mayor of the local city of Vallarius, Kevin Luciano, has spearheaded a major renovation project that will see the ruin welcome visitors once more.. [continue reading on artnet.com]

You can see photos of the site during construction in the article above or from kevin.lucianio21 on Instagram.

The new Picasso Ceramics museum is set to open in Vallarius in the spring of 2027.

If I was still travelling, this one would be worth building a trip on. Maybe someone will do that, if they stumble across this post.

You can read more about the studio's history, and the alarm at its possible demise, before the recent restoration project began: Picasso’s Legendary Ceramics Studio Under Threat (also from artnet.com).

Below are a few works I adore and a few articles about Picasso's ceramics.

Understanding Picasso's Ceramics - Artsper Magazine

The Story Behind Picasso Ceramics - artnet.com

Never-Before-Seen Picasso Ceramics Hit the Auction Block in Geneva - artnet.com

Picasso, the potter: A new look at the artist’s bravado in ceramics - LA Times

Picasso Ceramics History and Valuation - picasso-ceramics.org

Life at Vallauris - picasso-ceramics.org

Students as historians

Came across this interesting piece directed at students and how they can contribute to the historical record by documenting their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. Check it out...

While finishing up hectic finals schedules and trying to sort out summer plans, it can be tempting to only focus  on when this will be over –– when students can return to campus, see their friends again and resume “normal” activities. Given how all-consuming the news surrounding the pandemic has become, it’s no surprise that the focus remains how to get through it. Everyone wants this to be over soon. But, it is equally important to document the small ways the virus has impacted everyday life — to recognize and record its effects. By writing, journaling and creating, students can play a role in the collection of history... [continue reading in the Daily Trojan].

Students should make a record of their life during the coronavirus pandemic - Daily Trojan

Museums engage rapid response teams

A few more museum initiatives on documenting life during a pandemic:

London's Victoria and Albert Museum has
put its Rapid Response Collecting team to work

Museums Scramble to Document the Pandemic, Even as It Unfolds - New York Times

Around the world, the coronavirus outbreak has sent legions of emergency medical and health care workers into overdrive. But it has also meant work for a handful of curators and museum researchers in Europe, charged with tracking the events and implications of the crisis, even as it happens. Most of them do not know exactly how or when their findings will be used, but they are confident that future generations of museum workers — and visitors — will want the information... [continue reading the New York Times article].

The International Center of Photography
is collecting on Instagram (#ICPConcerned)

Museums Are Urgently Collecting Homemade Masks and Other Ephemera From the Coronavirus Pandemic to Document History as It Unfolds - ArtNet

Curators call the practice "urgent response collecting"... As many of our minds are focused on how to fight the spread of disease, museums are thinking about how to best document this unique period in history and to preserve elements of the crisis as it unfolds... As a starting point for the current crisis, the Museum of the City of New York and the International Center of Photography are both utilizing Instagram (under the respective hashtags #CovidStoriesNYC and #ICPConcerned)... [continue reading on ArtNet for more initiatives].

Canadian Museum of Human Rights: Acts of Kindness

The Canadian Museum of Human Rights is asking,
"What acts of kindness have lifted your spirits
during the Covid-19 pandemic?” 

The UK based Museums Association has created guidelines for how museums should go about collecting pandemic-related content, as well as a toolkit.

In How are museums collecting during coronovirus shutdown? the association profiles 10 museums and their COVID-19 collection efforts, nine in the United Kingdom, and one in Canada(!).

Canadian Museum of Human Rights, Winnipeg 

The Canadian Museum of Human Rights is asking people to create and share videos responding to the question: “What acts of kindness have lifted your spirits during the Covid-19 pandemic?” Selected videos will then appear on the museum’s website (there are 16 videos so far).

To read what the nine UK museums are doing, continue reading on the association's website.

Royal BC Museum: Collecting For Our Time

I posted a few days ago about two interesting initiatives around diarizing life during COVID-19: Documenting life during a pandemic. Since then, I've heard a few more such stories, so will continue this as a little series, as I find them. 

Royal BC Museum - COVID-19: Collecting For Our Time

The Royal BC Museum recently launched a project that invites British Columbians to share stories of their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Collecting For Our Time demontrates how museums are evolving as spaces for reflection and dialog. By seeking contributions from the community, the project is also educating the public how and why museums collect. This involvement will help all of us treasure the long-term value of the collection.

"Right now we’re collecting information. So write to us at forourtime@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca. Tell us what you think should be captured for the future. What do you think will best tell generations to come who we were and what we lived through? You can send us a few lines, a link to a tweet, a photo or a poem... [continue reading on the RBCM website]."

Museums in the age of COVID-19

Time just published a timely piece: 5 Ways to Bring Art Into Your Home While Museums Are Closed. A few highlights:

As part of widespread efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus, many of the world’s major cultural institutions have closed their doors... these institutions’ closure brings a reminder of the importance of the museum’s place in society during times of need. Research has shown that viewing art can reduce stress and anxiety, increase motivation and serve as a mood booster... And museums also play a crucial role in creating a more empathic world. They preserve the past, remind us of our place in the present and give us hope for the future. But the inability to set foot in a museum for the foreseeable future need not be synonymous with the absence of art from people’s lives. Under the Instagram hashtag #MuseumFromHome, cultural institutions have shared several informative posts about their collections and other artworks in an effort to continue to share knowledge and culture with the public, despite the closings. And there are many other ways to get your arts and culture fix from home via the internet, exploring museums that would otherwise require a plane ride to visit..." [continue reading on Time].

5 Ways to Bring Art Into Your Home While Museums Are Closed - Time

BIG list of museum podcasts

I stumbled across a great blog post the other day, essentially a collection of podcasts by museums around the globe. Whether you're preparing to visit a particular museum, are a podcast-addict or just live a curious life, Hannah Hethmon's hard work collecting all these podcasts, is sure to please.

Hannah Hethmon's BIG list of museum podcasts

Every Museum Podcast in One Big List

My own podcast about Icelandic museums, Museums in Strange Places, has given me the chance to see “behind-the-curtain” in so many amazing museums, and if I’ve learned one thing, it’s that museums are leaving so many of their most human and compelling stories untold. Since it’s through podcasting that I’ve discovered these stories, I started to wonder how museums around the world were using podcasting to have a more intimate platform for telling stories and engaging their audience. To that end, I scoured all the podcasting platforms and reached out to the Twitterverse and Facebook groups to compile the most complete list of podcasts by museums on the internet. 

How the List is Organized (and Who I Left Off)  

I’ve divided the podcasts I’ve found into history museums, science and natural history museum, art museums, and a category for mixed-interest and other museums that don’t fit in the previous groups... [continue reading Every Museum Podcast in One Big List].

Picasso Exhibits 2016

An enlargement of Picasso's 1934 sculpture,
The Bust of Sylvette
(read how I tracked it down in NYC)

Late last night I happened to be scouting about for Picasso exhibits this year, thinking I may travel to one, if a destination appeals (yeah to being able to travel again soon!). Imagine my surprise and delight to learn about the PICASSO: The Artist and His Muses exhibit coming to the VAG June 11 to October 2, 2016. FANTASTIC!!!

I have followed Picasso on my travels, visiting special Picasso exhibits in Aix-en-Provence, Barcelona, and New York.... I have visited Picasso museums in Barcelona, Berlin and Paris.... I have also tracked down Picassos in the permanent collections of museums in Madrid and several in New York (and I'm sure I am forgetting some!).... I do love Picasso!

PICASSO: The Artist and His Muses
June 11 to October 2, 2016
Vancouver Art Gallery
PICASSO: The Artist and His Muses Exhibit info
Muses explored in Picasso exhibit coming to Vancouver Art Gallery

Elsewhere...

The Barnes Foundation Premieres Major New Picasso Exhibition In Philadelphia

Picasso: Genie Without a Pedestal
Musée des Civilisations de l'Europe et de la Méditerranée, Marseille
April 27 to August 29, 2016

Picasso – Shape Transformations, 1895-1972
Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest
April 21 to July 31, 2016

Picasso Portraits
National Portrait Gallery, London
October 6, 2016 to February 5, 2017
A brush with Picasso: rare portraits to be displayed in London

------

So sad I missed these:
Picasso Sculpture, September 14, 2015–February 7, 2016 at the MoMa
Picasso Exhibit at MoMa

Some of my Picasso experiences

Trip Reflections: My week in Aix-en-Provence with Picasso

Trip Reflections: Paris, Picasso and Heartstrings

Picasso Museum in Paris is inspiring... and closing!

In the Big Apple: Leaving New York

Drunk on Picassos

Today at the Guggenheim

Check out #MuseumWeek on Twitter

#MusuemWeek runs March 23-29, 2015

This week, world of museums, quite literally, will be all atwitter about, well, museums! @MuseumWeek is a week-long global initiative involving more than 1800 museums, curators and enthusiasts. The e-vent takes place on Twitter, with a daily theme.

I only stumbled on the initiative today, and it is already live in New Zealand. The cool thing about the online world is that you don't have to stick to your own timezone, so if you're keen, you can timetravel and start right now!

There is one global hashtag - #MuseumWeek - and 7 daily themes each its own hashtag:


#secretsMW

Monday March 23:

The week kicks of Monday by museums far and wide giving you a behind-the-scenes look into their worlds. Who knows what secrets and surprises will be revealed? Regardless, expect a treasure trove of new-to-you museums to discover. Follow #secretsMW on Monday.

#souvenirsMW

Tuesday March 24:

On Tuesday, you are invited to share our own memories of museum visits, and your souvenirs from museums (yes, take a picture of your MOMA mug!). Should make for an interesting and engaging day of museum encounter stories! Follow #souvenirsMW on Tuesday.

#architectureMW

Wednesday March 25:

Wednesday is dedicated to the architecture of museums: the buildings, the gardens and surrounding areas. You'll have an opportunity to explore the history and heritage of museums world-wide. Get ready to say wow a lot. Follow #architectureMW on Wednesday.

#inspirationMW

Thursday March 26:

Thursday is another day for sharing. Not sure I totally understand how this one will work, but the official message is, "Now it’s your turn to create and share for posterity! Art, science, history and ethnography are all around us. To your smartphones!" Follow #inspirationMW on Thursday.

#familyMW

Friday March 27:

Friday is dedicated to families. This theme turns to pre-weekend planning for family trips to your local museum. Those responsible for school trips will also get lots of ideas from the museum community. Follow #familyMW on Friday.

#favMW

Saturday March 28:

The weekend kicks off Saturday with an invitation to share with your favourites. The organizers are suggesting favourites works, conferences, locations, and so on - in 140-character messages, videos, photos or Vines. Sounds like a nice wide-open book! Follow #favMW on Saturday.

#poseMW

Sunday March 29:

The weekend wraps up Sunday with an invitation to get creative and share poses, memes or selfies. Given all the recent controversy about museums banning selfie-sticks (which I happen to agree with), it should be a diverse mix of images and discussion. Maybe I'll post a picture of me outside a museum... Follow #poseMW on Sunday.


I hope this inspires you to check out Museum Week, and to have fun with it.

I'm not sure how I'll participate, but I am loosely planning to follow the hashtags, and possibly post a few things, especially on the days that appear to given over to sharing: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. 

Useful links:
Follow @MuseumWeek
Read #MuseumWeek tweets
What is #MuseumWeek?
List of museums participating worldwide (1800+)
7 days, 7 themes, 7 hashtags!
#MuseumWeek in other languages
日本語 Español Français Português עברית   العربية русский हिंदी Deutsch Italiano 

In the Big Apple: The Meetles

Earlier today I mentioned in my In the Big Apple: Sunday in NYC post about stumbling upon The Meetles, a Beatles and 60's tribute band, playing in Central Park. We had fun and stayed for hours. The music was so good it was better than any paid concert we could have gone to. So this post provides a bit more info and lotsa pictures....

First some pics of the band. Loved this dude, he was always smiling with a cute little grin.
Great harmonies...

One half of the band... a bit of a motley crew to look at, but they sounded amazing!

The drummer guy studies the play list (or ?) when he's not needed for a bit. In another tune, I saw him eating a sandwich when he only needed his feet engaged. The girl was his backup for the drums when he took a break.

One of the vocalists...

Jammin'... One of the cool things was that in addition to the favourites, they also played less well known Beatles songs, several I'd never heard before. Kept it interesting.

This side of the band was a lively crew. And fun, as they came and went over time...

Love the passion with which these guys sang. Later on we ended up sitting on the bench behind them, so heard their between songs chatter... lots of sharing of Beatles trivia and discussions on cords. It was fun to witness when they played something the band had never played before.

I truly thought this dude was some famous musician, the likes of Johnny or Edgar Winters (though I saw Edgar a few years a go and he looked much older). But probably just another dude. Unlike the others, his expressions never gave anything away... but he knew his stuff.Now, to some fan pics... Look at the guy in the hat; he was totally getting into it. And the girl in the front was truly mezmerized; she sat cross-legged in the same spot on the cement for about 3 hours and sang along to every song (couldn't hear her, but her lips never stopped moving). A modern day groupie, without the funny business, perhaps.... regardless, she was cute.

This pedicab driver game up trying to find business, and bopped and sang along. He had some good antics and made me smile more than once.

After we'd sat on the bench behind the band, we got a new view of the audience. People were clearly loving it.

These two very serious curious kids snuck in beside the uber-fan girl...

More happy fans...

Especially loved the lady in the walker, once she sat down she had the time of her life, and kept up the beat with her clapping. I think the lady behind her was a doctor, or something like that (she was carrying a bag that said 'surgery')... the little kids, of course, were all adorable.

This lady was SO happy. She arrived on the scene and called out "I'll be back!"... we thought she meant that she was leaving and would return, but of course it was a name of a Beatles song! Which they obliged and played for her. She was jumping up and down with glee afterwards.

More sidewalk fans...

Making people happy on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

Cutest kid of all. Possible future band member.

All good stuff. I'm pretty sure I'll be seeking out this band again when I'm back in town again, or even again this trip. The Meetles play weekends on the subways and sunny Sundays in the same spot. If you are ever in New York City, they are really worth seeking out. They apparently put their schedule on The Meetles Facebook page.

Athens' Fabulous New Acropolis Museum

My sister and I made a visit to the FABULOUS new Acropolis Museum in Athens yesterday. It really is quite wonderful. This is a picture of the two of us, believe it or not. I was up on the 3rd floor, and happened to pause to look through the glass floors (yes!) and there was my sister on the ground floor taking another look at the lovely ceramics that lined the entrance to the museum. Just another pic of random people looking down through the floors. Beyond the last people you see are more glass floors, which display the archaeological site exposed beneath the museum. You can read more about how they built the new museum here.

Look down from your chair at the ground floor cafe and this is what you see. The cafe was great, good food, cheap and great service. I had my first Greek coffee, and my sister had her first Greek frappe, and our server was so much fun. I could have a Greek coffee as long as I had a single only and had it sweetened, and drank it slowly. Similar story with my sis' coffee. Once in awhile our server would walk by and say, "drink slower!"... heh.

No pics are allowed inside but I had to sneak this one in (the marble bust/chest is Poseidon; to the left is a chunk of Athena's upper torso/head). This is in the Parthenon Gallery and is an exhibit showing what remains of the Parthenon Marbles - sculpltures which adorned the Parthenon. The missing pieces are in the British Museum, and there is an international effort underway to have them returned to Greece. The old excuse of Greece not having a place to display them properly and keep them safe has been blown away by this rooftop gallery in which you can walk the full perimeter of a space the size of the Parthenon and see all that has been recovered - with gaping holes for what is missing. It is a spectacular space as it is, but think how wonderful it would be if the marbles were returned. Read more here and here.

Another pic I snuck of the Parthenon Gallery, taken just behind the pic above, which shows the spectacular location of the musuem, right below the Acropolis. Truly stunning.

Downstairs, near the musuem entrance, they have a film showing and the people were perched on the coolest little clear coloured stools, kind of like toadstools.

This is the entrance to the museum itself. After the ticket booths, there is a long, gently sloping walkway (they call it the slopes of the Acropolis) with glass floors and lined with ancient ceramics found on the site.

A view of the Parthenon (the building) and the Acropolis (the entire hilltop site) from the 2nd floor restaurant. Would be a marvelous spot to have a drink on a sunny day... BTW, this is the opposite side of the Acropolis from what we see where we are staying.

Neat pic outside the museum as we were leaving. You can walk all around this open view to the ruins below. The Acropolis is just up those stairs, to the left.

And, yes, we were the last ones in the musuem, very politely kicked out as they closed the doors at 8:00pm. We had arrived around 4:00, so it was neat to see the building by both day and night. Oh, and it's 1E to enter the musuem until the end of the year, giving the locals a good chance to get to know their new treasure. I am sure it is already on lists of the top 10 museums in the world - or, if not, it soon will be. I imagine the Athenians, and all Greeks, are proud of this museum, as they should be.

We feel very lucky to have been here at this time, rather than a year ago, as this is a definite trip highlight.