Tag: art

Mexico City, Mexico travel

Stepping Into Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera’s Mexico City

by Gracefully Global travels •
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It is hard to imagine that two artists alone could make an indelible mark on a city that would sustain for decades, a century, or more.  Yet Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo’s legacy in Mexico City – the fifth largest city in the world – is still very real and tangible.  As a photographer, theatre artist, and arts advocate, I feel at home in cities that embrace art, and Mexico City is no exception.  I relished every opportunity on my recent trip to experience the Mexico that Rivera and Kahlo knew and loved, taking in their art and visiting their homes and haunts.
In fact, I dedicated an entire day-and-a-half of my Mexico City vacation to my immersion into the world of Diego and Frida.  Here’s where I went:

Museo Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo
Calle Diego Rivera 2, Álvaro Obregón, San Angel Inn, 01060
+52 55 8647 5470
The home and studio of Diego Rivera where Frida Kahlo also lived and worked for many years, famous for its incredible architecture by Juan O’Gorman.
Time needed: 1 to 2 hours

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San Ángel Inn
Calle Diego Rivera 50, Álvaro Obregón, San Ángel Inn, 01060
+52 55 5616 1402
Across the street from Diego Rivera’s home and studio, the pair were known regulars at the bar in this gorgeous inn.
Time needed: 1 to 2 hours

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Museo Frida Kahlo
Londres 247, Del Carmen, Coyoacán, 04100
+52 55 5554 5999
La Casa Azul, Frida’s childhood home and where she lived for much of her adult life, made famous by the film, Frida.
Time needed: 2 to 3 hours
Tip: Reserve your visit online in advance!  Otherwise, there is a good chance you won’t get in.

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Leon Trotsky Museum
Rio Churubusco 410, Coyoacán, Del Carmen, 04100
+52 55 5658 8732
Trotsky, a Soviet Marxist revolutionary, was granted political asylum in Mexico in 1936 due to his fans, Frida and Diego, urging the president of Mexico to do so.  He and his wife lived at Casa Azul until his affair with Frida made things dicey, at which time he bought his own house just a short walk from Casa Azul, which is now a museum.
Time needed: 1 to 2 hours

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Palacio Nacional
Plaza de la Constitución S/N, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06066
+52 55 3688 1255
The seat of the federal executive in Mexico, this gorgeous federal complex is worth a long visit.  Part of the visit will be to take in Diego Rivera’s famous murals adorning the exterior walls of a major stairwell and several hallways.
Time needed: 2 to 3 hours
Tip: Allow extra time to check in with security.  They require a picture ID.  It would be a good idea to combine this visit with your visit to the historic center, zócalo, and cathedral.

If you are interested in seeing more of Diego’s artwork, this blogger outlines where to find other Rivera murals in the city.  Another museum to check out is the Anahuacalli Museum, built after Rivera’s death to house his huge art collection.

Stay tuned for blog posts outlining each of my experiences.  I’ll be starting with the moments of my adventures that stood out the most at Diego and Frida’s home and studio.

El Centro, CA, Photo Tours, Travel: My stories, United States travel

Happy Mother’s Day to my mother, the artist

by Gracefully Global travels •

My mom sometimes worries – as many moms do – that she hasn’t been the best mom.  But “best” in this case, as in every case, is just relative.  Who in this case would be the definitive judge of all moms in terms of being “the best?”  Donna Reed? Michelle Obama? Angelina Jolie?  The idea of a “best mom contest” is kind of hilarious, maybe because it is such a personal role.

True, my mother was not waiting for me when I got home from school with freshly baked cookies.  Or tagging along on my school trips. Instead of living her life through me and my activities, my mom was pursuing her passion for art, and bringing me along on that ride of discovery.  I can think if no better way of learning about life and living than through art, and for that, my mom is the best mom, for me. 🙂

When I was in her belly in Togo, West Africa, she was scouring the African beaches for the most beautiful shells, and taking them home and sketching them.

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My mom with me as a newborn on the steps of our home in Lomé, Togo, West Africa.

When I was a toddler, she was pursuing her masters in photography at Indiana University and using me as her model as she experimented with large format photography.

When I was in grammar school, she was forging new artistic territory in our border home in Southern California, setting up photography exhibits of her hip-shots in Mexicali and large format photography of Mexican families.   She would often bring me with her to Mexico when she was shooting.  Even as a six-year-old I would get nervous crossing the border, and worry that I would forget where I was born when the border patrol agent asked me.  She would always patiently remind me.

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Another one of my mom’s classics, this one of me and my cousins.

When I was in high school, she was working long hours as a newspaper photographer, documenting the stories that needed to be told in our low-income community.  She would bring me along on stories she knew I would especially love, like watching baby pigs be born late one night, and visiting a buffalo farm.

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My mom shooting the desert outside my hometown.

She painted in the little spare time that she had.  Now, my mom’s art is sculpting the environment of her backyard, a garden oasis in the desert.

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A recent shot of this year’s spring blooms in my mom’s garden.

I thank my mom for giving me a love and ability for art both through nature, and nurture.

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One of my mom’s beautiful shots of her garden.

But better yet, the drive behind my mom’s pursuance of art is perhaps the best qualities she has – curiosity, passion, intelligence, and independence.  Having had a mom that waited for me to get home every day would have given me a lot of security, but instead I was given something that I think I needed more.  Independence and curiosity are instrumental qualities for being a successful traveler and photographer, and I don’t think I would have ever been able to realize my life of traveling without these skills my mom taught me as a role model and as her apprentice.

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My mom enjoying shooting for fun on a trip we took to London.

So on this day I hope my mom, and all moms, know how much they have given us, and can challenge themselves to enjoy that, without worry or doubt, for at least the twenty-four hours of this awesome day, Mother’s Day.  Happy Mother’s Day Mom!!

Bologna, Italy Travel, Life in Bologna, Photo Tours, Travel: My stories

Kite flying at midnight, Notte Bianca, and how I fell in love with Bologna again

by Gracefully Global travels •

The infatuation for Italy that I arrived here with has been substituted with a real, sincere love based on a foundation of its awesomeness: the tangible, ever-present appreciation for enjoying the best things in life – food, people, traveling, and culture.  Bologna’s annual Notte Bianca, a.k.a. Art City White Night, is a great example of this.

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Similar events in the US (on a smaller scale) include Ray at Night in San Diego and the monthly Pittsburgh gallery crawl, but due to the infrequency of Art City White Night and the given respect for its sister event, Arte Fiera, Notte Bianca is truly an opportunity to see the beautiful nooks and crannies of Bologna’s heritage that are rarely open to the public. Really, it is kind of tourist’s dream.

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My first year in Bologna, Art City White Night was struck by bitter cold and it was all I could do to make it out of the house. Subsequent years I have made the fatal mistake of taking Art City White Night as an opportunity to eat and drink in good company. But I was overwhelmingly mistaken, because bars and restaurants are open every night, and during Art City White Night, they are an overcrowded nightmare.

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So, third time’s a charm. This year, my final year, I happened to be on photo assignment for a local contemporary art magazine, Droste Effect Magazine, and I was determined to visit as many participating locations as possible. Alone, and lugging a lot of equipment, I was not anticipating a great evening. But, as what you expect always seems to end up completely opposite, the evening was absolutely marvelous. I was continually floored by what I discovered…a constant grab bag of delights and possibly my best night ever in Bologna. I am no expert on visual art. But I love these events because you don’t have to know anything about art.  The city was bursting with people discovering their city and having fun.  Not bad.

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And, I tell ya, I will not soon forget the beauty I witnessed on Saturday. I stumbled into places I’ve been countless times, like the historic grocery market, that I will never see the same way after following the beautiful sound of an accordion only to discover a man passionately playing amongst the quiet stalls of vegetable merchants.

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Or the main piazza, Piazza Maggiore, which I walked through on my way to another gallery, only to find myself surrounded by people flying kites at midnight.  I was dumfounded for a moment…kites?  Midnight?  Winter? Only in Italy… 🙂  It will be forever burned into my memory.

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But really, the opportunity to go behind closed doors was the most memorable, from a famously transformed historical church boasting a contemporary art installation on the altar, which was an amazing juxtaposition of contemporary and historical art,

Flavio Favelli at Oratorio San Filippo Neri, Bologna

to skipping an art exhibit in favor of just enjoying the staircase leading to the show, which was hidden within city’s administration buildings. This is the most dramatic staircase I have ever encountered, and unfortunately, my photo doesn’t do it justice.

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Another highlight was being invited into the city’s more exclusive locations, like The Grand Hotel Majestic, where the likes of Elton John and Princess Diana have stayed while visiting Bologna,

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and marveling at the frescos on the ceilings of the beautiful buildings in the city center.

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I am trying to compare this evening to a similar evening in my life, but I really can’t think of anything that can compare.  I felt like Alice in Wonderland, wandering through Bologna with no idea what marvel or magical character I would find next. And in the end, a powerful reminder of what a gift it has been to live in this beautiful place.

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Illustrious Instants, Ojai, CA, Travel Opinion, United States travel

The Elusive Ojai “Pink Moment”

by Gracefully Global travels •

Do you ever find yourself on vacation, overwhelmed by the beauty that you’ve walked into, and in a momentary moment of emotional clarity, wonder what you ever did to deserve experiencing this beauty?

The first occurrence of that moment on my trip to Ojai, California, came to me during this sunset, with the blue mountains crisply running across the horizon and soft pink light illuminating from behind them as if painted by watercolor, highlighting little puffs of clouds running above the silhouette of a solitary oak tree. I thought, “This is Ojai.  How did I get here??”

A signature for Ojai, the “Pink Moment” is a rare pink effect in the sunset occurring right before the sun sets, and happens thanks to Ojai’s east-west running Sulphur and Topatopa Mountains.

But there is oh-so much more to find here in Ojai.  A little-known gem about an hour east of Santa Barbara, Ojai is the name for “moon” in the language of the Chumash Indians, who were among the first to discover this valley.  The area is characterized by a mediterranean climate making it ideal for olive and grape growing, harkening back my memories of traveling through Puglia, Italy, and many train trips through the valleys and gently rolling golden hills of Tuscany.

Needless to say, Ojai plays host to countless artists looking for – and finding – inspiration.  Here, on this incredible backdrop, I am here to help support a group of playwrights developing new plays for the American theatre, and supported by directors, actors, producers, and theatre professionals.  They gather annually for the Ojai Playwrights Conference in search of their figurative “Pink Moment,” where the intersection of their creative processes creates something that will resonate in the imaginations and the hearts of their future audiences.

What makes the “Pink Moment” special is its rarity and intangibility.  We come to Ojai, and other beautiful places, looking to be inspired by this beauty.  But if we have to prepare ourselves for it – it doesn’t wait for us.  And we often miss them, or don’t recognize them when we see them.  I’m here, and I’m ready!  Hope you are too. 🙂