The San Francisco Fall Antiques Show, today through Sunday at Fort Mason Center, marks its third decade with the theme “hidden treasures,” inspired by the traditional 30th anniversary gift: the pearl. Lisa Podos, show organizer for the past several years, says, “Hidden treasures have an element of surprise, such as trompe l’oeil, or architect Andy Skurman’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ installation at the show’s entrance — where the size and perspective of the architectural element is whimsically blown up.”
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As Hollywood was during the Great Depression, as Bollywood is for vast masses of India’s poor, the Asian Art Museum’s new exhibit diverts attention from economic problems so apparent in the museum’s Civic Center neighborhood.“Maharaja: The Splendor of India’s Royal Courts” is a luxurious vacation to the far-away, long-gone world of the princely courts of the Subcontinent.
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By:
Murray Paskin
10/19/11 8:30 PM
A memorial exhibition of work by Nathan Oliveira at John Berggruen Gallery exemplifies to an unusually high degree the seemingly endless creativity, inventiveness and variety that characterizes his art. Oils on canvases, watercolors, sculpture, acrylic, ink, charcoals and monotypes — 42 pieces in all — fill two floors. Among the show’s highlights are Oliveira’s 13 last paintings, most of which were finished a few months before his death on Nov. 13, 2010.
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Few composers survive varied interpretations and levels of performance quality as well as Mozart; the music almost always wins over circumstances. That was the case on opening night of San Francisco Opera’s new production of “Don Giovanni.”
When Nicola Luisotti began to conduct the overture on Saturday, the sound from the orchestra was unusually restrained, and the performance continued in the same vein for almost three hours, until the finale caught fire.
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Artist Richard Serra is famous for his gigantic steel sculptures. What he is less known for are his drawings, now the subject of a fascinating exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.“Richard Serra Drawing: A Retrospective,” which opened Saturday, illuminates the creative process of one of the world’s great 20th-century artists. The landmark exhibition includes roughly 70 works, from densely layered geometric shapes to sketchbooks that have never been shown before.
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Nicola Luisotti answers interview questions quickly, enthusiastically and completely — except one.Where do he and his wife Rita find porcini in the wild on their mushroom hunts in and around The City? Known for his generosity to colleagues and audiences, the maestro draws the line at giving away that secret.When the San Francisco Opera music director — conducting Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” opening Saturday — arrived here three years ago, he spoke glowingly about The City, which reminds him of his native Tuscany.
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Art doesn’t stay in one place for long. It moves from trend to trend, easel to frame, private homes to public spaces, and in the case of a participatory art project called Papergirl SF, from artist to gallery to doorsteps across San Francisco.On Oct. 29, volunteers — in a process similar to that of a newspaper route — will cycle around The City, delivering rolled-up works of art to doorsteps.“I really like the whole concept of collecting art and giving it to the community,” says Papergirl SF co-founder Heather Tompkins.
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In 1923, a man strapped in a leather straitjacket was hoisted upside down and dangled outside The San Francisco Examiner offices at the Hearst Building on the corner of Third and Market streets, 100 feet above 30,000 people.In less than three minutes he wriggled free, to the uproarious applause of the crowd. The man was Harry Houdini, the date was March 19, and Oscar H. Fernbach, The Examiner reporter on duty, wrote: “For a moment he was motionless. Then a ripple seemed in play along his spine. A systematic rhythmic convulsion was going on inside that straitjacket.”
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Performing arts organizations often open their fall seasons in September, but there are some exceptions. In The City, a prominent example of a late start — avoiding heavy traffic — is San Francisco Performances.Yet the group’s 32nd season’s offerings during its October-to-May run — dozens of piano, vocal and guitar recitals, chamber music, dance and jazz concerts — are worth the wait. San Francisco Performances, founded by Ruth Felt, also offers lower ticket prices than some of its competitors.
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There are always two good reasons to see Smuin Ballet. One is to see what resident choreographer Amy Seiwert has up her sleeve, and two is to see Erin Yarbrough-Stewart perform.At opening night of its 2011 fall season, Smuin Ballet, under direction of Celia Fushille, delivered both, with a potpourri from Michael Smuin’s oeuvre beginning the program.
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URL: http://www.sfexaminer.com/archive/17561/17561?page=8&type[story]=story
