In these economic times, it is hard to imagine that the University of California will be able to complete this endeavor, but if it comes to be, it will certainly add to the cultural landscape of Berkeley and the entire Bay Area.

The new location is at the western edge of the campus at the intersection of Center and Oxford Streets, allowing the museum to serve both the campus and the community. It will be joining other downtown Berkeley venues for the arts, The Berkeley Repertory Theater, the soon to open Freight and Salvage venue for acoustic music, the soon to move Judah L. Magnes Museum, and close by on campus, Zellerbach Hall.

Like a peaceful stream, the visitor's path through the museum will balance stillness and movement. The observer will never feel blocked off or boxed in, but is allowed to flow through the exhibits, free to linger or free to stroll and come upon what's around the next bend.

To the left: A 2001
Charlie Rose Interview regarding Vermeer

Resource helpful for the current Vermeer exhibits: In 2001, Charlie Rose conducted this enlightening hour-long interview with Philippe de Montebello, the Metropolitan Museum Director, and Walter Liedtke, the curator of the Metropolitan Museum's Department of European Painting on the occasion of the New York Metropolitan Museum's exhibition entitled "Vermeer and the Delft School" (March 8 - May 7, 2001).

This new impressively striking structure mirrors its Blue Ridge Mountain surroundings while capturing the the spirit of the Shenandoah Valley. It was designed by LA architect Randall Stout, Inc., known for their sustainable green structures, and proves to be a fine counterpoint to Roanoke's older architecture.

Inside, the museum's permanent collection includes 19th and 20th century American paintings, ancient Mediterranean and European art, new media art, photography, and Japanese prints.

Since 1998, the Horace G. Fralin Charitable Trust has assisted the museum in acquiring works by a number of notable artists, Winslow Homer, Childe Hassam, Maurice Prendergast, John Singer Sargent, Robert Henri, Norman Rockwell, George Inness and others.

The museum has established groups to assist in acquisitions, including the Collector's Circle who continue to seek out and acquire new works. For more, visit their website at http://www.taubmanmuseum.org | Back to the Top

David F. Setford, the Hyde Collection's executive director, notes that impressionism found fertile ground in California during the first years of the twentieth century. He explains that California's climate and extraordinarily diverse landscape became popular for painters who would paint plein air,

infusing their work with natural light and color. Exhibits of California impressionist paintings have been rare in the Northeast. This exhibit will offer Easterners a rare opportunity to view some of finest

examples of California's Impressionist paintings. Included in the exhibit are works by Maurice Braun, Alson Clark, Armin Hansen, Edgar Payne, Hanson Puthuff, Guy Rose, Elmer Wachtel, Marion Kavanagh Wachtel, Arthur G. Rider, William Wendt and others. The exhibit's catalogue includes essays by William H. Gerdts, Harvey L. Jones, David Dearinger, and Jean Stern, all leading authorities on American Impressionism.

The Hyde Collection Art Museum was founded as a public trust established in 1952 by Charlotte Hyde, who wished to bequeath her home and its contents - a lifetime's pursuit of important fine and decorative arts and antique furnishings - to the residents of Glens Falls. 2,688 pieces comprise the permanent collection emphasizing paintings, sculpture, and works on paper. The collection possesses a significant group of works by important American artists including Bellows, Bierstadt, Chase, Eakins, Hassam, Homer, Metcalf, Peto, Ryder, Thayer, Vedder and Whistler. Among its European paintings are works by Botticelli, El Greco, van Dyck, Ingres, Raphael, Rembrandt, Rubens, Tintoretto, Cézanne, Degas, Matisse, Picasso, Renoir, and van Gogh.

Hyde House was completed in 1912. The structure is a striking example of American Renaissance architecture. Nine rooms on two and a half stories surround a centrally lighted courtyard. The structure served as the Hydes' residence for over 50 years. Today, this historic structure is on the National Register of Historic Places and remains much as it looked when occupied by the family. It functions solely as a semi-permanent installation space for the Museum's fine and decorative arts collection and antique furnishings, and a venue for classical music recitals.

http://www.hydecollection.org | http://www.irvinemuseum.org | Back to the Top

It must be tough having achieved fame as a child actor. Yes, the early fame opens some doors and gives plenty of name recognition, but shaking that old iconic identity makes being taken seriously a bit more problematic.

Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers way back when

For instance, on the occasion of Tony's recent artistic honor, The San Francisco Chronicle burdened him with the following headline, "Gee Wally, how'd you get to the Louvre?" and the headline was followed by an article written by the paper's Pop Culture Critic, not an art critic. Some things, one just can't live down.

But what should be given to Tony Dow and his fellow artists of the Karen Lynne Gallery of Beverly Hills is some well deserved recognition. Tony is among twelve of the gallery's artists to be chosen to be displayed at the Carrousel du Louvre, a shopping center and exhibition space near the main museum. The work of these artists has been chosen by the Society Nationale des Beaux-Arts, to appear in a judged competition dating back more than a century. This year's exhibit will occur between December 11 - 14.

The piece Tony is exhibiting is a bronze abstract of a woman holding a shield entitled "Unarmed Warrior." Tony appears to be quite humbled by this recognition, and is quick to advise those who congratulate him that his work will not reside alongside the Mona Lisa. The retired actor, producer and director now considers himself an amateur artist.

He says this of his art. "My sculpture derives from whatever has passed through or by me; a culmination of my experiences; what I’ve seen, what I’m drawn to. The figures are abstract and not meant to represent reality but rather the truth of the interactions as I see and feel them. I find the wood in the hills of Topanga Canyon and each piece evolves from my subconscious. I produce limited editions of nine bronzes using the lost wax process from molds of the original burl sculpture."

Tony and his wife Lauren are grandparents and reside in the Santa Monica Mountains.

See more of Tony's sculpture at the Karen Lynne Gallery | Tony Dow Interview on FOX TV in LA on YouTube
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In the several days following, in strict secrecy, the doors of the National Gallery remained sealed. Inside, art was removed and carefully loaded onto trucks, driven through London's streets to warehouses where the art was crated and shipped on trains away from London.

Precipitating this caution were lessons learned during World War I. In that war, as zeppelin raids floated overhead, the National Gallery's works were kept in the Aldwych tunnel of London's Underground. This experience taught that in the event of another war, more extensive arrangements would have to be laid out.

Some thought to remove the collection to Canada, but fearing the sinking of Atlantic ships, that idea lost favor. In 1934, there was an inquiry made to the owners of stately homes and manors as to whether they would consider storing paintings in the event of an emergency. After a reevaluation of the plan, assistant keeper of the National Gallery Martin Davies reported that very few of those selected met all requirements. As the tides of war rose, new plans were conceived to evacuate the art out of London where they hoped it would be far from harm's way. Eventually art was stored in a variety of locales, even a newly constructed atmospherically designed underground quarry.

Nearly 1,800 artworks had left London by 2 September, 1939. The next day, war was declared.

More can be learned by reading The National Gallery in Wartime, Yale University Press, by Suzanne Bosman Back to the Top

• Libby Meador, wife of artist Joshua Meador (1911-1965), passed away three weeks ago. Dan will be attending a memorial service in Glendale, CA on December 12. Libby, her son Philip and daughter-in-law Hildur visited Bodega Bay Heritage Gallery in 2006. During her visit, Libby viewed many of our paintings, and stopped to comment on paintings by artists she had known, such as Conrad Buff and Stephen Seymour Thomas. She has contributed to our catalogues of Josh's works. Libby was 94 years old. She will be missed.
  
• Booklets of our recent exhibitions are available. Pick them up at the gallery or send us your mailing address. Painters of the Desert; Regionalist Watercolors; 19th Century Paintings of Northern California; Painters of Carmel plus other Master Painters of the Sea.
  
• The gallery has a very large collection of reference material, including several videos about particular artists and artistic movements (plus Sister Wendy, of course), and many books including a huge volume about Edward Hopper. There are also various slide shows available, such as Milford Zornes. On a rainy day or any other gallery day, please accept our invitation to sit down and browse for a while, or have a DVD shown for you. Because of lack of shelf space and our use of these books elsewhere, usually the gallery has only a selection of volumes most pertinent to the current show, but please speak up and tell us in advance about what you may wish to look through. The DVD of the more extensive version of Steve Martin's presentation about Hopper is on order and should be at the gallery soon. We will put together a bibliography soon for you to access.
  
• See the video on our Alexander Dzigurski page entitled The Palette & Symphony.
  
• If you run across some interesting news from the art world, let us know. We may put it in the next issue.
  
• We still have a good selection of small, affordable works by Alexander Dzigurski II, and two larger works are on the way. We are expecting some additional small works from Kathi Hilton and perhaps another artist.
  
• The main show that runs through mid January is "gallery favorites," with a selection from each of the gallery's specializations that ranges through time and artistic trends, and that emphasizes what has been of most interest to visitors, often representing local interest, and new acquisitions that haven't been shown previously. The principal groupings: Grace Allison Griffith and associated watercolorists; Nels Hagerup seascapes; impressionists such as Dedrick Stuber, Gustav Magnussen and Karl Schmidt; a small selection of desert painters; regionalists Ralph Baker and Milford Zornes; Alexander Nepote (very large) mixed media collages; many visitors' favorites Ralph Love and Joshua Meador.
  
• Bodega Bay Heritage Gallery is a member of the Sonoma County Gallery Group, which publishes a map of fine art galleries and has a website with information on a wide variety of current exhibitions. http://www.scgg.org .
  
• Our Archives page has links to our previous gallery exhibits and monthly newsletters. Back to the Top