“Taking Shape: Degas as Sculptor” at the Norton Simon- a MUST SEE exhibit

Taking Shape: Degas as Sculptor A MUST SEE exhibit at the Norton Simon By Leticia Marie Sanchez Stepping into the Norton Simon Museum for a new exhibition, the foresight of collector Norton Simon never ceases to impress me. Last year, perusing the sea of Picassos for the States of Mind exhibition, I felt fortunate to have the opportunity to delve into myriad iterations of Picassos work and thereby his creative process due to the deep collection acquired by Norton Simon. This month’s exhibition Taking Shape: Degas as Sculptor once again felt like a seemingly boundless collection of a single artist, this time Edgar Degas.  With the exception of one loan by the Getty Museum, Norton Simon’s massive collection of Degas’ sculpture, drawing, and painting comprised the entire exhibition. A deep collection affords a viewer a rich window into the of the art of

Dazzling Lights on Travertine at the Getty Center

Celebration     at the Getty Center in honor of Pacific Standard Time L.A/ L.A Photography © 2017 by Leticia Marie Sanchez  dazzling lights on Travertine…    

For a Halloween Treat- Karl Richter performs J.S. Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor

Two MUST SEE EXHIBITS: “Giovanni Bellini” and “Sacred Landscapes” at the Getty Center

 By Leticia Marie Sanchez Imagine being able to teleport yourself through time and space to imagine life as a spiritual Venetian noble in the 15th Century. Or as a believer in 15th Century Bruges. Two intriguing exhibits at the Getty Center allow museum goers to take those journeys. Firstly, Giovanni Bellini: Landscapes of Faith in Renaissance Venice offers insight into the work of a Venetian master. What is astounding about this exhibit is that it is the first monographic exhibition in America devoted to Giovanni Bellini. This gifted and prolific artist, who when he was already in his seventies, was praised by Albrecht Durer as “still the best in the art of painting” despite the fact that Titian and Giorgione were already on the scene. In one room, viewers are fortunate to be able to view Bellini masterpieces loaned from

A truly Cultural Cocktail: The Bellini!

by Leticia Marie Sanchez Cultural Cocktail Hour® is a registered Trademark And now, for a delicious libation that epitomizes the Cultural Cocktail! You can share this trivia the next time you are at a cocktail party and become the toast of the fete! Did you know that the Bellini cocktail was named after the Venetian Renaissance painter, Giovanni Bellini? The history of this popular drink harkens back to Harry’s Bar in Venice.  A Who’s Who of artistic luminaries frequented this bar including Ernest Hemingway, Truman Capote, Orson Welles, Arturo Toscanini, Peggy Guggenheim, and Alfred Hitchcock. In 1948, Harry’s Bar owner Giuseppe Cipriani created a concoction blending peach puree and Prosecco. He named the refreshing cocktail a “Bellini,” after the sumptuous peach hue on the toga of a saint painted by Giovanni Bellini. This exquisite painting (Virgin and Child with Saint John the

Autumn Cultural Highlight- Pacific Standard Time

PACIFIC STANDARD TIME LA/LA is THE Blockbuster cultural experience in LA this Fall and Winter. Led the GETTY, the massive undertaking explores Latin America and Latino Art in dialogue with Los Angeles. The scope and scale of this artistic endeavor is staggering. PST LA/LA encompasses: 1100 artists from 45 countries  More than 70 cultural institutions across Southern California from Los Angeles to Palm Springs, and from San Diego to Santa Barbara  The themes of Pacific Standard Time include: Pre-Hispanic to Colonial Borders, Diaspora, and Displacement Definitions of Identity From Abstract to Conceptual Art Critiquing Globalism and Modernism Art and Activism Design and Architecture Film, Music, Dance Cultural Cocktail Hour will be covering individual exhibits this Fall and Winter. Pacific Standard Time LA/LA  runs from September 2017 through January 2018. For a full and up-to-date list of all the exhibitions and 100s

Happy Fall Equinox to my readers!

 ”Give me a spark o’ Nature’s fire, That’s a’ the learning I desire.”– Robert Burns California Gold photographed Thanksgiving weekend 2011 Pasadena, CA Photography © 2011 by Leticia Marie Sanchez

Cultural Cocktail Hour Contest- Win 2 tickets to season opening of Pittance Chamber Music

Southern California Residents, please email culturalcocktail@gmail.com a message about you think is missing in the LA Arts and culture scene. What do you think would MOST improve the performing arts in LA? SUBJECT LINE: CCH Contest The winning entry will receive a pair of tickets to the season opening performance of the Pittance Chamber Music! Deadline for sending your contest entry is Thursday September 7th. The concert is Saturday, September 16, 2017 at 3:00 p.m. at ​Eva and Marc Stern Grand Hall. The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012 The season opening program program of Mozart, Berg, Brahms and Bernstein, featuring Principal players from the LA Opera Orchestra, along with Domingo Colburn Stein Young Artist, soprano Elizabeth Zharoff.  The full program is listed below: Soprano:        Elizabeth Zharoff  Horn:              Steven Becknell 

Review: Ballet NOW- A Kaleidoscope of styles at the Music Center

Review: Ballet NOW- A Kaleidoscope of styles at the Music Center By Leticia Marie Sanchez With Ballet Now, the Los Angeles Music Center found itself as a global stage for the best that ballet has to offer. The performers included dancers from companies including: the New York City Ballet,  The Royal Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Dorrance Dance, Miami City Ballet, and the Paris Opera Ballet. The superlative choreography included the work of George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Frederick Ashton, Ulysses Dove and Justin Peck. International dance sensation Tiler Peck curated the innovative kaleidoscope of pieces which kept both the dancers and the audience on their toes. The ballet was a dynamic tapestry that skillfully juxtaposed contrasting shades of music, choreography, and talent. The program opened with the thought-provoking Increases, choreographed by Justin Peck and performed to Philip Glass’ Four Movements by Two Pianos. The palette of pale blue

Top Summer Pick- BalletNOW at the Music Center: July 28-July 30

CCH- Top Pick—BalletNOW at the Music Center This is a not-to-be-missed Cultural Cocktail of brilliant choreographers, stirring music, and world class dancers. Each day has a different program, but musical highlights over the weekend include: Pas de Deux from Romeo and Juliet by Sergei Prokofiev Fancy Free by Leonard Bernstein Thaïs by Jules Massenet Four Movements for Two Pianos by Philip Glass Choreography includes the work of George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Sir Kenneth Mac Millan, and Christopher Wheeldon The performers include dancers from companies including: the New York City Ballet, The Royal Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Dorrance Dance, Miami City Ballet and the Paris Opera Ballet  BalletNOW  The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. 135 N. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012 Friday, July 28 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 29 7:30 p.m. Sunday, July 30 2:00 p.m. For information on tickets and each day’s program please see: Musiccenter.org/balletnow Photo Above: Tiler Peck,