Calling all art collectors, or want-to-be collectors. The sixteenth annual artists warehouse sale is open at the SF MOMA gallery on Fort Mason. This is your chance to purchase art directly from Bay Area artists. You never know what treasure you may discover. Art pieces are priced in all ranges.
Ballet San Jose recently hosted a new, intriguing event, "Unforgettable: An Evening of Glamorous Fashion and Exotic Collectible Automobiles" featuring local designer, Azadeh, including a runway show of her exquisite, custom gowns. Azadeh is a former designer for the Royal Family of Saudi Arabia, who formerly served as the head designer for Bebe stores nationwide. She has run a successful and well-respected couturier salon in the Bay Area for over ten years.
Revelers arrived at Club Auto Sport, a "condominium" facility in San Jose designed to house high-end cars, and were encouraged to take photographs with the rare autos while nibbling on gourmet food and wine provided by local sponsors. After 'oohing' and 'aahing' over the custom cars -- my favorite was a vintage Mercedes Benz -- party-goers were seated for the beginning of the fashion show.
Continue reading "An Unforgettable Evening to Benefit Ballet San Jose" »
The 12th annual Art For Aids auction will take place this Friday, October 3rd. Support the U.C.S.F. Aids Health Project by bidding on pieces that have been donated by galleries and the artists themselves. (I hear there is a Chagall that was donated for this event.) The silent auction and reception start at 5:30pm with the live auction starting at 6:45pm. Tickets cost $75.00. Please call 415-502-7276 for more information.
Don't miss your last chance to see Spared From the Storm: Masterworks from the New Orleans Museum of Art, now on view at the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University through October 4, 2008. Over 80 drawings, paintings, and sculptures by some of the most significant artists in history are included, representing only a portion of the New Orleans Museum of Art's diverse and comprehensive collection which was spared from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
It comes as no surprise given the history of New Orleans that the exhibit is undoubtedly rich in French works, including such artists as Bucher, Vigee-Lebrun, Degas, and Braque, but the exhibit also includes equally interesting works by Picasso, Magritte, O'Keefe, Cassatt, Cornell, and many others. The artistic range and profound variety makes this exhibit particularly fascinating.
Spared From the Storm: Masterworks from the New Orleans Museum of Art
on view now through October 4, 2008
Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University
328 Lomita Dr (at Museum Way)
Stanford CA 95305
Free tours of the exhibition on Thursdays at 12:15 pm and Saturdays/Sundays at 2pm.
This exhibit was organized by the New Orleans Museum of Art to benefit its Katrina Recovery Fund.
The San Francisco Bay Area is sweltering at the moment. With temperatures in the double digits Fall should not be on my mind. I am resisting buying cashmere, and winter clothes, as I am too hot too carry the shopping bags.Then I stumbled, luckily just figuratively upon the Walker and Bowes Glass Pumpkin Patch at The Stanford Mall. Thousands of one of a kind glass pumpkins are on display throughout the mall. The pumpkins look as if they have just sprouted up in front of the shops. Pumpkins will be available for purchase on Aug. 29- Sept 1, Sept. 5-7, and Sept. 12-14. Proceeds from sales benefit local charities. Hard to believe that fall is just around the corner.
There will be an artist reception on Sept. 5th, from 5- 7:30 in Bloomingdales on the second floor.
Fashionistas listen up! For a bit of couture treatment head over this weekend to the annual American Craft Council show, Herbst and Festival Pavilions, Fort Mason and find Kiss of the Wolf, located in booth #112 in the Herbst building.
Mother/daughter team, Lori Bacigalupi and Serene Bacigalupi are the designers behind Kiss of the Wolf (a translation of the family name), creating fabulous women's clothing primarily in silk. Known for their hand painted fabrics in vivid colors, the Bacigalupis have created a following doing high end craft shows around the country for the past 25 years. "It's really a collaborative process," says Serene, who joined the family business in 2007. "Customers come into the booth, try on designs they like and then we discuss together what color combinations they prefer." Like couture, each piece is custom made to fit.
The Bacigalpuis say they attract women who want one-of-a-kind pieces. "Our customers are sophisticated women," says Lori. "They want quality and they want style." And Kiss of the Wolf delivers, using unique techniques including direct dye, Japanese shibori, batik, and silkscreen. The collection is made up of separates that can be layered, mixed and matched.
Continue reading "Kiss of the Wolf fashions come to the American Craft Council Show this Weekend" »
Our friends at The A-List are hosting a "Glitz and Glamour" fashion show at the Weinstein Gallery (picture Matisse, Dali, Picasso) this Friday, 6:30-9:30pm. The event kicks off (literally) with a cocktail reception and shoe show, followed by a fashion show at 8pm(ish), featuring the 2009 "Lady in White" Collection, followed by desserts and entertainment. And if you still want to party, follow the crowd to Slide. All proceeds benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Among the increasingly interesting array of stores and restaurants lining Telegraph Avenue in the Temescal District of Oakland inhabits one of the most unique and visionary stores I have found in a long time. I don't have a lot of spare time in general, so at this point a store has to capture my interest immediately or I am likely to forget it. In the case of WELL, they had me from the first moment I stepped up to the window.
Dubbed a "resource center for art design and balance, helping to connect independent designers and artists to the Oakland Community and beyond," the WELL carries an array of jewelry, clothing, accessories, art, and natural healing products and services from local and nearby designers such as AC Clothing and Bags, Oaklandish, Small Cynz, Greenbelts, Pretty fun, Cozy Rampage, Sofina, The Weekend Store, Culture Consumer, Mats!?, Super Sugar Ray Ray, Necessary Voodoo, Rx Designs, Cara Lydon Designs, Rag Trader, Field Day Wearables, and more.
Continue reading "Have local designer wish? Go to the WELL" »
I love art, and I love good food. That is why I can be found spending many lunch hours at The Cool Cafe.
Peninsula Chef, Jesse Cool's dishes, combined with view of Rodin sculpture garden at the Cantor Museum is pretty hard to beat.
Cool's menu consists of organic, sustainable and local food. I am a big fan of the natural turkey breast sandwich, with carmelized onions, sundried tomatoes, spinach on an organic baguette. (For those of you not allergic to cheese, there is a selection of fine, local cheeses to choose from too.) My son enjoys the grilled grass fed burger with carmelized onion, chipotle aioli on a baguette. I am not a food critic, but I know when something tastes good! Cool's dishes are tasty, and good for you and the environment. If the weather is nice, grab a table over looking the Rodin sculpture garden, and order from the the local wine list.
Then take a peek into the museum...it is free! The Cool Cafe is open from Weds- Sun. 11-5, and for dinner on Thursday nights from 5-8.
Caramia Visick has been designing jewelry in her Rockridge studio since 2000. Caramia's company, Hotcakes Design Jewelry is sold worldwide. I own a few of the hand cast resin bracelets, and have my eye on a necklace.The resin necklaces are all hand made, and the acrylic image is surrounded by black onyx. You can choose the image from a wide selection- all with a distinct vintage feel.
On a recent visit to S.F. MOMA to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit, (You must go!) I caught a glimpse of one of Caramia's limited edition necklaces with Frida as the image. Hint to husband, this would be a great anniversary gift...or a great gift for anyone for any occasion. The perfect combo of a local designer, with any amazing female artist.
Hotcakes Design studio is located in Oakland, at 5337 College Avenue.
Father's Day is fast approaching, and I of course do not have a gift for my deserving husband. I have received numerous e-mails with Father's Day gift ideas, but nothing seems to fit him. The Sunday New York Times was loaded with ads for beautiful ties, cuff links and watches. That all seems too traditional for my husband, who takes "California Casual" to heart. He didn't even own a suit until a recent trip to China. Monogrammed BBQ tools seem like a good idea, but once again, just not his style. With a few days left, I am deciding between a few options.
Timbuk 2 makes great bags right here in San Francisco. I can visit the Hayes St. shop, or design my own bag online. Another design your own option is for a pair of Converse. (This is what my husband wears as dress shoes.) If you are not feeling creative, S.F. based retailer, Gap, has an awesome collection of Product Red shirts in the store right now. You can look cool, and help fight aids in Africa.
It seems like every other day Gap or Target is launching a new designer line or limited edition design. Today, when I walked into the Stanford Gap, I was thrilled to see the latest launch, t-shirts designed by thirteen artists that have been part of the Whitney collection. (I love the Whitney Museum.) The shirts are available online, in select Gap stores, as well as locally at the SFMOMA. I picked up a Chuck Close shirt for my husband, and I plan to go back and treat myself to one as well.
Great prices and limited designs only mean one thing: get to your local Gap as soon as you can.
The Palo Alto Art Center was filled with excited students (like my daughter, Darrow) and their families last night for the artists reception of the the fifth annual Cultural Kaleidoscope show. The show is a collaborative effort by teachers in the Palo Alto and East Palo Alto schools.
Teachers must apply and follow guidelines in order to participate. Student art is then selected to appear in the annual event. It is quite an honor for the kids to see their work in a real museum. The show is curated beautifully, and showcases the many talents of local kid-artists. The show runs until June 1st.
The Palo Alto art center is located on 1313 Newell Street in Palo Alto. Not only can you view great art, there is a gift shop with unique creations- perfect end of year teacher gifts.
In our house, superheroes are a daily inspiration. At the Met on May 7, they become the catalyst to an empowering and daring world of fashion. The exhibit "Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy," will thematically connect the iconic ensembles and powers of particular superheroes and how the ideology behind each one has been expressed through modern fashion.
The exhibition will also use the entirety of the collection, which includes movie costumes, avant-garde haute couture, and high performance sportswear, to serve as a metaphor for the theatrical underpinnings of the fashion world, and the bold effect fashion and costume can have on the human psyche as well as its ability to transform and re-shape the body. Strap on your jet-pack and your spike heels and get to NYC this summer for what looks to be a fantastic exhibit, not to mention one that might just please every member of the family, big and small.
"Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy" runs May 7, 2008 through September 1, 2008 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC.
Imagine the choreographer, his canvas: the stage. He (or she) has at his disposal every piece of music ever written and/or recorded, a top notch orchestra, a phenomenal performance space, and one of the best dance companies in the world. Now all he has to do is create a work of art and debut it in front of international press, ballet fans from all over, tireless staff, and dedicated fundraisers dressed in their finest all in one night. For three men, that night was last Tuesday at the San Francisco Ballet New Works Festival Opening. No pressure.
But first, a little about the style for the opening evening. Before the rain began, gala dinner patrons arrived for a cocktail reception in the main hall of the Opera House. Champagne, wine, a full bar and passed hors d'oeurves kept the guests satiated as they greeted each other in "festive black tie". All eyes were on dinner co-chair, Yuri Pascarella, who wore a gown designed by one of the dancers, Danielle Santos, along with loaned Bulgari diamonds totaling some 114 carats. Pascarella said of the gown, "I'm very proud [of how it turned out]." (Shown top left (L to R): Ann Fisher, Yurie Pascarella, Kati Kadar Lynn, Mary Jo Kovacevich (gala dinner co-chairs.)
Continue reading "SF Ballet New Works Festival Gala - Not Just Another Night At the Ballet" »
At SFBayStyle, we love everything and everyone who covers what our five senses enjoy in the whole of the Bay Area - from our daily haunts to our weekend spots, we applaud everything about our fashion, arts, sights, sounds, occasions, nibbles and giggles. What makes our eclectic style so fun is the people and the culture created by those people. So we like to highlight other publications - online and off - that share our feelings about how lucky we are to live, work and play here.
Today, I just wanted to point out some of the other blogs that cover these things locally. (They are always available by link in our blogroll in the right column under 'Local Style'.)
The fourth annual style show is being held Saturday, the 26th from 10am-5pm at the Palo Alto Art Center. The works of over thirty textile and jewelry artists will be available. This is your chance to buy wearable art. This event is the main fundraiser for the Art Center. Gourmet lunches will be available, provided by Palo Alto's very own Coupa Cafe.
For more information, call 650-329-2366. The Art Center is located on 1313 Newell Road in Palo Alto.
Tomorrow, Sunday, April 20th from 12pm-6pm at the Galleria San Francisco, Thread San Francisco is having an independent shopping event featuring 90-100 new men's and women's designers. There's a preview hour from 11am-12pm for people who RSVP online for $15. General Admission is $10 at the door. 7x7 will have a "chic lounge", complimentary cocktails will be provided, and art, fashion and design books will be sold at the 'Pop Up' store.
Last week, the Silicon Valley Capital Club in downtown San Jose hosted arts supporters in a sold-out, dazzling display of couture by San Francisco based couture designer, Max Nugus, to benefit the Ballet San Jose School scholarship program which provides a means for young, talented dancers to follow their dreams.
The school teaches 350 students, ages 4 to 19 with an open and a professional track, 6 regular teachers and 4 accompanists, along with additional guest teachers. Students are given ample opportunities to dance in their own shows as well as in the Ballet San Jose performances, such as the Nutcracker and the upcoming production of The Firebird.
This event was so fun, and I was lucky enough to snap some great images that show the flow of the day, so here is a pictorial representation of the cocktail reception, luncheon, fashion show and trunk show.
At left, models Penny Pogue Del Grande and Ballet San Jose principal ballerina, Karen Gabay prepare "back stage" for the hats section of the fashion show.
See the full article for more details and pictures.
Continue reading "Ballet San Jose Fashion Show Photo Pictorial" »
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