TOMBOLO ART MEDIA

TOMBOLO ART MEDIA
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Thursday, November 27, 2008

Giving the Gift of Nostalgia this Holiday Season

Black Friday is almost upon us. Many of us with children in our lives are thinking "What the heck am I gonna buy them this year?" Of course, tight purse strings, or in my case, "man purse" strings, are tight and electronics and the gadgety gifts are out. What to do?

There was a great new article this week in the Associated Press about how the downturn in the economy is making consumers rethink their holiday purchasing this year. Classic toys from Back to Basics Toys like Slinky and Colorforms or Lincoln Logs may just be the ticket, since they are all under fifty bucks and bring families back to a simpler time of open-ended, "no batteries required" play, while helping teach kids basic skills like shape recognition and spatial relationship awareness. And let's face it...they're just plain fun!

Here is an excerpt from the AP article:

"Ken Moe, general manager of Backtobasicstoys.com, a Web site owned by Scholastic Corp. that offers classic toys such as Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em Robots, Slinky and Colorforms, said sales so far this season indicate a rising interest in old favorites." (Read the complete article by Mae Anderson of the AP here.)

See more classic toys from Back to Basics Toys on Fox 5 DC from 2007. To enter to win a $100 shopping spree to BacktoBasicsToys.com, click here.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Helping Food Banks Get to the Meat of the Matter for Thanksgiving

The state of the world has me thinking about what I am grateful for. I’m a little like “Dorothy Gale” in The Wizard of Oz—No matter who seems to want to make my life miserable or wishes the worst for me, I’m always lifted out of harm’s way. It’s just like the "Wicked Witch" says “someone’s always helping that girl!” The Universe is clearly on my side. Can I please get a “he bettuh go ‘head!”?

My dear friend Connie in Bellingham, Washington shared an experience with me that emphasized the importance of giving to others this Thanksgiving and throughout the holidays. After realizing that she wouldn’t be having Thanksgiving dinner at her house, she decided to donate her frozen turkey to one of the food banks in town. Upon delivering the turkey to the charity, which had a line around the corner, she was told that there was a turkey shortage this year. It seems that in the past, the bulk of turkeys have come from donations made by local car dealerships. This year,however,the dealerships were just unable to help out. So, it looks like Connie’s bird will be the only one on the wire today. She told them to make sure that a family with many kids received the turkey.

Apparently this scene is being played out all over the United States, where food banks are short of resources as they try to serve 30% more people in need this year. If you have an extra turkey or food you can donate to your local food bank, please do. Also, be sure to take some quiet time to verbalize what you are grateful for this year. That’s the way that we all are “set to receive more.”

Though my family is 3,000 miles away, and I am spending Thanksgiving alone this year with some Chinese food and a Bollywood film, I'm still grateful for a lot. Here’s my list (Mostly in this order!):

My family
My lovely boyfriend
My best friends (you know who you are)
My health
My job
Art--Ability to buy it and make it
A new presidential administration
Beautiful people—both inside and out
The lady at Macy’s who gave me a price adjustment on cashmere on the 11th day
True creativity
The dollar store
Bubble Tea
Pisco sours
Locally owned coffee shops
Premium denim from sample sales
Macy’s shoe sale rack

Monday, November 17, 2008

A 'Model' Evening for the Arts

Last Monday, November 10, I had the fortunate pleasure of attending a wonderful event, “A Fashionable Taste of New York,” at Cipriani on 23rd and 5th Avenue in Manhattan. It was a benefit presented by AYUDA for the Arts, which is an organization that helps urban kids of all racial backgrounds continue their artistic pursuits by awarding scholarships based on promise and merit. Patrons at the event were were treated to live music, a variety of casino table games, and the opportuity to win some cool packages in the silent auction.

The party, which hosted a who's who of New York Latino A-listers, was beautifully organized, fun, and featured loads of eclectic food from various area restaurants. My top favorites for the evening were tacos made with Alaskan King Crab on a bed of seaweed salad from Avenida in Greenwich, Connecticut. Executive Chef, Jorge Adriazola’s savoury snacks were the talk of the evening. No wonder, the corner was packed with people lingering by his table, mojitos in hand! The mango tres leches cakes from 809 Sangria Bar and Grill also had my tastebuds dancing salsa- merengue in my mouth.

The 10th was also my birthday, and what a thrill it was to have the opportunity to meet actress and Ford model, Patricia Velásquez, who hails from Venezuela. She was in attendance to be honored by AYUDA for the Arts for her philanthropy work as a UNESCO Artist for Peace. You may recognize her from her various roles in films like The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, but I was most impressed by the fact that she recently founded the Wayuu Taya Foundation, which is a nonprofit that helps to improve living conditions for indigenous cultures all over Latin America. With an energy and personality as beautiful as the woman herself, Velásquez is one of the most accessible celebrities I have ever met. The naturalness of her beauty took my breath away when she first walked into the room, which is why she is my new girl crush--especially after she called me beautiful and wished me a heartfelt “Feliz cumpleaños.”

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Grand Opera Gets 'Graphic' at Vancouver Opera

Everyone knows that I am a huge proponent of bringing the arts to new audiences. That’s why I love the marketing tactics that Vancouver Opera is utilizing to introduce young people—those who might be more apt to go to a rock concert or sit in front of their plasma screen playing the latest Wii game—to opera. Television soaps have been replacing stale storylines with ones that incorporate teen and twenty-something drama for the last two decades, so it’s fitting that the opera world should follow suit to bring this audience through its doors and into the lush and melodramatic world that is the opera—the ultimate Soap! We all can appreciate the Soaps, can’t we? So why not le opera?

Lucky for me, my grandmother was a Live from the Met fanatic (and an As the World Turns connoisseur, I might add). At age fifteen, it was thrilling to me when she took me to see a concert to benefit the Mexican Earthquake Relief Fund with Placido Domingo (I got to go back stage to his dressing room and speak with him in Spanish!). I was also part of the ‘Hunt’ (Brothers) for Excellence program, while in high school in the Dallas area, having the chance to see the late Tatiana Troyanos live in concert. In college, as a vocal performance major at SMU, we were afforded the opportunity to receive free tickets to the Dallas Opera and were treated to the best the opera world had to offer from Grace Bumbry as “Carmen” to Flicka (Frederica Von Stade) in the world premiere of Dominick Argento’s The Aspern Papers to a De Falla festival featuring Flamenco master Maria Benitez, as well as master classes with Jerome Hines and more. I wish I had appreciated it all then as much as I do now. It took being a substitute chorus member in the Portland Opera productions of Turandot, Der Rosenkavalier and the West Coast premiere of the Dallas Opera’s production of Janacek’s Jenufa, directed by Johnathon Pape (starring Vancouver Opera favourite Judith Forst), for me to realize the power of opera as an art form and how relevant it can actually be to contemporary society.

That’s why it’s cool that Vancouver Opera has chosen to be so “cool.” In browsing the company’s web site, I discovered that opera fans, and those who are curious to learn what opera is all about in the least intimidating way possible, can experience opera plots and characters through manga representations, by Vancouver illustrator Roy Husada, of the stories (think graphic novels) that have delighted audiences for more than a century. Vancouver Opera may just be the only opera company in the world to utilize this contemporary and colorful art form to reach a whole new generation of opera-goers. Visit http://www.operalive.ca/ to check it out for yourself.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Oh, D-E-Double Hockey Sticks...DELL (Computers that is)

When was the last time you had to contact Dell about your PC or laptop? Well, if it was recently, you may have experienced some bad customer service like I did in the last couple of weeks.

Barack Obama just prior to the election, spoke of the desire to bring jobs back to the U.S. Frankly, I couldn't agree more. I completely understand that if people want cheaper goods, it is practically unavoidable to go abroad to find workers who are willing and able to work for lower wages. After all, the United States has been relying on China to manufacture toys, electronics, and a myriad of for years, but is it really necessary to go abroad for customer service?

About a month ago, I participated in a webinar about word-of-mouth marketing, which featured a panel of high-level executives well-versed in the power of online in influencing brand loyalty. That panel included Bob Pearson, Vice President, Communities and Conversations for Dell. I was very impressed by his knowledge of the online realm and his enthusiasm for his work and Dell. I have been a Dell consumer for five years and have always been impressed by the way issues that have arisen have been handled by Dell's customer support unit.

About three-and-a-half years ago, I bought a Dell Inspiron 600m laptop. I was very satisfied with it, but noticed that it would become particularly warm from the outset. Since it was my first laptop, I assumed that the warmth that emanated from the bottom must have been normal, so I never addressed the issue with Dell. Over the course of the last couple of years, the unit has gotten progressively hotter, to the point now, where if it sits directly on my lap, it practically burns my leg. It was a couple of years ago that Dell was having some PR problems because there were batteries on the market in their laptops that were overheating and causing fires, but I still didn't think that there was any significant problem with my unit.

It was only in the last 6 months or so that the unit has gotten so hot that the casing that surrounds the palm rest of the laptop began to crack. It has now cracked in three places. Recently, a corner piece actually fell off. The unit has been out of warranty for a while, which is why I never called Dell, thinking that it was likely that there was nothing they could do about the problem, though it seemed like a product flaw to me. After all, shouldn't they be making laptops out of materials that are resistant to heat? And, I ask myself, can I, as a consumer spending my hard-earned money, expect this to happen every time I buy a Dell product?

It was after that this webinar with Mr. Bob Pearson, that I was actually inspired to call Dell to see if there was anything they could do about the problem. In the past, when I had printer problems, out of warranty or not, they went ahead and replaced them with refurbished units, and so, I thought, they might be able to do the same with this laptop, especially since it was a significantly more expensive piece of machinery. I guess I was wrong, because when I finally got through to a Dell representative in India, there was nothing he could do at all, nor could he even tell me what had caused the problem. He also went on to tell me that I shouldn't have my "laptop" on my lap because they had proved to be dangerous, which is why Dell is no longer referring to them as "laptops." Okay...is that why I was able to go and search for a new computer on their site under the section "laptops" because they are no longer calling them laptops? That is the most absurb thing I have ever heard! When I asked him why the web site referred to them as "laptops" he couldn't really answer me. I'm fairly certain that this poor Indian chap didn't think I was going to take him so far "off script" for my issue.

After transferring me to his supervisor, his boss finally sent my case number to Dell's escalation department and said that it would take 48 hours to hear back from someone. It actually took 4 days for me to finally get a cell phone message from a chap, who spoke so monotone in the message, I could barely understand him. I tried calling back but got his voice mail. In frustration, after multiple tries during the day to reach him, I decided to press 3 "para espanol." I speak Spanish, so thought that if I couldn't get an English-speaking representative on the line, perhaps I could get someone on the Spanish-language line since queues are usually shorter. Indeed, it was. The person on the other end of the phone said (in Spanish) "Thanks for calling Dell. My name is Jose. How can I help you?" I responded in English "Hi Jose. Do you speak English?" mostly because I was tired and didn't feel like going through the explanation process in Spanish. In his best Hindi dialect, Jose said to me "Yes, I speak English." I explained my issue with him and that I was trying to reach my case manager, but all he could do was transfer me to the case manager's voice mail, where I had already left two messages that day.

I decided to let sleeping dogs lie and gave up on reaching him for the day. The next day, I tried calling Spanish-language customer service again after getting the case manager's voice mail, yet again. (In Spanish) "Thank you for calling Dell. My name is Fatima. How can I help you?" "Hi Fatima. Do you speak English?" (In best Hindi dialect) "Yes, I speak English." Clearly, I was going nowhere with this except to the land of baldness, since I was starting to rip my hair out.

In my message to the case manager, I explained that he needed to call me on my work extension and not my cell phone because I get lousy reception in the office. He completely disregarded that and called me, yet again, on my cell phone. When I tried to ring him back, of course, he wasn't there. I went out of town for the next few days and heard nothing. While on vacation, I received an email from him saying that he had tried to reach me several times, and, since he had not heard from me was closing my case. I replied to his email and told him that that was not acceptable because I had yet to get a decent response about what had happened to the unit and about what could be done to rectify the situation. He called me back the Tuesday that I was back in the office, only to give me the run around about how my machine was out of warranty for almost three years and that nothing could be done.

So, now I'm left with a "laptop" that is a fire hazard (it's a good thing I'm gay and will not likely need my sperm for procreating), a load of frustration and worry for the possibility of such fire, the sense that nothing is as it seems since apparently, Indians that work for Dell lie and say they are Latino, but most of all, the worst impression of Dell ever. I guess I'll be buying a Mac when my "laptop" burns down my house and I'm in the market for a new computer. Just like in the White House this year, change is good!

Finding the Fair-est Gifts This Holiday Season

Did Halloween really just pass? It’s hard to believe that Christmas is little more than a month away. Not that it really matters to me, since I will likely be stuck in Queens having Chinese food and watching the latest Bollywood flicks for every holiday until the New Year. That’s okay, though, especially since I hate to travel during the holidays--too many people; too many flat roller suitcases; too many short fuses. Also, the entitlement of people on planes never seems to amaze me, and that’s just plain annoying, so why put myself through that, right? I’m no glutton for punishment!

Speaking of entitlement, the holiday season is the perfect time to indulge in buying art. Recession? Fuh-geh-uh-bah-it! There’s nothing like something beautiful to brighten up up a dreary day (or year…or 4 years!), so go ahead and buy some art--whether it’s for you or your loved ones. Besides, shouldn’t you be freaking out that there are only 35 shopping days until Christmas and you haven’t done your shopping yet? Lucky for all of us, there are some great art shows going on around the country, just in time for the holidays, where lovers of art, jewelry and crafts can find just the perfect gift.

Top-notch artists like Ariela Boronat of Santa Fe, is just one of the cool, creative types who’ll be hangin’ up their wares at some fabulous upcoming shows in the Southwestern United States. Ariela, who works primarily in printmaking, is as colorful as her beautiful works of art. If you are in the New Mexico and Arizona areas, stop by to meet my “Cubana favorita” and check out her art at:

The Placitas Holiday Fine Arts & Crafts Sale--November 22-23; Placitas, New Mexico (www.placitasholidaysale.com).

The Rio Grande Arts & Crafts Festival--November 28-30; Expo New Mexico Fairgrounds, Albuquerque, New Mexico (www.riograndefestivals.com).

The Tempe Festival of the Arts—December 5-7; Tempe, Arizona (www.tempefestivalofthearts.com).

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Ellen Bradshaw: Making an Artistic Journey Upstate By Way of Chelsea

For most adults, taking a mental step backwards to revisit childhood memories can often seem like a luxury, especially in these busy and trying times. Thank God for art! Art affords, both its creator and its admirers the opportunity to reflect upon a lifetime of experiences. In my opinion, everyone should allow themselves the time to delve into the past to spend some precious moments there. Nothing is more rejuvenating than to honor the places that we have known--the ones that we remember with great fondness. Products of our own specific environments, the “where” impacts us the most and make us who we are. It is the thing that makes each of us special, and, in many cases, helps us find common ground with one another.

Who hasn’t been touched by the facades and the innocent perfection of a “Main Street” somewhere? My mind’s eye frequently flashes to memories of lonely, winding, foliage-lined roads that lead out of town. Artist Ellen Bradshaw’s latest show, Heading Home, Keuka Lake, at Pleiades Gallery in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, takes the spectator on a journey through just such places.

Known mostly for her distinctive cityscapes inspired by the Ashcan School, Bradshaw, a Rochester native, departs from the urban jungle and heads Upstate to the openness of New York’s Finger Lakes region and all the beauty of Keuka Lake and the villages of Hammondsport, Penn Yan and Branchport. Artistically, this was a logical progression for Bradshaw, since these are the places where she has spent so much time getting to know the land, its sweeping vineyards, and the moodiness of the lake itself.

In Heading Home, Keuka Lake, Bradshaw has compiled a wonderful mix of works that easily transition from the varying blended greens and azures of brilliant summer scenes, to stark, solitary brown, cobalt blue and gray depictions of fall landscapes, to peaceful winter holiday scenes that are shaded with melancholy.

Bradshaw’s paintings could easily persuade one to quietly slip out from underneath the pretense of the city and head for the uncomplicated, single-layered lifestyle of small town America, where “overscheduled” refers to long, spontaneous walks in the woods (leaving the timepiece on the bureau) or lazy afternoons with a pole and awaiting fish, not to mention fall country drives in the shadow of trees bedecked with orange, red and brown leaves.

While the works in this exhibition evoke intense emotions for the spectator, even if they’ve never had the opportunity to know the subjects that inspired them firsthand, Heading Home, Keuka Lake is clearly a communion with the past for Bradshaw. Her artist statement says that the development of this series was tantamount to reclaiming part of her soul. Keuka, known as the “Lady of Lakes” because of its exquisite beauty, has always beckoned Bradshaw lakeside. What is most special about this show at the Pleiades is that the artist openly and lovingly shares her artistic journey, and gallery goers will be equally drawn to the landscapes that she knows so intimately.

Heading Home, Keuka Lake runs through November 22 at the Pleiades Gallery located at 530 West 25th Street, 4th Floor in Manhattan. Visit www.pleiadesgallery.com for gallery hours and more information.