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Minnesota Museum of American Art Teams Up With Nuit Blanche Festival
June 12, 2013 by Renee Blodgett
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The Minnesota Museum of American Art has again joined the all night Nuit Blanche Festival Northern Spark with a not-to-be-missed exhibition opening at sundown on June 8, 2013 and running through July 28, 2013. String | Felt | Theory features three site-specific installations by three artists: Randy Walker, Liz Miller and Andréa Stanislav.
All three artists use everyday materials that, when densely layered and multiplied to room-size dimensions, make bold visual statements. MMAA will present the work of these acclaimed artists together for the first time. All three works will be shown in an open floor plan at the MMAA Project Space, thus allowing them to interact with one another and create a total experience.
The Project Space is MMAA’s laboratory for investigating how the museum can serve the local community. It is also a foot in the door to a building that may potentially be our new home in St. Paul.
The ultimate goal is to find and occupy a permanent home in the state capital, and the historic Pioneer building has emerged as a promising location for the placement of a renewed and retooled museum.
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DLDwomen 2013: Breaking New Ground for Women in Munich Germany
June 12, 2013 by Renee Blodgett
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From July 15-16, 2013, an inspirational crowd of women and men from business, science, politics, arts and media will join in an interdisciplinary conversation on changing realities and growing opportunities of the 21st Century. The Event? DLDWomen. The Location? The enchanting and elegant Porzellan Manufaktur of the Nymphenburg Palace in Munich Germany.
Alongside digitalization, our world, our society and our private lives are ever changing. With technology advancing and rules and values changing, we are “breaking new ground” every day, which is the DLDwomen theme for 2013. In the usual upbeat, DLDish way, they will explore the role of women as stakeholders in the sharing economy, break into the female consumer markets and discuss latest developments in health and education.
Behind the event include Chairwoman Maria Furtwängler-Burda and DLDwomen Founder & Director Steffi Czerny, Co-chairwomen: Arianna Huffington, Viviane Reding and Ursula von der Leyen, Germany’s Federal Minister for Labor and Social Affairs.
All Things D: Digital Trends From TV & Rockets to Authentification Pills & Speech Recognition
June 11, 2013 by Renee Blodgett
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All Things D just held their 11th annual conference in Rancho Palos Verdes California in late May. Imagine a few hundred billionaire and millionaire game changers in a room at an oceanside resort, discussing the latest digital technology trends that impact a host of industries: from government, retail and consumer electronics to mobile advertising, digital TV and everything in between. It makes you wonder: Are we moving to a world that looks something like this?
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For Quaint European Charm & Style, Try Calistoga’s Hotel D’Amici
June 7, 2013 by Renee Blodgett
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The Pestoni Family is behind two experiences I had in Calistoga and Napa on a recent trip: Hotel d’Amici and Rutherford Grove Winery. What’s lovely about the hotel is that it feels more like a traditional classic European pension than an American hotel, boutique, B&B or anything in between. There’s no reception upon arrival, but before you arrive, you receive a keycode combination via email to get into the hotel from the main drag in Calistoga – Lincoln Avenue, which is also home to other hotels, spas, shops, boutiques and restaurants.
I stayed in one of their four elegantly designed suites that almost feels like a mashup of Italian and modern Californian designs. Each suite is uniquely decorated with large comfortable sofas, roomy queen size beds, cable television, in-room coffee service, bottled waters and a complimentary bottle of the family’s Rutherford Grove wine. All suites have private bathrooms and are furnished with an oversized deep claw tub, which I took advantage of upon immediate arrival. My suite had an outside balcony where I sat in the morning to sip my coffee and eat a coissant before heading off for
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Calistoga’s Barolo Restaurant, Where Italy Meets Napa
June 6, 2013 by Renee Blodgett
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There are restaurant owners and there are restaurant owners. I had the pleasure of meeting and spending time with Ron Goldin and Mark Allen, owners of three Calistoga restaurants: Barolo, Brannans and Checkers, all on Lincoln Avenue in downtown Calistoga California. The town is 15 minutes away from Napa Valley, home to some of the best wines in the world. On your journey through wine country, if the crowds are too much, Calistoga is a great place to escape to at the end of your long day. Quieter than Napa, it touts a number of hotels and restaurants that are well worth exploring. Let’s start with Barolo, which is where I had dinner with Ron, Mark and their social media geek Peter Stetson.
Little did I know I was in for such a feast. I thought I was going to dine at their bar solo while catching up on some work and sampling one or two dishes with a glass of Napa Cab. We started with a bottle of Barolo — after so many Napa wines, I couldn’t resist the temptation and besides, what’s not to love about a Barolo? For starters, 23 year old chef… Read more…
Splash Around in Hot Volcanic Ash & Peat Moss at Dr. Wilkinsons Mud Baths
June 5, 2013 by Renee Blodgett
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Dr. Wilkinson’s Hot Springs Resort is the success story of a young chiropractor and a San Francisco native who came to Calistoga in 1946. Known by everyone in the area as the most traditional and “original” mud baths, Dr Wilkinson’s also offers hotel rooms in case you’d like to stay on the premises after your treatment. Let’s start with the mud bath experience. Fancy an experience where you’re submerged into near boiling mud that is made up of peet and other natural healing ingredients followed by a massage? If not, why not? Go on a journey with me.
The original owners “Doc” and Edy Wilkinson combined their talents and vision to offer simple healthful relaxation through mud baths and body treatments including massages. Their daughter and son have since taken over running the business and it was Mark Wilkinson who greeted me after my treatment to see what I thought of the experience.
Before my treatment, I decided to duck into all three of their mineral pools, my favorite being the inside mineral pool, which is also the “hottest” in temperature. You can either paddle around without the jets turned on… Read more…
Napa Valley’s Brix Restaurant for the Stunning View & OH, the Ricotta Gnocchi
June 5, 2013 by Renee Blodgett
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Brix Restaurant and Gardens in Napa Valley’s Yountville, just minutes below a number of the top vineyards and wineries where you can taste the best of Napa. Contemporary French inspired California cuisine with a comprehensive collection of the valley’s finest wine growers and producers, Brix is designed to take full advantage of its 16 prime Napa Valley acres of gardens and vineyards with spectacular views of the Mayacamas mountains. The view from the back outdoor patio seating area is simply stunning.
The restaurant has been around since March 28, 1996 and has always had a focus on providing a farm-to-table dining experience. It was, btw, one of the reasons that drew me to the place in addition to the incredible views. It’s no surprise that they host so many weddings on the premises. We opted for lunch rather than dinner, but definitely went to “town” with our choices, starting with my favorite thing on the menu, their Ricotta Gnocchi, which is served with English peas, smoked ham, parmesan cream and lemon oil. This dish was to die for!
Even though I’m not a pizza fan, my friend Celia was eager to try one of their… Read more…
The Sophisticated Fuji FX1 Camera Has Fast 1.8 Lens & 4x Optical Zoom
June 5, 2013 by Renee Blodgett
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What I like about my initial look at the Fuji Film XF1 is its sophisticated look, so much so that you might think it’s leather. It also has a fast f/1.8 lens which allows poorly-lit subjects to be photographed without raising sensitivity levels, keeping noise to a minimum. Its aperture of f/1.8 with a construction that features 7 lens elements in 6 groups. All elements are subjected to Electron Beam Coating process. The other thing is the size. It is lightweight and has durable aluminum body parts and synthetic leather covering enhance the feel of the camera in the hand, with a texture that resembles genuine leather.
The large CMOS sensor which makes it perform so well in low light is a godsend on top of its 4x optical zoom and 1,080-pixel video recording which make it an overall flexible, versatile and great camera find for road warriors. And, it also comes in three fun colors. Style baby style. It is priced at around £340.
We haven’t tested this out in depth yet, but we saw a preview of it and loved the design and compact size, so we… Read more…
