Cirque du Soleil - Art in Motion

For a number of years now I had heard about Cirque du Soleil. And every time another person told me about their experience with this unique and bold performance art, my curiosity soared to new heights. Typically when this happens with a book, movie, or play, I tend to be let down by the actual experience because of course I have built up the actual product to epic proportions in my mind.

Not so in this case! While in Las Vegas recently, I was finally able to experience first hand the Mystère production of Cirque du Soleil, and was totally blown away by the brilliant creativity and execution of this fabulous show.

The most fabulous show on earth- I've read this description of the circus so many times in reference to the magical aura of this entertainment venue, but as a product of the culture of post WW II technology with its entertainment saturation I've never felt the awe described in literature that say someone growing up in the Great Depression might have felt peeking through the canvas of a tent that housed a fat lady or tattooed man.
I was aware during the performance that I had not experienced this type of childlike awe in quite some time. Starting with the Opening or Taiko, our senses were overloaded with performers crawling straight down walls like lizards. Leaping acrobats, beak faced birds, oversized babies and errant clowns who irreverently tossed the audience's popcorn and pulled people out of their seats.

The costumes and colors in themselves were provocative. The high-tech scenery surpassed any special effects that might be used in a video production, and the physical skills of the performers stunned me. I literally could not take my eyes off the Hand to Hand musclemen, brothers Marco and Paul Lorador from Portugal, who performed a hand and body balancing act that I wouldn't have believed possible without the trick of the camera, if they hadn't almost been close enough to reach out and touch. Their grace and strength seemed superhuman as they balanced each other, every muscle in the human body working in total harmony with the other.

Then there was the Chinese Poles, The Aerial Cube, the Bungee, the Korean Plank, Trampoline and Fast Track, and the Aerial High Bar. And this is only one of half a dozen themed productions that are equally distinct and imaginative. In Las Vegas alone you can see "O," "Love," "K?," "Zumanity," and "Mystère." And there are eight other productions that travel around the world as well.

It all started in 1982, in Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec, a charming, rural area popular with artists, art collectors and tourists. A group of young street performers, the Club des Talons Hauts (the High Heels Club) began to hatch the idea of organizing an entertainer's festival, the Fête Foraine de Baie-Saint-Paul, which was the precursor of what was to become Cirque du Soleil. Guy Laliberté, an accordion player, stilt walker and fire-eater, dove into business to organize and plan the growth of the young company, creating one of the most amazing entertainment venues for a global stage.

Yes, I encourage you to see this show, this fabulous show. Put it on your A list of things you want to do in upcoming months. You will not be disappointed.

A Look At The Crystal Bridges Museum of Art

Some critics might say Jasper Cropseys The Backwoods of America, part of the Crystal Bridges growing American Art Collection, is a symbolic icon for billionaire Alice Waltons passion for the arts.

Designed by world renowned architect Moshe Safdie, and funded by billionaire Alice Walton, the 50 million dollars that is just the cost of the facility and does not include the artworks Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is scheduled to open in 2009, in Bentonville, Arkansas. It was two years ago this month that the daughter of Sam Walton, Founder of Wal-Mart, made the controversial announcement.

The museum will house a permanent collection of signature works from American artists along with galleries dedicated to regional art and artists including Native American art, but oddly enough, this monumental task is not making everyone happy.

The depth of the museum is indicated in a purchase from Christies Americas auction house in New York City in 2004 of Charles Wilson Peales portrait of George Washington for $6.1 million. This is causing some critics to puff up, believing that the art works are being snatched from their own backyard. No need to worry, collaborating with other institutions will be an important focus of Crystal Bridges, even before the museum opens, and they can also rest easy to know Bentonville does have an airport.

A number of the works from the Crystal Bridges permanent collection are already on loan at various museums throughout the United States including: The Hudson River School masterwork Kindred Spirits which was loaned to The National Gallery in Washington, D.C. for public viewing from 2005 - 2007. It is currently on loan to the Brooklyn Museums exhibition by the same name featuring the works of Asher B. Durand. The same exhibition will also travel to Washington D.C. and San Diego.

Thomas Eakins Portrait of Professor Benjamin H. Rand is currently on loan to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Jasper Cropseys majestic depiction of early American frontier life, The Backwoods of America, is now featured in the American galleries of The Nelson-Atkins in Kansas City, and the most extensive surviving group of Colonial American portraiture, the Levy-Franks family paintings, is currently on loan at The Jewish Museum in New York City. Also, the distinctive painting George Washington (The Constable-Hamilton Portrait) by the American painter Gilbert Stuart is currently on view at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston.

While the puffers puff, others admire Waltons passion and dedication to the arts, and recognize the fact Crystal Bridges will be the premier American Art Collection, once it is in place. The collection is headed up by Bob Workman, formerly associated with the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.

When completed, the museum complex will encompass approximately 100,000 square feet of gallery, library, meeting, and office space, a 250-seat indoor auditorium, areas for outdoor concerts and public events, gallery rooms suitable for large receptions, as well as sculpture gardens and walking trails. Walton is building this American Dream on 100 pristine, wooded acres her family owns in Bentonville.