One of the most profound means of human communication is the visual arts. By establishing a meaningful dialogue between an artist’s vision of the world and our own perceptions, art can help us to understand ourselves more fully. Moreover, art at its finest gives us a deep sense of history, tradition, and the true potentialities of man’s creativity. In today’s world where often scientific development is regarded as the highest goal and where the individual frequently feels alienated from himself and those around him, the role of art becomes increasingly important in keeping open the lines of communication.

– Norton Simon, 1972

Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena is one of the most pleasant museums in the West Coast. Norton Simon amassed unprecedented collection of art work that became one of the largest private collections in the world. Yet – he started being interested in art not until he was about forty.

Drop out from college, Norton Simon (1907 – 1993) is one of the kind keeping company to Woody Allen, Ansel Adams, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerman and several others whose intelligence, self-discipline and visionary qualities hurdle them forward and up in an incredible speed, unseen energy and unusually clear vision.

Norton Simon was gifted entrepreneur who turned around dying companies into incredibly successful ones. His credits boasts Hunt Food, Avis Car Rental, MaxFactor cosmetics and among many more – Pasadena  Museum of Art that was about to close for financial reason when Simon bought it in 1974  and created one of the most exciting and valuable museums in America.

Simon started buying first  paintings – Post- Impressionists –  in 1950’s (Degas, Gauguine, Renoir, Cezanne), in 1960’s Impressionists, old masters and his trip in India in 1971 inspired him to study and collect  Indian and Southeast Asia art.

Before Simon found home for his large collection, he called it “Museum without Walls” and kept lending his art to museums around the globe. The core of his collection was housed in Los Angeles  what would become County Museum  of Art (one of the top in US) that Simon helped to bring to existence.

Strong believer in art as an inseparable and  indispensable part of our education and fundamental necessity helping us to understand what we are about, Simon became relentless advocate of art education and his museum reflects that. Many opportunities for education are offered via the museum – whether it is simple short films introducing art or excellent docent tours, courses, painting sessions or uniquely narrated audio guides. (The best I have heard in USA.)

Simon understood very well that the ultimate mission of one’s journey is to contribute to public common good. He has contributed immeasurably and will reach generations who will enjoy his sweet gift. We are lucky to be able to stroll in his sculpture garden or walk through his galleries, cleverly designed by Frank Gehry, while admiring his supreme collection.

I hope, my Platt students and colleagues, that you will join me! I know you will not regret. I am dare to say that you will be touched as much as I am whenever I leave Norton Simon Museum.

Join us  on Sunday, March 21!!! (We will take Ferrari vans from Platt at 9.30 AM, we may pick you up anywhere up north.)$15 Platt students, $20 guests –  including entrance fee to the museum and modest snack of bagel, cream cheese and chocolate! You will also enjoy free time in cosy  charming lively  downtown Pasadena!

http://www.nortonsimon.org/

I am not essentially a religious person, but my feeling about a museum is that it can serve as a substitute for a house of worship. It is a place to respect man’s creativity and to sense a continuity with the past. It is a place to give us a feeling of the dignity of man and to help us to strive towards our own creativity and fulfillment.
- Norton Simon, 1974

To listen to the poetry of my students – while settled on a high cliff by Del Mar – I understand what poetry is: It extends us. Makes us complete and perfectly human with expansive soul.   Poetry  dwells within and without ready to be snatched. And my students do. They jump in the air on the wings of their imagination and in that leap they harvest words only to throw them back high up. With heads way back they eye the words that are slowly falling back at them only to be set free by their fantasy and thrown into a poem. No rules are laid up. Incomplete sentences, dangling participles  allowed.  Wow! I am leaving as inspired woman lucky I decided one rainy afternoon to become a teacher rather than an actress. All of your lives are touching mine.  Your offered beauty in words, charcoal lines or gestures of paint brush stretch my soul’s horizons… Thanks!

“When I was a fireball

I ate the sun

When I was a fireball

I was the hottest thing around…”

Gloria

[View with PicLens]

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“We are the world

We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So lets start giving
There’s a choice we’re making
We’re saving our own lives
It’s true we make a better day
Just you and me…”

Many of us (how that is possible!) remember very well this song resonating July 13, 1985 around the world. It was a day when Bob Geldof  put together a tour  raising money to help famine in Ethiopia. Every star you can imagine participated in two concurrent concerts, one in London and one in Philadelphia, viewed by 400 million people around the globe. That day the song “We are the World” became what it is today -  a symbol of giving and supporting. It became a motto of solidarity.

Solidarity is one of the most powerful tools to support others. It is not so much about monetary gift  as it is about recognizing that one is not alone in  his dire situation.  It is about that others, who live in civil conditions, are aware that you do not. Believe or not – it helps as much as an actual gift.

One of my most memorable moments where I felt very palpably how solidarity does wonders was in Budapest in September 6, 1988. I traveled there from Prague to see a concert Human Rights Now! that featured Bruce Springsteen, Peter Gabriel, Sting and Tracy Chapman. The concert symbolically started with Bob Marley song “Get up, Stand up” and ended withDylan’s “Chimes of Freedom” sung by Springsteen. Very moving. All of the singers acknowledged us –  ”Let us now welcome all of the young people living without privilege to freedom, people who traveled to Budapest from East Germany, Poland and Czechoslovakia”. We were so taken aback that someone is taking interest in our humble insignificant Eastern European lives, that someone is touring twenty cities around the world to spread the thought of necessity of freedom. We were touched, moved, surprised and our spirit was strengthen by solidarity of others who supported us, who acknowledged us and  recognized the harsh conditions we lived in. I have never attended more intense concert that would give me such a moral boost. We knew we are not alone.  Even though a cynic may say that “these singers did not change anything about your doom”  - I have to argue they did. They poured into the crowd of young people, bereft of democracy, much of hope, joy and power to keep our dignity.

Let us show our solidarity  to those who need it the most now. Let us choose for this week Haiti. They need strength, hope, joy and knowledge that we think of them. Let us assure them they are a part of our world that we will help to restore to its original beauty.

By money we can rebuild the cities. By solidarity we can rebuit the broken spirits.

Let us be giving.

Solidarity for Haiti at Platt not only  on Tuesday, February 9, 2010 event from 10 AM – 10 PM.

People are what they learn and culture translates into cultivated behaviour. What leads to cultivated behaviour? Employment of  faculties that help to awaken the burning desire to experience life in all of its levels and  rich texture.  It is passion to visit every facet of creativity, to view knowledge as the biggest excitement,  to explore history  and ethnicity through study, travel and close listening. It all comes alive through offered inspiration.

What is then the cultivated behaviour? It explores before it judges, ponders before it jumps to conclusion, respects the opponent, and usually does not scream and  offend.

Can we draw conclusion that the more intelligent you are the better you behave? Well, you may argue that we all know plenty of intelligent people  who are not particularly nice.  Here is the key: Culture is not given; intelligence is. Intellectual properties are given (even though they may be practiced to perfection), but  culture is an act of acquisition.  Not all acquire it even though it is democratically offered to all and everyone has a wonderful chance to benefit from it.

We lead a school and as such we have the unique opportunity to offer to our students many avenues  that may broaden their cultivation. Our ultimate goal is that they will all acquire – through their cultivation – a proper attitude of an informed human being and citizen: the attitude of tolerance.

Such behaviour can be easily attained though learning and exploring.

Here comes an invite to various inspiring events for the first quater of this numerically handsome year :

• Saturday, January 16, 2010 – “The General” (Buster Keaton) – a silent film accompanies by live organ music. 8 PM Copleay Symphony Hall.  (750 B Street, San Diego, CA 92101)
• January 29,2010, Friday  - “Boom” (a play) San Diego Repertory Theater –  (Horton Plaza, Downtown San Diego)
• February 5, Friday, 8 PM Puccini - “La Boheme” (opera), Civic Theater,  (3. and B street, downtown)
• February 16, 2010,Tuesday,  Copley Hall, 8 PM. – Taiko Drummers form Japan
• February 25, 2010 at 7.3o, Thursday  - “Symphony Exposed” -Claude Debussy  - special concert for college students, Copley Symphony Hall
• February 11, 2009, Thursday –  ”The Piano Lessons” (a play) – Cygnet Theater, Old Town
• March 7, 2010, 8 PM “Cultural Clash in America” (a play) San Diego Rep Theater, Horton Plaza, downtown
• March 20, 2010 10 AM – 7PM - Trip to Los Angeles – County Museum  (Renoir) and Norton Simon Museum (Ingres)

I hope that you will choose, attend and leave inspired!