BEAUTIFUL EVENTS NOW 8.23.13

Burning Man 2013

August 26 - September 2, 2013

Nevada

 

Burning Man started, as all ideas do, as a little spark. This spark began 27 years ago, created by Larry Harvey and Jerry James, when they built an 8 foot wooden effigy of a man and burned it to celebrate the summer solstice at Baker Beach in San Francisco. Only 20 people gathered to watch it burn but the energy released in the fire magically transfixed and united them. So they returned the following year to experience it again, this time burning a 20 foot effigy, and 60 more people joined them.  

Photo: Courtesy of Why Do We Celebrate

 

It was so cool, it spread, kind of like wildfire. The effigy grew taller each year and the crowd grew exponentially. It got so big, it had to move to its current location: in the middle of Nevada's Black Rock Desert (also known as "the playa").

 

The ritual expanded too, into a week-long event, with performers, artists, designers, and creatives of every imaginable kind adding their flourish. It became the place and the time to let loose, conceptually, spiritually, and physically.

Photo: Michael Holden.

 

The crowd got so big, the event organizers created Black Rock City, a temporary metropolis, comprised of themed villages and, dedicated to community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance. Every year, there is a new creative theme. And each year, the city is built, enjoyed, and dismantled, leaving no trace of its existence behind in the desert.

Photo: Michael Holden. Temple Sunrise.

 

It was ahead of its time, as a pop up, in the middle of the desert…. now grown into a very big pop up of over 60,000 people, with almost 1,000 art projects, scores of performances, and a mind boggling array of mind boggling new ideas to consider. Part giant art installation, part theme camp, it’s a cultural mecca of the arts, technology -- an inspiration and, in part, a forerunner to events like SXSW and TED.

 

This year, the theme is “Cargo Cult,” referring to a religious practice found in many pre-industrial tribal societies, where simple villagers worship material and advanced technology items as gods. To honor the theme, the Burning Man figure will be constructed on top of a spaceship-like “sky-craft” pavilion.

Photo: Scott Barron

 

Edinburgh International Festival, Festival City Symphony Premiere

August 27, 2013

Edinburgh, Scotland

 

Composer Tod Machover has been creating a “collaborative symphony” called Festival City, to be premiered on August 27th at the Edinburgh International Festival. This work is a sonic portrait of Edinburgh, composed using crowdsourced bits of sound recorded over the past few months from spots all around the city.  Machover provided tools created by his team at the MIT Media Lab that allow everyone to help shape the composition.

 

See more at: http://edinburgh.media.mit.edu/#sthash.XWUBdWdc.dpuf

 

Machover explained the project In a recent live interview on BBC Scotland. You can find out more about the project at www.eif.co.uk/festivalcity or follow the blog at edinburgh.media.mit.edu.

 

Listen to the interview here.

Photo: Courtesy of Edinburgh International Festival

 

Photo: Courtesy of Edinburgh International Festival

 

The sounds, a kaleidoscopic mix of street noises, fragments of music, recorded anecdotes, church bells, submitted by email, and uploaded to SoundCloud.

 

The Constellation app, analyzes snippets of sound, noting characteristics such as pitch, frequency, and volume, visualized as color-coded dots. The dots can be arranged according to their similarities and differences, forming groups on the screen like a constellation of stars. Users can navigate the app, and link dots to link sounds, creating their own mixes.

 

The completed composition will be 12 minutes long in total. It will be performed by the full Scottish National Orchestra at the Festival’s City Noir concert -- which will also celebrate film noir, big-band jazz and David Lynch films.

 

Submissions for sounds are now closed, but you can still play with the apps used to create the piece.

Photo: Courtesy of Festival of Arts of Laguna Beach

 

Laguna Beach Festival of the Arts/ Pageant of the Masters

July 7 - August 31, 2013

Laguna Beach, California

 

One of the oldest and most highly regarded juried fine arts shows in the US, the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts, open this week with a breathtaking showcase of paintings, photography, printmaking, sculpture, jewelry, handcrafted wood and furniture, ceramics, glass and more – all by 140 of Orange County’s finest artists.  

Photo: Courtesy of Laguna Beach Festival of the Arts 2013. "Chess Game"

 

One especially cool features each night of the Festival is the Pagent of the Masters, in which performers present 90 minutes of  tableaux vivants, or “living pictures,” which are beautiful faithful reenactments of scenes from classical and contemporary art.

 

Check out the video here.

 

This production, in an outdoor amphitheater, with a professional orchestra, original score, live narration, intricate sets, sophisticated lighting, and talented performers, make this Pageant one of the best you’ll ever see.

 

The 2013 theme, “The Big Picture,” features classic masterpieces that inspired legendary filmmakers.

Photo: Michael Ngim. CrèmeCaramelLA, Original Vanilla Bread Pudding at The Taste.

 

Los Angeles Times: The Taste

August 30 - September 1, 2013

Los Angeles, California

 

Southern California's favorite food and wine festival returns, bringing together over 15,000 Angelenos for an unparalleled culinary weekend.

 

Voted Southern California's #2 Food and Wine event by BizBash, 2013's edition of Los Angeles Times' The Taste will feature 5 distinct events over 3 days at Paramount Pictures Studios.

 

It’s good to eat and drink in Southern California pretty much all the time, but this week, it’s better than ever, thanks to the 3rd Annual LA Times Taste Festival. It’s a top-notch culinary adventure, featuring 5 distinct events over 3 days at Paramount Pictures Studios. The hottest chefs and bartenders in LA will come together to make your tastebuds dance with cocktail and wine tastings and bites from restaurants including Bagatelle, Bedford and Burns, Candela Taco Bar & Lounge, Carson House, Coco Laurent, Firefly, Fishing with Dynamite, La Sandia, Loteria Grill, Manhattan Beach Post, Pizzeria Mozza, Oliverio at Avalon Hotel, STK, Taberna Arros Y Vi, and The Blvd at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, among others.

Photo: Courtesy of West Holly Wood Today

 

You can join the Times Food Editor Russ Parsons as he hosts the “Field to Fork” event, or check out a panel called "Fish or Famine: Sustainability and the Seafood on Your Plate." Explore food and wine tastings, cooking demos, and mixology lessons. Find out about "The Power of Pop-ups." Get your grill on at "Going Whole Hog: Tales from Masters of Competition BBQ." If you’re into farm-to-table, check out the farm-to-glass craft cocktail demonstration.

 

Check out the rest of our Beautiful Beach posts all this week, including stories in Arts/Design, Food/Drink, Mind/Body, Place/Time, Nature/Science, and Soul Impact. And enter this week's photo competition. The theme: Beaches (Deadline, August 25th, 2013).