On the second floor of the Crocker Art Museum an oil painting hangs on a plum colored wall. It’s not your typical, dull piece of art. It is over 300 years old, and it is so detailed, so incredible, so real, that time itself begins to slow and your mind begins to slow down along with it. And that is a very refreshing feeling.
The Crocker Art Museum in nestled near the heart of downtown Sacramento, it is stuffed with thousands of pieces of art that are just waiting to inspire you.
The Crocker has been in operation since the late 1800’s and has an extensive collection of Art from all over the world.
Asian Art, Contemporary art, Sculpture and European Art are some of the permanent collections that the museum has to offer. The Crocker also, “Hosts 15 changing exhibitions annually, highlighting a variety of media, time periods and cultures,” according to their website.
Each gallery has a different feeling and it’s own unique vibe.
In the California gallery, paintings are crammed next to each other from the floor up to the ceiling in no particular arrangement. The larger paintings steal your attention at eye level, while smaller detailed paintings seem lost and too close to the ceiling to be appreciated.
The Friedman, Ose and Tsakopoulos galleries display their art in a friendlier way. Pieces are spaced apart and aren’t overcrowded or hung too high to see. These galleries make viewing the pieces of art a bit easier.
One of the best parts of the Crocker Museum is the rotation of the exhibitions, these exhibitions continue to draw people in from all over California.
The current exhibition at the Crocker is “Grandma Moses: Mother to the Nation” According to the Crocker Art Museum guide, Anna Mary Robertson also known as, Grandma Moses produced work that, “celebrates family community and the idyllic rituals accompanying changing seasons and holidays.”
The Guide also suggests that Robertson’s work, “Reveals much about the profound change in identity Americans experienced following the Great Depression, World War II and post-war prosperity.”
At first glance these paintings seem simple, in one of her paintings, a pair of characters stand amongst a snowy hill, they wear pink skin faces and black dots for eyes.
But the deeper you look the more you will see. Brown dots turn into cows and green paint turns into a pasture sprinkled with wildflowers.
Looking at things deeper is what viewing art is all about, it forces you to observe and analyze.
Maybe you won’t see that Robertson’s painting, “celebrates family community and the idyllic rituals accompanying changing seasons and holidays.”
Most of the time, what the artist intends for you to see and what you actually see are two completely different things, and that is perfectly fine.
Sometimes Art can be less about figuring out what it the meaning is and more about how it makes you feel.
At the moment there is some construction around the museum.
The Crocker, “ Is planning a 125,000-square-foot expantion scheduled to open in 2010 that will triple its size, improve visitor amenities, quadruple changing exhibition space and allow more of the permanent collection to be on view,” their website stated.
But a few orange cones and a little dirt on the sidewalk shouldn’t keep you from exploring the unfamiliar parts of your city, you might just be inspired.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Vaccination Investigation
Hold on to your NyQuil because a team of heath researchers just concluded that flu shots might not be as effective as you thought.
An article in the San Francisco Chronicle detailed that the elderly in particular don’t benefit from flu vaccines.
Regardless of this current research, U.S. health officials still stress that people over the age of 65 should seek out flu vaccines. Seems like a strange thing for health officials to do when people over the age of 65 wont necessarily benefit from them.
At a time when flu season is just around the corner the results of this research can be unsettling for older individuals, especially for those in nursing homes who are more likely to be exposed to individuals who are sick.
So it’s not surprising that older people become targets for drug companies, or that flu shots will continue to be recommended for millions of Americans this year.
Health officials say that, “Even a partly effective vaccine would be better than no vaccine at all.”
You wouldn’t buy a partly effective car, right? Would you take a trip on a partly effective air plane? Didn’t think so.. So why would you line up and pay for a partly effective vaccine?
You have a better chance of combating the flu by washing your hands.
It seems as though the only ones who profit from flu vaccines are the companies that make them, not the individuals who line up to take them. They want to convince you that the only thing that will prevent a horrible flu, comes in a tiny syringe.
Drug companies want to sell more vaccines to make more money, bottom line.
The web site for the Center For Disease Control states that , “Vaccines can reduce the chances of getting the flu by 70%-90% in healthy adults.”
They key words are healthy adults, of course people who are already in good health will have a better chance of avoiding the flu.
What happens to the older people who need to protection from the flu the most?
Researchers say that flu shots “stir up protective antibodies quite readily in young people, but the protective effect tends to decrease with age.”
There is no doubt that there needs to be a vaccine that will be effective for older adults and researchers are trying to come up with possible solutions to the current vaccine problems.
Researchers say that, “One solution is to develop new vaccines for the elderly that are boosted with ‘adjuvants’ a chemical that tends to stir up antibodies against invading viruses.
But developing a new vaccine can cost millions of dollars and take years to produce, leaving those who need protection from the flu on their own for now.
The Center For Disease Control had some suggestions for flu prevention on their website.
Avoid close contact.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
Stay home when you are sick.
If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.
Cover your mouth and nose.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
Clean your hands.
Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
Practice other good health habits.
Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food
Content Source: Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases (CCID)
An article in the San Francisco Chronicle detailed that the elderly in particular don’t benefit from flu vaccines.
Regardless of this current research, U.S. health officials still stress that people over the age of 65 should seek out flu vaccines. Seems like a strange thing for health officials to do when people over the age of 65 wont necessarily benefit from them.
At a time when flu season is just around the corner the results of this research can be unsettling for older individuals, especially for those in nursing homes who are more likely to be exposed to individuals who are sick.
So it’s not surprising that older people become targets for drug companies, or that flu shots will continue to be recommended for millions of Americans this year.
Health officials say that, “Even a partly effective vaccine would be better than no vaccine at all.”
You wouldn’t buy a partly effective car, right? Would you take a trip on a partly effective air plane? Didn’t think so.. So why would you line up and pay for a partly effective vaccine?
You have a better chance of combating the flu by washing your hands.
It seems as though the only ones who profit from flu vaccines are the companies that make them, not the individuals who line up to take them. They want to convince you that the only thing that will prevent a horrible flu, comes in a tiny syringe.
Drug companies want to sell more vaccines to make more money, bottom line.
The web site for the Center For Disease Control states that , “Vaccines can reduce the chances of getting the flu by 70%-90% in healthy adults.”
They key words are healthy adults, of course people who are already in good health will have a better chance of avoiding the flu.
What happens to the older people who need to protection from the flu the most?
Researchers say that flu shots “stir up protective antibodies quite readily in young people, but the protective effect tends to decrease with age.”
There is no doubt that there needs to be a vaccine that will be effective for older adults and researchers are trying to come up with possible solutions to the current vaccine problems.
Researchers say that, “One solution is to develop new vaccines for the elderly that are boosted with ‘adjuvants’ a chemical that tends to stir up antibodies against invading viruses.
But developing a new vaccine can cost millions of dollars and take years to produce, leaving those who need protection from the flu on their own for now.
The Center For Disease Control had some suggestions for flu prevention on their website.
Avoid close contact.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
Stay home when you are sick.
If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.
Cover your mouth and nose.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
Clean your hands.
Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
Practice other good health habits.
Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food
Content Source: Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases (CCID)
Monday, September 24, 2007
The Cycle Of Life
The Cycle Of Life is an amazing new art exhibition that will be organized, installed and designed by a group of 20 students from Sacramento State University.
The show will feature four women artists from Korea, China, Vietnam and India. These four women will explore the process of birth, life, death and rebirth. Each women uses a different medium to explore their beliefs.
Pattaratorn Chirapravati, an Asian Studies professor and instructor for the class has had a good deal of experience with gallery installations.
Chirapravati worked as an assistant curator for the Southeast Asian Art collection at The San Francisco Asian Art Museum. At one point she was in charge of writing didactic panels for over 500 pieces of art, which took her months to complete.
Didactic panels are hung on the wall next to an art piece, they normally state the name of the artist, title of the work, the year the art was made and the dimensions of the work. A biography of the artist is sometimes included as well.
The students in Chirapravati’s class spent more than four days working on didactic panels for the Pence Gallery in Davis.
While most people will spend only 90 seconds or less reading didactic panels, the class still went over every detail, writing and re-writing to make the didactic panels informative and easy to read . Deciding what to include and exclude about the art and the artist was a constant compromise, with not only the other students, but the artists as well.
Planning and installing a gallery exhibition takes hours of collaboration and since many students in the class have had no experience with gallery installations, it makes putting together an art show even more challenging.
The class will be handling more than $120,000 worth of art in The Cycle of Life exhibition, and that price tag can make anybody a little nervous.
No earrings, bracelets, rings or loose fitting clothing are allowed to be worn when moving delicate pieces of art. Anything that could potentially damage a piece of work has to be left at the door.
Insurance plays a major role in any gallery set up, any possible damage done to the art in this exhibition will be covered by Sacramento State University.
Each of the artists have to record every piece of art they will be putting into the show, the cost of the art work is then assessed, and the inventoried pieces will be covered. Brenda Louie, for example, will have 51 pieces of art in the show, with a total value of $80,000. Each of Louie’s inventoried pieces will be insured in case of damage.
When it comes down gallery installation, aside from countless insurance forms, re-writing and the constant compromises, installing an art exhibition is all about teamwork and creativity, and that alone can be considered a work of art.
The Cycle Of Life
University Library Gallery
Sacramento State
October 4 - October 27
The show will feature four women artists from Korea, China, Vietnam and India. These four women will explore the process of birth, life, death and rebirth. Each women uses a different medium to explore their beliefs.
Pattaratorn Chirapravati, an Asian Studies professor and instructor for the class has had a good deal of experience with gallery installations.
Chirapravati worked as an assistant curator for the Southeast Asian Art collection at The San Francisco Asian Art Museum. At one point she was in charge of writing didactic panels for over 500 pieces of art, which took her months to complete.
Didactic panels are hung on the wall next to an art piece, they normally state the name of the artist, title of the work, the year the art was made and the dimensions of the work. A biography of the artist is sometimes included as well.
The students in Chirapravati’s class spent more than four days working on didactic panels for the Pence Gallery in Davis.
While most people will spend only 90 seconds or less reading didactic panels, the class still went over every detail, writing and re-writing to make the didactic panels informative and easy to read . Deciding what to include and exclude about the art and the artist was a constant compromise, with not only the other students, but the artists as well.
Planning and installing a gallery exhibition takes hours of collaboration and since many students in the class have had no experience with gallery installations, it makes putting together an art show even more challenging.
The class will be handling more than $120,000 worth of art in The Cycle of Life exhibition, and that price tag can make anybody a little nervous.
No earrings, bracelets, rings or loose fitting clothing are allowed to be worn when moving delicate pieces of art. Anything that could potentially damage a piece of work has to be left at the door.
Insurance plays a major role in any gallery set up, any possible damage done to the art in this exhibition will be covered by Sacramento State University.
Each of the artists have to record every piece of art they will be putting into the show, the cost of the art work is then assessed, and the inventoried pieces will be covered. Brenda Louie, for example, will have 51 pieces of art in the show, with a total value of $80,000. Each of Louie’s inventoried pieces will be insured in case of damage.
When it comes down gallery installation, aside from countless insurance forms, re-writing and the constant compromises, installing an art exhibition is all about teamwork and creativity, and that alone can be considered a work of art.
The Cycle Of Life
University Library Gallery
Sacramento State
October 4 - October 27
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Bad Service. Who is to blame?
Great customer service can leave you feeling as though the world really isn’t such a bad place after all. A genuine smile from a sales clerk or a free refill of coffee are tiny acts of kindness that can truly give you hope for all of humanity.
Then you frequent a local restaurant and when you least expect it, your server treats you like a minuscule piece of dirt. All of your newfound hope for mankind turns into utter despair!
Yes, it may seem a little dramatic, but the fact still stands that bad customer service is something we all have dealt with, its an ugly scar on the face of our culture.
So, who is to blame for our ever apparent bad service habits?
The first thing that comes to mind when bad service is brought up are restaurants. Any transaction of money for goods usually takes two people, the buyer and the seller. At restaurant establishments you have to deal with the hostess, chef, bartender and server. (Sometimes more or less people depending on the restaurant.) With this many people involved good service is at a greater risk of turning bad.
Yet, most servers will have no problem providing good service.
Take for example California’s minimum wage, $7.75 an hour. The average server who is lucky enough to get around 30 hours per week will make less than $12,000 a year. In other words, people who work in the restaurant industry rely heavily on tips for their survival. It is in their best interest to be friendly and give good service so they will receive gratuity for the service that they provided.
Although, receiving good service is only half of the transaction when it comes to dining out. Bad service can come from both sides of the table.
The patron, who pays for food, ambiance and a place to dine can be impatient and disrespectful which can quickly turn a day at work into a nightmare for a server.
With those thoughts in mind, two lists have been compiled with the help of a few local restaurant servers and people who love to dine out.
These lists present advice and simple tips, so both patron and server can ensure a great dining experience.
*These views are solely based on advice from a group of people who work in the restaurant industry, and do not reflect the views of every server or patron in the greater Sacramento area or world.
Tips For Patrons
1. Get a babysitter.
Servers do not want to sweep up sticky Cheerios and broken color crayons, and the entire restaurant does not to want to listen to a screaming child.
2. Please don’t hail.
Snapping, waving, and pointing to your empty cup to get a servers attention probably isn’t the best tactic... It’s insulting and degrading.
3. Be respectful.
We are servers are not servants.
4. Don’t take advantage of substitutions.
If you absolutely loathe pine nuts, fine. Peas instead of carrots, pasta instead of potatoes, sauce on the side, no onions and extra cheese... It’s too much!
5.Closing time.
If the restaurant closes at 9:00 and you come in at 8:59 and 58 seconds don’t be upset when they tell you the restaurant is closed.
Tips For Servers
1. Be patient
Sometimes customers aren’t sure of what they want, give them time to figure it out instead of constantly bugging them about ordering.
2. Keep the customer in the know
If their food is on fire in the kitchen, please don’t tell them it will be out in just a few minutes.
3. Know the menu
Many people have questions concerning the menu, having knowledge about certain ingredients can make answering, “What is aglio-olio?” a whole lot easier.
4. Don’t be overly polite.
There is nothing better than a polite server, and nothing worse than an overly intruding one.
5. Promptly deliver the check.
After the appetizer, main course, dessert and coffee, sometimes the only thing that people want to do is get the check and go home.
Hopefully the above lists will make your next dining experience void of bad service and much more enjoyable than the ones before.
Then you frequent a local restaurant and when you least expect it, your server treats you like a minuscule piece of dirt. All of your newfound hope for mankind turns into utter despair!
Yes, it may seem a little dramatic, but the fact still stands that bad customer service is something we all have dealt with, its an ugly scar on the face of our culture.
So, who is to blame for our ever apparent bad service habits?
The first thing that comes to mind when bad service is brought up are restaurants. Any transaction of money for goods usually takes two people, the buyer and the seller. At restaurant establishments you have to deal with the hostess, chef, bartender and server. (Sometimes more or less people depending on the restaurant.) With this many people involved good service is at a greater risk of turning bad.
Yet, most servers will have no problem providing good service.
Take for example California’s minimum wage, $7.75 an hour. The average server who is lucky enough to get around 30 hours per week will make less than $12,000 a year. In other words, people who work in the restaurant industry rely heavily on tips for their survival. It is in their best interest to be friendly and give good service so they will receive gratuity for the service that they provided.
Although, receiving good service is only half of the transaction when it comes to dining out. Bad service can come from both sides of the table.
The patron, who pays for food, ambiance and a place to dine can be impatient and disrespectful which can quickly turn a day at work into a nightmare for a server.
With those thoughts in mind, two lists have been compiled with the help of a few local restaurant servers and people who love to dine out.
These lists present advice and simple tips, so both patron and server can ensure a great dining experience.
*These views are solely based on advice from a group of people who work in the restaurant industry, and do not reflect the views of every server or patron in the greater Sacramento area or world.
Tips For Patrons
1. Get a babysitter.
Servers do not want to sweep up sticky Cheerios and broken color crayons, and the entire restaurant does not to want to listen to a screaming child.
2. Please don’t hail.
Snapping, waving, and pointing to your empty cup to get a servers attention probably isn’t the best tactic... It’s insulting and degrading.
3. Be respectful.
We are servers are not servants.
4. Don’t take advantage of substitutions.
If you absolutely loathe pine nuts, fine. Peas instead of carrots, pasta instead of potatoes, sauce on the side, no onions and extra cheese... It’s too much!
5.Closing time.
If the restaurant closes at 9:00 and you come in at 8:59 and 58 seconds don’t be upset when they tell you the restaurant is closed.
Tips For Servers
1. Be patient
Sometimes customers aren’t sure of what they want, give them time to figure it out instead of constantly bugging them about ordering.
2. Keep the customer in the know
If their food is on fire in the kitchen, please don’t tell them it will be out in just a few minutes.
3. Know the menu
Many people have questions concerning the menu, having knowledge about certain ingredients can make answering, “What is aglio-olio?” a whole lot easier.
4. Don’t be overly polite.
There is nothing better than a polite server, and nothing worse than an overly intruding one.
5. Promptly deliver the check.
After the appetizer, main course, dessert and coffee, sometimes the only thing that people want to do is get the check and go home.
Hopefully the above lists will make your next dining experience void of bad service and much more enjoyable than the ones before.
Monday, September 17, 2007
A gray tent stuffed with a crumpled sleeping bag occupies the left corner of the Sacramento State University Library Gallery. It is not a piece of art. It is Tony Bellaver’s temporary home as he installs his latest exhibition.
‘Area Blurring The Lines’ opened on September 4th but the left side of the gallery is still filled with a few ladders, an unfinished painting and a table littered with everything from tape to Sierra Nevada beer bottles. Pieces of twisted metal are scattered on the floor and some of Bellaver’s work just leans up against the wall... Waiting.
Gallery installations take a considerable amount of creativity and work and every gallery brings a different challenge for the artist to overcome. For Ballaver the challenge was less about finishing, and more about taking time to get results he will be happy with.
Nature is an apparent theme in Bellaver’s work. Photographs of California lakes that he has visited over the summer are arranged on the wall in a grid. Simple and scenic these unframed color photographs grab your attention right away.
“They are photos of all the ones that I have hiked to, I don’t include the ones that I have driven to,” Bellaver said, as he hammered tiny nails into the gallery wall. The nails will help to hold speaker wires of his newest art piece in place.
Bellaver’s current plan is to broadcast sounds of nature through speakers, but he is not quite sure of his final plans with the piece.
“It’s the first time I have ever done this, It’s theory at the moment but it might change.”
“Next week I will play around with some of the sounds; to hear how it sounds in the space.”
A unique part of this exhibition is the close interaction between the artist and the viewer. Many times people who visit galleries have questions they would love to ask the artist.
What was he thinking? What inspired her? How long did that take? This show gives visitors the opportunity to ask their questions, and to have access to the artist in action.
Robert Ortbal who helped to curate the show, said that he wanted to give the five artists involved as much latitude as possible and that all of the artists participating in the show have different working styles. “Tony just kind of moved in,” He said.
When it comes down to viewing Art, whether the artist is there to answer your questions or not; it all just boils down to the motion of hand to face... Head tilt... Mind open ..hmmm.
Area Blurring The Lines will show
September 4 through November 17
at Sacramento State University Library Gallery
‘Area Blurring The Lines’ opened on September 4th but the left side of the gallery is still filled with a few ladders, an unfinished painting and a table littered with everything from tape to Sierra Nevada beer bottles. Pieces of twisted metal are scattered on the floor and some of Bellaver’s work just leans up against the wall... Waiting.
Gallery installations take a considerable amount of creativity and work and every gallery brings a different challenge for the artist to overcome. For Ballaver the challenge was less about finishing, and more about taking time to get results he will be happy with.
Nature is an apparent theme in Bellaver’s work. Photographs of California lakes that he has visited over the summer are arranged on the wall in a grid. Simple and scenic these unframed color photographs grab your attention right away.
“They are photos of all the ones that I have hiked to, I don’t include the ones that I have driven to,” Bellaver said, as he hammered tiny nails into the gallery wall. The nails will help to hold speaker wires of his newest art piece in place.
Bellaver’s current plan is to broadcast sounds of nature through speakers, but he is not quite sure of his final plans with the piece.
“It’s the first time I have ever done this, It’s theory at the moment but it might change.”
“Next week I will play around with some of the sounds; to hear how it sounds in the space.”
A unique part of this exhibition is the close interaction between the artist and the viewer. Many times people who visit galleries have questions they would love to ask the artist.
What was he thinking? What inspired her? How long did that take? This show gives visitors the opportunity to ask their questions, and to have access to the artist in action.
Robert Ortbal who helped to curate the show, said that he wanted to give the five artists involved as much latitude as possible and that all of the artists participating in the show have different working styles. “Tony just kind of moved in,” He said.
When it comes down to viewing Art, whether the artist is there to answer your questions or not; it all just boils down to the motion of hand to face... Head tilt... Mind open ..hmmm.
Area Blurring The Lines will show
September 4 through November 17
at Sacramento State University Library Gallery
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