Marfa Contemporary: Walking, Eating, Sleeping Show Catalog

Marfa Contemporary is a regional extension of the Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center. It is a charitable organization committed to encouraging creative representation in all its forms through exhibitions and education. Art presentations by regional, national and international artists at Marfa Contemporary will be free to viewers year-round. The organizers of the venue also offer classes and workshops for children and adults at minimal cost.

Marfa Contemporary is currently showcasing the art of Laurie Frick, an artist who draws from neuroscience to create complexly hand-built works and installations to study the nature of pattern and the mind. She attained a Master of Fine Arts from New York Studio School and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Southern California. She also attended an executive program at Harvard and London Business School as well as an Interactive Telecommunications Program at New York University Tisch School. She studies self-tracking and human patterns using her background in engineering and high-technology. She has been showcasing her art in her solo exhibitions in Texas, Oklahoma, Los Angeles, and New York. Furthermore, she collaborated with various curators such as Kaegan Sparks, Colin Raymond, Kyle Kramer, Shona MacDonald, Debbie Hesse, Carol Padberg, Virginia Rutledge and Maya Joseph-Goteiner. Her awards include Swing Space Studio award by Lower Manhattan Cultural Cultural Council and Outstanding artist of the year for 2012. She was also awarded residencies by the Neuroscience Research Center University of Texas, the Yaddo, Headlands and the Bemis Center. Her publications and reviews include Austin Statesman, The Huffington Post, New Scientist, Los Angeles Times and NPR Arts Eclectic.

Laurie Frick’s Walking, Eating, Sleeping Show Catalog will be shown at Marfa Contemporary until January 13, 2014. An artist talk was conducted on October 13, 2013. It has been recently held at Oklahoma Contemporary last June and August of 2013. Now, it is time for the people of Marfa to appreciate the art of Laurie Frick. In this art exhibit, Laurie Frick considered numbers as abstract concepts. However,  many recognize pattern instinctively. She is experimenting with wall-sized patterns that anticipate the condition of a person’s daily-selves.

Cibolo Creek Ranch
The finest luxury hotel & resort in the Big Bend of West Texas

Experience a Breathtaking Mountain View at Amangani Resort

Jackson is a town located in Teton County, Wyoming. It is a major entryway for the thousands of tourists who visit nearby Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, and National Elk Refuge each year. In addition, the town is also a hub for outdoor recreation activities. Jackson is surrounded by neighboring ski resorts, including Snow King, and tourists can ski and take sleigh rides from mid-December through April. Wildlife watching is also a common leisure activity in this valley where elk, deer, moose, coyotes, and many other animals roam freely.

The high mountain valley of Jackson Hole provides tourists with remarkable ski resorts, such as East Gros Ventre Butte.  This luxury property is recognized as Amangani, which means “peaceful home”. The five-star hotel was the first Aman resort in North America and reflects the atmosphere of the American West.  It stands nearly 7,000 feet above sea level and overlooks grazing lands surrounded by breathtaking mountain ranges.

Visitors seeking an exciting activity in Jackson can opt for the four-night Winter Wildlife Adventure, which includes daily Amangani breakfast. As a part of the packaged, each guest can choose between a four-hour wildlife tour and a four-hour snowshoeing tour.

Amangani Resort has a 65-seat dining room called The Grill, which offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner to guests. The banquet area gives visitors a sense of stylish comfort with its magnificent views of the surrounding mountain range and classy redwood-paneled walls and ceilings. The luxurious hotel includes a library with a fine collection of coffee tables and books. It also has a spa and fitness center that features exercise studios, steam rooms, yoga classes, and a treatment room. One of the highlights of this resort is its heated, outdoor swimming pool and Whirlpool with stunning views of the snow-capped Teton Mountains.

The resort’s suites, which range from $800 to $8000 USD, include a king-sized platform bed, a fireplace, and a private balcony. The bathrooms are spacious with redwood floors, slate walls, and deep soaking tubs.

Recently named the number 1 hotel in the United States, Amangani Resort is a magnificent experience that is truly worth every penny.

Cibolo Creek Ranch
The finest luxury hotel & resort in the Big Bend of West Texas

Ballroom Marfa Shows Le Révélateur with Mary Lattimore and Jeff Zaigler

Catch the showing of Philippe Garrel’s 1986 film Le Révélateur at the Crowley Theater on December 30, 2013. Doors will be opened at exactly 7pm and the show will start 30 minutes after. The admission for this event will be free. Since it is the fifth annual New Year’s film program of Ballroom Marfa, they will be hosting the free film screening of this 27-year old movie. Mary Lattimore, a Philadelphia harpist and Jeff Zeigler, a synth player will also be scoring the event.

Le Révélateur is an experimental narrative film about Stanislas Robiolles, a 4-year old boy and his parents, Laurent Terzieff and Bernadette Lafont. Among other things, the film addresses a child’s perspective of seeing his parents make love. Cinematography was shot by Garrel and frequent collaborator Michel Fournier, who considers this film as their best work together. Shot in Munich, Germany, the film is intentionally silent and was made at 18 frames per second, the usual speed for silent films.

The harpist for the event, Mary Lattimore, has performed and recorded with outstanding artists such as Thurston Moore, Meg Baird, Kurt Vile, Jarvis Cocker and Fursaxa. Her harp instructors were Ulrike Mattanovich of the Vienna Symphony, Kathleen Bride of Eastman School of Music and Luisa Prandina of La Scala. She has been included in the soundtrack of various works including the Valerie Project and the film score for Marina Abramovic: the Artist is Present. In March 2013, during the 100th anniversary of Grand Central Station in New York City, she accompanied Nick Cave’s beautiful horse sound-suits. Recently, she recorded her solo debut, The Withdrawing Room produced by Desire Path Recordings.

Between his production work for local luminaries Kurt Vile, Jeff Zeigler has worked with Purling Hiss, The War on drugs and his space-rock outfit Arc in Round. Zeigler has also been experimenting in solo or collaborative experimental shows with Lattimore. He has played in opening for the English ambient artist Benoit Pioulard.

Cibolo Creek Ranch
The finest luxury hotel & resort in the Big Bend of West Texas

Visitors Guide to Orlando and The Waldorf Astoria

Orlando, Florida, is one of the world’s greatest vacation destinations. The city has so many attractions to offer that it is nearly impossible to run out of things to do. The main reason so many people visit Orlando each year is its many theme parks that offer fun for people of all ages. These major parks include Disney World, Sea World, Universal Studios, and Universal’s Islands of Adventure, which are open year round.

Disney World has four different parks.  The original park, Magic Kingdom, is still the most popular one, which includes such classics as Cinderella’s Castle.  One of the most popular newer parks is Animal Kingdom, which has recreated magnificent wildlife habitats and offers safari rides through the replicated African Savannahs. There are numerous other animals feature at the park as well, such as dinosaurs from the past.

Ever since the arrival of Disney’s Magic Kingdom so many years ago, the tourist trade in Orlando has dramatically grown, as have the number of hotels. Orlando offers an enormous selection of hotels throughout the city, many of which are clustered around the popular parks and attractions.

Waldorf Astoria Orlando is a grand hotel that tops the charts of Orlando’s luxury hotels. It is rich with historical heritage and memories and sits in the heart of Orlando’s family-friendly resort district at Bonnet Creek, which is a 482-acre nature preserve, bordered on three sides by Walt Disney World properties. This luxury hotel is an ideal destination for exploring the area and is also conveniently just minutes from Orland International Airport.

All guest rooms feature 42-inch HDTVs and have luxurious bathrooms with marble tubs and glass showers. The staff are exceptionally gracious, there is a wonderful 18-hole golf course just steps away from the front door, and a breakfast buffet that you must not miss. It also offers free transportation from the hotel to Walt Disney World in a luxury vehicle.

Cibolo Creek Ranch
The finest luxury hotel & resort in the Big Bend of West Texas

Chinati Foundation Presents Sounds Modern: The Music of Morton Feldman

The Chinati Foundation will be presentingSounds Modern on Saturday, December 28 at 8:00 pm at the Crowley Theater in Marfa, Texas. This event was conceived by virtuoso flutist Elizabeth McNutt. McNutt is a recitalist who performs specifically contemporary music. She has debuted more than 100 works and performed across the world, from Europe and Asia, to here in the United States. Her works include the solo Pipe Wrench: Flute along with various similar releases. Her writings have been published in Organized Sound, Music Theory Online, and Flutist Quarterly. Her chamber music activities include the Calliope Duo and the Tornado Project. She also directs the Sounds Modern series at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. She holds a DMA in contemporary music performance from the UC San Diego. As a teacher at the University of North Texas, she directs the music ensemble, Nova and teaches flute.

The Sounds Modern event series presents concerts featuring contemporary modern music in collaboration with the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. This art museum is committed to collecting, presenting, and interpreting international developments in post-World War II art inmedia. TheModern Art Museum also promotes art appreciation through curatorial research and publications, as well a variety of educational programs. These events include lectures, guided tours, classes, and workshops.

For this particular event, as part of the Chinati Presents series, Sounds Modern will perform the music of Morton Feldman. Feldman (1926-1987) was an American composer born in New York City. He was a pioneer of indeterminate music, a development associated with the experimental New York School of composers. His works are characterized by notational innovations that he developed to create a characteristic sound: rhythms that seem free and floating, pitch shadings that seem softly blurred, a generally quiet and slowly evolving tone, and repeating asymmetrical patterns. Feldman also became an instructor to many notable musicalprodigies such as Julius Eastman, Kyle Gann, Tom Johnson, Fred Lonberg-Holm, and Bobby Previte.

Admission for this event is free.

Cibolo Creek Ranch
The finest luxury hotel & resort in the Big Bend of West Texas

Visiting the Land of Enchantment

New Mexico has absolutely earned its title as the “Land of Enchantment” because it has so many stunning natural wonders to enjoy. When talking about New Mexico, one of the cities that comes to mind is Albuquerque. It is the largest city in New Mexico and has highly desirable weather, a burgeoning culture, historic monuments, fine cuisine, and many festivals.

Old Town Albuquerque features historic monuments and landmarks that showcase an ancient city with a deep-rooted history that is centuries old. It features a lot of 18^th century architecture and has several small restaurants and specialty shops. It also has a beautiful central plaza with a gazebo that is bordered along the north side by the San Felipe de Neri church, which is the oldest building in the city.

The Albuquerque Inter-balloon Fiesta is another exciting event that is hosted by the city every October. It is the largest balloon festival  in the world and attracts tourists from every corners of the globe. One of the most popular events is the Twilight Twinkle, where dozens of balloonists light their propane burners as they ascend to create a stunning glow throughout the balloon park.

To supplement the great destinations and festivals, Albuquerque also offers a variety of accommodations to choose from. The Sandia Courtyard Hotel, for example, is located along Hotel Avenue Northeast and is close to many attractions. This modern hotel offers complimentary airport transportation services and free parking, as well as an outdoor pool and Jacuzzi and an on-site fitness center. The hotel is family-friendly, and children under 18 years of age stay free as long as no additional bedding options are required.  The hotel also has two restaurants and a friendly and helpful staff.

Albuquerque is a place for fun, learning, and enjoyment and is a magical place to visit.

Cibolo Creek Ranch
The finest luxury hotel & resort in the Big Bend of West Texas

Winter Storm Hits West Texas, Causing Power Outages at Marfa, Texas

Icy winter conditions in West Texas brought numerous power outages to areas served by AEP Texas. The locations most severely affected include Marfa, Valentine, Fort Davis and Marathon. Some parts of Presidio, as well as the Calamity Creek, Country Club Estates and Sunny Glen neighborhoods outside of Alpine were affected as well.

Marfa lost power at 2PM on Sunday afternoon after the winter ice storm hit Far West Texas, leaving many electrical lines twisted on the ground. A 138-kV transmission line from Barilla Junction to Alamito Creek went out of service. The city of Presidio switched to battery power, which only ran 14 hours before being drained Monday morning at 10AM

There were nine substations reported to be out of service as the icy conditions downed power lines, cross arms and utilities poles as increased weight accumulated on the power lines. Several poles between the Alamity and Barillo electrical substations in the Pasiano Pass were snapped like twigs on the ground. 50 cross-arms holding electrical wires needed replacement as well. AEP Texas vice president of the electric distribution, Bruce Evans, apologized for the inconvenience caused by the storm and assured citizens that they are working as hard as they could to get the power restored as quickly and safely as possible.

AEP Texas have nearly 100 employees and contractors in the area working on affected zones. Their contingency plan includes calling sub-contractors from Oklahoma and Texasin addition to local crews. The break in poor weather on Monday gave AEP the chance to flya surveillance plane in to take an aerial view of the damage done on the utility lines.

This Monday, AEP has made significant progress in restoring power to West Texas communities that lost service. Residents of Marfa Texas were reconnected to the power grid on Monday afternoon. Though Marfa residents are now enjoying electricity again, areas south and west of Alpine were still without power.

Customers are free to call the AEP Texas Customer Solutions Center (866-223-8508) to report any downed power lines, power outages and any unsafe conditions.

Cibolo Creek Ranch
The finest luxury hotel & resort in the Big Bend of West Texas

Exploring San Diego, California

San Diego, California, is considered by many to be one of the finest cities in the United States. It is known throughout the world for its lovely, moderate-climate all year round, and it has beautiful sunny beaches that attract many visitors.

There are countless water sports activities, zoos, and parks, such as Sea World Adventure Park and Mission Beach, that provide entertainment for both adults and kids alike. Sea World Adventure Park combines the allure of marine animals with the thrill of an amusement park, which makes it an exciting place to spend a whole day feeding dolphins from your hands and watching sea lions and the world-famous killer whale, Shamu. It also features the “Ride to Atlantis” Water Coaster and the Wild Arctic Exploration.

Misson Beach, on the other hand, is the perfect place to relax and enjoy and slower pace.   It is a favorite among people who love the beach, but aren’t interested in big waves and rougher waters. It has lots of green space as well, making it a beautiful place to have a picnic and watch the world go by.

Old Town is another destination you shouldn’t miss. It is a must-see state park that showcases the glorious past of San Diego. It is filled with numerous Mexican restaurants, galleries, museums and fine shops.

San Diego also offers wonderful accommodations. Grand Del Mar is one of its best resorts you can choose from. In fact, it is one of only four resorts in the nation to have a Forbes 5-star rating. The resort is located in suburban Del Mar near La Jolla. It has exceptional dining, spas, golf, and other sports facilities. It offers rooms that are larger than regular hotel standards, so they feel more like suites and apartments equipped with wet bars, terraces, beautiful bathrooms, and a residential feel.

San Diego is a beautiful destination worth visiting, whether you are looking for adventure or a nice place to take your family vacation.  No wonder it hosts more than 30 million tourists every year!

Cibolo Creek Ranch
The finest luxury hotel & resort in the Big Bend of West Texas

Sunset at Chinati

Next weekend, the Chinati Foundation – a contemporary art museum in Marfa, Texas, founded by artist Donald Judd – will hold a free open viewing of the founder’s 100 works in mill and 15 works in concrete. This event is scheduled for Friday, November 29, from 5:00 to 6:30 PM on the Chinati Foundation premises.

Donald Clarence Judd (June 3, 1928 – February 12, 1994) was an American artist associated with minimalism. Judd was born in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, and earned his degree in philosophy at Columbia University School of General Studies. He started his career by practicing as a painter, but later abandoned it for sculpting. His works then matured into making room-sized installations that made the spaces themselves his playground and viewing his art a visceral, physical experience. Later, Judd began working on furniture, design, and architecture as well.

He moved from New York to Marfa, where he purchased the land where he founded the Chinati Foundation with the help of the Dia Art Foundation. The Chinati Foundation is an institution that sponsors art and education programs by establishing close links to the local community and other cultural institutions and universities in the United States and abroad. The specific aim of Chinati Foundation is to preserve and present to the public permanent, large-scale installations by a limited number of artists. The foundation opened its doors to the public in 1986 and was originally conceived to exhibit the work of Judd, John Chamberlain, and Dan Flavin. The collection was then expanded to include 15 concrete and 100 aluminum outdoor works by Judd, 25 sculptures by Chamberlain, an installation by Flavin, and various other works by Carl Andre, Ingolfur Arnarsson, Roni Horn, Ilya Kabakov, Richard Long, Claes Oldenburg, Coosje van Bruggen, David Rabinowitch, and John Wesley.

Judd has also taught about art and its relationship with architecture in several academic institutions across the United Sates, Europe, and Asia. During his lifetime, Judd has published a large body of theoretical writings in which he promotes the cause of Minimalist Art. He has also received many fellowships and was honored by a large exhibition at the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven. 

Cibolo Creek Ranch
The finest luxury hotel & resort in the Big Bend of West Texas

Vacation in New Orleans

If you have ever dreamed about visiting New Orleans, there is no better time than now. This city is famous for its southern hospitality, Bourbon Street’s notorious nightlife, the world-renowned French Quarter,  and Magazine Street with its many boutiques and antique shops. There is no doubt why it is one of the top ten most visited cities in the United States.

New Orleans is also the home to many celebrations. Carnival, also referred to as Mardi Gras, is the most famous and popular one. It is a series of parties and events that culminates in a huge day of festivities that is held annually on the last Tuesday before the Catholic season of Lent commences.  Fat Tuesday, as they call it, is world-renowned for its extravagance, and it is the largest celebration of its kind in the United States.

Upon visiting New Orleans, you should be sure to experience is the Natchez Steamboat. It is one of the best ways to experience the city from the banks of the Mississippi River. This very luxurious steam boat with three decks and several restaurants offers one and two-day guided cruises.

New Orleans is also world-famous for its food, and one of its most popular specialties is beignets, which are square-shaped fried pastries that could be called “French doughnuts”. They are served with a coffee and chicory blended drink.  Creole cooking is also popular and offers a unique blend of flavors that reflects the French and African-infused influences of the city.

If you plan to pamper yourself while in New Orleans, make the Ritz-Carton New Orleans your home base of choice. It is a 14-story hotel that is adjacent to French Quarter’s Canal Street and just a block from Buorbon Street. It is a luxurious property with rooms and suites that are filled with all of the amenities you would expect. It also offers a full-service spa and a gym.  The hotel is elegant and the staffs are warm and courteous, making every guest feel like royalty. M Bistro, its signature restaurant, features local specialties and has a full service bistro that serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and afternoon tea. Life jazz and cocktails can be found in the Davenport Lounge.

Start planning your vacation ahead to ensure you experience the rich culture of New Orleans in its entirety.  It is a unique place unlike any other and is sure to go down as one of your favorite destinations once you visit.

Cibolo Creek Ranch
The finest luxury hotel & resort in the Big Bend of West Texas