From guitars to Mars
Last week kicked off with a very cool guitar concert themed Guitarra del Sol at the Hale Solar Observatory, now the home of architects Liz Moule and Stephanos Polyzoides. The blazing playing of Felix Bullock, Adam Brown and Andrew York benefited Guitar for All, a scholarship program at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music. Felix teaches Liz and Stephanos' kids and I took the picture at left of the guitar case in the basement of the observatory, a great place to play.
Then the Huntington Library art gallery reopened for press and members on Wednesday. From Pasadena to L.A. to NYC, the redo is getting stellar reviews. And it is very nice. I'm just more of a contemporary art guy. This portrait of Samuel Johnson by Joshua Reynolds is apparently known as "Blinking Sam."
Wednesday night as well Caltech's Bob O'Rourke threw a big party for Irish Ambassador Michael Collins -- nice name for that job, what? Below is the Irish consul for the Western states, Emer Deane, based in San Francisco. Emer and I discovered that I knew her father, the great poet and novelist Seamus Deane, when I was in Dublin 30 years ago.
Gloria Ohland, below, is the backer of streetcars I've been writing about in my column:
Thursday at the annual benefit for al-Kebulan Cultural Center on North Raymond Avenue, Tavis Smiley was honored, and gave an inspirational speech. I had been confused about the reverence in which he is held in the African-American community based on his interviewing skills on the radio and TV. I am confused no longer after meeting him and hearing him speak in person. He knows -- brilliantly -- how to connect:
There may not be life on Mars, but, thanks to Phoenix, it's got one more robot. This was the scene Sunday in the press room at JPL:
