news SUMMER 2014
Brandnews is a publication of Brand Associates
THE LIBRARY RE-OPENING SPARKS GROWTH By Mary Jamora
Photo: Ewasko Studios
Brand Associates president Arlene Vidor addresses the Gala crowd. Over 175 people including Councilmembers Friedman, Quintero, Sinanyan, Weaver, and library staff attended our “Brand New� re-opening Gala for the Brand Library on March 22.
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his year we took new and creative approachs to stimulating involvement in our organization by adding an in-home fundraising event (Glendale Collects), sponsoring a March re-opening Gala, and an annual fundraising campaign to identify high level individual and business donors. After all expenses for our special events were accounted for, we had netted over $17,000! This allowed us to expand our dance and music performance offerings and fund the conservation and framing of the rare original ceiling fragments uncovered during renovation as well as take steps to get our permanent donor wall installed at the library, a project in progress. Membership is still the life-blood of this organization and it is what allows us to sponsor great cultural offerings free to the public. We are forever grateful to our supporters and we must continue to build our membership base in the coming months and years to keep programs strong and growing. This will take the combined efforts of all Brand Associates members, so please promote our events and encourage everyone you know to support the great resource that is the Brand Library & Art Center by becoming a member.
MESSAGE
from ARLENE VIDOR President, Brand Associates
BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT
Arlene Vidor
A renovation renaissance at Brand Library
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e’ve all heard the sage advice “don’t try to be all things to all people.” Well I dare say this doesn’t apply to Brand Library & Art Center. During the opening months it has struck me anew that Brand is a “huge tent” culturally speaking. For example in the skylight gallery you’d have recently viewed the likes of David Hockney or Basquiat masterpieces – or you may have walked in on a group of kids creating their own masterpieces – or perhaps watched dancers leaping through space a few feet from a dazzled audience and the artwork on display – or had an opportunity to bang a gong during the “Back to Bali” plaza concert. Our newsletter can only highlight a miniscule portion of the great events the Brand is famous for, so check the Brand Library online calendar often and we hope to see you soon!
VICE PRESIDENT
Jean Simone SECRETARY
Vacant
TREASURER AND ACTING MEMBERSHIP CHAIR
Mary Jamora DIRECTORS
Stephen Jerrome Caroline Tufenkian Judy Walker EX OFFICIO
Arlette De Hovanessian Arts & Culture Commission
Cathy Billings
Brand Library Supervisor ADVISORY
Nina Crowe Back in business! The celebratory Ribbon Cutting on March 27, 2014.
Glendale Arts
John LoCascio, AIA Historic Resources Group NEWSLETTER LAYOUT
MESSAGE
Carole Dougherty GRAPHIC DESIGN
Scott Lasken
from Cathy Billings Senior Library, Art & Culture Supervisor
MARY LOUISE BRAND SPONSORS
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our months since the Brand Library & Art Center re-opened on March 27 and we’ve been working non-stop to welcome back our library users. We’re putting on an unprecedented number of programs, including a new series jointly sponsored by The Brand Associates and the Glendale Arts & Culture Commission, taking advantage of the new entrance Plaza with fifteen performances on Friday nights all summer long. Library staff has hosted tours and co-sponsored meetings and events for groups such as the Society for Architectural Historians Southern California Chapter, LA as Subject, Glendale Young Professionals, and the Los Angeles Preservation Network. Hosting organizations such as these is a great way to introduce new people to all the Brand Library & Art Center has to offer. And speaking of staff, we are thrilled to welcome Henrik Dagbashyan, Senior Customer Service Representative and Caley Cannon, Librarian Specialist for Art. Caley, relocated from Georgia, has a dual Master’s degree in Library and Information Science and Art History from the Pratt Institute in New York. We invite all of you to enjoy the remaining Plaza Series concerts, gallery openings, BookSmARTS author talk, REEL ART film screenings, and more. Or just stop by to say hello and borrow a few books, CDs or DVDs. And please don’t forget to pick-up the new July through December calendar of events the next time you visit.
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Welcome, new Brand staff members! Henrik Dagbashyan, Senior Customer Service Representative and Caley Cannon, Librarian Specialist for Art
Caravan Rug Corporation Scott and Victoria Lasken Glendale Adventist Medical Center Lexus of Glendale The Glendale Historical Society Greg and Caroline Tufenkian Arlene Vidor NATHANIEL DRYDEN PATRONS Greg Astorian Mary Jamora TIOGA WOLF SUPPORTERS Bonese Collins Turner (honoring Jean Seybold) Frank De Pietro & Sons (honoring Brand Associates) Glendale Arts Greg Grammer Northwest Glendale Homeowners Association
JOAN QUINN CAPTURED By Stephen Jerrome
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iversity, style and some of the biggest names in the L.A. art world define the “Joan Quinn Captured” exhibition. The opening on June 28 was no less diverse and (art) star-studded, all to support the colorful lady herself, Joan Agajanian Quinn, a unique personality, society journalist, art patron and beloved friend of artists for decades. The exhibition, including works by Ed Ruscha, David Hockney, Ed Moses, Steven Arnold, George Hurrell, Frank Gehry, Billy Al Bengston – the list goes on and on. The show which closed August 1 was comprised of works on loan from artists, individuals and institutions as well as a huge number from Ms. Quinn’s personal collection.
Photo: Stephen Jerrome
Joan Quinn with artist Don Bachardy
Joan’s daughter Amanda Quinn Olivar was an advisor to curator Laura Whitcomb, along with J. Cheryl Bookout. Truly, family is what Joan Quinn’s life if all about: the family of artists and interesting friends, so many of whom met at the Brand on opening night to view some of the best art L.A. has to offer. Many thought-provoking panel discussions and film screenings took place concurrently with the exhibition. The photo below shows one of the panels discussing the Stephanie Farago film “Heavenly Bodies”, which had its premier showing that evening, chronicling the surreal life and vast artistic output of artist Steven Arnold.
Photo: courtesy of Brand Associates
Panel moderator Blake “Vishnu Dass Moffitt” Laura Dutton, photographer Stephen Jerrome, Sid Dutton, Patricia Cole, Michael Michaud, Pandora, and Fayette Howswer, discuss artist Stephen Arnold and the film, “Heavenly Bodies.” The Quinn Family: (LEFT TO RIGHT)
Jack Quinn, Amanda Quinn John Olivar, Joan A. Quinn, Paloma Quinn Gowey, Jennifer Quinn Goway and Eric Gowey
Photo: Stephen Jerrome
Ed Moses & Tony Berlant
Photo: Stephen Jerrome
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COMPOSERS OF NEW MUSIC
COLLECTIVELY EXPERIENCE “FIFTEEN MINUTES OF FAME” AT ASSOCIATES MUSIC SERIES PERFORMANCES By Blair Whittington Brand Library Music Librarian/Recital Hall Manager
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wo venerated virtuosos opened the 2014 Brand Associates music series this year: pianist Mark Robson (April 5) and cellist Maksim Velichkin (May 4). These two concerts included an extraordinary common section comprised of new music called Fifteen Minutes of Fame. These unique series of pieces included fifteen oneminute compositions selected by the musicians out of hundreds of pieces of music submitted from composers around the world. It is a great – and creative - way to give multiple talented composers concert exposure. And exposure they got, as both concerts played to overflow crowds that found the new music thrilling and challenging. The Fifteen Minutes of Fame program is administered by New York based new music organization Vox Novus (www.voxnovus.com). The pieces expose audiences to a wide-ranging variety of styles in the span of 15 minutes, creating thrilling musical adventures that have received acclaim at Vox Novus’ New York concerts. Mark Robson’s theme for his Fifteen Minutes of Fame segment was Four Elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water. The contributing composers wrote for either the piano or toy piano. The selected composers were from California, Wisconsin, Michigan, Texas, New York, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Portugal and Italy. The five Southern California composers were present at the concert and one composer traveled from Nebraska! Cellist Maksim Velichkin selected Homage to Bach as the theme of his Fifteen Minutes. He required the composers to use the notes of Bach’s name (b-flat, a, c, b-natural) in their pieces. For this concert 11 out of 15 composers were from Southern California with others from Louisiana, Oregon, Canada and England. Ten of the California composers were present at the Brand concert. Mr. Velichkin plans to select another fifteen one-minute opus selections for a future concert. Very special thanks to Douglas DaSilva and Robert Voisey of Vox Novus in New York for their work in administering both calls for scores.
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COMPOSERS IN ATTENDANCE (LEFT TO RIGHT)
Nick Gianopoulos, Brand Library’s Blair Whittington, Warren Sherk, Matthew Hetz, pianist Mark Robson, Elliott Goldkind, Veronika Krausas, Rocco Harris, Carol Worthey, cellist Maksim Velichkin and Adrienne Albert
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COMPOSERS IN ATTENDANCE (LEFT TO RIGHT)
Alan Shockley, pianist Mark Robson, Burton Goldstein, Matthew Hetz, Adam Zahller, James Soe Nyun, Vera Ivanova
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WORKS ON PAPER
ur Works on Paper annual juried art exhibition – in its 42nd year - was an eclectic selection this year. The juror, prominent gallerist, art dealer, and curator Jack Rutberg, selected the works of 79 artists primarily from California, but also representing ten other states across the country, out of 650 submitted! Several works on view were sold, with partial proceeds going to the Associates in support of cultural programming. Our opening reception was packed with artists, their friends and family, as well as art-loving community members all brimming with energy and enthusiasm. Photos tell the story and you can view these on our Facebook and Yahoo Flickr photosharing pages. However, we’ll feature the six award - winning entries and their creators in this newsletter.
Associates Board Member Jean Simone presents Jaimie Sweetman with an award for her monotype, ink, and pencil work “Aloe Artichokes.”
Brand Library Supervisor Cathy Billings presents Dana L. Walker with her award for her photograph, “Measured spaces.”
Library, Arts & Culture Department Director Cindy Cleary presents Leslie Laxinger with an award for her work in charcoal, “Deer Totem.”
Jan Reilly, Robert Brown’s daughter, presents the Robert Brown Award to J.T. Burke for his archival pigment print, “Little Pig Considers the Beautiful Gibberish.” Photos of artists and presenters by Graeme Whifler
ssociates Board Member Mary Jamora presents an award A in absentia to Dan Kirchhefer for his etching, “Done Gone, Dog to Come, Dog Bone.” Don is from Topeka, Kansas and was not able to be present.
Exhibition Chair Irena Raulinaitis presents the Jane Friend Purchase Award to Gregory Radionov for his watercolor, “Good Morning.” The piece now becomes part of the Brand Associates permanent collection.
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EL MIRADERO AN EXOTIC BLEND By John LoCascio, A.I.A. Brand Associates Advisory
Agra, India, 1632: The Taj Mahal; Chicago, IL, 1893: The East Indian Pavillion, World Columbian Exposition; Glendale, CA, 1903: El Miradero (as seen today).
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l Miradero, constructed in 1903, was originally the hillside home of Leslie Brand, the “Father of Glendale,” and now houses the Brand Library & Art Center. The house crowns a small knoll and looks out over Glendale to the hills of Griffith Park, the view framed by an exotic arcade of cusped pointed arches that would seem more at home in the British Raj than in Southern California. And in fact El Miradero, despite its Spanish name and courtyard plan, is a very rare, very unusual local example of nineteenth century Indo-Saracenic architecture. The archaic word “Saracen” is of Greek origin (Sarakenoi), used to describe peoples of the Arabian peninsula. Adopted by the Romans and their successors the Byzantines, by the late Middle Ages the word was commonly applied by Europeans to any Arab or Muslim. Beginning in the 16th Century the Mughals, Muslims (Saracens) of Mongol descent who esteemed Persian culture, conquered northern and central India, and blended Islamic, Persian, and native Indian architectural traditions. The best-known example of Mughal architecture in India is the Taj Mahal at Agra, the tomb built by Shah Jahan for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. It features cusped pointed arches, towering minarets, and a huge onion dome. In the nineteenth century the British colonial rulers of India revived Mughal architecture, incorporating elements of Gothic Revival and Ne-Classical styles, and the Indo-Saracenic style was born. Indo-Saracenic architecture made its appearance in the United States in the East India Pavilion at the 1893 World’s Columbia Exposition in Chicago. Leslie Brand visited the Exposition and greatly admired the East India Pavilion. When a decade later Brand built his own home in Glendale, the eclectic design by his brother-in-law, Nathaniel Dryden, was a near-reproduction of the East India Pavilion’s façade, tacked on to a Mission Revival house with lavish Edwardian interiors, a truly exotic blend. 6
BRAND ASSOCIATES MEMBERS Thank you so much! BENEFACTOR - $500
Greg Astorian Ann Howitt
PATRON $100
Jeri Anderson Jennifer Bergstrom Gerald & Georgina Brommer Kent Bulza John Chicca Cindy & William Cleary Greg Colley Michael & Carole Dougherty Patricia A Du Pre, Esq Carolyn & Arthur Flemming Nora Goldsmith & Jay Randy Stander Greg Grammer & Simon Wright Kathleen Henkel Mary Jamora Catherine Jurca Emily King Scott & Victoria Lasken Donald McPoland Mary Owens Lila Ramirez Irena Raulinaitis Dennis & Annie Reed Bill Shepherd & Art Fisher Bonese Colllins Turner Marcello Vavala Arlene Vidor Elaine Wilkerson Wine Club of the Month
SUPPORTING - $55
Dolly P Anderson Jaime Angulo Marjorie Camusi Nancy Dowey Joy Feuer Marie Fish Meg Hickman Susan Jekari Stephen Jerrome Elefitheria & Ted Polychronis Anna J Rundle Gloria & William Sander Jean Simone Hari Sinsh Debra K Thompson Paul & Mary Wight
FAMILY - $35
Linda Allen & Family Cindy & Jonathan Beres Sean Bersell & Heather Norris Greg Crawford Laura Freidman Laurie & John Friend Alex Geringas Kenneth Goebel Lon & Dean Hartwell Sharon Hyder Jay Jackson Lisette & Richard Jensen Ammar Kharouf Kim Koga Jesse Lanza & Paul Walker John & Daphne Lee John LoCascio & David Brooks Denise Meyer Joe Russin & Stephanie Schuss John & Judith Selleck Renee & Herm Stark Caroline & Greg Tufenkian Lauren Vanderspek Lorna Vartanian Joylene & Robert Wagner Benita & Dean Wallraff Lucy Wang & Thomas Halpern
INDIVIDUAL - $25
Srboohie Abajian Seda Baghdassarian Susanne R Belcher Eric Borigini Joan Carl Joanne & Clifford Cate Diane Chevalier Russell Cinque Jr. Julie Crouch Amelia Currier-dworkin Harach Davoodian Teri Deaver Arlette Der Hovanessian Mahnaz Firoozi Jennifer Gebel Knarik Gevorkyan Ellen & Robert Grim Mary Rose Grim Richard Heimbold John Hogan Connie Humberger Araks Johannes Alan Linnemeyer Nick Macierz Patricia McNamara David Overstreet Jeanette Joslin Russell Patty Silversher Natalie Smythe Jordon Torgerson Judy Walker Kris Wallace Mary Alice Wollam Katherine Yamada
SENIOR - $20
Marie S Bezjian Margaret W Bickmore Charles & Thelma Borman Maryke Brannin Noel & Wilhelmina Browning Vincent Cicone Marilu Eagles Berrye Ellison Robert Felker Gary Freeman Jim & Eileen Givens Ben Goldman Margaret Hammond Angela Hernandez Mr & Mrs Farley Iman Roberta H Japka PhD Jackie Karvas Richard P Kiehl Diane Kightlinger Liselotte S Koerner Karhryn B Kroger Nancy & Craig Kupka Nancy & Robert Laahey JoAnn Leonard Eva B Mason Elaine Mellinger Deanne O’Brien Lois Ramirez Leni Richardson Cleo Rogers Olga Seem Jane Shaffer Mary Strenn Brit Trydal Joan Westgate Elaine M Williams Mark Woods Huguette Zmuidzinas Roswitha Zunder
HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS PAST PRESIDENTS
1969-70 Jeanette Hunter Newton [d] 1970-71 Elliott House 1971-73 Kathryn Hull 1973-75 Bill Wolfe [d] 1975-77 Betty Crosby 1977-79 Duane Hagen 1979-80 Beverly Duncan 1980-82 Ursula Gleason 1982-84 Edie Debney [d] 1984-86 Mary Lee Higgins 1986-89 Robert W. Seelos [d] 1989-91 Howard Jacobson [d] 1991-93 Marge Marston 1993-98 Cathy Morrison 1998-01 Robert W. Seelos [d] 2001-04 J ane Friend [ d] 2004-05 Sally MacAller 2005-07 Steve Hedrick 2007-08 Ripsime Marashian 2008-10 Barbara Thorn-Otto
ELECTED HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS
Pat Zeider Former Brand Library Supervisor Laurel Patric Former Director of Libraries Jan Reilly
STUDENT - $15
Moira Carson Alexa Kemalyan Araka Malayan
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NONPROFIT ORG U.S.POSTAGE PAID GLENDALE, CA PERMIT NO. 503 1601 W. Mountain St. Glendale, CA 91201-1209
A 501(c)3 all volunteer, non profit organization whose mission is to sponsor and promote the Brand Library & Art Center as an arts, cultural, educational, and historic resource for the region.
How do we accomplish our mission? Sponsor free arts and cultural programming. Support special programs, permanent collections, and library infrastructure. Develop a strong base of members and donors. Get involved and join the Brand Associates. You can read more about our goals and activities and join online at www.associatesofbrand.org Like us on Facebook
UPCOMING EVENTS Be sure to check in on the Library, Arts, and Culture calendar page for a full compliment of events. Here are a few of the the upcoming offerings: PLAZA SERIES Performance: Friday, August 8, 7 pm Singer/Songwriter Night featuring Hunter Scott, Jenni Alpert, Maggie McClure, Shane Henry GALLERY SERIES Opening Reception, Saturday, August 9, 7 pm – 9 pm Perception and Reality. On view through September 19, 2014 PLAZA SERIES Performance: Friday, August 15, 7 pm Denizens of Jazz BRAND LIBRARY Book SmARTS: Thursday, August 21, 7 pm Songs in the Key of Los Angeles PLAZA SERIES Performance: Friday, August 22, 7 pm State Prism (Jazz/Rock Septet) PLAZA SERIES Performance: Friday, September 5, 2014, 7 pm New music: Fifteen Minutes of Fame with Maksim Velichkin, Jackie Suzuki, and Adriana Zoppo DANCE SERIES Performance: Sunday, September 28, 2 pm LA Contemporary Dance DANCE SERIES Performance: Sunday, October 12 , 2 pm Djanbazian Dance Company DANCE SERIES Performance: Sunday, October 26, 2 pm Benita Bike’s DanceArt