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GEORGETOWNER VOLUME 58, NUMBER 9
JANUARY 25 - FEBRUARY 7, 2012
Art Scene Explodes
Annie Leibovitz, Picasso & More A Primary Primer Ari Shapiro & Pink Martini Romantic Country Retreats Antiques of Georgetown to Close
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Embassy Row
$6,300,000
Circa-1926 mansion on half-acre next to the Vice President’s residence. Mediterranean-style villa, chestnut paneling, two kitchens, over 8,000 sq ft of living space. Two-car garage, separate apartment with parking. Terri Robinson 202-6077737 Denise Warner 202-487-5162
Washington DC
$1,100,000
Investigate for yourself the features of this gorgeous 2BR/2BA condo. Excellent brick unit boasting at intercom system, plus a spacious open-plan. Practical covered parking loft. Roof deck. An elegant ambiance and so much more. Mary Jane Molik 202-669-4689
Bethesda, MD
$1,100,000
Picture perfect! Open plan, great for entertaining. Granite Island Kitchen, pantry with Laundry, large deck off Family Room, Den/Library/Office. Lower level Recreation Room and Au Pair Suite. Cheryl Kurss 301.346.6615/202.363.9700.
Georgetown, DC
$2,195,000
The very best of 1 level in a fabulous full service building on the prominent water front of Georgetown. 2BR, 2.5 BA plus den complimented by an 850 sq ft. terrace garden. Beckey Day 301980-3731 Miller Spring valley 202-362-1300
We invite you to tour all of our luxury listings at
Wesley Heights, DC
$1,995,000
Exceptional 7BR, 5 ½ BA home filled with character & charm. Great sunlight, hardwood floors & crown moldings marble baths, & walk-in closets. Landscaped garden 7 patio a great entertaining space. Miller Spring valley 202-362-1300
Aeonian SpringS, VA
$1,299,000
www.ExtraordinaryProperties.com
Mclean, VA
$1,749,000
3 Residences on 17+AC. A main house with chef’s kitchen, wine cellar, great room & infinity pool. A 2BR Cottage with gourmet kitchen & family room and a 4-level guest tower/pool cabana. The loggia connects main house to the 3 car gar. www. LILIAN.com Agent: Lilian Jorgenson 703-407-0766
Close-in with easy access to Tysons, downtown DC, metro & Dulles Corridor. Magnificent views from deck & spacious screened-in porch. Tradition & refinement combine w/unique features makes this new home An urban retreat. Florann Audia 703.402.9127/ 703.790.1990 (O).
Round Hill, VA
Arlington, VA
$5,500,000
The Middleburg Christmas Tree farm, a unique 127 acre property. The Farm is a turnkey operation in land use & includes a beautiful custom built 400 SF quarry stone home with additional 3000 SF of stunning stone patio overlooking an acre lake. Nancy Itteilag 202.905.7762/ 202.263.1800 (O).
$1,199,000
Stunning 2BR, 2BA, 2-story PH at Wooster & Mercer with incredible light from loor-to-ceilings windows. Huge private roof deck terrace w/great views. A MUST SEE!!! Friendship Heights 202364-5200/703-522-6100
Washington, DC
$939,000
Renovation of a 3200 sq ft Federal Style TH. Grand room proportions, formal DR, spacious LR, gourmet kitchen, stunning master suite & more. The rear yard offers a special & private patio and deep garden as well as a secure one car garage. Roby Thompson 202.255.2986/ 202.483.6300 (O).
Mass. Ave Hgts
$4,125,000
Built on site of the former Rockefeller Estate! Superb renovation of classic Foxhall Crescents in-town residence. Jennifer Gilmer cook’s kitchen, foyer w/sweeping staircase & flooded w/light. Spacious, bright BR, walkout lower level. Nancy Itteilag 202-905-7762.
Outstanding! 6 bedroom Fieldstone Colonial offers great flow & proportions, Professionally designed gardens, new pool, fountains, pergola. Impressive Concrete & stone retaining wall defines the property & ensures privacy. W.C & A.N Miller Chevy Chase South 202.966.0400.
Washington, DC
Washington DC
$12,000,000
Berkley DC
$1,625,000
$1,700,000
The beauty is in the details of this exceptional 5BR 4 ½ BA, Stucco colonial style with spectacular 2008 additional & renovation by award winning architect. Generously proportional rooms with high end finishes for comfortable living. Loretta Reed 202.321.2818/ 240.497.1700 (O).
Mediterranean villa style grandeur elegance and privacy. Rebuilt/renovated in 2001, hardly used palatial property nestled in natural splendor of Rock Creek Park near Embassy Row. 1 of premiere residence in Wash. DC. Bethesda All Point Miller 202.22.-4000.
All Properties Offered Internationally Follow us on:
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2 January 25, 2012 GMG, INC.
VOL. 58, NO. 9
SINCE 1954
CONTENTS
ABOUT THE COVER: Annie Leibovitz, Plano Illinois, 2011. Copyright Annie Leibovitz, 2011
4
Up & Coming
6-7
GT Observer
8-9
Editorial/Opinion/Business
10-11 Business 12
Feature Property
13
Ari Shapiro & Pink Martini: The World’s House Band
14
Haute & Cool
15-17 Cover 18
Art Wrap: Kay Jackson at Addison/Ripley
19-21
Stately Old Ladies, the Homestead and the Greenbrier, Close to Home
22
Across the Cutting Board with Ris Oatmeal: The Existential Hero
24
Classifieds/ Service Directory
25
Body & Soul Murphy’s Love: Advice on Intimacy and Relationships
26
Dining Guide
27
Art Wrap The Perfect Season for Visual Arts
28-30
Social Scene
31
DC Scene
23 Cocktail of the Week: Iceland’s pungent ‘black death,’ Brennivin
PAGE 22
MEET THE PRESS THIS WEEK DAVID AND ARI POST
PAGE 13
We are the son and grandson (respectively) of Rose Post, an award-winning journalist from North Carolina who won more journalism awards than any other writer in the state. She won the national Ernie Pyle Award and was inducted into the North Carolina Journalism Hall of Fame alongside other NC natives such as Charles Kauralt and David Brinkley. In our own small ways, we are merely hoping to do her memory justice.
www.georgetowner.com 202-338-4833
David, an attorney and CPA, came to Washington to work on economic issues for US Senators Terry Sanford and Joe Lieberman and later taught on the business school faculties at George Washington, American, and Georgetown Universities. Ari is an artist, having worked in galleries and has had his work on display in several Washington galleries. He relishes the opportunity to cover the city’s ever expanding art scene and to write about its many fascinating exhibits and personalities.
GMG, INC. January 25, 2012 3
Calendar
UP & COMING JANUARY 20 MARCH 20
Art Preview: “Annie Leibovitz: Pilgrimage” Pilgrimage is an evocative and deeply personal statement by a photographer whose career now spans more than forty years, encompassing a broad range of subject matter, history, and stylistic influences. Together the pictures show Leibovitz at the height of her powers, unfettered by the demands of her career and pondering how photographs, including her own, shape a narrative of history that informs the present. Smithsonian American Art Museum; 9th St NW Washington, DC.
JANUARY 27
Winter Contemporary Show Opening Reception A nighttime reception at the Old Print Gallery celebrates the opening of “Winter Contemporary Show.” Over twenty different artists, who use printmaking as their primary medium for artistic expression, were selected for this show. The prints chosen resonate with skill and intention, and reflect the current eclecticism of contemporary printmaking. Highlights include prints by Bruce Waldman, Matt Phillips, Takamune Ishiguro, and local artists Jenny Freestone and Nikolas Schiller. The event is open to the public and for more information visit www.oldprintgallery.com or call (202) 965-1818. Old Print Gallery; 1220 31st Street NW
JANUARY 28
Weschler’s Capital Collections Estate Auction The auction combines American and European furniture and decorations, Asian works of art, jewelry, coins & watches, fine art and 20th century decorative arts. The auction will also showcase a 3.30 carat oval diamond ring, an oil canvas by Wolf Kahn and a selection of Napolean III ormulu-mounted furnishings with estimates ranging from $500-$6,000. Auction begins at 10:00AM and for more information visit, www. weschlers.com. Weschler’s 909 E Street NW
FEBRUARY 1
11th Annual Sugar & Champagne Affair benefiting the Washington Humane Society Join the Washington Humane Society’s 11th annual dessert and champagne reception hosted by Chef Todd and Ellen Gray of Equinox and Watershed Restaurants and Muse at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. This event is a well-heeled animal lover’s dream: sparkling wine, free-flowing champagne and gourmet dessert for humans and their four-legged friends all prepared by the metropolitan area’s premier pastry chefs in honor of our local crusaders against animal cruelty. Standard Tickets are $90
per person/VIP tickets are $150 per person. Leashed dogs are permitted. For more information, visit washhumane.org. Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center; 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW; Washington, DC 20004.
FEBRUARY 3
Strathmore’s festival, Discover, examining Duke Ellington Strathmore is examining the history, legacy and contributions of DC’s own American composer, Duke Ellington, in their Discover festival throughout the month of February. Performances by Brian Stokes Mitchell, Paquito D’Rivera, Robert Glasper, the Morgan State University Choir, Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra and more. Visit Strathmore.org for dates and times. The Music Center at Strathmore; 5301 Tuckerman Lane; North Bethesda, MD.
FEBRUARY 7
The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Opening Night Gala Enjoy a thrilling opening night performance followed by dinner and dancing in the Kennedy Center’s South Gallery and Roof Terrace. Proceeds support the company’s Washington, D.C. outreach programs and provide scholarships to talented young dance students in the Washington area at the Ailey School in New York. Dinner and dancing to follow on the Roof Terrace. For additional information, please call 202-636-8745. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing
Arts 2700 F Street, NW.
FEBRUARY 21
St. Jude Gourmet Gala Be a part of the largest St. Jude event in Washington, D.C., the 14th annual St. Jude Gourmet Gala: Mardi Gras for the Kids! on Tuesday, February 21, 2012, at the National Building Museum. By attending, you will not only be supporting children suffering from catastrophic and life–threatening diseases, you will also be among an elite group who support an event that provides an exclusive opportunity to taste some of the D.C. area’s finest restaurant cuisine while mingling with more than 750 business, financial and political leaders. Visit StJude.org for more information.
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4 January 25, 2012 GMG, INC.
WEB EXCLUSIVE
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SITES GO DARK IN THE FIGHT AGAINST SOPA\AND WIN . . . FOR NOW Did you have any trouble accessing your favorite sites last Wednesday? Wikipedia, Reddit, Mozilla, Wordpress.org, TwitPic, Good Old Games and a couple of handfuls more shut down on Jan. 18 to participate in the largest online protest in history.
DAVID RUBENSTEIN DONATES $7.5 MILLION TO THE TRUST FOR THE NATIONAL MALL Rubenstein’s gift will provide funding necessary to repair the Washington Monument which suffered tremendous damage from the 5.8 magnitude earthquake in August.
MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROGRAM IN WASHINGTON, D.C. TAKES ROOT Despite the Controlled Substances Act that makes cultivating, selling and distributing marijuana illegal, the nation’s capital will be welcoming weGrow, a full service hydroponic superstore, in March.
GMG, INC. January 25, 2012 5
GT OBSERVER BY RO B E RT DE VANEY
BODY OF HOMELESS MAN FOUND NEAR G.U.’S CANAL ROAD ENTRANCE U.S. Park Police and Metropolitan Police Department responded to a report of a body found on Park Service land near the Canal Road entrance to Georgetown University Jan. 19. The man appeared to be homeless, camping in the woods, and to have died of hypothermia. Medical teams were on the scene along with police. The body was found in a tent in the woods. “The deceased man’s name is Clark Carvelli, according to an individual who also lives in the woods adjacent to campus,” the Georgetown Voice reported. “Joseph Cunningham, who has been friends with Carvelli for years, said the deceased had heart and kidney problems and was a survivor of sexual abuse. Cunningham says that the U.S. Park Police had ordered him to cease camping on the Park Service land between Canal Road and university property.” “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the deceased, his family and his friends,” said Stacy Kerr, Georgetown University spokesperson, who added that a university worker had reported the tent to the public safety department which contacted the U.S. Park Police, which has jurisdiction in the area.
OLDTIMERS LIVE THEIR GEORGETOWN STORIES ANEW The Citizens Association of Georgetown put its Oral History Project on display, Jan. 18, at the City Tavern Club. Part of CAG’s effort to document the “living history” of Georgetown, seven residents with their lively recollections made the town’s past come alive in the listeners’ minds. Introduced by the project’s Annie Lou Berman, speakers took those in the City Tavern’s packed ballroom back to their days of youth and discovery, painting a picture of a town before the big changes of half a century ago with their joyful,
Great times.
of all things French. Margaret Oppenheimer, who with her husband Franz raised three sons on O Street, remembered leaving New York for the calmer days of D.C. Don Shannon, 40-year Los Angeles Times foreign correspondent, recalled there were six service stations in Georgetown and gravel works down at the waterfront just after World War II and how President John Kennedy’s father Joe Kennedy described the homes as “dog houses” because of their size. Kay Evans, widow of columnist Roland Evans, spoke of the Kennedy years and fondly of her arrival in D.C. with a girlfriend to meet cute, young men. The City Tavern Preservation Foundation, which recently marked its 50th anniversary of the purchase of the historic City Tavern by the City Tavern Association, hosted the CAG meeting and reception.
Frank Randolph, Barry Deutschman, Catherine Bowman, Georges Jacob, Margaret Oppenheimer, Don Shannon and Kay Evans.
humorous stories. Interior designer Frank Randolph recalled the dogwood festivals at Hardy School and his time at Western (now Duke Ellington) High School and sitting in a soda shop, across the street where he lives today. Barry Deutschman, owner of Morgan’s Pharmacy, which opened 100 years ago, told of mixing prescriptions by hand and a store which also sold “newspapers, tobacco and magazines -- none of that exists now.” Yes, chef Julia Childs did run into Morgan’s one time and ask for a pack of Tums. He has not retired. Catherine Bowman, leader and historian of the black community, matter-of-factly talked of the days of segregation, when blacks lived at the east side of P Street and Poplar Place and went to Rose Park but were not allowed in Volta Park. Georges Jacob, co-founder of the French Market, noted that his shop introduced the finer French cuts of meat and other foods to neighbors and embassies, as it strengthened Georgetown’s love
OLD JP’S SPACE IN GLOVER PARK PRICED AT $2.4 MILLION
Good friends.
People who care.
The former home of JP’s Night Club (2412 Wisconsin Ave.) has been listed for sale at $2.4 million, according to the blog, Hyperlocal Glover Park. The building is also for lease. “Where this leaves the dormant liquor license for JP’s — one of the few in the District that allows nude dancing — is unclear,” reported Hyperlocal Glover Park. “The Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration approved the license’s transfer to a new owner, one Brian Petruska, in October, and it seemed JP’s would reopen, but negotiations on leasing the building must have foundered. Restrictions on where strip clubs can operate in the District are so onerous that it’s unlikely JP’s could reopen anywhere other than its old location, which was destroyed in a 2008 fire.”
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6 January 25, 2012 GMG, INC.
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GT OBSERVER PEABODY ROOM RECEIVES 1757 DEED FROM COLONIAL DAMES
On Jan. 23, the Peabody Room received “an incredible acquisition” from the National Society of Colonial Dames in the District of Columbia, reports Jerry McCoy, curator of the Peabody Room at the Georgetown Public Library on R Street. Donated was a framed manuscript deed dated April 19, 1757, in which George Beall, Sr., bequeathed his 1,380 acres of the “Addition to the Rock of Dumbarton” to George Beall, Jr. Beall’s father, Col. Ninian Beall, had originally been granted “The Rock of Dumbarton” in 1702, a portion of which (along with land owned by George Gordon) became known as “Old Georgetown,” established in 1751. The addition encompassed today’s Cleveland Park, Woodley Park, the National Zoo and portions of Tenleytown. This part of Maryland was given to the Federal government to help establish the District of Columbia. “Imagine what the value of this land alone would be worth today,” McCoy mused.
Jerry McCoy, special collections librarian for D.C. Public Library, holds the manuscript deed with women of the National Society of Colonial Dames in the District of Columbia.
Community Calendar JAN. 28
Safeway Wellness, Safety Fair With D.C. Fire & EMS The Georgetown “Social” Safeway at 1855 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., will presenting a Community Wellness and Safety Fair on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 10 a.m. The D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services will provide activities for all ages, including: • • • • • •
Child Seat Safety Inspections and installations Stop, Drop and Roll Demonstration CPR and AED Demonstrations Blood Pressure and Glucose Screenings Fire Extinguisher Simulation Smoke Alarm Registration
Safeway customers will have the opportunity to learn valuable information and create a safer community. Other District Safeway grocery stores will hold Wellness and Safety Fairs in the future. Dates and times will be announced at a later date.
JAN. 30
ANC Meeting: D.C. Fire; Wisconsin Ave. Store Collapse; Evermay Zoning Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E meets Monday, Jan. 30, 6:30 p.m., at Georgetown Visitation Prep, 35th and Volta Place, in Founder’s Hall (main building), 2nd floor. Chief Kenneth Ellerbe of the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services will speak. Other reports will include: • Update from the DCRA chief building official, Rabbiah Sabbakhanon, about the building collapse at 1424 Wisconsin Ave. N.W. – causes, assuring safety and stability at the site, next steps toward reconstruction;
•
Pepco to address frequent power outages in ANC 2E • GU Campus Plan update • 1623 28th Street, N.W., Evermay -- BZA Application No. 18315, Application of Evermay Georgetown, LLC, on behalf of the S&R Foundation for a special exception to establish a non-profit use.
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FEB. 9
‘Lost Washington, D.C.’ at Dumbarton House Focuses on Lost Home of Francis Scott Key Feb. 9, 6 p.m. -- lecture and booking signing: “LOST Washington, D.C.,” by author John DeFerrari. Free. Meet and listen to author John DeFerrari discuss his recently published book “LOST Washington, D.C.,” based on his blog, the Streets of Washington. DeFerrari will also talk specifically about one of the stories in his book -- the Key Mansion in Georgetown, home of Francis Scott Key. For additional information, contact Programs@DumbartonHouse.org, or 202-337-2288 -- Dumbarton House, 2715 Q St., N.W.
FEB. 15
Train to Be an Oral History Interviewer for CAG Become an oral history interviewer for the Citizens Association of Georgetown. A training session is planned for Feb. 15, 6 p.m. in the CAG office at 1365 Wisconsin Ave., N.W. (Enter via the black external staircase on O Street.) The session is for both new interviewers to learn the ropes and for seasoned interviewers to share their experiences. Training will last 90 minutes with the Oral History Project’s coordinator, Annie Lou Berman. Contact the CAG office at 337-7313 or cagmail@cagtown.org.
GMG, INC. January 25, 2012 7
EDITORIAL / OPINION
Changing Attitudes on Campus Planning
W
hile some neighbors, community leaders and opinion-makers have had their say with Georgetown University’s 2010-20 campus plan, the months ahead might just allow all involved to reach for a new, balanced way of looking at and relating to each other. Two different talks on Georgetown’s campus illuminate a starting point. D.C. Council member Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) spoke to a small group of students at an event hosted by DC Students Speak Jan. 23 and, as reported by the Georgetown Voice, “compared the campus plan processes at Georgetown University and George Washington University. While GWU has an aggressive building plan that neighbors have sometimes disliked, its campus plan approval has not been a difficult fight. Wells credits this to the make-up of their leadership and their engagement with the community. ‘GW has local influential people on its board of trustees,’ Wells pointed out. GWU also employed a communications firm to interact with neighborhood groups to ease the process.” Wells noted the opposite direction in which Georgetown went about its campus planning. The Voice report continued: “Georgetown did everything internally, and its board is not a board of local civic leaders. So, they were isolated when they came out. So, there wasn’t really a counterpunch to the neighbors that said, ‘We don’t like this, guys.’ There wasn’t other neighbors or other influential folks to stand up and say, ‘Well, we can compromise but we’re not going to give up our campus plan.’ There wasn’t effective pushback and the groundwork was not done.”
When speaking with the Office of Planning about the campus issue, Wells revealed that one official essentially said this about Georgetown University officials (his words): “We just don’t like their attitude.” To Wells, it was not about attitude, but planning. In a wide-ranging conversation with campus media, John DeGioia, president of Georgetown University, had this to say to editors of the Hoya and the Georgetown Voice: “On Feb. 9, we have a read-out from the Board of Zoning, where they think they’re going to come down in terms of the conditions for Georgetown, and we’ll expect some time later this spring, probably midApril to maybe May, that will be our expectation that we’ll get a written report, and that will give us a sense of the position of the Board of Zoning. [. . .] it really is a full immersion for ten years with deep engagement with the community and lots of conversations. It just becomes particularly focused in roughly the final two years of that ten-year period where you really deeply engage in the formal submission of documents to various city agencies and the like.” Discounting the possibility of litigation -- which the university used successfully in the last campus plan battle -- DeGioia seems to see a victory in the zoning arena. The final score -- or not -- is within a fortnight, but much more remains to done about neighbors and college. ★
PH OTO BY PAT RICK G . RYA N
T
8 January 25, 2012 GMG, INC.
FEATURE EDITORS
Robert Devaney Ari Post Gary Tischler MARKETING& ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
Adra Williams
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Aye for Newt Spells Double Trouble he GOP primary race remains a wacky brew, although one with fewer fixins. Gone is the amazing pizza king and his hazy harem. Long gone is the man from Minnesota whom nobody knew. Gone, too, is the prom queen of the Tea Party along with the Texas cowboy who couldn’t speak straight. This week, four remain, and the man at the top is not Mitt Romney. Newt Gingrich scored a somewhat remarkable upset in South Carolina — I throw in the caveat because South Carolina is, well, South Carolina, first in war (the Civil War, that is), a place where Yahoo is a state of mind as well as a search engine. He won the primary with 40 percent of the vote to Romney’s 28, with Rick Santorum, who didn’t light the evangelist fire and seems to have only one sweater vest to his name, finishing third, and the sweetly sunny Ron Paul fourth. Rick Perry had already dropped out earlier and endorsed Gingrich. In South Carolina, the Evangelists and the Tea Party are strong factors, much stronger than in the Republican party at large. It’s a state where — among the GOP faithful — Barack Obama is not just the Democratic president, incumbent and opponent, he is reviled, hated and perhaps a socialist and perhaps not even a citizen of the United States. It’s a place, where Romney — not a moderate, not really a conservative, a nobody-knows-what — probably shouldn’t have expected to do well and where John McCain’s candidacy was derailed in 2000 and didn’t exactly rock and roll four years ago. But Romney had a double-digit lead over what remained of the field—Gingrich, Santorum and the increasingly Yoda-like Ron Paul — as late as mid-week last week. That was before a surge toward Gingrich, mysterious but real, was detected. His surge was driven by tough debate performances, and his response in the last debate to ABC’s airing of an interview with his ex-wife in which he reportedly had asked her for an “open marriage.” The CNN debate moderator, John King, made the mistake in bringing up the subject right off the top, giving Gingrich an open-ended question. As all observers noted, Newt knocked it out of the park. He railed against the establishment media, he questioned the appropriateness of the questions and railed against the media some more, all of which the audience cheered. Bashing the media in South Carolina — except for Fox News and Rush—is a no-brainer, like taking lunch money from a kid who is half your size with no karate experience. The CNN moderate was entirely right to bring the subject up, but he asked the wrong question. It should have been, when Gingrich starts sputtering about fairness, privacy and the sanctity and sacrament of matrimony, whether Christian theology has room for open marriage and
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about the hypocrisy in his constant talk about family values and marriage. But, then, Gingrich thinks he’s as wise as Solomon. Gingrich has admitted that he has made mistakes, but he’s never acknowledged what they might be. He says that he is a changed man from the bruiser, bullying Speaker of the House of yore, who led the impeachment drive against President Bill Clinton, but he never says how he’s changed. Romney, in his clashes with Gingrich, has steadily shrunk to the size of the rest of the field, which was generally considered weak, if not downright mediocre or worse. Once the steady front-runner, even when the rest of the field was doing the dance of the seven minutes of fame, Romney is slowly emerging as that guy behind the curtain in “The Wizard of Oz.” He’s made some interesting comments, all of them indicating that he appears to have no clue how most Americans live, which is to say the 99 percent, in hard times. From the $10,000 bet, to saying that his speaking fees of more than $300,000 are not a lot of money, to claiming that he feared getting the pink slip, to the blue jeans, Romney reveals himself to be out of touch with common human beings like the rest of us. He may soon release his tax information, but we already know he’s a 15 percenter. Gingrich, on the other hand, scares the bejesus out of the regular Republican establishment types. This allows Gingrich to claim the status of fighter, rebel and Captain America, although he needs to get into the gym to get into that costume. It’s an odd thing — he’s a populist, a Reaganite and a pugnacious intellectual who presents himself as someone who can beat Obama . . . at least in a debate or in a dark alley, whichever works. Lo and behold, here is Newt Gingrich, the Washington outsider, after years as an insider, including Speaker of the House. This Newt is confident — always a danger for him—he’s ready to fight the long fight and lead the American people out of socialism. He’s already had a remarkable career. As speaker, he orchestrated an amazing comeback for the GOP after it lost the presidency to Clinton. In two years — much as was the case with Obama — he had the GOP in control of both the House and the Senate, a feat he frittered away through high-handedness and arrogance, making lots of enemies in the party, a fact which is starting to become clear now. Old timers are starting to fret about the possibility of a Newt victory. They’re casting rumors about third parties. A Washington Post headline hyped: “A New Twist in the Search for Mr. Right.” The GOP fears that it will get Mr. Goodbar instead. ★
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Aaro Keipi Jeff Malet Neshan Naltchayan Yvonne Taylor CONTRIBUTORS
Mary Bird Linda Roth Conte Jack Evans Donna Evers Amos Gelb Lisa Gillespie Jody Kurash David Post Alison Schafer Bill Starells
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The Georgetowner is published every other Wednesday. The opinions of our writers and columnists do not necessarily reflect the editorial and corporate opinions of The Georgetowner newspaper. The Georgetowner accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs and assumes no liability for products or services advertised herein. The Georgetowner reserves the right to edit, re-write, or refuse material and is not responsible for errors or omissions. Copyright, 2011.
EDITORIAL / OPINION
The Opposite Ways the GOP and Dems Choose a Nominee BY DAV ID P OS T
S
ince Franklin Roosevelt was president, Republicans and Democrats have created diametrically opposite methods for choosing their presidential nominees. Republicans pick a nominee with deep roots in the party, usually a man who previously lost an a run for the presidency. Democrats pick a nominee with virtually no name recognition, shallow roots and who is running for the presidency for the first time. Republicans know whom they are going to nominate. They go through the motions, but they select one of their own, a proven commodity, a person who has been running since before the previous election. Democrats nominees are a surprise to their own party, to their own voters, to the public and to the Republicans. Republicans don’t emerge. They
In 1952, both parties knew World War II hero, Dwight Eisenhower, would win and begged him to join their party. (Remember both parties pursuing Colin Powell?) Eisenhower picked the Republicans and cruised into the White House. Richard Nixon was his vice president. In 1960, Nixon moved into position as the Republican nominee. The Democrats selected the little known, little accomplished, junior, but wealthy, Senator John Kennedy. Kennedy defeated his Senate boss, the insidethe-party favorite, Lyndon Johnson. Nixon lost, but he won the nomination – and the presidency – in 1968. In 1976, President Ford, the country’s only non-elected president, faced a challenge for the Republican nomination. Ronald Reagan was a famous movie star, TV commentator and a
to win, but how establishment can a candidate be? Since Roosevelt, the Democrats have selected Jimmy Who?, Bill Who? and Barack Huh? In 1976, Jimmy Carter, better known as Jimmy Who, was a little known, peanut farmer who had served one term as Georgia’s governor. No one on the national scene had ever heard of him. He had a 1-percent name recognition rating going into the Iowa caucuses and defeated a slew of established Democrats for the nomination. In 1992, establishment Democrats were afraid to run against George H. W. Bush’s 91-percent approval rating. Bill Clinton, another small-state governor who had given an awful speech at the 1988 Democratic National Convention, took the plunge. Most Americans prob-
Republicans don’t emerge. They run, lose, run again and win. It’s called paying dues. Democratic nominees seem to emerge out of nowhere and have to battle “no experience” charges which continue even if they are elected. run, lose, run again and win. It’s called paying dues. Democratic nominees seem to emerge out of nowhere and have to battle “no experience” charges which continue even if they are elected. Before Franklin Roosevelt was elected in 1932, the parties’ conventions selected their nominees, so all candidates had deep roots and internal party allegiances. Roosevelt had been Secretary of the Navy and Governor of New York. Entering his fourth election for president, however, Roosevelt changed vice presidents and selected a former clothing store operator, a political pawn, a little known senator. Harry Truman became president a month into Roosevelt’s fourth term, having spent very little time with Roosevelt and was completely unaware that an atomic bomb – that he would order dropped a few months later – was being produced. Since then, the parties have followed their unique paths to the presidency. In 1948, the Republicans anointed New York Governor Thomas Dewey, a presumable shoo-in. He was so far ahead, the pollsters quit taking the public pulse in September. Truman prevailed.
popular governor of California, the largest and typically Democratic state. Ford beat him but lost to Jimmy Carter. Four years later in 1980, Reagan returned and defeated George H. W. Bush for the nomination. George H. W. Bush was a Texas Republican whose father had been a U.S. senator. Bush had been a congressman, had lost a run for the Senate, and had been U.S. Ambassador to China. Reagan picked Bush as his vice president and defeated the sitting President Carter. In 1988, George H. W. Bush was Mr. Republican Establishment, won the nomination and the election against Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis. Again, Michael Who? In 2000, the Republicans nominated Texas Governor George W. Bush, who had defeated a popular Democratic governor in 1994. Had his name been George Walker instead of George Walker Bush, he would never have gone to Yale or Harvard, been given an ownership interest and the CEO position of the Texas Rangers major league baseball team and never have run for office. His last name was Bush, and his dad had been President. George W. Bush didn’t have to lose
ably cannot find Arkansas on a map. He faced ongoing charges of immoral behavior during the election (and during his presidency). In 2008, Hilary Clinton had the nomination locked up, but Barak Obama who had served as a U.S. senator for a mere four years, surprised her, the nation and is now president. When Democrats nominate mainstream candidates, they lose. Vice Presidents Hubert Humphrey, Walter Mondale and Al Gore couldn’t get to the finish line. What does this mean? The only Republicans running now who have a chance to win are Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich. Romney ran in 2004 and lost. He’s ripe. Gingrich talks about being a Washington outsider, but he lives there and is trying to ride President Reagan’s coattails. Rick Santorum is not and Jon Huntsman was not really running this year. They are running for the Republican nomination in 2016. Whom will they run against? Some Democrat who has a 1-percent name recognition right now. ★
6 Ways to Lower Taxes and Improve the District’s Economy BY JACK EVANS
A
ny of you who have heard me speak recently have probably heard me talk about the fact that the District of Columbia is in a better financial position than any other city, county or state in the country. Our finances remain strong, and the development projects in our city are the envy of our neighbors. I have the firm belief, however, that we would be doing even better if we had a more straightforward business regulatory structure and took steps to roll back some of the substantial disincentives to those who consider relocating to the District to start a business and raise a family or those who consider moving out of our city when they reach retirement age. Therefore, in our next budget, I am recommending a number of specific proposals that I hope you will support. First: Our corporate income tax is a tremendous burden at 9.975 percent much higher than the 6 percent Virginia charges and even the 8.25 percent levied by Maryland. Particularly when times are tight, how can we expect a business to choose to sacrifice an extra 2 to 4 percent of its already slim profit for the privilege of doing business in our city? I propose lowering this tax to 6 percent. Second: On a similar note, the District charges a tax of 9.975 percent on unincorporated businesses, while our neighbors do not. We should phase out this tax entirely. Third: Our income tax is too high and is based on bad policy. As I have said before, a member of the Council cannot claim to be in favor of small business and also of an increase in the income tax, which falls heavily on many small businesses. I propose to create a more progressive income tax structure by lowering them: those earning above $350,000 would pay 8.5 percent rather than 8.95 percent; those earning between $100,000 and $350,000 would pay 8.0 percent rather than 8.5 percent; those earning between $40,000 and $100,000 would be placed in a new bracket and pay 7.5 percent rather than 8 percent; and those earning between $10,000 and $40,000 would be taxed at 5.5 percent rather than 6 percent. Fourth: The District made a mistake by decoupling our local estate tax from the federal estate tax. We should eliminate the District’s estate tax to encourage our retirees to remain residents of the District, investing in our local economy and contributing to our civic and cultural life. Fifth: We need to repeal the wrongheaded tax on formerly tax-free municipal bonds. As predicted, the implementation of this tax appears to be resulting in an administrative nightmare. For example, it is unclear whether taxpayers have enough information to determine whether a share held in an ostensibly grandfathered municipal bond mutual fund nevertheless has become partially taxable as the fund manager executes future trades. This unfortunately may be just the first onslaught of many where the supposed grandfathering provision could be chipped away. Sixth: We must sunset the sales tax increase as promised and lower it from 6 percent back to 5.75 percent. Part of why I was so skeptical of the deal to grandfather current holdings of municipal bonds while taxing new purchases is that I have been in the government long enough to see promises like this made, and promises broken. The city promised it would sunset the sales tax increase this year. Then, it broke this promise when the city decided it needed the money in order to pass the largest budget in our history. We are only a quarter of the way through fiscal year 2012, and the mayor is already projecting $45 million in government overspending despite having raised every tax on the books. This has to stop. ★
GMG, INC. January 25, 2012 9
BUSINESS
The Decline and Fall of Georgetown Park BY RO B E RT DE VANEY
I
n September 1981, the Shops at Georgetown Park opened to much fanfare: 100 stores (including 128 condominiums above), such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Garfinckel’s, Ann Taylor, Scan Furniture, Conran’s, Davisons of Bermuda, Mark Cross and Godiva Chocolatier. With such memories, any longtime local walking through the 30-year-old place in 2012 is saddened by its fall. Today, none of those stores remain. Indeed, few remain at all in the 317,000-square-foot shopping complex at 3222 M St., N.W. Leases have expired, and others are set to expire Jan. 31. Consumers’ reaction to the now-unpopular concept of an enclosed urban shopping mall are to blame, along with a few of Georgetown Park’s business decisions through the years. Other critics have maintained that the place is poorly designed to start with, having a fundamental flaw, if you will. A slow economy seems a minor factor here, but a legal fight between developers Herb Miller, whose Western Development Corp. created Georgetown Park, and Anthony Lanier of Eastbanc over the property do not help, either. Not even angels could save it. A la Charlie’s, the Georgetown Angels -- owners Heidi Kallett of the Dandelion Patch, Stephanie Fornash Kennedy of Fornash Designs and Kassie
“We are all hoping that these persons from New York will not just restore Georgetown Park but also bring it into the 21st century.” — Bill Starrels
Rempel of Simply Soles -- held events and launched promotions to gain exposure for the shopping center. They will soon be gone, too, as the mall is emptied to be prepared for renovation. The new landlord of the property, Vornado Realty Trust is vague about its bigger plans, because it is still finalizing new arrangements. A Bloomingdale’s store coming? Heard about that often, but do not know. Hmm, how about a Target? Perhaps, New York’s hip food shop Eataly showing up here? Mere speculation. Advisory neighborhood commissioner Bill Starrels, whose district includes the shopping complex, sums it up: “We are all hoping that these persons from New York will not just
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BUSINESS
Ins & Outs B Y M IC H EL L E KIN GSTON
restore Georgetown Park but also bring it into the 21st century.” “They took something wonderful and destroyed it,” says Alex Shirazi, vice president of Rush Hour Printing & Graphics, a Georgetown Park tenant, whose lease extends through March. A sales rep visiting him Jan. 12 said she was shaken by the sound of the fall of a panel onto the canal-level tiled floor, according to Shirazi. Janitors quickly cleaned up any mess. No one was hurt; no one else was there. Also, on the canal level, the D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles still operates its Georgetown branch, but it has put out a request to lease new space elsewhere. With entrances on M Street, J. Crew, Sisley and Intermix sometimes lock their back doors to the mall, even as the original Clyde’s Restaurant leaves open its back entrance to the M Street level. Meanwhile, life goes on as usual in Georgetown Park’s condos. And for all its collapsed empire of retail, a kind of Renaissance -- indeed, a redesign and reconstruction -- is anticipated for the Shops at Georgetown Park. The neighborhood’s merchant space remains a gold mine. ★
INs:
OUTs:
GEORGETOWN PILATES have opened its doors at 1228 and 1230-1/2 31st St., N.W. The experienced owners and instructors, Heather Perry and Alma Ramos, hope to help change your body with their classic approach to pilates. The studio is fully equipped and offers private, duet and trio pilates apparatus sessions, group mat classes, yoga, acupuncture and massage therapy. 202 342 2673. info@gtownpilates.com
According to its longtime owner, Bill Donohue, ANTIQUES OF GEORGETOWN at 3210 O St., N.W., will be closing. It is time for retirement, said Donohue, while ordering at Emmy and Harry’s Georgetown Dinette, two doors from his beloved, classic shop. (More details to follow.)
UNUM RESTAURANT’S opening date is still pending at 2917 M St., N.W., but owners, Phillip Blane and wife, Laura Schiller, hope to unlock their doors by the end of the month. They chose the restaurant’s name as a patriotic tip of the toque to America’s motto, “E Pluribus Unum,” “out of many, one,” on the obverse of the Great Seal of the United States. (And in a culinary twist, these Latin words were also found written within a recipe for salad in a Roman poem and were once thought to be from the Roman poet Vergil, whose words are indeed on the reverse of America’s seal.) Blane, a former sous chef at Equinox and opening chef at the Charlotte Hotel and Restaurant on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, will offer a contemporary spin on approachable dishes including grilled quail, smoked duck, Indian spiced lamb shank and winter citrus custard for dessert. The 12 seat-bar will hold a special menu including soups, salads, snacks and meals like truffle mac and cheese. Dine in for a divine weekend brunch as well, available on weekends. 202 621 6959. www.unumdc.com. RED FIRE GRILL at 33rd and M Streets opened its doors in the former space of Aditi Restaurant and is welcoming all customers to their grilled kabobs, falafel, salads and sandwiches. 202 295 9050.
GEORGETOWN CANDY BAR at 1419 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., is set to close soon. All merchandise and fixtures are 50 percent off. 202 333 0032. The GAPKIDS/BABYGAP store at 1267 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., is closing. John Asadoorian of Asadoorian Retail Solutions, vice president of the Georgetown Business Improvement District, confirmed the consolidation move. The children store’s stock will be moved across the avenue into the big Gap store at 1258, next to Martin’s Tavern. As the Gap corporation closes some of its U.S. stores, it is expanding in Asia.
Jamie Stachowski, whom we have all grown to know and love from local farmers markets, will be taking over the former GRIFFIN MARKET, 1425 28th Street (at P Street). The full-service butcher shop will supply fresh and prepared meats along with deli sandwiches. It is still under construction but set to open within the next 30 days.
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ALL THINGS MEDIA
Ari Shapiro & Pink Martini The World’s House Band
Ari Shapiro, White House Correspondent for National Public Radio, moonlights as a singer in the band, Pink Martini, and last year made the local scene at Bethesda’s Strathmore.
PH OTOS AN D STORY BY WALTER GR IO
I Above: Ari Shapiro Center: Ida Moore (cantor from Portland), Ari Shapiro, and Storm Large. Bottom: Storm Large and Ari Shapiro
f the world had a house band, it would be Pink Martini. This 12-piece band from Portland can perform in so many languages that it was no surprise when Srgjan Kerim, the former president of the United Nations’ General Assembly, ordered 30 copies of Pink Martini’s second album, “Hang on Little Tomato,” and planned to share it during an official UN meeting. Bandleader and pianist, Thomas Lauderdale, says “Pink Martini draws inspiration from the romantic Hollywood musicals of the 1940s or ’50s . . . with a more global perspective. We write a lot of songs, but we also champion songs like Ernesto Lecuona’s “Andalucia” or “Amado mio” from the Rita Hayworth film “Gilda” or “Kikuchiyo to mohshimasu (My name is Kikuchiyo)” made famous in the 1960s by the great Japanese group Hiroshi Wada & His Mahina Stars. In that sense, we’re a bit like musical archeologists, digging through recordings and scores of years past and rediscovering beautiful songs.” Lauderdale met China Forbes, Pink Martini’s lead vocalist, while they were both in Harvard. Three years after graduating, Lauderdale called Forbes who was living in New York City and asked her to join Pink Martini. They began to write songs together for the band. Their first song “Sympathique,” with the chorus “Je ne veux pas travailler” (“I don’t want to work”), became an overnight sensation in France and was even nominated for “Song of the Year” at France’s Victoires de la Musique Awards. “Both China Forbes and I come from multicultural families,” says Lauderdale. “All of us in Pink Martini have studied different languages as well as different styles of music from different parts of the world. So, inevitably, because everyone has participated at some point in the writing or arranging of songs, our repertoire is wildly diverse. At one moment, you feel like you’re in the middle of a samba parade in Rio de Janeiro, and in the next moment you’re in a French music hall of the 1930s or a palazzo in Napoli.
It’s a bit like an urban musical travelogue. We’re very much an American band, but we spend a lot of time abroad. And, therefore, have the incredible diplomatic opportunity to represent – through our repertoire and our concerts – a broader, more inclusive America, comprised of people of every country, every language, every religion.” Pink Martini has performed its multilingual repertoire on concert stages and with symphony orchestras throughout Europe, Asia, Greece, Turkey, the Middle East, Northern Africa, Australia, New Zealand and North America. Pink Martini made its European debut at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997 and its orchestral debut with the Oregon Symphony in 1998 under the direction of Norman Leyden. Since then, the band has gone on to play with more than 25 orchestras around the world, including multiple engagements with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, the Boston Pops, the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center, and the BBC Concert Orchestra in London. In 2011, Pink Martini performed at the Kennedy Center and at the Strathmore in Bethesda. Unfortunately, China Forbes could not make either trips since she was recovering from vocal surgery. She’s been performing a few shows since then, however, including the time when Pink Martini was on Jay Leno’s show. For most of the year, vocalist Storm Large filled in. She has the voice worthy of singing the multi-lingual songs that Pink Martini has basically trademarked, and she can grab your attention with her sultry moves and playful old hollywood vibe. Despite their differences in style and personality, Storm Large worked very well on stage with Ari Shapiro. When Pink Martini performed with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center earlier this year, Ari Shapiro, the White House correspondent for National Public Radio, also made his Washington, D.C., debut. Shapiro has been moonlighting with the band for the last couple of years. He is included on the band’s fourth album, “Splendor in the Grass,” as a guest vocalist on the track, “But Now I’m Back,” as well as the band’s holiday album, “Joy to the World”. When he first glided on stage at the Kennedy Center, there was a bit of surprise from the audience. “Yes, I am Ari Shapiro,” he quickly quipped to the crowd. “And you don’t look like what I expected, either.” While living up in Portland and before he even had a driver’s license, Shapiro actually snuck in to see a Pink Martini performance. In the following years, Lauderdale heard Shapiro’s voice and invited the reporter to sing with the band. Shapiro made his on-stage debut at the Hollywood Bowl in 2009. Being NPR’s White House correspondent surely has its perks like being on Air Force One and spending time with the president. Still, with Shapiro’s GQ looks and silky butter-itone voice, he most definitely belongs on stage. In an ironic twist, radio killed the video star. At the Strathmore, Shapiro performed several songs on stage with Storm Large and Portland cantor Ida Rae Cahana. In addition, Pink Martini also brought out a special guest: Japanese singing legend Saori Yuki, whom Lauderdale introduced as the “Barbra Streisand of Japan.” And Saori Yuki did not disappoint. In Pink Martini’s latest album, “1969″, Saori Yuki is the lead singer in most of the songs. In the album and also during the performance, Saori Yuki sang a Japanese version of “Puff the Magic Dragon” as well as a Japanese version of “White Christmas.” Lauderdale explained that it was only recently that “White Christmas” was allowed to be performed in Japanese. Considering what happened in Japan in 2011 with the earthquake and that the performance was one week removed from the 70th Anniversary of the Pearl Harbor, the significance of her performance was felt by everyone. ★ GMG, INC. January 25, 2012 13
HAUTE & COOL
Style Your Getaway BY MICHE L L E KINGSTO N As the snow begins to fall and our bronzed skin turns in to pale and pasty sadness, our closets transform from bikinis and tunics to wool sweaters and knee-high boots. Upscale stores and collections have discovered our desperate attempt to hold on to our lighter fabrics and sherbet colored dresses. They have completely redesigned the Hawaiian shirts and sandals of yesterday’s vacation wear and replaced the florals with sun-soaked destination looks that we can sport year round.They’ve labeled the chic, affluent and runway vacation get-away designs as “resort wear” and it is hitting the fashion world hard.
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COVER STORY
PILGRIMAGE
Annie Leibovitz Looks for America Annie Leibovitz was a 21-year-old student when her portrait of John Lennon ran on the cover of Rolling Stone in 1971. Now, for the first time in her career, she works beyond the pop culture lens with an exhibit at the American Art Museum. BY ARI PO ST
B ABOVE: ‘Niagra Falls, Ontario Canada, 2009.’ RIGHT: ‘Sigmund Freud’s couch, Freud Museum, 20 Maresfield Gardens, London, 2009.’ Photographs by Annie Leibovitz. All images copyright Annie Leibovitz. From “Pilgrimage” (Random House 2011) BELOW: Annie Leibovitz, copyright Annie Leibovitz. From “Pilgrimage” (Random House 2011)
y the door of the entrance into “Pilgrimage,” a new exhibition of photographs by Annie Leibovitz at the American Art Museum, hangs a photograph of the messiest workshop you’ve ever seen. Blanketed in the green, swampy light of an old fluorescent bulb, wires, saws, copper pipes, oil canisters, paint cans, pruning shears and drills are crammed within every dimension of a wooden worktable, built into the wall against a peeling, dust-caked window. Chairs are covered in such clutter that they are only recognizable by the legs that stretch toward a ground. This is Pete Seeger’s workshop, just off from the log cabin that he built for his family’s home in Cold Spring, N.Y., in 1949. He has lived there ever since. But Pete Seeger is conspicuously absent from the photograph. And for Annie Leibovitz to take a picture of a renowned icon without the presence of the individual is, if nothing else, unprecedented. Throughout “Pilgrimage,” the audience is in the presence of important figures and icons, tied loosely but surely to a collective American-European consciousness. But the figures all lie just beyond the lens. We see a doorway: the entrance into Georgia O’Keefe’s New Mexico studio. We see a wicker bed frame: the bed that Henry David Thoreau slept on at Walden Pond. We see a windowless room bathed in red light: Ansel Adams’s darkroom in Carmel, California. We get but a haunting of Leibovitz’s subjects — all of whom are dead, save Seeger — yet their presence is engrained deeply within the images, connecting us to the past not through nostalgia but within the context of our present. Annie Leibovitz was a 21-year-old student when her portrait of John Lennon ran on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine in January 1971. By 1973, she was the magazine’s chief photographer. Almost over night, she became a photojournalism sensation, and through the years her camera has captured some of the most recognizable and iconic portraits of our time, revealing her to be among the foremost documentarians of the American social landscape. Rather than focusing on her subject’s face, or having them pose with the banal glam of your typical high-profile photo shoot, Leibovitz is known for photographing her subject’s full self, from head to toe, engaged in something beyond the camera, frequently posed amidst objects from their lives. Herein is perhaps the lead-in to “Pilgrimage.” Leibovitz has divested herself of her subjects all together, to tell their stories with only their significant surroundings. The subjects of her photographs, as with the Pete Seger workshop, are only shown in absence. From a busted television to a hat (Elvis and Lincoln, respectively), from a concert gown to a bedroom wall (Marian Anderson, Virginia Woolf), we only see these persons through the objects and places tied to their lives. The focus of these photographs is still celebrity in a way. Perhaps “persons of significance” is a better way to say it. We see Sigmund Freud’s bookshelf, Elvis Presley’s busted television, Emily Dickinson’s nightgown, her only surviving dress, and Yosemite Valley, from the same location that Ansel Adams took his archetypal continues on next page
GMG, INC. January 25, 2012 15
COVER STORY
Annie Leibovitz
continues on next page
photographs of the landscape throughout the early 20th century. Leibovitz’s own pilgrimage, which led to this exhibit, began by accident. “I started the project at a difficult time in my life,” she said at a tour of the exhibit Jan. 24. “And I took my kids to Niagara Falls as a day trip. As they were leaning on the rail, I walked up behind them and snapped a photo. It’s a photo that anyone could take — an American snapshot.” This photo hangs in the exhibition, marking a jumping-off point for the journey to come. “I hope that what anyone can get out of this is that we are in a great country, and there is so much to see if you just hit the road. That’s what happened to me.” Through her exploration, Leibovitz revisited locations repeatedly, letting them lead her to new ones, like a subconscious scavenger hunt. Concord, Mass., for example, was a particularly rich area of discovery. First going there to photograph Walden Pond, she was drawn into the world of Thoreau, which led to Ralph Waldo Emerson and Louisa May Alcott. One of the Alcott sisters was a mentor to Daniel Chester French, the sculptor who created the statue of Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial. Leibovitz followed the trail, winding up in French’s studio in western Massachusetts, which led her to the National Archives, where she found a rare multiplelens glass pate of a Lincoln portrait. The National Archives led to Gettysburg. And so on. “I was trying to find a reason to live, places to be inspired,” Leibovitz said. “I did this to feed my portrait work, to save it. And it did.” She also discussed the significance of children to this work: “Hanging this show, I saw children running around the museum. I loved it. So I hung everything low, cluttered the rooms with pictures, for children. The book [accompanying the exhibition] is dedicated to my children. I can’t wait to see a classroom in here, to see what the children think.” Equally significant to the show are two technical facts regarding Leibovitz’s process. None of this work was commissioned. This is Leibovitz’s first personal assignment since she was a student. This is also her first foray into digital photography. She used an array of cameras, starting with a cheap digital number that fit in her pocket, and eventually upgrading to a wideangle lens with tripod. “Pilgrimage” is significantly smaller and more intimate than almost anything Leibovitz has ever done. And its audience of museum goers is comparatively more modest than the national and international syndication of the magazines she works with. But Leibovitz is thrilled with the outcome and location of her project. “The Smithsonian is popping right now,” she said. “Doing a lot of great things. I feel very cool being here, so steeped in history.” “We think we know who people are,” Leibovitz said. “But when you try to really understand someone, you find out how much there is to know,” and perhaps how much we can never know. Through her explorations, however, Leibovitz doesn’t seem to be worried about how well she knows her subjects. Her understanding is on a different level — an interpersonal one, tied to her intellectual roots, her heritage, her family and her sense of self. To put a face to self-discovery is no small feat, especially for someone who has lived her life behind the public spotlight, not in front. This show offers a portrait of a portrait artist and, as it turns out, there is not a face to be seen — just the essence of various selves. For more information, visit AmericanArt.si.edu ★ 16 January 25, 2012 GMG, INC.
★
NGA’S 3 HITS Pablo Picasso was a master draftsman. Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione paved the road to Impressionism. And at last, we have our French galleries back, offering a renewed showcase for the Chester Dale Collection. All at The National Gallery of Art.
L
BY GARY TISC H L ER ions and tigers and bears, oh my. Come January 29, there will be a similar song to sing at the National Gallery of Art: Picasso and Castiglione and the newly renovated French Galleries, oh me, oh my. The long version: A rich time machine and evidential exhibition explores and nails down Pablo Picasso’s reputation as the greatest draftsman of the 20th Century in “Picasso’s Drawings, 1890-1921: Reinventing Tradition,” an exhibition of some 60 works, spanning the first 30 years of his career riding straight to the doorsteps of impending legend-hood. In “The Baroque Genius of Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione,” lies an exploration of sources and influences, in the varied, kinetic exhibition with 80 works culled from the galleries extensive holdings of works by the Italian master, that also includes works by contemporaries and followers. There is no title for the newly renovated and installed French Galleries, the culmination of a two-year project that enriches, rearranges and creates dialogue among the Gallery’s nearly 400 impressionist and post-impressionist holdings. “Greatest Hits” surely would not do, but the fact that the collection in the West Building’s second floor now carries with it a kind of path of themes, stories, and regularly spaced explosions of recognized and acknowledged masterpieces seems to demand a worthy title. There is no connection among the two exhibitions and
COVER STORY
“The French Galleries: In many ways, the renovation is an exhibition, about the trip from the classics to the impressionists to the post-impressionists. It’s about stunning landscapes. It’s about women, most definitely. It is why, with every new movement in the fine art world, with every infatuation with the next big thing, we always come back here.”
OPPOSITE PAGE: TOP: Auguste Renoir, ‘Odalisque,’ 1870. BOTTOM: Vincent Van Gogh, ‘Self-Portrait,’ 1889. THIS PAGE TOP LEFT: Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, ‘Noah Leading the Animals into the Ark,’ 1774. TOP RIGHT: Pablo Picasso, ‘Pierrot and Harlequin (recto),’ 1920. BOTTOM: Pablo Picasso, Self-Portrait, 1901/1902
the reopening of the French galleries, although Picasso, among many, is a strong presence there—he is at once the Jesus and John the Baptist of modernism, after all. And you could easily plug in the energetic lines and brushstrokes present in almost all of Castiglione’s work to Picasso’s drawings to ignite a spark. The boy genius is very much evident in the Picasso exhibition, as is the man who, if he did not entirely invent cubism, surely gave it a good kick into the stratosphere. It’s an interesting process to watch, from the perfectly and finely rendered work of an 11-year-old child to the cubist works where he swims like a fish on fire. There are many nudes and near classical drawings of women here that, whatever and whomever the drawing are about, are always at least a little (and often very) sexually charged. Picasso—with a reputation that might explain a lot—could manage the not-so-easy task of creating allure and sex appeal in a cubist woman, fully twisted in negligee and disquietingly recognizable nightwear, replete with all their jagged, ragged edges. Picasso’s early lines—a bust infused with the classics surely remembered from his studies, a restrained portrait of a woman— are clean, and never quite without emotion. See the son and father self-portrait, and then a father rendered by the son. You will see the connection. Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione lived through the better part of the 1600s and included among his sources Rembrandt’s religious works. Seen side by side, you can easily see the connection. But he was also a source of inspiration for later artists, most notably Tiepolo and the still later French painter Antoine Watteau. He belongs in the baroque, in terms of a recognizable genre and style, and his themes and subjects are like that of his contemporaries, religious and familiar: The Adoration, The Gifts of the Magi, the Crucifixion, and nativities of all sorts. But there’s a difference beyond categorization. Castiglione’s works are never
still, not even perhaps when they should be. There’s an electric current running through them—shepherds leaning to get a better look, figures stretching, on the move, necks craning, in scenes that are essentially moments of peace. What is there to say about the French galleries? That you will be overwhelmed, awed, delighted or turned on? That you will be returning again and again, and so will everyone else? These artists speak to us, surely, but they speak to each other, too. In the gallery live Van Gogh, Gauguin and late Degas works, the one intense, the other pushy and Degas quietly off to the side, away from the noisy brawl. There are so many paintings here that are almost cliché at this point: Renoir’s blue girl, the harlequins of Picasso. It’s almost as if you shouldn’t love them so much and move on to something important like the Oscar nominations. But they draw you in— Van Gogh’s self portrait, Renoir’s cityscapes, like Point Neuf paired with the Pont des Arts. In many ways, the renovation is an exhibition, about the trip from the classics to the impressionists to the post-impressionists. It’s about stunning landscapes in the early days. It’s about women, most definitely. It is why, with every new movement in the fine art world, with every infatuation with the next big thing, we always come back here. Many of the works in the galleries were on view while the work of restoration went on over the past two years in the West Wing, in the exhibition, “From Impressionism to Modernism: The Chester Dale Collection.” That installation was easily the best exhibition in Washington for the past two years. In the French Galleries, it’s Degas, Monet, Manet and Matisse, oh my. And all the rest, oh my, oh my. ★ For more information visit NGA.gov.
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ART WRAP
Kay Jackson at Addison/Ripley BY AR I P OS T
K
ay Jackson is a local artist whose paintings have garnered national and international acclaim, including a commission by President Clinton for the official White House holiday card in 1997. Working in an inspired sunroom-studio on the third floor her Dupont Circle home, she has long focused her work on addressing environmental concerns such as endangered species, pollution and loss of animal habitat. Her current exhibition at Addison/Ripley Fine art, running through March 3, continues her decades-long pursuit, and calls upon the near extinct artistic tradition of gilding to help communicate her vision. Jackson has long employed gold leaf techniques in her work, and for the exhibition has created gilded icons of endangered species, drawing parallels to the endangered crafts she employs in the work’s creation. Jackson learned the art of gilding through her husband, William B. Adaire, a master gilder, frame historian, and owner and founder of Gold Leaf Studios in Dupont Circle. Adair is among a small handful of international authorities on frame fabrication, conservation and the nearly extinct art of gilding: applying fine gold leaf to the surfaces of paintings, wood, frames, or anything else you could possibly conceive. He has employed his expertise extensively with every major museum in the city and consults with gallerists, architectural firms and private
collectors throughout the world. The oldest and most common form is a process called water gilding, Jackson explains. After first applying layers of gesso to linen or wood—for a painting or a frame—the gilder then applies a layer of clay and glue, called bole, to help the small thin sheets of gold leaf adhere. The applied gold is then burnished and can be lightly manipulated. For a textured, dynamic surface, such as embossed vines wrapped about a picture frame, warm gesso can be carefully ladled upon the surface to create the patterns before laying the gold leaf, a process called pastiglia. Examples of gold leaf abound in museums and buildings around the District, perhaps most prominent displayed in the National Gallery of Art’s permanent collection of 13th and 14th century Italian paintings, which is all but overrun by brilliant gold leaf altarpieces. But rarely is gold leaf seen employed in contemporary settings, and in these gilded icons of endangered species now on display, Jackson has drawn a remarkable and fitting parallel to the ancient, endangered craft of gilding. A technically brilliant artist in every sense, Jackson has made more than just paintings in these gold leaf works. They are intricate, cryptic, glowing panels and boxes that Jackson has constructed entirely, encasing the endangered animals—from crayfish and salmon, to the
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on by husband Adaire representing the history of frames from the Byzantine to modern. For information on Kay Jackson’s Addison/ Ripley exhibit, visit AddisonRipleyFineArt. com. For information on her Muscarell Museum of Art exhibit, visit Web.wm.edu/ Muscarelle. ★
BY GARY TISC H L ER
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Above: Kay Jackson, photo by Philip Bermingham Below: Jackson’s gilded paintings, at Addison/Ripley
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spotted owl—in armatures of gold and surrounded by symbols that span multiple time periods and iconologies. Jackson custom designs the frames for each work, inspired by 14th century panel paintings. She herself observes that her boxes are like 16th century cabinets of curiosities, those assembled by wealthy European collectors to celebrate and catalogue their knowledge of the world. Yet despite these callings upon the past, the works look completely contemporary. Her pieces depict both the fragility and resiliency of our ecosystems and species, and connect the vulnerability of our planet with the delicacy of our artistic culture. This is also echoed in the act of creating the work itself. “Creating art is an act of faith,” says Jackson. “With each passing year it takes an increasing commitment to continue what most people think is a spontaneous and blissful activity.” More of Jackson’s series of gilded endangered icons will be on display at the Muscarelle Museum of Art, the museum for the College of William & Mary, in Williamsburg, Va., accompanying a historic frame exhibition put
Bethesda
IN COUNTRY
Stately Old Ladies, the Homestead and the Greenbrier, Close to Home BY ALIS ON S CHA F ER
A
February weekend is the perfect time to drop in on two of America’s grandest old ladies. These are ladies with the wisdom and experience of long maturity as well as the fresh look of a Madison Avenue facelift — you know, the super expensive kind that actually looks good. These classy old dames will welcome you with chintz and china, sweeping staircases and strawberry scones. They are the original spas, the ones who set the standard for American resorts, the Homestead and the Greenbrier. To visit them, you have to drive past a lot of cows. Then, there’s the roller coaster up and downs through the hills, down into the valley, and there she sits. The Homestead. For old school WASPs like me, it looks familiar even if you’ve never been there before. My mother used to take me to a giant pile in Florida called the Bellevue Biltmore that carried exactly the same vibe. Nothing bad could happen to you in the comfy old rooms, you could get lost for days in the endless corridors, it matters if you have a decent backhand. Families, including grandparents, play cards in front of the fire. Gin and tonics outsell umbrella drinks four to one.
Pinot noir is considered exotic. Just a hop into West Virginia, and the Greenbrier offers the same genteel feel, underlined by the resort’s tagline, “When you’re at the Greenbrier, you’ll know you’ve arrived.” It refers to its on-site eateries as The Restaurant Collection, as if they were gathered up fully formed and placed here. And the Greenbrier offers weeklong interior decorating courses, by Dorothy Draper Decorating, which is advertised in a kind of loopy 1950s’ font. Lots of oranges mixed with crimson. Sometimes, what you really need a little dose of old-school. You can get it here, along with bridge mix and a spritzer. Both resorts have been around for a while and want you to know it. The Homestead’s website offers a rather charming timeline that starts in 7,000 B.C., when people first discovered the local hot springs, but things don’t really get going until George Washington hits the scene. After that, it is a parade of presidents — golfing presidents — and the Homestead hits its stride in the 20th century. Everybody from Calvin Coolidge to Bill Clinton puts in an appearance. The Greenbrier promotes its ties to royalty, hav-
At the Homestead
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ing hosted the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, for some international notoriety. The real reason to go to either place, although they don’t advertise it enough, is breakfast. The breakfast at both places will forever remain the Platonic ideal of the meal: homemade sugar doughnuts, piles of silky scrambled eggs, yogurt and granola for the abstemious types. Table after table of excited kids sneaking Danishes. Trim ladies eating corn flakes. Dads going all out with sausages and grits (Did I mention that you’re in the south?). The trouble with breakfast is, if you have no willpower, you eat so much that you then need to loll around feeling slightly remorseful. And it takes a while to get excited about lunch. But your options are many. You can sit by the fire and read a book. I recommend something gritty and urban, like Richard Price’s “Lush Life,” about cops in lower Manhattan, to
recover from the stress of thinking about what will happen when something catastrophic sends the politicians running for their bunkers. Or, better still, in keeping with the ADHD list of activities offered, you can go outside. In the winter, there are nice hikes in the woods. Or go for a walk (or run) along the golf courses, though if there the weather isn’t too cold, there are likely to be actual golfers out, doing their thing with their deadly little white balls. The Greenbrier offers a “meditation trail,” but I suppose any trail could serve in a pinch. Mountain biking is also an option; the resorts will rent you a bike and a helmet or you could bring your own. Some of the single-track bike trails are not for the timid. And some of them go up up up. Yet the Allegheny Mountains are beautiful, even in winter. Skiing and snowboarding at the Homestead and skating at both are some of the typical
Everybody from Calvin Coolidge to Bill Clinton puts in an appearance. The Greenbrier promotes its ties to royalty,having hosted the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, for some international notoriety. GROUP HEALTH & BENEFIT PLANS:
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remind you how nice it is to be just where you are. Or you can just embrace it and bring along some Edna St Vincent de Millay and daydream the morning away. Activities-wise, the indoor options are plentiful. Shop in the resorts’ plentiful boutiques, where most of the offerings relate to golf. And Virginia peanuts. Or you can spa it. Both resorts tout their spa services (not that I’ve ever sampled any, alas), and are, of course, built around the original spas — hot springs. At the Homestead, if the weather isn’t great, you can bowl in the eight-lane bowling alley, which is next to the large indoor pool. At the Greenbrier, the indoor offerings include bowling, billiards and a tour of the bunker, to which the political leadership could flee to in times of crisis, leaving the rest of us Washingtonians to go up in smoke. The Greenbrier also has an extensive health and wellness program, if you want to
winter sports offered. They both have paintball battlefields, which would blow the socks off your favorite 12-year-old. The running around will help with the breakfast digestion. In my limited experience, paintball seems a lot like real war. Long moments of boredom and illdefined paranoia followed by bursts of excitement and extreme apprehension. You worry about what could happen, and then it happens. And then, thankfully, unlike real war, it is over and you get to take a shower and eat dinner. The Greenbrier also boasts an off-road driving school (which would be awesome for working through road rage) and falconry, to get you in touch with your inner Middle Eastern sheik. Carriage rides, sleigh rides, all manner of things to do with horses, and after all that, hot tea by the fire. There are also gun clubs for those who are working on their shooting skills (perhaps
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Victorian Writing Room at the Greenbrier
for paintball), with instructors if you want them. There are clays courses, skeet shooting, simulated wild creatures to shoot at, ear plugs, ammo, and a trap and five stand, though,
living in the wilds of Georgetown, I have no idea what that actually means. But the idea of shooting anything, even a small clay disk as it flies through the air, would help me manage my stress. I’ll have something to dream about when I am thinking about killing all the people who block traffic on Wisconsin by turning left into the Safeway during rush hour. Perhaps, most importantly, for you harried citizens of the real world and for overworked parents of kids, both resorts offer plenty of supervised action. Little ones can join the Kids’ Club. They’ll be pleasantly exhausted when you fetch them at the end of the day and will have lots of adventures to share. There are movies, on real screens, not TV sets, at night for everybody to fall asleep to. Finally, none of this is terribly cheap. But you can drive to both the Homestead and the Greenbrier, and that helps a little. These are the sort of classic resorts that don’t really exist anymore — no poured concrete, no modern art, not much sign of the 21st century. And that’s pretty great for a weekend — a real retreat from the pressing, pulsing world of cities. As Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.” So, do something with it. February is kind of a downer. Don’t spend it online shopping or watching college basketball on TV. Go visit one of these stately old ladies and learn from the past. Spend this very good time taking a walk in the woods. ★
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FOOD & WINE
Across the Cutting Board with Ris Oatmeal: The Existential Hero BY AR I P OS T W IT H R I S LA C O S T E
T
he history of oatmeal is a modest and uneventful affair. It was never worth its weight in gold, like salt. It was never fabled to have mystic healing properties, like beetroot or ginger. The bible does not allude to it, as with bread and fish. In fact, in Greek and Roman times, oats were considered a diseased form of wheat. Until the late 19th century, they were nothing more than economic sustenance for northern European peasants and animal feed. But like a man whose steady greatness slowly reveals itself in his maturity, oatmeal emerges as a sort of existential hero: hearty, decent and strong. Its status has grown over time, and today it frequents breakfast tables throughout the world, appreciated for its high fiber, iron and protein content, its ability to fight heart disease and its unrivaled wholesomeness. “It’s on the list of top five foods to fight heart disease,” says chef and restaurateur Ris Lacoste. “Oats are the definition of ‘whole food’ — there’s nothing in it but whole grain. And that’s what wholesome is: good for your heart, body and soul.” One reason it’s so satisfying is that it keeps you full, she says. “In the crazy world that we live in, it’s important to have a meal in the morning that keeps you satisfied and steady and warms you so entirely.” For all people who lead fast-paced lives, it is very important to feed your system with something healthful and substantial each day. “I was sent off to school every day in the winter with a bowl of warm oatmeal in me,” says Ris. “I continue that practice to this day, along with a cup or two of good coffee. It energizes me, fills me up and warms my soul.” “As a chef, I also end up tasting and consuming more fat in a given day than most people,” she continues. “It just comes with the territory: I have to do a lot of tasting on the job. So the cholesterol-reducing properties in oatmeal is a huge bonus.” Oats are a grass that gradually came under cultivation at the same time as wheat and barley. They require a good deal of moisture to grow and do best in wet climates. Once they take root, they grow like weeds. The whole grain that oatmeal comes from is called a groat, the inner portion of the oat kernel. Steel-cut oats, also known as coarse-cut oats, are made by cutting up groats into two or three pieces. By contrast, your standard rolled oats are whole kernels of groats that are steamed to make them soft and malleable, then pressed between rollers to make them thin and quick to reabsorb water during cooking. Ris prefers steal-cut oats for their nutty aromas, fabulous texture and earthy, well-rounded flavors. Not that there is anything wrong with rolled oats, Ris says. “But needless to say, the less you have to process a natural ingredient, the better it will taste and the more nutrition it will hold onto. That’s why steel-cut oats have more flavor, as well as more antioxidant properties — they’re just that much less processed, and that much closer to a raw, natural oat seed.”
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Joan Nathan’s Oatmeal Bread with Fig, Anise and Walnuts Yields 2 loaves of bread. For a single loaf, cut ingredient proportions by half. 2 tbsp. active dry yeast ½ cup honey 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats 1 cup steel-cut oats 1 cup toasted wheat germ 1 tbsp. kosher salt 2 tsp. anise seeds 1 cup roughly chopped walnuts 1 cup diced dried figs 2 cups whole-wheat flour 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
ABOVE: A bowl of winter oatmeal, with apples, raisins, flaxseed and nuts. LEFT: Oatmeal bread lends an ethereal sweetness and a nice chewy texture to your lunch.
In the summer months, Ris recommends adding ripe melons and berries. “The bright sweetness of melons and the juicy, sweet depth of berries both complement the nutty, earthy flavors of oatmeal wonderfully,” she says. And in the winter, where we find ourselves now, oatmeal shines. It is perhaps the perfect dish to help face the cold world each morning. Just add cooked apples, raisins and nuts. “And don’t forget a pinch of maple syrup or dash of brown sugar,” Ris adds. Some other unique pairings for oatmeal include: Milk and brown sugar and buttered oatmeal toast for dipping. Honey and figs. The only deterrent of steel-cut oats might be their longer cooking time. “But it’s absolutely worth the wait,” says Ris. But if you don’t have the time, there’s an easy option. “Just make a big batch on Sunday night and reheat a little each morning, or eat them cold as a snack. Package them with blueberries and almonds to take with you. They will hold up in the refrigerator for several days. When heated up on the stovetop for a couple minutes, you’ll never know the difference.” “ But another reason to talk about oats — other than their economy and nutrition — is that they are delicious!” Ris says. “That smooth, thick consistency is so pleasantly rich and heartwarming. They are compatible with an array of flavors. You can add almost anything to them and they will taste great, leaving you with not a reason in the world to be bored with breakfast.”
Pomegranate molasses and toasted walnuts. If the pomegranate is too tart, a dash of cane sugar will balance it out. Stirring in a bit of coconut milk and top with toasted coconut, fresh ripe mango and a sprinkle of sugar (if using unsweetened coconut milk). If you’re like the author, you also want your first meal of the day to be a bit of a health bomb. My default oatmeal toppings are slivered raw almonds (get them in the baking section), flax seed for omega 3, a bit of honey and the smallest crack of black pepper, which gives it the faintest zing. “It’s also worth noting,” says Ris, “that no matter how you make your oats, a healthy pinch continues on next page
Dissolve the yeast in 3 cups lukewarm water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Once it is dissolved, turn the mixer on low and slowly add the honey, rolled oats, steel-cut oats, wheat germ, salt, anise seeds, walnuts and dried figs. Stir in the whole-wheat flour and 3½ cups of the allpurpose flour and knead. Place in a large greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for 1 hour, or until it is doubled in volume. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a baking sheet, or line it with parchment paper. Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it in half and form two round loaves. Place them on the baking sheet and make a few long, shallow gashes across each of the loaves. Let rise another half hour. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped. Allow to cool before slicing.
Ris’s Chicken Salad Sandwich Mix together: 3 cups fresh roasted chicken meat 1 cup cooked white or brown rice, I prefer Calasparra rice ½ cup red grapes, cut in half ¼ cup diced celery ¼ cup diced red onion ¼ cup diced dried apricots ¼ - ½ cup chopped toasted walnuts A few Tbsp. dressing made with mayonnaise, sherry vinegar, a dash of walnut oil, honey and chopped fresh sage. Enough to bind the salad together. Mix together. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve on fresh or toasted oatmeal bread, dressed with some of the mayonnaise and a healthy leaf of lettuce.
FOOD & WINE
Cocktail of the Week: Iceland’s pungent ‘black death,’ Brennivin BY MIS S DIX IE
W
hile most travelers are familiar with the many specialty foods of Europe, many of these same countries also make their own specialty liqueurs. In Italy, the spirits selection is as varied as its amazing cuisine. If you happen to find yourself in the birthplace of spaghetti, make sure you save some room for Sambucca, Limoncello or Aperol. In Greece, the anise-favored Ouzo is considered a symbol of Greek culture. And in Scandinavian countries, the locals enjoy Aquavit a spiced liqueur whose name is derived from the Latin “aqua vitae,” meaning “water of life.” Sampling these local elixirs during your vacation can be as much fun and culturally invigorating as enjoying a dinner of local fare. During a recent trip to Iceland, I was excited about trying the local spirit: Brennivin, a type of schnapps made from fermented potato mash and flavored with caraway seeds. The name Brennivin, which literally translates into English as “burning wine,” is also known locally as “black death.” With a name like that how could one not be intrigued? Before landing in the capital city of
Reykjavik, I envisioned Iceland as a land of hard-drinking Vikings staving off the frigid climate with loads of alcohol. I had read about the legendary nightlife in Reykjavik, a city where the darkness can last up to 20 hours in the dead of winter. Even though my hotel was situated on Laugavegur Street, Reykjavik’s main partystrip, I decided to get into the spirit of Vikings before trying my first taste of Brennivin. I headed to the Vikingarain restaurant, a themed eatery that also features skits based on Icelandic history. Visitors enter the restaurant through a primitive fort-like wooden gate. Inside, the rooms are covered with rough pieces of raw wood, candlelight, bones and animals skins draped over the rustic tables and chairs. As servers greet you in traditional clothing, you are transported back 1,000 years in time. The restaurant boasts that it presents the same food cooked and served in the same style as the Vikings ate. While I was eagerly looking forward to ordering a whale steak, I was curious to drink what the Vikings drank. While I had pictures in my head of Vikings carousing with giant steins of brewski, my bartender explained
that they actually drank mead, a honey wine. While modern Iceland is known for nightlife, the country has had a temperance tradition since the early 1900s. Prohibition was enforced 1915 through 1921 for wine and until 1935 for alcohol. Surprisingly, beer was prohibited until 1989. According to my bartender, on the first day that beer was legalized, more than 350,000 bottles were sold -- more than the entire population of Iceland. It turns out that Brennivin’s lethal nickname stems from the temperance movement. In an effort to scare consumers, the Icelandic government placed a skull and crossbones logo on all liquor bottles. With its stark black label and skeleton, Brennivin became known as “black death.” Today, the label sports an outline map of Iceland in lieu of a skull. Undeterred by the propaganda, I asked my bartender for a shot of Brennivin which he suggested washing down with a cold beer. The liqueur had a bold and
pungent taste, heavy on the caraway, almost like drinking a slice of liquid rye bread. As my taste buds were processing this sharp flavor, my bartender explained that traditionally Brennivin was served with dried fish -- specifically Hkral, a putrefied shark -- in an effort to stave off an even stronger taste. Brennivin today is mostly enjoyed as a patriotic drink, most notably on St. Thorlac’s Day (December 23), a holiday that honors the patron saint of Iceland. It’s a popular souvenir sampled then brought home by Iceland’s growing number of tourists. Although it’s not currently imported into Washington, Brennivin can be purchased online at nordicstore. com. ★
Across the Cutting Board with Ris from previous page of salt is a must. When you think about the salt in cereal, eggs, bread and other breakfast staples, it’s perfectly natural. Salt brings out the flavor of anything, and that goes for oatmeal, too.” Of course, there is a lot more to do with oats than just whip up oatmeal. They are a surprisingly versatile ingredient. As an obvious example that everyone loves, there are oatmeal cookies. (By the way, if you haven’t had a Kayak Cookies Salty Oats cookie at Teaism, you don’t know what you’re missing.) Most granola bars also have an oatmeal base. “And just as with cookie dough,” says Ris, “you can add rolled oats to waffle or pancake batter, muffins—basically any baked goods. Oats have a softening effect by nature because they absorb and hold the moisture so well. Added to bread dough, they bring a nice, soft crumble, an ethereal sweetness and a bit of chew.” And they have the same tenderizing effects with meats and savory items when used as a filler or binder. They help retain the juices in the meat and thereby keep things moist. In Ireland and Scotland, oats were used as filler for many dishes—think haggis, for instance. And this was before its health benefits were known. It was just used to fill more mouths, multiply and extend the meal, like rice or bread. And the Scottish are certainly known for being hearty and strong
— this may be a reason why. Adding oats as a binder in meats may require different levels of cooking and doneness, which is usually only perfected through experimentation and preference. “I prefer the texture oatmeal gives to a recipe,” says Ris. “Use oatmeal to bind meatballs or veggie burgers. It’s a whole grain that works in place of processed flour, bread or crackers. They are a much smarter, healthier and tastier option. But do remember that they absorb moisture during cooking so you may need to adjust your recipes.” Ris will state here that one of the secrets of her great Monday meatloaf special is using oatmeal as a binder. “It’s how my mother made it,” she smiles. Oatmeal bread is also one of her favorite sandwich breads. Joan Nathan, a friend and fellow chef, makes an oatmeal loaf with fig, anise and walnuts, which is a wonderful compliment to Ris’s chicken salad. It accents the apricots and grapes in the salad perfectly. Make them both, and see how good ‘whole food’ can be. ★
For more from Joan Nathan, including her cookbook “Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France,” from which this recipe is excerpted, visit JoanNathan.com.
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BELLYDANCE Classes at All2Dance Studio (4380 MacArthur Blvd NW) FREE PARKING! Two 6-week sessions (Mondays) starting Sept. 26th and November 7th. Beginner: 8:30-9:15pm, Intermediate: 9:15-10:00pm. $105/session, early registration discount: $90/session. Sign up: www.asalarakasa.com or
Located on 36th ST NW (between T and S st)
email asaladances@gmail.com
JOB OPPORTUNITIES DRIVERS/ DOCK WORKERS YRC is hiring Drivers and Dock Workers!Drivers:Excellent Wages, Benefits, Pension! Home nightly! Safe Equipment! FT/PT.DC location. CDL-A w/Combo and Hazmat, 1yr T/T exp, 21yoa req. EOE-M/F/D/V. Dock Workers. $12-$14/hr. 4hr shifts. 18 yoa, read/write English. Able to lift 65 lbs. req. APPLY: www.yrcw.com/careers
INTERN NEEDED A marketing intern needed with emphasis on advertising and events. Primary responsibilities include participating in campaign management, communicating with advertisers and vendors, coordinating with sales and advertising department, receiving phone calls, participating in brand management, and assisting the marketing manager with daily administrative work. Email resume to marketing@georgetowner.com
(cars only) $175.00 a month 202- 337 5871
FOR RENT: Charming 2nd story apartment with private entrance. Best location Georgetown, 2BR (one small), 1 BA, washer/dryer, sunny living-dining area including built-in bar, small office space, balcony. Kitchenette and entry on first floor, $2,700 monthly. Refs. required. Call 202-337-7359. Charming and exceedingly spacious colonial single family house in popular Berkley. With 3 levels of living space, 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, a full lower level suite with its own entrance, covered 2 car garage, and an inviting backyard, this home has it all. Its proximity to Georgetown, Georgetown Hospital and University and walkable to so much. Housing vouchers accepted. Call Ana Belmiro 202.664.6100
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Interior trim. Crown, casings, pilasters, Built ins, bookshelves, and fireplace mantels. 202-269-3517
EXPERIENCED DOG WALKERS
MUSIC
We are seeking walkers for 5 well behaved dogs in the same household in Georgetown .
PATIENT PIANO TEACHER
Friendly dogs rang in size from toy poodle to golden retriever . Applicants must have experience and references. Position is permanent to caring adults that will play/exercise, behavioral train, groom and feed our lovable friends.
Happy to help you have fun beginning or advancing your playing. I enjoy making music with both children and adults. Off street parking at my NW teaching studio. 202-234-1837
PET CARE
The need is 7 days a week , two part-time positions must be filled for AM and PM walks.
PET CARE
Please call 703-509-1608
Georgetown-based overnight petcare available Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s!
PERMANENT NANNY We are looking for an experienced live-out nanny who has a valid driver’s license and good driving record. The position is in the Upper Georgetown Washington D C to look after one grade school child needs to be filled soon. Applicant MUST communicate English properly and be allowed to work in the USA. Other roles include running errands, driving child to appointments and other activities. Other responsibilities will be doing light household chores . Must be able to travel On domestic and international vacations . We are looking for a responsible –committed person with long term outlook. Must provide good references and resume . This items can be faxed to the ATTENTION of MR. Hacker at 202-342-0751
DRIVERS Start up to $.41/mi. Home Weekly or Bi-Weekly. CDLA 6 mos. OTR exp. Req. Equipment you’ll be proud to drive! (888)247-4037
24 January 25, 2012 GMG, INC.
www.holidaypetsitter.com
Virginia Country Properties
Middleburg and the Surrounding Areas THOMAS AND TALBOT REAL ESTATE Land and Estate Agents Since 1967 (540) 687-6500
Please see over 100 of our fine Listings by visiting: www.THOMAS -TALBOT.com
“Thanks for your help and the help of the ad! Our buyer found it in your paper.” -Classified customer
To join other satisfied customers and place an ad in the classified or service directory email jen@georgetowner.com or call 202.338.4833
BODY & SOUL
Murphy’s Love: Advice on Intimacy and Relationships How do you tell your new partner that you have a disorder? Why do the holidays seem to reignite the passion among old flames? With a professional eye for our personal challenges, Stacy Murphy weighs in. BY STA CY NOTA RAS M U R P H Y DEAR STACY: I am a 27-year-old, professional, single woman living in DC. I also have a medical condition – bipolar disorder – which is well under control (meds and counseling). My diagnosis has had an impact on my relationships in the past, especially before I got a handle on it in college. But I have had a few serious boyfriends since then and it seems that once I reveal my situation, things start to go downhill. One guy began blaming all of our problems on me being bipolar, even though my (highly trusted) therapist and I truly believe this had no bearing on our relationship (e.g. I had no episodes during our time together). Another got angry that I hadn’t told him sooner, and soon began to back away from me. My question is this – do I have to tell potential love interests that I have this condition? If so, when is the best time to come clean? I am sick of worrying about this – I only want to find someone who accepts me through and through. –Gun-Shy in NE DEAR GUN-SHY: First, congratulations on finding the right combination of therapy and medications to feel like you are in control of your diagnosis – this is not a small feat, definitely something to celebrate. Next, please be gentle with yourself for not necessarily knowing when and where to offer this information to others. With so much misinformation about mood disorders in the zeitgeist, the term “bipolar” has become a go-to adjective to describe the stereotypically unstable character on cop shows galore. The truth is that many people with bipolar disorder can have very few episodes throughout their lives. The diagnosis is something sufferers are able to manage with certain regular interventions, much like diabetes or panic attacks. But the question of disclosure is not limited to those with bipolar disorder. When is the best time to tell a New Love that you have been treated for an STD in the past, or that you have a degenerative neurological disorder, or that schizophrenia runs in your family? Unfortunately, there’s no definitive answer. Some would say you name it ASAP and let the chips fall where they may, preventing yourself from getting in too deep with someone only to lose them due to something beyond your control. Others would say, give yourself a chance to get to know the person first, let him know you, and see if the makings of a strong foundation are already there before tremor-testing it.
The truth is that all relationships have disclosure moments (You aren’t a virgin? Your family pastime is passive-aggression? Your dream retirement involves an RV?), and these moments are what we use to size up the chemistry between us. You have a ready-made reliability test to see if you’ve found a good match. Eventually you can recommend a good book about your diagnosis (e.g. “An Unquiet Mind” by Kay Jamison), but first let’s reclaim this information as part of what makes you, you. As such, the right match will be with someone who finds it somewhat mundane, but mostly evidence of your strength and resilience. DEAR STACY: So it’s January and I am trying my best to focus on new starts and fresh goals, but I am struggling because my ex got back in touch with me over the holidays and I just can’t keep her off my mind. We’ve been texting and she refriended me on Facebook. My heart flips when I see her name on my caller ID, but we haven’t seen each other yet. Things ended two years ago because we didn’t want the same things (yes, she wanted to get married and I did not). But now it seems she’s comfortable with keeping it casual, and I have to admit that I am really enjoying the flirting we’ve got
ROOFING & HISTORIC RESTORATION SPECIALISTS
going on. Is there something about the holidays that gets people to revisit failed relationships? Valentine’s Day is coming up and I keep fantasizing about some amazing reunion between us. Am I being unrealistic? -Mooning Over Her DEAR MOONING: You are absolutely right, it does seem that the holidays cause old flames to reignite – maybe it’s the cold weather that puts some of us on the lookout for revivable embers. It is exciting to reconnect with an old love, and with the variety of social media options available, it isn’t hard to imagine why a text from her offers you a charge when compared to watching your Facebook friends change their profile pictures to photos of their kids on Santa’s lap. Nevertheless, you ask the more important question last: “Am I being unrealistic?” The conundrum actually has nothing to do with the time of year. You are asking if it’s realistic to think that someone who wanted to marry you two years ago is now happy to keep things casual. Not likely. But then again, you haven’t actually asked Ex, have you? The thing about reconnecting with old flames is that the timespan of the romantic phase of the relationship is vastly reduced – you already had that experience, several years ago, and so this time around the honeymoon phase is going to be abbreviated. Once the initial experience of seeing her again, touching her again, being with her again, is over, it’s likely that you will return to the power struggle phase that broke you up two years ago. But my advice is not to cut off all contact – not when you have been given this incredible opportunity for growth and selfunderstanding (sorry, that’s probably not what you were hoping for…). Meet Ex for coffee. Check in with yourself about how it feels to sit across from her. And ask some questions about what her life has been like in the last two years – they might give you some insight as to whether she’s really in a more casual space, or if you might like to return to where you both left off. ★ Stacy Notaras Murphy is a licensed professional counselor and certified Imago Relationship therapist practicing in Georgetown. Her website is www.stacymurphyLPC.com and you can follow her on twitter @ StacyMurphyLPC. This column is meant for entertainment only, and should not be considered a substitute for professional counseling. We really do want your questions! Send them confidentially to stacy@ georgetowner.com.
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GMG, INC. January 25, 2012 25
Your Dining Guide to Washington DC’s Finest
1789 RESTAURANT
1226 36th St, NW With the ambiance of an elegant country inn, 1789 features classically based American cuisine – the finest regional game, fish and produce available. Open seven nights a week. Jackets suggested. Complimentary valet parking. www.1789restaurant.com
BANGKOK JOE’S
3000 K St NW (One block from Georgetown Lowe’s theatres) Georgetown introduces Washington’s first “Dumpling Bar” featuring more than 12 varieties. Come and enjoy the new exotic Thai cuisine inspired by French cooking techniques. Bangkok Joe’s is upscale, colorful and refined. Absolutely the perfect place for lunch or dinner or just a private gathering. www.bangkokjoes.com
(202) 965-1789
CHADWICKS
(202) 333-4422
CIRCLE BISTRO
BISTRO FRANCAIS
3124-28 M St NW A friendly French Bistro in the heart of historic Georgetown since 1975. Executive chef and owner Gerard Cabrol came to Washington, D.C. 32 years ago, bringing with him home recipes from southwestern France. Our specialties include our famous Poulet Bistro (tarragon rotisserie chicken); Minute steak Maitre d’Hotel (steak and pomme frit¬es); Steak Tartare, freshly pre¬pared seafood, veal, lamb and duck dishes; and the best Eggs Benedict in town. In addition to varying daily specials. www.bistrofrancaisdc.com
BISTROT LEPIC & WINE BAR
1736 Wisconsin Ave., NW Come and see for yourself why Bistrot Lepic, with its classical, regional and contemporary cuisine, has been voted best bistro in D.C. by the Zagat Guide. And now with its Wine bar, you can enjoy “appeteasers”, full bar service, complimentary wine tasting every Tuesday and a new Private Room. The regular menu is always available. Open everyday. Lunch & dinner. Reservations suggested. www.bistrotlepic.com
(202) 338-3830
(202) 333-0111
CITRONELLE
CLYDE’S OF GEORGETOWN
3205 K St, NW (est.1967) A Georgetown tradition for over 40 years, this friendly neighborhood restaurant/ saloon features fresh seafood, burgers, award-winning ribs, & specialty salads & sandwiches. Daily lunch & dinner specials. Late night dining (until midnight Sun.-Thu., 1A.M. Fri-Sat) Champagne brunch served Sat. & Sun. until 4P.M. Open Mon-Thu 11:30A.M.-2A.M. Fri-Sat 11:30A.M.-3A.M.Sun 11A.M.-2A.M.Kids’ Menu Available. Overlooking the new Georgetown Waterfront Park ChadwicksRestaurants.com
One Washington Circle, NW Washington, DC 22037 Circle Bistro presents artful favorites that reflect our adventurous and sophisticated kitchen.
(202) 333-2565
(202) 293-5390
(202) 625-2150
(202) 333-9180
DEGREES BISTRO
DON LOBOS MEXICAN GRILL
FILOMENA RISTORANTE
2311 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown, Washington, D.C. 3100 South Street, NW, Degrees Bistro features a traditional French bistro menu with an innovative cocktail and wine list. The restaurant design complements the industrial chic style of The Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown, and welcomes diners to unwind in the simple, modern comfort of a neighborhood eatery while enjoying a savory lunch or dinner at the hip bar or in one of the stylish banquettes. www.ritzcarlton.com/ georgetown (202) 912-4110
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Featuring Happy Hour weekdays from 5pm-7pm, live music every Saturday from 8pm12midnight, and an a la carte Sunday Brunch from 11:30am-2:30pm. Open dailyfor breakfast, lunch and dinner.
(The Latham Hotel) 3000 M St, NW Internationally renowned chef and restaurateur Michel Richard creates magic with fresh and innovative American-French Cuisine, an exceptional wine list and stylish ambiance. Open for Dinner. Valet parking.
3236 M St, NW This animated tavern, in the heart of Georgetown, popularized saloon food and practically invented Sunday brunch. Clyde’s is the People’s Choice for bacon cheeseburgers, steaks, fresh seafood, grilled chicken salads, fresh pastas and desserts. www.clydes.com
www.citronelledc.com
CAFE BONAPARTE
1522 Wisconsin Ave Captivating customers since 2003 Café Bonaparte has been dubbed the “quintessential” European café featuring award winning crepes & arguably the “best” coffee in D.C! Other can’t miss attributes are; the famous weekend brunch every Sat and Sun until 3pm, our late night weekend hours serving sweet & savory crepes until 1 am Fri-Sat evenings & the alluring sounds of the Syssi & Marc jazz duo every other Wed. at 7:30. We look forward to calling you a “regular” soon! www.cafebonaparte.com (202) 333-8830
DAILY GRILL
1310 Wisconsin Ave., NW Reminiscent of the classic American Grills, Daily Grill is best known for its large portions of fresh seasonal fare including Steaks & Chops, Cobb Salad, Meatloaf and Warm Berry Cobbler. Open for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.Visit our other locations at 18th & M Sts NW and Tysons Corner. www.dailygrill.com
www.circlebistro.com
2811 M Street NW Serving Washington since 1992, Don Lobos offers authentic Mexican cuisine. We use only the finest and freshest ingredients when making our traditional menu items. Famous for our Mole, and adored for our tamales. We also offer a wide range of tequila and the best margarita in Georgetown. Now serving Brunch Saturday and Sunday from 10-2. Hours: Mon-Thu 11am-10pm Fri-Sat 11am-11pm Sun 10am- 10pm (202) 333-0137
1063 Wisconsin Ave., NW Filomena is a Georgetown landmark that has endured the test of time for almost a quarter of a century. Our old-world cooking styles & recipes brought to America by the early Italian immigrants, alongside the culinary cutting edge creations of Italy’s foods of today, executed by our award winning Italian Chef. Try our spectacular Lunch buffet on Fri. & Saturdays or our Sunday Brunch, Open 7 days a week for lunch & dinner. www.filomena.com (202) 338-8800
GOOD GUYS Fine Dining & Exotic Entertainment in Glover Park since 1966. Monday-Thursday 11am-2am Friday-Saturday 11am-3am Sunday 4pm-2am The kitchen is always open!
A GENTLEMAN’S CLUB ONLY 21 AND OVER, PLEASE www.goodguysclub.com (202) 333-8128
(202) 337-4900
MAI THAI
3251 Prospect St. NW Authentic Thai food in the heart of Georgetown. The warm atmosphere, attentive service, and variety of wines and cocktails in this contemporary establishment only add to the rich culture and authentic cuisine inspired by Thailand. With an array of authentic dishes, from Lahb Gai (spicy chicken salad) and Pad Thai, to contemporary dishes like Panang soft shell crab and papaya salad, the dynamic menu and spectacular drinks will have you coming back time and time again. HAPPY HOUR 3:30 - 6PM www.maithai.com (202) 337-1010
3251 Prospect St. NW Established in 1991, Peacock Cafe is a tradition in Georgetown life. The tremendous popularity of The Peacock Happy Day Brunch in Washington DC is legendary. The breakfast and brunch selections offer wonderful variety and there is a new selection of fresh, spectacular desserts everyday. The Peacock Café in Georgetown, DC - a fabulous menu for the entire family. Monday - Thursday: 11:30am - 10:30pm Friday: 11:30am - 12:00am Saturday: 9:00am - 12:00am Sunday: 9:00am - 10:30pm (202) 625-2740
SEA CATCH
1054 31st St, NW Lovers of seafood can always find something to tempt the palette at the Sea Catch Restaurant & Raw Bar. Sea Catch offers fresh seafood “simply prepared” in a relaxed atmosphere. Overlooking the historic C&O Canal, we offer seasonal fireside and outdoor dining. Private party space available for 15 - 300 Complimentary parking Lunch Mon. -Sat. 11:30am -3pm Dinner Mon.-Sat. 5:30pm -10pm Closed on Sunday Happy Hour Specials at the Bar Mon. - Fri. 5 -7pm www.seacatchrestaurant.com (202) 337-8855
SEQUOIA
3000 K St NW, Suite 100 Washington, DC 20007 Eclectic American cuisine, Coupled with enchanting views of the Potomac River make Sequoia a one of a kind dining experience. Offering a dynamic atmosphere featuring a mesquite wood fire grill, sensational drinks, and renowned River Bar. No matter the occasion, Sequoia will provide an unforgettable dining experience. www.arkrestaurants.com /sequoia_dc.html
SHANGHAI LOUNGE
1734 Wisconsin Ave. Shanghai Lounge’s is offering Lily’s family style traditional Chinese dining along with some very unique cocktails and a wide variety of beers and wines. It captures the flavors of Asia and we have created an exotic atmosphere, a place where you can unwind, have an exquisite meal, enjoy a drink and to share the experience. Tuesday -Thursday 11am - 11pm Saturdays 11:30am - 11pm Sundays 12 Noon - 9:30pm Monday Closed Happy Hour: T-F 3:30pm - 7pm
THE OCEANAIRE
1201 F St, NW Ranked one of the most popular seafood restaurants in , DC, “this cosmopolitan”send-up of a vintage supper club that’s styled after a ‘40’s-era ocean liner is appointed with cherry wood and red leather booths, infused with a “clubby, old money” atmosphere. The menu showcases “intelligently” prepared fish dishes that “recall an earlier time of elegant” dining. What’s more, “nothing” is snobbish here. Lunch: Mon-Fri- 11:30am-5pm Dinner: Mon-Thur 5-10pm. Fri & Sat 5-11pm. Sun-5-9pm. www.theoceanaire.com
www.shanghailoungedc.com (202) 944-4200
(202) 338-1588
Dining Guide
PEACOCK CAFE
(202) 347-2277
To advertise, call 202-338-4833 or email advertising@georgetowner.com
3301 m street nw
GMG, INC. January 25, 2012 27
SOCIAL SCENE
42nd Annual Russian New Year’s Eve Ball BY MA RY BIRD The dress code for the 42nd Annual Russian New Year’s Ball, held in the Grand Ball Room at the Mayflower Hotel Jan. 13, was “white or black tie/Russian costume.” Princess Selene Obolensky led the way in the traditional “boyar” pearl-encrusted gala headdress. The evening included entertainment by The Washington Balalaika Society and Sydney’s Orchestra and The Russian Dance troupe. Noting that it was “not Fabergé but very close,” Princess Obolensky presented an award to Raisa Scriabine as a leading “defender of the child.” In thanking everyone who made the evening possible to benefit the “Children of Berezichi,” residing at the Boarding Schools for Special Children in Ulianova and Sosenskaya, Russian Federation, she happily welcomed the fifth generation of family to attend the ball, two-year-old great grandnephew Ronan Obolensky. ★
FAR LEFT: Robert Heggestad, Rose Marie Bogley ABOVE: Doug and Linda White, Mary and Jim Clark LEFT: Vibeke Lofft, Donna Shor
★
Trey McIntyre Project at Katzen Center BY M ARY BIR D No stranger to Washington through his collaboration with The Washington Ballet, Trey McIntyre brought members of his Boise, Idaho-based company to the Katzen Arts Center at American University Jan. 10 to share his creative process. The host committee included Kay Kendall, Eve Lilley and Rhona Wolfe Friedman, who watched enthusiastically as the choreographer and two stellar dancers created on the spot. The artist said of his work, “I seek unconscious narrative.” As one of four American dance companies chosen by the U.S. Department of State and Brooklyn Academy of Music to participate in Dance Motion USA, the troupe will tour to China, South Korean, the Philippines and Vietnam this spring. ★
ABOVE: Annali Rose, Chanel DaSilva, John Michael Schert BOTTOM LEFT: Evonne Connolly, Karen Hold BOTTOM RIGHT: Lizette Corro, Alyssa Silverstein
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SOCIAL SCENE
Memorializing Maverick Artist and Mentor Manon Cleary
BY MARY BIRD Guests were greeted by a bagpiper as they arrived at The Arts Club of Washington on Jan. 20 to celebrate the life of art scene icon Manon Cleary. Manon’s husband F. Steven Kijek encouraged everyone gathered in the Monroe Gallery to “dig deep in your hearts for memories and speak.” When they met, Manon was active on the social scene and Steven recalled voicing some hesitation en route to an embassy reception, to which Manon replied “we don’t need social standing. We’re artists, they want us.” Manon’s twin Shirley ClearyCooper recalled their St. Louis childhood when they dressed alike and replied to “twin.” Jean Lawlor Cohen spoke of the irony of Manon’s fondness for sfumato or smoky light portraits given her long illness precipitated by chemical poisoning and too many cigarettes. Other speakers recalled her conviction that an artist must support the art world. Arts Club President Jack Hannula read his poem “Ode to Manon Cleary.” A caregiver said “she lived inside her private life like outside.” A mentored art student recalled her present of a book inscribed to him as “my window on the future.” The tribute ended with a slide presentation honoring a “friend, wife, sister, teacher, artist.” The ensuing reception was alive with memories. Manon and her beloved white rats were present in spirit. ★
TOP: Manon Cleary TOP RIGHT: F. Steven Kijek MIDDLE RIGHT: Mark Ohnmacht, Edward Purcell BOTTOM RIGHT: A bagpiper sets the tone
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SOCIAL SCENE
Tunisia Celebrates First Anniversary of Arab Spring BY M ARY BIR D The first anniversary of the Tunisian Revolution and Arab Spring was celebrated at the Kennedy Center on Jan. 9 with the performance of Hannibal Barca, the symphony composed by former interim Tunisian Minister of Finance Jaloul Ayed. The historic gala evening brought together the new leaders of democratic Tunisia, dignitaries from throughout the Middle East and North Africa, American and multilateral officials, and business and finance leaders for a truly heartwarming event. Ann Stock spoke on behalf of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The former minister equated the courage of the young Hannibal so many centuries ago to that of the young Tunisian vegetable vendor who by his self-immolation lit the spark that started the “Arab awakening.” Twenty-five Tunisian musicians joined members of the Washington orchestra. It was an extremely uplifting ceremony of which Tunisians can be justly proud. ★
Former Ambassador to Tunisia Walter Cutler and Didi Cutler with Tunisian composer Jaloul Ayed, Minister of Finance in the Interim Tunisian Government
★
GBA Greets 2012 BY MARY BIRD
No “official” business was conducted Jan. 18, as members of the Georgetown Business Association mingled at the historic George Town Club. Guests enjoyed substantive hors d’oeuvres, libations and good company which could only lead to the best of connections. ★
Above :Dominick Cardella, James Connelly, Kathryn Killeen Above right: Joel Bennett, Karen Ohri MIddle right: Leslie Buhler, Molly Quigley Far right: Susan Calloway, Bo Jonsson of Bank of Georgetown
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DC SCENE
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Photos and text by Jeff Malet, www.MaletPhoto.com.
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1. Bettmann Dances debut Quis Custodiet at the Woolley Mammoth Theater, Washington DC, January 14, 2012. Dancer Caroline Yost in photo. 2. Fame All Stars - J5 (Midlothian, VA) Hundreds of competitors from Virginia to Pennsylvania gathered on January 7-8, 2012 for the 5th annual Live! DC regional cheerleading and dance competition at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in the District. Participating teams competed in five class levels in a number of categories. The event was sponsored by The JAM brands (Louisville KY) which provides products and services for the cheerleading and dance industry. 3. The Music Center at Strathmore was host to a moving celebration in honor of the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, January 16, 2012. The highlight of the program was Dr. King himself, in the guise of Mr. Gregg Riley, a talented actor and a dead ringer for the noted civil rights leader. 4. Farm to Table Family Day at the National Portrait Gallery on Sunday, Jan 22, 2012, featuring Richmond Indigenous Gourd Orchestra (Original music played on handmade instruments made from locally grown gourds). 5. Otto Porter scores the winning point with 8.5 seconds left. Porter scored the final six points helping the 10th ranked Georgetown Hoyas men’s basketball team avoid an upset by the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in a defensive battle at the Verizon Center on Saturday, January 21, 2012. The Hoyas improved their record to 16-3. Porter’s pair of free throws with time running out sealed the victory. The Hoyas made only 12 field goals, which is tied for the fewest in a college basketball victory this season. The Scarlet Knights had one final chance, but freshman guard Eli Carter’s jumper hit the back of the rim and the ball bounced out as time expired.
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