Thursday, June 17, 2010

Alice Tan Ridley's Ship Comes In...

I met Alice Tan Ridley back in 2007 singing her heart out in the subways of NYC and set up this MySpace page for her back then.  I bought one of her homemade CDs and have listened to it for years... also posted some samples on this site.  I told her I was going to put her on the Internet so others would be able to hear her sing.

I'm so glad she is at long last being recognized for her great talent!  Her daughter, Academy Award-nominee Gabourey Sidibe of 'Precious,' will soon be cheering her mom on. As previously reported, Alice Tan Ridley, auditioned for the new season of 'America's Got Talent' this past March.

Read more: Alice Tan Ridley: Moving to Next Round on 'America's Got Talent'

Friday, June 11, 2010

Ambroise Vollard Stash of 140 Works Found

Always fascinated by Ambroise Vollard, one of the most important dealers in French contemporary art at the beginning of the twentieth century, I was amazed to read this article today about all these paintings that were found in 1979, but neglected for decades!

"A long-lost trove of Impressionist and Modern art not seen since World War II will be offered at auction in London and Paris, Sotheby's said Friday. The 140 works - including paintings, prints and drawings - belonged to Parisian art dealer Ambroise Vollard, who played an important role promoting artists including Renoir, Cezanne, Picasso and Matisse. The collection was found in 1979 in a Paris bank vault. It had been neglected for decades because Erich Slomovic, an acquaintance of Vollard who deposited the art in the bank in 1939, was killed by the Nazis in 1942.

The key work is a 1905 painting by French artist Andre Derain valued at up to (EURO)15 million ($18 million). Derain co-founded the short-lived Fauve art movement with Matisse in the early 20th century." [more...]

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

75 Long-lost Silent Movies Being Returned to U.S.

A cache of 75 long-lost silent films uncovered in the New Zealand Film Archive vault, including the only known copy of a drama by legendary director John Ford, is being sent back to the United States to be restored.

Among the movies found in storage are a copy of Ford's "Upstream," the earliest surviving movie by comic actor and director Mabel Normand and a period drama starring 1920s screen icon Clara Bow. Only 15 percent of the silent films made by Ford, who won four Oscars, have survived.

New Zealand Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Christopher Finlayson said the find is important as there are no prints of the films remaining in the U.S.

"These important films will be preserved and made available to both U.S. and New Zealand audiences to enjoy," he told The New Zealand Herald newspaper Tuesday. [more...]