VALERIE HIRD 'TRINITY'

VALERIE HIRD'S 'TRINITY', A HANDMADE ART BOOK IS A UNIQUE AND STUNNING WORK OF ART. HIRD'S DELICATE PAINTINGS I MINIATURE ARE MYSTERIOUS, BUT ALSO CAPTIVATING, LYRICAL AND HIGHLY EMOTIONAL. THEY FORM A NARRATIVE WHOSE MEANING IS OFTEN HIDDEN BUT AT THE SAME TIME, TANTALIZING. HIRD'S BOOK, A HANDMADE CREATION IMMENSELY APPEALING TO COLLECTORS OF ART BOOKS, EXISTS IN A NUMBERED EDITION OF 20. EACH IS IN ITS OWN BOX WITH PAINTINGS REMINISCENT OF TAROT CARDS. THEY ARE PRINTED IN ARCHIVAL INKS ON BEAUTIFUL, WHITE HANDMADE PAPER. THE BOOK IS SMALL, 3 5/8 BY 4 5/8 INCHES, WITH FOUR ENDPAPERS THAT FOLD TO MAKE A LITTLE BOX. WITHIN ARE SOME 15 PAINTINGS PLUS A COLOPHON (PRINTER'S IMPRINT) IN A LIMITED PALETTE OF BLUES, GREENS, REDS AND ORANGE WITH TOUCHES OF SILVER LEAF. EACH IS SIGNED WITH HANDWRITTEN ANNOTATIONS. TRAINED AS AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL ILLUSTRATOR, HIRD SPENT SOME 25 YEARS WITH SEMI-NOMADIC TRIBES IN THE MIDDLE EAST. HER BACKGROUND AND EXTENSIVE TRAVELS INFORM HER ART, BUT TODAY SHE IS BASED IN BURLINGTON, VERMONT, WHERE SHE SPENDS MOST OF HER TIME PAINTING ON CANVAS. 'MAKING AN ARTIST BOOK IS SO LABOR INTENSIVE, IT IS TRULY A LABOR OF LOVE', SHE SAYS. 'I DON'T DO THEM UNLESS THE CONCEPT CALLS FOR AN OBSESSIVELY WONDERFUL OBJECT THAT SOMEONE CAN TOUCH, HOLD AND CARRY WITH THEM.' THE BOOKS ARE ON VIEW AT THE NOHRA GALLERY AT 730 FIFTH AVENUE (www.nohrahaimegallery.com) AND ARE PRICED AT $2,000 EACH.

MOCTEZUMA'S HEADDRESS TO BE PRESENTED IN MEXICO

NEGOTIATIONS CONDUCTED FOR 3 YEARS BY THE MEXICAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (SRE) AND THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ANTHROPOLOGY AND HISTORY (INAH) OF THE AUSTRIAN GOVERNMENT, ARE ABOUT TO REACH A HISTORICAL AGREEMENT THAT WOULD BRING MOCTEZUMA'S HEADDRESS TO MEXICAN TERRITORY. FRIENDLY RELATION SUSTAINED BETWEEN THE MEXICAN AND AUSTRIAN GOVERNMENTS WOULD ACHIEVE A GOOD-WILL EXCHANGE THAT WOULD CRYSTALLIZE THE DREAM OF MILLIONS OF MEXICANS OF ADMIRING THE FEATHER HEADDRESS ATTRIBUTED TO THE LAST MEXICA TLATOANI (RULER). THIS IS AN UNPRECEDENTED COLLABORATION PROJECT BETWEEN MUSEUMS HEADED TOWARDS A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE HEADDRESS, WHICH EFFORTS HAVE BEEN INTENSIFIED DURING THE ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT FELIPE CALDERON. FEBRUARY 2010 CONSTITUTED A BI-NATIONAL COMMISSION IN CHARGE OF CONDUCTING SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS OF THE PIECE TO DETERMINE ITS PHYSICAL STATE AND IDENTIFY THE NECESSARY RESTORATION PROCESSES THAT WOULD ALLOW ITS EVENTUAL TRANSPORT AND EXHIBITION IN THE COUNTRY. WHEN THE PROJECT ENDS, A UNIQUE PUBLICATION WILL BE PRODUCED TO SHOW THE ARTISTIC, CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL VALUE OF THE FEATHER HEADGEAR. MEXICO AND AUSTRIA ACKNOWLEDGE THE PRE-HISPANIC PIECE AS COMMON CULTURAL HERITAGE, AND, IN THAT SPIRIT, ASSUME THE RESPONSIBILITY.

FRY FOUNDING COLLECTION PRESENTS 'PICTURING A PASSION'

'PICTURING A PASSION' PRESENTS HISTORICAL PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE FRYE FOUNDING COLLECTION OF LATE 19th AND EARLY 20th CENTURY PAINTINGS AS IT WAS DISPLAYED IN THE SEATTLE HOME OF CHARLES FRYE AND HIS WIFE EMMA. THE EXHIBITION OF 23 BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHS IS ON VIEW 15.JANUARY THROUGH 6.MARCH.2011. MUSEUM FOUNDERS CHARLES AND EMMA FRYE MOVED FROM AN IOWA FARMING COMMUNITY TO SEATTLE IN 1888, AND SOON ESTABLISHED MEATPACKING, CATTLE RANCHING AND AGRICULTURAL BUSINESSES THROUGHOUT THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND ALASKA. THE COUPLE MAY HAVE BEEN INSPIRED TO COLLECT ART AFTER ATTENDING THE 1893 WORLD COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION IN CHICAGO. SIXTEEN YEARS LATER, THEY LENT ONE OF THEIR PAINTINGS, LEON PERRAULT'S MARGUERITS, TO SEATTLE'S ALASKA YUKON PACIFIC EXHIBITION. DURING THEIR FIRST TRIP TO EUROPE IN THE EARLY SUMMER OF 1914, THE FRYE'S ACQUIRED GERMAN, DUTCH AND A FEW FRENCH CANVASES. THEY RETURNED TO THE CONTINENT FOUR TIMES IN THE NEXT 11 YEARS, AND DEEPENED THEIR ENTHUSIASM FOR ART THROUGH FRIENDSHIPS WITH AMERICAN ARTISTS INCLUDING HENRY RASCHEN AND EUSTACE ZIEGLER. THE FRYES HOUSED THEIR BURGEONING COLLECTION IN THEIR SEATTLE HOME AT 722 NINTH AVENUE. IN 1914, THE COUPLE ADDED A GALLERY ANNEX TO THEIR HOME, IN WHICH THEY HUNG PAINTINGS 'SALON STYLE', FROM FLOOR TO CEILING. THEY USED CURTAINS TO COVER A NUMBER OF WORKS, DRAMATICALLY REVEALING THE HIDDEN PAINTINGS TO DINNER GUESTS WHILE PIPING MUSIC INTO THE GALLERY; OPERAS AND SONATAS SWIRLED AROUND THE LANDSCAPES AND PORTRAITS THEY CHERISHED. THE FRYES ALSO INSTALLED A NUMBER OF ARTWORKS IN THEIR BUSINESS OFFICES, AN ARRANGEMENT THAT HAD TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES IN 1943, WHEN A B-29 SUPERFORTRESS BOMBER, UNDER SECRET DEVELOPMENT AT BOEING, CRASHED INTO FRYE HEADQUARTERS. THIRTY-TWO PEOPLE WERE KILLED, THE RESULTING FIRE SEVERELY DAMAGED THE PLANT AND AN UNKNOWN NUMBER OF PAINTINGS WERE DESTROYED. MOST OF THE FRYE BUSINESS FILES, INCLUDING ARCHIVAL RECORDS OF THE ART COLLECTION, WERE ALSO LOST. AFTER CHARLES AND EMMA FRYE DIED, THEIR COLLECTION, TOTALING 232 WORKS, WAS GIFTED TO THE PEOPLE OF SEATTLE IN PERPETUITY AND TODAY FORMS A LIVING LEGACY AS THE FOUNDING COLLECTION AT THE FRYE ART MUSEUM, WHICH OPENED IN 1952.

VEUVE CLIQUOT CAVE PRIVEE

VEUVE CLIQUOT HAVE RE-RELEASED A NEW EXQUISITE COLLECTION OF VINTAGE CHAMPAGNES AS PART OF A CAVE PRIVEE. THE BOTTLES HAVE BEEN KEPT IN A PRIVATE CELLAR FOR THIRTY FIVE YEARS AND INCLUDE A BRUT MILLESIME 1990 VINTAGE, 1980 VINTAGE BOTTLE AND THREE UNIQUE ROSES DATING FROM 1989, 1978 AND 1975. EACH BOTTLE HAS BEEN EXCLUSIVELY DESIGNED AS A TRIBUTE TO THE ORIGINAL 1893 BOTTLE AND FEATURES AN INDIVIDUAL NECK COLLAR NUMBER AND THE BLACK LABEL DETAILS OF THE LIQUOR AND SUGAR.

SCARLETT JOHANSSON FOR MOET & CHANDON 2011

WHEN SCARLETT JOHANSSON WAS NAMED AS THE FACE OF MOET & CHANDON IN 2009 SHE POSED IN A GOLDEN GOWN. IMAGES FROM THE NEW 2011 CAMPAIGN HAVE BEEN RELEASED WHICH SHOW THE EFFERVESCENT BLONDE IN A STUNNING ROBIN'S EGG BLUE EVENING GOWN SURROUNDED BU CHAMPAGNE FLUTES. THE IMAGES SHOT BY PHOTOGRAPHER TIM WALKER WERE TAKEN AT TRIANON, AN IMPRESSIVE RESIDENCE BUILT BY JEAN-REMY MOET BETWEEN 1805-1817 ON THE MOET & CHANDON ESTATE IN EPERNAY, FRANCE. THE NEW CAMPAIGN CONSISTS OF THREE PHOTOGRAPHS WHICH WILL BE IN PRINT, OUTDOOR AND ONLINE ADVERTISEMENTS.

BOTTEGA VENETA BUCKLE BRACELET

BOTTEGA VENETA HAVE RECENTLY RELEASED A WHITE GOLD AND DIAMOND BUCKLE BRACELET AS PART OF THEIR LATEST JEWELRY COLLECTION. THE BRACELET FEATURES WHITE PAVE DIAMONDS TO ADD SPARKLING SHINE TO THE STUNNING MASTERPIECE. THE BUCKLE BRACELET IS MADE OF WHITE 18k GOLD IN THE ICONIC SIGNATURE INTRECCIATO PATTERN AND IS EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE FROM BOTTEGA VENETA BOUTIQUES.

VAN CLEEF & ARPELS LES VOYAGES EXTRAODINAIRES

VAN CLEEF & ARPELS LATEST JEWELRY COLLECTION IS LES VOYAGES EXTRAODINAIRES. THE COLLECTION IS INSPIRED BY THE UNIQUE WORKS BY JULES VERNE AND FEATURE FOUR STUNNING DESIGNS WITHIN THE COLLECTION; THE BEAUTY OF FLORA AND FAUNA, IMAGINARY CREATURES, SKY AND STARS WITH MORE THAN PIECES CREATED. THE COLLECTION ALSO FOCUSES ON SKILLS AND THE CREATIVE BOLDNESS WHICH DEFINES THE DISTINCT QUALITY ON VAN CLEEF & ARPELS JEWELRY.