FotoFocus – Taft Museum

I got the privilege of attending the Taft Museum’s FotoFocus feature, Star Power: Edward Steichen’s Glamour Photography.

So what exactly is this FotoFcus you’ve been hearing about? From their website:

The FotoFocus biennial presents an unprecedented opportunity to learn about and experience the diverse currents of photography. FOTOFOCUS brings together museums, galleries, and universities showcasing world-renowned artists and national and regional standouts. Pop-up venues, community art centers, and other grass roots organizations explore current trends in photography with exhibitions featuring the work of emerging talents and students.

I also found this video to be helpful in explaining just what it’s about

The Taft Museum is one such venue featuring the works of Edward Steichen. He is most known for being Vogue’s photographer back in the 20′s -30′s. He brought naturalism to fashion, and did away with the cute perkiness. There was a quote thrown out that night that he makes every cutie look like a woman.

Steichen took a lot of pictures in his apt on 5th ave in New York City. He helped to bring in the modernism of photography. He played with lines and diagonals, and truly changed fashion photography in that time.

That Taft has even a few magazines in which his pictures appear, as well as some that never made it to print. A lot of his work wouldn’t appear for a few years, like the photo of Gloria Swanson above. It didn’t apppear until 4 years after he originally took this photo. This is one of my favorites of the exibhit. Nancy, the curator says the same. If you don’t come to see this one, then you should see the one of Greta Garbo or Gary Cooper.

The exhibit runs through January 27, 2013. The Taft Museum is open Wednesday – Friday, from 11:00 – 4:00, and weekends 11:00 – 5:00. Admission is only $10.00 and is free for all on Sundays. Or you can use your FotoFocus Passport for entry into the exhibit.

They also have a cute little area set up to Steichenize yourself and your friends. I love interactive exhibits So of course me and my friend Paige of CincyWhimsy had to take part

You can see her post about it here

FotoFocus – Betts House

So what exactly is this FotoFcus you’ve been hearing about? From their website:

The FotoFocus biennial presents an unprecedented opportunity to learn about and experience the diverse currents of photography. FOTOFOCUS brings together museums, galleries, and universities showcasing world-renowned artists and national and regional standouts. Pop-up venues, community art centers, and other grass roots organizations explore current trends in photography with exhibitions featuring the work of emerging talents and students.

I also found this video to be helpful in explaining just what it’s about

I got to stop by the Betts House before the Pops show last weekend and check it out Urban Landscapes

The Betts House is one of the oldest standing buildings in Cincinnati, Built in 1804, and survived the big earthquake of 1912. It is open Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. and the
second and fourth Saturdays of each month, 12:30 – 5 p.m. Other days and times are available by
appointment. Admission is $2 per person.

Ronny of Queen City Discovery was there to give some more information about his work. Check out more about the exhibit on his page

Boys Like Girls

Boys Like Girls did a benefit concert at Jefferson Hall last night “Boys for Breast Cancer” with only a $5 admission. They are performing tonight in Indianapolis.

I ended up winning meet and greet passes from Q102 here in town and a couple girlfriends decided to Accompany me. These guys were the coolest, nicest famous people I’ve ever met. They asked about the reds, we talked about crappy Cincinnati traffic, it was fun!

I guess they were

I guess they were supposed to play at Q102′s Bosom Ball for Breast Cancer on Thursday, but had to decline. But they still wanted to do something for the cause, and took the short drive to Cincy. The admission for the concert was $5 with all precedes going to Susan G Koman. They raised $700 last night.

From what I heard, BLG was only going to do 4-6 songs but ended up doing about 10 acoustic songs. For one song, they decided to do “Two is Better Than One”, but didn’t have Taylor Swift to sing with. One young girl stepped up to the plate (above). I’m hoping once YouTube cooperates ill have some videos uploaded and attached. So check back for it! And Thanks BLG! It was a great intimate fun concert

See all the pictures from Q102

 

New Jesus

So the new Jesus is erected in Monroe. Although nowhere near as big, cool or funny as Touchdown Jesus… (RIP) let the naming commence :p

Hug me Jesus? Molester Jesus? Creed Jesus?

But my favorite? $5 FOOT LONG JESUS!!!  Lol im going to hell…

Le Diner en Blanc Cincinnati

I’m having a really hard time trying to find the words to describe this event. It was absolutely gorgeous! Breathtaking, stunning, beautiful, fun, amazing… seriously, not just being cliche here.

It’s been described as a pop up fancy dinner. Part flash mob. Part picnic. Part fancy revelry. And when it all comes together, absolutely breathtaking!  It’s a semi exclusive event. Word of mouth and friends of friends basically. You and your friends meet up with a smaller group of about 50 people.

Then these groups meet up with 5 more groups and you’re transported to the secret location for that year. That’s when 1100 people this year spilled out of buses or from various downtown points and set up tables in long rows. Then proceeded to their picnic spread. There is an option to purchase baskets made by places like Orchids and Eat Well Celebrations. From what i saw they were huge! Had plenty to feed 2 and then pass some around. These will cost you though, anywhere from $60-$100.

You will be lucky to get into the event itself. It’s premise is friends coming together, Therefore it’s a friends of friends type gathering. Those that went this year, will be given a spot next year, and they can invite one other couple. Then if there is room, it will go to a wait list. The thing that seems to stop people is the fact that you do have to pay $24 a person, plus a one time $5 membership fee, to allow you to attend the events in the future. The fee goes towards venue rental, security, entertainment, and most importantly, the liquor license that allows us to consume wine and Champagne in a public area.

The most difficult yet kind of fun part, is finding everything you’ll need. You’re to bring a small square table (under 32×32 inches) 2 white chairs, a table cloth, nice place settings, glasses, a table setting/decorations, and a picnic basket with your dinner in it, as well as your drinks for the evening. You also are to dress all in white. They do have really nice contests though. They have a best table one, and a most elegant/creatively dresses group (of 2-4 couples); both offer a dinner for 6 cooked by chefs, such as Jean Robert of JR’s Table. And then there is the most elegantly/creatively dressed couple; this prize is a trip with airfare to Antigua!

Hubby ready for the first course

This year being in Lytle park was gorgeous! Queen City tower, and the Taft museum flanking us, lights in the trees, darn near everyone with candles. You arrive in a huge group and get set up quickly.  at about 7:15 napkins are waved and you start on your 3 courses. Or whatever else you’ve prepared. I used this as an excuse to have a little fun and indulge myself. I saw meat and cheese and fruit trays, dips and spreads and salads. Then you move on to your main course and lastly dessert. Everyone was friendly, and I saw most tables sharing with their neighbors, who most hadn’t met before this evening. It was a great time, and you could take your time and just enjoy it.

Napkin wave to signify the start of dinner!

Molly Wellman looking absolutely adorable.

Dinner

Dessert!

Then at around 9 Sparklers were lit by everyone  and balloons were released. For whatever reason, this was one of the highlights of the evening. I cant put into words how beautiful it was at that moment.

Hubby with his sparkler
Photo Credit: Jens G Rosenkrantz Jr

Balloons!!!

Then it was time to party. Champagne flowed freely, the dj was playing awesome music on the make shift dance floor and Framester was taking awesome photo booth shots! It was just so much fun, half the people didn’t want to leave at 11. But sadly it was time to go as magically and quickly as we arrived. I already can’t wait til next year!

I spy a Jenny K

If you missed it this year, I’m sorry you missed a truly magical event. There was no pretension, no fighting, just fun. Everyone from 25-80 was enjoying themselves at both dinner and the party. It was a spectacular time! hopefully, you know someone who’s willing to sign you up with them next year, so you can experience it for yourself. It’s really one of those kinds of events. But one that mere words still can not put into place.

<3

View my full gallery:

Edit: I’ve found a few more pics to share, and also I’ll post other places that are blogging about the evening!

The view of the park from the 11th floor of The Residence Inn.
Photo Credit: Shelley Groh

One of my favorite photobooth pics of the night!

Best Table Leaders ever!

Even the Hubby had a great time!

BFF’s!

See all Framester Photos Here

Check out more views and pictures here!:

Small Girl Adventures

Eggplant to Go

513Eats

Jenny K

Jens G Rosenkrantz

Diner en Blanc

Update: Invites are already going out today, so if you haven’t sign up now. And if you got an email to register, its better to do it sooner rather than later

Update PS: If you’d like to join my group, we are leaving from Downtown #2, and search for Rachel’s group and tada!

What combines One part fancy dinner, one part flash mob, a sprinkling of friends, and amble fun? Diner en Blanc Cincinnati From the website:

At the last minute, the location is given to thousands of friends and acquaintances who have been patiently waiting to learn the “Dîner en Blanc’s” secret place. Thousand of people, dressed all in white, and conducting themselves with the greatest decorum, elegance, and etiquette, all meet for a mass “chic picnic” in a public space.

Over the course of an evening, the diners enhance the function and value of their city’s public space by participating in the unexpected.
Beyond the spectacle and refined elegance of the dinner itself, guests are brought together from diverse backgrounds by a love of beauty and good taste.
Le Dîner en Blanc recalls the elegance and glamour of court society, and diners engage one another knowing they are taking part in a truly magical event.
There are no disruptions: no car traffic, no pedestrian traffic, except for the occasional amazed and astonished looks from passersby at the scene unfolding before them. And we, as they, wonder whether it’s all not a dream…

This is the inagural year for Cincinnati, and the only second year that its beenin the US. New York hosted one last year and now more than a few cities are joining Cincy this year. Groups will load up on busses or in groups and arrive at a predetermined, secret until the night before, location in the city on Sept 15th. Everyone will be dressed in white, set up white tables and chairs and unload their picnic baskets of chine, wine and a good home cooked meal all at the same time. French singers and a jazz band will play during dinner.

After dinner, a “sparkler party” will signify the end of dinner, and then a dj will proceed to pay for the evening dance party. Everything will commence at 11, when everyone packs up their belongings and trash and load back into busses and depart. There will also be fun little contests throughout the evening offering free champagne or dnner at places like Orchids and JR’s Table. For example there might be a best dressed, or best table decoration. These add some fun, and allow people to really have fun and get into the spirit.

The whole premise is friends etting together. Group leaders invite friends, and those friends invite friends and then te waitlist is opened up on a first come first served basis. If you’re interested please go to the website and register. It’s going to be a fun party and something unlike Cincinnati has ever seen! And I can’t wait.

Check out the video from Montreal last year

World Choir Games – McAuley Friendship Concert

Thanks to a friend getting tickets for a dinner/drinks event which included tickets to McAuley High Schools Friendship Concert, I was finally able to get out and check one of the World Choir Games events out.

A local Cincinnati Bollywood dance troupe started out the night.

I loved that they added a dance element to this location. Dance groups are not an actual part of the competition, but in the spirit of the games, they do occasionally have some local young peoples groups perform at their Friendship Concerts, because as the name states, that’s really what its about. The Friendship Concerts are free to the public (though in cases like this where it’s indoors, seating and tickets are limited, so you still need to get them ahead of time) and they include a different grouping of choirs, as you’ll see below.

The Erie, Pennsylvania Young Peoples Chorus

These are not the competition part of the games, but a way to practice, or get out there, and just have fun. Erie, had not had their competition as of Sunday night when they performed, and I wish them luck for when they do. They had a combined mens, womens, and mixed chorus for the games. Their selections were fun and the group had fun with them.

The lone international choir of the night from Columbia.

Thankfully, there was also an international group thrown in. This group was very entertaining. From the sounds of it not many of them spoke English as one of the group, and not the director was the one introducing the songs, and they were done in Spanish. A lot of their songs were rhythm based, including one written by their director!

McAuley/LaSalle High School Show Choir doing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”

The last group to perform, and what I assume led to the crazy crowd that spilled out into the cafeteria, was the McAuley/LaSalle Show choir. For those not hip to Cincinnati Schools, McAuley, is an all girls school and likewise, LaSalle is an all boys school. I think its awesome that the schools can team up for things such as a show choir. And another bonus for them, is that show choirs is a new category this year for the games. Now that may have stemmed from an influx of wanting to participate, or low numbers, but part of me thinks that Glee has something to do with all of this… But thats just speculation.

Being an ex-show choir performer, I though they did a bang up job! They had creative dance moves, and not just your run of the mill box step and jazz hands, but they were actually fully choreographed. Including ukelele’s during Somewhere Over the Rainbow. They had a good selection of fun upbeat music that got people at least head bobbing.

Seriously, if you get the chance check out a concert. most only go an hour or two. The Friendship Concerts again are totally free, and can be found anywhere, even Dayton! I’ve seen a few in Fairfield, Loveland, Norther Kentucky, so there’s not excuse about it being too far away or not wanting to go downtown. Also come check out the Parade tonight at 6pm from Duke to Fountain Square and stick around for a Nations Party afterwards. You never know what might happen, as attributed to this article on the Choir Games blog.