A: Is for Art on Trial

Todays column takes art to a new level. I have always stated that with the outrageous prices that the medium commands, there had to be tax evasion nearby. On Thursday Federal agents raided the Mingei International Museum in Balboa, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena, the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana and the UC Berkeley Art Museum confiscating more than 70 items illegally obtained. This federal investigation involves stolen ancient Thai artifacts and you guessed it, tax fraud. A five-year probe culminated yesterday when agents searched four of the five museums and two Los Angeles-area art galleries. All suspected to some degree of fraud. Sidner and Terri Bryson, the Mingei’s registrar, are named in the affidavit, which links the scams to a single smuggling suspect, Bob Olson of Los Angeles, and Los Angeles art dealer Jon Markell, who owns the Silk Roads gallery with his wife. The affidavit states: Olson and Markell sold stolen Thai artifacts to an undercover agent with the National Park Service who posed as an artifacts dealer, arranging for the agent to donate the items to the Mingei in exchange for a tax deduction.

The items were routinely overvalued by appraisers.

A 10,000-year-old stone ax head, for example, is worth $150 but could be donated to certain museums at an appraised value of $1,000 or more.

But some donations were routinely valued at less than $5,000 so that an appraisal to support the tax deduction weren’t required.

The court records list several examples of donations valued at just under $5,000, including at least three from the undercover agent to the Mingei: $4,985 in June 2006, $4,900 in March 2007 and $4,915 later that month.

No estimates were given for the other museums. Martha Longenecker, the Mingei’s founder, who led the museum until late 2005, was taken aback by the developments. Authorities made more specific allegations in the cases involving the Bowers Museum and the Pacific Asia Museum. Bowers chief curator Armand Labbe is now deceased. The funneled loot suspected of landing at the Mingei comes from the Ban Chiang culture, which existed from 1000 B.C. to about 200 A.D. in northeastern Thailand. The original location of the Ban Chiang culture was named a World Heritage Site in 1992 and is considered the most important prehistoric settlement in Southeast Asia. The first Ban Chiang object had come into the collection courtesy of Labbe, who was a supporter of the Mingei. Labbe introduced Longenecker and Sidner to the Markells, who facilitated other donations of Ban Chiang works. The Mingei is an unusual folk-art museum founded 30 years ago by Longenecker, a San Diego ceramic artist. The word “mingei” comes from the Japanese words for people, min, and art, gei. The museum displays “arts of daily use,” which might be an ornate Mexican plate made by a long-dead craftsman or Japanese origami by a contemporary designer. The museum started collecting Thai objects in 1998. It has amassed dozens of artifacts, including pottery, bronze bangles and bracelets, and shell and stone pieces. The Museum had expected to mount an exhibit, to be called “Ban Chiang, Art of Ancient Thailand,” on March 1. Now, with many of those pieces under investigation, the exhibit is on hold and these are the F.A.C.T.S.

F: Is for Fashion Giving Back

Just when I thought H&M couldn't get much cooler they have stepped up to support the fight against AIDS. Thy have joined forces with Designers Against AIDS - a project by the non-profit organization 'Beauty without Irony' to raise awareness about the disease. This Swedish based company has commissioned artists to contribute designs in hopes that their celebrity will add a heightened awareness. The artists taking part in “Fashion Against AIDS” are Rihanna, Chicks on Speed, Good Charlotte, Henrik Vibskov, Jade Jagger, Justice, Katharine Hamnett, My Chemical Romance, Rufus Wainwright, Scissor Sisters, The Cardigans, Tiga, Timbaland and Ziggy Marley. Supporting the Fashion Against AIDS campaign was a great way to encourage my fans to join me in the fight against HIV/AIDS. I love that H&M is providing a fashionable and easy way for young people all over the world to get involved in this worthy cause, “says Rihanna. Twenty-five per cent of the line's proceeds will go toward HIV/AIDS-prevention programs around the world. “Every fifteen seconds someone in the 15-24 age group contracts HIV/AIDS. Shopping has never been more important. Every garment sold makes a difference”, says Kate Roberts, the founder of YouthAIDS. The initiative for this collaborative venture was taken by Designers Against AIDS (DAA), a non-profit organisation that seeks to mould public opinion through collaboration with fashion designers, musicians and other artists. The tees, tanks and hoodies are all made of 100-per-cent organic cotton and feature designs that vary from understated to brash. Affordably ranging from $7.99-$19.99. Some of the prints are subtle and “whisper” the message such as Good Charlotte’s design which includes a young couple under a red umbrella. Other prints raise their voices, including Katharine Hamnett’s “Use a Condom!” and “Stop and Think” messaging in big, black, block lettering. Tiga’s checkered print calls for quiet reflection, highlighting multiple squares in a different color to represent those that are living with HIV/AIDS. The message behind the campaign is summed up by Henrik Vibskov’s print design which states, “Be aware – it is still happening.”The collection will be available at selected locations starting Jan. 31 and I for one will be wearing at least one of these and that is a F.A.C.T.

S: Is for Sarcasm of Aging.

We are a world obsessed with age and the young rule it. There was a time that age was respected and revered, now it is ignored. if you are women and over 40 you are no longer a commodity, but over the hill. I didn't even really become myself till I was in my 40's. Men respect others of their kind when they date, sleep or wed women half their age and the women are their trophies. Women have been given a name if they date anyone younger. All of a sudden they are a cougar. I have dated men younger than myself and let me tell you it is a bore! We have nothing in common and all you hear is am I ok? If you have to ask...NO! Yesterday I was sent George Carlin's views on aging. He says it funnier and more poignantly than I ever could. We need to wake up about a lot of things and this most definitely is one of them.

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions. 'How old are you?' 'I'm four and a half!' You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead. 'How old are you?' 'I'm gonna be 16!' You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life . . You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony . YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!! But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed? You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone. But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would! So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60. You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday! You get into your 80's and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30 ; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; 'I Was JUST 92.' Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. 'I'm 100 and a half! May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them.'

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.' And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10.Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,but by the moments
that take our breath away. These are F.A.C.T.S we should all know.

T: Is for calling all inspiring actors

It is hard to break into the acting industry. If you don't have your union card your chances of getting seen are nil. Most young aspiring talent arrive having yet to realize that this is a business. Two years ago Zach Lezbergand and Brian Blattman started The Entertainment Industry Expo. Billed as the 'ultimate networking', those who attend will be given the opportunity to advance their careers. Are you the next Broadway star? Audition for respected casting director Bernard Telsey and Company. They represent an impressive list of shows that include 'Wicked', 'High School Musical', Rent, Hairspray, The Color Purple and the MTV show 'Legally Blonde'. Have you always wanted to be in the Blue Man Group? Here's your chance to shine. Are you aspiring to grace the pages of the Fashion Magazines? Then come be seen by MMG Model Management Group. This is the premier forum that brings industry leaders, businesses, unions and aspiring talent together for free if you pre-register, or a $10 at the door. There is no other event around that provides this caliber of new products, and services that may advance your career. In addition to what has been mentioned many areas of the entertainment industry will be represented, including photographers, talent agencies, schools, printing services, vocal coaches, casting websites and many others. This event will take place Jan. 27 at the Times Square Westin Hotel located on 43rd street off 8th Ave. Jed Bernstein, former executive director of The League of American Theatres and Producers, will host the newly added Commercial Theater Institute panel, "The Business Behind The Show: Knowledge is Power," at 10:30 AM. Tom Hulce (Spring Awakening), Ken Davenport (Altar Boyz), Eric Falkenstein (The Seafarer) and Randall Wreghitt (Grey Gardens) are scheduled to participate in the event. To register to attend the free workshop, visit YouShouldBeThere.com. To register for the event log onto eienyc.com.

We all need a break and for someone to help us get there. The Entertainment Industry Expo is that chance. Take advantage of it and that is a F.A.C.T.

C: Is for Celebration and Congratulations!

MAC just launched a promotion called “ARE YOU A M·A·C ORIGINAL?”. This contest is a true recognition of individuality and originality from a brand who celebrates and embraces both qualities. The model that embodies this is Zelda Kaplan the 92-year-old club kid. You can find Zelda dancing up a storm at any of the top clubs, well past 3am. With an African-style hat stacked atop her head, an African dress made in the same print, and giant circular sunglasses completing the look, she is unmistakable. For the past 40 years she has lived in a one-room flat in midtown Manhattan, and, though it may seem hard to believe, the reason Kaplan has all these incredible hand-loomed clothes is that when she's not busy being New York's oldest social butterfly, she's trekking around in the dark heart of Africa, campaigning for women's rights in the tribal villages of places such as Ethiopia, Mali, Guinea and Nigeria. 'That's my passion in life, that's the way I justify my existence. At 54 Kaplan learned of the widespread abuse of women in that part of the world. 'Once I saw what was happening there, I couldn't ignore it,' she says. She created an organization called the World Cultures Council (of which she is the sole founder, funder and member) and for the past 35 years has been travelling to remote African villages, where she speaks to the senior women about the dangers of female genital mutilation, marital violence and the laws that forbid women inheriting money or property. 'In many cultures the inheritance goes to the penis,' says Kaplan, with devastating frankness. 'I try to make the women understand that everyone would be a lot happier if there's equality. Such opinions have not made Kaplan popular among the men in such cultures. 'Oh, the men in the villages hate me,' Kaplan says cheerfully. 'Once the chief of a tribe in Guinea tried to kill me, but he didn't stop me.' 'There are now five girls who have not been subjected to mutilation, I know it may seem like a small number, but to me it means everything'. She is also a fan of African music and dance, Kaplan attends tribal ceremonies whenever she's invited. 'I have an Afro-Cuban soul'. ' She is also the subject of a documentary film, Her Name Is Zelda; and for her 90th birthday, the great New York paparazzo Patrick McMullan threw a party for 400 at the fashionable nightclub Home in which I was a part of. 'I think one of the things that keeps me healthy is that I’m not introspective at all.' 'The secret is being interested in things outside of oneself.' Zelda is a women much admired, congratulations to MAC cosmetics for noticing and that is a F.A.C.T.

A: Is for the Art of Ansel Adams

Continuing from Valentino, Ansel Adams has captured majestic landscapes like The Tetons - Snake River and Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico. They are among the “iconic images that we will always connect with Adams and thanks to him they will never be lost. Adams begun to visit the Sierra Nevada when he was 14. He was deeply affected by the grandeur of the landscape, and the conservation and depiction of the Sierra's became a lifelong passion. He had begun to explore the landscape with a camera in 1910. One hundred twenty-five of those images are currently on display at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. They range from Wind, Juniper Tree taken in Yosemite National Park in 1919 when he was 17 years old to his death. As a child I grew to love Yosemite before I ever visited. Yosemite was the touchstone in his life. It’s where he realized that he was good enough and decided to give up his dream of being a concert pianist, which he had imagined he would do as an adult, and become a fulltime photographer. He really photographed moments in time: weather, light, clouds, the drama of the sky. Adams, photographed subjects rarely seen in exhibitions, friends like artist Georgia O’Keefe. In 1929 and 1930 he did a series of pictures of American Indian dancers in New Mexico. He researched everything, and knew all the particulars and why they did it. He was insatiable.” Visitors to the exhibition of photographs from the Lane Collection will see that and the many sides of Ansel Adams that are rarely shown in exhibits of his work. Adams's method was to divide the basic exposure into two parts, just burning in the foreground reflection area starting from the top of the ice, then burning the cliffs starting from the bottom of the ice ... Thus the ice receives about twice the exposure given to the cliffs and the reflection area.

Throughout his working life he published books of his photographs as well as technical guides. He also taught photography and was instrumental in setting up the Centre for Creative Photography in Arizona. In 1975 he announced that he would no longer take orders for his photographs from commercial galleries and would only produce prints for non-profit making organisations, such as museums. He died in 1984. The following year a peak in Yosemite National Park was named Mount Ansel Adams. Hopefully this exhibit will find it's way to NY. Until then these are the F.A.C.T.S

F: Is for Fashion Adieu's

Icon's are people who significance represent our cultures, who have left their mark on a society. After 45 years the fashion world prepares to bid farewell to Valentino Garavani. By his stepping down from the fashion world it is the end of an era. Once telling The New Yorker, “There are many things you have to do in life, but you cannot ignore the roses. When they demand to be seen, one simply has no choice but to go to them.” He could have been speaking about the women he dresses as well as the roses. “I like them both,” he says. Training under Guy Laroche he moved to Rome and became the dresser of Hollywood royalty from Elizabeth Taylor to Gwyneth Paltrow. "He was really one of the first to have the collaboration between designer and celebrity," said George Simonton, professor of fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. Recognizing the value of celebrity endorsements, Valentino famously designed the dress that Jackie Kennedy wore for her 1968 wedding to shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis. "You definitely see that he puts a woman on a pedestal. He absolutely adores women, he loves glamour and he loves beauty and that's his whole life," he said. "There's not anyone like him that's still going to be on the scene." "Val's Gals" - as his clients are known - will miss the fashion maestro who kept them romantic and timeless visions of beauty and helped them term the word, chic. "Without question, he's one of those inspired and inspiring designers who's kept women personally intrigued and enthralled by the fashion world these past 22 years."Valentino's final collection will be unveiled on January 23 in Paris.

Though America is in love with "Project Runway" it is a F.A.C.T. that Valentino was truly an original and his creativity will be missed.