VINCENT VAN GOGH'S PAINTINGS FIRST EXHIBIT MAR 17 1901

Starry Night 1888

On this day, March 17, 1901, paintings by the late Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh were shown at the Bernheim-Jeune gallery in Paris.

The 71 paintings, which captured their subjects in bold brushstrokes and expressive colors, caused a sensation across the art world. Eleven years before, while living in Auvers-sur-Oise outside Paris, van Gogh had committed suicide without any notion that his work was destined to win acclaim beyond his wildest dreams.

Van Gogh: Complete Works

In his lifetime, he had sold only one painting. One of his paintings–the Yasuda Sunflowers–sold for just under $40 million at a Christie’s auction in 1987. Read More

Vincent van Gogh The Complete Gallery Video

DETROIT COMPOSERS TO LAUNCH NEW PROJECT IN FRANCE

DETROIT (March 10, 2017) – Detroit Creative Corridor Center (DC3) will host an event that celebrates Detroit’s global reputation for excellence in musical innovation at Saint-Etienne International Design Biennale (3 Rue Javelin Pagnon, 42000 Saint-Étienne, France) at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 11 at the Shiftspace exhibition. Free with Biennale admission.

Detroit’s Underground Resistance and Assemble Sound Collaborate on New Work Pressed on Vinyl by Third Man Records

The event will launch “Sonic Relations” a new music project conceived by Public Design Trust, one of three curatorial teams selected to exhibit in France. Contributors Waajeed and Mark Flash will perform at Shiftspace, which is the Detroit-style coffee lounge and shared workspace for participants and visitors to the Biennale that was curated by Creative Many Michigan. A second performance will follow at Le F2 in Saint-Etienne (2 Rue de la ville, 42000 Saint-Étienne, France).

In this project, Cornelius Harris of Underground Resistance and Alter Ego Management & Booking and Garret Koehler of Assemble Sound present a new body of original work by a group of musical figures who exemplify Detroit's legacy of collaborative work.

Producers Wajeed, Shigeto, Sterling Toles, and Mark Flash compose original tracks using parts from an improvisational recording session from members of Underground Resistance. Recorded at Hi Bias Recordings by Chris Koltay (Dirtbombs, Talib Kweli, Electric Six) and pressed on vinyl by Third Man Pressing, the project highlights the interconnectedness of Detroit’s music scene, beyond borders of genre or style.

The 10th Saint-Etienne International Design Biennale opened today and runs through April 9. For more information about Detroit's appearance as Guest City of Honor, pleas go to www.biennale-design.com/saint-etienne/2017/fr/detroit.

For more information on Sonic Relations, please visit www.biennale-design.com/saint-etienne/2017/fr/programme/?ev=sonic-relations-music-collaboration-526&type=&thema=&d=3. For information on DC3, go to www.detroitc3.com. Learn more about Public Design Trust at www.publicdesigntrust.com.

THE RED BALLOON (LE BALLON ROUGE) FILM AND BOOK 1956

My earliest memory of seeing a film at school was "The Red Balloon".  It had to be first grade when I first saw this movie. Found it fascinating and compelling. It seems to me that it was black and white back then... I accidentally ran into this film again the other day on You Tube. This video looks colorized to me.

It still stands the test of time. Even without English subtitles, you know what the little French boy and his balloon are thinking.. So if you have never seen this great film which won every award possible in 1957, by all means watch this video. Show it your children and their children.  So happy I was able to revisit this magical film...Pascal was such a darling little boy.

The Red Balloon (Le Ballon rouge) begins with young Pascal walking to school alone in gritty inner-city Paris. he finds a large red balloon attached to the top of a lamp post and rescues it.

The balloon is then his companion. Everywhere the balloon goes, it causes Pascal trouble. It shortly becomes apparent that the balloon is sentient, and appreciates Pascal; it waits for him outside his apartment and reluctantly obeys his command. The balloon is a metaphor for the whimsy of childhood. Regardless of any problems it may cause, the viewer always knows that Pascal is better off for having its company.

The Red Balloon (French: Le Ballon rouge) is a 1956 fantasy featurette directed by French filmmaker Albert Lamorisse. The thirty-four minute short, which follows the adventures of a young boy who one day finds a sentient, mute, red balloon, was filmed in the Ménilmontant neighborhood of Paris, France.

It won numerous awards, including an Oscar for Lamorisse for writing the best original screenplay in 1956 and the Palme d'Or for short films at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival. The film also became popular with children and educators.

Lamorisse used his children as actors in the film. His son, Pascal Lamorisse, plays Pascal in the main role, and his daughter Sabine portrays the little girl.