Quincy Jones – Patron of the Arts
By Anthony DeMarco - October 3, 2012 Source: Forbes WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — When Quincy Jones was a child growing up in Chicago and Seattle, he wanted to be a gangster. Instead, he settled for being one of the most influential and...
24 Hour Play : LA
When a group of writers, directors, and actors create a play from scratch in a day, the new 24 Hour Play is entertaining–and enlightening.
The Power of Words: Nelson Mandela
The Power of Words: Nelson Mandela Foundation & Tribeca Film Institute from James Cecil. he Nelson Mandela Foundation & Tribeca Film Institute launched "The Power of Words" initiative in...
Believe in Zero
he United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) works in more than 190 countries and territories to save and improve children’s lives, providing health care and immunizations, clean water and sanitation,...
A Day in a Los Angeles Middle School
Photography Master Class by Jan-Patrick Schmitz at the LAUSD Middle School #7 in South Central Los Angeles. Education is the right way out of poverty.
The Power of a Pen With Some Personality
In an age dominated by tech gadgets such as cellphones, a pen can still make a potent statement. Jan-Patrick Schmitz, president and chief executive officer of Montblanc North America, believes when you pull one out to sign a document or write something down in a...
The Art of Watchmaking
Watchmaking is an art. There have been many attempts to define the elusive concept of Fine Watchmaking. The “Fine Watchmaking“ denomination embraces a centuries-old, living history, a rich and specific culture, a professional ethic, the enduring expertise of the...
Arts Education: From the Boardwalk to Broad Stage
A Lifeline for Arts Education Yes, there is the Santa Monica Pier. It is certainly a lively place and some even call it fun. Others flee from the frenzy boardwalk to wander along the beach with its famous lifeguard posts. That is what I did a few weeks...
Best Friends Forever
A sunny afternoon somewhere at the Chesapeake Bay. The smell of freshly brewed coffee is filling the air and I retreat with a cup and book to my favorite Adirondack chair overlooking the water. Irrespectively how silently I try to leave the house, it only takes...
Urban Arts Photography Master Class at Newcomers High School
On Wednesday, May 9th, I led a Photography Master Class at Newcomers High School in Queens, my second session with Urban Arts students. After lesson-planning and preparation with Teaching Artist Seren Divine, I stepped into the after school photography class to...
A Place of Darkness
t is one of the most chilling places on our planet. One cold December morning, I drove to Dachau, a small town in the periphery of Munich. Clouds were fighting with the sun about who would dominate the...
Time Capsule: November 20, 1923
Learning from History Between 1850 and 1914, world trade grew tenfold. The trend was driven by several factors: faster and bigger ships, transcontinental railways, and the establishment of international news and information systems, most prominently the telegraph,...
Urban Arts Master Class
his week, I spent an afternoon at the UAP's new partner school, Urban Assembly Gateway School for Technology in New York City, for a Master Class on portrait photography with students in the after school...
Mark My Words
MARK MY WORDS was a once-in-a-lifetime event which was made possible under the patronage of Montblanc. It was a conversation between three of America’s most popular and beloved authors. Moderated by author and community activist Malaak Compton-Rock, this was a...
Shadow of Words
When I saw on the ground the shadow of the letters which form Jaume Plensa's sculpture "Nomade", I remembered the German proverb "Papier ist geduldig", which translates into "Paper is endlessly patient". I guess the modern version should read "Magnetic cobalt alloy...
Shuffleboard 2.0. The modern way of sliding the groat
BROOKLYN, February 1st, 1867 Excursion of the steamship "Quaker City" to the Holy Land, Egypt, The Crimea, Greece, and intermediate points of interest. On board: Samuel L. Clemens aka Mark Twain. "At seven bells the first gong rang; at eight there was breakfast, for...
Connecting Dots
Connections Date: 04/25/2011 Focal Length: 35 mm, multiple exposures at different focal points Exposure: 1/25 sec at f/3.5, ISO 100 s I am sitting in an uncomfortable but overpriced airplane seat rushing...
At the Heart of Swiss Watchmaking
Montblanc Montre S.A. was established in Le Locle, the heart of the Swiss watch industry, to maintain Montblanc's philosophy of master craftsmanship and the satisfy the high quality expectations made on Meisterstück watches. I visited the manufacture in 2010 and I...