London, England -- On June 22 2010 the Wallace Collection celebrated its 110th anniversary as a national museum open to the public. The 22 June also marked the 10th anniversary of the Centenary Project, offering the visitor a completely new dimension to the Collection, with over a third more public space and vital museum facilities, while enabling the integrity of the galleries and their special intimate and domestic atmosphere to remain intact.

By providing in the old basement five new galleries for exhibitions, conservation and the reserve collections, together with a studio, lecture theatre, visitors’ library and meeting room for education, capped by the stunning glazed central courtyard at the heart of Hertford House as a restaurant, the Wallace Collection was ready to meet the 21st century head on.

The Collection has been able to achieve more for the visitor, of all ages and interests, than it could possibly have dreamed of in 2000 (not least, when anticipated visitor numbers of 350,000 a year were not projected until 2025, a figure already reached by 2008). The Collection is immensely grateful to all those who through their generous philanthropy have made this possible and now looks to the next ten years to build on these successes.

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York, England -- The Yorkshire Museum reopens on 1 August 2010 following a nine month, £2million refurbishment project. Five new galleries will showcase some of Britain’s finest archaeological treasures and many rare animals, birds and fossils, in brand new interactive displays.

The Yorkshire Museum is set to be a must-see destination in a tour around the city of York. The redevelopment is set to create a truly innovative home for the museum’s collections – which include The Vale of York Viking Hoard, the most significant Viking find in more than 150 years, the head of the earliest portrait statue of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, and the famous ‘Cawood Sword’, only the fifth Viking sword of its type ever to be found and by far the best preserved, with a mysterious inscription that has never been solved.

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London, England -- A new display of previously unseen portraits by photographer Jason Bell will open at the National Portrait Gallery in August. Inspired by the 120,000 British men and women living in New York City, Bell has identified and photographed a cross-section of the leading British born figures living in the city. The twenty portraits on display will include the Director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Thomas P Campbell, writer Zoë Heller, artist Cecily Brown, Nicola Perry, owner of Tea and Sympathy, musician Sting, geneticist Sir Paul Nurse and historian Simon Schama.

Since 2003, Jason Bell has lived between London and New York. Whilst shooting an assignment for American Vogue about anglophilia with English models in an English tearoom, he became interested in investigating the English people living in the city.

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Lausanne, Switzerland -- The Fondation de l’Hermitage is privileged to present a major retrospective devoted to Edward Hopper (1882-1967), one of the best-known 20th-century American artists. Featuring a large number of cult paintings essentially from the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, whose background is closely linked with the painter’s, the exhibition brings together over 160 works highlighting the main characteristics and techniques of every period of Hopper’s career, from his views of Paris to typical scenes from the New World and his emblematic mature works. Following a chronological and thematic path, the exhibition also includes a magnificent ensemble of drawings, watercolours and prints providing insight into the artist’s creative approach, from his preparatory sketches to his completed paintings. Runs to October 17, 2010 at Fondation de l’Hermitage, 2, route du Signal, case postale 38, CH - 1000 Lausanne 8 Bellevaux Use this link for more information . . .

Admission : Tuesdays to Sundays 10am – 6pm, Thursdays 10am – 9pm, closed on Mondays, except on Jeûne Fédéral Monday (September 20) open 10am – 6pm

A restored Hudson's Bay Company post just northwest of Prince George, Fort St. James was once a bustling commercial hub during the 19th century fur trade. Today, the site showcases the country's largest collection of historic wooden buildings with roots to the fur trade, plus one uniquely out-of-the-box bed and breakfast.

While housing a Trade Store and Office, a General Warehouse and spacious fields and gardens, it is the Officer's Dwelling House that holds special appeal for visitors to the historic site. Once the main residence and administration hub for the fort, it is here that Parks Canada interpreters welcome guests for the night (rooms are outfitted with original bedding and authentic artifacts from the late 1800s). But before it's time to burrow under the covers, guests are welcome to stir up some grub on their own in the kitchen, courtesy of a wood burning stove. On the menu? Steak, salmon and even hearty stew are provided along with homemade biscuits and fruits and veg from the community garden.

Following a cosy night's respite, the aroma of freshly-brewed coffee, coupled with a home-spun breakfast, will entice. All providing a B&B experience big on charm...and a whole lot of history. Use this link for more information ....

Oxford -- Internationally-acclaimed singers are joined by emerging stars in the UK’s biggest celebration of song, The Oxford Lieder Festival, which takes place from 15 – 30 October. The twenty-seven concerts include Schumann’s Kerner Lieder sung by the legendary Austrian baritone Wolfgang Holzmair (15 Oct), Grieg, Rangström and Sibelius from Katarina Karnéus and Julius Drake (16 Oct), Hugo Wolf’s complete Mörike Lieder with Sophie Daneman (soprano), Anna Grevelius (mezzo), James Gilchrist (tenor), Stephan Loges (baritone) and Sholto Kynoch (piano) (22 & 23 Oct) and songs by Schumann, Ives and Copland with the world-renowned bass-baritone Sir Williard White and Eugene Asti (29 Oct). The closing concert features Jonathan Lemalu (bass-baritone) singing Schumann (Liederkreis op. 39) and Mussorgsky with Roger Vignoles (piano).

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The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association announces the launch of a brand new Aplication, “Hollywood Bowl,” now available for Android and iPhone (compatible with the new operating system iOS4), and coming in July for Blackberry and the mobile web. The first venue application of its kind, the “Hollywood Bowl” app acts as the user’s personal guide to this iconic landmark, voted Pollstar’s Best Major Outdoor Venue for six years in a row. Visiting the Hollywood Bowl has become an integral part of the Southern California summer and the “Hollywood Bowl” app was developed as a way to enhance the one-of-a-kind experiences this unique venue has to offer.

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Los Angeles, CA -- The Grammy-winning Count Basie Orchestra returns to the Hollywood Bowl with the timeless rhythms which earn them the title of being one of the most swinging big bands in the world. Formed and led by the legendary William "Count" Basie 75 years ago, this group has collaborated with icons such as Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald and continues the legacy left by Basie, maintaining the classic sound of strong, swinging jazz.

The night starts with two contemporary big bands: Dave Douglas Big Band and Dave Holland Big Band. Trumpeter-Composer and Grammy-nominee Dave Douglas is known for mixing classic and European folk music into traditional jazz with his big band. Both artists have expanded the boundaries of jazz music bringing modern twists to the renowned music genre of the big band. British bassist Dave Holland’s avant-garde jazz band blends together traditional blues and jazz with funk; Holland prides himself in improvising in music from all sides of the spectrum.

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Copenhagen, Denmark -- Globalization, gossip and greed: We could be talking about Wall Street in the 21st century, but in fact we're talking about Denmark in the 1700s, the period when Denmark "met the world" and became a force in international commerce and intrigue. That's the theme of this year's Golden Days Festival in Copenhagen , September 3-26, an annual month-long celebration designed to highlight a particular period of Danish history from all angles. The program will include exhibitions, lectures, films, concerts, dance recitals - and even a masquerade ball - all in the context of early 18th century Denmark. The official schedule will be released shortly. Follow this link for further information on Denmark . . .
This link will take you to Golden Days in Copenhagen . . .

San Diego -- Folk Art Treasures of Romania, opening Sunday, August 1 at Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park, will showcase the rich and diverse artistic expression of this ancient territory. It will continue through February 13, 2011. The exhibition’s guest curator is Joyce Corbett.

The recent gift to Mingei International Museum of a personal archive and folk art collection from San Diegan Lucia Ionescu Kanchenian provided the impetus and inspiration for this exhibition. The richness of Romania’s related arts — costumes, textiles, architecture, works in wood, pottery and other objects of daily and ceremonial use — derives energy from the confluence of East and West. Although its present day borders were drawn during the twentieth century, the region has been inhabited by many great civilizations, among them the Roman, Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires. Romanians, Hungarians, Saxon Germans, Armenians, Jews and Roma are all part of the rich cultural heritage of this land, adding variety and dimension to the art found there.

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