A Celebration of Summer
Next week I will celebrate my birthday, and this month I’m going to keep my newsletter short and positive, in celebration mode. None of us needs any reminding about the vast amount of negative news right now. So for just this one month I will share some news of events and celebrations: ones I’ve enjoyed and recommend you consider for next year, and events that you might enjoy attending in the coming month.
David and I recently returned from one of our favorite destinations: Mendocino. We’ve been having lots of foggy weather at home and found more of the same along the North Coast! While there we visited one of our favorite gardens: the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens in Fort Bragg which features a delightful array of garden beds, impressive rhododendrons, and ocean vistas, and during our visit the dahlia garden was at its absolute peak. Fantastic!
Mostly we enjoyed a delightful few days listening to performances in the village under a big marquee, in a pleasant church hall as well as in an auditorium in Fort Bragg. The events were all part of the Mendocino Music Festival. We enjoyed performances of both well-known and more unusual works by Stravinsky, some contemporary composers, as well as being introduced to Skerryvore, a Scottish rock band! A special treat for us was being able to attend the dress rehearsals. They are free and open, and it was fascinating to observe the different conducting styles of the orchestra leaders. Next year’s festival will be the 40th annual festival.
Those of you who enjoy more contemporary outdoor music concerts will have lots to choose from in the coming weeks in Golden Gate park alone. Dead & Company performs three shows for the Grateful Dead’s 60th anniversary Friday through Sunday in Golden Gate Park. The annual Outside Lands Music Festival on Aug. 8-10 and a Zach Bryan concert on Aug. 15 are also in the park. Check here for details about traffic and logistics for attending those events.
Don’t want to face the crowds? How about a bit of a staycation, reading books set here in our area? I enjoyed this summary of works, especially mysteries, set in San Francisco.
As always, if you have topics you would like me to address in my newsletter, either about real estate or our East Bay community, please reach out to me!
A Castle sells in Berkeley!
Last month I talked about the unusual convergence of SEVEN listings by prominent architect John Hudson Thomas. Three had been on the market just before my beautiful listing on Piedmont Avenue in the Elmwood neighorhood of Berkeley, and three more that appeared within a couple of weeks of my listing becoming active. Perhaps the most outstanding property was the Hume Cloister.
That property, modeled after a 13th century French cloister, is located in the Berkeley hills on Buena Vista. Listed by Grubb Co for $7,450,000, it sold for a bit below that at $7,325,000, with one of my former Red Oak colleagues. The multi-structure estate occupying over 7500 square feet with remarkable views was a real treat to visit. It included a koi pond, bocce court, green house and a separate guest apartment.
August Performances of Shakespeare
I recently heard a Folger Shakespeare Center podcast which mentioned that there are thousands of productions of Shakespeare plays each summer in outdoor settings. Seeing a Shakespeare production outdoors has lots of historical precedents. You can take advantage of productions of two Shakespeare plays this summer: Two Gentlemen of Verona in San Francisco, and Taming of the Shrew in Berkeley.
San Francisco Free Shakespeare in the Park offers performances over the final weekend in August, and Labor Day weekend in September. Performances are in San Francisco’s McLaren Park in the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater. All shows begin at 2pm and run for approximately 100 minutes with no intermission. You are encouraged to bring a picnic (no food is available for sale at the venue), a seat cushion and layers: it might be foggy, or by then, we might actually be enjoying some summer weather!
While these performances are free, all performance companies are struggling these days, so contributions will be much appreciated.
I feel so fortunate to have the recently refurbished Berkeley John Hinkel Park amphitheater right up the street from me, off the Arlington at Southampton. The Actors Ensemble produce The Taming of the Shrew starting August 16th, and running weekends through Labor Day Monday. All performances start at 4 pm, and include an intermission during which you can purchase roasted corn, hot dogs and drinks, or bring your own picnic!
Cool Summer Exhibitions in SF
I mentioned these exhibits last month, but if you have not yet seen them, you really should do yourself a favor and head over to San Francisco before they close. The Thiebaud exhibition was such an eye-opener about the variety of styles of this artist! Beyond the quintessential still lifes of everyday objects, it was fascinating to see just what a varied artist he was, and how skilled he was at adapting his talents, especially in copying the works of many masters. The originals and the copies from his personal collection that occupy the central reception area are stunning!
Wayne Thiebaud: Art Comes from Art, at the Legion of Honor in SF, through August 17th
You have now just over two weeks to see this exhibition of 65 works of this American master, including paintings of people (alone and together); still lives of cakes, tabletops, and other ordinary objects; cityscapes featuring soaring buildings; and mountain landscapes. Together they offer an in-depth exploration of one of the most important and overlooked aspects of his creative practice: his passionate engagement with art history.
Ruth Asawa Retrospective at the SF MOMA, through Sept. 12th
This first posthumous retrospective presents the full range of Ruth Asawa’s work and its inspiration over six decades of her career. As an artist, Asawa forged a groundbreaking practice through her ceaseless exploration of materials and forms. As an educator and civic leader, Asawa’s impact on San Francisco can still be felt today. This has been described as a deeply satisfying exhibition, giving context to work that many of us have felt familiar with all our lives. Beyond her iconic baskets, this show explores a broad range of her interests and art. The museum is open free of charge on the first Thursdays of the month, including this coming Thursday, August 7.
Featuring more than 250 personal photographs by Paul McCartney, along with video clips and archival materials, this exhibition offers a behind-the-scenes look at the meteoric rise of the world’s most celebrated band. Although well-preserved, few of the images had ever been printed or shared beyond McCartney’s immediate family and friends. Most existed only as negatives or printed in the simple form of contact sheets. This exhibition has special meaning for those of us who were at a formative time during Beatlemania! Who is your favorite Beatle??
Arlene Baxter
arlene.baxter@theagencyre.com
15107171799
Lic. #1209552
