March 2009
'The goal is to eradicate polio' -- Rotary International President visits Washington
Posted by Susanna at 3:45 PM, Mar 31, 2009 (Comments)
Category: Events
Rotary International's president Mr. Dong Kurn Lee and his wife
EARLIER THIS WEEK, Rotary International President, Mr. Dong Kurn Lee of South Korea, held a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington to talk about Rotary's fund raising campaign to eradicate polio. Mr. Lee was joined at the press conference by Oscar-nominated producer (for "The Final Inch") Tom Grant and polio research specialist Dr. John Sever.
MR. LEE STATED that Rotary is one-third of the way toward its $200 million goal of raising funds for polio eradication. The $200 million will match a $355 million challenge grant by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The total $555 million will be used for polio eradication in countries where the crippling disease still infects children: Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan. More than 2 billion children worldwide have been inoculated against the polio virus.
SINCE 1985, Rotary has raised nearly $850 million for polio eradication. In addition, individual Rotary members have contributed countless volunteer hours to help vaccinate more than two billion children, preventing five million cases of paralysis and 250,000 pediatric deaths. The initiative has reduced the incidence of polio by more than 99 percent, from 350,000 cases a year in 1988 to fewer than 2,000 in 2008. But a critical funding gap threatens to derail two decades of progress.
MR. LEE is the first Korean president of Rotary International, the 105-year-old humanitarian service organization whose membership comprises 1.2 million men and women of all races, religions, and nationalities in 33,000 Rotary clubs in 200 countries.
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Successful 'After Hours' Party at Hirshhorn
Posted by Susanna at 5:39 PM, Mar 29, 2009 (Comments)
Category: Events
Philippa Hughes of The Pink Line Project, which hosted the VIP Lounge at the "After Hours" Party at the Hirshhorn, and Milena Kalinovska, Director of Programs at Hirshhorn
"AFTER HOURS" at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden - a unique event in a great setting -- is one of the most talked about and best attended party scenes in the Washington area. Even though it rained on Friday night, thousands of people gathered at the Washington museum to look at art and listen to music.
THE PINK LINE PROJECT hosted the VIP Lounge for those who wanted something a little extra special at the party.
HIRSHHORN "After Hours" is an annual series of late-night events at the museum.
PEOPLE WHO attended the event were offered drinks, food and a visual feast of large-scale projections by video artist Ricardo Rivera and the Klip Collective, who joined Pieris Music's Lumia Ensemble, Sean O'Neal (aka DJ someone else) and DJ Tieilaxu to transform the Hirshhorn's outdoor plaza into an all-night, 360-degree audio visual immersion experience.
Kevin Mistry and Traci Goldt
Charlotte Labeau, Sabrina Hammouda and Alexis Kersey
Hannah Hagström and Courtney Kleshinski
Heiko Hesse, Rouzita Vahhabaghai, Bita Vahhabaghai and Karim Chrobog
DJ Donald Syriani and friends
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Opening Reception for Christian Platt Paintings at Susan Calloway Gallery in Washington
Posted by Susanna at 2:41 PM, Mar 28, 2009 (Comments)
Category: Design & Art
The painter Christian Platt and his girlfriend Annie Arnest
A big crowd turned out Friday night, March 27, for an opening reception for an exhibition of the art of painter Christian Platt at Susan Calloway Gallery in Washington, D.C.
Platt, who was born in 1986 in Washington, D.C., began his study of painting in early middle school in weekend classes at the Corcoran Gallery of Art and at the Maret School, from which he graduated in 2005. He moved west, and between 2005 and 2008 he spent time at the Switchback Ranch, a 200,000-acre ranch in Red Lodge, Montana, working in their cutting horse program and as a wrangler in their big game hunting camps in the Absaroka Range outside of Cody, Wyoming.
Painting full-time since the summer of 2008, Christian Platt focuses on large-scale oil landscapes, often inspired by his time in the wide open spaces of Montana and Wyoming, as well as by the countryside surrounding his home near Sperryville, Va. He also does large-scale still lifes.
The Susan Calloway Fine Arts Gallery is located at 1643 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., For more information, call the gallery at (202) 965-4601 or visit www.christianplatt.com.
Gallery owner Susan Calloway, Susan Calloway Fine Arts
Samuel T. Lloyd III, Dean of Washington National Cathedral
Camilla McCaslin and Dorie Laurent
Architect Christian Zapatka
Kristen Moreau
Pierre Rahal
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Pecha Kucha Night in Göteborg, Sweden
Posted by Susanna at 10:05 AM, Mar 26, 2009 (Comments)
Category: Events
Nergs Nazar, Malin Nilsson, Jasmin Davooai and Malin Andreasson
A PECHA KUCHA NIGHT gathering was held on Wednesday night, March 25, at the famous Park Lane club at the top of the Avenue in Göteborg (or Gothenburg) Sweden.
Pecha Kucha Night, was started in 2003 by architects Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham, is a gathering for young designers and other creative entrepreneurs to meet, network, and show their work in public.
DURING a Pecha Kucha Night each presenter is allowed 20 images, each shown for 20 seconds each - giving six minutes and 40 seconds of fame before the next presenter is up. This keeps presentation concise, the interest level up, and gives more people the chance to show. The speakers at the Göteborg Pecha Kucha Night were Hanna Brotén & Jessica Nilsson - Bittra Britta; composer Paula af Malmborg Ward; dancer & choreographer Veera Suvalo Grimberg; artist & skateboard producer Mattias Norström; designer Fredrik Färg; Yukimi Nagano & Ann-Louise Landelius; Skambyrån (www.skambyran.se); designer Dan Henriksson; architect Torsten Ottesjö; architect firm Kjellgren & Kaminsky; ANTI design agency from Oslo; photographer Klara Källström; Anton Romanus, Vetenskapsfestivalen; and Bokpuffen.net. DJ after the presentation was Alex Berg.
PECHA KUCHA, which is Japanese for the sound of conversation, has tapped into a demand for a forum in which creative work can be easily and informally shown, without having to rent a gallery or schmooze magazine editors. This is a demand that seems to be global. The Pecha Kucha night has spread virtually to over 100 cities across the world. For information contact www.pecha-kucha.org.
Emilie Selin, Jannie Elgqvist and Hila Ahmadzai
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Chinese companies talking about buying Volvo cars
Posted by Susanna at 6:50 AM, Mar 26, 2009 (Comments)
Category:
WORD COMES that the Chinese have an interest in buying Volvo cars. The British Autocar Magazine reports that several Chinese companies are interested in buying Volvo cars from Ford, and no Western firms have indicated they will make an offer. Reportedly, Ford may get $1.2 billion for Volvo cars.
IF A CHINESE company buys Volvo cars from Ford, will the Americans traipsing to the Volvo complex north of Gothenburg be replaced by Chinese? Will Volvo cars, which many people said barely survived Ford, totally lose its soul if it is taken over by a Chinese company?
TIME...and money will tell the outcome.
WHAT do you think?
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National Medical Association's Annual Global Health Gala at Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington
Posted by Susanna at 1:30 PM, Mar 25, 2009 (Comments)
Category: Events
Congressman John Conyers (D-Michigan) spoke at The National Medical Association's 2009 Global Health Awards Dinner in Washington on Tuesday night.
ON TUESDAY night, March 24, the NMA, the National Medical Association, held its Annual Global Health Gala at Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. The Global Health Gala Awards Dinner was established to recognize, honor and promote individuals or organizations for their contributions to the global health community. NMA launched the Global Health Initiative and Gala Awards Fundraiser in 2008 to help African countries ease the severe shortage of health workers, and improve the scope and quality of health care delivery in select African nations.
CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux, who is the daughter of former NMA board member Dr. Floyd Malveaux, had been scheduled to be the evening's mistress of ceremonies, but she had to cover President Obama's press conference at the White House. So former NMA President Dr. Nelson L. Adams presided.
AMONG THE SPEAKERS at the gala were several members of congress, John Conyers (D-Michigan), James Clyburn (D-South Carolina) and Diane Watson (D-California). Other guests included several ambassadors from African countries. Special recognitions and honors went to former President Clinton's foundation, The William J. Clinton Foundation, and NMA President Carolyn Barley Britton, M.D., M.S. A video-taped message from former President Clinton was presented as a part of the evening's program.
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Learning How to Celebrate Easter the Swedish Way in Philadelphia
Posted by Susanna at 12:29 PM, Mar 23, 2009 (Comments)
Category: Events
Getting dressed up as an Easter witch and having your face painted is part of a traditional Swedish Easter celebration.
LOTS OF PEOPLE will be coming to the American Swedish Historical Museum in Philadelphia to on Sunday April 5 from 2-4 p.m. to learn how to celebrate Easter the Swedish way. Easter Sunday will be one week away on April 12, and taking the family to the museum's Easter workshops where children and adults can work together to make crafts that reflect the Swedish celebration of the holiday is probably an excellent way to prepare for the holiday.
MANY PEOPLE may be particularly interested in the workshop focusing on the decoration of a påskris, a colorful arrangement of birch twigs and feathers that serves as a welcome sign of spring.
OTHER CRAFTWORK, such as the making of wooden witches and black cat paper hangings, reveal traditions unique to a Swedish Easter. For instance, in Sweden witches and black cats are commonly associated with Easter, when boys and girls dress up as colorful Easter witches and go from door to door seeking candy from neighbors. The tradition is similar to trick-or-treating in this country.
AT ONE OF THE workshops kids will have the opportunity to dress up as Easter witches using aprons, scarves and face paints. There will be other craft projects, such as making fluffy chicks and hens with eggs. Following the workshops, there will be an Easter egg hunt for children on the grounds of the Museum, weather permitting.
ADMISSION is $6. Call 215-389-1776, e-mail info@americanswedish.org or visit www.americanswedish.org for more information and to reserve a space at the workshop.
THE AMERICAN SWEDISH HISTORICAIL MUSEUM is located in FDR Park at 1900 Pattison Avenue in South Philadelphia, five blocks west of the Sports Complex. The Museum is easily accessible from Route 95 or Route 76 and has free parking.
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Spring -- finally!
Posted by Susanna at 8:08 AM, Mar 21, 2009 (Comments)
Category: Events
Beautiful Congressional Country Club in Potomac, Maryland
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Pecha Kucha Night at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington
Posted by Susanna at 5:26 AM, Mar 19, 2009 (Comments)
Category: Events
Rouzita Vahhabaghai (left) and Bita Vahhabaghai (right) hosted Pecha Kucha in Washington. In the middle Karim Chrobog.
A PECHA KUCHA gathering was held on Wednesday night, March 18, at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. There have been Pecha Kucha events in more than 170 cities all over the world. Pecha Kucha Night, devised by Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham, was conceived in 2003 as a place for young designers to meet, network, and show their work in public. Each presenter is allowed 20 images, each shown for 20 seconds, giving 6 minutes and 40 seconds of fame before the next presenter is up. This keeps presentations concise. Pecha Kucha, which is Japanese for the sound of conversation, has tapped into a demand for a forum in which creative work can be easily and informally shown.
THE NIGHT'S PRESENTERS were Antje Kharchi, Associate Professor, Corcoran College of Art + Design; Ayo Okunseinde, Adrian Loving and Eric Brewer, Dissident Display - Multimedia Design Studio; photographer Christiana Aretta; Anya Pinchuk, Jewelry Designer of Jewelers Werk; Lawyer/Artist/Photographer Ali Herischi; John Athayde, Meticulous; Harry Chun, Marc Ross, Creative Director + Furniture Designer, Spectrum West Collection; Marielle Mariano, East Coast Coordinator of CHALK4PEACE, Inc.; and Gaurav Mishra, The Marketer Who Went Off Consumption.
THIS PECHA KUCHA event was sponsored by Corcoran College of Art + Design, Capitol Restaurant Concepts LTD and Bisnow, and the reception was sponsored by Neyla Restaurant in Georgetown. The next Pecha Kucha event in Washington will be held at House of Sweden on April 17.
Caroline Nord, Jenny Mählqvist, Linda Tocchini-Valentini, and Daniella Fridl
Antje Kharchi talks about her trip to Tibet and Kashmir.
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Sweden's Minister for the Environment Andreas Carlgren: "Very productive environmental meetings in Washington"
Posted by Susanna at 4:00 PM, Mar 18, 2009 (Comments)
Category: Events
Stavros Dimas, EU Commissioner for the Environment; Martin Bursik, Minister for the Environment, Czech Republic; Andreas Carlgren, Minister for the Environment, Sweden; and Ned Helme, President of the Center for Clean Air Policy
A "TROIKA" of representatives from the European Union - Stavros Dimas, EU Commissioner for the Environment; Andreas Carlgren, Minister for the Environment, Sweden; and Martin Bursik, Minister for the Environment, Czech Republic, met with American counterparts this week in Washington, on March 16-17.
THE PURPOSE of the meetings was to establish contacts with the new administration and Congress. Included among their meetings were talks with President Obama's assistant for energy and climate change, Carol Browner, and U.S. special envoy to climate change, Todd Stern. The three EU representatives also met with Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.).
ONE OF the Obama administration's key priorities is the discussion on climate change. And after eight years of minor interest in this issue, it appears that President Obama and a majority of Congress will go forward with domestic action and international engagement.
THE NEXT UN climate treaty will be negotiated at the end of the year in Copenhagen. The European Union has set a strategy for reaching an agreement in the Danish capital, that would include setting global goals to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GNG) emissions and providing the basis to strengthen countries' abilities to adapt to climate change, while inducing economic growth, innovation, reducing poverty and providing access to secure energy services.
ON MARCH 16, the EU representatives participated in a seminar at the Swedish Embassy's House of Sweden. The seminar was titled "On the Road to Copenhagen: Transatlantic Perspectives on a New Climate Change Agreement." The participants all agreed that there is now a window of opportunity for transatlantic dialogue on climate, a dialogue which has been missing for the last decade.
MARTIN BURSIK of the Czech Republic said that "it is an interesting and challenging time...we have been waiting so long for Carol Browner...Now countries like China, India, Brazil, Mexico and others can't hide behind the United States."
ANDREAS CARLGREN, who has held his environmental cabinet post since 2006, said he was proud that the EU has been in the forefront on climate issues, with ambitious targets. Mr. Carlgren also talked about "a new transatlantic partnership." He pointed out that the renewable sector in Europe could create up to 1 million new jobs. Already in the early '90s Sweden introduced a carbon tax, and the emission of carbon oxide decreased by ten percent. Mr. Carlgren also pointed out that due to high oil prices in the '70s Sweden started to transform energy systems. Additionally, he talked about the importance of moving to "greening the economy," with a goal of independence from fossil energy by 2030.
NED HELME, president of the Center for Clean Air Policy, stated that "Washington has become 'Climate Center" after eight years of 'Nuclear Winter'," but mentioned that there could still be some problems with getting Congress to go along with the new environmental programs. However, the EU Commissioner for the Environment, Stavros Dimas, mentioned that he is encouraged by the signals from Congress and President Obama.
THE SEMINAR was arranged by House of Sweden, in cooperation with the Heinrich Böll Stiftung (Foundation) of North America and the Brookings Institution.
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South African Embassy Night in Washington
Posted by Susanna at 12:45 PM, Mar 13, 2009 (Comments)
Category: Events
Ambassador Welile Nhlapo of South Africa and Hugh Grindstaff
IT WAS ONE OF THOSE fabulous Washington events last night at the South African Embassy. Host Ambassador Welile Nhlapo received members of the National Press Club at the embassy located in a stately mansion on Embassy Row on Massachusetts Avenue in Northwest Washington, just down the street from the Vice President's residence and just across the street from where Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton live. The festive evening featured a lavish spread of wonderful and tasty food and drink.
MYRON BELKIND, chair of the International Correspondents' Committee at the National Press Club initiated the event, and the Embassy's Nadira Bayat, Counselor for Public Diplomacy, made the arrangements.
THE EVENT WAS especially timely as it came in advance of the South African general elections on April 22. Following the welcome reception, Ambassador Nhlapo gave a presentation about recent political and economic developments in South Africa, including its own economic stimulus package. He also mentioned that this spring's election is the most exciting one since 1994.
AMBASSADOR NHLAPO'S contribution to the movement against apartheid can be traced back to his days as a student activist in the Black Conscious Movement. Together with the late Steve Biko and Tebogo Mafole in 1972, he co-authored "Black Review," which reviewed the activities of black organizations in South Africa.
Nadira Bayat, Counselor for Public Diplomacy at the South African Embassy, and National Press Club President Donna Leinwand
Tanya Bennett and Gene Kuleta
Ambassador Welile Nhlapo speaks about the upcoming South African general elections on April 22.
Ambassador Welile Nhlapo of South Africa receives the traditional NPC mug from NPC President Donna Leinwand and Myron Belkind, Chair of the International Correspondents' Committee.
Michael Coveney and Amanda Williams
Constance Chiogor Ikokwu, Washington Bureau Chief for the Lagos newspaper This Day, and Jean Nzie
Charles Shuey and Frederica Dunn
Hugh Grindstaff and Joan Keston
The South African Embassy on Massachusetts Ave., N.W., in Washington, D.C.
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The Fund for Peace celebrates its new location in Washington with an Open House
Posted by Susanna at 1:38 PM, Mar 12, 2009 (Comments)
Category: Events
The Fund for Peace Board Co-Chair Jeri Thomson, Senior Associate Will Ferroggiaro, President Pauline H. Baker and Board Co-Chair David E. Morey
THE FUND FOR PEACE, a non-profit organization with the objective of promoting sustainable security in the world, celebrated its relocation to new offices at 1720 I Street, N.W., in downtown Washington with an Open House on Wednesday evening.
THE MISSION of The Fund for Peace is to prevent war and alleviate the conditions that cause war, and the Fund for Peace uses its Conflict Assessment System Tool (CAST) to support a variety of activities. The components of its work are Conflict Assessments, Foreign Policy, Peace & Stability Operations, and Sustainable Development. (www.fundforpeace.org)
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Contemporary Mexican Architecture showcased at the Mexican Cultural Institute
Posted by Susanna at 10:33 AM, Mar 11, 2009 (Comments)
Category: Design & Art
Photo by Dante Busquets
"CONTEMPORARY MEXICAN ARCHITECTURE" and "Imagined Constructions" are two exhibitions that opened recently at the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington.
"CONTEMPORARY Mexican Architecture" showcases selected projects by nine prominent architects, representing different generations and trends, who all have in common an extraordinary sense of architectural design. The architects are Teodoro González de Léon, Ricardo Legorreta, Enrique Norten, Alberto Kalach, Mauricio Rocha, Bernardo Gómez-Pimienta, Fernando Romero, Javier Sánchez and Michel Rojkind. The curator is Miguel Adriá, a Catalan architect who is established in Mexico and has written several books on contemporary Mexican architecture.
"IMAGINED CONSTRUCTIONS" presents work by five contemporary Mexican artists, who explore different narrative possibilities of real and fictional spaces, establishing a dialogue with architecture and geography. The artists are Dante Busquets, Alex Dorfsman, Sebastián Romo, Laureana Toledo and Héctor Zamora, and the exhibition was curated by Marisol Argüelles.
THE MEXICAN CULTURAL INSTITUTE is located at 2829 16th Street, N.W. in Washington, D.C., and is open Monday - Friday 10 a.m.- 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. The exhibition continues through April 10.
Photo by Alex Dorfsman
Photo by Héctor Zamora
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AU Katzen Arts Center to hold a lecture on Russian Realism
Posted by Susanna at 3:24 PM, Mar 10, 2009 (Comments)
Category: Design & Art
AU Katzen Arts Center in Washington, D.C.
A LECTURE will be held at the Katzen Art Center at the American University in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, March 15, at 2 p.m. John Wurdeman, an art collector and owner of Lazare Gallery in Charles City, Va., will present a lecture on the Russian Realist movement during the 20th century at the Katzen Art Center at the American University in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, March 15 at 2 p.m. Mr. Wurdeman's lecture will include a focus on the realist artists who were trained during Soviet times at the Surikov Arts Institute in Moscow.
MR. WURDEMAN has interacted with many of the now living renowned Russian artists for the last seven years. He regularly lectures at museum sponsored events as well as to artists groups. The lecture at AU Katzen Arts Center is a continuation of its current exhibition "Kugach, Kugach, Kugach," organized in conjunction with the Global Arts Center (www.globalartscenter.org). The Arts Center is open Tuesdays Sundays and is located at 4400 Massachusetts Ave., N.W. Admission is free.
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La Grande Fête de la Francophonie starts a month-long Cultural Festival in Washington, D.C.
Posted by Susanna at 12:41 PM, Mar 9, 2009 (Comments)
Category: Events
Greg Moore and Bernard Geenen, Economic and Commercial Counselor at the Embassy of Belgium
LA GRANDE Fête de la Francophonie - the start of the traditional one-month long Cultural Festival in Washington, D.C. of the French-speaking countries - was held on Friday night at the French Embassy in Northwest Washington. The hugely popular celebration, with its fabulous food, as always, was a sold out event. This year 35 French-speaking, and other not-so-much French-speaking countries participated and served their culinary specialties and beverages to the huge crowd. There were also several performances in the ballroom and auditorium. Among the artists were the group Tabou Combo from Haiti, Abiodun Koya and Friends from Nigeria, Docta Musica from the Cameroon, Julio Kabongo from the Cameroon, and Guy Robert Jean from Haiti. The Cultural Festival continues through April 3, and offers concerts, films and seminars, and ends on April 3 with a Discotheque Underground at the Smithsonian's Ripley Center, with Swiss award-winning DJ Jay Style and French DJ Evâa Pearl, who has played in popular night spots like the Locomotive in her native Paris, Platinum in Tunisia, and the biggest clubs of Marrakesh in Morocco.
Photographer Lili Iravani and Ambassador Armando Alexandre Panguene of The Republic of Mozambique
Greece was represented by Yannis Tsinas, Vickie Saltos, Lena Saltos, Haris Tsinas and Markella Mantika.
Keiko and Mariko Ellis
Andreja Kuzman and Jean-Pierre Vonarb represented Slovenia.
Tabou Combo from Haiti performed in the ballroom.
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SWEA holds traditional pea soup event with Cultural Counselor as speaker
Posted by Susanna at 10:50 AM, Mar 7, 2009 (Comments)
Category: Events
Lotta Murray, Monika Pellinen, Maria Ekman and Malin Henriksson arranged the event.
SWEA (Swedish Women's Educational Association) in Washington, D.C. held its annual "Ärtsoppa med punsch" event last Thursday night. The Swedish traditional pea soup accompanied by a glass or two of punsch made for a great evening of convivial socializing and a few drinking songs.
FOR THOSE OF YOU who are not familiar with Swedish pea soup, it's a hearty soup made from dried yellow peas combined with bits of ham and seasonings. It is served with mustard and crisp bread, along with a hot sweet liquor called punsch, followed by pancakes with whipped cream and jam. It is traditionally served on Thursday nights.
THIS SPEAKER at this year's Ärtsoppa was the Swedish Embassy's cultural counselor, Mr. Mats Widbom, who gave a review of the cultural activities at House of Sweden since its opening in the fall of 2006.
IT TURNS OUT the building has been a tremendous success, and he says it was awarded the title "Venue of The Year" in 2008. In 2007, it also was awarded Sweden's most prestigious architecture award, the Kasper Salin Prize for best building.
SOMETIMES THE EVENTS at the House of Sweden have been so popular that the lines stretched out the door and up the block. For example when the popular singer Ane Brun came to the House of Sweden last October to perform, the interest was so great, and the lines so long, that she had to give two concerts. Mr. Widbom pointed out that the maximum capacity for House of Sweden is 259 guests, and that is always the magical number when it comes to counting the attendance at House of Sweden events.
Mats Widbom, cultural counselor at the Swedish Embassy in Washington, and Gunilla Stone, new chairwoman of SWEA Washington, D.C.
Kerstin and Lennart Dimberg
Gerd Rickert, Gerald and Marianne Krell, Anne Marie McGowan and Gunilla Stone
Vanja and Bill Huth
Ulla-Britt Henderson and Anna Dahlborg
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Third Annual VASA bike race sponsored by House of Sweden
Posted by Susanna at 10:42 PM, Mar 5, 2009 (Comments)
Category: Events
THE THIRD ANNUAL VASA bike race was held in a cold and dreary Washington on the morning of the first Sunday in March. About 200-300 bicyclists participated in this year's event, which was dedicated to the memory of the embassy's former press counselor, Anders J. Ericson, who tragically passed away during last year's event. The race, which started and finished at House of Sweden on 29th Street on the Potomac River in Georgetown. Participants had a choice of three race lengths: the Short Vasa which was 14 miles, the Half Vasa, which was 28 miles and the Long Vasa was 56 miles. After completing the race, the bikers were treated to Ekström's famous Swedish blueberry soup.
THE RACE in Washington is based on the traditional Swedish Vasa ski race, which is held the first Sunday in March in Dalecarlia, Sweden. The Vasa Ski Race is the world's largest, oldest and longest ski race. It attracts more than 15,000 people every year, and this year it celebrated its 85th anniversary. The origin of the ski race is when the future Swedish king Gustav V made a daring escape from his adversaries in 1521 by skiing away from them cross country.
Klaus Hirtes and James Losey participated in the Third Annual Vasa bike race.
Jonathan Krall
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Town Hall meeting for artists held at Parish Gallery in Georgetown
Posted by Susanna at 4:32 PM, Mar 5, 2009 (Comments)
Category: Events
Norman and Gwen Parish
LAST WEEK, the Parish Gallery in Georgetown in Washington presented a "First Annual Town Hall Artists Meeting" in conjunction with Black Artists of DC. Titled "Living Legends: Establish & Secure Your Art Work," the program was also a tribute to the late Harlee Little, a Washington photographer who suffered a stroke and died recently.
THE PANELISTS were estate lawyer Larry Frazier, Mel Hardy, co-founder, Millennium Arts Salon, photographer Roy Lewis, and Eve Ferguson, reference research librarian at Library of Congress. Norman Parish of Parish Gallery moderated the discussion, which provided estate planning information for collectors on .
Lili Iravani, Bruce McNeil and Pilar Sánchez-Canete
Mel Hardy
The Parish Gallery panel -- Roy Lewis, Eve Ferguson, Larry Frazier, Mel Hardy, and Norman Parish
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Can't wait for spring!
Posted by Susanna at 9:07 AM, Mar 5, 2009 (Comments)
Category:
Washington National Cathedral
THE WINTER in Washington has been long and extraordinarily cold. Often it was colder in the mid-Atlantic of the United States than it was on the west coast of Sweden, (which is where I am from). Just a few days ago it was snowing heavily here, and it snowed so much, most of the town was shut down for a day.
THE GOOD NEWS is that warm, spring-like temperatures are coming soon! This weekend is supposed to be beautiful, with sunshine and temperatures in the 60s and even 70s (20-25 C).
EVEN THOUGH there is still a lot of snow on the ground and the overnight temperatures are far below freezing, the birds were chirping this morning. They must know that spring is on the way. I'm ready.
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Honest Tea Aficionado Barack Obama
Posted by Susanna at 8:42 AM, Mar 4, 2009 (Comments)
Category: Food & Drink
THERE HAS LATELY been so much media coverage on President Barack Obama's preference for the bottled tea called "Honest Tea" that I decided I had to try it out. My tea consumption usually only extends to brewed Earl Grey, English Breakfast Tea or even everyday Lipton tea. I am not particularly fond of herbal teas. They just don't taste very much. They're kind of bland, I think.
BUT THIS TIME I decided to jump on the bandwagon, and find out what all the hoopla is about. According to reports, Obama once favored Honest Tea's Community Green flavor, but now he likes Green Dragon and the caffeine-free Black Forest Berry. I went to my favorite grocery store in Washington, the organic megatemple Whole Foods Market (where you wouldn't dream of finding any food that wasn't politically correct, or less than hip), and bought one bottle of Green Dragon and one bottle of Black Forest Berry. Of the two, I must say that I clearly favor Black Forest Berry, with an appealing taste of blackberry and raspberry. I also like that the both teas were not sweet at all. The label says they have a touch of organic (of course) cane sugar in them.
HONEST TEA IS produced by a Bethesda, Maryland-based company that is committed to social responsibility and whose teas are USDA Organic Certified and Fair Trade Certified. Besides being very politically correct, President Obama likes their teas and, best of all, their teas are delicious -- which are all very good reasons to get some more Honest Tea.
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Design S exhibition at House of Sweden
Posted by Susanna at 3:05 PM, Mar 3, 2009 (Comments)
Category: Design & Art
Skeppshult V bicycle by Skeppshultcykeln AB
ENTRIES FOR the Design S/Swedish Design Award, Sweden's top prize for design, are now being shown in an exhibition at the House of Sweden, 2900 K Street, N.W. in Washington The exhibition is open to the public every Saturday and Sunday, 1-6 p.m., through March 22.
AMONG THE ENTRIES featured in the exhibition are the BOO chair, bangles shaped of extruded aluminum, a mobile phone that doubles as an MP3 player, a hanging light fixture, women's clothing, a helmet for biking and snowboarding, and Tretorn riding boots.
THE AWARD singles out successful designs and rewards creative solutions to problems.
Advance riding boots by Tretorn Sweden
Unik Standard 18-drawer cupboard by Masonite
NUMB collection of twelve unique garments designed by Anna Bonnevier
Open Box hanging light fixtures by Fagerhult Belysning
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Stjärnkocken Marcus Samuelsson signerade böcker i Göteborg
Posted by Susanna at 11:09 AM, Mar 3, 2009 (Comments)
Category: Food & Drink
Marcus Samuelsson innan en TV-inspelning i Fiskekyrkan i Göteborg.
Den svenske stjärnkocken Marcus Samuelsson, från Göteborg, besökte i februari staden och signerade sin nyutkomna bok på NK -- Africa on my mind - om den afrikanska kokkonsten. Han hann också med en TV-inspelning för TV4 i Fiskekyrkan. Samuelsson kanske är allra mest känd för sin prisbelönta lyxkrog Aquavit i New York, staden där han är bosatt.
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Festive opening for new Ed Hardy Store in Georgetown
Posted by Susanna at 4:29 PM, Mar 2, 2009 (Comments)
Category: Events
A new Ed Hardy store opened in Georgetown in Washington, D.C. on Saturday.
Last Saturday, a new Ed Hardy store opened in Georgetown in Washington, D.C., with a festive and crowded event featuring a glitzy performance by the Wizard Girls, cheerleaders for the Washington Wizards of the NBA, and DJs from the Washington radio station "Hot 99.5." Special celebrity guests appearances included NFL players Clinton Portis and Rock Cartwright of the Washington Redskins, Vernon Davis of the 49ers, and Marc Barnes, owner of the Love nightclub. Hors d'oeuvres, champagne and other beverages were served, and the Ed Hardy Spring 2009 collection was showcased to the throngs of guests and customers who came by for the celebration.
Ed Hardy is headed by Christian Audigier, who was born in the city of Avignon in the south of France, but now resides in Los Angeles.
"I am thrilled to open a store in our nation's capital," Mr. Audigier said. "Wisconsin Avenue provides a picturesque, historic background for my cutting edge and trendy fashions!"
