March 2011

Press Club's International Correspondents Committee reception at the Liechtenstein Embassy in Washington

Posted by Susanna at 7:06 AM, Mar 31, 2011 (Comments)

Category: Events

Rachel and Myron Belkind, chair of the International Correspondents Committee at the National Press Club, and Ambassador Claudia Fritsche of Liechtenstein

LIECHTENSTEIN Ambassador Claudia Fritsche delivered informative remarks about her country, its economy, its multilateral engagement and its relationship with the United States at an International Correspondents Committee reception at country's embassy located on the Potomac Waterfront in Georgetown in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday evening, March 30, 2011. It was the National Press Club's International Correspondents Committee's first Embassy Night of 2011. Liechtenstein is a principality located on the Rhine river between Austria and Switzerland.

Hugh Grindstaff and Joan Keston

Ralph E. Winnie of The Eurasia Center and Paul F. Donahue who is Honorary Consul for the Midwest for the Embassy of Liechtenstein

Myron Belkind introduces Ambassador Claudia Fritsche.

Ambassador Claudia Fritsche welcomes the Press Club's International Correspondents Committee to the Liechtenstein embassy.

Permalink | Comments (0)

Swedish Chef Marcus Samuelsson hosted fund-raising event for President Obama at his restaurant Red Rooster Harlem

Posted by Susanna at 10:15 AM, Mar 30, 2011 (Comments)

Category: Food & Drink

SWEDISH New York-based Chef Marcus Samuelsson has been seen a lot in the American media lately. In the Sunday's "What I Wore" - with the title "First Food, Then Sneakers" - he tells The New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/27/fashion/27WHATIWORE.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=marcus%20samuelsson&st=cse) readers about what he actually wore this last week.

LAST NIGHT, March 29, President Obama held his first big 2012 campaign fund-raising event for the Democratic National Committee at Samuelsson's new restaurant Red Rooster Harlem (www.redroosterharlem.com). According to The Wall Street Journal (http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2011/03/29/obama-visits-n-y-for-1-5-million-haul/?KEYWORDS=red+rooster+harlem) the president is "making nice" with Wall Street, after the Wall Street community suffered from criticism by Democrats in Congress and even the president over the last couple years. Wall Street was taken to task about the behavior of the financial industry, which helped to create "The Great Recession."

AND NEXT week, on Wednesday, April 6, Samuelsson will visit House of Sweden in Washington, D.C. for "FOOD: Talk & Book Signing with Chef Marcus Samuelsson" (www.swedenabroad.com/washington). He will talk about his new book "New American Table."

Permalink | Comments (0)

Popular Chekhov performance with The Picnic Theatre Company in Washington

Posted by Susanna at 8:34 AM, Mar 26, 2011 (Comments)

Category: Events

Christina Sevilla was one of the actors.

"AN EVENING WITH ANTON CHEKHOV - A Deceptively Modern Evening of Classic Russian Theatre" was the title of two popular performances by The Picnic Theatre Company at the elegant Washington Club on Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C., Thursday evening, March 24, and Friday evening, March 25. Two of Chekhov's riotous plays, The Proposal and The Jubilee were performed.

Karthik Nagarajan, Rami Shalan and his wife Azin Shalan, and the director Karim Chrobog

THE PLAYS WERE directed by Karim Chrobog, and the cast ensemble consisted of Michael M. Clements, Emad Dawood, Bruce MacPhail, Omar Popal, Oliver Robinson, Christina Sevilla and Ashley Taylor. It was produced by Genki Media LLC, and proceeds from the performances will benefit The Washington Theatre Legacy Project.

The cast after the performance.

BEFORE THE PERFORMANCE, refreshments - beverages and crêpes -- were served by Café Bonaparte. The Picnic Theatre Company is dedicated to site-specific party theatre in support of local arts and charitable organization. The after-party was at Napoleon Bistro & Lounge in Adams Morgan.

Ceca Mijatovic and Tiffany Norwood

Omar Popal and Christina Sevilla perform in The Proposal.

Omar Popal performs in The Proposal.

Permalink | Comments (0)

Todd Hitchcock of the American Film Institute will discuss "Swedish Mystery Stories in Film" at a SACU luncheon in Washington

Posted by Susanna at 11:05 AM, Mar 25, 2011 (Comments)

Category: Events

TODD HITCHCOCK, Director of Programming at the American Film Institute (AFI) in Washington, D.C., will share his perspectives on the recent popularity of Swedish mystery novels as they are presented in film at a SACU (Swedish-American Cultural Union) luncheon on Wednesday, March 30, 2011, at 12 noon. The title of the program is "Swedish Mystery Stories in Film."

THE SACU luncheon will be held at the Pier Restaurant in the Channel Inn, 650 Water Street, S.W., on the Washington waterfront. Member cost is $25 and non-members $29. For reservations, contact Carl Ek at 703-255-6228 or ekcarl@msn.com by Monday, March 28.

Permalink | Comments (0)

The Embassy of Sweden to sponsor a series of lectures highlighting the crime problems in Sweden portrayed by author Stieg Larsson

Posted by Susanna at 6:52 PM, Mar 23, 2011 (Comments)

Category: Events

THE EMBASSY OF SWEDEN in the U.S. (www.swedenabroad.com/washington) plans to host a series of lectures in the U.S. focusing on the crime problems in Sweden, such as sex trafficking, rape, organized crime and other issues that were portrayed in the bestselling author Stieg Larsson's Millennium Series books and films. Stieg Larsson (www.stieglarsson.com), and his Millennium Trilogy -- "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," "The Girl Who Played With Fire," and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest" -- have been on the best seller lists worldwide for months and have captivated the interest of thousands of readers in the U.S. and elsewhere.

STIEG LARSSON (1954-2004) was a journalist and writer, born in Skelleftehamn, outside Skellefteå, in Västerbotten in the northern part of Sweden, but he lived and worked much of his life in Stockholm. The Millennium Trilogy was published posthumously, and by March 2010, it had sold 27 million copies in more than 40 countries.

THE SERIES OF LECTURES at American Universities, with the title "Stieg Larsson & Beyond," will run from April 2011 to May 2012, and will be presented in collaboration with the University of California, Los Angeles, the University of California, Berkeley, University of Washington, University of Illinois and Harvard University.

AMONG THE PARTICIPANTS in the series are several prominent Swedes. Thomas Bodström, the country's former Minister for Justice (2000-2006) during the government of the Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson, will participate in the Annual Conference of the Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Studies (SASS) at North Park University, Ill., on April 29. The topic of his presentation will be "The Swedish Judicial State, the Police and Organized Crime." Mr. Bodström is the son of Lennart Bodström, Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs 1982-1985 in the Olof Palme government. He currently lives with his family in the United States.

ADDITIONALLY Mr. Bodström will participate in the literature course "Sexuality in Scandinavia" at the University of Seattle on June 2. The subject will be "Trafficking from a Swedish and European Perspective, Criminalization of Prostitution in Sweden and Sweden's Strict Rape Laws."

DIRECTOR Daniel Alfredson will take part in the Stieg Larsson Symposium at University of California, Los Angeles May 19-21, 2011, and the lecture series "Cinema Crime Scenes" at the University of Seattle on May 23. The topic in Los Angeles is "Sweden as Seen Through the Glasses of a Film Maker - The Challenges of the Movie." Questions about why Hollywood is making another version of a Swedish film will also be discussed.

ON JUNE 22, author and Stieg Larsson's partner Eva Gabrielsson will visit the American East Coast in connection with the release of her book "Stieg, Millennium and I."

Permalink | Comments (0)

Reading and book signing in New York with popular Swedish crime writer Camilla Läckberg

Posted by Susanna at 8:39 AM, Mar 21, 2011 (Comments)

Category: People

MANY AMERICANSany Americans and other nationalities are very familiar with Swedish thriller writer Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy and the movies based on his trilogy. But there is another Swedish crime writer Camilla Läckberg (www.camillalackberg.com), who also has a very strong following internationally.

MS. Läckberg - who is one of Sweden's youngest successful female writers in her genre, crime novels, and sixth bestselling novelist in Europe, ahead of both Henning Mankell and John Grisham - will be at The Swedish Church in New York for a reading, followed by Q&A and book signing on Monday, March 28, 2011, at 7 p.m.

SHE IS IN the U.S. to promote the release of the first book in her three book trilogy - "The Ice Princess" - will become available in paperback. She has been a #1 bestselling writer in France, Spain and Italy, and in all of Scandinavia. In Sweden, a country of only 9 million people, she has sold 3 million copies, and she is the most profitable native author in Swedish history. Worldwide she has sold more than 7 million copies in 25 languages.

FREE PRESS AND Pocket Books will publish simultaneous trade and mass market editions on March 29, 2011. Then in May 2011, Pegasus will publish "The Preacher" - the second book in Läckberg's trilogy.

SWEDISH SEAMEN'S Church, Inc. (newyork@swedishchurch.net and www.svenskakyrkan.se/newyork) is located at 5 East 48th Street (between Madison and 5th Ave.). The event is presented by The Swedish Church in New York and Free Press/Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Permalink | Comments (0)

FotoDC holds Opening Party with FLASH and The Uncover/Discover Series

Posted by Susanna at 10:28 AM, Mar 19, 2011 (Comments)

Category: Design & Art

Lena Skanby; Matthew H. T. M. Stephenson, the U.S. Department of State; Gabriel Sopanda, Embassy of Romania; and Lavinia Ochea, Embassy of Romania

GUESTS enjoyed a variety of photography by local Washington artists at Friday evening's FotoDC's Opening Party with FLASH and The Uncover/Discover Series. The exhibition, which runs through April 17, 2011, celebrates 55 DC metro photographers. FotoDC - a non-profit organization founded in 2008 - has evolved from a photography festival to a multi-season tribute to photography in all its forms.

For more information: www.FotoDC.org.

Photographer Linda Hesh

Artist and DJ Adrian Loving

Photography by Dominique Fierro

Permalink | Comments (0)

Exhibition 'Chesapeake Color' opens at Susan Calloway Fine Arts in Georgetown

Posted by Susanna at 10:18 AM, Mar 19, 2011 (Comments)

Category: Events

Gallery owner Susan Calloway of Susan Calloway Fine Arts and artist Stephen M. D. Day

"CHESAPEAKE COLOR," a special show with artist Stephen M. D. Day, to benefit the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (www.cbf.org), opened at Susan Calloway Fine Arts in Washington on Friday evening, March 18.

IN DAY'S abstract-realist seascapes, color - and in some cases texture - are the media and the message. His work in this show focuses on the Chesapeake Bay and the abstract fusion of sky, land and water.

Vollie Melson of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and his wife Maggie Melson

THE SHOW runs through March 26, 2011. Susan Calloway Fine Arts is located at 1643 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20007. Tel. 202-965-4601. Gallery hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday and Monday by appointment. For more information: www.callowayart.com.

Artwork by Stephen M. D. Day

Artwork by Stephen M. D. Day

Permalink | Comments (0)

Karl Reichelt of Skanska speaks at a Breakfast Meeting at the House of Sweden in Washington

Posted by Susanna at 10:02 AM, Mar 18, 2011 (Comments)

Category: Events

Karl Reichelt, who is Executive Vice President at the Swedish construction giant Skanska, spoke at a breakfast meeting at the House of Sweden

KARL REICHELT, Executive Vice President of Skanska Infrastructure Development - Americas, was the featured speaker at a breakfast meeting at the House of Sweden in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, March 17. His remarks were titled "Skanska: Investing in the Americas through Public Private Partnerships." The event was part of "Executive Speaker Series," arranged by the Washington chapter of the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce (SACC-DC) (www.sacc-dc.org).

MR. REICHELT stated that the company has three branches in the United States, Skanska USA Civil, Skanska USA Building and Skanska USA Commercial Property Development. The headquarters for the Americas is in Alexandria, Virginia. Additionally there are offices in Buenos Aires, Santiago and Sao Paulo. Skanska has operations in Sweden, Eastern Europe, United Kingdom, The United States and Latin America. "Presently we are looking in Asia for opportunities," said Reichelt.

THE SWEDISH construction giant Skanska was founded 125 years ago and is headquartered in Stockholm. It has 52,000 employees and is among the world's largest development and construction groups with offices in 12 markets worldwide. Its revenue in 2010 was $17 billion.

Bradley J. Olson, Chairman of SACC-DC thanks Karl Reichelt after the speech.

Permalink | Comments (0)

Female Entrepreneurship - Myths and Realities -- discussed at a seminar at House of Sweden in Washington, D.C.

Posted by Susanna at 9:42 AM, Mar 16, 2011 (Comments)

Category: Events

Professor Pontus Braunerhjelm, Swedish Entrepreneurship Forum; Charlotte Marcus, Founder, ESI, Total Fuel Management Inc., Chantilly, Va.; Professor Elisabeth Gatewood, Wake Forest University and the 2007 recipient of Global Award for Entrepreneurship Research; Svetlana Bagaudinova, Senior Private Sector Development Specialist, The World Bank; Sarah Iqbal, Gender Analyst, The World Bank; and Dr. Cecilia Bergh, Founder of Mando Group.

"FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP - Myths and Realities" was the title of a panel discussion at the House of Sweden in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday morning, March 15, 2011. The seminar was part of the House of Sweden Spring 2011 Program "Fabric of Life."

THE DISTINGUISHED participants on the panel came from the United States and Sweden. They were Professor Pontus Braunerhjelm, Swedish Entrepreneurship Forum; Professor Elisabeth Gatewood, Wake Forest University and the 2007 recipient of Global Award for Entrepreneurship Research; Sarah Iqbal, Gender Analyst, The World Bank; Svetlana Bagaudinova, Senior Private Sector Development Specialist, The World Bank; Dr. Cecilia Bergh, Founder of Mando Group with business operations in both Sweden and the United States; Charlotte Marcus, Founder, ESI Total Fuel Management Inc., Chantilly, Va.; and the seminar's moderator Ulrika Stuart Hamilton, Deputy Managing Director, Swedish Entrepreneurship Forum.

THE WELCOME REMARKS to House of Sweden were delivered by Karin Olofsdotter, who is the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Sweden in the U.S. capital. Additionally Professor Pontus Braunerhjelm from the Swedish Entrepreneurship Forum delivered an introduction of the program.

Dr. Cecilia Bergh, founder of Mando Group, discusses her innovative treatment for eating disorders and obesity.

DURING THE event, the myths and facts behind female entrepreneurship were explored, and a few of the speakers pointed out that women are an untapped source of creativity and growth. In Sweden and the United States 30 percent of the entrepreneurs are women.

THE SEMINAR WAS arranged by House of Sweden in partnership with Swedish Entrepreneurship Forum. For more information about event at House of Sweden in Washington: www.swedenabroad.com/washington.

Permalink | Comments (0)

Exhibition with artist Carlos Ríos (CRIOS) opens at the Embassy of Uruguay in Washington

Posted by Susanna at 9:31 AM, Mar 14, 2011 (Comments)

Category: Design & Art

Artist Carlos Ríos (CRIOS)

AN EXHIBITION - "Música, Colores del Sur, Todos estos años......." -- with the artist Carlos Ríos (CRIOS) opened at Sala de las Artes at the Embassy of Uruguay in Washington, D.C. on Friday evening, March 11, 2011. The Embassy of Uruguay and The Uruguay Cultural Foundation for the Arts sponsored the event.

Amb. William Ehlers, Sandra Ehlers, Consul General of Uruguay Maria Barcelo and Rodolfo Pacual

Artwork by Carlos Ríos

Permalink | Comments (0)

Swedish New York-based chef Marcus Samuelsson talked food on The Dylan Ratigan Show

Posted by Susanna at 1:34 PM, Mar 11, 2011 (Comments)

Category: Food & Drink

New York-based chef Marcus Samuelsson grew up in Sävedalen, Gothenburg, Sweden.

OVER THE YEARS, the Swedish New York-based chef Marcus Samuelsson (www.marcussamuelsson.com) has earned much acclaim in the United States. Known for his work at the Scandinavian restaurant Aquavit in New York, he recently opened Red Rooster (www.redroosterharlem.com) in Harlem at 310 Lenox Ave. He says that the menu at Red Rooster "reflects on the roots of American cuisine while celebrating local farmers and artisanal food makers." According to his Web site, Samuelsson, who is a resident of Harlem, has long wanted to bring a restaurant to that vibrant community.

WHILE OPENING a new restaurant, he has also found time to publish a cook-book "New American Table," assisted at a state dinner at the White House, and win Bravo's series Top Chef Masters in 2010 where he competed with about 20 world-renowned chefs.

ON THURSDAY afternoon he discussed food with Dylan Ratigan on Ratigan's MSNBC show (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/42016522#42016522). Marcus Samuelsson was born in Ethiopia and grew up in Sävedalen, a suburban area of Gothenburg on the Swedish west coast.

Permalink | Comments (0)

The Swedish School for Language and Culture in Vienna, Virginia, held its own traditional 'Vasaloppet'

Posted by Susanna at 8:55 PM, Mar 9, 2011 (Comments)

Category: Events

Students and adults gathered after the "Vasaloppet" competition.

A REAL SWEDISH tradition - "Vasaloppet" -- was celebrated at The Swedish School for Language and Culture in Vienna, Virginia, on Saturday, March 5.

VASALOPPET IS a 90 km cross-country ski race that traditionally takes place between the towns Sälen and Mora in the province of Dalarna, Sweden, the first Sunday in March. It is the oldest, the longest and probably one of the biggest cross-country ski races in the world. At that event, typically more than 15,000 skiers gather to commemorate the trip made by the 16th century Swedish King Gustav Vasa, who according to the history was the first one to ski that route in 1520 as part of his escape to Norway eluding the troops of Christian II, the king of the Kalmar Union.

The "Vasaloppet" competition

VASALOPPET AT the Swedish School for Language and Culture in Virginia is held every year at nearby parking lot, where children from the school compete with their parents and other adults on skis made of wood. After the competition, the Swedish traditional blueberry soup and home-made buns are served to the participants.

FOR MORE information about The Swedish School for Language and Culture, visit www.swedishlanguageschool.com.

The "Vasaloppet" competition

Thomas Unander-Scharin and Mårten Leijon

The "Vasaloppet" competition

After the competition, according to Swedish tradition hearty blueberry soup and home-baked buns were served to the participants.   

Permalink | Comments (0)

'17 Swedish Designers' - exhibition of contemporary Swedish women designers at House of Sweden in Washington

Posted by Susanna at 11:51 AM, Mar 9, 2011 (Comments)

Category: Design & Art

The exhibition "17 Swedish designers" can now be seen at House of Sweden in Washington, D.C.

AN EXHIBITION OF the work of a group of young and progressive designers - "17 Swedish designers" (www.17swedishdesigners.com) - is touring the United States. It has now reached Washington, D.C., and their ceramics, furniture and textiles, in black and white and with some bright accents, can now be seen at House of Sweden.

THE ARTISTS are Pia Amsell, Lena Bergström, Camilla Diedrich, Front, Monica Förster, Anki Gneib, Nina Jobs, Anna Kraitz, Anna Lerinder, Lotta Kühlhorn, Ulrika Mårtensson, Eva Schildt, Carina Seth Andersson, Anna von Schewen, Sara Szyber, Pia Törnell and Barbro Wesslander, all of whom were born between 1960-1970. 

ALL OF THESE 17 designers have early in their careers exhibited at the Gallery Pascale in Stockholm. Gallery Pascale is the creation of Pascale Cottard-Olsson, a French woman living in Sweden, who has a an instinctive ability to spot talented designers. She is the author of the book "17 Swedish Designers, chez Pascale," released in Stockholm on Women's Day, March 8, 2007.

The exhibition runs through March 20, 2011. For more information, visit www.swedenabroad.com/washington.

Permalink | Comments (0)

Exhibition with artist Antonia Ramis Miguel opens at Watergate Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Posted by Susanna at 12:46 PM, Mar 8, 2011 (Comments)

Category: Design & Art

Artist Antonia Ramis Miguel

THE EXHIBITION "Observations" with artist Antonia Ramis Miguel (www.antoniaramismiguel.com) opened on Saturday, March 5, at Watergate Gallery in Washington, D.C.

MS. RAMIS MIGUEL, who was born in Spain, has been painting since childhood. Trained in Europe, she studied for seven years with Professors Edgardo and Alceu Ribeiro, themselves students of the renowned constructivist Joaquín Torres-García. Following her formal training, she spent several years studying the techniques of, among others, Rubens, Sargent, Velázquez, and Vermeer.

RAMIS MIGUEL PAINTS primarily in the medium of oil, on canvas and on wood; her subject matter includes street scenes, still-lifes, landscapes and figures. She has shown her work in individual and collective exhibitions in her native Spain, the United Kingdom, Austria and the United States.

THE SHOW GOES until April 2, 2011. Watergate Gallery is located at 2552 Virginia Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. Tel. 202-338-4488. Gallery hours: Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. or by appointment. For more information: www.watergategalleryframedesign.com.  

Permalink | Comments (0)

Champagne Open House with artists held at Gallery 555dc in Washington

Posted by Susanna at 12:16 PM, Mar 8, 2011 (Comments)

Category: Design & Art

Gallery owner Jodi Walsh

A CHAMPAGNE Open House for the exhibition "Landscapes: Big & Small" with the artists Georgia Nassikas, Ellen Sinel and Bruce Fransen was held on Saturday afternoon, March 5, at Gallery 555dc in Washington, D.C.

Artist Georgia Nassikas (www.georgianassikas.com)

THE EXHIBITION runs through March 30, 2011. Gallery 555dc is located in the Lobby of 555 12th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. Tel. 202-393-1409.

Artist Bruce Fransen (www.brucefransencreations.com)

Artist Ellen Sinel (www.ellensinel.com)

Photographer Leslie Cashen (www.lesliecashen.com) and artist Ellen Sinel

Permalink | Comments (0)

Gallery talk with acclaimed Swedish artist Charlotte Gyllenhammar at House of Sweden in Washington

Posted by Susanna at 7:58 PM, Mar 6, 2011 (Comments)

Category: Design & Art

Cultural Counselor Eva Bergquist at the Embassy of Sweden, artist Charlotte Gyllenhammar, Kate Novak and Madelaine Fusfield

CHARLOTTE GYLLENHAMMAR (www.charlottegyllenhammar.com) is an acclaimed Swedish contemporary artist, whose work is among the most idiosyncratic and expressive Swedish art today. Currently her series "Hang" is being showcased in an exhibition in the Nobel Hall at House of Sweden in Washington, D.C.

ON THURSDAY evening, March 3 a gallery talk was held with the artist, Jack Rasmussen, Ph.D., director and curator at American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, and Eva Bergquist, cultural counselor at the Embassy of Sweden.

Artist Charlotte Gyllenhammar and Jack Rasmussen, director and curator at American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center discuss Ms. Gyllenhammar's artwork.

MUCH OF Ms. Gyllenhammar's work represent states of mind or highly emotionally charged situations that often provoke in the viewer a reaction of fascination, exhilaration or anxiety. She began her career as a painter at the Royal College of Art in London. In 1993, she broke through the Swedish art scene when she suspended a 120-year-old tree over Drottninggatan, the main street in the center of Stockholm. The work, titled "Die for You," was the first step in a progression of images and environments that invert perspective.

Madelaine Fusfield and Eva Danielsson-Cohen

THE SERIES "Hang," from 2006, comprises both color of c-prints and gelatin silver prints, and shows a woman, who is suspended, trapped within the flower-like imprisonment of her formal formal skirts and is fixated within the male gaze. The photographs were premiered at Paris Photo in 2006, in the Central Exhibition, which was dedicated to the Nordic countries, where Gyllenhammar represented Sweden. "Hang" will be on display at House of Sweden until May 1, 2011. Ms. Gyllenhammar is also represented at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C.

The Embassy of Sweden and House of Sweden is located at 2900 K Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. For more information: www.swedenabroad.com.

Permalink | Comments (0)

Show with mixed media artist Sharon Geraci opens at Parish Gallery in Georgetown

Posted by Susanna at 9:41 PM, Mar 5, 2011 (Comments)

Category: Design & Art

Artist Sharon Geraci and gallery owner Norman Parish

AN EXHIBITION, titled "Cultural Landscapes," with mixed media artist Sharon Geraci, opened at Parish Gallery in Georgetown in Washington on Friday evening, March 4, 2011.

MS. GERACI was born in Tuskegee, Alabama, raised in New Jersey, and lived in Boston and Los Angeles for a number of years prior to moving to Portland, Oregon in 1991. At the same time as having a career in public transit and urban development, she engaged in a parallel pursuit of art, starting with realistic watercolors, and eventually migrating towards abstract mixed media. She became a full-time artist in 1999.

Artwork by Sharon Geraci

SHE SAYS ABOUT her art: "My work is about understanding the complexities of people, both as individuals and as societies. We are all the product of mixing and matching over cons, despite any specific identity to which we attach ourselves. In a world driven by technology, instant communication further blurs the lines between viewpoints, causes, social orders and cultures. It allows us to observe and experience things far beyond the confines of our immediate environment. I believe that humankind, much like the physical environment, is a continuum of changing features. Ultimately those influences from afar seep into our being and shape our relationship to the world."

THE EXHIBITION runs through March 15, 2011. Parish Gallery is located 1054 31st Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20007. Tel. 202-944-2310. For more information: www.parishgallery.com.

Artwork by Sharon Geraci

Permalink | Comments (0)

Traditional Swedish pea-soup event with SWEA Washington, D.C.

Posted by Susanna at 11:29 AM, Mar 4, 2011 (Comments)

Category: Events

Martina Lash, Lena Brisland, Ann-Sofie Cox and Evalena Raymer, who prepared the delicious meal.

PEA-SOUP - "Ärtsoppa" in Swedish - and pancakes with the slightly sweet liquor Punsch - the latter being served warm - is a traditional Swedish meal around this time of the year. So accordingly, members of the Washington chapter of SWEA (Swedish Women's Educational Association) and their guests meet every year in early March to enjoy this typically Swedish dish.

Press Counselor Gabriella Augustsson of the Embassy of Sweden in Washington, who gave an interesting speech about the work and activities at the embassy and House of Sweden, and Chair of SWEA Washington, D.C. Cecilia Browning, who is also the general manager of House of Sweden.

IT IS ALSO A traditional to invite a speaker for this event, which took place in Alexandria, Virginia, last evening, March 3. And this year it was the press counselor at the Embassy of Sweden in Washington, Gabriella Augustsson, who spoke about her work, the daily tasks and activities at the embassy. She told the guests about an upcoming series of programs for 2011, titled "Fabric of Life" at the popular House of Sweden. The Swedish Embassy was voted "Best Embassy 2010" by The Washington Post Express edition.

Madeleine and Jacob Luque

Gerald and Marianne Krell

Vanja Huth, Inger Margulies and Christina Higgins

Permalink | Comments (0)

Exhibit by artist Bethel Aniaku at La Maison Française in Washington, D.C. opens Francophonie 2011 Cultural Festival

Posted by Susanna at 12:11 PM, Mar 3, 2011 (Comments)

Category: Design & Art

Togo artist Bethel Aniaku and Mimi Wolford of Mbari Institute for Contemporary African Art in front of one of the artist's work.

THE FRANCOPHONIE 2011 Cultural Festival (www.francophoniedc.org) in Washington, D.C. - running from March 2 through April 15 - opened on Thursday evening, March 2, with an exhibit, "La Porte," by Togo artist Bethel Aniaku at La Maison Française.

BETHEL ANIAKU, who was born in Lomé, Togo, is a self taught artist, and now internationally recognized. His compositions play with color, light and space and various materials, and he concentrates on capturing present reality by using the abstract. His inspiration comes from everyday life and experiences. Aniaku uses wood as a base for his paintings, to honor the trade of his carpenter ancestors.

Yanira Caparros and Kimberley Heatherington, director of The French-American Cultural Foundation

MR. ANIAKU is represented at the Contemporary Art Museum of Hiroshima (Japan), B.C.E.A.O. Bank (Dakar, Senegal), Tokyo Museum (Japan), The Smithsonian (Washington, D.C.) and Mbari Institute (Washington, D.C.).

The exhibition runs through March 24. La Maison Française is located at 4101 Reservoir Road, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20007.

Pierre and Evan Rahal

Yanira Caparros and Peter Hickman

Mimi Wolford of Mbari Institute for Contemporary African Art and Dan E. Moldea

French Cultural Attaché Roland Celette (to the right) introduces artist Bethel Aniaku

Permalink | Comments (0)