Posts made in April 2021

Florida Outsider Art

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An Irresistible Urge to Create

The Monroe Family Collection of Florida Outsider Art On view through September 5 at the Boca Raton Museum of Art

The passion for Outsider Art runs deep in Florida, where self-taught artists have forged an indelible mark of special attention on the creative landscape of the state. An Irresistible Urge to Create: The Monroe Family Collection of Florida Outsider Art is the most comprehensive exhibition of its kind, on view at the Boca Raton Museum of Art until September 5th. This is the first time a museum has presented this definitive group of artists with an exhibition of this size and scope. Against the odds, many of these artists created obsessively to escape from their worlds that were often full of deep conflict and personal struggles.

Starting in the early 1990s, the photographer Gary Monroe drove throughout the state of Florida for more than ten years― from Key West to Jacksonville to Pensacola― on a mission to find what he calls “Florida’s renegade artists.” Thirty years later, after collecting, protecting and archiving more than 1,000 works by outsider artists, the result is an exhibition that leaves viewers spellbound.

“When I made these journeys across Florida to seek out and connect with these outlier artists, it was before the internet and it was quite laborious,” says Monroe. During his decade-long quest across the state, Monroe personally met nearly all of these artists one by one and became part of their lives. At the time this required a major personal commitment: he had to earn their trust to be allowed into their reclusive worlds. “It was an adventure,” adds Monroe. “Especially since there were no cell phones or GPS. Just good old road maps and phone booths. “Monroe’s odyssey culminated in 2003 when his book Extraordinary Interpretations: Florida’s Self-Taught Artists was published by the University Press of Florida.

The Museum has selected 86 of these works by 44 Florida artists for this landmark exhibition, which has already been tapped to travel to two other museums. “This new project opens a welcome window into another world. The world of wonders that lies outside the artistic establishment” says Irvin Lippman, the Executive Director of the Boca Raton Museum of Art. “This confounds our understanding of contemporary art, in a good way.”

“Outliers, boundary-crossers, pilgrims, exiles”

An Irresistible Urge to Create presents 86 works, many never seen before, by 44 Florida artists including: Purvis Young, George Voronovsky, Aurelia “Mama” Johnson, Frank Ritchie, Ruby “Miss Ruby” Williams, Gene Beecher, Kathy d’Adesky, Brian Dowdall, Floryan (Florian) Ludwig, Reva Freedman, Ozzie Lee “OL” Samuels, Sybil Gibson, Joey Smollon, Polly Bernard, Milton Ellis, Janice Kennedy, John Gerdes, Susanne Blankemeier, Morgan Steele, Alyne Harris, and Ed Ott. “For these artists, making art was as essential as breathing,” says Irvin Lippman. “Their artistic freedom was a pure, sincere and intimate means of communication.”

The artists in this exhibition were not interested in monetary gain or acclaim, they just wanted to create. “People who admire the independent spirit that unites these artists are awed by their sense of urgency. Their art is genuine. They let it flow from deep within their interior selves, they did not promote their work,” says Monroe. Most of George Voronovsky’s works, for example, have never been seen before. “I’ve been a custodian of his life’s work for the past 38 years,” adds Monroe.

The show is accompanied by an exhibition catalog with a specially commissioned poem by Campbell McGrath about artists’ urge to create. Titled Florida Primitives, the poem starts: “All Florida artists are primitives, so feral in their soil, so lush, endemic and elemental . . . All Florida artists are outsiders, outliers, highwaymen, boundary-crossers, pilgrims, exiles . . .,” and ends with: “art is an urge as irresistible as Florida.” The state, after all, continues to be known for its high strangeness. Home to 21 million people and growing more every day – especially after the pandemic– Florida also attracts more than 100 million tourists each year, adding to its population. The warm weather has also historically attracted homeless citizens from the colder regions, and people who live on the margins. Since its beginnings, Florida has always been known as a curious destination for artists of all types. Often what happens in Florida can serve as a lens to view upcoming cultural trends for the rest of the country too. The exhibition catalog explores how, over time, the vocabulary that is used to describe these “outsider “artists has evolved as the art world shifts its perception about what art is, and what art can be. “None of these artists were trained technicians, yet they each found their own way to technically transcribe their intuitions,” adds Monroe.

The History of Outsider Art

The interest in what is frequently called Outsider Art began in the early 20th-century with psychiatrists who studied artists who were institutionalized. In 1922, the book Artistry of the Mentally Ill became influential to the Surrealists. Later, in 1948, Jean Dubuffet and others founded the Compagnie de l’Art Brut, a collection of what they called “raw art” – art made outside the traditions of fine art. According to Kathleen Goncharov, the Senior Curator of the Boca Raton Museum of Art: “This interest has recently increased exponentially, as more mainstream institutions celebrate these kinds of artists. ‘Outsider’ artists are now most definitely ‘In.’ Many controversial terms have been bandied about to describe them, such as self-taught (in addition to ‘outsider’), but no truly definitive name yet. I suggest we call all creative works that are arresting, intriguing, and interesting conceptually, as simply ‘art’ and leave it at that. Jean Dubuffet said it best when he declared that art’s best moments are when it forgets what its own name is,” says Goncharov. “Artists create – that’s what they do.”

Up until 20 years ago, this work was not widely accepted as fine art. It wasn’t shown in museums and professionals from the art world looked down upon it. “This challenges the primary beliefs of traditional artmaking and has added a lot to the plurality of art,” says Monroe. “Being surrounded by such a large collection of artworks made by self-taught artists are invigorating. Especially because of their visual resolve to express themselves without convention.”

No Distance

These artists were not learning from their predecessors, their works are all coming from deep within themselves. Many of them dealt with deep emotional loss in their lives and debilitating conflict. Yet at the same time, they each experienced an overwhelming surge of creativity in their lives. “A lot of times, when going to see a museum or gallery show the viewer experiences a sense of distance, exhibitions can feel standoffish,” says Monroe. “Here, there is no distance between you and these self-taught artists. I think it’s because the work is so visceral. There’s no pretense whatsoever, no artifice, there are no rules.”

Most of the artists in this exhibition worked in total isolation. There were no political points to be made. These are people who created solely by delving into their own psyche and expressing themselves purely. Their art is not part of anything else except their own reality, they were not following canon. “There’s nothing between you and their art because it is so heartfelt,” adds Monroe. “This project gives you a glimpse into their psyche, which is so different from ours. Their whole being comes across. As the title suggests, they were driven to create.”

Virtual Art Experiences from the Museum’s Digital Galleries

The Boca Raton Museum of Art has created virtual tours and activities for art lovers from around the world to enjoy online, including this exclusive video presentation by Gary Monroe discussing the lives and work of under-recognized Florida artists, and Only in Florida! Your Story, Your Art with Dr. Caren Neile, a dynamic performance/lecture that weaves together the creative impulses and talents of storytellers and outsider visual artists – both groups who were long considered unworthy of serious recognition and study (funded through a grant from the Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities). Support is provided by Art Bridges Foundation for the Museum’s virtual programming #BocaMuseumatHome and #KeepKidsSmartwithArt.

More About the Exhibition and the Catalogue

After originating at the Boca Raton Museum of Art through September 5, the exhibition will travel to the Tampa Museum of Art (November 4, 2021 – May 22, 2022), and then to the Mennello Museum of American Art (June 10, 2022 – October 16, 2022). The exhibition catalog, published by the Boca Raton Museum of Art, is available for purchase at the museum store.

About the Museum

Kicking off its eighth decade in 2021, the Boca Raton Museum of Art encompasses a creative campus that includes the Museum in Mizner Park and the Art School. As one of South Florida’s cultural landmarks, the Museum has provided cultural and artistic service to the community, and to many visitors from around the world, since it was founded by artists in 1950. Visit the museum website to enjoy the Museum’s current online content, including video tours and digital gallery guides. Support for #BocaMuseumatHome and #KeepKidsSmartwithArt virtual programming is provided by Art Bridges Foundation. Museum hours, admission prices and more visitor information available here.

About Gary Monroe

Gary Monroe is a Florida photographer and author. He received a master’s degree in fine arts from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Monroe has photographed people and culture in numerous countries and throughout Florida, including the endings of the old-world Jewry that once characterized Miami’s South Beach, with extensive travels throughout Haiti, tourists on their “rite of passage” at Disney World, and corporate effects on the landscape. In addition, Mr. Monroe has written ten books about Florida art, including the seminal book, The Highwaymen: Florida’s African-American Landscape Painters, which explores uncharted cultural territories and constitutes a meaningful part of our social history.

Reversing the Aging Process At A Cellular Level

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By: Greg Macpherson, pharmacist, author, “Harnessing the Nine Hallmarks of Aging”

You might think that the occasional gray hair, fine line and wrinkle starting to stare back at you in the mirror is a sign that time is starting to have its impact felt, but these visible changes as we age are just a symptom of what has been going on at a cellular level inside your body for decades. We all know that you can’t change time, but recent advances in our understanding of aging at a cellular level mean that in the not too distant future we will be able to change the impact that time has on our cells.

And it’s about time. Right now, despite the decades and billions of dollars that have gone and continue to go into attempting to understand and solve the diseases associated with advancing age like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and cardiovascular disease, we have not made the progress we should.

Researchers are now starting to ask the question – what if we change track and seek to understand the aging process? By slowing aging, we not only spend decades longer in good health, but we push the diseases associated with old age down the road–possibly avoiding them all together.

Why We Decline with Age

With better questions come better answers, progress, and breakthroughs. Nearly a decade ago, in the absence of a single theory regarding aging, scientists reached a consensus on nine key areas of our cells that decline in function as we age. These key areas are called the nine hallmarks of aging, and they all have something in common. If you make them worse, you age faster. If you make them better, you slow the aging process down.

Identifying the hallmarks of aging has given researchers cellular targets to focus on, and has unleashed an incredible amount of human capital focused on solving, or at least reducing, the ravages of aging on our bodies. Researchers armed with tens of billions of dollars in research grants and private equity are now racing to find the answers. And the prize is huge–resolving the aging process, deferring the diseases of older age and extending the time we spend in middle age in good health by decades will transform humanity and will both disrupt and create a trillion dollar industry overnight.

Progress is being made at an accelerating rate, and there are now therapies that have been proven in mice models that are now making their way into clinical studies. Rapamycin, a pharmaceutical that is typically used for organ transplant recipients, because of its ability to help the body avoid rejecting the organ, is now understood to extend life in mice by up to 60%. Senolytics, molecules that help the body identify and remove senescent cells that increasingly accumulate as we age and literally poison the healthy cells that surround them, have extended life in mice by up to 30%. Metformin, a drug used to treat Type 2 diabetes has been identified to significantly reduce cancer rates and extend life.

And these are just a few of the compounds that have been identified that shift the effect of time on our bodies. These and more molecules being developed right now, plus strategies for healthy aging that have been identified from the blue zones around the world where people live to 100 and beyond at a much higher rate than the rest of us, are amongst the many healthy aging strategies that I featured in my book, “Harnessing the Nine Hallmarks of Aging, to Live Your Healthiest Life.”

As a pharmacist with 30 years of experience, I have spent the last decade working in the biotechnology arena associated with anti-aging, translating the complex world of anti-aging science to make it available for the rest of us. By understanding the nine hallmarks of aging–adopting simple strategies from the blue zones, and sharing the breakthrough molecules that have not been available to humans in previous generations– I’ve put together a step-by-step, healthy aging strategy. We can all adopt this strategy and, in the process, significantly alter our aging trajectory and making healthy aging much more of a certainty.

Why DNA Matters

One example of a hallmark of aging is “genomic instability,” which is another way of saying that the negative changes to our DNA in our cells that happen as we age. Your DNA is your cellular instruction set and defines what it means to be a human versus every other living species on our planet. Your DNA is responsible for the difference between a skin cell and a heart cell, a neuron and an insulin producing cell.

Your DNA are molecules that sit at the center of almost every single cell in your body, helping it function, live and thrive. Your DNA does this in an incredibly hostile environment as it deals with the external stress of pollution, mutagenic foods and chemicals, UV light and X-rays, and the internal insults of oxidative stress. Due to these factors your DNA is damaged between 50,000 and 100,000 times per day, per cell.

Because of the importance of having a healthy instruction set, your cells spend a huge amount of resource on the repair and maintenance of your DNA and as we age, and this process starts to decline, which has significant effect on the health of your cells. Take a quick look at the back of your hand compared to the skin on the inside of your wrist to get a sense of the difference between cells exposed to UV damage that hits your DNA.

DNA damage is happening right now in every cell in your body, and over time it affects the ability of your cells to function effectively. Starting as early as your 30s, by supporting DNA repair and maintenance through making lifestyle changes and by taking molecules, like hobamine, NMN and apigenin, as outlined in my book, it can help your body keep your DNA and the other hallmarks of aging in good shape. By following the roadmap of this breakthrough strategy in a healthy aging, you will age better than previous generations have ever been able to achieve.

Biography

Greg Macpherson is a pharmacist, entrepreneur and author of, “Harnessing the Nine Hallmarks of Aging: To Live Your Healthiest Life.” For more than a decade, he has been working in the biotechnology sector, specifically focusing on the aging process at the cellular level. This work led him to discover ways to harness the nine identified, scientific hallmarks of aging, which is the premise of his book that addresses the natural aging process, how to age more favorably and simple strategies to slow the aging process and build a functional longevity plan. Beyond theory and concept, Macpherson has used his entrepreneurial spirit to further develop solutions to this new paradigm of aging, described in his book, by launching SRW Laboratories, a science and research based company that curates the latest biotechnology research to formulate natural products designed to help slow the onset of aging and disease, and develop evidence based solutions for those who are experiencing age-related health concerns. SRW, which stands for Science, Research and Wellness, is Macpherson’s natural world laboratory that will develop the preventative formulas from nature required to slow down the aging process based on the nine hallmarks of aging, which include mitochondrial dysfunction, telomere attrition and cellular senescence, to name a few. With aging being the single biggest risk factor for developing disease, Macpherson’s mission to slow the aging process at a cellular level could help millions of people delay the onset of diseases associated with advanced aging like Alzheimer’s and heart disease.

1000 Mile Battery Vehicles

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Many Routes to 1000 Mile Battery Vehicles, Reports IDTechEx

It is easy to make 1000-mile battery-electric vehicles, and the effect on market uptake will be profound. For example, a typical city-dweller today might charge only once every two months and vacation where chargers are rare.

With solar bodywork having done some of the job, even feeble existing chargers will cause little delay in charging time. Indeed, solar bodywork is a “get-you-home” feature that is capable of suddenly making battery-electric vehicles acceptable in most of the world– increasing their market potential and accelerating economies of scale in production, making battery-electric vehicles more affordable. Meanwhile, today’s EV would be easier to sell to country dwellers if they had a folding solar panel “lifeboat” offered as an optional extra. See the IDTechEx report, “Solar Vehicles 2021-2041 2nd Edition”.

Learn from the sea. Many solar boats can already be bought with effectively infinite range because they have so much area available for solar. Some have the generating capacity to supply three houses on arrival. For heavier sea-going ships, adding wind turbines works because at sea, the wind is rarely head-on at a speed less than the craft’s. The large Manta ocean clean-up boat from Sea Cleaners is the latest example. Even energy-independent ships are possible by combining these technologies with others.

Land vehicles lag in energy-independent technologies because they have less surface area per passenger, but the newly viable single-crystal silicon on the sides (as demonstrated by Sono Motors at CES 2021) is a step in the right direction. Student solar racers get energy independence using 3–5 compound solar that is unaffordable for most applications as yet. They also get ultra-low drag factors by squeezing the riders. Nonetheless, these things benchmark what is coming to a car, robot shuttle, and truck near you.

For example, following solar golf cars, Aptera, a Californian solar car start-up, promises 1000 miles for those willing to mix it with Class 8 trucks while sitting in a three-wheeled egg. More mainstream, Tesla and Lucid already get past 500 miles range by utilizing low drag factor, light-weighting, more efficient power electronics, and other strategies such as aluminum monocoque, even before adopting solar. Indeed, Tesla Roadster doubles the battery to get 620 miles. Lightyear solar family cars approach 500 miles range with exceptionally extensive solar bodywork, but also offer more efficient in-wheel motors. More efficient motors have been important for Tesla’s exceptional range, and better motors are on the way. See the IDTechEx report, “Electric Motors for Electric Vehicles: Land, Water, Air 2020-2030”.

When feasible, Elon Musk wants solar that unfolds on arrival and will pump more than one kilowatt. Many vehicles are largely glass, but solar building windows are obviously coming to vehicles, starting with Hyundai promising a translucent solar roof.

In 2018, Tesla began to adopt wide-bandgap semiconductors (silicon carbide) in the Model 3’s main inverter, which are more efficient and save on the weight and space of the cooling equipment. Supercapacitors are barely used in on-road BEVs, but they can improve range in many ways now they appear with higher energy density and at a lower price. They grab more braking energy, and they facilitate deep discharge of the newer batteries that can tolerate such things.

The roadmap of other range-extending technologies is equally rich. Infrared harvesting surfaces under the vehicle may work in hot countries. On top and sides, adding perovskite to silicon will grab infrared and light over a much wider spectrum, increasing electricity by at least 10% (multilayer perovskites promises 100%). Autonomous taxis, shuttles, and buses dispensing with the weight and space of the driver can go further. In windy countries, wind turbines that erect when the vehicle stops can be viable. Indeed, the US Department of Defense funds trials of electricity generation by using tethered drones from vehicles, up where the wind is stronger and more consistent.

Raghu Das, CEO of IDTechEx, advises, “VW Group and many others work on structural batteries and supercapacitors to increase range – no more dumb bodywork. Meanwhile, Tesla and Lucid commercialize a first step in that direction. Equally challenging, but still a possibility is using higher voltage to increase range beyond the current focus on charging time. 800-1000V is pioneered by VW Group, Lucid, Rivian, GM, Hyundai, Kia, and other carmakers and their suppliers such as Hitachi, Borg Warner and others. In principle, it increases efficiency and lightens weight.”

“We are currently working on the start of production for several premium 800-volt projects,” says Bert Hellwig, who is responsible for electric drive system development at ZF. “We supply a Chinese OEM with the complete electric driveline, including power electronics, for several models. For a European sports car manufacturer, ZF provides power electronics for a high-voltage application. Further series start-ups are already on the horizon.”

There is much more. Thermal management and all materials and systems can perform better and get lighter, both of which increase range. See the IDTechEx reports, “Materials for Electric Vehicles: Electric Motors, Battery Cells & Packs, HV Cabling 2020-2030” and “Thermal Management for Electric Vehicles 2020-2030”. For example, a transparent heater film applied only where needed on vehicle interiors has been shown to save up to 30% of that electricity.

Meeting all these factors in the middle is intermittent catenary and intermittent road rails and coils–charging vehicles as they hurtle by– and an increasing number of cars able to charge other cars (Sono Motors’ Sion is again an example). Batteries charge fast initially, so the profusion of lamp post chargers topping up in London, for example, can be a good alternative to scarce and expensive fast chargers, particularly as vehicles double their range. Battery improvements promise large range increases. Volkswagen targets 40% more energy density by 2030. In other words, vehicle designers can now choose which of the many routes to 1000-mile range they will pursue with plenty of choices.

For the whole picture, see the IDTechEx report, “Electric Vehicles: Land, Sea and Air 2021-2041”.

For the full portfolio of Electric Vehicle research available from IDTechEx, please visit this website.

LA ESCAPAR: SPRING SUMMER 2021

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SAINT MOJAVI INTRODUCES SECOND SUSTAINABLE “MADE TO ORDER” COLLECTION

Last Fall, Saint Mojavi introduced their first “Made to Order” collection to consumers. The brand’s founder and designer, Teresa Pinedo, wanted to drastically cut waste and be more thoughtful with each style she created. After seeing the success of implementing this business practice, both in popularity with consumers and in the reduction of her eco footprint, Pinedo developed her second sustainable collection.

The Spring Summer 2021 “LA ESCAPAR” Collection is a collective of silhouettes designed for the jet-set fashionista who has been yearning for an escape. It is an uplifting collection full of color and playful prints to incorporate joy and hope after such a tumultuous year.

“There is a sense of spirituality behind every collection and this collection is for those who have been longing for a deeper meaning or just an escape,” shares designer Teresa Pinedo.

Mixed media fabrics like the Green Polkadot Botanica and the Tri-Color Seersucker Plaid are just a glimpse of how picturesque this collection truly is. Reversible Facemasks and Elbow-High Gloves give you fashion with safety. The sustainably sourced pre-loved, recycled fabrics are from local markets in Los Angeles, making this collection apart of the global initiative to decrease waste and improve our efforts in climate change.

Shop Saint Mojavi’s collection HERE.

See who has been wearing the Saint Mojavi HERE.

Soneva In Aqua Experience

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SONEVA INTRODUCES SAILING EXCURSIONS TO THE MALDIVES’ UNSPOILED GOIDHOO ISLAND

Four-Day Soneva in Aqua Experience Includes Surfing Uncrowded Breaks, Diving Among Shipwrecks, Spotting Marine Life and Snorkeling In Untouched Reefs

Setting sail from Soneva’s original barefoot luxury resort Soneva Fushi, the new four-day, three-night Goidhoo experience aboard the Soneva in Aqua yacht offers an ultra-luxury escape to this unspoiled island in the south of the Baa Atoll, 30 miles from Soneva Fushi. As the island of Goidhoo, which can only be reached by boat, is not often frequented by divers and surfers, it offers a rare untouched paradise full of vibrant marine life and corals.

Soneva in Aqua is a refined yacht that combines Soneva’s iconic barefoot luxury with the sense of freedom and adventure associated with a private boat charter. The 75-foot yacht sleeps a maximum of four adults and two children and has two spacious bedrooms with en-suite showers, while the master cabin has a glass-bottomed spa tub set into the floor for viewing the marine life. There is also an on-deck Jacuzzi, daybeds for lounging, dining area, bar, lounge and library. The crew consists of the captain, mechanic, head chef, wellness therapist and signature Soneva Barefoot Butler. A dive master, surf instructor, photographer and astronomer can be added on request.

Diving and snorkeling sites around Goidhoo include the Corbin, a 400-ton French ship that set sail from St. Malo in search of trade in the East, but met its end off the shores of Goidhoo in 1602. Guests are welcome to search for buried treasure and bars of silver that the ship was supposedly carrying. The Naamuli Wreck can also be explored, with remnants of an old steel ship spanning approximately 164 feet over the reef.

The entrance of Goidhoo Corner offers diverse marine life, including Napoleon fish, lobster, nurse sharks and turtles. The Rose Garden is a shallow snorkeling site that offers a spectacular display that looks like a huge underwater garden of rose-shaped coral. Protected inside a lagoon, the Inside Tilla is best explored at night when all the nocturnal marine creatures come out and the reef comes to life. The Soneva in Aqua crew have often spotted manta rays and whale sharks while anchored within the lagoon.

When it comes to surfing, the Goidhoo Pass is well known for producing some of the best waves in the Baa Atoll, with local surf competitions often being held here. Guests can also visit a local island for a cultural experience, or even join in on a soccer match with locals.

The cost of the Goidhoo four-day, three-night charter is priced at $9,900 for three nights, which includes all food and beverages for the duration. This cost excludes standard dive and surf instructor rates, which are priced at $750 and $600 per day, respectively, for two guests.

For more information about Soneva, visit this website.

ABOUT SONEVA
Soneva is a pioneering family of hospitality properties, offering holistic encounters in luxurious and inspiring environments – from world class resorts to outstanding natural locations. Soneva Fushi, Soneva Jani and Soneva in Aqua in the Maldives, and Soneva Kiri in Thailand rebuke the traditional concept of luxury and instead promise the luxury of time, purity and solitude. Every day, guests are encouraged to discover sandy feet, inspired minds and full hearts. Combining luxury with a conscientious approach to sustainability and the environment, and proactively changing the nature of hospitality, it delivers intuitive service and meaningful experiences to the guests.

Vilnius International Film Festival Winners

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Vilnius International Film Festival Announces 2021 Award-Winning Films

Vilnius Film Festival’s 26^th edition concluded April 5, 2021 with the announcement of European Debut, Short, and Audience Award competition winners. This year’s innovative, COVID-safe festival format was a collaboration between the film industry and the Lithuanian capital’s six top hotels, creating a vacation-at-home experience, where audience members enjoyed a virtual opening ceremony with a red carpet and collaborations with local talent, and watched a program of the year’s top international titles from the comfort of luxurious local hotels. “The opportunity to book hotel rooms to watch movies came just in time for an audience hungry for travel, new places, and experiences. According to the hotels, their occupancy rates reached pre-pandemic levels over the course of the three-week festival,” says Go Vilnius Director Inga Romanovskiene. Preliminary data also reveals that 100,000 viewers tuned in to this year’s diverse lineup of titles.

In a field rich with exciting new films, several stand-out titles took home competition prizes. The five-star jury line-up for the European Debut Competition included Venice Film Festival Artistic Director Gaia Furrer, filmmaker/producer Denis Côté, MUBI VP of Content Daniel Kasman, M-films production company founder Marija Razgutė, and filmmaker Lili Horvát. Director Itonje Søimer Guttormsen’s feminist, tragi-comic fable Gritt took home two European Debut Competition awards—both Best Film and a Best Actress award for star Birgitte Larsen. Best Actor was awarded to Pierre Deladonchamps for his role as the sinister central drifter in Peter Dourontzis’ Rascal, while Ainhoa Rodríguez was named best Director for Destello bravió, her precise portrait of women in small-town Spain. Special Mention was awarded to Tim Leyendekker’s boundary-pushing reconstruction of a notorious case of deliberate HIV transmission, Feast.

Other awards include Short Competition winners, judged by film critic and Cannes Critics’ Week programmer Nanako Tsukidate, director and cinematographer Camille Degeye, and filmmaker Ignas Meilūnas: Best Film winner Places, Vytautas Katkus’ intimate portrait of friendship, and Special Mention awardee Fish Like Us, Raphaela Schmid’s short in which various lives and stories unfold at a Chinese restaurant. Viewers were also able to weigh in on this year’s program, awarding Audience Awards to Best Film Quovadis, Aida?, Jasmila Žbanić’s story of a woman caught in the male game of war; Best Short Film The Little Bird and the Bees, Lena von Döhren’s vibrant animated short; and Best Lithuanian Film Swamp, an intimate character study from director Klementas Davidavičius.

“We’re glad that the language of film transcended our physical separation, providing an unparalleled sense of community and closeness,” said CEO of Vilnius IFF Algirdas Ramaška, thanking fans for their support. “Together with our partners, we were able to provide safe experiences-following quarantine restrictions, such as the private screening rooms in hotels-that surely left indelible memories.”

EUROPEAN DEBUT COMPETITION
Best Film: Gritt (dir. Itonje Søimer Guttormsen)
Best Actress: Birgitte Larsen (Gritt)
Best Actor: Pierre Deladonchamps (Rascal)
Best Director: Ainhoa Rodríguez (Destello bravió)
Special Mention: Feast (dir. Tim Leyendekker)

SHORT COMPETITION
Best Film: Places (dir. Vytautas Katkus)
Special Mention: Fish Like Us (dir. Raphaela Schmid)

AUDIENCE AWARDS
BEST FILM: Quo vadis, Aida? (dir. Jasmila Žbanić)
BEST SHORT FILM: The Little Bird and the Bees (dir. Lena von Döhren)
BEST LITHUANIAN FILM: Swamp (dir. Klementas Davidavičius)

The Vilnius Film Festival is supported by the Lithuanian Film Centre, co-funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture, Creative Europe MEDIA Programme of the European Union, Vilnius City Municipality and Go Vilnius. Vilnius IFF Kino Pavasaris is an independent private initiative.

To learn more about Vilnius Film Festival, visit this website.

More info on tourism in Vilinius here.

Children and Screens Announces Grant

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CHILDREN AND SCREENS ANNOUNCES $100,000 GRANT SUPPORTING NEW RESEARCH INTO DIGITAL MEDIA USE AND BRAIN DEVELOPMENT

Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development is pleased to announce that it has awarded a grant of $100,000 to Marc Potenza, Ph.D., MD, Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University, Yihong Zhao, Ph.D., member of the Center of Alcohol and Substance Use Studies at Rutgers University, and their interdisciplinary, interinstitutional team, in support of their research exploring the associations between screen media activity and brain development in school-aged children.

“It is vital to investigate what ever-increasing digital media engagement means for developing brains, especially in middle childhood when children’s devices and brains are working on overdrive. Technology is advancing rapidly, and we hope to do our part to help science keep up; we are delighted to create opportunities to advance scientific research on this topic through the Institute, which I founded 13 years ago.” – Dr. Pam Hurst-Della Pietra, President and Founder, Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development

Drawing on longitudinal data from the NIH’s landmark Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, Dr. Potenza, Dr. Zhao, and their associates intend to utilize state-of-the-art statistical methodology and predictive modeling to investigate the relationships between digital media use and changes in brain structure and function, as well as the associated clinically relevant behaviors. The study, which was proposed following the Institute’s March 2020 Digital Media and Developing Brain Research Retreat, will examine the effects of a variety of specific media-based activities and will focus on children from ages 9-12. The results of this research will yield benefits and insight not only for the research community, but also for families, clinicians, and policymakers.

“The advances in ‘big data’ approaches have led to an unprecedented increase in our understanding of how brain structure and function relate to specific behaviors. With the support of Children and Screens, we aim to apply novel and innovative big data approaches to ABCD data to understand how brain structure and function relate to, and importantly may be impacted by, types and patterns of screen media activity. Dr. Martin Paulus and colleagues used a portion of the first wave of ABCD data to identify patterns of cortical thinning associated with screen media activity. We hope to build off and extend this work by examining the full initial sample and subsequent waves of ABCD data to determine brain-behavior relationships with respect to youth screen media activity. We hope to communicate these findings in order to advance prevention and policy efforts that promote healthy childhood development in environments increasingly involving digital technologies.” – Dr. Marc Potenza, Grant Recipient

Bridging the medical, neuroscientific, social scientific, education, and academic communities, the Children and Screens’ interdisciplinary scientific research grants program was conceived as part of a larger research program to advance and support study, knowledge, and scientific collaboration. Developed in 2017, the grants program provides researchers with access to the early-stage financial support necessary to pilot worthy new projects studying the impact of children’s engagement with current and evolving technologies.

In addition to the research funds awarded as part of the retreat program and those granted to explore the impacts of digital media during the current health crisis, Children and Screens’ regular Tips for Parents newsletter provides evidence-based, practical advice for families coping with the unprecedented realities of the pandemic, including changed economic circumstances, health concerns, lockdowns, social distancing, remote learning, and working from home. Each newsletter features insights from world-renowned experts, who share tips and advice about managing screen time, social media use, gaming, technology addiction, privacy, parenting, and more.

In addition, our popular, bi-weekly Ask the Experts virtual workshop series features dynamic conversations among international, interdisciplinary experts in the field of digital media and child development. Each discussion explores a different digital media challenge associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and presents families with current scientific research, clinical advice, and practical, evidence-based advice. Panelists include leading parenting experts, former AAP Presidents, top child and adolescent psychiatrists, high-impact journal editors, leading researchers, well-known authors, and others. To date, the series has reached parents, researchers, educators, clinicians, government agencies, and public health professionals in over 30 countries and all 50 states.

About Children and Screens:
Since its inception in 2013, Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development, has become one of the nation’s leading non-profit organizations dedicated to advancing and supporting interdisciplinary scientific research, enhancing human capital in the field, informing and educating the public, and advocating for sound public policy for child health and wellness.

Murderous History Series

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TRUE CRIME MYSTERIES PULLED STRAIGHT OUT OF HISTORY

MURDEROUS HISTORY

ALL-NEW SIX PART SERIES PREMIERES SUNDAY APRIL 25 at 9PM ET/PT ON SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL

No fingerprinting? No DNA tests? No psychological profiling? No problem. Smithsonian Channel steps back in time to investigate history’s most shocking murder mysteries and reveal how they were solved in the upcoming all-new series, Murderous History. On the heels of the channel’s recent success in true crime, historians guide viewers through the sinister undercurrents of various city’s past where odd and lethal scandals perplexed historical detectives and expose the dark undercurrents of society. From the devastatingly bombed streets of London to industrial Chicago to Nazi Berlin, each episode captures nail-biting criminal investigations to prove that everything is not always what it seems. Murderous History premieres on Smithsonian Channel Sunday, April 25 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

At the scene of every crime is a story of a time, the place, and its people. This six-part series steps back in time to examine the most gruesome and compelling murder mysteries of the past 200 years, viewed through the lens of the eras and cities in which they took place. Through cinematic reenactments, we follow the determined investigators and complex perpetrators while revealing how each case made its own mark on history.

They happened in times of war and peace, during daylight and darkness, and to victims old and young. These are the stories of the most heinous murders of the 19th and 20th centuries, some which have faded from memory and others that continue to haunt their host cities to this day. Join us as we travel back to some of history’s defining moments when detectives had to overcome the limited tools of their era—and often invented new forensic techniques on the fly—in a race to catch the killers before they struck again.

Murderous History is produced by Warehouse 51 Productions Ltd. for Smithsonian Channel. The executive producers are TKTK from 51 Productions and John Cavanaugh for Smithsonian Channel.

About Smithsonian Channel

Smithsonian Channel, a ViacomCBS Inc. brand, is the place for awe-inspiring stories, powerful documentaries and amazing factual entertainment, available in HD and 4K Ultra HD across multiple platforms. Smithsonian Channel, winner of Emmy and Peabody awards, is the home of popular genres such as air and space, travel, history, science, nature and pop culture. Among the brand’s hit series are Aerial America, America in Color, America’s Hidden Stories, Apollo’s Moon Shot, The Pacific War in Color and Air Disasters, as well as critically acclaimed specials that include The Green Book: Guide to Freedom, Black in Space: Breaking the Color Barrier, Walk Against Fear: James Meredith and Princess Diana’s Wicked Stepmother. Smithsonian Channel is available internationally in Canada, Singapore, Latin America, the UK and Ireland.

World Polo League Beach Polo

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World Polo League Beach Polo is Returning to South Beach

Friday, April 23 – Sunday, April 25

Tickets on Sale NOW!

World Polo League Beach Polo is returning to South Beach! Taking place on the sand between 21st and 22nd Street, the exciting weekend of competition combines entertainment, luxury, and the best polo action in Miami Beach. Strict health and safety measures will be enforced.

The tournament will feature some of the world’s most renowned polo players, including Nacho Figueras, Nic Roldan, Melissa Ganzi, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, Juan Bollini Jr., Juan Martín Nero, and Barto & Jeta Castagnola, Grant Ganzi, Tito Gaudenzi, among others. There will also include a celebrity charity polo match benefiting Give Back for Special Equestrians.

Polo Matches: Friday, April 23 – Sunday, April 25

Retail Village: opens at 11 am, daily
VIP Tent & Polo Lounge: opens at noon on Friday & Saturday and at 11:45 am on Sunday.
On the sands of South Beach at Collin Park between 21st & 22nd Street

VIEWING/TICKET OPTIONS:

Spectator viewing of the polo matches & access to the adjacent Retail Village is free & open to the public with concessions available to purchase.
Daily tickets are available to purchase here to the Polo Lounge, located on the Northside of the field. The Polo Lounge will offer a tented shaded lounge with direct views to watch the matches.
Access to the exclusive VIP tent will be available by table sales only. For pricing and inquiries, please email Miami Polo Cup.

TEAM SPONSORS: World Polo League, Richard Mille, Casablanca, The Setai Miami Beach, Land Rover, The Ritz-Carlton Residences Miami Beach, and Italkraft.

RETAIL VILLAGE: The Retail Village at World Polo League Beach Polo is an area near the field where spectators can go to purchase official merchandise, and other items such as sunglasses from Fred Eyewear, and items from Curio at Faena Bazaar, amongst other vendors such as Bodega Taqueria y Tequila, Super Coffee and Therabody.

Corporate Leaders × Anti-Lgbtq Bills

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Corporate leaders: Companies should work against anti-LGBTQ bills in Texas, other states

Chris Adamo, vice president of Federal and Industry Affairs at Danone North America; Brad Figel, vice president of Public Affairs North America at Mars, Inc.; Molly Fogarty senior vice president of Corporate & Government Affairs at Nestlé USA; and Tom Langan, North America director of Sustainable Business & External Affairs for Unilever:

“As four of the largest food companies and major employers in the United States, we view the growing number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills under consideration in state legislatures, including those that target transgender people and particularly children, with increasing alarm.”
“These bills are bad for families, for communities, for businesses and for the U.S. economy, all still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic…This motivates us to continue using our influence to advocate for policies that establish full equality at the federal and state levels, including swift Senate passage of the Equality Act.”
“Discriminatory legislation — in threat and in practice — directly and negatively impacts the ability of our businesses to compete. It undermines our ability to recruit our future workforces and retain existing talent in states like Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Texas and others enacting and considering draconian legislation.”
“Such policies are out of step with the views of most Americans. The overwhelming majority of Americans support full equality for LGBTQ+ people, according to recent data released by the Human Rights Campaign.”
“Companies have a responsibility to actively work with federal and state legislators to advocate against bills that harm our employees and our customers, and to advance fairness and equality for all Americans”

We condemn dangerous, discriminatory legislation that serves as an attack on LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly transgender and non-binary people.

As four of the largest food companies and major employers in the United States, we view the growing number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills under consideration in state legislatures, including those that target transgender people and particularly children, with increasing alarm.

These bills are bad for families, for communities, for businesses and for the U.S. economy, all still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic.

We condemn dangerous, discriminatory legislation that serves as an attack on LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly transgender and nonbinary people. Such laws not only threaten hard-won progress to bring greater awareness, support and equality to transgender Americans, they also threaten the livelihoods and safety of their communities and their families.

This motivates us to continue using our influence to advocate for policies that establish full equality at the federal and state levels, including swift Senate passage of the Equality Act.

Member companies of the Sustainable Food Policy Alliance, including Danone North America, Mars, Inc., Nestlé USA and Unilever United States, urge the entire U.S. business community to do the same.

This issue is not political. Providing the same basic protections to LGBTQ+ people as are provided to protected groups under federal law is the right thing to do for businesses and for society.

We employ tens of thousands of people in communities across the country. We embrace diversity in our workforces. Inclusive principles already guide the way we work, run our successful businesses, and engage with our employees and communities.

Discriminatory legislation — in threat and in practice — directly and negatively impacts the ability of our businesses to compete. It undermines our ability to recruit our future workforces and retain existing talent in states like Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Texas and others enacting and considering draconian legislation.

In Kentucky, for example, proposed legislation would allow health care providers to turn away LGBTQ+ and other patients, and bar trans youth from K-12 public school and university sports. Similarly, in Texas, legislators have proposed bills that would ban transgender girls from youth sports.

When states legislate this way, not only do they create an environment where not everyone feels safe and welcomed, they endorse it. Such environments deny transgender and nonbinary people the opportunity to fully contribute to the economies in places where they work and live. This harms them and their families and hinders businesses and local communities.

We applaud Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s decision this week to veto legislation that would have banned gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth. Unfortunately, the Arkansas legislature overrode the governor’s veto Tuesday.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves signs a bill in March 2021 to ban transgender athletes from competing on girls or women’s sports teams.

Such policies are out of step with the views of most Americans. The overwhelming majority of Americans support full equality for LGBTQ+ people, according to recent data released by the Human Rights Campaign.

Legislation hurts states’ economies

The ramifications of these discriminatory bills on states’ economic and financial health are also well-documented. A UCLA study found that the social, economic and health effects of stigma and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people negatively impact Texas’ economy by tens of millions of dollars each year. Another study by the Texas Association of Business estimated that discriminatory legislation could result in an estimated economic loss to Texas’ gross domestic product ranging from $964 million to $8.5 billion.

The impacts of such bills are not limited to the states where they are passed. Researchers that studied 39 countries found a clear link between LGBTQ+ discriminatory practices and legislation and the corresponding loss of potential economic output. For LGBTQ+ youth, the study found that discrimination harms their learning, resulting in increased dropout rates and, consequently, reduced participation in the workforce.

We acknowledge that words are powerful. But for companies to engage new generations of workers and consumers, while fostering an environment good for people and for business, we must move beyond only public statements of support for LGBTQ+ issues.

Companies should protect employees

Companies have a responsibility to actively work with federal and state legislators to advocate against bills that harm our employees and our customers, and to advance fairness and equality for all Americans.

We four SFPA companies are committed to stepping up and taking action, including through our advocacy on this important issue. Doing so will support an environment in which all people can grow, thrive, compete and succeed as their true, authentic selves.

Chris Adamo is vice president of Federal and Industry Affairs at Danone North America. Brad Figel is vice president of Public Affairs North America at Mars, Inc. Molly Fogarty is senior vice president of Corporate & Government Affairs at Nestlé USA. Tom Langan is North America director of Sustainable Business & External Affairs for Unilever.

Corporate leaders: Companies should work against anti-LGBTQ bills in Texas, other states