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Laurel Holloman Paints to the Benefit of Kathmandhu Valley Preservation Trust
Photo: Miki Turner
Actress-turned-painter, Laurel Holloman (The L Word), has been living and breathing art for over a year now. A prolific artist, she painted last summer in New York the Tribeca Series which sold out in less than two months. She's been a busy bee ever since.
As she recently announced at L8 in Brighton, Laurel is taking a hiatus from acting for the next 12 months to focus on painting full-time. She is now working on a solo show in Paris and is doing a large commission for a bank in Italy. It's great news that she aims at the 'vieux continent' with her artwork!
Besides that, Laurel's soft spot for charities is well known. Her art contributions to Bark, Masaai Wilderness Conservation Trust and Sewing Hope did remarkably well in support of such great causes.
Hence, it comes as no surprise that Laurel is repeating the experience tomorrow, May 2nd, in New York. This time to the benefit of the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust (KVPT), an organization that safeguards the extraordinary and threatened architectural heritage of the Kathmandu Valley.
A couple of weeks ago Laurel tweeted that she was "painting with pink", a color of good health and life. She was working on a painting which she is donating to a silent auction for KVPT, to be held tomorrow on KVPT's 20th anniversary. On this very special occasion, the organization's board members set a Gala in New York - "New York For Nepal". Laurel Holloman will be there. This is a fantastic opportunity to make her art even more visible for yet another worthy cause.
Best of luck, Laurel!
UPDATE 05/02/2011: Laurel tweeted that she decided to name the pink painting "mukti"! Coincidence given the last night news? Everything happens for a reason.
A night on Broadway
Almost two weeks passed since I came back from my American adventure and am now sorting out the photos I’ve taken as well as those I couldn’t take for which my retina remains the only “memory stick” where I’ve got them saved.
There’s a particular part of my trip [out of so many] that comes to my mind and it has to do with New York. Making the time to see a couple of shows on Broadway is definitely a must while visiting the Big Apple. I was recommended to see a few, but due to time constraints and some of the shows being sold out I decided myself for The Jersey Boys and FELA! Both fantastic shows, with admirable performances. There's a certain reason why I will focus now on the latter.
FELA! is the story of the hottest African musician from the 70s, Fela Kuti, and the action is set in Lagos, Nigeria, in his club he calls the Shrine. He has created a new kind of music, the Afrobeat – pounding eclectic rhythms mixed with incendiary lyrics to openly attack the corrupt and repressive military dictatorships that rule Nigeria and most of Africa. Here's the official trailer of the show:
via youtube
I was impressed not only by the great music, choreography and famous producers: Jay-Z and Will & Jada Pinkett Smith. The costumes were absolutely amazing. While reading the little brochure I had been given at the Eugene O’Neill theater entrance, I was happy and proud to learn they were created by a co-national of mine, Marina Draghici, who won a Tony award this year for FELA!s costume design. She also created the show's set design.
With an impressive resume, the name Marina Draghici can be found on credits of over 170 productions for film, theater, opera and dance. Among them: Precious, Dexter, The Grey Zone, Hamlet and La Traviata. Join Marina on a quick tour of the costume shop and set of the show:
via youtube
It was such a nice surprise to come across her name and her work which I believe wasn't coincidental. I can only take my hat off to you, Ms.Draghici! Or as we say in Romanian: jos palaria!
