Mar/Apr - The Huntington
Transcription
Mar/Apr - The Huntington
• Celebrate “Shakespeare Day” on April 16 • The literary archive of author Paul Theroux is acquired • The 42nd Annual Spring Plant Sale will be held April 22–24 CALENDAR March/April 2016 March/April 2016 The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens 1151 Oxford Road | San Marino, California 91108 huntington.org Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Industry, CA Permit No. 4278 General Information WEBSITE: huntington.org ADMISSION: Members: Free. Non-Members adult rates: Weekdays $23. Weekends $25. (See website for discounted senior, group, and children’s rates.) Admission is free to all visitors on the first Thursday of each month with advance tickets. HOURS: Mon., Wed., Thurs., and Fri.: noon– 4:30 p.m. Sat. and Sun.: 10:30 a.m.– 4:30 p.m. Monday holidays: 10:30 a.m.– 4:30 p.m. SUMMER HOURS: (June–August) 10:30 a.m.– 4:30 p.m. daily, excluding Tuesdays. Closed Tuesdays and major holidays. DINING: The Café serves light meals and refreshments. Tea is served in the Rose Garden Tea Room. For tea reservations, call 626-683-8131. Enjoy Chinese cuisine in the Garden of Flowing Fragrance and specialty coffees and gelato in the Coffee Shop. HUNTINGTON STORE: Open 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Wednesday through Monday, the store carries a variety of books, prints, note cards, jewelry, home decor, toys, and gift items related to The Huntington’s collections. Purchases help finance the institution. Store information: 626-405-2142. Lisa Blackburn, Editor/Photographer Avelina E. Moeller, Designer Thea M. Page, Contributing writer Senior Staff Laura Skandera Trombley President Margaret Irwin Chief of Staff Catherine Allgor Nadine and Robert A. Skotheim Director of Education James P. Folsom Marge and Sherm Telleen / Marion and Earle Jorgensen Director of the Botanical Gardens Steve Hindle W. M. Keck Foundation Director of Research Coreen A. Rodgers Anne and Jim Rothenberg Vice President for Financial Affairs Easter Brunch J oin us for a very special holiday brunch on Easter weekend, Saturday, March 26, or Sunday, March 27. Three seatings will be offered: 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 1:30 p.m. Families can enjoy a delicious meal under the dome of the Rose Hills Foundation Garden Court, including chefprepared omelets, carved meats, and a seafood station, plus mimosas for Photo by Martha Benedict the grown-ups and sparkling juice for kids. The Easter Bunny will be on hand for photo ops (don’t forget your camera!), and there will be goodie bags for youngsters under 12. Tickets: $55 for adults/teens. $27.50 for children ages 4–12. Free for children 3 and under. Advance reservations are required and can be made by calling 626-405-2246. On the cover: The distinctive teal blue Puya alpestris in the Desert Garden is one of many colorful blooms to look for in the gardens in spring. See additional seasonal highlights on page 12. Photo by Martha Benedict. Back cover: Visitors young and old can immerse themselves in the world of Shakespeare during a family event on April 16. See page 3 for details. Photo by Lisa Blackburn. Follow us! Find links to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube, Instagram, Vimeo, and the Verso blog at huntington.org. exhibitions “The Artist’s Garden: American Impressionism and the Garden Movement, 1887–1920” Through May 9 | Boone Gallery “Alex Israel at The Huntington” Kevin Salatino Hannah and Russel Kully Director of the Art Collections Through July 11 | Huntington Art Gallery Randy Shulman Vice President for Advancement Ends March 22 | Library, West Hall Laurie Sowd Vice President for Operations Susan Turner-Lowe Vice President for Communications David S. Zeidberg Avery Director of the Library “Y.C. Hong: Advocate for Chinese-American Inclusion” “Friends and Family: British Artists Depict their Circle” Ends March 28 | Huntington Art Gallery, Works on Paper Room “A World of Strangers: Crowds in American Art” Ends April 4 | Huntington Art Gallery, Second Floor Literary Archive of Paul Theroux Acquired New acquisitions also include a medieval manuscript, a collection of 19th-century photographs, and other rare papers T he Huntington has acquired the papers of renowned travel writer and novelist Paul Theroux. The archive comprises notebooks, handwritten drafts, and corrected typescripts for nearly all of Theroux’s 51 books, along with diaries, short stories, plays, lectures, and essays. It also includes extensive correspondence from the Nobel Prize-winning novelist V.S. Naipaul and many other writers. The papers were among the purchases made in January during the annual meeting of Library Collectors’ Council, a group of 39 families who help support acquisitions. The Theroux papers represent a substantial addition to the Library’s already extensive research holdings in travel literature, notable for the papers of such celebrated figures as the Victorian explorer Sir Richard Burton and T.E. Lawrence (better known as Lawrence of Arabia). Theroux has explored the far reaches of the globe in such classic travel accounts as The Great Railway Bazaar, The Old Patagonian Express, Dark Star Safari, and The Happy Isles of Oceania. His most recent book, Deep South, recounts his wanderings closer to home. In 2015, Theroux was awarded the prestigious Royal Medal from the Royal Geographical Society, whose previous recipients include missionary explorer David Livingston, Robert Falcon Scott of Antarctic fame, and British naturalist Sir David Attenborough. Though best known for his travel accounts, Theroux has also produced a large and distinguished body of fiction, including the novel Mosquito Coast, which was adapted as a film in 1986. Theroux’s novels Saint Jack, Dr. Slaughter (released as Half Moon Street), and Kowloon Tong (released as Chinese Box) have also been made into films. London Embassy, a volume of Theroux’s short stories, was produced as a TV miniseries. Once processed and cataloged—a task that could take several years—the Theroux papers will be available for scholarly research. There are no immediate plans for exhibition. Other items acquired by the Library Collectors’ Council this year were the extensive papers of Page of a notebook for The Great Railway Bazaar, Paul Theroux Collection. Inset: Paul Theroux. Photo by Steve McCurry/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Republican Party founder John Meredith Read (1797–1874), a spectacular collection of 19thcentury photographic portraits, a 15th-century Latin manuscript about the Three Magi, and a volume of notes taken during the lectures of 19thcentury French mathematician Augustin-Louis Cauchy. For details and photos of all these new acquisitions, go to huntington.org, search word “Theroux.” CALENDAR • MARCH | APRIL • 2016 TELEPHONE: 626-405-2100 1 Carnegie Observatories Lecture Series T his spring, the Carnegie Observatories returns to The Huntington for its popular astronomy lecture series, presenting the latest findings and explorations at one of the world’s foremost centers of astronomical research. Since its founding in Pasadena in 1904, the Carnegie Observatories has led virtually every major discovery about the origins, size, shape, and structure of the universe. The observatories are part of the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, D.C., and operate large telescopes in Chile’s Atacama Desert. SERIES DATES AND SPEAKERS: April 4 — “Las Campanas Observatory: A Southern Window on the Universe” by Mark Phillips, director of the Las Campanas Observatory. (Details on page 5.) April 18 — “A Short History of Planet Formation” by Anat Shahar, staff scientist at the Geophysical Laboratory. (Details on page 6.) May 2 — “Exoplanets” by Kevin Schlaufman, assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Johns Hopkins University. Photo by Yuri Beletsky 2 T his year marks the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death; yet, even after four centuries, the appeal of his work remains timeless. His plays and sonnets are rediscovered, reinterpreted, and reinvigorated by each new generation. The Huntington marks this milestone anniversary on Saturday, April 16, with a one-day celebration featuring multiple takes on the Bard, from the traditional to the contemporary, presented by professional performers as well as students. Throughout the day, members of the Independent Shakespeare Co. and the Guild of St. George will enact scenes from some of Shakespeare’s best-loved plays in locations throughout the grounds. Members of L.A. Opera will perform songs from operas based on Shakespeare’s plays, and the Music Center’s touring ensemble, Will & Company, will present an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet geared to school-aged children. As a special highlight, theater students from the East Los Angeles Performing Arts Academy at Esteban E. Torres High School will offer excerpts from their recent Huntingtonstaged production of Twelfth Night. Rounding out the fun, interactive workshops and craft activities will allow children to explore Shakespeare and his world. Visitors can also view The Huntington’s rare “First Folio” edition of Shakespeare’s collected plays and other related works in the Library Exhibition Hall. Activities are ongoing from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and are included with general admission. The lectures will be held in Rothenberg Hall. Doors open at 6:45p.m. Each program begins at 7 p.m. with a musical performance by students from the Colburn School, followed by the lecture at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free, but advance reservations are required. Reserve online at huntington.org/calendar. Changing the World, One Bus at a Time ince the 1960s, field trips to The Huntington have been a memorable part of the school year for countless children throughout Southern California. For many youngsters, the free educational tours have been their first exposure to an art museum, an eye-opening introduction to botany, or the beginning of a lifelong passion for history. But did you know that 60 percent of the schools that visit The Huntington each year couldn’t afford to do so without the Huntington Bus Fund? Donations to the Bus Fund go a long way. For just $250, schools within the San Gabriel Valley can pay for a bus to bring students to The Huntington. And for $500, students from as far away as Bakersfield, San Diego, and Santa Barbara can have bus transportation. S CALENDAR • MARCH | APRIL • 2016 CALENDAR • MARCH | APRIL • 2016 For additional information, contact the Carnegie Observatories at 626-304-0250 or obs.carnegiescience.edu. May 16 — “The Secret Lives of Galaxies” by Katherine Alatalo, Hubble Fellow at the Carnegie Observatories. Join us for Shakespeare Day on April 16 A donation in any amount can have a great impact on the lives of students who otherwise would never have a chance to experience the educational enrichment and inspiration that a school visit to The Huntington can provide. Sponsor a field trip today by making a taxdeductible gift to the Bus Fund. You’ll find details and links at huntington.org/education. 3 Participating groups will include (clockwise from upper left): Guild of St. George, Independent Shakespeare Co., East Los Angeles Performing Arts Academy, and Will & Company. MARCH – APRIL 2016 EVENTS ALL MEMBERS Members’ Plant Sale April 22–23 (Friday–Saturday) 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Members shop early for the best selection during the popular Spring Plant Sale. You’ll also receive an extra 10 percent discount in the Huntington Store during the weekend of the sale. (See details on page 13.) Plants in the Everyday Life of Japan March 1 (Tuesday) 7:30 p.m. For more than a millennium, the people of Japan have maintained an intense day-today engagement with plants for a variety of practical, religious, and aesthetic purposes. Georges Métailié, honorary director of research at the National Center for Scientific Research in Paris, examines some of these engagements from both a historical and a contemporary perspective in this illustrated lecture. Free; no reservations required. Rothenberg Hall CONTRIBUTOR LEVEL MEMBERS AND ABOVE Members’ Orientation March 19 (Saturday) 9 a.m. Enjoy a Members-only docent tour and learn how Henry and Arabella Huntington turned their San Marino ranch into a renowned cultural center. Reservations: 626-405-2124 or [email protected]. AFFILIATE LEVEL MEMBERS AND ABOVE Members’ Spring Quarterly Event “Past into Present: From Working Ranch to World-Class Destination” CALENDAR • MARCH | APRIL • 2016 April 7 (Thursday) 6:30–9 p.m. Trace more than a century of progress at The Huntington in a presentation that draws upon early archival photographs and historic maps of the property. Senior staff members James Folsom, Randy Shulman, and Laurie Sowd are the featured speakers. Invitation only. For questions regarding your Membership, please call 626-405-2124 or visit huntington.org. Wednesdays, 1–3 p.m. Enjoy traditional Chinese music every Wednesday afternoon in the Garden of Flowing Fragrance. General admission. (Cancelled in the event of rain.) Distinguished Fellow Lecture Oliver Cromwell’s Consolation Prize? The English Conquest of Jamaica March 2 (Wednesday) 7:30 p.m. While Lord Protector of England, Oliver Cromwell sent a massive expeditionary force to conquer the Spanish West Indies. He got only Jamaica, which was considered a disappointment. Carla Gardina Pestana, professor of history at UCLA and the Robert C. Ritchie Distinguished Fellow, argues for the importance of this effort and its outcome. Free; no reservations required. Rothenberg Hall r Southern California Gardener Series on unique 4 Music in the Chinese Garden Lessons from Arlington Garden Save spring gifts with your Members’ discount influential Chelsea Flower Show. He also discusses the importance of the edible garden, integrating edible plants into an existing landscape, and using succulents and perennials for stylish container gardening. A plant sale follows the talk. Free; no reservations required. Ahmanson Room, Brody Botanical Center East Asian Garden Studies Lecture Series March 6 (Sunday) 2 p.m. Take a virtual tour of Arlington Garden in Pasadena, a three-acre public landscape that is a model of sustainable urban watershed design. Mayita Dinos, the garden’s master planner, discusses how this former weed lot was transformed using design elements that can be easily implemented on a smaller scale at home. General admission; no reservations required. Ahmanson Room, Brody Botanical Center Japanese Teahouse Tours March 14 & April 11 (Mondays) noon–4 p.m. Take a peek inside the Japanese Garden’s ceremonial teahouse and learn the traditions behind its use. Informal tours are offered at 20-minute intervals on the second Monday of every month. General admission. Francis Bacon Conference General Relativity at One Hundred Downton Abbey Finale Event March 6 (Sunday) 2:30 –6 p.m. In association with PBS SoCal, The Huntington will host a screening of the final episode of the award-winning Masterpiece series, Downton Abbey. Find out how the story ends for the aristocratic Grantham family and their servants in the popular drama filmed at the real-life English estate of Highclere Castle. This screening is paired with an introduction to the Highclere collection at The Huntington by Catherine Hess, chief curator of European art, and ends with an after-hours reception in the Huntington Art Gallery. Members: $25. Non-Members: $35. Tickets: huntington.org/calendar. Rothenberg Hall March 10–12 (Thursday–Saturday) 9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Caltech’s sixth bi-annual Francis Bacon Conference is co-hosted this year by The Huntington. Friday’s programs and a related lecture (see below) will be held at The Huntington; a Thursday afternoon lecture and Saturday’s sessions will take place at Caltech. All sessions are free and open to the public. Conference details: caltech.edu (search word “GR100”). Rothenberg Hall Francis Bacon Conference Lecture 100 Years of Relativity: From the Big Bang to Black Holes and Gravitational Waves March 11 (Friday) 7:30 p.m. One hundred years ago, Albert Einstein formulated his general relativity theory, Chamber Music Concert Camerata Pacifica March 8 (Tuesday) 7:30 p.m. The award-winning Camerata Pacifica ensemble performs works by Eugène Ysaÿe, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Pablo de Sarasate. $56. Tickets and program details: cameratapacifica.org or 805-884-8410. Rothenberg Hall r Zamorano Lecture Preserving Endangered Manuscripts in the Middle East and Africa March 9 (Wednesday) 7:30 p.m. Benedictine monk Father Columba Stewart, executive director of the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library, explains how a Minnesota-based monastery has digitized 50,000 manuscripts originating from Syria, Iraq, Jerusalem, Ethiopia, Mali, and other places where traditional culture is threatened by intolerance and modernization. The project includes both Christian and Islamic manuscripts, creating the world’s largest archive of vanishing literature. Free; no reservations required. Rothenberg Hall r Second Thursday Garden Talk & Sale The New American Garden March 10 (Thursday) 2:30 p.m. Join horticultural trend-spotter Nicholas Staddon for an Englishman’s view of the new American garden. Staddon highlights some of the fresh ideas that are shaping the home landscape, both in the U.S. and abroad, including recent highlights from London’s theHuntingtonStore.org Talk and Book Signing The Good Garden East Asian Garden Studies Lecture Series Surprise, Intrigue, and Significance: The Chinese Influence on the English Garden March 22 (Tuesday) 7:30 p.m. In the 18th century, English landscape design moved from the regularity and discipline of classical European art to the irregularity and freedom of nature. Could this change have been influenced by Chinese gardening ideas that were then being widely discussed? Historian Yu Liu of Niagara County Community College explores this possibility through the work of British statesman George Macartney, landscape architect William Kent, and artist/engraver Matteo Ripa. Free; no reservations required. Rothenberg Hall Scholarly Forum What Good Is History? which describes space and time as warped by mass and energy. Kip Thorne, Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics at Caltech, describes the ideas underlying general relativity and the amazing discoveries about warped spacetime that have been made in the past 100 years. This public lecture is presented in conjunction with the Francis Bacon Conference, co-hosted by Caltech and The Huntington. Admission to the lecture is free; no reservations required. Rothenberg Hall r Clivia Show and Sale March 12–13 (Saturday–Sunday) 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Dozens of outstanding plants compete for top honors at the 13th Annual Clivia Show and Sale, presented by the North American Clivia Society and Southern California Clivia Club. The juried show also features plant sales, an auction, informal talks, and a chance for visitors to cast their vote for the “People’s Choice” award. General admission. Brody Botanical Center. producer Ken Kebow for a screening of Kebow’s documentary Lincoln’s Greatest Speech, which features a powerful reading by actor Richard Dreyfuss and a fascinating discovery about the speech by White. Following the 40-minute screening and a Q&A session, White will sign copies of his book, A. Lincoln. Free; advance reservations are required. Reservations: huntington.org/ calendar. Rothenberg Hall r March 25 (Friday) 7:30 p.m. Pulitzer Prize-winning historians Elizabeth Fenn and Alan Taylor engage in a scholarly conversation on the contemporary relevance of historical writings on the American past. Why do we need historical perspective on our times? What do history, and the humanities more generally, have to teach us about point of view, context, and the rights and wrongs of our past and our present? These scholars and the audience will explore the answers to these questions. This program, which helps mark the centennial of the Pulitzer Prize, is co-sponsored by The Huntington, the Huntington–USC Institute on California and the West, and California Humanities. Free. Reservations: huntington.org/calendar. Haaga Hall r Lincoln’s Greatest Speech March 31 (Thursday) 7:30 p.m. Forty-one days before his death, President Abraham Lincoln delivered his second inaugural address, a speech he considered his finest. Join Lincoln biographer Ronald C. White and Emmy Award-winning director/ April 3 (Sunday) 2:30 p.m. Landscape architect Edmund Hollander, author of The Good Garden, discusses how the design process for a residential landscape is informed by the interaction of natural site ecology, architectural ecology, and human ecology. A book signing follows the talk. General admission. Ahmanson Room, Brody Botanical Center. Carnegie Observatories Lecture Series Las Campanas Observatory: A Southern Window on the Universe April 4 (Monday) 7 p.m. For 45 years, the Las Campanas Observatory in northern Chile has provided a superlative window in the Southern Hemisphere for exploring the wonders of our universe. Observatory director Mark Phillips gives a personal account of the spectacular growth of astronomical research in this unique land of high mountains and dry deserts. The evening’s program begins with a musical performance by students from the Colburn School, followed by the lecture. Free; advance reservations required. Reservations: huntington.org/ calendar. Rothenberg Hall r Distinguished Fellow Lecture Being Elizabethan: How Elizabethans Made Sense of Their World April 6 (Wednesday) 7:30 p.m. Norman Jones, professor of history at Utah State University and the Fletcher Jones Foundation Distinguished Fellow, talks about his decades-long effort to understand how Elizabethan English men and women perceived the structures, meanings, and purposes of life and how those perceptions were linked to their choices and actions. Free; no reservations required. Rothenberg Hall r Molina Lecture in the History of Medicine Finding a Cure at the British Spa April 11 (Monday) 7:30 p.m. Amanda E. Herbert, assistant professor of history at Christopher Newport University and the Molina Fellow in the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences, describes 17th- and 18thcentury medical regimes, exploring why Britons drank and swam in mineral waters in r The Café will be open until 7:15 p.m. before the start of events showing this symbol. Program attendees can enjoy a select variety of dinner options, QUESTIONS? 626-405-2100 desserts, beer, and wine in the new dining venue overlooking the gardens, just steps away from Rothenberg Hall. CALENDAR • MARCH | APRIL • 2016 For Our Members 5 MARCH – APRIL 2016 EVENTS (Continued) Chamber Music Concert Camerata Pacifica April 12 (Tuesday) 7:30 p.m. The ensemble performs works by Nigel Osborne, David Bruce, Christopher Deane, Toru Takemitsu, and Claude Debussy. $56. Tickets and program details: 805-884-8410 or cameratapacifica.org. Rothenberg Hall r Second Thursday Garden Talk Exploring the Beauty of California's Native Flora April 14 (Thursday) 2:30 p.m. Wildflowers once blanketed California’s mountains, deserts, and valleys; today, only small pockets remain. Award-winning photographer David Leaser brings renewed attention to these vanishing botanical treasures with his fine art photographs. In this illustrated talk, Leaser takes viewers behind the scenes for a close-up look at the innovative techniques he uses to capture California’s most breathtaking native flowers. Free; no reservations required. Ahmanson Room, Brody Botanical Center Conference CALENDAR • MARCH | APRIL • 2016 The Fabricated American Desert: Modern and Anti-Modern 6 April 15–16 (Friday–Saturday) 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. The southwestern desert has long stood for American individualism, modernist and antimodernist sentiments, and social and political experiments. As such it has attracted artistic and architectural movements that give form to these ideas. This conference brings together scholars from diverse disciplines to explore the relationship between desert extremes and the built environment. $25. Registration: 626-405-3432 or [email protected]. Rothenberg Hall Shakespeare Day April 16 (Saturday) 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Celebrate four centuries of Shakespeare during a family event featuring traditional and contemporary interpretations of the timeless works of the Bard. (See details on page 3.) Rothenberg Hall Teahouse Tour & Tea Experience April 17 (Sunday) noon, 1, 2 & 3 p.m. Explore the traditions of the Japanese tea ceremony in a 90-minute program that includes a tour of The Huntington’s ceremonial teahouse, Seifu-an, and its surrounding tea garden, followed by a participatory tea ceremony in the Ikebana House. Choice of four times. Tickets: $15. (For non-Members, Huntington admission is an additional required cost.) Registration: huntington.org/calendar. Southern California Gardener Series Wildcrafted Cuisine: Flavors of the Local Landscape April 17 (Sunday) 2 p.m. Professional forager Pascal Baudar sees Southern California as a culinary playground, full of wild plants and other edibles that are ripe to be rediscovered and appreciated. He discusses a contemporary culinary approach to these truly local ingredients in a talk drawn from his book The New Wildcrafted Cuisine: Exploring the Exotic Gastronomy of Local Terroir. A book signing follows the talk. General admission; no reservations required. Ahmanson Room, Brody Botanical Center Carnegie Observatories Lecture Series space exploration and the reach of space activities at the height of the Cold War. The talk will focus in particular on a remote fishing village in south India where American and Soviet scientists came together to launch rockets into space. Free; no reservations required. Rothenberg Hall Talk and Book Signing Ruth Shellhorn: Mid-Century Landscape Architecture and the Southern California Look April 20 (Wednesday) 7:30 p.m. Design pioneer Ruth Shellhorn helped define the midcentury landscape in Southern California with such visionary projects as Disneyland and the University of California at Riverside. Landscape architect Kelly Comras, author of the biography Ruth Shellhorn, examines Shellhorn’s legacy in a lecture and short film screening. A book signing follows the program. Free; no reservations required. Rothenberg Hall r A Short History of Planet Formation Annual Spring Plant Sale April 18 (Monday) 7 p.m. Four very different terrestrial planets inhabit our inner solar system: Earth, Mars, Mercury, and Venus. Join Anat Shahar, staff scientist in the geophysical laboratory at the Carnegie Institution for Science, for an exploration of these planets and a discussion of what laboratory experiments can reveal about the Members: April 22–23 Public Sale: April 24 See details on page 13. conditions that formed them. The evening’s program begins with a musical performance by students from the Colburn School, followed by the lecture. Free; advance reservations required. Reservations: huntington.org/ calendar. Rothenberg Hall r Dibner Lecture A Different Space: NASA in the Postcolonial World April 19 (Tuesday) 7:30 p.m. Asif Siddiqi, professor of history at Fordham University and the Searle Visiting Professor in the History of Science at Caltech and The Huntington, discusses a lost “global” history of East Asian Garden Studies Lecture Series A Commoner Garden in Edo Japan: The Mukojima Hyakkaen April 26 (Tuesday) 7:30 p.m. Unlike the many gardens created by feudal lords in Edo (present-day Tokyo), the Mukojima Hyakkaen was founded by a wealthy merchant. Peter Flueckiger, professor of Japanese literature at Pomona College, discusses how this garden served as a center of literati culture in 19th-century Japan. Free; no reservations required. Rothenberg Hall Distinguished Fellow Lecture The Creative Life in 19th-Century America April 27 (Wednesday) 7:30 p.m. Alice Fahs, professor of history at the University of California, Irvine, and the Rogers Distinguished Fellow, discusses what we can learn from the attempts by prominent 19thcentury American writers such as Henry David Thoreau, Louisa May Alcott, and Henry James to form communities that would nurture and sustain their art. Free; no reservations required. Rothenberg Hall r Continuing Education Taste of Art: Contemporary California Taste of Art: The Artist’s Garden April 2 (Saturday) 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Explore the unexpected juxtapositions of contemporary art and old masters in the exhibition “Alex Israel at The Huntington,” then prepare a meal inspired by the gallery conversation in this workshop with Maite Gomez-Rejón of ArtBites. Members: $85. Non-Members: $100. Registration: huntington.org/calendar. March 5 (Saturday) 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Explore the connections between horticulture and Impressionist art in the exhibition “The Artist’s Garden: American Impressionism and the Garden Movement, 1887–1920,” then head to the kitchen to prepare a delicious garden-fresh meal. Members: $85. Non-Members: $100. Registration: huntington.org/calendar. Wines of Burgundy March 9 (Wednesday) 5–7:30 p.m. Join chef and sommelier Brad Owen for an indepth discussion of the different elements that make Burgundy one of the most complex and compelling wine regions in the world. The program includes a lecture and wine tasting. Members: $90. Non-Members: $105. Registration: huntington.org/calendar. Huntington U Spring Seminars March 9–April 14 Join us for our popular Huntington U seminar series, offering three college-level spring courses taught by distinguished scholars. See page 10 for class descriptions and registration details. Book Discussion The Autobiography of Mark Twain, Volume 1 March 30 (Wednesday) 10 a.m.–noon Join a lively discussion of volume one of The Autobiography of Mark Twain, the author’s uncensored account of his life and times. Book group facilitator Judith Palarz leads the conversation. The paperback Reader’s Edition of Vol. 1 is available in the Huntington Store. Members: $25. Non-Members: $35. Registration: huntington.org/calendar Painting with Nan Rae March 16 & April 20 (Wednesdays) 11 a.m.–3 p.m Artist Nan Rae continues her popular watercolor classes inspired by the art of Chinese brush painting. Each session: $50. Registration: 818-842-6489. Avid Gardener Series Responsible Water Usage for Edible Landscapes April 2, 9 & 16 (Saturdays) 9 a.m.–noon Learn creative ways to grow a delicious, drought-conscious garden in this hands-on series led by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen of Root Simple. Sessions will take place in The Huntington’s Ranch Garden and will address drip irrigation, graywater systems, plant selection, mulch and soil health, and more. Members: $100. Non-Members: $115. Registration: huntington.org/calendar. Flower Arranging: Woodlands Design April 2 (Saturday) 10 a.m.–noon Create a woodlands-themed floral design that brims with the promise of spring, using lichencovered branches and moss, seedpods, berries, lush ferns, fresh herbs, and seasonal flowers. Casey Schwartz and Kit Wertz of Flower Duet lead the workshop. Members: $85. Non-Members: $100. Registration: huntington.org/calendar. Botanical Drawing April 9–10 (Saturday–Sunday) 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Learn techniques for accurately drawing the parts of a plant, from stems and leaves to flowers and fruit, in this class taught by botanical illustrator Lisa Pompelli. Instruction will include foreshortening, tonal contrast, measuring, and perspective. The class is suitable for all skill levels. Members: $175. Non-Members: $195. Registration: huntington.org/calendar. Bargain Wines from Around the World April 13 (Wednesday) 5–7:30 p.m. Great wines don’t have to be expensive. Join sommelier Brad Owen for an evening of lecture and comparative tastings exploring some of the well-known and emerging wine regions of the world that are producing quality wines at affordable prices. Members: $90. Non-Members: $105. Registration: huntington.org/calendar. Tai Chi Series April 30–June 11 (Saturdays) 8:45–10:15 a.m. Experience tai chi in the tranquil setting of the gardens in this seven-part series led by instructor Kathy Chyan, suitable for beginning and intermediate students. Members: $150. Non-Members: $175. Registration: huntington.org/calendar. r The Café will be open until 7:15 p.m. before the start of events showing this symbol. Program attendees can enjoy a select variety of dinner options, desserts, beer, and wine in the new dining venue overlooking the gardens, just steps away from Rothenberg Hall. Children and Families QUESTIONS? 626-405-2100 Children’s Workshop Discovering the Desert Garden March 12 (Saturday) 9:30 a.m.–noon Explore The Huntington’s most wonderfilled landscape with instructor Laura Moede. Learn about the unusual plants that grow in the Desert Garden, look for animal life among the cacti, and create art inspired by the landscape. Ages 5–12. Fee includes one accompanying adult. Members: $25. Non-Members: $35. Registration: huntington.org/calendar. Children’s Workshop Under the Pepper Tree March 26 (Saturday) 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Did you know that pepper is both a spice and a fruit? Join instructor Punam Bhakta in the garden (and in the kitchen) to trace the origins of pepper, learn about its history, and explore its uses in food traditions around the world. Ages 7–12. Members: $25. Non-Members: $35. Fee includes one accompanying adult. Registration: huntington.org/calendar. Children’s Flower Arranging Woodland Terrariums April 2 (Saturday) 1–2:30 p.m. Inspired by the flora in the gardens at The Huntington, children will create their own miniature worlds by filling small terrariums with flowers, moss, and herbs in this handson workshop led by the Flower Duet team. Ages 7–12. Fee includes one accompanying adult. Members: $25. Non-Members: $35. Registration: huntington.org/calendar. Children’s Workshop All About Avocados April 30 (Saturday) 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Learn all about California's official state fruit and mix up some tasty recipes in this handson workshop with chef Ernest Miller. Kids will make guacamole using local ingredients and an amazing avocado ice cream. Ages 7– 12. Fee includes one accompanying adult. Members: $35. Non-Members: $45. Registration: huntington.org/calendar. CALENDAR • MARCH | APRIL • 2016 order to heal themselves from disease or injury. Free; no reservations required. Rothenberg Hall r 7 President’s Message CALENDAR • MARCH | APRIL • 2016 hile folks back east shovel their way through the winter—my son among them, braving the elements at Union College in frosty Schenectady, N.Y.—we are well into spring here in San Marino. At the President’s House, that means planting a vegetable garden and looking forward to cooking with a little home-grown fare. And that’s only fitting, given that this property was once a lively, working ranch. Mr. Huntington grew a rich variety of agricultural crops, among them citrus, avocados, peaches, apricots, walnuts, and persimmons. Today, we’re putting in a condensed version of that: potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, squash, plus some herbs and a little catnip for the many felines in our household. The year in gardening got off to a very productive start: early in January, I found myself working, literally hand in glove, “dead heading” in the Rose Garden. Our renowned Tom Carruth, the E. L. and Ruth B. Shannon Curator of the Rose Collections, each year leads his volunteers on a mission to cut back more than 3,000 roses—but in a very specific, artful way. It’s much more challenging than I would have ever imagined! Without that careful personal touch, we wouldn’t have the amazing display that we do come April and May. The work involves paying close attention and making some very precise choices that will shape future growth. That’s becoming a metaphor for how we cultivate the entirety of the collections. In January, we announced that our Library Collectors’ Council had purchased a range of exciting material, including the papers of the celebrated travel writer Paul Theroux and an astonishing 15th-century manuscript about the Three Magi. Our curators are constantly working to grow our collections in the most meaningful ways for scholarship, responding to research trends. They are particularly keen to identify the types of things that scholars would find interesting and useful: a rare collection of photographs, papers that offer a window into an author’s writing process, documents that give the backstory to a particular political narrative. Collecting is about making choices, and here at The Huntington, it’s a careful, painstaking process. I think about this especially now in the wake of an important development within the Library. Longtime and legendary curator Alan Jutzi retired from The Huntington following 45 remarkable years here. Alan, as Library Director David Zeidberg says, may have done more to shape the collections in his tenure than anyone in the Library since Mr. Huntington amassed his great array of books and manuscripts in the run-up to the founding of the institution. Our curators may be the most unsung of heroes; it is they, working behind the scenes, who help shape a collection, which then becomes the narrative that explains to the world what The Huntington is—what we have, what we do with it, why anyone should care. Our particular story—our many stories—emerge from things collected: the orchids and roses, the camellias and aloes, our Civil War materials, the post-war art. Our curators are shaping the future here. Come see! Laura Skandera Trombley, president A lan Jutzi, The Huntington’s Avery Chief Curator of Rare Books, retired in January after 45 years of dedicated service. Jutzi’s warm geniality to researchers at all levels— and from all walks of life—is one of his abiding institutional legacies. He helped legions of worldclass scholars who came to The Huntington during his decades-long tenure. And he did the same for many others: the graduate student just starting out, the city planner in search of historical context, the regional preservationist trying to save a threatened building, the undergraduate doing her first major research paper, and the passionate seeker of information who just happened to be the world’s leading expert on a given subject. In recognition of Jutzi’s long career at The Huntington and his unselfish service to the intellectual needs of people regardless of academic pedigree, his friends and colleagues have established the Alan Jutzi Fellowship for NonTraditional Scholars. The Alan Jutzi Fellowship will provide at least two months of residential funding annually to someone who is not an academic and who has demonstrated, by competitive application and through appropriate selection criteria, that research at The Huntington is critical to his or her project. This fellowship, while the first of its kind, is not unique in honoring a respected Huntington curator. In 2014, the Mary Robertson Fellowship in Tudor Studies was established to mark the retirement of that distinguished curator of British historical manuscripts. To date, the Robertson Fellowship has funded two scholars of 16thcentury England, with a third on the way this calendar year. The vitality of the Huntington is directly proportional to the vitality of its staff, the collections they acquire, and the researchers that they serve. The Alan Jutzi Fellowship, like the curator for whom it is named, will continue to push The Huntington into new arenas, new themes, and new associations of insight and curiosity. To make a contribution to either the Alan Jutzi or the Mary Robertson Fellowship Fund, send a check payable to the Huntington Library, c/o the Advancement Division, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108. Please specify to which fund the gift should be applied. Donations can also be made online at huntington.org/giving. Subscribe to Great Storytelling here are fascinating stories to tell about the collections at The Huntington. Don’t miss a single one. Subscribe to Verso, The Huntington’s blog, and receive compelling content delivered right to your inbox every week. Pictured: a 15th-century Book of Hours from a story about symbolism in medieval lists. The piece was written by Martha Rust, who is conducting research in the Library as a National Endowment for the Humanities fellow. You can read the archived story at huntingtonblogs.org. Be sure to click “Subscribe” while you’re there. T CALENDAR • MARCH | APRIL • 2016 Photo by Meeno Cultivating the Future W 8 New Fellowship Honors Curator Alan Jutzi 9 Spring Seminars COURSE OFFERINGS FOR SPRING 2016: March 10–April 14 (Thursdays) 1–3 p.m. Instructor: Daniel Walker Howe Professor of history emeritus, UCLA Life and thought in the United States during the generation between 1815 and 1848 will be explored through the writings of Alexis de Tocqueville, Henry David Thoreau, and Abraham Lincoln, and through a reading of Howe’s own Pulitzer Prize-winning book, What God Hath Wrought. Architecture as Fine Art: Greene & Greene and the American Arts and Crafts Movement Reading Thomas Paine’s Common Sense All sessions will be held in The Huntington’s Munger Research Center. Members: $220/seminar. Non-Members: $250/seminar. Registration: 626-405-2128. CALENDAR • MARCH | APRIL • 2016 March 9–April 13 (Wednesdays) 9:30–11:30 a.m. Instructor: Edward R. Bosley Director of the Gamble House 10 Life and Thought in the Young American Republic Explore the rich legacy of Pasadena architects Charles and Henry Greene in a course that examines historical context, specific design characteristics, and the postwar reevaluation of their work that followed decades of neglect. Seminar-style discussions will build on assigned readings. March 14 (Monday) and March 23–April 20 (Wednesdays) 1–3 p.m. Instructor: Nathan Perl-Rosenthal Assistant professor of history, USC Thomas Paine’s pamphlet Common Sense (1776) played a central role in bringing about America’s declaration of independence. What were its origins, and what gave it its wide reach and impact? The class will read Common Sense along with a selection of important antecedent texts and contemporary reactions. T he Los Angeles arts organization Clockshop has launched a yearlong program known as Radio Imagination, presenting a series of events celebrating the life and work of award-winning author Octavia E. Butler (1947–2006). The Huntington is pleased to be among the participating partners. Butler was the first Black woman to achieve international prominence as a writer of science fiction, producing such acclaimed novels as Kindred, Parable of the Sower, and the trilogy Lilith’s Brood, among others. She was also the genre’s first and only writer to earn a MacArthur “genius” Fellowship. The Pasadena native bequeathed her papers to The Huntington, where they have quickly become one of the most actively used archives in the Library. The Radio Imagination project centers on a series of artist and writer commissions to create new works based on the Butler archive. New work will premiere alongside performances, film screenings, and literary events held at various venues throughout the year. Upcoming events this spring include a moderated panel discussion on “Octavia E. Butler’s Los Angeles” on Thursday, March 10, at 7:15 p.m. at the Los Angeles Public Library, and a reading of “I have the kind of imagination that hears. I think of it as radio imagination.” Octavia E. Butler Photo by Patti Perret, 1984 new works of poetry and creative nonfiction on Saturday, April 23, at 7:30 p.m. at Clockshop. For details and additional event listings, visit the Clockshop website at clockshop.org/ project/radio-imagination/#events. Read more about the Octavia Butler archive at The Huntington on the Verso blog at huntingtonblogs.org/2016/01/celebratingoctavia-butler. Publication News Greene & Greene photos courtesy of Los Angeles Public Library Huntington Explorers Registration begins April 12 for the Huntington Explorers summer program, which returns July 11–29 with three weeks of fun and discovery for children ages 5–12. Sign up for one week, two weeks, or all three weeks. Mark your calendars with these important dates: March 31: Class descriptions and registration details will be available online at huntington.org (search words “Explorers 2016”). April 12: Registration begins online at huntington.org. (Only online reservations can be accepted; sorry, no walk-in, mail, or phone registration.) wo new books published by the Huntington Library Press present the histories of major cultural institutions: the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Music Center of Los Angeles County. Both have recently marked their 50th anniversaries, and both books reflect the growth not only of these institutions but also of Los Angeles during half a century. Suzanne Muchnic, the author of LACMA So Far: Portrait of a Museum in the Making, was the longtime arts writer for the Los Angeles Times. Margaret Leslie Davis, the author of The Music Center of Los Angeles County: Five Decades of Music, Theater, and Dance, is a noted biographer of leading figures in Southern California. Both books are available in the Huntington Store and online at thehuntingtonstore.org. T CALENDAR • MARCH | APRIL • 2016 H untington U is back with an all-new series of spring seminars, geared to adults who love to learn. Three college-level courses taught by distinguished scholars offer rigorous lectures and lively discussions in fields related to the Library’s holdings. Students will delve deeply into each topic during the six-week classes, but there are no papers to write and no final exams. Celebrating Octavia Butler 11 42nd Annual Spring Plant Sale S pring is almost here, and there’s no better place to enjoy its remarkable diversity than in the Botanical Gardens. In March, the wisteria comes into flower in the Japanese Garden— one of the most picturesque displays of the year—and vivid clusters of clivia appear in the Jungle Garden. April’s abundance in the Desert Garden includes neon-hued puyas and dazzling cactus flowers. Look for peonies in the Chinese Garden and golden California poppies in the entry complex’s California Garden. And more than 1,200 varieties of roses will burst into bloom in the Rose Garden in late April and early May. CALENDAR • MARCH | APRIL • 2016 Pictured (clockwise from top left): Echinopsis ‘Apricot Glow’, Puya chilensis, California poppies, and wisteria. 12 Upcoming Fellows’ Events Food for Thought March 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22 (Mondays & Tuesdays) Fellows’ Plant Sale Preview April 21 (Thursday) Moonlight & Music April 25 (Monday) INVITATIONS TO FOLLOW Public sale: Sunday, April 24, 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. F or serious plant enthusiasts and weekend gardeners alike, The Huntington’s Annual Plant Sale has been a popular “rite of spring” for more than four decades. Known for its wide selection of new, unusual, and hard-to-find plants, the sale has helped shape tastes and respond to horticultural trends that have redefined the Southern California landscape. This year’s event will be open to Members only on Friday and Saturday, April 22–23, and to the public on Sunday, April 24. Interest in water-wise plants continues to be high, so the sale will feature many drought-resistant plants from the Southwest and other Mediterranean climates. The selection includes flowering favorites such as Tecoma, Grevillea, Leucadendron, Cassia, Penstemon, Eremophila, Hesperaloe, and Salvia, among others, plus a variety of attractive grasses and sedges. For the edible garden, there will be a wide assortment of vegetable seedlings, herbs, blueberries, fruiting trees, and other small fruit-bearing plants. There will also be unusual cacti and succulents, vintage roses custom propagated from The Huntington’s own rose collections, tropical plants, trees, vines, groundcovers, and much more. Knowledgeable Huntington staff and volunteers will be on hand to answer questions and offer advice about plant selection, care, and cultivation. The sale will be held in the Botanical Center nursery area. (For nonMembers, garden admission is required for Sunday’s public sale.) For convenient shopping, bring a wagon or cart to carry your purchases. Enjoy the Benefits of Membership SOCIETY OF Fellows Members’ sale: Friday, April 22, 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Saturday, April 23, 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. pring is a busy time for the Fellows. The popular “Food for Thought” lunchtime series returns in March, with six opportunities to meet visiting scholars and hear about their latest research. On April 21, it’s time for shopping, sipping, and mingling at the annual Fellows’ Plant Sale Preview. Fellows shop one day before this popular sale opens to Members. And for our President’s Circle and Huntington Circle Fellows, there will be Moonlight & Music on April 25. This reception and performance features musicians from the Colburn School. Join the Society of Fellows today to become part of this remarkable community, defined by annual giving levels that begin at $2,500. All are welcome. Fellows enjoy exclusive events and opportunities to engage with The Huntington’s curators and collections. For more information, contact Pamela Hearn, director of the Society of Fellows, at 626-405-2264 or [email protected], or visit the Membership page at huntington.org. S embership gives you the opportunity to enjoy The Huntington all year round, explore all it has to offer, and enrich your mind with every visit. At the same time, it provides essential support for education programs, exhibitions, and research. Benefits include free admission for two adults and their children or grandchildren, a 10-percent discount in the Huntington Store, and special Members-only events. For a complete list of benefits, or to join online, visit huntington.org or call 626-405-2124. M Yes! I want to join The Huntington o Sustaining o o o o o o Not a Member yet? New Members may join at the sale entrance. Makes a perfect gift, too! Mr./Ms./Miss/Mrs./Mr. & Mrs./Other __________________________________________________ Name (print name as it will appear on Membership card) __________________________________________________ Second cardholder’s name __________________________________________________ Address Apt. # __________________________________________________ City State _______________________ Office phone Zip _____________________ Home phone E-mail address Gift from ___________________________________________ Name __________________________________________________ Address $120 (Senior discount $30 off, age 65 and over) Contributor Affiliate Supporting Patron Benefactor Society of Fellows Stop by the Huntington Store during the Plant Sale and enjoy an additional 10 percent off your regular Members’ discount on any store purchases. It’s the perfect opportunity to stock up on garden books and gift items. Look for the discount coupon in your Members’ Plant Sale invitation. This offer is valid only April 22–25 and is not transferable. (Sorry, the discount cannot be applied to plant purchases.) __________________________________________________ o New o Renewal/Account No. _____________ o Gift Membership Special Discount for Members in the Huntington Store $200 $300 $380 $700 $1,500 $2,500 Apt. # __________________________________________________ City State _______________________ Office phone Zip _____________________ Home phone Payment Options o Check (payable to The Huntington) o Visa o MasterCard o American Express __________________________________________________ Acct. no. Signature Exp. date ____________________________________________ CALENDAR • MARCH | APRIL • 2016 In Bloom 13