Recently, my wife and I were invited to attend a Quinceanera celebrating the 15th birthday of the daughter of a Hispanic friend. Being our first, we had no idea what to expect and were somewhat apprehensive as to what the exact protocol would be. More on this later, but first let me provide some background and history on this event of which I had very little knowledge.
Many cultures and religions have their own unique way of celebrating the maturation of their young. They include events like Bar Mitzvahs, Bat Mitzvahs, Debutante Balls, First Haircuts, Sweet Sixteen Parties, Baptisms, Confirmations, Hazings and Circumcision, all known to most of us, but less known are the practices of Breeching (Western European), Dokimasias (Greece), Russ (Norwegian), Scarification (many cultures), as well as a whole host of ceremonies from Hinduism, Buddhism and Native American origins. But it is the Quinceanera from the Hispanic culture that is today's topic. It usually begins with a religious ceremony to honor God and then progresses to a festive social event that involves family, friends, music, food and dance which can last for hours. Our experience began with the reception which began at 4:00pm and was scheduled to end at 1:00am the following morning.
We arrived at 4:30 and were warmly greeted at the front door of the event center where all tables had been elaborately decorated with red and white table cloths, angelic figurines and miscellaneous items which turned out to be favors for attendees. In addition there was a separate table, obviously for the honoree and her court, as well as a table full of ornately decorated cakes. At that early hour there were many empty tables so we chose one in the center of one side of the room. Almost immediately the mother and sister of honoree came over to thank us for coming, after which we were served our own large bottle of soft drink. Shortly thereafter delicious food began arriving starting with a soup, then chips and salsa and ending with a plate of beef, rice and tortillas. As the evening progressed, the room began to fill up with family and friends of all ages in an array of festive dress, even including very young children who added a fun element to the occasion because they seemed to enjoy themselves the most. Throughout the meal soft melodic music played in the background at the direction of the master of ceremonies who manned a very impressive sound system on an elevated stage located at one end of the room.
Sometime around 6:30pm the honoree and her court, which turned out to be four young men, made their entrance to the delight of all who had gathered by then. She was dressed in an ornate full-length ball gown and they in formal attire. At that point the flavor of music changed to Latino, to which they made a grand entrance that was beautifully choreographed with intricate steps and precise movements, ending with her being elevated on the shoulders of two members of the court as confetti inundated the room. At that point she was presented with a large box containing gifts from her many girl friends who were there. Then the honoree was seated in the center of the room where her fraternal grandmother placed a tiara on her head, followed by the gift of her last doll (dressed similar to the honoree) from her maternal grandmother which was then taken away by her maternal great-grandmother all in a very precise and ceremonial fashion. A sparkling beverage was then poured into champagne glasses for everyone to toast the honoree. Her father began to dance with her to the wonderful music which had continued throughout all of these proceedings,
followed by an arranged set of relatives all individually announced as they tagged in (think wedding reception).
After the above dancing segment, the honoree and her court left the room which by now was full of friends and guests. Sometime later they all re-appeared in informal clothing and began another choreographed dance sequence with the honoree dancing separately with each of the members of her court to entirely different music and steps. How she was able to persuade four young teenage boys to master all of the moves they showed beginning with their grand entrance is beyond me, but I do know that they all practiced for many weeks prior to the evening because I asked one of them how they mastered everything. By then the music was getting louder and more youthful, so my wife and I bid our goodbyes and quietly left. I understand that the celebration did in fact continue until 1:00am, but for the four and a half hours we were there we had one of the most fun, entertaining and enlightening evenings we have ever had, including being warmly welcomed by everyone there. It just goes to prove that one should always welcome the opportunity to engage in experiences outside one's culture and comfort zone. To learn more about this amazing celebration in the life of a young Hispanic girl, go to http://www.quinceanera-boutique.com/quinceaneratradition.htm.
ARTISTS - Visual and Musical
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
Will Barnet at http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&expIds=17259,17315,23628,23670,24472,25834,26095,26328,26562,26637,26761,26790,26849,26992,27095,27126,27139,27147,27178&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=will+barnet&cp=9&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=xpfETMT1O4L6lwf66ugE&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQsAQwAQ&biw=1350&bih=501
Barry Thomas at http://barrythomasart.com
Sherry Williamson at http://meowbarkart.com
Julie McNair at http://juliemcnair.com
Phoebe Lichty at http://phoebelichty.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
Boswell Mourot Fine Art at http://boswellmourot.com
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Sunday, July 17, 2011
The Moment of Truth - A Missed Opportunity?
As the current discord over debt, taxes, budget and jobs goes on, it makes me wonder what certain members of our congress think they were elected to do. Obfuscate? Destroy? Play games? Position themselves for the 2012 election? How about they just do their job and protect the true interests of all Americans by passing a comprehensive bill to put our country on long term sound financial footing that would eliminate the confusion and angst that now exist, and position the United States to expand its economy and regain world confidence. Right now we are being compared to Greece because of rampant political posturing and paralysis in Washington. Yes, it will require compromise on both sides which is at the center of all landmark legislation.
From all I have been able to glean from very knowledgeable journalists including Ezra Klein, Paul Krugman, Nicholas Kristof, David Brooks and Henry Blodget (yes, that Henry Blodget), it is without question time we address these issues head on in a comprehensive manner and not "kick the can down the road" which seems to be modus operandi of some in congress. My concern is that it may be too late. However, before that process can begin each side needs to quit blaming the other for being the responsible party who created this mess. In truth, both Democrats and Republicans did, so admit it and move on. The next step is for both sides to realize that there are merits to both cutting spending and raising revenue, and for those 236 Congressmen and 41 Senators who signed that silly pledge to never do the latter to tear it up. The Economist magazine called such a position "economically illiterate and disgracefully cynical". And, finally, if bi-partisanship is what will make a comprehensive plan acceptable, then there is one on the table right now that should be adopted and passed as written - i.e. the proposal submitted last December by The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, often referred to as either the Bowles-Simpson Commission or the Simpson-Bowles Commission, depending no doubt on one's political affiliation, but take your pick.
In essence this report, sub-titled "The Moment of Truth", minces no words in clearly laying out the challenges of adopting its recommendations, as well as the perils if we do nothing. Of course there are things each side will not like which is what makes it so acceptable in my view. But it really tackles the spending cuts and added revenue divide that has stopped all progress thus far and could well be applied to the "The Mother of All No-Brainers" conclusion David Brooks wrote about in the New York Times on July 4th, wherein he also labeled a White House proposal to cut $4 trillion in spending as "the deal of the century". In short, this report clearly lays out its mission to address the "looming fiscal crisis" by succinctly outlining the principles and values embraced to meet its mission to balance the budget by 2015 and improve our long-run fiscal outlook by addressing the following six main categories of concern:
1. Discretionary Spending Cuts
2. Comprehensive Tax Reform
3. Health Care Cost Containment
4. Mandatory Savings
5. Social Security Reforms to Ensure Long-Term Solvency and Reduce Poverty
6. Process Changes
It is a remarkable document which should serve as the blueprint for President Obama's written plan the Republicans constantly call for him to submit to congress, and should be quickly adopted by both chambers. As such, I strongly urge everyone to read about The Moment of Truth in its entirety at http://www.fiscalcommission.gov/sites/fiscalcommission.gov/files/documents/TheMomentofTruth12_1_2010.pdf and, hopefully, avoid a missed opportunity.
ARTISTS - Visual and Musical
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
Will Barnet at http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&expIds=17259,17315,23628,23670,24472,25834,26095,26328,26562,26637,26761,26790,26849,26992,27095,27126,27139,27147,27178&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=will+barnet&cp=9&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=xpfETMT1O4L6lwf66ugE&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQsAQwAQ&biw=1350&bih=501
Barry Thomas at http://barrythomasart.com
Sherry Williamson at http://meowbarkart.com
Julie McNair at http://juliemcnair.com
Phoebe Lichty at http://phoebelichty.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
Boswell Mourot Fine Art at http://boswellmourot.com
From all I have been able to glean from very knowledgeable journalists including Ezra Klein, Paul Krugman, Nicholas Kristof, David Brooks and Henry Blodget (yes, that Henry Blodget), it is without question time we address these issues head on in a comprehensive manner and not "kick the can down the road" which seems to be modus operandi of some in congress. My concern is that it may be too late. However, before that process can begin each side needs to quit blaming the other for being the responsible party who created this mess. In truth, both Democrats and Republicans did, so admit it and move on. The next step is for both sides to realize that there are merits to both cutting spending and raising revenue, and for those 236 Congressmen and 41 Senators who signed that silly pledge to never do the latter to tear it up. The Economist magazine called such a position "economically illiterate and disgracefully cynical". And, finally, if bi-partisanship is what will make a comprehensive plan acceptable, then there is one on the table right now that should be adopted and passed as written - i.e. the proposal submitted last December by The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, often referred to as either the Bowles-Simpson Commission or the Simpson-Bowles Commission, depending no doubt on one's political affiliation, but take your pick.
In essence this report, sub-titled "The Moment of Truth", minces no words in clearly laying out the challenges of adopting its recommendations, as well as the perils if we do nothing. Of course there are things each side will not like which is what makes it so acceptable in my view. But it really tackles the spending cuts and added revenue divide that has stopped all progress thus far and could well be applied to the "The Mother of All No-Brainers" conclusion David Brooks wrote about in the New York Times on July 4th, wherein he also labeled a White House proposal to cut $4 trillion in spending as "the deal of the century". In short, this report clearly lays out its mission to address the "looming fiscal crisis" by succinctly outlining the principles and values embraced to meet its mission to balance the budget by 2015 and improve our long-run fiscal outlook by addressing the following six main categories of concern:
1. Discretionary Spending Cuts
2. Comprehensive Tax Reform
3. Health Care Cost Containment
4. Mandatory Savings
5. Social Security Reforms to Ensure Long-Term Solvency and Reduce Poverty
6. Process Changes
It is a remarkable document which should serve as the blueprint for President Obama's written plan the Republicans constantly call for him to submit to congress, and should be quickly adopted by both chambers. As such, I strongly urge everyone to read about The Moment of Truth in its entirety at http://www.fiscalcommission.gov/sites/fiscalcommission.gov/files/documents/TheMomentofTruth12_1_2010.pdf and, hopefully, avoid a missed opportunity.
ARTISTS - Visual and Musical
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
Will Barnet at http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&expIds=17259,17315,23628,23670,24472,25834,26095,26328,26562,26637,26761,26790,26849,26992,27095,27126,27139,27147,27178&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=will+barnet&cp=9&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=xpfETMT1O4L6lwf66ugE&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQsAQwAQ&biw=1350&bih=501
Barry Thomas at http://barrythomasart.com
Sherry Williamson at http://meowbarkart.com
Julie McNair at http://juliemcnair.com
Phoebe Lichty at http://phoebelichty.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
Boswell Mourot Fine Art at http://boswellmourot.com
Monday, July 4, 2011
Uncle Sam, We Hardly Know Ye
In celebration of our country's Independence Day, I thought I would answer a question posed by my son-in-law this week which is certainly relevant to the occasion. In so doing, this will be light in tone and short in content.
The question was "How did Uncle Sam originate?". The only answer I could muster up was he was an imaginary figure conceived during World War I to help recruit enlistees. While that was, in fact, one of Uncle Sam's purposes, it was way off the mark for a complete and truthful answer. Thanks to Google, I learned that it actually can be traced back to a Samuel Wilson, the person responsible for inspecting all meat purchased by the government following the declaration of the War of 1812 against England, who was commonly called "Uncle Sam". A contractor named Elbert Anderson would label his containers of such provisions "E.A.", for his initials, and "U.S." for the United States, the latter of which were not familiar to his employees. When one suggested that "U.S." stood for Uncle Sam, Samuel Wilson's nickname, the tag stuck and by 1820 became a common reference for the United States. However, it did not become personalized into character form until the Civil War when another character named Brother Jonathan, who had been the popular icon of the United States and was depicted in cartoons with striped pants, tails and a top hat, morphed into the first version of Uncle Sam. Images were subsequently refined by Thomas Nast, a popular artist of that time who also was responsible for our popular image of Santa Clause, until the one resognize today was developed in 1876. Read the complete history at http://www.sonofthesouth.net/uncle-sam/.
With that short story, please remember the wonderful freedoms we all enjoy, and very best wishes to all for a very happy and safe 4th of July!
ARTISTS - Visual and Musical
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
Will Barnet at http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&expIds=17259,17315,23628,23670,24472,25834,26095,26328,26562,26637,26761,26790,26849,26992,27095,27126,27139,27147,27178&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=will+barnet&cp=9&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=xpfETMT1O4L6lwf66ugE&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQsAQwAQ&biw=1350&bih=501
Barry Thomas at http://barrythomasart.com
Sherry Williamson at http://meowbarkart.com
Julie McNair at http://juliemcnair.com
Phoebe Lichty at http://phoebelichty.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
Boswell Mourot Fine Art at http://boswellmourot.com
The question was "How did Uncle Sam originate?". The only answer I could muster up was he was an imaginary figure conceived during World War I to help recruit enlistees. While that was, in fact, one of Uncle Sam's purposes, it was way off the mark for a complete and truthful answer. Thanks to Google, I learned that it actually can be traced back to a Samuel Wilson, the person responsible for inspecting all meat purchased by the government following the declaration of the War of 1812 against England, who was commonly called "Uncle Sam". A contractor named Elbert Anderson would label his containers of such provisions "E.A.", for his initials, and "U.S." for the United States, the latter of which were not familiar to his employees. When one suggested that "U.S." stood for Uncle Sam, Samuel Wilson's nickname, the tag stuck and by 1820 became a common reference for the United States. However, it did not become personalized into character form until the Civil War when another character named Brother Jonathan, who had been the popular icon of the United States and was depicted in cartoons with striped pants, tails and a top hat, morphed into the first version of Uncle Sam. Images were subsequently refined by Thomas Nast, a popular artist of that time who also was responsible for our popular image of Santa Clause, until the one resognize today was developed in 1876. Read the complete history at http://www.sonofthesouth.net/uncle-sam/.
With that short story, please remember the wonderful freedoms we all enjoy, and very best wishes to all for a very happy and safe 4th of July!
ARTISTS - Visual and Musical
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
Will Barnet at http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&expIds=17259,17315,23628,23670,24472,25834,26095,26328,26562,26637,26761,26790,26849,26992,27095,27126,27139,27147,27178&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=will+barnet&cp=9&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=xpfETMT1O4L6lwf66ugE&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQsAQwAQ&biw=1350&bih=501
Barry Thomas at http://barrythomasart.com
Sherry Williamson at http://meowbarkart.com
Julie McNair at http://juliemcnair.com
Phoebe Lichty at http://phoebelichty.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
Boswell Mourot Fine Art at http://boswellmourot.com
Monday, June 27, 2011
Truly One of a Kind
One of my earliest memories is a picture of my mother apparently taken in 1947 at the Hardscrabble Country Club Open in Fort Smith having just completed hitting one of her drives. She was an avid golfer, played in many tournaments there and around the state of Arkansas and had a whole passel of golfing friends as a result. While this photo did a great job of capturing the finish of her powerful swing, the remarkable thing about it was the following handwritten inscription in the lower right corner. As I recall, it read: "To Ruth: With love to you, Tom and the kids". "Babe". Babe in this case was Babe Didrikson Zaharias who died from cancer on September 27, 1956, and would have been 100 years old yesterday.
I had all but forgotten about that photo until just by chance I caught a tribute to her yesterday on ESPN, which I rarely watch, but then got home later to read a wonderful article in the New York Times sports section also commemorating her centennial. So, for those of you who are not familiar with Babe and her remarkable life and sports achievements, I am going to take the liberty to borrow some of that article written by Don Van Natta, Jr., author of the book: "Wonder Girl: The Magnificent Sporting Life of Babe Didrikson Zaharias" because many of her sports accomplishments are unparalleled even today. To quote W.L. Pate, Jr., president of the Babe Didrikson Zaharias Foundation and mayor pro tem of Beaumont, Texas: "Every time I tell her story, people have trouble believing everything she was able to do during her life...and she did so much in so little time". Mr. Natta even labels her "perhaps America's greatest all-around athlete, male or female".
Born on June 26, 1911, in Port Arthur, Texas, she grew up in her teens playing baseball as well as basketball with the boys because they provided much better competition. She was a brash, tough talking and very confident woman who would often declare before a golf tournament "The Babe's here! Who's going to finish second?" But no one excelled more at sports and games than she, becoming an all-American basketball player, a two-time Olympic track and field gold medalist and winner of 32 golf tournaments including 14 in a row, a feat unmatched to this day by either male or female golfer. She was one of the founders of the L.P.G.A., the first woman ever to play against men in a PGA Tour event and the first American to win the British Women's Amateur Championship. And golf actually came later in her life after being outstanding in baseball, softball, tennis, billiards, swimming, diving and bowling.
But her most spectacular achievement probably occurred at the amateur track and field championships in Evanston, Illinois on July16, 1932. She singularly comprised the entire team representing Employers Casualty Insurance Company of Dallas, Texas and competed as a "one-woman track team" (her own words) against other company teams of up to 22 members. Over the course of that afternoon she sprinted from event to event where she finished first in five events (broad jump, shot-put, javelin, 80-meter hurdles and baseball throw) and tied for first in a sixth event (high jump). At the end of the day she had qualified for three Olympic events and compiled 30 team points for her team, followed in second place by the Illinois Women's Athletic Club with 22 team points which, coincidentally, matched exactly the size of their team at 22 members. "Implausible is the adjective that best befits the Babe" is how Arthur Daley described her amazing accomplishment in the NYT. She went on to win gold medals in the javelin and 80-meter hurdles and a silver medal in the high jump in the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles and thus became the most famous female athlete in the world.
Following that high point she found very few places where she could compete, and then the economic depression hit which all but eliminated any sports opportunities. After traveling around the country performing quirky gigs like riding donkeys around baseball parks in small towns across America, she finally turned to golf the toughest game for her, but one she mastered by practicing up to 10 hours a day. By 1938 she had married George Zaharias, a professional wrestler who helped in her personal makeover to the public and the press. In 1946 and 1947 she dominated the game by winning those 14 tournaments in a row mentioned above, one being the Hardscrabble Open, and continued the game until April 1953 when she was first diagnosed with rectal cancer. At that time doctors told her she would never play professional golf again. However, fifteen months later after her surgery she won the United States Women's Open at Salem Country Club in Peabody, Massachusetts by a phenomenal twelve strokes. She then became an active crusader against cancer often talking about her illness at a time when public figures remained silent on such matters.
Two years after her amazing victory at Salem she was dead but not forgotten. In fact, upon learning of her death, President Dwight Eisenhower opened one of his news conferences with this tribute: "She was a woman who, in her athletic career, certainly won the admiration of every person in the United States, all sports people all over the world, and in her gallant fight against cancer, she put up one of the kind of fights that inspire us all". In short, she was truly one of a kind.
ARTISTS - Visual and Musical
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
Will Barnet at http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&expIds=17259,17315,23628,23670,24472,25834,26095,26328,26562,26637,26761,26790,26849,26992,27095,27126,27139,27147,27178&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=will+barnet&cp=9&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=xpfETMT1O4L6lwf66ugE&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQsAQwAQ&biw=1350&bih=501
Barry Thomas at http://barrythomasart.com
Sherry Williamson at http://meowbarkart.com
Julie McNair at http://juliemcnair.com
Phoebe Lichty at http://phoebelichty.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
Boswell Mourot Fine Art at http://boswellmourot.com
I had all but forgotten about that photo until just by chance I caught a tribute to her yesterday on ESPN, which I rarely watch, but then got home later to read a wonderful article in the New York Times sports section also commemorating her centennial. So, for those of you who are not familiar with Babe and her remarkable life and sports achievements, I am going to take the liberty to borrow some of that article written by Don Van Natta, Jr., author of the book: "Wonder Girl: The Magnificent Sporting Life of Babe Didrikson Zaharias" because many of her sports accomplishments are unparalleled even today. To quote W.L. Pate, Jr., president of the Babe Didrikson Zaharias Foundation and mayor pro tem of Beaumont, Texas: "Every time I tell her story, people have trouble believing everything she was able to do during her life...and she did so much in so little time". Mr. Natta even labels her "perhaps America's greatest all-around athlete, male or female".
Born on June 26, 1911, in Port Arthur, Texas, she grew up in her teens playing baseball as well as basketball with the boys because they provided much better competition. She was a brash, tough talking and very confident woman who would often declare before a golf tournament "The Babe's here! Who's going to finish second?" But no one excelled more at sports and games than she, becoming an all-American basketball player, a two-time Olympic track and field gold medalist and winner of 32 golf tournaments including 14 in a row, a feat unmatched to this day by either male or female golfer. She was one of the founders of the L.P.G.A., the first woman ever to play against men in a PGA Tour event and the first American to win the British Women's Amateur Championship. And golf actually came later in her life after being outstanding in baseball, softball, tennis, billiards, swimming, diving and bowling.
But her most spectacular achievement probably occurred at the amateur track and field championships in Evanston, Illinois on July16, 1932. She singularly comprised the entire team representing Employers Casualty Insurance Company of Dallas, Texas and competed as a "one-woman track team" (her own words) against other company teams of up to 22 members. Over the course of that afternoon she sprinted from event to event where she finished first in five events (broad jump, shot-put, javelin, 80-meter hurdles and baseball throw) and tied for first in a sixth event (high jump). At the end of the day she had qualified for three Olympic events and compiled 30 team points for her team, followed in second place by the Illinois Women's Athletic Club with 22 team points which, coincidentally, matched exactly the size of their team at 22 members. "Implausible is the adjective that best befits the Babe" is how Arthur Daley described her amazing accomplishment in the NYT. She went on to win gold medals in the javelin and 80-meter hurdles and a silver medal in the high jump in the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles and thus became the most famous female athlete in the world.
Following that high point she found very few places where she could compete, and then the economic depression hit which all but eliminated any sports opportunities. After traveling around the country performing quirky gigs like riding donkeys around baseball parks in small towns across America, she finally turned to golf the toughest game for her, but one she mastered by practicing up to 10 hours a day. By 1938 she had married George Zaharias, a professional wrestler who helped in her personal makeover to the public and the press. In 1946 and 1947 she dominated the game by winning those 14 tournaments in a row mentioned above, one being the Hardscrabble Open, and continued the game until April 1953 when she was first diagnosed with rectal cancer. At that time doctors told her she would never play professional golf again. However, fifteen months later after her surgery she won the United States Women's Open at Salem Country Club in Peabody, Massachusetts by a phenomenal twelve strokes. She then became an active crusader against cancer often talking about her illness at a time when public figures remained silent on such matters.
Two years after her amazing victory at Salem she was dead but not forgotten. In fact, upon learning of her death, President Dwight Eisenhower opened one of his news conferences with this tribute: "She was a woman who, in her athletic career, certainly won the admiration of every person in the United States, all sports people all over the world, and in her gallant fight against cancer, she put up one of the kind of fights that inspire us all". In short, she was truly one of a kind.
ARTISTS - Visual and Musical
Laura Raborn at http://paintingsofhome.com and http://claygifts.com
Jim Johnson at http://yessy.com/jimjohnson/gallery.html
Russ Powell at http://powellphotos.com
Linda Flake at http://lindaflake.com
Tom Herrin at http://tommysart.blogspot.com
Matt McLeod at http://matt@mattmcleod.com
Artists Registry at http://www.arkansasarts.org/programs/registry/default.aspx
Sandy Hubler Fine Art at http://sandyhublerfineart.com
George Wittenberg at http://postcard-art-gallery.com
Will Barnet at http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&expIds=17259,17315,23628,23670,24472,25834,26095,26328,26562,26637,26761,26790,26849,26992,27095,27126,27139,27147,27178&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=will+barnet&cp=9&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=xpfETMT1O4L6lwf66ugE&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQsAQwAQ&biw=1350&bih=501
Barry Thomas at http://barrythomasart.com
Sherry Williamson at http://meowbarkart.com
Julie McNair at http://juliemcnair.com
Phoebe Lichty at http://phoebelichty.com
GALLERIES
Local Colour Gallery at http://localcolourgallery.com
Chroma Gallery at http://chromagallery.com
Cantrell Gallery at http://cantrellgallery.com
Greg Thompson Fine Art at http://gregthompsonfineart.com
Red Door Gallery at http://reddoorgalleryonline.com
M2 Gallery at http://m2lr.com
UALR Gallery Program at http://ualr.edu/art
Gallery 26 at http://gallery26.com
Boswell Mourot Fine Art at http://boswellmourot.com
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