Orange Polka Dot

Barcelona Find: Mapping Barcelona Public Art

I just found out about a really cool project in Barcelona from the blog Homage to BCN (thanks Rob!). Mapping Barcelona Public Art is an achive of Barcelona street art. Katrine Knauer created a website, Facebook page and Tumblr page to give a home to her photos of Barcelona's public art. Now it seems she will take contributions from other street art lovers as well. I will have to see if I have any photos of works that are not in the MBPA collection. 

Barcelona Festivals: La Mercè 2011

Barcelona's "festival of all festivals" La Mercè, celebrating the city's patron saint began on 22 September 2011 and ends on 25 September 2011. La Merce is the pinacle of all Barcelona's festivals offering four days of free activities - free museum entry, music in plazas throughout the city, parades, dances, community meals, games, workshops, beachside firework displays and circus perfomances. And it wouldn't be the bigest Catalan festa major without the human towers and people running through the streets with fireworks. 

There are so many events and parties it would be impossible to list everything here. I tried to focus on events that showcase Catalan traditions, such as the human towers and fire-runs, and that are family-friendly.

:: Event Highlights::

Free Entry to Museums: Throughout La Mercè many museums open their doors for free as part of the celebration. Most of the museum offer special events and workshops during the festival - many that are kid-focused. Each museum operates different schedules for "free" days - some are free on several days, others only one day. Check with the official La Mercè schedule for the details of each museum. Below are the museums that I feel are the most interesting for families with children. 

• Cosmo Caixa - Hands-On Science Museum, CaixaForum - Art Museum, Museu Picasso, Museu Marítim, MACBA - Contemporary Art, CCCB - Contemporary Art,  MNAC - National Art Museum, Museum of the History of Barcelona, Music Museum, Barbier-Mueller Museum, Museu Blau - Natural History and Science Museum, Museum of the History of Catalunya, Monestir del Pedrables - Original Monastery, Olympic and Sport Museum, Fundació Joan Miró, and Labyrinth Park.

Catalan Gegants | BCN.cat

La Mercè Parade / Cavalcada: Kids will love this parade featuring performers, music and the customary Catalan "gegants," ginormous puppets who represent Catalan icons. Kids in Barcelona has the parade route directions in English. The blue line on this map is the parade route. Saturday, 24 September 2011 at 18:00.

Beach Fireworks | Juan Jose Delgado Palacios, La Merce Photostream

Firework Displays at the Beach: Each year different countries showcase a firework perfomance at the Barceloneta beaches. The fireworks typically begin at 10:30 pm, check this link. 

Montjuic Castle Grand Circus: From 11 to 19:00 each day throughout La Mercè circus festivities are held at the Montjuic Castle.  

Correfoc | Perfect Travel Blog

Correfoc: A serious Catalan tradition where diablo-costumed Catalans run through the streets with various firework and flame-throwing contraptions, such as fire-spitting dragon. For children, or the more faint, there is a infantil correfoc that begings at 18:30 on Sunday, 25 September 2011 on Carrer de Joan Massana passing through Via Laietana ending at Plaça Antoni Maura (black line on this map). The adult correfoc begins later at 20:30, also starting Carrer de Joan Massana, passing through Via Laietana, continuing onto Plaça Antonio Lopex i Consolat de Mar (dark red line on this map). Spectators should definitely wear long sleeves and hats. Children should not attend the adult correfoc and young children may even be spooked by the infantil correfoc. 

Castellers | 2010

Castellers: Another Catalan tradtion - building extemely high human towers in which a helmeted kid climbs to the top while the tower wavers with the shaking arms of muscled Catalan men and women. It really is an amazing, hold-your-breath type of moment. Castellers will be competing in Plaça Sant Jauma on Sunday, 25 September 2011 starting at 12 noon. 

:: More Information :: 

• Official La Mercè Information: All the information for the festival in English, Spanish and Catalan.
• Offical La Mercè Program La Mercè: Available in English, Spanish and Catalan
• La Mercè Map: Parade routes, event locations and information in Google Maps
• La Mercè Places: Events by Neighborhood
• FotoMercè Flikr Photostream

 

 

 

Street Art: Seen in Amsterdam

Amsterdam | April 2011

Awhile back, I mentioned that I have a huge backlog of photos to post on this blog. One of the categories is street art. As a walk through city streets I am constantly scanning the walls high and low for interesting graffiti. I always take pictures of interesting work and have neglected to write about it since I started this blog. 

So here it goes... my first of what I hope will be many. 

Isn't this one great? I love that it takes a globally-recongized symbol for women and makes the slightest change. A teeny change that makes a huge impact. I found this somewhere strolling through Amsterdam, where we vacationed in April 2011.

Barcelona Events: Portugal Convida 2010

A celebration of modern Portuguese culture. Find out what is new and hip in Portuguese film, music, photography and architecture... in Barcelona. From the 7th to 12th of June 2010, thanks to the Portuguese Consulate in Barcelona and Turismo de Portugual, Barcelona will host Portugal Convida 2010. 

António Pedro Vasconcelos | Photo by: www.onoticiasdatrofa.pt

A cinema cycle highlighting the work of Portuguese director António Pedro Vasconcelos will show "Call Girl," "Os Imortais" and his recent "A Bela e o Paparazzo."  The films will be shown at Cinemes Alexandra on 7, 8, 9 and 10 of June. Tickets are only 2 euros!  

DJs Dezperados | Photo by: Joana Seixo

And of course, it wouldn't be a Portuguese cultural celebration without a little fado. On 10 June 2010, A Casa Portuguesa along with the Portuguese Consulate organized a "Gran Nit de Fado Amateur" at Centre Artesà Tradicionàrius. Tickets can be purchased at A Casa Portuguese Botiga or Razzmatazz. If fado music isn't your scene, there is a Portuguese pop music concert also on 10 June 2010 at Razzamataz. Popular Portuguese groups X-Wife and DJs Dezperados will play at this concert. 

A photography anthology exhibit, titled "Prints and Comments - Portuguese Contemporary Photography" will be shown from 8 June to 15 September 2010 at Fundació Privada Foto Colectania. Participating artists include: Patrícia Almeida, Basque Araújo, Pedro Barateiro, Calçada Rui Bastos, Catarina Botelho, Paulo Catrica, André Cepeda, Nuno Cera, Filipa César, Luisa Cunha, António Júlio Duarte, Alexandre Estrela, João Paulo Feliciano, Ramiro Guerreiro, Miguel Leal, Pedro Letria , Carlos Lobo, Adelina Lopes, Daniel Malhão, Edgar Martins, Paulo Mendes, Duarte Amaral Netto, Joao Maria Gusmão & Pedro Paiva, Luís Palma, Fernando José Pereira, Mariana Silva, António de Sousa.

 

"Overlappings: Six Studies of Portuguese Architecture," takes place at the Coŀlegi D'Arquitectes de Catalunya in Barcelona from now until 12 June 2010. This exhibit features the work of Manuel Aires Mateus, Ricardo Bak Gordon, Bugio.João Favila, Inês Lobo,  Paulo David, Ricardo Carvalho + Joana Vilhena.

 
Pedro Abrunhosa | Photo by: Portugal Convida 2010 

On Saturday, 12 June 2010, A Casa Portuguese will host a festa popular that marks the end of Portugal Convida with Pedro Abrunhosa i Comité Caviar and DJ Cap Terra at Jardinets de Salvador Espriu. Tickets can be purchased at A Casa Portuguese. 

Sounds like a great opportunity to learn more about Spain's neighbors to the west (and my ancestors!). 

:: More Information :: 

• Official Site: Portugal Convida 2010
• Gran Nit de Fado Amateur
• Concert with X-Wife and Dezperados
• Festa Popular with Pedro Abrunhosa
• Contemporary Photography Exhibit
• Portuguese Architecture Exhibit

 

Barcelona Events: Món Llibre

 

¡Viva el libro! Kick off Sant Jordi celebrations early at the Món Llibre festival hosted at Barcelona's CCCB and MACBA this Saturday and Sunday (17 and 18 April 2010). 

Last year the Món Llibre festival was the first festival we attended in Barcelona and I fell in love with it. I was so impressed with the quality of the workshops ("tallers"), interesting performances and the bar for the parents. 

2009 Món Llibre Festival 

This year's Món Llibre festival marks its fifth year and features over 150 activities to celebrate children's love of reading. There will be storytelling, films, puppet shows, theatrical performances and art workshops for children up to 12 years old. 

Saturday, 17 April 2010 Món Llibre Activity Schedule

Sunday, 17 April 2010 Món Llibre Activity Schedule

:: More Information ::

• Món Llibre Festival Official Site
• Museu D'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA)
• Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB)

 

Lovely Libros: Frida

Frida offers readers an inspirational message paired with dreamy Kahlo-esque drawings while teaching children about an influential artist. Frida gives young readers an overview of Frida Kahlo's life and how she used artwork to overcome her pain. Carving your path regardless of adversity is a value I want to instill in my children. 

Both written and illustrated in the Mexican folk art tradition, turning each page becomes a discovery and exploration of art. Ana Juan brings Kahlo's story to life through vivid illustrations with magical characters from Kahlo's life and Mexican folklore making guest appearances throughout the story. Author, Jonah Winter wrote Frida in a style similar to Mexican ex voto paintings, which Kahlo collected. 

Frida can be found in Spanish and English editions. 

Scholastic provides a nice supplement to Frida for teachers and parents. There you can find artist and author interviews, book reviews and biographical information. My favorite part is illustrator, Ana Juan's review of her work in Frida.  

If you are interested in Mexican ex voto artwork, I found this lesson plan that you may enjoy researching and incorporating into your child's art history exploration. If you are fan of Mexican folk art, take a peek at these online galleries: Dos Mujeres Mexican Folk Art and La Mano Magica (one of my favorite galleries in Oaxaca). 

Images: Scholastic.com and Arthur A. Levine Books (publisher)

Lovely Libros: Learn Catalan

In honor of my daughter starting first grade today, I will be buying a few "resources" to help me learn Catalan, the main language of Barcelona and Catalunya. 

 

Even if you are not moving here, and you are traveling here, you might want to invest in learning a few key words in Catalan. The locals will adore you and shower you with praise. Here is a short list of resources that I will be purchasing this week.

Catalan - English Dictionary (I already have one, time to dust it off and actually use it!)

EuroTalk Interactive - TalkNow! Learn Catalan

Teach Yourself Catalan Complete Course Package + 2 CDs

Colloquial Catalan: A Complete Course for Beginners

Before we moved here I did not realize how much Catalan was spoken in Barcelona. I guess I didn't notice much of the language when I travelled here as a teenager! Non-touristy restaurant menus are usually only in Catalan. Public schools are Catalan. Libraries stock mainly Catalan books. Government information is in Catalan first, Castellano second. 

I naively thought I could get by with only Castellano. If we sent our children to a private international school rather than the Waldorf school, I could have scraped by with nary a lesson in Catalan. However, my children will now begin their schooling by learning to read and write in Catalan. School meetings are in Catalan. On the playground, or "patio" as they say, you'll hear children speaking Catalan, Castellano, French, English, Italian and German. 

At home, we'll continue with English and Castellano. I hope they don't get too confused! Probably, it will only be me that is lost in translation! The kids seem to be picking up vocabulary quite quickly from summer school, the park and library. 

Barcelona Find: Museu Picasso Carnet Familiar

I think I just found one of the best museum membership passes around: the Carnet Familiar at Barcelona's Museu Picasso. For a mere 15 Euros you and your family can enjoy a yearly membership to this museum that provides insight into Picasso's formative years and his relationship with Barcelona. A Carnet Individual is also offered for a 10 Euros, also good for one year. All we needed was our DNI/NIEs (Spanish identification documents) and/or passports. 

The kids absolutely loved getting their pictures taken for their "very own card." I love the fact that we can drop by the museum whenever we are hanging out in the El Born. There is no pressure to see the entire museum in one visit. And I shouldn't forget to mention that we can skip right to the front of the line (which can be quite long in the summer).