6-Year-Old Saves Manet Painting For UK (With A Little Help)

by Sean McLachlan on

Last weekend my family and I visited the Ashmolean Museum here in Oxford. My 6-year-old son loves this place because of all the headless statues, the bow you can use to shoot deer in the Prehistoric Europe room, and the gold coin of the Roman emperor Julian, who he’s named after.

In the European art section we came across several paintings by Manet. One was “Portrait of Mademoiselle Claus,” painted in 1868. The Ashmolean has been campaigning to keep this painting in the UK.

As an Ashmolean press release explains, “The painting was purchased by a foreign buyer in 2011 for £28.35 million. Following advice from the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art, the picture was judged to be of outstanding cultural importance and was placed under a temporary export bar … the painting was made available to a British public institution for 27% of its market value.”

So the museum set out to raise £7.83 million ($12.25 million). Julian puzzled through the fundraising plea with a serious look on his face, reached into his pocket for some coins, and plunked them in the box.

Three days later the Ashmolean announced they’d raised the money.

This is what I love about museums. They connect people with the world’s heritage. In some cases, like with the Ashmolean, they connect them for free. Art like this doesn’t belong in the living room of some asshole banker who makes his money from sub-prime mortgages and keeps it in offshore accounts. More and more, art and antiquities are seen as investments for the super rich, commodities to be bought and sold instead of appreciated. I’ve had to mingle with these plastic people in galleries like Sotheby’s in London. It’s the only chance I have to see the art for sale there before it disappears into a private collection.

I don’t even like Manet all that much, but that’s not the point. His work has touched millions of people for more than a century. So congratulations, Ashmolean, thanks for keeping this painting in the public eye where it belongs. And thanks for teaching my kid an important lesson in democracy.

[Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons]

Video Of The Day: Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars

by Elizabeth Seward on

“Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars – Rise & Shine Preview” from Cumbancha on Vimeo.

All kinds of circumstances get musicians together and facilitate creativity. In the case of Sierra Leone‘s Refugee All Stars, that circumstance was West African refugee camps. While their homeland was devastated during a period of violent bloodshed, these musicians made the best of a bad situation and formed their band. This video isn’t new, but it’s too good to pass up sharing. Exploring what music teaches us about both culture and travel is a particular interest of mine, so this video resonates with me. No matter the negative, positive energy can survive in any type of situation.

Japan’s Newest Summer Treat: Cream Puff With Soy Sauce Ice Cream

by Jessica Festa on

For those interested in creative cuisine, look no further than Japan. Last week, we told you about Tokyo’s traditional Eel Day and how they prepare this special dish. Now, a Japanese confectionery company has come out with a cream puff filled with soy sauce flavored ice cream.

“It’s a mixture of soy sauce and ice cream, producing a well-balanced salty, yet sweet, ice cream, which is perfect for the summer,” said Kunihiko Shirokawa at Tokyo-based confectioner Hirota, one of the developers. “We are planning another product for the autumn.”

According to Reuters, Hirota joined forces with Yamani Soy Sauce Co to create the unique flavor. The best part? A portion of the proceeds goes toward helping Rikuzentakata, a city flattened by massive waves.

Seki Kinya, head of Tokyo entrepreneurial consulting firm Big Apple, arranged the collaboration after volunteering to help clean up the city after the disaster. Along with the donation from each sale, the partnership is also helping local business, as Yamani Soy Sauce Co is located in Rikuzentakata.

[Image via palindrome6996]

Video Of The Day: Kiribati Sinking

by Elizabeth Seward on

“A Sinking Nation” from NPR on Vimeo.

Kiribati (pronounced kirr-i-bas) is an island nation spread across a chunk of the Pacific Ocean as big as Alaska two times over. But for all of the room Kiribati covers in distance, it accumulates virtually no space vertically. The average height of Kiribati land is just six and a half feet above sea level. Composed of 32 atolls and one raised coral, most of the nation’s 100,000 inhabitants cluster in near the nation’s capital, Tarawa. But space is running out. A single storm effortlessly vanishes houses into the sea and unfortunately, this is the fate most scientists and citizens believe belongs to Kiribati: the sea. According to this video produced by NPR, the island nation is especially vulnerable and in danger. Kiribati President Anote Tong has voiced concern over the rising seas, stating that it could ultimately lead to the demise of island countries like Kiribati. These statements have been loosely countered by findings published in the New Scientist magazine stating that the island is actually expanding due to coral debris. However hopeful land accumulation via coral debris may seem to some, the heart of the matter is that the core of Kiribati may soon be washed away and even newly risen land will likely face the same fate in this low-lying nation.

Video: Burkina Faso Plastic Bag Recycling

by Elizabeth Seward on

“Burkina Faso Plastic Bag Recycling” from Corentin Banzet on Vimeo.

In Burkina Faso, hope doesn’t seem to always come easily. With one of the lowest GDP per capita figures in the world ($1,200) and a tumultuous political past that has led to widespread unrest, it’s no wonder so many people that make up the country’s near 16 million population count are struggling. But in this video, Vimeo user Corentin Banzet documents some of the women in Burkina Faso who are using the country’s garbage as a resource for moneymaking. With the hook method, 150 women in the town of Tiébélé Burkina managed to produce 1,000 bags and 500 pouches over the span of eight months. And they did it all by recycling used plastic bags.