Paseo Arts District

The Paseo Arts District in OKC is a historic and cultural destination. Located north of Midtown in Oklahoma City, the Paseo-Arts District was originally a shopping district created in 1929. In the course of time, it transformed into a major community of artists. Apart from the 17 galleries (some of which offer classes) and working studios, the district is also home to countless restaurants and bars. Connoisseurs of art have monthly and annual events to look forward to that not only feature art expositions and artistic demonstrations, but also cultural delights such as wine tasting and live music.

The Paseo Arts District is home to displays of a wide variety of artistic forms such as oil painting, photography, crafts, jewelry, music, glass, dance and theatre which in turn showcase diverse cultures around the world. The First Friday Gallery Walk is held on the first Friday of every month from 6pm to 10pm, and the next day from noon to 6pm. It is quite a time to enjoy the atmosphere, listen to live musical performances, check out live demonstrations and taste great wine.

The Paseo Arts Festival is an annual event that has been held at the Paseo Arts District for more than 30 years on Memorial Day weekend. Over 70 artists attend the festival, displaying their work that covers art forms such as painting, pottery, crafts, jewelry, sculpture and much more. The other features of the festival include: a children's play area where kids can create their artwork and have an early initiation into the world of art, performances of musicians and entertainers, and awards in many categories of up to $1000 presented to artists.

Traveling art lovers can experience the warmth of OKC hotels that offer shuttle services to the major destinations in OKC including the Paseo Arts District, Oklahoma City.

Cultural Kortrijk: The Best Music and Theatre

Classical and jazz, dance, theatre and more - this city has something for everyone and well within reach of any good Kortrijk hotel. There is always something going on, so when you visit, be sure to look out for the latest happenings. Here are some of the top venues and events to investigate during your stay, for the cream of Kortrijk's cultural scene.

City Theatre

Known locally as the 'Schouwburg' or 'Cultuur Centrum,' this is the city's main theatre. Originally built in the 1910s in neo-Renaissance style, a recent restoration has preserved its original character while adding the stunning stained glass roof designed by French-Algerian artist Alberola. The building houses a ballet hall, gallery, and 800-capacity theatre.

Centrally located, it will be an easy trip from your Kortrijk hotel, and boasts a full programme of music, theatre, dance, comedy and art all year round. With a mix of the classical and modern, there is bound to be something on to suit every taste; and even if you don't have time for a performance, the building and surrounding area with its striking architecture and public art are worth the trip on their own.

Antigone Theatre

At this theatre you can find traditional plays billed alongside cutting-edge multimedia productions. It also hosts both local and travelling companies, and might offer a Brecht play one night and new work by up-and-coming talent the next - so step out of your Kortrijk hotel and head to the Antigone Theatre for a taste of variety and difference. It also offers a good range of music concerts. If you happen to visit during the Flanders Festival, an annual festival of classical concerts that takes place in May, be sure to make time for 'Club Classic' at the Antigone. This series of intimate soirées in a lounge-style setting, featuring works by some of Europe's most cherished composers, promises cosy ambiance and quality performances

Golden River City Jazz Festival

Of all the times to spend a break in a Kortrijk hotel, September has to be the liveliest. For vivacious atmosphere and a diverse music-loving crowd, nothing beats the Golden River City Jazz Festival. Taking place over the first weekend in September, the festival was originally set up in 1970 to showcase the talents of the Kortrijk-based Golden River City Jazz Band, and has since attracted a wealth of international musicians. The festival also forms part of the 'September Braderie,' a fair that encompasses lively markets in the city's pedestrianised shopping areas, open-air entertainment of all kinds, and great dining - it's bound to be an unforgettable experience.

The New York Philharmonic at Hong Kong Arts Festival

The New York Philharmonic's performance on 16 February under Music Director, Lorin Maazel was splendid. The Silken Ladder Overture (La Scala di Seta Overture) was lively, gay and joyous. The haunting melodies in Elgar's Cello Concerto in E minor spoke compellingly.

27-year old cellist Alisa Weilerstein, serious and charming with creamy skin, a sea-turquoise flowing gown and slightly braided honey-blonde hair, played with passion, internalizing and reverberating with the music she interpreted. Felix Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 4 in A major (The Italian Symphony) was played with precise energy, pattern and fire. I wonder what people from stricter cultures make of the fact that orchestral members, who casually wander on and off stage during the interval and before the concert begins, coalesce so faultlessly, once the performance begins.

Lorin Maazel last conducted in the Hong Kong Arts Festival in 1982, with the Cleveland Orchestra. I was there, in one of the front rows, to the right of the conductor and able to see his face and expression. I was very impressed, so much so that I wrote a poem about his conducting. This was published by Proverse Hong Kong, many years later (2003) in For the Record: and other Poems of Hong Kong, supported by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council.

Obviously he is older, but so much is the same. No score needed for two of the three pieces. A quick getting down to business the moment he steps onto the podium. The flowing exchange of energy between conductor and players as exciting to watch and experience as ever.

Malta Arts Festival, 2010 - Culture in the Mediterranean at Its Summer Best

Malta Arts Festival is summer at its best, not just on the Maltese Islands but perhaps across the Mediterranean. It is a concentrated three weeks of eclectic entertainment from the thought-provoking and classical to the light hearted and thoroughly contemporary. As usual, it gives us a blend of home-grown and overseas cultural talent and this year's programme of what is undoubtedly Malta's premier summer cultural event has a very Mediterranean flavour. But there are Slavic and Swedish overtones too and a dash of science meets art as well.

Over the best part of three weeks, local islanders and visitors are treated to an exquisite melting pot of music, theatre, dance, visual arts and more. The last week blends with that other internationally-flavoured event, the Malta Jazz Festival, 15-17 July, now in its 20th edition and going stronger than ever.

Malta Arts Festival is to Malta what the Avignon theatre festival is to Provence (indeed all France and the world of theatre) and the Edinburgh Festival is internationally to new talent and performance genres of the world. Malta's Arts Festival is becoming set in stone as the event in the islands' cultural calendar and there's no reason why it won't, in time, cut the mustard with Europe's renowned festivals.

Malta's private sector does a fantastic job in bringing over big name acts and cult DJs to the islands, but it won't stretch to supporting the diversity of performance and the arts that a small island state needs if it is to provide for its tourists and open the eyes of its locals. It falls therefore to the Islands' public sector to pay the lion's share of funding the annual July Arts Festival.

And rightly so. The Malta Arts Festival each year brings in acts that broaden minds to cultures and cultural forms that would rarely get a look in on Malta's home market which is often dominated by popular forms of culture such as festas, carnival, pop nights or traditional song festivals. Britain's Wayne Marshall conducting and the Shakespeare Globe Theatre's touring group are highlights of this year's programme. But conversely, some events are not big budget nor big names, but they are no less inspiring for that.

The Malta Arts Festival is special for many reasons. World-class artists, postcard settings, world heritage contexts, a journey for the heart, the head and the eyes. And sometimes, the feet. At around Euro 15 a ticket for a great night out, there is no excuse not to go to a couple of events on the programme if you're heading Malta way; if not, perhaps book a holiday around the first three weeks of July next year, and come enjoy the cultural bonanza Malta has to offer in spite of its smallness of size.