Salon & Sei

I’ve never attended a Salon, have you? I have attended cocktail parties galore and this was reminiscent but with some very interesting folks: writers, artists, architects, attorneys, real estate agents, policy makers, etc. We were instructed by our host that we should remain on topic to discuss the arts, our work and/or politics. For the most part people stayed away from politics as that can be emotional in this town. For those who did venture down this thorny path, there were a mix of political bents and only a couple radical thinkers. Fortunately we were all civil as the night progressed with more libations. As it is pretty typical, Peter and I were some of the last to leave @ 12:30, early for us, as we tend to shut down parties and a typical dinner with our good friends might last until one or two in the morning.

I didn’t know what to expect as I was wondering why we were being included, but we had a very enjoyable time and the folks who we had a chance to speak with were very interesting, indeed.

After this event, I can’t help but think of these quotes that I ran across in this Los Angeles Times article that seem to bridge the gap between art and politics:

“We believe strongly that the arts aren’t somehow an ‘extra’ part of our national life, but instead we feel that the arts are at the heart of our national life. It is through our music, our literature, our art, drama and dance that we tell the story of our past and we express our hopes for the future. Our artists challenge our assumptions in ways that many cannot and do not. They expand our understandings, and push us to view our world in new and very unexpected ways….. ”

“That is the power of the arts — to remind us of what we each have to offer, and what we all have in common; to help us understand our history and imagine our future; to give us hope in the moments of struggle; and to bring us together when nothing else will….”

And you’ll never guess, this is from Michelle Obama at the G-20 conference in Pittsburg*. Although, she may be making up for the NEA’s latest political foray, I do like her quote. It reminds me that putting aside our egos, no matter what political take you have, everyone has something to offer and this is seen through the arts. I truly believe art surrounds us daily. Just like our many blessings, we tend to take it for granted.

On Saturday, we joined some friends who we had been trying to get together with but life takes over and those with younger kids give up their social lives (we remember all too well). They got a babysitter and we went to Sei Restaurant and Lounge. Wow! I didn’t know what to expect. When choosing it, I just liked the decor and was intrigued by the menu. As my friend Lu said, “You didn’t know it was sushi?” No, I typically do not like sushi but this experience changed my mind. The key for me is everything we ordered was cooked and it wasn’t all sushi. Everything was divine. Food as art on a well designed palette. The decor added to the ambiance. I highly recommend it and will definitely return. I know my son Jackson and my father-in-law will love it. I’d like to try the lounge. The photos are quite provocative and I’m still trying to figure out how they did the multi-reflection with the flowers behind the bar.

* Looking for some artsy things in Pittsburgh. I was pleasantly surprised by how many things PIttsburgh had to offer. It was completely different from what I though it would be when I visited my parents while my father was undergoing some medical treatments about 5 years ago. The Univ. of Pittsburgh has some of the best, state of the art medical technology and the warehouse district has undergone a complete resurgence. The Mattress Factory Art Museum looks like a funky trip.