Globally Gorgeous | A blog about Luxury Design, Travel and Lifestyle by John & Gregg

Santa Barbara International Film Festival: “The Great Huki”

January 30, 2012 in Giving Back, Media, Sustainability, Videos with Comments Off

We are proud to announce the world premier of “The Great Huki” at the 27th Santa Barbara International Film Festival. This is our debut film, a short documentary that is also officially accepted to the San Francisco Ocean Film Festival.

Here’s a link to the SBIFF Program Guide

Photo: Celeste Dudderar Link to IMDB Trailer

“The Great Huki” (huki is the Hawaiian word meaning “pull together, gather”) tells the story of how a tiny community organization took a huge first step toward saving a beautiful Hawaiian bay, by attacking the invasive alien algae (mudweed) that was killing it.

Maunalua Bay was a dying bay. Malama Maunalua, a tiny non-profit, was started by a small group of concerned residents to restore it. After identifying invasive alien algae (mudweed) as one of the top threats to the Bay, Malama Maunalua enlisted and trained community volunteers to begin removing it. One bag at a time, the community began to take care of its Bay. Then, Malama Maunalua was awarded a NOAA grant for a ‘shovel ready’ project and accelerated their efforts for the restoration of the Maunalua Bad. They hired a contractor to remove the mud weed and thus began ‘The Great HUKI’.

During the 18 months of “The Great Huki”, full-time crews removed 3.0 million pounds of invasive alien algae and cleared 26 acres of precious near-shore area.

Today, the 26 acres remain cleared of silt and mudweed. All of the removed mudweed is being used as composts. Scientists are finding that the removal of the mudweed is indeed improving the health of the Bay. And the community continues its work –knowing that even such a large step, was only the first step. MalamaMaunalua.org for more information about the great work of this organization.

Sea Ranch: Al Boeke’s Legacy on the Northern California Coast

November 20, 2011 in Architecture, Art, Design, Luxury Travel, Sustainability with Comments Off

Respect the land. That is the legacy of one of the most significant architect – developers of the late 20th century. Al Boeke died on November 8, 2011.

Photo: Eros Hoagland for New York Times: Utopia by the Sea

Charles Moore Home Sea Ranch: Courtesy Wondersphere

When I was in Architecture School in 1980 I had an oportunity to spend a summer at the San Francisco Art Institute, studying with other students from around the country. We were mentored by some of the most innovative architects of the late 20th century: Joseph Esherick, Donlyn Lyndon, William Turnbull, Richard Whitaker and Lawrence Halprin, the landscape architect who drafted California’s Sea Ranch master plan. Charles Moore took us to Sea Ranch where we met Al Boeke. That same summer we also met Nathaniel Owings founding partner of SOM (Skidmore Owings and Merril). We met Mr. Owings with his wife, Margaret Wentworth, at their home “The Wild Bird House” at Big Sur. It would not be for another twenty years that I would realize the impact that these extraordinary Californian’s would have on my own work. Since the mid nineties my partner Gregg Wilson and I have been designing and building homes on the California Coast.

Photo: Courtesy Los Angeles Times. Read Elaine Woo’s obituary : Al Boeke dies at 88; ‘father’ of Northern California’s Sea Ranch

Gregg keeps opening a book The Sea Ranch given to us by Jack Warner and Johanna Barnes. After we purchased their home they moved north to Sea Ranch. I’m beginning to think Gregg wants to move there because he’s been checking out the length of the runway at the tiny Sea Ranch airstrip! The book, by the way, is great and is written by Donlyn Lyndon, one of our mentors during that 1980 summer in San Francisco.

See Also: New York Times Travel: A Seaside Experiment great slide show & Utopia by the Sea

SCION AUDIO VISUAL Presents: FROM HERE TO ETERNITY

November 14, 2011 in Art, Media, Videos with Comments Off

Our good friend, Lisa Schulte, has her latest neon creation installed in a group show at the SCION. Here is a link to RSVP to the opening on Saturday November 19. The show runs through December 10. Also, check out the other artists represented in the show on curator Kenton Parker’s Video.

“A Conversation” 10′ x 20′ Neon Symbol Installation by Lisa Schulte

Artist Statement:

Neon is a unique and remarkable medium. It does not operate at a 2D or even 3D level. It is multi-dimensional alchemy. It is light extracted from air – and manifested into form. One could say that working in neon is akin to bringing sky to touch ground – harnessing the spiritual to the earth.

I have been blessed to work in this multi-dimensional medium for thirty years, creating works of light for others and expressing myself. Light, in one form or another, has been the only way I know how to express myself. I have always felt that light tells a story: it fills in the blanks, reveals the dimensions, and communicates feelings, but at some point in my work, something was missing for me in each piece I created. I had changed- and my world went dark – neon no longer filled in the blanks or communicated my feelings. My story was gone. It was if someone had turned the light switch off.

“Processing” by Lisa Schulte was installed at “A Certain Slant of Light” an exhibition at The Church in Santa Barbara. Photo: Cyndee Howard

These neon pieces have evolved out of my personal struggle to move from darkness back into the light and to recreate my voice as an artist. Augustus Hare said, “Light when suddenly let in, dazzles and hurts and almost blinds us; but this soon passes away and it seems to become the only element we can exist in.” This is absolutely true for me. Light — dazzling, soft, dappled, and dripping from every surface and in every person, finally found its way back to me. Neon–extracted from the air, abundantly found in the universe, yet elusive on earth, is giving new vibrancy to my life, my art, and self again. To bend light, manipulate it, control it, and make it beautiful, when you once had the fear that it would never return to you, is truly a gift. My inspiration comes from the world around me and the transformative quality of light in and on land, sky, sea, and city. In the right light, seen from a certain angle, everything becomes extraordinary. I feel extraordinarily lucky to be able to devote myself to this work that brings illumination into a world truly in need of it.

Check out Lisa’s Website what a talent!

A Perfect Weekend in New York City. Broadway to Broad Street.

November 6, 2011 in Architecture, Art, Luxury Travel, Media with Comments Off

Gregg and I had the perfect weekend in New York City. We attended the wedding of two women I have known since the 80′s who have been a couple since 1972. One of my favorite stories about these remarkable women is that they are literally responsible for the very first artist loft conversion in SoHo, on Crosby Street. Congratulations ladies! Gregg and I hosted a family breakfast for them at our hotel also on Crosby Street, The Mondrian Soho.

The Mondrian Soho opened in March. We were given a corner room on a high floor (24th) and we had iconic views of Manhattan looking north and down onto all of Soho. We could see all of the fabulous penthouses and gardens built on top of all of those early twentieth century buildings. We walked down to The Frank Gehry Apartment Tower on Spruce Street in Lower Manhattan. Check out HotLuxe.com and Departures

Photo: John Maienza

We took in a couple of great shows: In a word, Hugh Jackman was Terrific. A wonderfully talented Broadway Star…Clearly his passion. Here is the official Site

Jackman was gracious to his audience and his other performers. It’s truly an uplifting show.

On the other hand, another show we both highly recommend is not so uplifting but is a watershed dramatic performance for all five stars who perform in it:’Other Desert Cities’. Written by Jon Robin Baitz, with possibly a Tony coming for him…just a prediction.

I loved the mid-century architecture of the set of “Other Desert Cities.’ Along with the mis-matched Palm Springs kitsch furnishings, it seemed a fitting backdrop for the characters and the drama created on the stage. To me, the set evoked a completely believable absence of taste. The Tony- worthy performances of each of the actors may well result in it’s being the play of the season….in our humble opinion.

The Cast: Thomas Sodowki, Judith Light, Stockard Channing, Stacy Keach, Rachel Griffiths. Here is the New York Times Review. We had time for one museum. This time we had to see the much- talked- about Maurizio Cattelan Exhibition “All” at the Guggenheim.

Courtesy NYTimes.com Great article. Check it out.

In all, it was a perfect weekend in New York. Great Architecture, great Broadway performances, great Art– three great days in great New York City.

Chic Sneaks: Missoni x Converse

October 2, 2011 in Beauty, Design, Fashion with Comments Off

So, you missed out on the Missoni x Target collaboration? Not to worry, because Missoni has teamed up for a second time with Converse to make the coolest sneakers of the Fall season!

First, begin with the classic black Chuck Taylor high tops, affectionately known as “Chucks”

Then mix them with the iconic zig zag of Italian fashion house Missoni, and poof!, you get the first Missoni x Converse collaboration , which first hit stores in 2009.

Check out: SneakerNews.com & TheShoeBuff.com

If you didn’t get a chance to get your hands on these, you’re in luck, because on October 1st, 2011, Missoni x Converse is going to hit the shelves once again with these bad boys.

Happy shopping!

Herb Ritts: An Evening at the Annenberg Space for Photography

October 1, 2011 in Art, Beauty, Books, Design, Fashion with Comments Off

Gregg and I attended the 100th IRIS Nights Lecture, The life and body of work of Herb Ritts, at the Annenberg Space for Photography. David Fahey and Mark McKenna took the stage for the first time to discuss their personal and professional experience with Herb Ritts and his iconic photographs.

Photos From: HerbRitts.com David Fahey wrote the forward for the new book Herb Ritts: The Golden Hour, put out by Rizzoli in conjunction with the Herb Ritts Foundation. I liked this article about the book at Life.com.

The current exhibition at the Annenberg Space for Photography is BEAUTY CULTURE.