Even if you've been only half awake throughout this past year, you

It was not what I expected when I went to see the new film, A Single Man directed by fashion icon Tom Ford, but nevertheless, there I was, in a packed theater, following the story of a man about to die and being moved by it, but...only to a point. The acting was superb, but the same could be said about the lighting, the costume design, the sets – and for me this striving for perfection significantly lowered the emotional impact of this movie...

The day after Thanksgiving I took the red-eye to New York, and with

Once upon a time, many many years ago in a faraway land, lived a king

When a couple of weeks ago, I shared with you the story of my friend Meridee's visit to the Getty with her 2 ½ year-old niece, your response to the adventures of this little girl on her first trip to a museum far exceeded my expectations. She was so cute, asking at the museum information booth if they had any 'pony art,' and it was so touching that the lady behind the desk took this request seriously and actually found for this tiny visitor four artworks depicting horses. And you know what? When Getty officials got wind of this story, they did some detective work and found the wonderful lady who was working the information booth on that particular day. Her name is Ann Erwin, and I want to congratulate her for doing such a splendid job...

Last week Los Angeles hosted what sports fans would probably call a perfect trifecta of cultural events. First, the Museum of Contemporary Art celebrated its 30th anniversary with a huge, lavish gala attended by 1,000 art patrons, many of whom

Today's program has a simple and wholesome title, "Art and Babies." And the sermon I'm about to deliver has to do with the impact that art can have on the lives of our little angels. Speaking in front of a live audience, I often bring up the issue of the importance of exposing children to art at a very early age. Every young parent knows the benefit of suspending a mobile with bright shiny objects above the crib to activate the child's brain. Therefore, there is no doubt in my mind that bringing these little angels to museums, even before they are potty-trained, is wonderfully stimulating as well...

Every time I'm in New York, I never miss the chance to visit the most elegant salon on the Upper East Side of Manhattan to pay my respects to its charming hostess, famous for her beauty as well as her repose. A woman of few words, she greets you in the foyer, and you cannot help but notice that even with the passing years, her youthful glow and aura of mystique have hardly changed. She travels very rarely, but when she does, it makes the news. So when she recently accepted an invitation to come to Southern California, her friends and admirers made sure to set aside time to visit with her...

So, what would you think about the LA Police Chief if you heard that he

For almost one hundred years, people around the world have known Los Angeles primarily as the place where movies are made. But in the last couple of decades, something else has entered into the equation: a few LA artists have achieved such international acclaim that they've become our de facto cultural ambassadors to the world at large...