Hidden Pleasure British Artist’s Abstract Paintings Driven by Sexual Imagery by Carolyn Chapman Cecily Brown has received practically as much media exposure for her image as she has for her wild abstract paintings. She’s young, she’s British, she’s sexy, and she’s been featured in Vogue, Vanity Fair, The New York Times Magazine and Interview. More importantly, however, her paintings are some of the most sought after in the modern art world... Grande Dames of Charity Culinary Women’s Group Helps Women in Need by Heather Nalbone They’ve provided more than $250,000 to homeless women, disadvantaged mothers and aspiring students, and they’ve been referred to more than once as a group that changes lives. The Salvation Army? No—try a group of Washington’s most distinguished chefs and wine merchants, known to those familiar with the culinary industry as Les Dames d’Escoffier... All-Star Statues National Gallery Exhibit Is Glory of Figurative Work by Gary Tischler Sculptures can be many things: They are transportable. They are changelings. They are ghosts, alive in their own unique way. And at the National Gallery of Art’s West Building, there is an abundance of all these things as the gallery shows off its newly expanded sculpture division with an expansive, generous exhibition that spreads itself around several rooms... Silver’s Statement Jewelry Exhibit Offers Insights Into Lives of Middle Eastern Women by Carolyn Chapman Silver jewelry means many things to the women who wear it in the traditional context in the Middle East. It’s a status symbol that shows success. It proclaims a woman’s identity in a society filled with veiled and silent women. It means wealth and provides security for women in often uncertain, physically demanding societies. Spiritually, it can be used to represent religious faith, provide protection, and bring comfort. Most obviously, the elaborately designed traditional Middle Eastern jewelry now on display at the Bead Museum in "Silver Speaks" provides ornamentation and beauty to the often-difficult lives of these women. Thoroughly Modern Willie Folger’s Production of ‘Twelfth Night’ Clever, Hilarious by Lisa Troshinsky Many Shakespearean productions have strayed from the Bard’s original ideas of time period and setting, but the current production of "Twelfth Night" at the Folger Theatre takes this well-oiled concept to new heights. The result is keenly clever, playful and hilarious. The Allure of ‘Fantasy’ Corcoran’s 47th Biennial Exhibit Rides Along Cutting Edge by Heather Nalbone If there’s a single word that comes close to describing the theme of "Fantasy Underfoot," "alluring" would be it. The pieces featured in the Corcoran Gallery of Art’s 47th Biennial in many ways defy explanation. The 13-artist compilation is one that needs to be observed, rendering written descriptions hazy and indistinct.

Russian Revelry Various Events Celebrate Russia, Founding of St. Petersburg by Anna Gawel The Russians are coming! Russian exhibits, that is. And the exhibits—as well as various discussions, trips, festivals and other events—are coming in droves this month as the Washington area tips its hat to Mother Russia and her enduring creative spirit. The homage comes on the heels of a major historical event: the 300th anniversary of the founding of the legendary and mythic city of St. Petersburg... Dark Times Film Poster Exhibit Reflects Sensibilities in Germany 1945 to 1960 by Gary Tischler At first glance, hanging on the walls of the Goethe-Institut, they look like blown-up paperback book covers from the 1950s or late 1940s, or like American film noir movie posters—the faces overblown, the poses outsized, the emotions almost vaudevillian and exaggerated... Musical Medley at Wolf Trap by Jessica Forres Beginning this month, a medley of musical styles comes to Vienna, Va., as The Barns of Wolf Trap presents a series of concerts celebrating different cultures from around the world. Dining: Going Downtown Chef Geoff’s Newest Location Offers Broad Range of Dishes by Rachel Hunt and Stephen Qualiana Events Film Reviews: One-Shot Deal Russian Director Gives Tour-de-Force Journey Through History by Ky N. Nguyen Russian director/co-writer Alexander Sokurov’s (“Mother and Son”) exhilarating “Russian Ark” is an astoundingly ambitious formal artistic experiment. For the first time, an entire feature-length theatrical movie is shot in one take. Presented on the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg, the mesmerizing result is a pensive elegy on Russian history and art... • A Palestine in Purgatory • Slums of Rio • Kurosawa’s Look at Life • Jenny Lamour Revisited • A Portrait of the Artist • The Escalation of War • Top 20 International Films in 2002 Repertory Notes Letter to the Ed itor Film Directory/Cinema International Film Clips