Cheryl's Art And Music Guide

Christie's  spring  Photographs  sale will offer an impressive variety of artists and subjects. Among them are  Richard Avedon 's shots of personalities ranging from a coal miner to performer  Chet Baker; Robert Frank 's scenes of a gambling table, trolley, and cafeteria;  and  Ansel Adams ' landscapes.  The latter's images of a moonrise in New Mexico, and  Yosemite  trees are particularly striking.  Others who are represented include  Man Ray, Nan Goldin, Irving   Penn, Diane Arbus, William Klein , and  Peter Hujar . This is an online auction, with bids being accepted from April 3-17. Viewing is available in New York, at  Christie's Rockefeller Center  galleries from the 10th of April through the 16th of the month.

Melissa Manchester  has been reflecting on her five-decade career which has included the release of over twenty albums. She will be discussing her thoughts at  54 Below  in New York City. The June 12th-14th engagement is titled  Fifty Threads: An Artist's Journey .  Melissa, who appeared in the national tour of Funny Girl last year, is known for co-writing radio mainstays such as Midnight Blue and Whenever I Call You Friend .  Each performance starts at 7 p.m., according to the  54 Below calendar . Tim Rice  has also been sharing memories and music. It was recently announced that three shows in Ireland have been added to his itinerary.  Tim, who is candid about both hits and misses, is joined by West End entertainers led by  Duncan Waugh . Dates for  My Life in Musicals- - I Know Him   So Well  can be found here:  www.sirtimricelive.com .  Meanwhile, Tim has been writing with  Andrew Lloyd Webber  a...

New York City's  Chelsea Hotel  is known for having attracted names like  Leonard Cohen, Patti Smith,  and  Dylan Thomas . Sadly, this also was the scene of a murder in 1978, now the subject of a new book. Room 100: Sid, Nancy, and the Night Punk Rock Died  is to be published in mid-April. While the writer,  Jesse Pollack , conducted extensive research, questions still remain about the night  Nancy   Spungen  was murdered . . . and if this was at the hands of her boyfriend,  Sid Vicious . Or perhaps the crime was committed by one of their visitors that evening.  It's problematic that so much time has passed, and that quite a few interviewees have contradicted themselves or each other.  Michael Baden  is one of the more reliable people Pollack spoke with, as he was New York's chief medical examiner in the late seventies.  There are still questions, too, about Sid's fatal overdose, less than four months after Nancy...

Spring is almost here, and  Chronicle Books  is saluting the season by offering botany in bricks.  It's an illustrated compendium of flowers and plants from  LEGO  designers, who also share their stories. There is even a flower print which one can put on display. The book is inspired by the bestselling  LEGO  Botanical   sets. Unlike natural blooms, these stay fresh forever.  The  LEGO Botanical Almanac  is meant to highlight ''where art meets science and building meets play.''  And through May 4, folks in Vero Beach, Florida, have a chance to see over 40  LEGO  sculptures which celebrate nature.  Find out more about  Sean Kenney 's collection here:  https://mckeegarden.org/class/ nature-pop-2025 .

June will mark 50 years since the release of  Jaws .  Universal Pictures  is celebrating by offering new merchandise at its two theme parks in May:  Universal Studios Hollywood  and  Universal Studios Orlando . Some goods, like   Jaws  clothing and keychains, are already available at the Florida  shop .   A  Jaws 50th exhibit  opens at the  Academy Museum of Motion   Pictures  in Los Angeles, on September 14.  Over 200 items, including illustrations by production designer  Joe Alves , costumes and props, will be on display, and tickets are now on sale. Behind-the-scenes revelations and interactive moments are also planned, says the museum's press release.   This runs through June 26, 2026. In addition,  Mondo  is offering a newly remastered presentation of  John Williams ' score in 2xLP vinyl. 

Amber Share   is an illustrator whose work celebrates both the outdoors and an active lifestyle. Her new book is   Subpar Planet: The   World's Most Celebrated Landmarks and Their Most Disappointed   Visitors , with drawings of popular destinations such as the   Tower of Pisa   and   Niagara Falls. Amber also offers positive reviews of these sites, in contrast to puzzling and negative feedback she encountered.  One writer, for instance, found Mayan ruins not to be in the best condition. But being ''ruins,''' isn't this to be expected? Another person takes on the  Louvre  in Paris, France: ''Only go if you really care about art.'' Amber points out that's what it is all about. After all, over 35,000 works are on display, while hundreds of thousands are not currently on view, but are part of the museum's collection.  Some national parks are featured as well. That includes Canada's  Banff National Park , which one reviewer cal...