Cheryl's Art And Music Guide

Through the fifth of March, Christie's at Rockfeller Center in New York City has an exhibit of AI art. This is to highlight their online auction called Augmented Intelligence . Bids will be accepted for six more days.  Selections include paintings, prints, sculpture, and light boxes. Meanwhile, thousands have signed  online letter , in opposition to the sale.  It is alleged that much of the art was created by using commercial AI models which could have been trained on unlicensed, copyrighted work. 

The winners of the  Underwater Photographer of the Year  competition have been announced.  Alvaro Herrera' s  Radiant Bond  was #1. This depicts a mother humpback whale with her calf. Other noteworthy subjects ranged from a curious seal to an underwater cave. The ''wrecks'' category is most disturbing, with submerged warships as well as aircraft. Photographers from 28 countries participated in the UK-based contest, submitting over six thousand images. 

''Lights, camera, action!'' This is the theme of tomorrow's ice festival in Havre de Grace, Maryland.  Besides viewing over fifty lit ice sculptures with names like  Popcorn, Let   it Snow, Elvis Presley , and  Willy Wonka , attendees can watch live ice carving demonstrations and try creating their own pieces. Folks can also vote on their favorites (more than one) and have a chance at winning prizes.  The event, running from 2-7 p.m., also features live music and three presentations from the  Wild World of Animals . The festival's website is  https:// explorehavredegrace.com/event. havre-de-grace-ice-festival .

Gotta Have Rock And Roll 's latest sale is being criticized by the estate of  Michael Jackson . There's no issue with the singer's stage-worn wig and loafers, but his ''unreleased and unedited'' recordings are another story.  They told  TMZ  (  https://www.tmz.com/2025/02/ 18/michael-jackson-estate- auction-house-unreleased- music-for-sale ) that the cassettes are just copies of the original master recordings. These are owned by the estate. So whoever buys the tapes won't be able to reproduce them or play them publicly.  The  Rock and Roll Sports Pop Up Auction , which also features notable items like  Kanye West 's signed boot, a crushed velvet tunic worn by  Jim Morrison , and a microphone autographed by members of the Red Hot  Chili Peppers , runs through the seventh of March. Lots can be viewed here:  https://www. gottahaverockandroll.com/ catalog.aspx?auctionid=89 .

Project Angel Food  has seen a surge in clients following the devastating wildfires in California, as many can no longer prepare or deliver meals.  So the organization has teamed up with  Bonhams  for an evening of cocktails, bites, and an  Angel Art  auction. Works range from  Ed Ruscha 's  On the Road  to  Kwaku Alston' s  Betty White . Tickets for the February 27th event at  Bonhams Los Angeles  are available here:  https://us.givergy.com/ angelart/?controller=tickets . A larger auction, with more than 60 lots now online, features artists such as  Stuart Davis, Jim Dine, Jeff Koons, William Wegman, Bob   Gruen , and  Greg Gorman.  This runs through the 27th of the month. Visit  https://www.bonhams.com/ auction/31468/angel-art  for particulars.

What do   Chubby Checker, Billy Idol, Joe Cocker, Bad Company,   Oasis, Soundgarden , and   Mariah Carey   have in common? They are some of the acts being considered for inclusion in this year's  Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . So are  Phish, Cyndi Lauper, Mana, White Stripes ,  Black Crowes , and  Outkast. Listed as one act is  New Order/Joy Division . The members of  New   Order  were previously in  Joy Division , but disbanded after the suicide of lead vocalist  Ian Curtis .  Performers become eligible 25 years after the release of their first commercial recording. Fans are now invited to vote by going to https://vote.rockhall.com . Inductees will be revealed in late April, and the ceremony takes place in the fall.

There have been numerous attempts over the years to bring the story of   Janis Joplin  to the big screen. Now progress has been made on a biopic, starring   Shailene Woodley.   The actress and producer told  Jimmy Fallon  she is looking forward to wearing outfits like Joplin's, and credits Linda Perry  with helping her learn to sing. The project has been in the works for seven years. A title and release date have yet to be announced. Another biopic, out last year, has received eight  Academy Award  nominations, including  Best Actor. A Complete Unknown ,  with  Timothy Chalamet  as  Bob Dylan,  is to be available on digital platforms such as  Apple TV  and  Prime Video  on the 25th of February. It will then release on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and HD Blu-Ray on April 1. 

In November, a book about a club which attracted attendees like  Lou   Reed, Stephen Stills, Bonnie Raitt , and  Carly Simon , is scheduled for publication. The  Bottom Line  was run for thirty years by  Allan   Pepper  and the late  Stanley Snadowsky .  In  Positively-Fourth-and- Mercer-The-Inside-Story-of- New-York-Iconic-Music-Club- The-Bottom-Line , Allan (who wrote the book with  Billy Altman ), talks about how the venue transformed the nearby industrial neighborhood. A preview of sorts appears in  David Browne' s recently released  Talkin' Greenwich Village: The Heady Rise and Slow Fall of America's   Bohemian Music Capital . While the bulk of the book focuses on folk music, Allan has contributed some memories about the rock and blues scene.  The former promoter admits that he disliked some of the acts they booked, such as the  New York Dolls . And it didn't help matters when he discovered a broke...

Harley Langberg   has finished over a hundred pieces of food art since starting out in 2013. His materials range from mushrooms to waffles, and he told  Ripley's  his favorite is  Ed Sheeran . He's a fan of Ed's music, and his artwork is immediately recognized by others. Another artist,  Joe Black , used over 8,000 guitar picks for his  David   Bowie  mosaic. This was requested by the  Sky Arts  channel in 2022 when they named Bowie Britain's most influential artist in the past half a century.  Other art featured in the book,  Ripley's Believe It or Not: Dare to Discover , includes a sampling from the  Corn Palace . Nearly every year, the building in Mitchell, South Dakota, gets new murals using at least a dozen shades of corn . . . even red, green, and black. Also found in nature are unusual colors of sand. A case in point is a red beach in the Galapagos derived from iron in volcanic rocks by the shore...