pt at large

Post Cards from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Part 1

February 10, 2017 A Day in the Colonial Zone

If you're going to get a tour of a city, what better than to have it from a man with the eye of an architect, the knowledge of a historian, and the sense of joy of a kid showing you his new toy. For  us, that would be  architect and teacher Alex Martinez Suárez.

Today we're heading for the Zona Colonial, the oldest part of the city, and the first permanent establishment in the New World.  En route, we pass the National Palace of the Dominican Republic that houses the offices of the Executive Branch (Presidency and Vice Presidency) of the Dominican Republic.

Alex, born and raised in Santo Domino, points out older traditional homes with traditional architecture he predicts may be torn down as gentrification spreads throughout neighborhoods in Santo Domingo especially around the colonial zone. The zone is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

It won't surprise you that Santo Domingo has its share of traffic congestion downtown.

A musical interlude like this might surprise  you VIDEO

Neighborhoods with small shops; ubiquitous street vendors as we continue toward the Colonial Zone

Our tour of Santo Domingo begins as Alex drives us through the narrow streets toward the Zona Colonial, properly named Cuidad Colonial, 'Spanish City". It's loaded with historic buildings and Alex knows the history of every one of them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciudad_Colonial_(Santo_Domingo)

"Ciudad Colonial (Spanish for "Colonial City") is the historic central neighborhood of Santo Domingo and the oldest permanent European settlement of the New World. It has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.^[1] It is colloquially known as "Zona Colonial" (Colonial Zone). The Ciudad Colonial is located on the west bank of the Ozama River, which bisects the city. It covers less than 5 square kilometers.

It is an important section of the city due to the high number of landmarks, including Alcázar de Colón, Fortaleza Ozama, Catedral Primada de America, and others. Ale

Dating back over 500 years, the Colonial Zone was founded by Christopher Columbus' less famous brother, Bartolmeu. Stone has proven to be the building material of choice (or perhaps, necessity). "

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g147289-s201/Santo-Domingo:Dominican-Republic:Architecture.html

Park on Hostas Street at the Ruinas De LaIglesia Y Hospital De San Nicolas De Bari, the first hospital in America, built in 1503. The Order of Franciscans arrived in 1502 with Governor Nicolas de Ovando (a name we'll see often). We are a ten minute walk to El Condé, the main street of the Zona Colonial.

Admire El Convento de los Dominicos, begun in 1510, completed in 1538, it became the first university in the New World, known as Universidad de Santo Tomás de Aquino.We didn't enter but inside, the Chapel of Nuestra Señora del Rosario is one of only three chapels in the world whose vault is decorated with the signs of the zodiac.

On to a grand Promenade on El Condé Street, a must see for visitors and favorite destination for residents.

"El Conde street is one of the first streets built by Europeans in America and dates back to the founding of the city of Santo Domingo. By Frey Nicolás de Ovando In 1502.With a distance of approximately one kilometer, it begins at Las Damas Street, topped by an old staircase that goes down to the Ozama River and ends at the Puerta del Conde."

Like Charles Street in Boston or La Rampa in Barcelona, the street has been the site of important political, social and, in the case of El Condé, religious events. And like the others, they are now home of commercial enterprises of all kinds and fabulous places for people watching.

Our guide Alex Martinez knows every meter of this street. He was chosen to design this historic plaque to honor the Edificio Baquero.

El Edificio Baquero: Built in the 1920s, Alex says it used to be the tallest building in Santo Domingo and boasted the first elevator in the city. The curved front of the building with its carved balconies partially seen on left are gorgeous.

Informative signage lines the street, a boon for tourists, especially if you have a smart phone app to translate.

 

Sidewalk vendors on every corner; wildly colorful artwork as almost as numerous as the tables and chairs in front of cafés and restaurants.

 

There's always time and certainly lots of places for a drink and conversation; endless opportunities for people watching.

El Condé Street ends at the Ozama River about a mile away. Shop, sit, talk,eat, drink...meander all the way the Ozama River at the end of the x mile street LINK

Saviñon Building, headquarters of the National Lottery, 1946. Lottery systems seem to be a global enterprise

Edificio Cerame, The ground floor was used to store fabrics, clothes, shoes, tablecloths, perfumes, etc. It was the first time that street displays were used in the country. "Why are  they painting it that color!" Alex exclaims.

The architecture includes influences from Spanish wrought iron balconies and more modern concrete structures.

Sederias California, sort of the Marshalls of Santo Domingo, but duty free. It carries a mix of price categories on three floors, lots of clothing from expensive to more affordable but with good quality.

https://www.keeptravel.com/magazin-sederias-kaliforniya-v-santo-domingo
  

But no need to enter Sederias California if some of this clothing appeals to you. El Condé Street is a window shoppers dream...and if you get hungry, pizza!
 

For Alex, the Colonial Zone is like his back yard, he knows every street, every building and great places to eat.

Next, a tour of the Museo Ferdinand Peña Defilló, a museum Alex is in the process of remodeling.

Photos by Paul A. Tamburello, Jr.

 

Altos de Chavón: Design School, Architectural Gem, Cultural Touchstone

A photo essay that chronologically follows a 5-Star guided tour of the Altos de Chavón campus in La Romana, D.R., by Stephen D. Kaplan, director of the Altos de Chavón School of Design located there. Kaplan's association with Altos de Chavón dates back to its creation in 1981.

The visit was initiated when Arlene Alvarez, Director of the Altos de Chavón Regional Museum of Archeology, invited Katherine Jones, Director of the Graduate Program in Museum Studies at the Harvard University Extension School, to view the museum on the school's campus in La Romana, D.R. 

This is a world class oasis of culture, history, education and luxury in La Romana at the eastern end of the Dominican Republic.

Entrance to Casa de Campo, a replica 16th century Mediterranean village on spacious grounds in La Romana on the eastern end of the Dominican Republic. An architectural gem, the property contains privately owned villas, restaurants, boutiques featuring clothing and jewelry, and an amphitheater seating 5000 people!

The crowning jewel is the Altos de Chavón School of Design with an enrollment of 125 students from across the world and a renowned Artists in Residence Program that deepens the school's academic offerings.

The Museo Arqueológico Regional, rich with displays describing the island's prehistoric culture and artifacts of its indigenous inhabitants, is centered in the midst of the village. Its outreach program for school children is robust and, in fact, offers inspiration to the youngsters as well as to the students of the School of Design

Security checkpoints leading to Altos de Chavón School of Design and surrounding villas.

The School of Design offers instruction in Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Digital Design, Interior Design, Photography and Fashion, with a teaching staff steeped in experience, dedicated to academic excellence and nurturing a hotbed of young creative talent. The architectural ambience is breathtaking.

Under the leadership of Museum Director Arlene Alvarez, the Museo Arqueológico Regional has an aggressive outreach program to introduce students to their island's historic heritage.

Students welcomed to the museum by their guide. Their teachers have been given pre-visit information that provides them with context for what they and their students are about to see.

A future post will describe the mission of the Museo Aqueológico Regional.

Calle di Las Piedras (Street of the Stones). This replica of a 16th century Mediterranean village is a stunning work of art all by itself. Dominican architect Jose Antonio Caro and Italian master designer and cinematographer Roberto Coppa planned the village stone by stone. Variations of texture, color, shape, architectural design  produce an inspiring environment and source of creative energy for the School of Design and a sense of history surrounding the museum. Every detail of Altos de Chavón was handcrafted by local artisans.

 

Commercial enterprises for villa owners and tourists on the Casa de Campo.

 

To achieve the look of antiquity, cinematographer Roberto Coppa and architect José Antonio Caro created buildings with bricked up windows to make them appear abandoned.

Breakfast Club! Director Stephen Kaplan invites several students to join him for breakfast once a week. The interaction between staff, artists in residence and teachers creates a sense of community and adds a jolt of vitality to the program.

Since the village is also a tourist destination, some areas are for students only. The school takes security seriously.

The academic setting includes a set of nine classrooms, many of which we toured, student lounge (not visited), library, computer lab and sculpture studio, as well as administrative offices. The school enrollment: approximately 125 students in 40 units furnished with capacity of 2 to 5 students in each one.

Disciplines taught: Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Digital Design, Interior Design, Photography and Fashion, with a teaching staff dedicated to academic excellence in the world of art and design.

Mark Lineweaver (left, chatting with Kaplan) has just concluded an art class as we enter. Invited to be an Artist in Residence of the Altos de Chavón Cultural Center Foundation in 1993, he has taught there ever since. LINKS

Lineweaver has tasked his students in his drawing class to explore contrasts in light.

Class dismissed.

Christina Sanchez-Kozyreva, Maria Inéz Rodriguez, and Yan Xing are some of the current artists in residence.

A new screening room is nearly complete, the latest addition to the school, will add a dimension of digital visual arts to the school.

Katherine Jones, Director of the Museum Studies Program at the Harvard University Extension School, was invited to the tour the school and the museum's collection by Arlene Alvarez, the Museo Arqueológico Regional Director. Director Stephen Kaplan has been associated with the school since 1981.

Student residences. The School of Design maintains two beautiful buildings that house approximately 125 students in 40 units furnished with capacity of 2 to 5 students in each one.

Installation created by students uses traditional straw brooms used by indigenous people. 

Jones, the master painter Rafael Salomon of the maintenance staff, Kaplan, Alvarez.

Believe it or not, these are watercolor portraits.

Proud artist, self portrait by Haitian student Maiker Avila Lopez.

This is the only class we saw in action during our tour. Artist Elsa Cáceres (black slacks, chatting with Harvard Museum Studies Program Director Katherine Jones; students are drawing an object that appealed to them in a visit to the Museo Arqueológico earlier in the day.

Confluence of technology and good old fashioned hand produced art...

as students capture photos of objects that interested them on iPhones then draw the objects in class...

and are thoroughly engaged...from iPhones to paper then who knows... digitized, instagrammed, hologrammed, redrawn?

Thank you, Elsa Cáceres...from Stephen Kaplan, Arlene Alvarez and Katherine Jones!

School of Design Library contains 12,000 volumes.

Arlene Alvarez and librarian Diogenes Alcala.

 

Kaplan explains that the library includes rare volumes with hand drawn frontispieces and an ancient map (shown here) of the Dominican Republic.

Stacks and rows...12,000 volumes packed into this compact library.

Continuing a Five Star Tour through meticulously managed environment by Director Stephen Kaplan.

Sculpture studio: this bust has been created over a wire armature.

Art seems to grow out of the ground here. The synergy between earth and art is ever-present.

A discotheque and karaoke joint...even artists, maybe especially artists, need a place to blow off steam.

Admiring the construction of the beautiful archway interrupted by the blonde giving me the eye on the way through the campus.

 

 
Ceramics studio flooded with natural light from above; three  directors - Arlene Alvarez, director of the ceramics program Damar Castaño, Katherine Jones

 

From this piece of clay...to this vase.

"The potter is an extension of the clay," says Director Stephen Kaplan.

 

glazing and paint...inspiration awaits; a reproduction of a Taino bowl

Electric kiln (above), gas kiln with massive door ready to be shut tight during firing ( background); director of the ceramics program, Damar Castaño.

 

Stonework and flora merge to create a step back in time.

Close up views of the stonework, all done by local craftsmen, in this recreated 16th century Mediterranean village are just as arresting as the art work in the art gallery on the grounds. The distinction between artisan and artist is quite porous. Stonemasons are probably the most under-appreciated artists of all.

 

Arresting views everywhere reinforce the creative endeavors of the students in The School of Design...

including the walkways!

The hefty iron handles (and perhaps the chains) on this gate were forged by hand by local artisans.

Hail, Caesar! A big surprise in this small scale village - a 5000-seat amphitheater with a grand view of the Altos de Chavón River.

Who knew that the amphitheater in this little village is a major venue for musicians and singers. Jennifer Lopez was scheduled to perform here later in the month. If people in the Dominican Republic had never heard of Altos de Chavón in La Romana, they will soon!

So many design elements so well maintained...

and such a vibrant community of students...

eager to learn.

 

The silk screen printing studio...Arlene Alvarez and head of the silk screen lab.

 

The smell of fresh ink is like perfume to aspiring silk screen artists...

preparing screens for the next layer of paint.

 

Classrooms for fabric and design

Shopping al fresco...

 

with a reminder that this is an international destination.

And in case you forget you're in a Caribbean island with a deep connection with music, here's a band in the main plaza.

 

Martha Victoria, Funding Office; Carmen Lorente, Director of Special Programs; Arlene Alvarez, Director of Museo Arqqueologico; Stephen Kaplan, Director of Altos de Chavón in La Romana, D.R.; Katherine Jones, Director of the Graduate Program in Museum Studies at the Harvard University Extension School.

View of the Altos de Chavón River from the terrace above.

  

 

Directors Stephen Kaplan, Katherine Jones and pt at large; well-rounded students need a well-rounded social life!

 

Self-portraits show the range of students in the School of Design.

 

Hallways and offices are filled with artwork.

Artwork in one of the galleries...

and in one respect, the village of Altos de Chavón is one huge piece of art.

Charles Bludhorn, the man behind the creation of the village and the school, is worthy of a Hollywood documentary. Bludhorn was president of Gulf & Western, the company that owned a huge chunk of land in the Dominican Republic, and popularized it as a tourist destination, and advocated for island's inhabitants, including certainty that local students had equal access to the prestigious School of Design. Oh, he also owned Paramount Pictures, whose artists helped create the village of Altos de Chavón.

Photos by Paul A. Tamburello, Jr. 

Dispatches from Chile: Don Pedro Biernay, Genius in the Fields

February 3, 2017

Don Pedro Biernay, at 75, moves more slowly than he did the first time I saw him in 2008. His mind, his ability to fix, repair or create anything in or around the fields of Chilefarms, is as vigorous as ever.

Having worked in the countryside since he was 16, his only tools are a shovel with black tape wrapped around the handle, bits of wire, a single-bladed scythe, a sharp pocket knife, and a sledge hammer. He's never set foot in a hardware store. Even if they existed when he was younger, he was too poor and would have had to walk miles to find one.

With those earthly possessions he can organize scores of canals to irrigate acres of corn, alfalfa, or potato fields, cut  skinny poles to stabilize tall plants or tree branches, tie bamboo poles or long lengths of eucalyptus together to make railings or widen a small bridge. This year, in a concession to age and arthritis, he built a hand railing to help him climb up and down the steep hill at the edge of the recently built reservoir. In Don Pedro's case, genius was born of scarcity. Pride takes a back seat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TR52V_ULno&feature=youtu.be

Video by Paul A. Tamburello, jr.

 Profile of Don Pedro, 2008

http://ptatlarge.typepad.com/ptatlarge/2008/02/saturday-februa.html

Dispatches from Chile: Massive Fires Ravage Southern Chile Part4

February 5, 2017 Sunday edition of the Boston Globe.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/world/2017/02/04/chileans-hope-recover-from-country-worst-wildfires/jezRa1o8uCp9RzPC49vMRK/story.html

The fires are now under control but for many Bostonians, this story about historically massive wildfires in south-central Chile, on one of the last pages of the first section, was one of the only ones to appear in my local paper while was in Nogales, Chile for two weeks.

QUOTE "The ferocity of the blazes led President Michelle Bachelet to issue a state of emergency, deploy troops, and seek international aid. Supertanker planes from the United States and Russia have dumped thousands of gallons of water on the area.

In all, some 20,000 people, including firefighters and experts from a dozen countries, have battled the wildfires that Bachelet has called the worst forest disaster in Chile’s history. At least 11 deaths have been blamed on the fires." END QUOTE.

On February 4,  President Michelle Bachelet declared that the Wildfire Emergency Is About to End

QUOTE According to the latest report of the Onemi emergency management office, a department of the Interior Ministry, the fires left 11 dead, 6,370 affected and 1,603 homes destroyed.

The government said Friday that the forest fires' preliminary cost has reached 233 billion pesos (some $333 million), money invested chiefly in helping the thousands of people affected by the flames.END QUOTE

Chile is not a subject of news often unless there is an equally devastating earthquake or tsumami. We are connected with it more through fruits, flowers, and vegetables than through disasters.

Links to a list of organizations involved in relief efforts is at the  bottom of this link.  One of the six organizations is for relief to the people in Santa Olga in which 1200 homes were burned to the ground. The list is in Spanish but you get the idea.

I can't vouch for how well the organizations are run but do know how good it feels to donate to a worthy cause. Despite the turmoil going on around us in America, Americans are really good at donating to others whose lives have been turned upside down.

Check this translated page about desafiolevantemoschile. Let your conscience be your guide.

https://cl.usembassy.gov/u-s-government-assists-fight-chilean-forest-fires/

https://www.desafiolevantemoschile.cl

 

Dispatches from Chile: Mowing the Alfalfa Fields

February 4, 2017

The alfalfa in this field can be mowed and baled an amazing six times a growing season. It will provide winter feed for the farm's horses. Correction: This is a two step process, not three. The tractor mower this year leaves the alfalfa piled in rows ready for baling, which will happen in two or three days when the alfalfa is sufficiently dry.

You can see alfalfa being left in neat rows after its mowed. Next step, the baling machine will scoop it up, compress it, tie it, and produce compact bales of dried alfalfa for winter feed.

 

Videos and photos by Paul A. Tamburello, Jr.

Dispatches from Chile: Don Pedro Biernays, General of Field Expediency

February 3, 2017

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TR52V_ULno&feature=youtu.be

Video by Paul A. Tamburello, jr.

 

Dispatches from Chile: New Pumphouse for the Walnut Fields

February 3, 2017

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4FO-j1mm8M&feature=youtu.be

Videos and photos by Paul A. Tamburello, Jr.

Dispatches from Chile: Trees Bearing Fresh Fruit Five Minutes Away

February 3, 2017

 

 

 

and this tree with hundreds of peaches almost ready to eat!

 

Photos by  Paul A. Tamburello, Jr.

Dispatches from Chile: Fertilizing the Orange Trees

February 3, 2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kD8VfuD60Q

Photos and videos by Paul A.Tamburello, Jr.
 

Dispatches from Chile: Massive Fires Ravage Southern Chile Part3

February 2, 2017,

Thousands of farm animals have been killed in the wildfires and thousands are in need of life saving treatment,food and shelter. Local groups have called on the services of volunteer agencies experienced in helping animals affected by natural disasters around the world.

The update below is from the manager of one of these groups who have set up camp  in Doñihue, 68 miles south of Santiago.

http://www.ifaw.org/united-states/news/ifaw-gaap-respond-chile-wildfires

"As you might already know, the wildfires currently consuming Chilean forests have been declared one of the worst tragedies in the country's history. By this Thursday over 6.000 people have been evacuated. An entire community burned to the ground. People and animals have died, and many are injured. Right now our IFAW-GAAP team is working on site, evacuating and assisting those animals still trapped or badly injured.

Much more coming up on this. Please follow both IFAW and GAAP's social networks for updates about the current situation in Chile.

Remember you can support the IFAW-GAAP Disaster Assistance program by donating here."

+++++++++++++++++

On an individual level, some people,like the veterinarian husband of a friend of Susaan Straus is caring for burned horses on his own nickel, and raising money for the cause personally.

https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2017/01/28/more-than-100-fast-spreading-wildfires-rage-in-chile.html

An Associated Press story dated January 28 wrote that "The carcasses of charred horses, lambs and chickens have been buried in pits to avoid the spread of infectious diseases. TV images show town dwellers outside their wooden homes armed with buckets of water, hoping it will be enough to battle the flames. But those efforts are often undone as winds or smouldering ash spread the fires anew."

Not only have thousands lost their homes but they've lost sources of food and income and in the case of horses, power to pull plows and transportation by cart or horse.

Gathered from media sources and from friends of Susaan Straus of Chilefarms in Nogales, Chile, which is far from the danger zone.

 

Dispatches from Chile: Chile, Australia, and the best Empanadas in Maitencillo

When i get home, I’ll finish the story that has the biggest small world story of all!

February 1, 2017

We drive to the tiny Restaurant Koala for its renowned empanadas in the bustling beach town of Maitencillo. It's high season, summertime, school is out, families and friends flock to the beaches across the street and the other restaurants in town. Another big draw are the two dandy covered bazaars filled with  a vast collection of clothing, a stunning array of costume jewelry, toys, skin products, snf knick-knacks, all priced to sell. I dare you not to leave empty  handed. I never have.

Halfway through our meal, a fellow rests his elbows on the railing in front of our table. "Where are you from?" he asks in an Australian accent thicker that a kangaroo's pouch. That's when this story really begins.

To begin be continued as soon as I get a chance to write about it!