History in New Orleans: Monuments to Visit

By Herald Moores

New Orleans is a city rich in history, culture and personality. Walking through the town, representations of this abound. There are at least 145 monuments scattered across the city. The following are the 5 most notable monuments in New Orleans city.

Robert E. Lee Monument

This monument is a 76-foot monument with a 16-foot bronze statue of General Robert E. Lee.The National Register of Historic Places added the Robert E. Lee Monument in 1991 to its records.. General Robert E. Lee was the most prominent general for the South during the Civil War. This monument is probably the most well known and largest New Orleans monument.

Jefferson Davis Monument

Edward Virginius Valentine, a great artists from the 1900s, was responsible for creating the Jefferson Davis Monument. This monument is a life-size bronze statue of Jefferson Davis sitting on top of a 10 foot granite base. Jefferson Davis was the President of the Confederacy from 1861-1865 and a martyr to the Confederate cause. It is great monument to visit and spend some time learning about its incredible history.

Franklin Place Monument

In 1926, the monument of Benjamin Franklin was given to the city of New Orleans by Henry Wadsworth Gustine. It's a statue of Benjamin Franklin on top of a small base with some of Franklin's well known saying inscribed on it. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founders of the United States of America and contributed much during his lifetime.

Spanish American War Monument

The Spanish American War Monument was dedicated in 1939. It is a 14-foot granite base with an emblem relief of a kneeling girl before an infantryman and sailor with an 8-foot bronze sculpture of a male military figure on top of it. This war gave the United States control over the Philippines and Cuba and is a very important part of our history. The Spanish American War Monument deserves to be included in the monuments of New Orleans.

About the Author:

Herald Moores has been fascinated by New Orleands landmarks for a number of years. He has written op-eds and editorial pieces for many online publications. For more info about New Orleans monuments please visit his site.

Fine Arts and Art Scene in Sin City

By Helen Gerogette

The fine arts scene in Las Vegas is unique and fascinating. When travellers think about Sin City, they often presume it is simply for hoofing and gambling. The Las Vegas arts scene is one of the best for viewing a good spread of fine art. Similarly, most studios are simply accessed by bus or taxi, while many are found without delay on The Strip. When you are planning your holiday you should use a the best app for travel.

Fine Arts Gallery at The Bellagio

One of the more well-liked galleries is the Fine Arts Gallery at The Bellagio. This gallery is arranged by the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and emphasizes the art of 19th century French painters. Jaw-dropping lighting and impeccable set-up, this is one gallery that you shouldn't miss. Complicated paintings and internationally famous pieces dot the gallery walls. There's a small entry charge of $15 to view this gallery.

Vladimir Kush Galleries

The Vladimir Kush galleries are free to visit. There are two locations of his displayed fine arts in Las Vegas, one at Caesar's Palace, and the other at Planet Hollywood. Both locations boast over 100 pieces of unique and stunning art to appreciate. Expect to be carried to a whole world of fantasy and wonder, as Vladimir Kush is focused on the surreal fine arts.

Smith Center Las Vegas

The Smith Center in Vegas is the newest fine humanities attraction in the city of entertainment. It will be opening in March 2012 for its grand debut. This center will feature ballet, Broadway acts, opera and other fine arts. The building itself gets inspiration from many styles of architecture, including art deco. It's one of the most inspiring new centres for fine art in the city. Expect first class performances to be held here. Ensure this center makes the apex of your list for must-do things in Vegas.

Arts Factory

The Arts Factory is one of the hot spots for Las Vegas arts. The Arts Factory is a center that involves creativity, classes and fine art displays. It was made to strengthen the art community in Vegas, and support local artists of all styles. If you love art, then this center is not to be missed. It is often certain to galvanize visitors from all over the world.

About the Author:

Helen Gerogette has been interested in art scene in Las Vegas for a few years. She has written op-eds and editorial pieces for many online publications. For more info about Vegas arts, please click here and visit her site.

DC's Best Art Galleries

By Helen Gerogette

As the capital city of the United States of America, it should come as no surprise that Washington DC is home to a big variety of museums and art studios. To get close up with some of the world's most renowned paintings, be absolutely sure to stop by one of the top ranked art studios in the capital. From EU classics to ancient tribal African art, the city boasts it all. Wonderful, lots of the art galleries are free for visitors, like the many museums in the area. Here are the top ranked art galleries in Washington DC.

National Gallery of Art

This is undoubtedly the most famed and well known of the Washington DC art galleries. Its location on the National Mall marks it as major for both the culture and history of the United States of America. The studio can fundamentally be separated into three section. The 1st is the west wing of the gallery, home to modern art and abstract designs. The east wing is the seriously more favored section of the gallery, where Western european classics are displayed by the likes of Turner and Vermeer. Outside in the garden in a huge pool as well as a magnificent collection of sculptures, which is the third section of the studio.

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

Also found in the National Mall is the Freer Gallery of Art, one of the lesser known Washington DC art galleries. It homes the Smithsonian's collection of Asian art, spanning from Turkey to Japan. Though art by the European pros is sometimes better known by the public, the Freer Studio does display some of the world's top Asian art, although in a much less crowded and often pleasanter environment for visitors.

National Portrait Gallery

This studio is amongst the most visited art galleries in Washington DC. The subject matter is, as the name suggests, portraits of people and often groups. Though the topic of the paintings could be from all over the world, the emphasis is certainly on those who have formed the U. S. A in some form through culture, history or politics. Varying exhibits showcase different leaders and icons as well as everyday American citizens. The mediums vary dependent on the piece of art in question, with some portraits being photographs, oil paintings or perhaps sculptures. It is a smashing way to appreciate art as well as a unique way to put a face to a name when it comes down to historical figures in America's past.

American Art Museum

The majority of the studios and art museums in the state's capital include works by artists around the world, but the American Art Museum highlights those artists who were either American subjects or who were living in American while painting. The works stretch from the earliest paintings by First Americans all of the way to modernist art in the form of unique lighting fixtures which hang from the ceiling.

About the Author:

Helen Gerogette has been interested in Washington DC art scene for a number of years. She has written op-eds and editorial pieces for many online publications. For more info about Washington DC art galleries please click here and visit her site.

San Jose Magnificent Theaters

By Jonas Fredrickson

San Jose has a reputation for being a cutting edge community on the forefront of technology. Equalling their appreciation for the high tech is San Jose's residents appreciation for music and theatre. San Jose is home to a symphony, many playhouses and more, all performing at pretty and acoustically shocking locations around the city, particularly in San Jose's South First Area District where several cultural activities and centers are found.

San Jose Repertory Theatre

Set up in 1980 as the first of the professional theaters in San Jose, the Rep has endured and grown into a longtime theatre known for its excellence across the country. The Rep has a rep for all types of theatre, from the classics to edgy recent works. The Rep has received several accolades in its 30+ year history, including designations and awards for performances of The Kite Runner, As You Lie It, Groundswell, and the 25th Yearly Putnam County Spelling Bee. The Rep is a pretty location in the heart of downtown San Jose and encircled by fine and casual eateries, premiere shopping and the city's best nightclubs, wine bars and music scene. There's not a need to leave the Rep but with the Curtain Call Patron Lounge and free live music after performances on selected nights. The Rep is amongst the premiere theaters in San Jose for a very sublime experience.

City Lights Theatre Company

Though the City Lights Theater Company only performs six plays per season, each offering is deliberately selected to embody the Theater's reputation as modern, cutting edge, unconventional and thought provoking. Each play runs for about a month, with the season running from Jan to Aug. Plays are performed in an intimate 100 seat venue and are commonly modern and edgy, even when interpreting classics like Hamlet and Chicago. Other offerings are often Pulitzer Prize winning plays hinged on tragedy and victory, like Tracy Letts ' August: Osage County, which chronicles a family's journey through dysfunction and reconnection to the background of rustic Americana. The Town Lights Theater Company strives to offer the finest in modern theater and modern adaptions, as well as maintaining themselves as a theater space for promising and up-and-coming designers, technicians, actors, directors and all aspiring theater lovers.

The Stage

Billed as the very best in Off-Broadway San Jose theaters, The Stage has a clear mission to present original works with a focus on recent programming, American literature and historic classics that explore the numerous angles of the condition of being human. The Stage is already in its 29th season, receiving accolades for its past performances of The Diary of Anne Frank, Glengary Glen Ross, Blade to the Heat, Inherit the Wind and particularly Tenders in the Mist, for which The Stage received 6 Dean Goodman Choice Awards. The Stage offers dramas, musicals, comedies and more, with attention on promoting theatre and art with a 5-play season that runs from Sep to June, compromised of 120 performances and 10 scheduled ?talkbacks? In its 200 seat, mid-sized theatre facility.

The Tabard Theatre Company

With a goal of providing entertainment for all audiences with an abiding interest in San Jose theaters, the Tabard Theatre Company also has a strong focus upon community involvement. The theatre regularly gives a part of profits to charity, organizes food and clothing drives, and outreach programs aimed at making theatre affordable for those that may not usually experience theatre. The Tabard Theatre produces four to six main productions per season, in addition to offering workshops for adults and kids. Past season productions have included Antigone, The Small Prince, Neil Simon's "Fools", Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and A Yuletide Carol, amongst others. The Tabarad Theatre also hosts some of San Jose's best live Jazz and plenty of other performing humanities events seating over 120 guests in its locale.

Symphony Silicon Valley, at the California Theatre

When the San Jose Symphony dissolved in 2001 after a 30 year run, it was reincarnated as the Symphony Silicon Valley that performs at the one of the greatest concert halls in San Jose at the California Theatre. The Symphony Silicon Valley performs classic works as well as more recent arrangements, while also showcasing smaller group arrangements and soloists. The symphony Silicon Valley is the premiere ensemble in San Jose and performs with first class talent and direction.

California Theatre

First open in 1927 as among the first concert halls in San Jose, the theatre was closed for decades before a $75 million refurbishment in 2004. The theatre is at present a modern facility seating 1100 guests,. Redesigned to capture its original 1920?s style. Found in San Jose's South First Area District (Sofa), the California Theatre is in the center of San Jose's arts and culture scene, adjacent to The Stage, Institute of Contemporary Art, many diners, bars, jazz clubs, and smaller music places.

Children's Musical Theatre San Jose

The CMT was launched in 1968 and is among the country's largest youth performances and training programmes. The CMT casts all that audition to promote a friendly and nurturing atmosphere that fosters children's interest and evolution in theatre. Tickets are available online over the phone and the Convention Center and the Montogomery Theatrebox offices. Current performances such as Seussical, Doctor Dolittle, Xanadu and Bye, Bye Birdie. The CMT has commitment to promoting variety inside its players and cultivating the love of theatre inside all interested youngsters.

About the Author:

Jonas Fredrickson has been fascinated by hot spots in San Jose for many years. He has written op-eds and editorial pieces about attractions in San Jose for many online publications. For more info about San Jose theaters come and visit his site.