| 作者 |
 美国文化名城速写 |
 |
drthedrth
头衔: 海归中校
声望: 学员
性别:  年龄: 44
加入时间: 2007/08/21
文章: 201
海归分: 55830
|
|
|
作者：drthedrth 在 艺术鉴赏 发贴, 来自【海归网】 http://www.haiguinet.com
美国文化名城速写
美国亚洲文化学院艺术中心供稿
美国众多的大城市对美国的文化生活产生了巨大的影响。城市人口的种族多样性为美国在文学、表演艺术、建筑和烹饪等领域取得的成就做出了无可估量的贡献。以下是对部份美国大城市文化生活的简单描述，从一个侧面反映了美国文化艺术的活力和丰富多采。
西雅图(Seattle)
西雅图又名翡翠城(Emerald City)，美国太平洋西北沿岸最大的城市。2005年，西雅图被列为美国文化程度最高的城市。根据2002年的调查资料，西雅图也是美国受教育人口最多的城市。
西雅图是该地区表演艺术的重镇。西雅图交响乐团(Seattle Symphony Orchestra)、西雅图歌剧院(the Seattle Opera)和西北太平洋地区芭蕾舞团(Pacific Northwest Ballet)都以西雅图为演出基地。"体验音乐展厅"(The Experience Music Project)设在由著名建筑师弗兰克•格瑞(Frank Gehry)设计的大楼内，自诩为"互动音乐博物馆"(participatory museum of music)。西雅图还是垃圾摇滚乐(grunge music)的诞生地。
西雅图拥有各类名闻遐尔的文化艺术场馆，著名博物馆和美术场馆星罗棋布，如亨利美术馆( Henry Art Gallery)、西雅图艺术博物馆(Seattle Art Museum)、奥林匹克雕塑公园(Olympic Sculpture Park)和弗赖伊艺术博物馆(Frye Art Museum)。西雅图还有其它一些藏品丰富的专题博物馆，例如北欧传统博物馆( Nordic Heritage Museum)、 陆荣昌亚洲博物馆(Wing Luke Asian Museum)和航空博物馆(Museum of Flight)。航空博物馆反映了航空工业在西雅图占据的显著地位。西雅图每年还举办具有族裔特色的的民俗节，美洲印第安人也在这里举行帕瓦节(powwow)的众多庆祝活动。
旧金山(San Francisco)
旧金山位于风景优美的旧金山湾区，居住人口720万。旧金山居民的种族构成反映了其广泛的国际多样性。例如市内有各类族群聚居的社区：始建于1906年的唐人街( Chinatown)；墨西哥和中美洲许多移民聚居的教会区(the Mission District)；以及与上一个世纪嬉皮活动有联系的海特-亚许伯里(Haight-Ashbury)嬉皮区，这里曾经历了广泛的中产阶级化（Gentrification），但仍具有某些波西米亚遗风。
20世纪50年代，大批作家和艺术家蜂拥而至，现代咖啡馆文化随之风生水起。60年代的社会动荡证实了旧金山已成为当之无愧的自由派大本营。
旧金山的战争纪念歌剧厅(War Memorial Opera House)是声名卓著的旧金山歌剧院(San Francisco Opera)和旧金山芭蕾舞团(San Francisco Ballet)的驻地。旧金山交响乐团( The San Francisco Symphony)在附近的戴维斯交响乐大会堂(Davies Symphony Hall)演出。赫布斯特剧院(Herbst Theatre)也以其不拘一格的演奏风格著称于世。享有声誉的菲尔莫尔大剧院(Fillmore Auditorium)经过第二次改建后仍在使用，菲尔莫尔大剧院最初是"感恩而死"(Grateful Dead)、詹尼斯•乔普林(Janis Joplin)、"杰菲逊飞艇"(Jefferson Airplane)等20世纪60年代著名摇滚乐队发迹的地方。美利坚音乐厅(The American Conservatory Theater)是旧金山表演艺术的主力军，旧金山现代艺术博物馆 (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art)每年吸引60万名游客。
洛杉矶(Los Angeles)
洛杉矶，加利福尼亚州最大的城市，全美第二大城市，著名的文化、科技和国际贸易中心。洛杉矶还是全世界大众娱乐节目的主要制作基地， 以发达的影视、音像业享誉全球。
洛杉矶有无以计数的博物馆和美术馆，例如以广泛收藏希腊、意大利古代伊特鲁里亚和罗马古玩著称的保罗•格蒂博物馆( J. Paul Getty Museum)和芝加哥以西规模最大的洛杉矶郡艺术博物馆(Los Angeles County Museum of Art)。在卡布利洛海洋生物馆(The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium)，游客可以饱览海洋生物生态系统的自然奇观。拉布雷亚沥青坑化石博物馆(La Brea Tar Pits Museum)则吸引游客观看化石的复原、清洗和分析过程。
桃乐丝帐篷剧场(The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion)设在洛杉矶音乐中心(Los Angeles Music Center)内，是洛杉矶歌剧院的驻地，也是电影业一年一度举行奥斯卡奖颁奖典礼的场所。外观颇为前卫的沃尔特•迪斯尼音乐厅(Walt Disney Concert Hall)是洛杉矶爱乐管弦乐团(Los Angeles Philharmonic)的驻地，由建筑师弗兰克•格瑞(Frank Gehry)设计。
新墨西哥州圣菲市(Santa Fe)
圣菲市，新墨西哥州首府。16世纪的西班牙殖民者曾在这里定居， 1610年正式建城。市内建筑多为西班牙殖民式，也呈现普韦布洛(Pueblo)风格，反映了圣菲市的西班牙和美洲印第安人根系。
圣菲市属多样性文化城市，具有艺术中心的地位，成为无数艺术家的家园，其中许多人曾在画布上描绘出该市美丽的景色。著名的新墨西哥州画家乔治娅•奥基夫(Georgia O’Keefe)曾在圣菲市居住，市内的乔治娅•奥基夫博物馆(Georgia O’Keefe Museum)展出了她的作品，同时也介绍其他艺术家同类主题的作品。 峡谷街(Canyon Road)是该市美术馆最集中的一条街，主要展出美国西南部、美洲印第安人及实验性现代艺术。
长期以来，作家们接二连三来到圣菲市，其中包括科马克•麦卡锡(Cormac McCarthy)和沃克•珀西(Walker Percy)。在这座城市，音乐与歌剧演出十分频繁。圣菲歌剧院(The Santa Fe Opera)是美国最受欢迎的地区性歌剧演出团体之一，其演出季节恰好与圣菲室内乐音乐节(Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival)的演出日程重合。圣菲市还有许多世界级的博物馆，如新墨西哥艺术博物馆( New Mexico Museum of Art)、美洲印第安人艺术博物馆(Institute of American Indian Arts Museum)、历史博物馆(the History Museum)和展出现代艺术的圣菲展览馆(Site Santa Fe)。
丹佛(Denver)
丹佛位于崎岖陡峭的科罗拉多落基山脉(Colorado Rockies)腹地，布局分散，逶迤绵延，属重要的文化中心，聚集着来自全国和全世界其他地区的艺术家和表演人才。
该地区多样性的人口借助科学和文化设施区(Scientific and Cultural Facilities District)支持文化事业。科学和文化设施区作为科罗拉多州境内的特别税赋区，为丹佛地区的艺术、音乐、戏剧、舞蹈、动植物园、自然历史或文化历史团体提供资金。科学和文化设施区由选民于1988年投票建立，每年发放数百万美元的税金支持当地的有关团体。
今天，丹佛艺术和文化的中心区是金三角博物馆区(The Golden Triangle Museum District)，其中包括丹佛艺术博物馆 (The Denver Art Museum)、科罗拉多公立图书馆(The Denver Public Library)、科罗拉多历史博物馆(The Colorado History Museum)、科罗拉多芭蕾舞团(The Colorado Ballet)以及其他数十处剧院、画廊和艺术家工作室 (Artists’ Studio)。
丹佛艺术博物馆主要展出有关前哥伦比亚时期、美国印第安人、美国西部和佛教艺术的展品。建筑师丹尼尔•利贝兹康德(Daniel Libeskind)新设计的分馆采大跨度悬挂式造型，颇有摆脱地球引力之势。丹佛演出艺术中心(The Denver Performing Arts Complex)被誉为世界第二大演出艺术中心，仅次于纽约林肯中心(Lincoln Center)。
每年6月和8月，丹佛主办阿斯彭音乐节和讲座活动(The Aspen Music Festival and School)，成为美国规模最大的古典音乐盛事之一。
得克萨斯州奥斯汀(Austin, Texas)
得克萨斯州奥斯汀市自称世界现场音乐会之都，因为这里芸集了许多音乐人，拥有许多音乐场所。该城居民的生活方式五色缤纷，观念前卫，"保持奥斯汀的奇特性"遂成为该市的口号。这意味着，奥斯汀居民为自己的奇特性和多样性感到自豪。
该市的现场音乐会规模宏伟，音乐场所的人均拥有率高于美国其他城市。 "奥斯汀城区"(Austin City Limits)是美国播出时间最长的电视音乐会节目，录像在得克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校(the University of Texas at Austin campus)完成。 奥斯汀城区音乐节(The Austin City Limits Music Festival)每年在市内的济尔克公园(Zilker Park)举办一次，该市还在每年4月举办城市音乐节(Urban Music Festival)以及奥斯汀"雷鬼乐"音乐节 (The Austin Reggae Festival)。 该市还每年举办一次奥斯汀电影节(Austin Film Festival)和以"南方偏西南"(South by Southwest)为名的电影/音乐/多媒体节。
奥斯汀芭蕾舞团(Ballet Austin)是美国第四大芭蕾舞团。奥斯汀清歌剧团(The Austin Lyric Opera)受到人们普遍欢迎，该市的戏剧文化(Theater Culture)也十分发达。
新奥尔良(New Orleans )
新奥尔良，又称"大逍遥"(Big Easy)，美国主要港口城市，路易斯安那州(Louisiana)最大的城市。作为美国最古老城市之一，新奥尔良以多样的文化传统、音乐和饮食著称。
新奥尔良有一些著名的特色居民区。 法国区(The French Quarter)有克里奥耳风格 (Creole)的连栋屋，庭院内绿色盎然，铁画饰品精美细腻；其他地区也有各类风格的住房建筑物，例如19世纪希腊复兴式(Greek Revival)、殖民式(Colonial)和维多利亚式(Victorian)的豪华住宅。 典雅富丽的天主教墓地也是该市另一个观光点。
新奥尔良主要的旅游点有：法国区著名的波旁街(Bourbon Street)，这里的夜生活热闹非凡；圣查尔斯街(St. Charles Avenue)、杜伦大学(Tulane University)和洛约拉大学(Loyola)也坐落其间；杰克逊广场(Jackson Square); 圣路易斯天主教堂(St. Louis Catheral)；法国市场(The French Market)；还有环境保护堂(Preservation Hall)举办的爵士音乐会。 该市的艺术博物馆有：当代艺术中心 (The Contemporary Arts Center)、新奥尔良城市公园艺术博物馆(The New Orleans Museum of Art in City Park)以及奥格登南方艺术博物馆(The Ogden Museum of Southern Art)。 新奥尔良还有一些著名的公共园林，如长景屋花园 (The Longue Vue House and Gardens)和新奥尔良植物园(The New Orleans Botanical Garden)。
圣路易斯(ST. Louis)
圣路易斯最初于1904年开始为人熟知，当年这里举办了世界博览会 (World’s Fair)和奥林匹克运动会。这座密苏里州(Missouri)的城市以法国和德国文化传统及维多利亚遗风而闻名。
该市有许多博物馆，最有名的是：圣路易斯艺术博物馆(St. Louis Art Museum)，拥有从古代工艺品到现代艺术品等种类广泛的藏品，如伦勃朗(Rembrandt)、 凡高( Van Gogh)、毕沙罗(Pissarro)和毕加索(Picasso)等人的绘画作品；城市博物馆(The City Museum)，其展品别具一格，附有人造岩洞和巨大的露天游乐场；另外还有普利茨艺术基金会(The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts)，设在普利茨克奖(Pritzker Prize)得主，建筑师安藤忠雄(Tadao Ando)设计的大楼里。其他建筑景观还有圣路易斯天主教大教堂(The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis)，教堂的设计因循拜占庭(Byzantine)和罗马风格(Romanesque)。该市还有最著名的标志性建筑，大拱门(The Gateway Arch)。
圣路易斯有世界著名的圣路易斯交响乐团(St. Louis Symphony Orchestra)，成立于1880年。 该市每年举办圣路易斯歌剧节(The Opera Theatre of Saint Louis)和圣路易斯国际电影节(The St. Louis International Film Festival)。 圣路易斯国际电影节是美国最著名的地区性电影节之一。长期以来，圣路易斯往往与名闻遐尔的散板(ragtime)、爵士乐和蓝调等音乐传统联系在一起。圣路易斯的剧场区内有美国规模最大的现场专业剧院之一，福克斯剧院(The Fox Theatre)。
芝加哥(Chicago)
芝加哥，昵称"风城"(Windy City)，伊利诺伊州(Illinois)最大的城市，美国第三大城市。芝加哥自主办1983年世界博览会以来，已成为美国中西部的商业、金融和文化中心，是全世界最具影响力的城市之一。
芝加哥有各类特色餐饮集中的地区，例如希腊城(Greektown)、中国城(Chinatown)、小意大利(Little Italy)、小首尔(Little Seoul)等，反映了芝加哥具有的移民根系。芝加哥也以其壮观巍峨的建筑著称，如西半球最高的建筑西尔斯大厦(Sears Tower )，这些摩天大楼构成一道高耸的风景线，属全世界建筑群最高的城市之一。
芝加哥的文化传统包括风格独特的现场音乐"芝加哥蓝调"(Chicago blues)。芝加哥的"嘻哈乐"(hip-hop)街舞的影响也很大，戏剧演出业则推动了现代即兴喜剧的兴起。古典音乐以芝加哥交响乐团(Chicago Symphony Orchestra )和芝加哥抒情歌剧院（Lyric Opera of Chicago）为代表，两者都具有世界级的声誉。乔佛瑞芭蕾舞团(Joffrey Ballet)和芝加哥节日芭蕾舞团(Chicago Festival Ballet)以及其他几个现代舞蹈团和爵士舞蹈团都以芝加哥为演出基地。芝加哥艺术学院(The Art Institute of Chicago)的藏品横跨5,000多年的世界文化史，芝加哥河北区(River North area )是该市现代艺术展览馆最集中的地区。
田纳西州孟菲斯市"雅园"(Graceland, in Mempyis, Tennessee)
"雅园"是一个占地5.6公顷的庄园，园内矗立着一座带白色廊柱的豪宅，曾是通俗音乐重量级人物埃尔维斯•普雷斯利(Elvis Presley)的产业。庄园位于田纳西州孟菲斯市埃尔维斯•普雷斯利大道(Elvis Presley Boulevard)3734号。
"雅园"自1982年作为博物馆向公众开放以来，四方游客纷至沓来。庄园的部份区域不对外开放，但游客仍可参观其中的某些房间，例如以丛林为装修主题的"丛林室"(Jungle Room)等。这里展出了普雷斯利的大量个人遗物、奖品和演出服饰，还有他收藏的各型汽车和两架飞机。庄园内还有普雷斯利的墓地，往往是参观"雅园"的最后一个景点。
"雅园"现为继白宫之后参观人数最多的美国私人住宅，1991年被列入国家史迹名录（National Register of Historical Places），2006年被宣布为国家历史遗迹（National Historic Landmark）。
田纳西州纳什维尔市(Nashville, Tennessee)
纳什维尔，田纳西州首府，美国乡村音乐的重镇。
纳什维尔于1925年创立名为奥普里大剧院(Grand Ole Opry)的乡村音乐广播节目，每周播送各种现场音乐会实况。纳什维尔素有"美国音乐城"(Music City USA)的美称，其中奥普里大剧院和纳什维尔蓬勃发展的印刷出版业功不可没。纳什维尔以浓厚的乡村音乐为特征，已成为主要的音乐录制中心，也是乡村音乐名人堂(Country Music Hall of Fame)的所在地。 为了彰显本地规模较小但蓬勃发展的电影业，纳什维尔还经常举办电影节(Nashville Film Festival)。纳什维尔电影节现已成为美国南部规模最大的电影节之一。
在纳什维尔，最受游客欢迎的游览景点之一是帕德嫩神殿（The Parthenon）的复制品，完全按希腊雅典帕德嫩神殿的规格建造。纳什维尔其他吸引游客的景点有田纳西州表演艺术中心(Tennessee Performing Arts Center)，作为田纳西州保留剧目剧院(Tennessee Repertory Theatre)、纳什维尔儿童剧院(Nashville Children’s Theatre)、纳什维尔歌剧院(Nashville Opera) 和纳什维尔芭蕾舞团(Nashville Ballet)的主要演出场所。另有谢默霍恩交响乐中心(Schermerhorn Symphony Center)，是纳什维尔交响乐团(Nashville Symphony Orchestra)的驻地。纳什维尔还有几处艺术中心和陈列馆，如弗里斯特视觉艺术中心(Frist Center for the Visual Arts)，田纳西州博物馆(Tennessee State Museum) 和范德堡大学(Vanderbilt University)内的美术陈列馆(Fine Art Gallery) 和萨拉特美术馆(Sarratt Gallery)。
华盛顿哥伦比亚特区(Washington D.C.)
美国首都华盛顿以美国第一届总统的姓氏命名，拥有众多的纪念馆、历史遗迹和文化景观，成为广受欢迎的旅游圣地。
华盛顿有世界知名的史密森学会(The Smithsonian Institution)博物馆系统和国家美术馆(The National Gallery of Art)。国家美术馆收藏的达•芬奇(Leonardo da Vinci)油画是西半球仅有的达•芬奇作品。史密森学会下属的博物馆有国家航空航天博物馆(The National Air and Space Museum)、弗里尔美术馆(The Freer Gallery of Art)、国家非洲艺术博物馆 (The National Museum of African Art)、美国历史博物馆 (The Museum of American History)、赫什宏博物馆(The Hirshhorn Museum)、国家自然历史博物馆(The National Museum of Natural History)、国家美洲印第安人博物馆(The National Museum of the American Indian)。与其他城市大部分博物馆和美术馆不同的是，史密森学会下属的博物馆和国家美术馆均免费向公众开放。
华盛顿经常举办现场音乐会和戏剧演出。华盛顿有著名的三大演出场所：肯尼迪演艺中心(The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts)，作为华盛顿国家歌剧院 (The Washington National Opera)、国家交响乐团(The National Symphony Orchestra)和华盛顿芭蕾舞团(The Washington Ballet)的演出基地；福尔杰剧院(The Folger Theater)，经常演出莎士比亚(Shakespeare)作品和当代戏剧；以及善于推出新作和重排传统精品剧目的舞台剧院(Arena Stage)。
纽约市(New York)
纽约市是美国最大的城市，世界商业和金融中心，对全球新闻媒体、娱乐和时装业有举足轻重的影响。
纽约大都会艺术博物馆(The Metropolitan Museum of Art)是全世界规模最大、规格最高的艺术博物馆之一，其收藏品横跨世界文化5,000年。纽约市有2,000多个艺术和文化团体，500多家独立画廊。纽约市的高层建筑栉次鳞比，比较著名的有克莱斯勒大厦(The Chrysler Building)和帝国大厦(The Empire Building)，均为装饰派艺术(Art Deco)的杰作。
纽约39家规模最大的剧院统称为"百老汇"(Broadway)，其中林肯演艺中心(The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts)是大都会歌剧院(The Metropolitan Opera)、纽约歌剧院(The New York Opera)、纽约爱乐乐团(The New York Philharmonic)、纽约城市芭蕾舞团(The New York City Ballet)、朱丽亚音乐学院(The Juilliard School)及其他著名艺术团体经常演出的场所。美国许多著名的文化运动，如上世纪20至30年代的哈莱姆文艺复兴(The Harlem Renaissance)就始于纽约市。纽约市还是40年代爵士乐的中心以及50年代抽象表现主义和70年代"嘻哈乐" (hip-hop)的发源地。纽约市有众多的移民，饮食文化丰富多采。美国许多一流的美食餐馆就坐落在纽约市。
美国亚洲文化学院艺术中心供稿
U.S. Cities Reflect Cultural Diversity, Artistic Ingenuity
Regional differences add character to U.S. metropolitan centers
Center For The Arts, US Asian Cultural Academy
Many major cities in the United States have been influential in shaping the nation’s cultural life, and an ethnically diverse population has contributed immeasurably to U.S. achievements in literature, the performing arts, architecture and cuisine. Find out more about the vigor and variety of America’s artistic heritage.
SEATTLE
Seattle, nicknamed the Emerald City, is the largest city in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. In 2005, analysts rated Seattle as the most literate city in America, and survey data from 2002 indicated that Seattle had the most educated population in the United States.
The city, a significant regional center for the performing arts, is home to the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, the Seattle Opera and the Pacific Northwest Ballet. The Experience Music Project, housed in a building designed by famed architect Frank Gehry, bills itself as a “participatory museum of music.” Seattle is the birthplace of grunge music.
Seattle is also famous for its live theatre venues and has many important museums and art galleries, such as the Henry Art Gallery, the Seattle Art Museum, Olympic Sculpture Park and the Frye Art Museum. More specialized collections can be seen in other museums in Seattle, including the Nordic Heritage Museum, the Wing Luke Asian Museum and the Museum of Flight (which reflects the prominent position of Seattle’s aerospace industry). The city also hosts a variety of annual ethnic festivals and is the site of numerous American Indian powwows.
SAN FRANCISCO
San Francisco, part of the scenic San Francisco Bay area where 7.2 million people live, has a cosmopolitan, ethnically diverse population. Its neighborhoods reflect that diversity: Chinatown, established in 1906; the Mission District, which is home to many immigrants from Mexico and Central America; and Haight-Ashbury, associated with the 1960s hippie movement, which still retains some bohemian character despite extensive gentrification.
The influx of writers and artists in the 1950s helped spawn the rise of modern coffeehouse culture, and the social upheavals of the 1960s confirmed San Francisco’s reputation as an epicenter of liberal activism.
San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House is home to the highly regarded San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Ballet. The San Francisco Symphony plays in nearby Davies Symphony Hall, and the Herbst Theatre is known for its eclectic music performances. A second incarnation of the renowned Fillmore Auditorium is still in use; the original venue was known as the place where rock music greats such as the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin and Jefferson Airplane got their start in the 1960s. The American Conservatory Theater is a leading force in the city’s performing arts scene, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art attracts 600,000 visitors a year.
LOS ANGELES
Los Angeles -- the largest city in the state of California and the second-largest city in the United States -- is a center of culture, technology and international trade. The city is the world’s leading producer of popular entertainment and has achieved international fame based on its motion picture, television and recording industries.
Los Angeles’ numerous museums and galleries include the J. Paul Getty Museum -- known for its extensive collection of Greek, Etruscan and Roman antiquities -- and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the largest encyclopedic museum west of Chicago. The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium allows visitors to explore the natural wonders of aquatic ecosystems, while the La Brea Tar Pits Museum invites visitors to watch fossil recovery, cleaning and analysis.
The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, which is part of the Los Angeles Music Center, is home to the Los Angeles Opera and also hosts the film industry’s annual Academy Awards (Oscars) presentations. The futuristic-looking Walt Disney Concert Hall, designed by architect Frank Gehry, is home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO
Santa Fe, New Mexico's capital, was settled by Spanish colonists in the 1500s and formally founded in 1610. The city’s Spanish Territorial and Pueblo styles of architecture are tributes to its Spanish and American Indian roots.
Known as a multicultural city and arts center, Santa Fe is home to numerous artists, many of whom have captured the city’s beautiful landscape on canvas. One famous New Mexico artist, Georgia O’Keefe, lived for a time in Santa Fe, and the city’s Georgia O’Keefe Museum exhibits her work and that of artists with similar themes. Canyon Road has the city’s highest concentration of art galleries, showcasing contemporary Southwestern, American Indian and experimental art.
Writers traditionally have flocked to Santa Fe, including Cormac McCarthy and Walker Percy. Music and opera are well represented in the city. The Santa Fe Opera is one of the nation’s most esteemed regional opera companies, and its season overlaps with the performance schedule of the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. Santa Fe also has many world-class museums, such as the New Mexico Museum of Art, the Institute of American Indian Arts Museum, the History Museum and the Site Santa Fe (devoted to contemporary art).
DENVER
The sprawling metropolis at the foot of the rugged Colorado Rockies is an important cultural center that draws artists and performers from around the nation and the world.
The area’s diverse population supports culture through the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), a special tax district within the state of Colorado that provides funding for art, music, theater, dance, zoology, botany, natural history, or cultural history organizations in the Denver metropolitan area. The SCFD, created by voters in 1988, gives millions of dollars in tax funds each year to local organizations.
Today, Denver’s main art and cultural hub is the Golden Triangle Museum District that includes the Denver Art Museum, the Denver Public Library, the Colorado History Museum, the Colorado Ballet and scores of other theaters, galleries and artists’ studios.
The Denver Art Museum, with a gravity-defying new wing designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, exhibits its magnificent collections of pre-Columbian, American Indian, American Western and Buddhist art. The Denver Performing Arts Complex, or simply “the Plex,” is said to be the second-largest performing arts center in the world, after New York’s Lincoln Center.
Each June and August, Denver hosts the Aspen Music Festival and School, one of the largest classical music events in the United States.
AUSTIN, TEXAS
Austin, Texas, calls itself “the live music capital of the world” because it is home to many musicians and music venues. The eclectic and progressive lifestyles of its residents have prompted them to adopt the slogan “Keep Austin Weird.” As the slogan suggests, Austin’s residents take pride in their eccentricity and diversity.
The city has an impressive live music scene and boasts more music venues per capita than any other U.S. city. Austin City Limits, the longest-running concert music program on American television, is videotaped on the University of Texas at Austin campus. The Austin City Limits Music Festival is held annually at Zilker Park in Austin, and the city’s Urban Music Festival is held every year in April, as is the Austin Reggae Festival. Austin also hosts the annual Austin Film Festival and stages an annual film/music/multimedia festival called South by Southwest.
Ballet Austin is the fourth-largest ballet company in the United States. The Austin Lyric Opera is widely admired, and the city also has a strong theater culture.
NEW ORLEANS
New Orleans -- nicknamed the “Big Easy” -- is a major U.S. port city and the largest city in Louisiana. One of the oldest cities in the United States, New Orleans is known for its multicultural heritage, its music and its cuisine.
New Orleans has a number of distinctive neighborhoods. The French Quarter features Creole townhouses with lush courtyards and intricate iron scrollwork, and other areas boast 19th-century mansions in the Greek Revival, Colonial and Victorian styles, among other types of residential architecture. The city’s elegant and ornate Catholic cemeteries are another draw for visitors.
Major attractions include New Orleans’ famous Bourbon Street, in the French Quarter, known for its vibrant nightlife; St. Charles Avenue (home of Tulane and Loyola universities); Jackson Square; St. Louis Cathedral; the French Market; and jazz performances at Preservation Hall. The city’s art museums include the Contemporary Arts Center, the New Orleans Museum of Art in City Park and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. New Orleans also has a number of significant public gardens, such as the Longue Vue House and Gardens and the New Orleans Botanical Garden.
ST. LOUIS
St. Louis first came to prominence by hosting the 1904 World’s Fair and the 1904 Olympic Games. The Missouri city is known for its French and German heritage and its Victorian past.
The city has numerous museums: most notably the St. Louis Art Museum, whose collection ranges from ancient artifacts to modern art, including paintings by Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Pissarro and Picasso; the City Museum, which offers innovative exhibits, mock caves and a huge outdoor playground; and the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts, housed in a building designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando. Other architectural attractions are the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, a Catholic cathedral designed in the Byzantine and Romanesque styles, and the Gateway Arch, the city’s best-known landmark.
St. Louis is home to the world-renowned St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1880. The city also hosts annually the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and the St. Louis International Film Festival, one of the top regional film festivals in the United States. The city has a long association with great ragtime, jazz and blues music. Its theater district includes the Fox Theatre, one of the largest live professional theaters in the country.
CHICAGO
Chicago -- nicknamed the “Windy City” -- is the largest city in the state of Illinois and the third-largest in the United States. It is the business, financial and cultural capital of the Midwest and, since the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, has been among the most influential cities in the world.
Reflecting its immigrant roots, Chicago has restaurant districts known as Greektown, Chinatown, Little Italy and Little Seoul. The city also is known for its spectacular architecture: its skyline is among the world’s tallest, with skyscrapers that include the Sears Tower (the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere).
Chicago’s cultural heritage includes its distinctive style of live music, known as Chicago blues. The city has an influential hip-hop scene, and its theater community gave rise to modern improvisational comedy. Classical music is represented by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Lyric Opera of Chicago, both with world-class reputations. The Joffrey Ballet, the Chicago Festival Ballet and several modern and jazz dance troupes all call Chicago home. The Art Institute of Chicago has a collection that encompasses more than 5,000 years of world culture, and the River North area of Chicago features the city’s largest concentration of contemporary art galleries.
GRACELAND (IN MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE)
Graceland is the 5.6-hectare estate and white-columned mansion that once belonged to singer Elvis Presley (a seminal figure in popular music). The estate is located at 3734 Elvis Presley Boulevard in Memphis, Tennessee.
Since Graceland opened to the public as a museum in 1982, it has been a magnet for visitors. Parts of the mansion are off-limits, but visitors are allowed to tour certain rooms, including the so-called Jungle Room (named for its jungle-themed décor). Many of the singer’s personal belongings, awards and stage costumes are on display, as are his collection of cars and his two airplanes. A tour of Graceland usually concludes with a visit to Presley’s burial site, which is on the estate.
Graceland is now the second most-visited private residence in the United States (behind the White House). It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1991, and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2006.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
Nashville, the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee, is a major hub for the country music industry.
The Grand Ole Opry, a weekly country music radio program featuring live concerts, was established in Nashville in 1925. The Opry, combined with Nashville’s thriving publishing industry, helped the city position itself as “Music City USA.” Strongly identified with country music, Nashville is a major music recording and production center and is home to the Country Music Hall of Fame. In recognition of the city’s small but growing film industry, the Nashville Film Festival is one of the largest film festivals in the southern United States.
Among Nashville’s popular tourist destinations is The Parthenon, a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens, Greece. The city’s other attractions include the Tennessee Performing Arts Center (home of the Tennessee Repertory Theatre, the Nashville Children’s Theatre, the Nashville Opera and the Nashville Ballet) and the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, which houses the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. The city also has several arts centers and galleries, such as the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, the Tennessee State Museum and Vanderbilt University’s Fine Art Gallery and Sarratt Gallery.
WASHINGTON
The capital city of the United States, named for the first U.S. president, is a popular tourist destination because of its monuments, historic sites and cultural attractions.
Washington is home to the world-renowned Smithsonian Institution complex of museums and the National Gallery of Art, which houses the only Leonardo da Vinci painting in the Western Hemisphere. Other museums under the Smithsonian umbrella are the National Air and Space Museum, the Freer Gallery of Art, the National Museum of African Art, the Museum of American History, the Hirshhorn Museum, the National Museum of Natural History and the National Museum of the American Indian. Unlike most museums and galleries in other cities, the Smithsonian museums and the National Gallery are open to the public free of charge.
The city is a showcase for live music and theater. Three venues are particularly outstanding: the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which is home to the Washington National Opera, the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington Ballet; the Folger Theater, an intimate setting for Shakespearean and contemporary plays; and Arena Stage, a theater company that excels at fostering new works and producing intriguing revivals of classic repertory.
NEW YORK
New York City, the largest U.S. city, is a world center of commerce and finance and a global influence in media, entertainment and fashion.
New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is among the world’s largest and finest art museums, with collections spanning 5,000 years of world culture. The city has more than 2,000 arts and cultural organizations, and more than 500 independent art galleries. Its architecture is dominated by skyscrapers, including the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building, both masterpieces of Art Deco design.
The city’s 39 largest theaters are known collectively as “Broadway.” Its Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts hosts the world-famous Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Opera, the New York Philharmonic, the New York City Ballet, the Juilliard School and other distinguished entities. Many major American cultural movements, such as the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s, began in New York. The city was the epicenter of jazz in the 1940s, abstract expressionism in the 1950s and hip-hop music in the 1970s. New York also has a diverse food culture, shaped by its large immigrant population. Many of the best “haute cuisine” restaurants in the United States can be found in New York.
Center For The Arts, US Asian Cultural Academy
作者：drthedrth 在 艺术鉴赏 发贴, 来自【海归网】 http://www.haiguinet.com
|
|
|
| 返回顶端 |
|
 |
|
-
 美国文化名城速写 -- drthedrth - (26337 Byte) 2009-4-18 周六, 07:44 (1605 reads)
|
|
|
|
您不能在本论坛发表新主题, 不能回复主题, 不能编辑自己的文章, 不能删除自己的文章, 不能发表投票, 您 不可以 发表活动帖子在本论坛, 不能添加附件不能下载文件, |
|
|
