'Picasso to Warhol' exhibition at Atlanta's High Museum

ATLANTA (AP) — With bright, bold colors, varying formats and iconic images, a new exhibition at Atlanta's main art museum allows visitors to experience dozens of modern art masterpieces and to explore the relationships among the artists who created them.

"Picasso to Warhol: Fourteen Modern Masters" at the High Museum of Art brings together more than 100 works by 14 influential 20th-century artists pulled from the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and shown together for the first time in the Southeast.

"We wanted to create 14 intimate, immersive situations for people so they could feel like they had both met these artists and walked through the history of modern art," said High director Michael Shapiro.

On display are examples of artists using traditional subjects — portraits, landscapes, still lifes — in ways that were new, innovative, and sometimes shocking, at the time. They used new styles, like Cubism, and experimented with a variety of media, including mobiles, collage, film and silkscreen.

True to its title, the exhibition opens with paintings and etchings by Pablo Picasso and finishes with pop art pieces and a film by Andy Warhol. Works are clustered by artist, giving visitors a chance to see multiple works by a single artist together to get a more complete look at each artist's career, said MoMA's Jodi Hauptman, lead curator of the exhibition.

"The biggest revelation is the relationships between these works that you can't see in our galleries" because the works aren't displayed together at MoMA, Hauptman said. "Instead of being told about these connections, you actually see them."

Arranged in long, open vistas, the exhibition allows visitors to focus on a single artist but also to get a glimpse of what's to come and to consider the dialogue between the works, Hauptman said.

Standing in front of the opening piece — Picasso's brightly colored, large-format 1932 painting "Girl Before a Mirror" — the visitor can look to the left and see "Two Acrobats with a Dog" from 1905, during Picasso's Rose Period, and then turn to the right to see Henri Matisse's "Dance (I)" in the next part of the gallery.

After considering familiar artists like Picasso and Matisse in the first two galleries, visitors move on to lesser-known but still important artists. Sculptures by Constantin Brancusi and paintings and drawings by Piet Mondrian offer objects or settings stripped down to their bare essence — with Brancusi's streamlined bronze sculpture evoking a bird and Mondrian using grids of horizontal and vertical lines to represent a seascape, a church or a busy city square.

In a side gallery are works by Marcel Duchamp, whom Shapiro describes as probably the most radical artist in the exhibition. Most striking, perhaps is a wood and galvanized iron snow shovel hanging from the ceiling that the artist bought in a hardware store in 1915, then signed, dated and titled it "In Advance of the Broken Arm."

In "Dutch Interior (I)," painted in 1928, Joan Miro uses a Baroque painting of the same name as a model but recreates it as an abstract work. Jackson Pollock's "Number 1A" showcases the artist's well-known drip painting technique, his personal involvement with the painting stamped onto one edge in the form of handprints in paint. Mobiles by Alexander Calder in a side gallery "defy one of the basic rules of sculpture, which is that gravity is in charge," Shapiro said.

In "Map" from 1961, Jasper Johns, the only living artist in the exhibition, blurs the borders of the states in a giant, colorful map of the United States, using brushwork but also clearly identiying each one by name in bold, stenciled letters. Also by Johns are several works featuring numbers, which further illustrates his desire to present traditional, familiar subjects in a new way.

Across one wall of the final gallery are Warhol's "Campbell's Soup Cans," painted canvases that correspond to the varieties of soup sold by the company in 1962. In the center of the room are more works inspired by commercial products, including "Heinz Tomato Ketchup Box" (1963-64), "Campbell's Tomato Juice Box" (1964) and "Brillo Box (Soap Pads)" (1964).

Also included in the exhibition are works by Fernand Leger, Giorgio Chirico, Louise Bourgeois and Romare Bearden.

A free iPhone and Android application allows visitors to interact with the exhibition using their smart phones. By using one of those phones to take a picture of a piece, visitors can pull up more information, chat electronically with other visitors or pose questions in real time to museum staff.

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If You Go...

PICASSO TO WARHOL: Through April 29 at the High Museum of Art; 1280 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta; http://www.high.org, 404-733-4444. Open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sunday noon-5 p.m. Adults, $18; students with ID and seniors 65 and over, $15; children 5 and under, free.

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Arrested plane passenger distraught over dying brother

Reuters

10:17 p.m. CDT, October 14, 2011

DENVER (Reuters) - An airplane passenger accused of a drunken rage that forced the diversion of an American Airlines jet said on Friday that he was drinking because he was distraught about his dying brother.

Varoujan Khodjamirian, 43, arrested on Thursday night when the plane landed safely in Denver, appeared the following day in federal court on a charge of interfering with a commercial flight crew.

A U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman said there was no evidence to suggest Khodjamirian, a Long Island resident of Ukrainian descent, was a terrorist.

An FBI arrest affidavit said Khodjamirian had consumed several alcoholic drinks and became loud and disruptive about 90 minutes after takeoff on a flight from New York to Los Angeles, as he started to kick the seats in front of him.

According to the affidavit, flight attendants tried to calm Khodjamirian down, then moved him to the rear of the plane, but he struck one attendant in the face and began yelling threats.

Members of the crew ultimately managed to restrain him with flexible handcuffs, and two attendants sat on him until the plane arrived in Denver, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for Colorado.

Speaking through an interpreter before a U.S. magistrate, Khodjamirian acknowledged drinking alcohol on the plane and added he had been drinking because his brother was dying and had just two days to live. "That's why I had alcohol."

The judge ordered him to remain in custody at least until next Tuesday, when he is due to return to court to determine if he is eligible for release on bond.

(Corrects flight route in paragraph four)

(Reporting by Robert Boczkiewicz; Editing by Steve Gorman and Jerry Norton)

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Missed connection runs up phone bill

I've been haggling with Travelocity for almost three months about a flight, and I need your help. I recently booked flights from Newark, N.J., to Madrid, Spain, via Continental Airlines and on to my final destination of Barcelona, Spain, via Iberia.

The outbound trip was completed without issue. Unfortunately, the return trip through Brussels was less successful. The itinerary left me just one hour to make my connecting flight in Brussels to the U.S., but I had to claim a bag, go through customs, and then back to get my boarding pass.

When I arrived at the empty Continental ticket counter approximately 35 minutes before my flight, a Continental customer service agent refused to check me in because it was too late. She also told me the next flight was the following morning.

When I tried to dial the Travelocity number for assistance outside the U.S., it wouldn't connect. I tried multiple phones in the airport. I collect called my fiancee in the U.S. and had her call the domestic Travelocity telephone number, and after more than 30 minutes of international telephone calls, I was booked on the flight for the following morning.

I incurred a telephone bill of $378 to correct this situation. Travelocity won't refund my phone bill. Any ideas?

— Jeffrey Grim, Boston

A: Travelocity shouldn't have allowed you to reserve the itinerary that you did.

If your flights were connected on the same itinerary (which they appear to be), then the system should stop you from reserving a flight that doesn't meet the minimum connect-time rules. Something appears to have gone wrong, because you obviously didn't have enough time to transfer to your overseas flight in Brussels.

Travelocity also should have provided you with a number that worked from Brussels. I think you did your best to contact the online travel agency through normal channels before resorting to an expensive collect call.

And yes, calling Travelocity was the best option, since this was an immediate concern. Had it been something less urgent, I would recommend sending an email.

But I think you could have prevented this from happening too. Did you take a moment to read your itinerary after you booked your tickets? If you had noticed the short connection times you could have asked Travelocity to fix it long before your trip.

You had a second chance to fix this when you experienced a tight connection on your inbound flight.

It's unusual for an online travel agency to refund a phone bill, but in this case, I think it should consider doing so, at a minimum. I contacted Travelocity on your behalf. It apologized and agreed to refund your phone bill.

Christopher Elliott is the ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler magazine and a co-founder of the Consumer Travel Alliance, a nonprofit organization that advocates for travelers. Read more tips on his blog, elliott.org, or e-mail him at chris@elliott.org.

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Sex-starved stags tangle with tourists at London's Bushy Park

BUSHY PARK, England (AP) — They call it the Beast of Bushy.

For the past week, this massive, short-tempered stag has been charging into British headlines, goring a man in the middle of a picnic and chasing one woman through the brush.

The stag's rampage has cast a shadow of fear over Bushy Park, a quiet suburban expanse of tree-lined avenues and ponds popular with retirees and stroller-pushing parents some 13 miles (21 kilometers) southwest of central London.

"I've been in and out of the park for 20 years, and this is the first time I've heard of people being attacked in such quick succession," said Robert Piper, a sports and wildlife photographer whose dramatic shots of the angry deer have kept it in the headlines.

The beast didn't seem so fearsome Wednesday, when it was seen lazing in the mud and long grass across from the park's model boat pond.

"He's had a rough couple of weeks," joked Piper. But as he inched forward to take a few last photos, the stag lifted a pair of sharpened antlers into the sky.

"Let's not push our luck," he said.

Bushy Park holds 320 deer, which roam freely across a 445-hectare (1,100-acre) area of meadows and forested areas that look much as they did when King Henry VIII used to hunt there.

They are generally gentle creatures — until fall's rutting season.

"Every year there's the odd incident," says park veteran Dick Hill, a 64-year-old retiree with binoculars dangling from his neck. "There have been quite a few of them this year."

Hill said a shortage of female deer could be to blame for the aggressive behavior, although a park official said the unseasonably warm weather — which drew large numbers of visitors at the height of the rutting season — was the deciding factor. The official asked not to be named.

Whatever the cause, this year's stag attacks have produced some dramatic photos. One showed a middle-aged man being bowled over by a charging deer in a picnic area. Hill, who was there, said the man emerged covered in blood.

Another incident, this one witnessed by Piper, showed a woman racing for her life, with the stag so close that its antlers lifted up her black leather jacket. She managed to escape after Piper distracted the animal.

"It was a happy ending," he said. "But it could easily have been a goring."

London's feisty press have traced the path of the stag's rampage under articles bearing names such as "Stag Fright."

Hill said the fuss was a bit overdone, and in any case, the Beast of Bushy's days may be numbered.

The park's deer are regularly culled.

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Dinosaur National Monument celebrates fossil exhibit

By Associated Press

8:54 a.m. CDT, October 4, 2011

JENSEN, Utah (AP) — The National Park Service is hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony to dedicate the new Quarry Exhibit Hall at Dinosaur National Monument.

The new 10,500-square-foot visitor center and exhibit hall features a 50-foot high, 150-foot-long cliff with about 1,500 dinosaur bones.

The exhibit has been closed since 2006 due to structural damage. The re-opening ceremony is set for 11 a.m. Tuesday at the park near Jensen.

Dinosaur National Monument also celebrates its 96th anniversary on Tuesday. The original 80-acre monument was created in 1915 to preserve extraordinary deposits of dinosaur fossils.

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Grand, historic hotels build on their brand in shaky economy

DIXVILLE NOTCH, N.H. (AP) — The signature green and white china is packed, the Adirondack chairs are stored away and the corridor lights are dimmed.

The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel in the forests of northern New Hampshire — a remote destination nestled in a mountain pass for lovers of the great outdoors, fine dining and turn-of-the-century elegance — is closed for now. How long is anyone's guess.

The nearly 150-year-old hotel in Dixville Notch is known for its Ballot Room, where residents of the tiny community are the first to cast their votes for president at midnight on New Hampshire's primary day and on the nation's Election Day. Put up for sale in July 2010, it is awaiting the right suitor. It closed on Sept. 14.

"It's a sparkle in our life," said Bruno Ponterio, 80, a retired school principal from Rye Brook, N.Y. He and his wife, Joann, spent their honeymoon at the resort during the summer of 1959, impressed by the views, the service, and the cuisine. They have returned through the years with their children, including their 50th anniversary two years ago.

The Tillotson family, whose patriarch ran a rubber factory and is credited with inventing the latex balloon, has owned the resort since 1954. Before he died in 2001 at age 102, Neil Tillotson specified that the resort and other assets be sold or given away and the proceeds given to charities. But the hotel has been operating at a loss for years, and the money has been coming out of the assets of a family trust.

The resort, with its mix of Victorian and Alpine village architectural influences, can accommodate up to 400 guests. They can dine on sweep-around verandas with views of a circular flower garden, swimming pool, Lake Gloriette, and the notch.

The resort's board of directors is looking for a new owner who can modernize the property — there have been some renovations, but not a major overhaul since a new wing was added in the early 1900s — and preserve its past, a balance that many hotels of a certain age and stature are working to maintain.

Historic hotels around the country are facing more competitive pressure these days, continually trying to engage in new marketing campaigns to attract customers, said Thierry Roch, executive director of Historic Hotels of America, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

"They're in the same boat as all other hotels, they're struggling to find business during a time when companies are cutting back on corporate travel, group business is reduced," Roch said. "But the advantage is there is more awareness in the market for historic hotels. They've got a name, they've got a reputation, they've got the word of mouth."

Some historic hotels are continuing to perform very well in this economy, Roch said. Others seeing reduced occupancies have looked to reinvest in their hotels, improving the roof or heating, ventilation and air conditioning, for example, to make them more attractive to future customers.

At The Balsams, where hallways showcase old photos and anecdotes — including a spoon in a picture frame about a guilt-ridden woman who returned the utensil many years after honeymooning there — there's been talk about putting in a new roof, insulation and windows. While occupancy rates have been good, one concern is improving energy efficiency. The hotel runs on steam heat generated by a biomass plant that was used in past years to run Neil Tillotson's nearby factory.

"That's our biggest cost other than our labor, and so it's tough to compete as a hotel, it's tough to make the bottom line work, when your energy costs are so high," said Jeff McIver, The Balsams' president and general manager. "That's one of the factors of why we're not profitable, and to fix that is a major undertaking."

He said directors of the family-based trust fund that owns the resort have been studying alternative fuel sources, such as geothermal technology.

Another historic hotel, the Mountain View Grand in New Hampshire's White Mountains, was built in 1865, fell into disrepair and closed during the 1980s but reopened in 2002 after a multimillion-dollar rebirth. One of the additions was a wind turbine operation that provides all of the hotel's electricity. It does save money and managers believe it is a good way to be more environmentally sustainable, said Gene Ehlert, marketing manager.

Historic hotel owners have long recognized the need to pair modern conveniences with a sense of returning to an earlier era.

"They wanted all the amenities; they wanted all the bells and whistles," said Cathy Bedor, who was in a partnership that owned New Hampshire's Mount Washington Hotel for 15 years before selling it to a company in 2006. "But they wanted to have the flavor of stepping back in time, and that was exactly what we tried to do."

The Mount Washington was built in 1902. When Bedor and the other partners bought the hotel at auction in 1991, they worked to restore it to its original luster by studying the carpeting in antique postcards, reading old newspaper accounts that described the guestrooms, and stripping layers of paint on the brass chandeliers to show them as they were back in the early 1900s.

Bedor, who runs the Mount Washington Cog Railway, a train that climbs to the top of the Northeast's highest peak, said the Bretton Woods hotel had a lot of interest because it was the site of an historic conference in 1944 that laid the groundwork for theInternational Monetary Fund and World Bank.

"If it hadn't been for that, I'm not sure that there would have been such a hue and cry when there was discussion about maybe tearing the property down because certainly, it's much more expensive to keep it operating than if you were to start from scratch," Bedor said.

The Ponterios, who have spent weeklong summer vacations at The Balsams for 35 years, love the caring, attentive staff and the sophisticated dining room and gourmet meals. They like swimming and paddle-boating — or doing nothing at all.

"I'm not unhappy that there's no TV in the room," Ponterio said. "You'd think that you'd miss it, but you don't." Guests are encouraged to take a book home with them from libraries in the guestrooms and bring one back when they return.

The Balsams offered a Grand Adventure Plan for the summer starting at $209 per person, based on double occupancy and including meals, golf, boating, and other activities. Its winter plan including meals and skiing started at $199 per person.

One luxury resort dating back to 1778, The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, W. Va., furloughed about 650 workers in 2009 amid a sharp decline in business and sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to stay afloat. The former gathering place for presidents and site of an underground Cold War nuclear bunker for Congress re-emerged with new owner Jim Justice. He introduced a PGA tournament, built a casino and steakhouse, and added new touches to old traditions — such as the "Greenbrier Waltz" and other musical performances by staff in period dress — to accompany afternoon teas. Revenue and occupancy rates are on their way back up, saidLynn Swann, director of public relations.

The Greenbrier offers a variety of seasonal and holiday packages. Its two-night Discover Package featuring outdoor activities starts at $369 per night based on double occupancy.

At the Jekyll Island Club Hotel in Georgia, managing partner Kevin Runner said lower occupancy has caused revenues to be about 15 to 20 percent below normal over the last few years. Part of the challenge is that the hotel, built in the 1880s and renovated 25 years ago, is in a state park that's been under renovations for at least a year. A new convention center, shops and other hotels are planned at the island.

"We aren't experiencing downturn year after year," Runner said. "We went down to a certain wall and then we just kind of stayed there and hovered around that same level the last couple of years."

Depending on the building and room, the Jekyll's base rates through Nov. 26 range from $189 in a single room to $439 for the Presidential Suite.

In New Hampshire, the Ponterios hope to be able to book another summer vacation at The Balsams next year, sitting by their favorite spot alongside the pool. They realize a new owner may renovate the place — but they like the Old World charm as is.

As Mrs. Ponterio told her husband: "The one place I see where you relax and you're not concerned about anything is when you go to The Balsams."

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Key West gets ready to party

Meteorologically buffeted by gentle tropical breezes, astrologically Jimmy Buffetted by gentle cosmic breezes, Key West proudly declares a "One Human Family" philosophy, an interconnectedness through equal rights, dignity and respect, and this spirit soars each year during Fantasy Fest. It's 10 party-packed days and nights of merriment at the southern tip of Florida.

Invited last year for the culminating Halloween weekend by friends who live in the Keys, I joined the locals' parade Friday night, the Masquerade March. Thousands of costumed revelers filled the streets.

After a wild two hours of prancing and dancing, we spilled onto Duval Street, a dependable party scene any time of year but truly outdoing itself that night. The theme was Habitat for Insanity. Elaborately and creatively costumed and artfully body-painted partygoers filled Duval and adjoining side streets, officially designated as the Fantasy Zone. Everyone was friendly, jovial and in the spirit to have a crazy amount of fun.

The next night, my friends took me to view the larger sponsored float parade, the official Captain Morgan Fantasy Fest Parade. This is not your grandmother's holiday parade, unless grandma was into body painting, as indeed here, some were.

For two hours, float after fun-filled float rolled by amid the body-painted partyers, elaborately costumed revelers and choreographed costumed dancing groups, all tossing Mardi Gras beads to the admiring crowd.

As for body paint: Key West actually has a municipal code stating that body paint does not constitute clothing. Judging from the bravado of some, it was a wise decision.

Lest you think all this merriment is merely an excuse for unabashed hedonism, it is not. There is a strong charity component to these festivities benefiting nonprofit community organizations, including schools, sports teams and the VFW.

Last year Fantasy Fest raised more than $200,000 for AIDS Help, a nonprofit organization providing services for residents living with HIV and AIDS. And Pinking of You, a one-of-a-kind bra auction where local artists donate designed pieces of art made from bras, raised money for WomanKind Inc., a local women's health organization.

Fantasy Fest is in its 33rd year, with 70,000 people expected to partake of 40-plus events at bars, restaurants, hotels and other establishments. Planning it is a year-round endeavor.

Parade coordinator Alexis Hansen advised that some major events, such as the Headdress Ball and Pretenders in Paradise, sell out early, so if you're planning this trip, be warned.

Now, the big question: Would this fest fall outside your comfort zone? If you have to ask that question, it probably rules out taking the kids, unless you'd take your school-age children to Mardi Gras.

The organizers and the community seem to value the idea that choices should be left to the individual. Again, that probably rules out the kids. Most events are designed for adults, and some in particular are designed for adults of the consenting kind. I visited fantasyfest.net and picked out the events I don't want to miss and made note of the ones I intend to.

I probably won't show up at the Swing & Skin Fest Freak Party, hosted by one of Charlie Sheen's onetime "goddesses," for instance. I am not going to enter the couples' pole-dancing competition, as my pole-dancing days are behind me. And I'll bypass the events offering a clothing check, and there are a few of these. But, as Hansen said, Key West has "an open mind and an open heart," and I'm going with that, knowing there is plenty of comfortable fun to be had.

Here are some of my choices:

Goombay, a family-friendly street party featuring the sights and sounds of Key West's Bahama Village. Caribbean drums, music, dance and food. Billed as the locals favorite street festival.

The Royal Coronation Ball, where the king and queen of Fantasy Fest (titles bestowed on the biggest fundraisers for AIDS Help) are announced.

Friends of Fort Taylor's Vampire Ball, held in the sally port of Fort Zachary Taylor, a Civil War-era federal fort. A more perfect Halloween match would be hard to find amid the vampires, dungeons and dancing.

27th annual Headdress Ball at the Southernmost Hotel on the Beach, with outlandishly creative headgear.

And, of course, I plan to be in the Masquerade March, and on the sidelines watching the Captain Morgan Fantasy Fest Parade. I wouldn't miss it.

At a time of year went Northerners are lamenting the loss of warmth, this certainly is a way to turn up the heat.

Fantasy Fest runs Oct. 21-30. This year's theme is Aquatic Afrolic.

Getting there

A handful of major airlines fly into Key West International Airport, 180 miles south of Miami: Continental, Delta, U. S. Airways, United, American Airlines among them. Most flights require a stop unless departing from Florida or a Southern hub.

Flying to Key West used to be a luxury, with a price tag to match, but it's gotten affordable, and the airport is small and welcoming. It beats driving the causeway, with its perpetual construction projects.

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