Leonard Brown News

More than two dozen 'Jazz Heroes' -- activists of positive influence on their musical communities -- have been announced today by the Jazz Journalists Association, a non-profit organization of media professionals, in collaborations with grassroots groups and supporters in 23 U.S. communities.

Tonight, April 30, at 6:00 p.m., the public are invited to attend a free lecture at The Frick Collection given by Jonathan Brown in conjunction with the release of his book In the Shadow of Velazquez: A Life in Art History (Yale University Press).

On Wednesday, April 30, at 6:00 p.m., the public are invited to attend a free lecture at The Frick Collection given by Jonathan Brown in conjunction with the release of his book In the Shadow of Velazquez: A Life in Art History (Yale University Press). In this lucid, witty publication, the eminent art historian Jonathan Brown examines links between his personal life and his study of Hispanic art of the Golden Age. His adventures are offered as a model for understanding how art history is shaped by life experiences, and he describes the influence of his parents, Jean and Leonard Brown, noted collectors of documentation of twentieth-century avant-garde movements. His focus on the Golden Age of Spanish art was motivated by a year in Madrid, 1958-59. Art history in Spain was modeled on the policies of the Franco regime, and Brown sought to find different ways to interpret Spanish painting. His approach is demonstrated by fresh insight into painters, including Velazquez. A new interpretation of Las Meninas is proposed and the perils of attribution are examined. Later in his career, Brown began to study the transformation of Spanish art in the Americas. The book originated as a series of six lectures delivered at the Museo Nacional del Prado in 2012.

In conjunction with the Huntington Theatre Company's production of Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson's first Broadway hit, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, WGBH 89.7 FM's "Jazz with Eric in the Evening" host Eric Jackson and "The Callie Crossley Show" host Callie Crossley will discuss the social and musical history depicted in the play in a post-show conversation on Saturday, March 24 immediately following the 2pm performance.

This March, Berkeley Repertory Theatre proudly presents Ruined, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. A powerful new play about the harrowing lives of women in Africa, Ruined is written by Lynn Nottage and directed by Liesl Tommy.

This March, Berkeley Repertory Theatre proudly presents Ruined, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. A powerful new play about the harrowing lives of women in Africa, Ruined is written by Lynn Nottage and directed by Liesl Tommy.

This March, Berkeley Repertory Theatre proudly presents Ruined, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. A powerful new play about the harrowing lives of women in Africa, Ruined is written by Lynn Nottage and directed by Liesl Tommy.

Jason Robert Brown will play Jamie in the sold-out January 30th staging of The Last Five Years, and will also be busy with 13 workshops, which begin on January 25th