Profiles and Interviews

It is based on the belief that intensive participation in music ensembles, with high expectations for excellence, rigor and discipline has a profound impact on the development of resilience, increased self esteem and creative and critical thinking skills – all of the 21st century skills necessary for lifetime success. El Sistema is based on a philosophy of the orchestra as a model or metaphor for an ideal community and opportunity to develop good citizens – who are disciplined, generous and devoted both to the common good and pursuit of individual excellence. As such, it is much more than a music program. ELM inspires and empowers youth from the under-resourced Canal neighborhood to envision and achieve excellence in all facets of their lives through music education, performance, and participation in a music community.

It is based on the belief that intensive participation in music ensembles, with high expectations for excellence, rigor and discipline has a profound impact on the development of resilience, increased self esteem and creative and critical thinking skills – all of the 21st century skills necessary for lifetime success. El Sistema is based on a philosophy of the orchestra as a model or metaphor for an ideal community and opportunity to develop good citizens – who are disciplined, generous and devoted both to the common good and pursuit of individual excellence. As such, it is much more than a music program. ELM inspires and empowers youth from the under-resourced Canal neighborhood to envision and achieve excellence in all facets of their lives through music education, performance, and participation in a music community.

The exhibit is on view through July 19 and the museum is open Wed – Fri from 11am – 4pm, and Sat – Sun from 11am – 5pm. When storied newspaperman Horace Greeley encouraged the country to “Go West, Young Man” in the mid-1800s, he was speaking to the tenets of Manifest Destiny. The idealistic and controversial ideology behind this message resonated for decades after, though the lure of the “West Coast” has evolved over the generations. Waves of migrants have flowed west, seeking land, fortune and work, including today’s current hopefuls working in tech, wine and the burgeoning marijuana industry. The longstanding magnetism of the West Coast is undeniable, but we will also catch a glimpse of some unfortunate consequences of such appeal. Mr. Hashimoto says “This exhibition explores the appeal of the West Coast through the optics of contemporary art. From painting to drawing to photography to sculpture, the Left Coast has inspired as many artistic mediums and styles as it has historic movements and migrations. It is my hope that this exhibition will inspire viewers, as much as the Best Coast has inspired the many artists, poets, filmmakers, farmers, miners and workers throughout history.” Ken Harman Hashimoto is a gallerist, curator and arts writer based in New York City. His eponymous gallery space, Hashimoto Contemporary, was founded in San Francisco’s Lower Nob Hill neighborhood in 2013. Six years later he expanded with a second location in New York City’s Lower East Side. Both galleries present rotating monthly exhibitions featuring solo or group shows with a focus on emerging contemporary artists.