Monkdogz Artblog

For those of you who live outside the US, the Superbowl is the championship game of the National Football League of the United States. It is the most watched broadcast in the entire year in the US. It is estimated that over 93 million people watched last year’s Superbowl of which about 40 million were women. CBS who will be broadcasting the game this year, estimate that over 100 million people will have watched the game today.

The Indianapolis Colts were probably the favored team having won four years ago. However the New Orleans’ Saints came through for the first time in their 43 year history. It is a very emotional win for a team that was affected by the Katrina Hurricane and had to play away from their home stadium for the entire 2005 season. In the team is also a player of Haitian descent, Jonathan Vilma who has a lot of family still in Haiti. This win will mean a lot to the people of New Orleans and to Haiti.

“Monday morning quarterbacking” has already started now with everyone having their opinion on what won the game.

I think it was brave leadership from the coach, with years of practice by the whole team, a determination to keep trying, a cool head in adversity and a sure belief that they would win. I hear that the team was practicing as hard as they would normally be doing mid-season, instead of taking it easy before the last game thinking they’d already done the hard work getting to the championships.

I think that everyone can take away the same lessons and apply it to their own lives. It’s hard to win the Superbowl. It’s hard to make it in the artworld. You have to be brave, keep honing your skills, be determined, not become discouraged by adversity and believe that you will make it.

It’s what keeps me getting up every morning!

Tonight, Wynton Marsalis, one of the most acclaimed current-day jazz musicians was conferred with the insignia of chevalier of the French National Order of Legion of Honor at the Cultural Services of the French Embassy by the French Ambassador Pierre Vimont.  The evening was co-hosted by Betty and Phillippe Camus who also organized the art exhibition of works by Vivian O’Shaughnessy, Gonzalo Belmonte, Olivier Di Pizio, Edward Giordano and Betty Camus.

After the ceremony, the Wnyton Marsalis Quintet played which at one point included Wynton’s father, Ellis Marsalis at the piano. It was an intimate performance with the audience crowded around them, every emotion, nuance and expression plain for all to see. The connection with the audience was immediate and palpably strong, helped with a strong contingent of friends and family in attendance. I was affected to the core; the integrity and spirit of the music, imbued with the memories and souls of those who created, developed and experienced jazz through the years.

It reminded me that despite the great advances in technology in reproducing the arts, such as film, TV, DVDs, CDs and downloads to mp3s and iPods, there is no substitute to seeing, hearing and experiencing art, music, theatre, dance live, up close and personal.

The Kentucky Derby is one of the premier horse race in the world. Once a year they bring in the fastest horses, best jockeys and trainers to Churchill Downs in Kentucky to vie for the championship title.  It’s the World Cup, World Series, and Super bowl rolled into one. This year was the 135^th running of the Derby and with any event of this magnitude come the experts and their evaluation of the top contenders and potential winner.

Some of these horses cost in the millions of dollars, they come from long established blood lines and have a history of winning. They are extraordinary animals.

And then there’s “Mine that Bird” a three year old who on first glance looks like one of the lead horses at the track and was driven up from New Mexico in a trailer pulled by a pick up truck and a trainer with a broken leg wearing a cowboy hat. The drive took 19 hours which alone must have been exhausting for both driver and horse.

So little respect was given this horse he ran at 50 to 1 odds. In other words for this horse to win would require something on par with an act of God. He was there just to fill out the card.

They’re off……

Coming out the gate “Mine that Bird” is bumped into last place. It’s as if even the other horses have no time or space for him; pointing out his place in the pecking order.

And I believe that bump was the beginning of the second greatest upset in the history of the Kentucky Derby.  In that moment in time a horse few believed in found his heart and destiny.   

At that moment “Mine That Bird” came to life and just exploded into the history of professional racing. It was as if he was some different breed of animal. It was watching the impossible turn into beautiful reality. This horse just flew. I am not talking about he stumbled up to the pack leaders and managed to win a photo finish. I am talking about leaving the finest horses in the world eating dust, big time, as if they were of no importance what-so-ever despite what the world thought.

I am thinking the bump and total disregard we all feel at times from the art world, we can in fact overcome only if we also find our heart and destiny.

Click here to watch the race!