Art#beads#family#fiber art#identity#sculpture#thread

Follow Your Heart Wholeheartedly (2020), rattan sticks, yarn, rakes, washers, plastic swords, toy soldiers, beads, metal and plastic ornaments, 131.5 x 141.75 x 11.75 inches. Installation view of Asia Society Triennial: We Do Not Dream Alone at Asia Society Museum, New York. Photograph by Bruce M. White. All images courtesy of Asia Society, shared with permission

In her fiber-based reliefs, Malaysian artist Anne Samat disrupts classic woven patterns with unusual objects: toy soldiers, rakes, and plastic swords are intertwined in the multi-color threads that fan outward and billow down onto the floor. Comprised of a trio of wall hangings and a free-standing sculpture, Follow Your Heart Wholeheartedly meticulously juxtaposes beadwork and traditional South Asian weaving techniques with common items, a project that questions the boundaries of craft and art.

Each section is incredibly complex and infused with references to Samats family, identity, and experiences with loss. The largest work, for example, features five sections, with the innermost piece paying homage to her late brother who recently died after a long illness. Flanking the central portion are two stately pillars with pink and blue details that represent her mother and father. The outermost layers that sprawl from floor to ceiling evoke the artist herself and her sister, who are the only two living members of her family. Even the title is derived from advice Samat received from her father before he died.

Follow Your Heart Wholeheartedly is on view through February 7, 2021, as part of the Asia Society Triennial.

Follow Your Heart Wholeheartedly (2020), rattan sticks, yarn, rakes, washers, plastic swords, toy soldiers, beads, metal and plastic ornaments, 98 x 48 x 7 inches

Follow Your Heart Wholeheartedly (2020), rattan sticks, yarn, rakes, washers, plastic swords, toy soldiers, beads, metal and plastic ornaments, 131.5 x 141.75 x 11.75 inches.

Follow Your Heart Wholeheartedly (2020), rattan sticks, yarn, rakes, washers, plastic swords, toy soldiers, beads, metal and plastic ornaments, 98 x 48 x 7 inches

Follow Your Heart Wholeheartedly (2020), rattan sticks, yarn, rakes, washers, plastic swords, toy soldiers, beads, metal and plastic ornaments, 98 x 48 x 7 inches (left) and 131.5 x 141.75 x 11.75 inches (center)

Follow Your Heart Wholeheartedly (2020), rattan sticks, yarn, rakes, washers, plastic swords, toy soldiers, beads, metal and plastic ornaments, 131.5 x 141.75 x 11.75 inches

Follow Your Heart Wholeheartedly (2020), rattan sticks, yarn, rakes, washers, plastic swords, toy soldiers, beads, metal and plastic ornaments, 131.5 x 141.75 x 11.75 inches (center) and 105 x 48 x 7 inches (right)

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Arresting Sculptural Reliefs by Artist Anne Samat Layer Everyday Objects with Meticulously Woven Threads - Colossal

Ship Decorative Panels Market: Introduction

Ship decorative panels are durable and luxurious finish materials used as a floor or ceiling covering in a ship. Ship decorative panels are usually made of wood, aluminum, steel or other metals. It ensures easy and fast installation and high standard. Certain ship decorative panels offers fire resistance property and acoustic insulations. Apart from a basic scope of ceiling and floor panels, ship decorative panels are also designed for wet areas.

Ship Decorative Panels Market:Drivers and Challenges

Among the various types of ship decorative panels materials, luxury vinyl panels are the trending luxury grade flooring with better quality and overall value. Also, Ship decorative panels are available in wide varieties such as inlaid or printed types. Inlaid type panels are those which maintain their color even when damaged or scratched as the inlaid pattern extends through the depth of the flooring. This gives the flooring a deeper and attractive look as gravel or concrete are embedded into it. Printed type panels are manufactured using 3D pattern or normal pattern printing on a material. Thereby, contributing towards the ship decorative panels demand significantly.

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Further, interior decoration is a worldwide passion with lifestyle trends and needs in areas, such as design, architecture, and technology guiding consumers with contemporary decoration. A wide array of ship decorative panels are available and they are easy to install, maintain and clean. Moreover, most of the ship decorative panels are inherently waterproof, making it the preferred choice for marine application. Also, ship decorative panels is considered to be a decorative product owing to the recent innovations, such as resemblance to ceramic or other contemporary looks. Also, it is preferred cruise ships as it is durable, trendy and available with built-in adhesives. Increasing sea-tourism is expected to drive the ship owners towards decorated or attractive cruises, thus driving the demand of ship decorative panels market.

Furthermore, ongoing activities related to current initiatives, such as One Belt, One Road, initiative for expansion of Suez and Panama Canal, is estimated to potentially affect the global seaborne trade. Growing technological advancement and e-commerce, thus the freight forwarding, coupled with industrial revolution in emerging countries, has the prospectus of reshaping the marine industry and in turn driving the demand for ship decorative panels market.

Moreover, the increasing fleet of ships is expected to drive the demand of ship decorative panels over the projected period of time. Furthermore, shipping of goods via cargos is comparatively economical than shipping via air, hence cargo shipping is witnessing significant demand in recent past. This, in turn, will augment the growth of the ship decorative panels market over the forecast period. However, high installation cost could hinder the growth of the ship decorative panels market.

Global Ship Decorative Panels: Market Segmentation

On the basis ofmaterial type, the global ship decorative panels market has been segmented as:

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Ship Decorative Panels Market: Regional Overview

As the ship decorative panels market is expected to be fragmented, various market players across the globe are focusing on strengthening their partnerships with local companies, and they are strategically deploying prime distributors in emerging regions. The key players of ship decorative panels are also involved in marking their direct presence in the local markets through mergers and acquisitions with regional players across the emerging regions. Thus, regions, such as China, India, and South East Asia Pacific are expected to expand at a significant rate in terms of manufacturing base of ship decorative panels. North America is anticipated to register significant growth in the ship decorative panel market, after Asia Pacific as a result of the regions increasing export and import business, and passenger traffic, which in turn will drive the regional ship decorative panels market share of the ship decorative panels. Expanding import and export of oil and gas in Middle East Africa via sea-cargos, is stipulated increase the trade of ship decorative panels in coming years.

Global Ship Decorative Panels Market: Key Players

Ship decorative panels market is expected to be fairly fragmented market, owing to a vast number of local as well as global manufacturers. Examples of some of the market participants in the global ship decorative panels market identified across the value chain include:

Brief Approach to Research

This research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market, and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to market segments such as geographies, application, and industry.

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Pigment Dispersants Market Analysis by Region Analysis and Business Development, By - The Think Curiouser

People move through Carlos Cruz-Diez's "Cromosaturacin MFAH," a new tunnel connecting The Museum of Fine Arts Houston's new Nancy and Rich Kinder Building to the rest of the campus, Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020, in Houston.

The whole experience unfolds across three floors and then some. Its 13 spacious galleries line a central atrium with additional display walls. Theres big art below ground and outside, too.

The breadth of whats on view can astonish even a visitor who frequents the campus two older exhibition buildings. At least half of the artworks are recent acquisitions or have been stored so long they feel new. Many others have only appeared in a past show or two.

The museum needed the Kinder Building because it enjoys almost obscene resources that accelerated after 2004, when the late trustee Caroline Wiess Law bequeathed a $450 million endowment for acquiring modern and contemporary art. And the buying spree continues.

The late director Peter Marzio expanded the museums scope of modern and contemporary art to embrace Houstons growing diversity. On his watch, MFAH curators developed collections of photography and Latin American art from the 20th and 21st centuries that are now among the worlds finest.

There is of course the story of modernism as it was developed in Europe and the Americas in the early years of the 20th century. But weve made a point of insisting on the Americas and not just America, said Gary Tinterow, Marzios successor. Were very pleased to integrate works that have traditionally been segregated into the larger story of modernism as it unfolds in our galleries.

Tinterow arrived in 2012, just as trustees hired Holl to execute a campus master plan and two new buildings. He has gunned it leading up to the grand finale of the Kinder Building opening, commissioning eight high profile, site specific works and acquiring a mother lode of other statement art to boost the MFAHs depth of up-to-the-moment works by living artists.

Veteran curator Alison de Lima Greene oversees whats still called the modern and contemporary department. That now means European and American art of the 20th and 21st centuries, ranging from a foundation of signature masterpieces collected during the museums early decades to the brand-spanking newest piece a large, untitled canvas Rick Lowe painted for his recent show at Art League Houston.

You have layer upon layer of history, Greene said, and you realize that while there are new departments that have come into this story its all part of a single history.

The new art commissions grace the Kinder Building entrances, expressing the diversity of the collections.

Most spectacular are two eye-tricking tunnels. Carlos Cruz-Diezs Cromosaturacin MFAH feels like a brother to James Turrells The Light Inside under Fannin Street. Connecting the Law and Kinder Buildings under Bissonnet, Cromosaturacin bathes visitors in blue, pink and green air. lafur Elassons Sometimes an underground movement is an illuminated bridge glows bright yellow but actually subtracts color, rendering everything black, white and gray. It ties the Kinder to the Glassell School of Arts parking garage.

Ai Weiweis lighted, loose, kite-like sculpture Dragon Reflection makes a whimsical welcome at that entrance, where children will disembark school buses (one of these days). Meanwhile, at the Main Street door, Cristina Iglesias earth-bound bas-relief reflection pool breaks audaciously through a new plaza. Her Inner Landscape: The lithosphere, the roots, the water is a masterpiece of jagged bronze boulders and tangled roots that holds a 50-minute water show.

The three abstract, vertical forms of Byung Hoon Chois black basalt Scholars Way rise elegantly above a reflecting pool at the west door. Just inside the building there, Trenton Doyle Hancocks lush tapestry of colorful, bare-limbed trees enlivens a wall of a future restaurant that overlooks the Cullen Sculpture Garden and Aristide Maillols voluptuous nude bronze The River. A constellation of small lights by Spencer Finch hangs in the planned faster-fare cafe.

On HoustonChronicle.com: A reflective tidepool springs up on Main Street

When: 12:30-6 p.m. Sundays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursdays, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Fridaysc 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays

Where: 5500 Main

Details: Free admission with timed entries through Nov. 25; then $12-$19; children 12 and younger free; free to all on Thursdays; masks required; 713-639-7300, mfah.org

Getting there: Three entrances into the Kinder Building are open, all with temperature checks: The east-side door off Main has a car drop-off. A south-side street-level door lets you in at Main and Bissonnet. Or find the lower-level arrivals court from the Beck Building through the Cruz-Diez tunnel, from the Glassell Garage through the ?"lafur Elasson tunnel or from the Kinder Garage.

Holls architecture creates its own drawings, in a way, especially in the street-level galleries fronting Main Street. On sunny mornings, shadows dance from a reflection pond onto ceilings there, and the lines of the translucent tubes that create the buildings skin mimic draperies on the windows and walls.

Flimsy sculpture could be, forgive the pun, overshadowed. But these bright galleries exhilarate the eyes instead, right-sized for an opening display of nine spectacular, large-scale mechanical works by Jean Tinguely that the museum has been hiding from us for decades. Simpatico kinetic pieces by Niki de Saint Phalle and Jess Rafael Soto make this a very fine room indeed. Next door, the copper hair of Tungas massive Lezart I slinks ominously across the floor, in sight of Anthony Caros playful Orangerie a cool yin-yang moment.

Alexander Calders organic-looking, white International Mobile has found a gorgeous forever home hanging in the central atrium, surrounded by Holls boomerang-shaped stairwell.

A somewhat hidden back gallery holds three of the museums immersive installations that evoke stepping off the edge of the world. One might look for signs of life in the dangling lucite galaxies of Gyula Kosices The Hydrospatial City again, aim for heaven or hell in James Turrells Caper, Salmon to White: Wedgework or sense infinity in the gazillion tiny lights of Yayoi Kusamas Aftermath of the Obliteration of Eternity.

Galleries devoted to specific histories and mediums fill the second floor. They are organized by department: Decorative arts, craft and design; prints and drawings; photography; modern and contemporary art (really European-American art) and Latin American art.

The strengths of the decorative arts and prints and drawings departments are a revelation. With works dating from the late 19th century to the present, the decorative arts, craft and design displays are spaciously arrayed by type, material or era. A rare Josef Hoffmann dining chair from 1904, jewelry from the Helen Williams Drutt Collection and a superb display of of Italian design from 1960-1985 are highlights. The more intimate and dark prints and drawings galleries hold thematic displays of innovative, experimental art made from 1905 to the present. A nearly spiritual display of works inspired by the earths fragile and shifting environment is a standout.

The photography galleries feel dynamic with a mix of salon-style hangings, large-scale contemporary images and a dark, padded video room, amounting to about 150 works covering every period and major movement from 1840 to the present.

A confab of monumental, creme-de-la-creme works around the second floors atrium puts the modern/contemporary and Latin American departments into a vibrant conversation. For starters, Louise Nevelsons matte black Mirror Image I, Magdalena Abakanowitzs sexy red Abakan Rouge III and Lee Bontecous engine-inspired wall relief stand resolutely across the hall from rowdy, highly-textural paintings and assemblages by Thornton Dial, Sr.; Antonio Berni, Jorge de la Vega and others.

Smaller works tell other compelling stories in those galleries. The Latin American rooms emphasize that departments famous strengths, focused on modern masters from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Venezuela. The long-unseen and boldly meditative works of the Adolpho Leirner Collection of Brazilian Constructive Art are especially magnetic.

The modern and contemporary galleries hold legacy paintings, drawings and sculptures that are like family now, made fresh alongside recent acquisitions and long-stored gems that jazz up the conversation.

The third floor feels like a stand-alone museum of contemporary art, with five terrific, themed galleries of works acquired in the past decade. These rooms mash up works from across the museums departments, illustrating the free-wheeling, global and border-neutral nature of art today. Im not aware of another museum in this country that has given over such important space to art made after 2000, almost all of it by living artists, Tinterow said.

Line into Space, based on formal aesthetics, delivers a sublime experience. Its organized around the delicate works of the Venezuelan Gego, who gave tangible shape to invisible space through wire constructions and drawings. The Color into Light gallery also has exciting moments, and three subject-based galleries consider social justice issues with provocative works that can be raw or insanely perfect, made with an anything-goes mix of techniques and materials. A few literally electrifying, involving lights.

In the Collectivity gallery, Carrie Mae Weems black and whiteKitchen Table Series photographs, a monumental painted collage by Mark Bradford and Teresa Margolles somber installation of 400 adobe bricks handmade from soil in Ciudad Juarez are in the mix with one of Nick Caves jaunty, quilted sound suits. LOL! offers relief with works based on humor, while the art in the dramatic Border/Mapping/Witness galleries is like a force field. You cant ignore any of it, including Guillermo Kuitcas dirty mattress sculpture Le Sacre, Kara Walkers silhouette-based Slaughter of the Innocents (They Might be Guilty of Something) and Vincent Valdezs near life-size painting of a hanging victim.

Some of the third floors atrium displays might help quiet the brain. The battered orange squares of Gerhard Richters Abstract Pictures (Rhombus Cycle) are religiously spaced, and Frank Stellas Damascus Gate could be seen as a giant wing.

Or theres the deliberate poetry of the buildings ceiling, which literally aims to take heads into the clouds.

molly.glentzer@chron.com

Molly Glentzer, a staff arts critic since 1998, writes mostly about dance and visual arts but can go anywhere a good story leads. Through covering public art in parks, she developed a beat focused on Houston's emergence as one of the nation's leading "green renaissance" cities.

During about 30 years as a journalist Molly has also written for periodicals, including Texas Monthly, Saveur, Food & Wine, Dance Magazine and Dance International. She collaborated with her husband, photographer Don Glentzer, to create "Pink Ladies & Crimson Gents: Portraits and Legends of 50 Roses" (2008, Clarkson Potter), a book about the human culture behind rose horticulture. This explains the occasional gardening story byline and her broken fingernails.

A Texas native, Molly grew up in Houston and has lived not too far away in the bucolic town of Brenham since 2012.

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Everything you need to know about MFAHs new Kinder Building - Houston Chronicle

FALLS CHURCH, Va., Nov. 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PAE (NASDAQ: PAE, PAEWW), a global leader in delivering smart solutions to the U.S. government and its allies, was awarded a position on the U.S. Air Force Rotary Wing Maintenance Contract Consolidation indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract vehicle, which has a ceiling value of $835 million and a 10-year period of performance. TheAir Force Installation Contracting Center also awarded PAE an initial five-year task order on the contract, valued at $84.3 million, to support helicopter maintenance for training missions with the Air Education and Training Command at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The awards build on PAEs nearly four decades of aviation support for U.S. government customers, including four branches of the military and the Department of Homeland Security. PAE President and CEO John Heller said this work supporting critical Air Force missions contributes to a business strategy of delivering world class aerospace services through innovation and technology integration.

PAEs specialized fleet management expertise is a clear advantage to winning key Air Force support work, strengthened by our certified continuous improvement practices, Heller said. Not only does our position on this IDIQ expand our reach with the Air Force, but it brings the potential to apply our rotary wing capabilities to the latest technologies, including the newly acquired MH-139 helicopter.

PAE is one of five large business contractors awarded a seat on the contract vehicle that also includes three small business awardees. The program consolidates Air Force helicopter programs for the full-time availability of mission-capable aircraft, including UH-1N and HH-60 helicopters and V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft. The scope of the contract includes functional check flights, aircrew flight equipment and the maintenance of light caliber weapons and defensive systems.

PAE Vice President of Readiness and Sustainment Cristal Rice said PAE will deliver mission-essential services on the initial task order for the Air Forces premier training site for special operations, combat search and rescue aircrews.

Were proud to continue our work with the AETC program to provide safe and high-quality aircraft maintenance, said Rice. Our services are critical to student pilots as theyre trained on a wide range of flight specialties in aircraft that we maintain for the 58th Special Operations Wing.

PAE serves as the prime contractor on the task order, with support from subcontractors CLX Support Services and VP KIRA, to deliver personnel to maintain, repair and functionally check helicopters and associated engines, as well as provide mission support equipment, technical support and aircrew services in support of flight crew training missions at Kirtland Air Force Base.

About PAEFor 65 years, PAE has tackled the worlds toughest challenges to deliver agile and steadfast solutions to the U.S. government and its allies. With a global workforce of about 20,000 on all seven continents and in approximately 60 countries, PAE delivers a broad range of operational support services to meet the critical needs of our clients. Our headquarters is in Falls Church, Virginia. Find us online at pae.com, on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking StatementsThis release may contain a number of forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about PAEs possible or assumed future results of operations, financial results, backlog, estimation of resources for contracts, strategy for and management of growth, needs for additional capital, risks related to U.S. government contracting generally, including congressional approval of appropriations, bid protests and IDIQs. These forward-looking statements are based on PAEs managements current expectations, estimates, projections and beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions concerning future events.

These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside PAEs managements control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements included in this release speak only as of the date of this release. PAE does not undertake any obligation to update its forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release except as may be required by the federal securities laws.

For media inquiries regarding PAE, contact:

Terrence NowlinSenior Communications ManagerPAE703-656-7423terrence.nowlin@pae.com

For investor inquiries regarding PAE, contact:

Mark ZindlerVice President, Investor RelationsPAE703-717-6017mark.zindler@pae.com

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PAE Continues Longstanding Air Force Support with Position on Rotary Wing Maintenance IDIQ, Award of Initial Task Order - GlobeNewswire

Press Releases PRESS RELEASE FROM FEDERAL HEATH

Federal Heath & CPD Group re-brand and refresh the C-Store experience.

Creating a Destination

MARLBORO, NY. (November 1, 2020) - New Paltz, NY based CPD Group and Euless, TX based, Federal Heath worked together in re-imagining how we think about convenience stores. In the heart of Marlboro, NY, Chestnut Markets 5,600 sq. ft. flagship, offers instant visual brand recognition.

In addition to the C-store, the Chestnut Market brand features a Dunkin Donuts, locallymade and freshly prepared foodservice offerings, and ExxonMobils Synergy brand in theforecourt, making it the ultimate destination.

The objective was to create an iconic brand environment for Chestnut Market, that elevates the customers shopping experience and creates a specialty branded customer journey, said Michael Benincasa, VP of Retail Design & Strategy at Federal Heath. The intent was to create a unique destination located in the C-Store genre space.

Our new store design is a commitment to our guests as we continue to enhance our customers experience, said Sharif Jamal, Director of Brand Development, CPD Group. Our new, re-branded flagship store will be the first location in Marlboro, NY, making them the first community to experience the new look and feel. We look forward to bringing our new re-fresh to many additional markets within the next two years.

As part of the new design, the Federal Heath team was engaged to create a complete brand refresh for Chestnut Market. The team created a newly branded interior store design including, concept, development, and fabrication of signage, illuminated CoLite ceiling rings, graphic wallcoverings, illuminated CoLite wood beams, dimensional copy, lightweight CoLite POS canopy, WallMaker white shiplap & red cedar siding. Installation was also handled by the Federal Heath Specialty Contracting team, completing a total environmental refresh from A to Z.

The Chestnut Market concept highlights convenience and quality that invites the customer inside with warmth, comfort, fun, and good living. Real textures, geometric patterns, materials, and lighting enhance the overall ambiance; relaxed, informal, but completely refreshed in a contemporary environment, creating a bold brand voice that sets the store apart from any other.

CPD Energy Corp. is a family-owned business that began with one station in 1981 located in New Paltz, NY. It is now a major petroleum marketer and distributor in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The company operates and supplies more than 200 sites in both retail and wholesale markets. Fuel brands include ExxonMobil, Shell, BP, and Gulf.

Federal Heath helps companies connect and engage with their customer with complete turnkey products and services including signs, design services, digital signage, interior dcor and graphics, maintenance, and specialty contracting services. Federal Heath has provided concierge care and superior craftmanship since 1901.

Chestnut Market

###

CONTACT:Michael Benincasa, Vice President Retail Design & Strategy

TELEPHONE: 586.960.4078

EMAIL:[emailprotected]

Federal Heath Sign Company, LLC

Diana Panther,Chief Administrative Officer [emailprotected]

2300 N. State Highway 121, Euless, TX 76039

http://www.federalheath.com

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Federal Heath & CPD Group Re-Brand and Refresh the C-Store Experience - Retail Dive

Winter can be difficult to get through, even in normal times. Usually, we can count on trips to the theatre, Santa visits, or holiday parties to brighten our spirits. This year, as COVID-19 cases rise, well have to get a little more creative.

From camping to surreal audio walking tours of the city, here are some activities you can do in Denver to maintain your sanity over the next few months while also keeping social distance.

A lot of people are struggling right now. Volunteer Match helps you find volunteer opportunities based on your skills and interests, and you can even select virtual or on location opportunities, depending on your comfort level.

Over the summer, we dropped a series of street art and mural tours, each curated by a different Denver artist. All of them can be experienced on foot, by bike or from the warmth of your car. And once you finish those, Denver Arts & Venues has its own list of public art tours.

Speaking of tours, Denver Walking Tours has a wide selection of tours of the city, including free or private tours, ghost tours, and self-guided audio tours. Denver Architecture has a series of free, self-guided audio tours of the citys most iconic buildings and landmarks.And if you want to get to know Denver on a whole new level, the MCA has a surreal audio tour of the city created by the poet Mathias Svalina. Check out this piece we wrote about Dreaming Denver back in September.

Tickets are going fast to Denver Zoos 30th anniversary Zoo Lights, which is open to members starting Nov. 23 and to non-members from December 4-31. You can also check out the Botanic Gardens Blossoms of Light at its Denver location and Trail of Lights at Chatfield Farms, both of which offer otherworldly illuminations experiences, as well as concessions with holiday snacks and drinks.

Denvers 110-foot tall Mile High Tree is back this year, with added safety measures like 6-feet standing markers, limits on group sizes, a face covering mandate and staff on hand to enforce the rules. On select dates, from Nov. 20 to Jan. 2, you can visit the tree at 16th St. Mall on Welton Street to experience an immersive light and music show, and the rest of the time it can be enjoyed from a distance.

9NEWS Annual Parade of Lights is now a stationary parade. All of the classic floats from years past will be displayed around downtown for several weeks, from Nov. 27 to Dec. 31.

Adventure Golf and Raceway in Westminster does Holiday Light-themed mini golf with festive snacks and beverages, including spiked hot chocolate for adults. Its an outdoor activity with built-in distancing from other pods, since groups are spaced out between holes. The lights will be up from Nov. 6 to Jan. 10.

Understudy is an art incubation run out of the Colorado Convention Center. Lately, theyve been displaying their installations in a fishbowl format: Guests can stand on the sidewalk and safely look in on the exhibit through the glass walls of the CCC. Understudys latest installation, Lumonics Mind Spa, is a series of soothing light sculptures that can be enjoyed any time of day, but is best experienced at night. The installation launches on Nov. 27 and runs through Jan. 30.

The Fence is an outdoor photography exhibit in Cherry Creek Park so that bikers, walkers or joggers can stop and look at the photo stories. The series, which is touring 11 cities, features the work of 40 photographers around the world. Its only around until Nov. 30, so check it out before it moves on.

Citizenship: A Practice of Society explores our nations conflicted idea of what it means to be a citizen. The exhibition features the work of more than 30 artists, including three from Colorado. Earlier this month, we dropped a feature about one of the pieces, an interactive installation that asks visitors to sit down and have an intimate conversation. The exhibition will be up until Feb. 14. Tickets are limited and must be booked in advance.

The director behind films like Birdman and The Revenant created an intensely visceral virtual reality experience that walks guests through the experience of refugees trying to cross into the U.S. Three individuals go through at once, in separate rooms, so its something you can do alone. Aurora is the first stop on the experiences North American tour, so check it out before it leaves on Jan. 30.

This year, the Denver Christkindl Market is moving to a more spacious open-air location at Civic Center Park. From Nov. 20 to Dec. 23, visitors can enjoy live performances, festive beverages, artisan gifts, and European cuisine at a German-style outdoor Christmas market.

Cherry Creek North will have its own market as well, as part of its Winter Wonderland celebration. Starting Nov. 19, visitors can enjoy a choreographed light show, giveaways and holiday treats and beverages, served out of an open-air market in Fillmore Plaza.

Four Mile Historic Park is having an outdoor winter festival of its own, complete with a temporary ice skating rink. December Delights will celebrate the holidays with a scavenger hunt, seasonal drinks and snacks, ice skating, kids craft activities, art installations by local artists, holiday lights, immersive motion-based video games, and an evening skate and DJ event for adults only. The festival runs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Dec. 4 through 27, and the rink will be open Wednesdays through Sundays.

Rinks that have announced that theyll be open this season include Longmont Ice Pavilion, The Rink at Belmar, Acacia Park, Beaver Creek, Louisville. And Fort Collins Old Town Square rink offers free skating and rentals.

Hit your favorite hiking trails on snowshoes. Rent them from REIor various local outfitters. Our own Kevin Beaty went snowshoeing in Rocky Mountain National Park for just $5 back in 2018.

Grab a sled, a tube, a cardboard box, or whatever your preferred mode of snow travel, and hit one of Denvers nearby sledding hills.

You can get up close and personal with wolves, even before theyre reintroduced into the state. The Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center does $15 tours.

And the Wildlife Animal Sanctuary rehabilitates wild animals like lions and tigers and bears, as well as emus, ostriches, porcupines and alpacas. Guests can observe them safely from an elevated walkway.

Grab some paint, a canvas, brushes and a bottle of wine, and stage your own wine and paint night. You can follow a video tutorial, get inspiration from Bob Ross, try to recreate a photo of your pet, or do your own thing entirely. Painting Soiree offers remote lessons, and Canvas and Cocktails sells take-home kits to accompany its virtual classes.

Denver Public Library might not be fully open yet, but you can still check out books. The library allows you to hold books through its online system and pick them up curbside. And if youre missing the feeling of browsing a selection of works within your favorite genre, you can also sign up for a curbside bundle, which includes ten library items (books, movies, music, etc.) based on your interests.

Consider buying cheap projector and some speakers to really immerse yourself in the cinematic experience. Its not quite the same as sitting in the dark surrounded by strangers, quietly and independently sharing in the same story, but its a safe way to make movie nights feel a little more special. For a more Denver-centric experience, you can look into screening Denver Films Virtual Cinema selections.

Now that were spending more time indoors, it can help to make the indoors nicer. One way to do that is to try to take elements of nature that naturally improve our mood plants, natural light, vitamin-D and bring them into our homes. Happy lights are supposed to mimic sunlight.

Camp in your backyard, or even in your own house! Set up a tent and sleeping bags and play some nighttime ambient sounds like crickets or rain. Set a fire in your fireplace if you have one and roast marshmallows (you can also do that in a microwave). If you have a projector, project images of the stars on your ceiling.

When the weather turns, youll want a way to be able to work out indoors. Good Elephant, Endorphin, Kindness Collective, and YMCA of Metro Denver have free or donation-based online classes. Shoshoni has free YouTube courses as well as live Zoom ones that start at $2, and Gravity Yoga does virtual classes for $10 on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

or, at least check in on yourself. Weve all been storing stress for the last few months, and even if youre not a routine meditator, it might be worth trying a breathing exercise or a body scan every now and then. Apps like Calm and Headspace offer free meditation guides. You can also take virtual meditation classes taught by Denver locals through groups like Denver Meditation, The Meditation Place, and Shambhala.

DPL has several book clubs for all age groups and genres. They pick a new book every Monday and send new chapters to your email every weekday. Theres also a ton of clubs on Meetup, including special interest ones (Bookish Queer Women, 19th Century Lit, and Sci-Fi/Fantasy).

If theres something youve been itching to learn more about, you can take free classes on Coursera provided by Colorado universities and schools around the world. Alternatively, if youre someone who doesnt have the time, energy or funds to enroll in a course, you can design one for yourself. If theres a topic that interests you, create a personalized curriculum so you can become an expert in that field! For instance, if French film is your thing, check out some texts by Andr Bazin, make a list of New Wave films to hit, dig up some copies of the Cahiers du Cinma. Give yourself deadlines, and maybe even write an essay, if youre so inclined.

Its hard to learn a new language without the opportunity to practice it. Apps like Tamdem allow you to converse with native speakers, operating as a sort of virtual language exchange. There are also lots of language groups here in Denver, many of which have now gone virtual. You can find some on Meetup.

This week is Denver Restaurant Week, and multi-course meals for pickup and delivery start at $25.

The winter is typically one of the most exciting times for live performance. While we might not be able to pack into a crowded theatre any time soon, performance companies are finding creative ways to bring their shows to you. Colorado Ballet, for instance, will be airing a performance of The Nutcracker on Rocky Mountain PBS from Nov. 26 through Dec. 25.

Virtual performances of Cleo Parker Robinsons beloved Granny Dances to a Holiday Drum run from Dec. 5 to Jan. 2. The Denver Gay Mens chorus will give virtual guests A December to Remember on Dec. 5. And starting Nov. 15, the DCPA is hosting ticketed virtual performances of Until the Flood, a show written and performed by the Pulitzer Prize finalist and Obie Award winner Dael Orlandersmith, based on interviews she had after the killing of Michael Brown and the Ferguson uprisings that followed.

Read more here:
Ideas to get you through a COVID-19 winter in Denver. - Denverite

To set a Guinness World Record is no easy accomplishmentthere are currently some 47,000 record titles, with more than 1,000 incoming applications to set new records each week. (Wait times can be up to four months.) Tucked inside these tomes are some extraordinary art superlatives, from the worlds most expensive painting at auction to the largest artwork ever painted with coffee.

In honor of Guinness World Record Day on November 19, here are some of the most outrageous art records on the books.

Students with work they created in the worlds largest art lesson. Photo courtesy of Expressions Stationery Shop Inc.

Who: Expressions Stationery Shop Inc.

Where:Quezon City, Philippines

When:February 24, 2018

What:No fewer than16,692 people, mostly students, took part in a 45-minute art lesson to learn how to draw one of the colorful masks that celebrate the MassKara Festival, which has been described as the Philippines answer to Brazils Carnival.

Arbnora Fejza Idrizi with the worlds largest origami flower. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Who:Arbnora Fejza Idrizi

Where: Skenderaj, Kosovo

When:September 1, 2018

What:A 10-year veteran of making origami art,Arbnora Fejza Idrizi captured the record for the largest origami flower with this delicate 28-and-a-half-foot paper sculpture.

Ram V. Sutar, Statue of Unity. Located in India, this is the worlds largest statue. Photo courtesy of the Statue of Unity Monument.

Who:Ram V. Sutar

Where: Kevadia colony, Gujarat, India

When: October 31, 2018

What:India built the worlds largest statue, topping out at 597 feet tall, as a monument to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who served as the nations first deputy prime minister.Building it took four years, cost 29.9 billion rupees ($430 million), and required 7,416,080 cubic feet of cement, 25,000 tons of steel, and 1,700 tons of bronze. (Despite rumors, the Indian government did not, in fact,put the artwork on the marketin response to financial troubles earlier this year. But admittedly, the collector base for such a sculpture is quite narrow.)

The worlds largest bead mosaic, from Cmara de Comercio, Servicios y Turismo de Guadalajara. Photo courtesy of Guinness World Records.

Who:Cmara de Comercio, Servicios y Turismo de Guadalajara

Where:Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

When:August 20, 2018

What:Measuring 877 square feet, this massive bead mosaic took 780 hours to create, with 15 artists using a total of 66 pounds of glue and approaching 1,000 pounds of beads.

Willard Wigan holds the record for the smallest sculpture with this figure of an embryo inside a hollowed-out strand of hair. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Who:Willard Wigan

Where:Warwick, UK

When:September 5, 2017

What:Master micro-sculptor Willard Wigan created a sculpture of an embryo measuring just78 microns long and 53 microns tall, and placed it inside a hollowed-out strand of hair. He made the microscopic work from a carpet fiber.

The largest display of crochet sculptures was amassed by Mother Indias Crochet Queens. Photo courtesy of Guinness World Records.

Who:Mother Indias Crochet Queens

Where:Chennai, India

When:January 21, 2018

What:Subashri Natarajan spearheaded the collection of 58,917 crochet sculptures created by Indian people around the world in this record-breaking effort by Mother Indias Crochet Queens.

Dale Chihulys glass sculpture, Fiori di Como (1998) on the ceiling of the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Photo by torbakhopper, via Flickr Creative Commons.

Who:Dale Chihuly

Where:Las Vegas

When:October 15, 1998

What:An eye-poppingand much-Instagrammedsculpture of 2,000 glass flowers hangs overhead in the lobby of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, the work of master glass blower Dale Chihuly. The entire installation measures29-and-a-half feet by 65-and-a-half feet.

Salvator Mundi before it is auctioned at Christies. Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images.

Who:Leonardo da Vinci

Where:New York

When:November 15, 2017

What:Leonardo da VincisSalvador Munditook a winding road to the auction block, lostfor decades, dismissed as a copy, and then rediscovered and heavily restored before selling for an astounding $450 million at Christies sale of postwar and contemporary art in November 2017.Controversy still surrounds the work, which hasnt been seen since.

Images of Gurmej Mr. Caution Singhs The Transcendental, the worlds longest painting by an individual. Photo courtesy of Guinness World Records.

Who: Gurmej Mr. Caution Singh

Where: Grand Rapids, Michigan

When: September 14, 2013

What:For his 2013 entry to the art festival ArtPrize,Gurmej Mr. Caution Singh spent 38 days creatingThe Transcendental, a more than 11,300-foot-long painting. The only problem? He had been approved to create a 30-foot mural, not a three-mile display that blocked traffic and violated public safety. Not only did Singh not win any prizes for his efforts, he wasgiven a lifetime ban from the contest. But hey, he did make it into the Guinness Book of World Records!

The National Water Museum of China and Li Hangyu set the record for largest professional oil painting by a single artist. Photo courtesy of Guinness World Records.

Who:The National Water Museum of China and Li Hangyu

Where: Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China

When:July 21, 2020

What:The National Water Museum of China commissioned Li Hangyu to paint this nearly 1,521-square-foot oil painting. It took five months to finish and features the Yellow River, the Yangtze River, Three Gorges Dam, and other waterways and large-scale water conservancy projects.

The Skulptura Projects GmbH built the worlds tallest sand castle at Sandskulpturen Festival in 2019. Photo courtesy of Guinness World Records.

Who: Skulptura Projects GmbH

Where: Binz, Germany

When: June 5, 2019

What:It took two years, but theSandskulpturen Festival finally broke the record for the worlds tallest sandcastle, enlisting ateam of 12 sculptors and eight technicians from Russia, Poland, Hungary, Germany, Holland, and Latvia to build the nearly 58-foot-tall construction. Made of over 12,125 tons of sand, bound together only by water, the project, led by sculpting enthusiast Thomas van den Dungen, took three and a half weeks to complete.

Hung Chi-Sung madethe worlds largest painting in 2019. Photo courtesy of Guinness World Records.

Who:Hung Chi-Sung

Where:Hualien, Taiwan, China

When:June 21, 2019

What:Measuring130,099 square feet, this massive painting of the Buddha is meant to symbolize peace and connection between human beings around the globe. Artist Hung Chi-Sung was inspired to create the larger than life religious painting by the Talibans destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas in 2001.

Pablo Picasso with his son Claude, August 21, 1955. Image courtesy Getty Images.

Who: Pablo Picasso

Where: Spain

When:18811973

What:A seemingly endless fount of creativity, Picasso earned his place in the record books with an estimated 13,500 paintings, 100,000 prints and engravings, 34,000 book illustrations, and 300 sculptures and ceramics. Good luck topping this one.

The Dubai Miracle Garden holds the record for the worlds largest topiary statue with this Mickey Mouse figure. Photo courtesy of Guinness World Records.

Who:Dubai Miracle Garden

Where: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

When:February 26, 2018

What:Move over Jeff Koons. Towering high above the artists famedPuppy, the terrier sculpture covered in flowering plants at the Guggenheim Bilbao, is this flowering Mickey Mouse figure at theDubai Miracle Garden. Over 59 feet tall, the sculpture weighs close to 35 tons, outfitted with nearly 100,000 geraniums, marigolds, petunias, and other flowers.

Workers build the snow sculpture Romantic Feelings at the 20th International Snow Sculpture Art Expo on December 17, 2007 in Harbin of Heilongjiang Province, China. Photo by China Photos/Getty Images.

Who:Harbin International Ice & Snow Sculpture Festival

Where: Harbin, China

When: 2007

What:Topping out at 115 tall and 656 feet long, the worlds largest snow sculpture, titled Romantic Feelings, featured an Olympic-themed landscape complete with a French cathedral, a Russian church, Stonehenge, the Acropolis, and the head of a giant ice maiden, frosty hair rippling in the wintry breeze. The artists600 sculptors from 40 different countriesused 120,000 cubic feet of compressed snow collected from the nearby Songhua River to create the frozen masterpiece.

Some of the nearly 500 people painted at the Woodstock Festival Poland in 2015. Photo courtesy of Guinness World Records.

Who:Woodstock Festival Poland

Where: Kostrzyn nad Odra, Poland

When:July 31, 2015

What:The Polish cell phone company Play sponsored this rainbow-hued effort from the Woodstock Festival Poland to body-paint 497 people in celebration of the events 21st anniversary.

Students in India from the Ceoa School broke the record for most people coloring in simultaneously. Photo courtesy of Guinness World Records.

Continued here:
From the Tallest Statue to the Largest Drawing, Here Are 24 Astonishing Tidbits of Art Trivia From the Guinness Book of World Records - artnet News

Scope of the consultation

This consultation seeks views on:

a) Amending the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 to require social landlords to ensure at least one smoke alarm is installed on each storey of the premises on which there is a room used wholly or partly as living accommodation.

b) Amending the statutory guidance (Approved Document J) supporting Part J of the Building Regulations to require that carbon monoxide alarms are fitted alongside the installation of fixed combustion appliances of any fuel type (excluding gas cookers).

c) Amending the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 to require private and social landlords to install a carbon monoxide alarm in any room used as living accommodation where a fixed combustion appliance is used (excluding gas cookers).

Scope of this consultation: This consultation follows on from the governments social housing green paper that was published in August 2018, the social housing white paper that was published in November 2020 and the government review of carbon monoxide alarm requirements that concluded in January 2019.

Geographical scope: These proposals relate to England only.

Impact assessment: Annex B sets out the expected impacts (costs and benefits) of proposals in this consultation. Where the proposals taken forward require legislative changes, further assessments will need to be made, and these will need to reflect the outcome of the consultation and responses.

Duration: This consultation will last for 8 weeks from 17 November 2020 to 11 January 2021.

Enquiries: For any enquiries about the consultation please contact smokeandcarbonmonoxide@communities.gov.uk

How to respond: We encourage you to respond by completing the online survey.

Alternatively, you can email your responses to the question in this consultation to smokeandcarbonmonoxide@communities.gov.uk.

If you are responding in writing, please make it clear which questions you are responding to.

Written responses should be sent to:

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide ConsultationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government3rd Floor, Fry Building2 Marsham StreetLondonSW1P 4DF

When you reply, it would be very useful if you could confirm whether you are replying as an individual or submitting an official response on behalf of an organisation and include:

After the consultation

After the consultation, a summary of the responses will be published and placed on the government website at http://www.gov.uk/mhclg.

Data Protection

For information on how your data will be held and used in accordance with data protection legislation, please see Annex C.

The government is committed to ensuring residents are protected from the risks of fire and carbon monoxide in their homes. In 2019/20, fire and rescue services attended nearly 30,000 dwelling fires in England and sadly there were nearly 200 fire-related fatalities[footnote 1]. Around 20 people die from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning every year (excluding those relating to accidental exposure to smoke, fire and flames[footnote 2], with more than 4,000 presentations to hospitals estimated to be related to carbon monoxide.

Alarms provide reassurance and can protect residents from the devastating harm caused to homes and lives by fire incidents and accidental carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide alarms detect and warn of the presence of dangerous levels of the gas. Smoke alarms are shown to save lives: government statistics show you are around 8 times more likely to die in a fire if you do not have any working smoke alarms in your home.

Government expects residents to be safe, and feel safe, in their home, and expects landlords to provide residents with a safe place to live. Following the tragic events at Grenfell Tower in 2017, over 8000 people contributed their opinions and concerns to shape the social housing green paper. People commented that safety concerns were not always being listened to or addressed properly and this affected their faith in the legislative and regulatory framework. The Building Safety Programme was established to make sure that residents of high-rise residential buildings are safe, now and in the future.

The social housing green paper aimed to rebalance the relationship between landlords and residents. The paper recognised a disparity in protections between the private rented sector and social rented sector in respect of safety measures, including smoke and carbon monoxide alarm requirements, which are mandatory in private rented properties but not social rented. It asked whether such measures should apply to social rented properties. There was strong support for a renewed focus on safety and over 91% of respondents supported parity between the sectors.

This consultation is being published alongside the social housing white paper and forms part of a wider package of measures designed to ensure that people are safe, and feel safe, now and in the future. It seeks to bring greater parity between the rental sectors in respect of safety. Specifically, we are seeking comments on the following proposals:

a) We propose to amend the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 to require social landlords to ensure at least one smoke alarm is installed on each storey of the premises on which there is a room used wholly or partly as living accommodation. We also propose, through regulations, to require landlords to ensure that appropriate checks are made to ensure that each prescribed alarm is in proper working order on the first day of every new tenancy and to repair or replace alarms if they are reported as faulty during the tenancy.

b) We propose to amend the statutory guidance (Approved Document J) supporting Part J of the Building Regulations to require that carbon monoxide alarms are fitted alongside the installation of fixed combustion appliances of any fuel type (excluding gas cookers). Building regulation requirements are tenure neutral and apply upon the installation of combustion appliances in all rented and owner-occupied homes.

c) We propose to amend the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 to require private and social landlords to install a carbon monoxide alarm in any room used as living accommodation where a fixed combustion appliance is used (excluding gas cookers). We also propose, through regulations, to require landlords to ensure that appropriate checks are made to ensure that each prescribed alarm is in proper working order on the first day of every new tenancy and to repair or replace alarms if they are reported as faulty during the tenancy.

The proposals apply to England only.

We invite views on whether you agree with these proposals and if so, whether there are issues for us to consider as we implement the changes. We particularly welcome views from residents and resident groups, housing associations and local authorities and their representative bodies, private landlords and private sector landlord associations, fire and rescue authorities, fire and carbon monoxide safety groups or charities, heating installers and smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm technical specialists and suppliers.

The Home Offices Fire and Rescue Incident Statistics (see FIRE 0202) show that in 2019 to 2020 there were 25,484 accidental dwelling fires, resulting in 167 deaths and 1,909 injuries which required hospital treatment (see FIRE 0506). Fires also damage homes and property. The average area of damage caused by a dwelling fire is around 16 metres squared (See FIRE 0204).

Of all dwelling fires, around three-quarters (74%) were in houses, bungalows, converted flats and other properties, whilst around a quarter (26%) were in purpose-built flats. In the same year, fire and rescue services attended 775 fires in purpose-built high-rise flats (See FIRE 0205).

Smoke alarms are shown to save lives. Home Office data suggests that in 2019 to 2020 52 fatalities (26%) from dwelling fires occurred where a smoke alarm was not installed (See FIRE 0702). A smoke alarm was present and raised the alarm (i.e. functioned as desired) in 45% of dwelling fires in 2019 to 2020 but in only 33% of fire-related fatalities, highlighting the importance of having both working smoke alarms and enough of them to cover all areas in a dwelling. See detailed analysis.

In 2018 to 2019, a majority (91%) of English households had at least one working smoke alarm. Households renting from a housing association and those renting from a local authority were most likely to have at least one working smoke alarm (95%). Fewer (90%) owner-occupiers and private renters (88%) had smoke alarms.

Since the introduction of the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015, coverage of working smoke alarms in the private rented sector has increased from 83% to 88%. This follows a period between 2012 and 2014 when coverage in the sector had been decreasing.

Chart 1: Households with at least one working smoke alarm by tenure 2008-09 to 2018-19

Currently, to meet the guidance of Approved Document B (Fire Safety) under the Building Regulations 2010, smoke alarms must be installed in all newly built dwellings. The guidance requires smoke alarms to be installed when new homes are created by a change of use or conversion and when extensions or loft conversions are added to existing homes, all regardless of tenure. The building control body are responsible for enforcing the Building Regulations.

Since 2015, private sector landlords have been required to install at least one smoke alarm where there is a room used wholly or partly as living accommodation. The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 also require private landlords to ensure the alarms are in working order at the start of each tenancy. A question and answer booklet was published alongside the regulations to provide guidance on implementation. The local housing authority is responsible for enforcing the smoke alarm requirements set out in the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 and can levy a penalty charge of up to 5,000 for non-compliance.

The 2015 regulations were introduced as part of a package of policy responses designed to tackle poor standards in the private sector. The private sector had the poorest record on alarms at the time: in 2015 private rented homes had fewer smoke (83%) and carbon monoxide (21%) alarms than any other sector. See EHS headline report page 43. The focus at that time was on bringing the poorest performing sector up to acceptable levels.

In 2018, we also reviewed how effective the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 had been to date. The review found that there was good awareness of the regulations and they had had a positive impact on the number of alarms installed. The review concluded that the regulations should be retained in full and that consideration should be given to expand the regulations to cover both the private and social rented sector, subject to further consultation.

Government welcomes the majority of social landlords who have already taken steps to keep their residents safe by installing smoke alarms, and notes that 95% of social rented homes had a working smoke alarm in 2018. However, 210,000 social rented homes do not have a working smoke alarm. This puts lives unnecessarily at risk. As part of the governments response to the Grenfell tragedy and its commitment to ensure residents are safe and feel safe in their homes, we want to ensure all renters can benefit from these protections.

The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 have resulted in an increase in the number of smoke alarms in the private rented sector. While there is already better coverage in the social rented sector, we would like to see this progress replicated with an expectation that all tenants benefit from the protection and reassurance enjoyed by having a working smoke alarm. We believe that all rented homes should have smoke alarms, regardless of whether you rent in the private or social sector.

We therefore propose amending the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 to bring requirements for smoke alarms in the social rented sector in line with the private rented sector. Our proposals will require social landlords to ensure at least one smoke alarm is installed on each storey of the premises on which there is a room used wholly or partly as living accommodation. They will also be obliged to ensure that checks are made to make sure that each prescribed alarm is in proper working order on the first day of each new tenancy.

The intention of extending the regulations is to protect residents as part of our wider work to rebalance the relationship between residents and social landlords. We are proposing to extend the requirements to tenancy types where the social landlord has responsibilities for internal repairs and maintenance so excluding, for example, shared-ownership properties or other low-cost home ownership products. The types of properties covered under the definition are included in the glossary appended at Annex A under the definition, social rented sector. We will continue to encourage owner-occupiers to keep themselves, their families, friends and neighbours safe through campaigns such as the governments Fire Kills campaign. Fire and Rescue services carried out over 580,000 home fire safety visits in 2019 to 2020 (see FIRE 1201), targeting vulnerable occupants to provide tailored fire safety advice and install alarms. See further guidance on how owner-occupiers can make their home safe from fire.

During the review of the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015, we heard that the positioning and placement of smoke alarms can affect their effectiveness. Of those who had a smoke alarm installed at the time of a fire, around half (49%) of households reported that the alarm did not go off at the time of the incident. Of these, just under a quarter (23%) report that the fire was too far away from the smoke alarm (see EHS report, page 11). The question and answer booklet published alongside the regulations provides some general guidance on placement of smoke alarms alongside weblinks to fire safety information at http://www.gov.uk/firekills. Government seeks views on whether the information on placement of smoke alarms within this guidance document remains fit for purpose and whether it would need adapting or updating alongside an extension of the regulations to the social rented sector.

Some respondents to the review also told us that the regulations should prescribe the type of alarm to be installed. We are not proposing to prescribe the type of smoke alarm to be installed. This is because we think that landlords are best placed to decide on the most suitable device according to household needs and circumstances and the range of products available on the market. For example, there are alarms specifically designed for households with children or people with hearing loss. We propose to use the guidance published alongside the regulations to remind landlords to ensure their choice of alarm meets the relevant product standards. The guidance will also recommend the benefits of third-party accreditation of smoke alarms, such as that provided by the British Standard Institute (BSI) Kitemark (British Standard 5839-6), Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB) or other schemes.

We are not proposing that there should be a requirement on landlords to test alarms during the tenancy. Home Office guidance is that alarms should be tested at least on a monthly basis. Due to the frequency of testing required, we think it is reasonable to expect that a resident undertake this task as part of their normal responsibility to maintain their home. However, we would like to understand better the role landlords could play in supporting their residents to test their alarms regularly and safely, particularly residents who are vulnerable or have additional needs. Responses to this question will be considered alongside the learning arising from the governments Social Sector (Building Safety) Engagement Best Practice Group. Their aim, in part, is to develop best practice in engagement and communication between landlords and residents on building safety issues. Findings could help shape guidance to accompany the regulations.

We are proposing that both private and social sector landlords be obliged to repair or replace a faulty alarm during the tenancy, where a fault is reported to them. Whilst we are not proposing proactive checking of alarms during the tenancy by the landlord, we do think it is right that landlords should replace faulty alarms, particularly in the social rented sector where tenancies run for an average of 12 years (EHS report page 19) whilst a smoke alarm has an average life-span of 10 years (Fireservice.co.uk guidance says to replace alarms after 10 years). As private rented tenancies run for an average of 4 years, We propose that the guidance published alongside the regulations says that if, on testing their alarm, tenants find that their alarm is not in working order, they should first consider testing or replacing the battery. If the alarm is mains-operated or is still not working after the battery is replaced, residents should contact the landlord to arrange for the repair or replacement of the alarm. We are interested in views on this proposal.

The body responsible for enforcing the installation of smoke alarms in social rented homes will be the local housing authority. Although local authorities cannot take statutory enforcement action against themselves in respect of their own homes, they will be expected to ensure their homes comply. In addition, all social landlords are expected to comply with the Regulator of Social Housings consumer standards, that require providers to meet all applicable statutory requirements that provide for the health and safety of the occupants in their homes. The Housing Ombudsman can also play a role in resolving complaints about alarms between tenants and non-compliant local authority landlords.

We plan to commence requirements as soon as practicable following the laying of regulations. Delaying implementation could put lives at risk. However, a phased implementation could help landlords manage the additional costs by, for example, installing an alarm when they next visit the property, during a tenancy or gas safety check, rather than having to make an extra visit. As part of this consultation, we are seeking evidence of the necessity of a phased implementation approach.

As part of the development of these proposals, an analysis of the costs and benefits was carried out to examine the impacts of mandating smoke alarms on every storey of all social homes. It found that the cost to social landlords of installing smoke alarms in homes which currently do not have them on every storey would be 21 million over a ten-year period, with assessed benefits of 68 million over a 20-year period. The cost per dwelling is 102 over 10-year appraisal period. The benefits have been calculated by estimating the monetised health benefits through reduced fatalities and injuries caused by fires in social homes.

Because we are proposing a new obligation on landlords to replace alarms when they are reported broken during the tenancy, replacement costs for social landlords have been included in the analysis. However, as private rented tenancies only last an average of 4 years, and smoke alarms last an average of 10 years, no replacement costs for private landlords were considered.

We acknowledge that our proposals could have a slightly increased impact on smaller landlords as larger landlords are able to benefit from some economies of scale, such as buying alarms in bulk. However, we do not expect the cost per home to be significantly different for smaller landlords and so they should not be disproportionately impacted. We are therefore not proposing to exempt small landlords from our proposals as this would undermine their effectiveness. The full impact assessment is available at Annex B.

a. Yesb. No

a. Yesb. No

a. Yesb. No

a. Yesb. No

a. Yesb. No

a. Yesb. No

a. Yesb. No

Carbon monoxide is produced by incomplete combustion. It can be released into a room if a combustion appliance such as a boiler or fire is faulty, is poorly installed or maintained, or if a flue or chimney is blocked or leaky. It is colourless, odourless and tasteless. Mild poisoning can cause headaches and flu-like symptoms, whilst higher concentrations can lead to collapse, coma or death.

Sometimes referred to as the silent killer, statistics estimate that around 20 people die from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning every year. There are around 200 major injuries that require hospitalisation and around 4,000 minor injuries. The view of some medical experts is that some carbon monoxide poisonings are being wrongly diagnosed and therefore under-reported[footnote 3].

Carbon monoxide alarms give advance warning of carbon monoxide in a property and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommend the use of audible carbon monoxide alarms as an important precaution. However, alarms should not be regarded as a replacement for proper installation and regular maintenance and safety checks of combustion appliances by a registered engineer.

In 2018, 42% of all dwellings had a carbon monoxide alarm, up from 33% in 2016 (EHS report, page 41). Owner-occupied homes (43%) and social rented homes (43%) were more likely to have a carbon monoxide alarm than private rented sector dwellings (39%). Homes with a solid-fuel burning appliance, such as a coal fire or wood burning stove, were more likely (51%) to have a carbon monoxide alarm than homes without a solid-fuel appliance (41%).

Currently, carbon monoxide alarms must be installed in all residential buildings when a fixed solid-fuel burning appliance, like a log burning stove, is installed. This requirement is set out in Building Regulations Approved Document J and applies to installations regardless of tenure in private and social rented homes and in owner occupied homes. Building control bodies are responsible for interpreting the guidance and enforcing the requirements of the Building Regulations. In practice, most combustion appliance installations are carried out by engineers registered with approved competent persons schemes who self-certify that the installation is compliant with the requirements of the building regulations.

Since 2015, private sector landlords have been required to install a carbon monoxide alarm in any room which is used wholly or partly as living accommodation and contains a solid-fuel burning appliance. The regulations also require private landlords to ensure the alarms are in working order at the start of each tenancy. As with smoke alarms, the local housing authority is responsible for enforcing carbon monoxide alarm requirements.

The current requirement in building regulations and in the private rented sector for alarms for solid-fuel heating was based on the cost-benefit analysis published at the time. That showed the benefits to installing alarms for solid-fuel appliances to be greater than for gas and oil appliances.

In 2017, the All-Party Parliamentary Carbon Monoxide Group (APPCOG) published a report Carbon Monoxide Alarms: Tenants Safe and Secure in Their Homes that critically assessed both the 2010 and 2015 requirements. It found that the original cost-benefit analysis which preceded the regulations was outdated, with carbon monoxide alarms being cheaper and more efficient than they had been previously. It also found that the regulations were unnecessarily complex and could be simplified by instead requiring alarms for all combustion appliances, including gas and oil, and extending requirements to social landlords.

During 2018, the Review of Carbon Monoxide Alarm Requirements considered whether regulations currently limited to solid-fuel appliances in the private rented sector and building regulations are fit for purpose or whether requirements should be extended to the installation of oil and gas boilers and to social rented housing. The review was supported by a working group of stakeholders and experts that included representation from Public Health England (PHE), the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), landlord associations, academics, the emergency services and gas installers. The review found evidence to support the case to extend carbon monoxide requirements.

The government welcomes the valuable work of the All-Party Parliamentary Carbon Monoxide Group (APPCOG) and the experts and stakeholders who are engaged on this critically important issue. We agree that the cost of alarms has fallen since 2010. We want to see a greater number of residents benefit from the protection and reassurance that carbon monoxide alarms can provide. We accept APPCOGs finding that limiting requirements to solid-fuel burning appliances has made the regulations complicated.

We propose to amend the statutory guidance (Approved Document J) so that carbon monoxide alarms must be fitted alongside the installation of fixed combustion appliances of any fuel type, excluding gas cookers. These requirements apply to installations in new and existing homes regardless of tenure, i.e. private and social landlords and to owner-occupiers.

Approved Document J provides guidance on placement of carbon monoxide alarms. It says that an alarm should be fitted on the ceiling at least 300mm from any wall or on a wall, as high up as possible (above any doors and windows) but not within 150mm of the ceiling and between 1m and 3m horizontally from the appliance. Government would like to seek views on whether the information on placement of carbon monoxide alarms remains fit for purpose and whether they would need adapting or updating alongside an extension of the regulations and guidance.

Approved Document J also sets out that to meet the requirements of the building regulations, a carbon monoxide alarm should comply to British Standard Institute standards (British Standard BS EN 50291) and be powered by a battery designed to operate for the working life of the alarm. It should also have a warning device to alert users when the working life of the alarm is due to pass or a mains-powered alarm with fixed wiring (not plug-in) and a sensor failure warning device. Government would like to seek views on whether the information on what type of carbon monoxide alarm should be installed remains fit for purpose and whether it would need adapting or updating alongside an extension of the regulations and guidance.

The impact assessment at Annex B sets out an analysis of costs and benefits of requiring a carbon monoxide alarm to be fitted upon the installation of any new or replacement fixed combustion appliance of any fuel type (excluding cookers). It found that the additional impact on private and social landlords would be negligible, while the cost to housebuilders and owner occupiers would be 208 million over 10 years, with assessed benefits of 183 million over a 20-year period. The benefits have been calculated by estimating the monetised health benefits through reduced fatalities and injuries.

We estimate the cost to owner-occupiers would be approximately 27 per additional alarm that is required, including parts and installation. We expect that this cost will only be incurred once by each affected household during our 10 year appraisal period, and that approximately two-thirds of owner-occupied households could be affected.

Although the analysis shows a total net cost to extend carbon monoxide alarm requirements in respect of Building Regulations, government believes it is vital for residents to be safe and feel safe in their homes. Additionally, we expect alarm costs to fall and average lifespans to improve. It is also the view of some medical experts that carbon monoxide poisonings are being under-reported[footnote 4].

As with smoke alarms, we are not proposing to exempt landlords from our proposals and acknowledge that that our proposals may have a small increased impact on smaller landlords. However, we do not expect the cost per home to be significantly different for smaller landlords and so they should not be disproportionately impacted.

a. Yesb. No

a. Yesb. No

a. Yesb. No

We propose amending the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 so that private and social landlords will be required to install a carbon monoxide alarm in any room used as living accommodation where there is a fixed combustion appliance of any fuel type, excluding gas cookers.

As with smoke alarms, the intention of extending the regulations is to protect residents in rented homes. As such, we are not proposing to extend requirements to owner occupiers. We are proposing to extend the requirements to tenancy types where the social landlord has responsibilities for internal repairs and maintenance. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommends that homeowners should install carbon monoxide alarms as a useful precaution.

Government published a question and answer booklet alongside the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 which provides some general guidance for landlords on placement of carbon monoxide alarms. Government would like to seek views on whether the information on placement of carbon monoxide alarms within this guidance document remains fit for purpose and whether it would need adapting or updating alongside an extension of the regulations to the social rented sector.

Some respondents to the review of the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 also told us that these regulations should prescribe the type of alarm to be installed. As with smoke alarms, we are not proposing to prescribe the type of carbon monoxide alarm to be installed in rented properties. We do however propose to use the guidance published alongside the regulations to remind landlords to ensure their choice of alarm meets the relevant product standards and is Conformit Europenne (CE) marked. The guidance will also recommend the benefits of third-party accreditation of alarms, such as that provided by the British Standard Institute (British Standard BS EN 50291). We will also use the guidance document to remind landlords to ensure their choice of alarm should adhere to third party accreditation and give due regard to the needs of individual households.

Landlords would be required to ensure alarms are in working order on the first day of each new tenancy. We are not proposing that there should be a requirement on landlords to test alarms during the tenancy. This is because guidance from many manufacturers and the London Fire Brigade (page 8) is that carbon monoxide alarms should be tested at least on a monthly basis. As with smoke alarm proposals set out above, due to the frequency of testing required, we think it is reasonable to expect that a resident undertake this task as part of their normal responsibility to maintain their home.

We are proposing that landlords should be obliged to repair or replace a faulty alarm during the tenancy, where a fault is reported to them. As with smoke alarms, we are not requiring proactive checking during the tenancy by the landlord, however we do think it right that landlords also be obliged to replace faulty carbon monoxide alarms. As with smoke alarms, we propose the guidance published alongside the regulations sets out resident and landlord responsibilities. We are interested in exploring views on this proposal. As with smoke alarms, the body responsible for enforcing the installation of carbon monoxide alarms in the social rented sector homes will be the local housing authority.

As with smoke alarms, we are minded to commence requirements as soon as practicable following the laying of regulations. However, a phased implementation could allow landlords to install alarms when they next visit the property. We are seeking evidence of the necessity of a phased implementation approach.

The impact assessment at Annex B sets out costs and benefits of extending regulations to require CO alarms in all rooms with any type of fuel burning appliance (excluding gas cookers) in both the private rented and social rented sectors.

It found the net additional cost to social sector landlords would be 128 million over 10 years with assessed benefits of 106 million over a 20-year period. The net additional cost to private sector landlords would be 147 million over 10 years with assessed benefits of 118 million over a 20-year appraisal period.

We estimate the cost to landlords will be approximately 27 per additional alarm that is required, including parts and installation. The number of alarms required per property will vary with the number and location of appliances in scope, but we estimate that the average cost per rented property would be approximately 33 over 10 years. Costs and benefits have been calculated in the same way as for proposals to amend Building Regulations Approved Document J.

a. Yesb. No

a. Yesb. No

a. Yesb. No

a. Yesb. No

a. Yesb. No

All-Party Parliamentary Carbon Monoxide Group (APPCOG)

Forum for Parliamentarians to discover, discuss and promote ways of tackling carbon monoxide poisoning in the UK.

Approved Document J

Approved Document J gives guidance for compliance with the Building Regulations requirements for Combustion appliances and Fuel Storage systems when building work is carried out in England.

Approved Document B

Originally posted here:
Domestic smoke and carbon monoxide alarms: proposals to extend regulations - GOV.UK

LETHBRIDGE, ALTA. -- Since the initial re-opening following the COVID-19 lockdown in the spring, businesses and organizations have had to get innovative to safely provide service for their guests.

Central Church of Christ on Lethbridges northside has gone over and above to meet the needs of the moment since opening back up in October, after taking time to decide what would be the safest way to return in-person service.

They focused on implementing safety members to keep members safe. They have a sanitization station upon entry, non-cohorts are socially distanced, pews have been spaced out and five-foot by 30-inch sheets of plexiglass have been hung from the ceiling between each pew.

We have a high percentage of seniors in our group, board chairman Jesse Kurtz said.

Which are the vulnerable people identified, people over 60 are dying more than any other age group from the virus, so because of our high percentage of people over 60 we felt we needed to do everything we could to keep them safe.

Thats where the idea for the plexiglass came from. The church began looking into the costs and logistics of the installation, and after consultations with Alberta Health Services decided to move forward. The panels provide the necessary separation between each pew to allow the church to seat at near-normal capacity.

An anonymous donor stepped up to help cover the $5,000 cost for the plexiglass, and the church also bought a disinfecting gun that uses a fogging system which takes about 10 to 15 minutes to clean the church.

Before the installation, with physical distancing they could sit about 35 people safely, but now they have the capacity to get many more in the doors without jeopardizing anyone's safety.

The faith community is one of those where its really built around relationships," pastor Harold Cooper said. "Its not a spectator sport - its about engagement.

Being able to bring our people back in the building to gather in a safe way is so important, but even in saying that there are all kinds of health reasons that have left some people unable to come. So we still have to figure that out, but at least for now weve been able to have our people meet.

This week the church will install a few more additional panels of plexiglass, giving them more than 40 panels in total, which will cover each pew and the front area of the church.

With COVID cases on the rise in Alberta, and with new measures recently imposed by the provincial government, they might be waiting a while longer to see more people come through the doors.

However, by taking proactive measures ahead of time, theyre hoping that it will allow them to keep their doors open for the long term.

We needed to be set up here for the long haul and by putting up plexiglass were now ready to keep going. We can keep having services, we dont see closing the doors again unless the government mandates it with everybody and theyll be no exceptions, even though I believe that weve gone above and beyond, Kurtz said.

Read more:
Lethbridge, Alta. church gets creative to keep members safe at mass during the pandemic - CTV Toronto

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Work on the Harlem School of the Arts (HSA) $9.5-million-dollar Renaissance Project, underwritten by legendary award-winning musician/philanthropist, Herb Alpert and the Herb Alpert Foundation, was completed on time and on budget, it was announced by HSA Board Chair Charles Hamilton, Jr. Over the past decade, HSA has received over $17 million dollars in financial support from the Herb Alpert Foundation, and that includes this latest gift.

The project, which broke ground a year ago, has transformed the Harlem School of the Arts (HSA) into a dazzling cultural center. The building, which was originally designed by architect Ulrich Franzen, has received a major facelift. A main section of the austere brick faade has been replaced with a cutting- edge, angled glass curtain wall, offering the community and the public at large, a transparent view inside the facility where so many young lives have been enriched, and given a sense of purpose and focus. The remainder of the brick exterior has been repaired, treated and stained; windows replaced, exterior lighting and new signage added.

"We have been this walled in oasis for a very long time. Now, we can share the beauty that our young people create within the safety of this space, and under the guidance of our extraordinary staff and teaching artists," said HSA President, Eric Pryor.

A group of designers, architects and other specialists with decades of experience and a clear approach to the work of enhancing and reconfiguring key portions of the 37,000-square foot building, came together on this project.

Once shielded from view, the spectacular public space/performance gallery dubbed, Dorothy Maynor Hall, has been fully re-imagined with the help of legendary architect/acoustician, John Storyk, who first rose to prominence for his work on Jimi Hendrix's Electric Lady Studios. The gallery has been retrofitted with a sophisticated audio and high definition video system; including retractable absorbent acoustic curtains, acoustic ceiling baffles, production lighting, new wood flooring, the use of perforated natural wood paneling that helps modulate sound, and a control center built on the second-floor balcony. The high fidelity, duo audio/speaker system was donated by Harman Kardon, a division of Stamford-based Harman International Industries, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics.

The thorough modernization of the gallery space renders it one of the best performance/music venues in the city, and allows optimized use of the space for a wide range of events, while providing students a professional performance environment that will drive their creativity and motivate them to excel.

"As musicians, whether performing or recording, my wife Lani and I know the value of having a space that allows the audience a full appreciation of what we artists are delivering," said Herb Alpert, who has taken a personal, hands-on interest in the renovation project. Through their Foundation, the multi-Grammy Award-winning couple has been supporting numerous arts education programs and institutions. The annual Herb Alpert Award in the Arts has provided substantial financial support to mid-career artists this year announcing a doubling of awardees from five to ten. "When Lani and I became involved with this organization, it was because the kids who bring their passion for the arts to this building deserve a space as beautiful as the art they create. And that's what this renovation is all about the kids. They are the future of art, and they are our future artists."

Immediately on entering HSA, visitors will check in at the newly positioned security desk before gaining access into the main gallery and other parts of the building. A series of decorative murals, installed on the walls in the main lobby, visualize the mission and promise of HSA, and charts the history of the organization and its founder Dorothy Maynor. The HSA Store shares space with the Cafe, a vibrant, sun drenched waiting area for parents, students and visitors. The back-garden courtyard has been revamped. Improvements include the installation of a new uplighting system that provides dramatic night time effects, as the light reflects against the natural rock wall, and the building's signature built-in waterfall becomes visible from the street.

Once shielded from view, the spectacular public space/performance gallery dubbed, Dorothy Maynor Hall, has been fully re-imagined with the help of legendary architect/acoustician, John Storyk, who first rose to prominence for his work on Jimi Hendrix's Electric Lady Studios. The gallery has been retrofitted with a sophisticated audio and high definition video system; including retractable absorbent acoustic curtains, acoustic ceiling baffles, production lighting, new wood flooring, the use of perforated natural wood paneling that helps modulate sound, and a control center built on the second-floor balcony. The high fidelity, duo audio/speaker system was donated by Harman Kardon, a division of Stamford-based Harman International Industries, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics.

The thorough modernization of the gallery space renders it one of the best performance/music venues in the city, and allows optimized use of the space for a wide range of events, while providing students a professional performance environment that will drive their creativity and motivate them to excel.

"As musicians, whether performing or recording, my wife Lani and I know the value of having a space that allows the audience a full appreciation of what we artists are delivering," said Herb Alpert, who has taken a personal, hands-on interest in the renovation project. Through their Foundation, the multi-Grammy Award-winning couple has been supporting numerous arts education programs and institutions. The annual Herb Alpert Award in the Arts has provided substantial financial support to mid-career artists this year announcing a doubling of awardees from five to ten. "When Lani and I became involved with this organization, it was because the kids who bring their passion for the arts to this building deserve a space as beautiful as the art they create. And that's what this renovation is all about the kids. They are the future of art, and they are our future artists."

Immediately on entering HSA, visitors will check in at the newly positioned security desk before gaining access into the main gallery and other parts of the building. A series of decorative murals, installed on the walls in the main lobby, visualize the mission and promise of HSA, and charts the history of the organization and its founder Dorothy Maynor. The HSA Store shares space with the Cafe, a vibrant, sun drenched waiting area for parents, students and visitors. The back-garden courtyard has been revamped. Improvements include the installation of a new uplighting system that provides dramatic night time effects, as the light reflects against the natural rock wall, and the building's signature built-in waterfall becomes visible from the street.

"Within the scope of work that has just been completed were a number of necessary repairs that will make the building far more energy-efficient, and will improve the safety of our students and the public," said Mr. Pryor.

Board Chair, Charles Hamilton, Jr., reiterated the importance of the renovation to the 56-year-old institution. "This has always been a special place with the highest standards of professional training. With the completion of the Renaissance Project, HSA has truly transformed into a cultural destination. I believe it is what our founder imagined from the very beginning, and this is all thanks to the generosity of Herb Alpert, his wife Lani Hall, and Rona Sebastian, President of the Herb Alpert Foundation and a member of the HSA Board."

Students will not immediately have an opportunity to see the changes made to the building due to COVID-19 and the suspension of in-person classes. "But when they do, what a moment that will be," said Rona Sebastian. "Herb, Lani, and I are hoping to be there, to share in the excitement when the doors of HSA open once again, welcoming back the hundreds of students who annually fill the corridors of this historic institution." The ribbon cutting celebration, which had been originally scheduled to take place this Fall, has now been moved to Spring of 2021.

The completion of the transformative project marks another milestone in the evolution of the corridor along 141st-145th and St. Nicholas Avenue. HSA sits as an anchor on the extended block which is fast becoming an educational campus comprised of the Neighborhood Charter School, which opened for classes in Fall of 2019; the Harlem Academy, which broke ground on their 29,000-square foot, five-story facility this past August, and the newly renovated Harlem School of the Arts.

The Harlem School of the Arts, recognized as a multidisciplinary cultural institution, providing accessible quality arts education, world-class training, and an interdisciplinary curriculum, is perfectly poised to become an inclusive arts partner to the members of this campus, as it has been to other schools and organizations in the community. HSA reaches over 10,000 individuals annually through a variety of public programs and community performances; more than 1200 students enroll in classes annually; the organization holds more than 4,000 group classes, provides over 5,000 private lessons, and has a growing roster of alumni who have gone on to top ranked colleges, universities and conservatory programs, as well as celebrated careers in the arts, politics and other industries.

Dorothy Maynor, a retired artist, gifted with one of the most beautiful operatic voices, founded the school and was responsible for the construction of the historic building. At the time when Ms. Maynor's School of the Arts was nestled in the basement of St. James Presbyterian (corner of 141st & St. Nicholas Ave.), a young man with a golden horn was beginning his musical journey and about to make musical history on the opposite coast. Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass would go on to break record sales. More than forty-years later, though never having the opportunity to meet one another, they would be brought together by their mutual love of the arts, by their passionate commitment to children and to ensuring their access to arts education. These two artists also have a deep recognition of the transformative power of the arts to stimulate creativity, build self-confidence, and add a dimension of beauty to a child's life that's important in the development of creative thinkers, and tomorrow's innovative leaders.

At present, the Harlem School of the Arts remains open online, 24/7, with a schedule of Fall virtual classes and public programs readily available by visiting http://www.hsanyc.org.

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Harlem School Of The Arts Unveils Dazzling Transformation - Patch.com