In anticipation of the Santa Barbara debut of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, on Thursday, October 19, more than 300 people came to watch a free screening of Orchestra of Exiles as part of the Thematic Learning Initiative. This film depicted the life of Bronislaw Huberman, a young child prodigy violinist. Until WWI, Huberman performed violin solos around the world, earning large sums of money, initially at the direction of his father. However, in his adult life, the war “shocked him awake” to the horrors occurring in Nazi Germany. He then began to use his art for awareness of politics. He did this by creating the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in Palestine and then Israel. Ultimately, up to 70 Jewish lives of performers in the orchestra, and their families escaped Nazism and were saved by performing in his orchestra. This orchestra became a refuge for Jewish performers who were forced out of work by Nazi Germany. Huberman fought long and hard to get permanent certificates of immigration for his musicians in Palestine. These artists “rose a fist” to antisemitism and used music as their weapon.
On a beautiful Saturday afternoon on October 14, more than 1700 people came to see Walter Isaacson speak about Leonardo da Vinci at the Arlington Theatre. As part of TLI, 100 people received a free copy of Isaacson’s most recent book, Leonardo da Vinci: The Secrets of History’s Most Creative Genius. Lines started forming outside the theatre before 12:30! During the illustrated presentation, Isaacson revisited many of da Vinci’s famous paintings and and why his mastery of painting was so notable. Da Vinci loved curls and swirls repeatedly appeared in his drawings, his paintings, and even in the depictions of his young lover’s hair. Da Vinci, a master of blending art and science, shows his in-depth knowledge of anatomy and optics in many of his paintings. Isaacson described some of da Vinci’s famous drawings of himself being a public statement of his life being meaningful. In terms of creating a meaningful life, Isaacson mentions the key component of not only being smart, but also being creative and in touch with nature.
On Wednesday, October 11 nearly 200 people gathered in the Faulkner Gallery at the Santa Barbara Public Library to have a lunchtime chat with Pico Iyer. Iyer addressed several topics including the longevity and sanctuary of the Santa Barbara Public Library as it celebrates its 100 year anniversary, the daily rituals that foster space in his thoughts to write, and how technology and information overload in our lives affect our attention by making us busy and, and in his words "dizzy." Iyer encouraged audience members to make discerning use of their technology devices and to "live at the speed of life" rather than "the speed of light."
Attendees asked questions related to Iyer's international experiences. They wanted to know about where he had not yet traveled, and where he would like to go again and again.