{"id":3513,"date":"2014-03-16T14:29:17","date_gmt":"2014-03-16T21:29:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.chezarts.com\/?p=3513"},"modified":"2014-03-16T14:30:22","modified_gmt":"2014-03-16T21:30:22","slug":"a-white-night","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.chezmana.com\/?p=3513","title":{"rendered":"A White Night"},"content":{"rendered":"

The outstanding Chez Mana<\/a> team launched our Coming Soon<\/a> <\/em>pages last month. These pages use the power of art to show a glimpse of the goals that we are working towards. Looking at the pages, I reflected again on the value of this idea.<\/p>\n

We often hear about lost dreams, the woman who wanted to become a concert pianist but never did, the couple who wished they had more passion between them, the man who feels opportunities have passed him by. It is an art to create a life of passion. While life can become dull, at times even depressing maybe with the death of a loved one, or just from monotony, we can reshape the material of life just as artists create new art.

\"Michel<\/a>

Michel Bellaiche, “The World Outside,” 2013<\/p><\/div>
\nChez Mana will provide an environment where participants gain a new perspective on life by experiencing social connections, events and the work of talented artists. It will be a place where people open themselves to many new forms of creativity and bring passion into their lives through simple activities. While we cannot all be Van Gogh<\/a> or Ray Charles<\/a>, we can still create a life that is passionate and rich in ways that bring us closer to what we dream of. Art shows us how to live and deal with problems better. It is that vision that is at the core of Chez Mana<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\"Jean-Louis<\/a>

Jean-Louis Matinier, Mana Lewis, G\u00e9rard Jouannest, “Gr\u00e9co chante Brel”<\/p><\/div>
\nArt helps us see things better. I felt this in Montr\u00e9al when I saw a concert of Juliette Gr\u00e9co<\/a>, G\u00e9rard Jouannest and Jean-Louis Matinier at the Festival of Lights. Gr\u00e9co, the symbol of post-war Paris is now 87 years old. She still sings on stage and lives her life as passionately as years ago. Gr\u00e9co is the last link to the golden age of Saint-Germain-des-Pr\u00e9s. She sings with passion and energy and continually strives to innovate. She sang J\u2019arrive (I am coming) by Jacques Brel<\/a> and G\u00e9rard Jouannest<\/a>, accompanied by Jouannest and the accordion virtuoso Jean-Louis Matinier. In her black dress, Gr\u00e9co rendered the song powerfully, a song that talks about death and the regret of getting there. Gr\u00e9co\u2019s white hands shone brightly in the spotlight. Their movement dramatized the words of the song.<\/p>\n