10 Picks for the Week

Centre Pompidou-Metz
Paris’ gorgeous center of modern art, The Pompidou, has opened its first extension—in Metz, a small city 170 miles east of its home-city. Why travel to Metz, you say? The new museum (which cost a small $89 million) is part of an effort to expand the display of government-owned art beyond Paris’ large museums. Since the Pompidou-Metz has no permanent collection, it will therefore rely on loans from the mother house and other institutions, lending itself to an intriguing rotation of exhibitions. Its first collection, “Chefs-d’Oeuvre?,”  is meant to trace the meaning of masterpieces from the Middle Ages through a large swath of the 20th century. The new museum building—with its curving and asymmetrical, spire-topped pagoda roof and upper galleries that stick out like airport pods, designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban and his French associate Jean de Gastines—is worth the trip alone. Indeed, the new Pompidou is the latest example of Europe’s would-be destination architecture.

Lost Series Finale, May 23
Six years ago, a poignant and perplexing show about a group of castaways took the world’s imagination by storm—and forever changed the landscape of broadcast television. Tonight the backward-looking, forward-jumping, sideways-crooked tale technically comes to an end with its two-and-a-half hour season finale, which, for perhaps the first time in TV history, is airing at the same time worldwide. But whether showrunners Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof will be accused of pulling a “David Chase/Sopranos-style” ending is just one of the many questions that will linger in Lost lore for years to come. Even if you’ve never seen a single episode, we encourage you to pick up season one on DVD now. This is one hype we can get onboard with.

HentschMan.com
Suit-up for summer boys and start by stocking-up on this lusted after menswear. The collection of colorful, traditional, and affordable clothes is a better European version of J.Crew or Polo without the annoying label. Hentschman offers all the basics: shirts, slacks, shoes, and top-notch accessories. The new London-based brand has done away with trendy details to put men in simple, elegant clothes that are the staples of any gentleman’s wardrobe. Go on, ditch the sweats and sneakers and find your inner dandy.

Ocho Rios Jazz Festival, Jamaica, June 12 – 20
For its 20th anniversary, the Ocho Rios festival is celebrating the life of the late great Cecil “Sonny” Bradshaw, the festival’s founder and celebrated musician. With over 30 different events, the festival aims to raise money for the support of emerging trumpeters and jazz musicians, as well as to promote black and Caribbean music. The busiest and preeminent Jamaican band, Fab 5 Inc, will be on hand to kick off the revelry.

GiftFlow.org
How are some of this year’s crop of Yale graduates shaping the future of America? Well, naturally, by trying to make the world a better place. GiftFlow is a new online organization seeking to change the way people, government organizations, and businesses do business by helping them exchange goods and services for free. It’s “a giant network of reciprocity,” if you will. Do your bit and sign up, you might be surprised by your own community.

Alice Eve
Eve is the rare Hollywood starlet who exudes the confidence of a blond bombshell without making you question her smarts—she has a degree from Oxford, after all. She’s unafraid to play up her sexuality: to wit, her latest movies, She’s Out of My League and Sex and the City 2. Of her role in the latter, in which she plays Charlotte’s nanny, she told The Daily Mail, “Sometimes the nanny can pose a threat.” But she’s also classically trained, having appeared in Tom Stoppard’s Rock ‘n’ Roll at the Royal Court Theatre and then again on Broadway. A self-professed poetry (read: Paradise Lost) and rom-com (How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days) addict, this dynamic young actress is definitely to be watched.

Balticon, Baltimore, Maryland, May 28 – 31
A fantastic science fiction event organized by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society. The literary organization has been gathering to celebrate and promote science fiction since 1966. The event showcases a variety of science fiction media from books to anime, gaming, and music. For Sci Fi enthusiasts only!

Shanghai International Film Festival, Shanghai, China, June 12 – June 20
Falling on the heels of the Cannes Film Festival, with a screening program of almost 1000 films by filmmakers and directors from around the world, this year promises to draw the biggest crowds in the festival’s history. Imitating other similar events with self-important red carpet rigmarole, jury prizes, and film forums, the festival aims to nurture emerging talent, diversify artistic features in filmmaking, and promote a healthy industry. This year John Woo heads the jury, and Neil Jordan (The Crying Game) has a new feature starring Colin Farrell called Ondine, which is up to receive a Golden Goblet Award, the festival’s top honor.

Round the Island Race, Cowes, Isle of Wight, June 19
Apparently the largest yacht race in the world, the Round the Island Race at Cowes is a magnificent three day event with over 1200 boats in competition. Newcomers and seasoned competitors alike gather for this prestigious event. This year, Francis Joyon and his big red trimaran, Idec II, will be back on the start line and hoping to beat their own unbroken record of 3.08.29, set in 2001.

Memorial Day, USA, May 31
An annual commemoration of the servicemen and women who have died fighting America’s wars. Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day was first enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War, it expanded after WWI. The first observance was in Waterloo, New York on May 30, 1866. A National Memorial Day Concert takes place on the White House lawn, and Americans gather all over the country to barbecue and celebrate the beginning of the summer season.