Pav’loh’va morning at the MMOA

In an ambitious attempt to settle some high-stakes maneuvering all at once, the MMOA Director suggests we take a moment to celebrate the contributions of some good Russians.

We’ll start with Anna Pavlova—for her name graces our most beloved dessert. Ok, I know around here it’s really lamingtons, but from there, we must turn our thoughts to the literary—Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Solzhenitsyn, and Chekhov—whose works have been read and enjoyed by that prominent artist from this very community.

Now strangely that leads me to acknowledging their, the Russians, contribution to fine art by introducing Malevich and Kandinsky—whose work features in this promotion. I know we’ll never get these guys in the MMOA, but their influence is undeniable in abstract and figurative art. We do have a fine work by George Johnson also featured from the collection. Johnson being New Zealand born of course brings us back to the contention of who owns the pavlova brand.

To round things off, we’ll make an ambitious effort to invite Tchaikovsky and the Russian Red Army Choir, whose riotous music, was harbored in record collections back in the day.

And what’s special about this day? Da! It’s an excuse to eat Pavlova and drink espresso coffee.

The Director’s Pavlova cake—a genius combination of fruit, coconut yogurt and store-bought meringue from IGA —will be served in the upper gallery at 11 AM on Tuesday, March 11. If you’ve got your own Pavlova recipe to compete, we want to eat that too.