The National Endowment for the Arts is getting $155 million in funding in the FY 2011 budget agreement, which was made public this morning. While the NEA funding was $12.5 million more last year, this new budget includes about $30 million more in NEA funding than was previously approved. Americans for the Arts President Robert Lynch is satisfied with this budget and believes that it was made possible by the many Americans who reached out to their legislators and fought for the arts.
Fake Giacometti sculptures send three men to jail : Feb 27, 2011
Sculpture purported to be Giacometti's "l'Homme qui Chavire," 1950-51
Sculptures posing as Giacomettis (like the one pictured above) are found to be fakes. Three of the men who sought to profit from validating these conterfeit sculptures have been sentenced to imprisonment. Read the full story, published in The Art Newspaper, here.
The Google Art Project: Museums and the coveted art within them can now be enjoyed virtually!: Feb 19, 2011
It's increasingly clear that one need not leave the comfort of their home to experience many of life's events and opportunities. You can even view canonical works of art just by browsing Google Images. But it used to be that, to really see the details of a work of art, understand the artist's technique, analyze the brushstroke, catch cracks in the paint, etc., you had to make a visit to the museum or gallery that housed that particular piece. Not anymore. Earlier this month Google launched The Google Art Project, joining forces with several of the world's major museums (including MoMA, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Tate Modern) to make these and many other details visible online. In fact, the technology deployed by this project allows viewers to see things normally invisible to the naked eye, as many works are being photographed at gigapixel resolution. So, museums are essentially sharing many of their coveted masterpieces with the world. But is this a way of democratizing the art-viewing experience? Will people who ordinarily don't venture to fine art museums be more motivated to take a good look at art, and will avid museum-goers cease to visit the real things?
Personally, I have mixed feelings. I'm a huge fan of looking at images online, in books, in a slide library, projected on a screen, etc. I've always found it a bit stressful to view one of my beloved works of art alongside hundreds of tourists or even fellow art lovers. But, last week I had the pleasure of visiting Belgium to view hundreds of Belgian Symbolist James Ensor's paintings, drawings and etchings. I was astounded by all of the amazing details-- like previously invisible faces, signatures and bodies-- I had missed when viewing reproductions of such works. I wonder if the Google Art Project can offer me such a viewing experiene. If so, it's a win win for me. To view a painting in peace and solitude without missing out on fascinating details? I'm in.
By Roxana Azimi and Anny Shaw | From issue 219, December 2010
Published online 14 Dec 10 (market)
Part work: Sol LeWitt's "Irregular Form," 1998
PARIS. As the notion of art as an asset gains momentum again, the first stock exchange for art—on which clients can buy shares in works from galleries—is due to launch in Paris "in the next few days" according to its website. Based on a stock market model, Art Exchange will offer collectors the chance jointly to own works of art with shares available from between €10 and €100. Participating galleries are currently selling works valued at €100,000 or more, although the exchange intends to lower this figure once the company is established. “Given that we are doing something new, we had to create confidence and credibility in the investor and this is done through having high-class art works,” said Caroline Matthews, the director of operations at Art Exchange. Matthews also hopes the calibre of works available will encourage naysayers to invest through the exchange. “For some people, mixing fine art and finance goes against their principles, but perhaps they will see things differently in the future,” she said.
In return for a 5% commission, the exchange has the exclusive right to sell shares in a work over a period of three to six months, but if it does not sell 20% of shares within six months, the gallery recuperates what has already been sold and retains the work of art. If one collector amasses 80% of shares in a work, they have the option to buy it outright and remove the work from the exchange. Currently around half-a-dozen Parisian galleries are participating, but Matthews also wants to enter the US, UK and Chinese markets. The exchange is initially offering six works—about which it is very secretive—but these include a Mike Kelley installation valued at $1m offered by Galerie Hussenot, a work by Sol LeWitt—Irregular Form, 1998—from Yvon Lambert and a large sculpture by Richard Texier offered directly by the artist.
Galleries can opt to keep the works while they are on the exchange, provided they agree to exhibit them, or Art Exchange can take charge of the works with the intention of loaning them to other institutions for display. The exchange also wants to open a gallery within six to nine months.
Art Exchange says it will be completely transparent, with potential investors able to watch the price of shares fluctuate at www.aexchange.net. It is aimed at a number of different investors, according to co-founder Pierre Naquin: “We are targeting clients who are used to investing in Sicavs [collective investment schemes] or blue-chip stocks, people who are looking for tax exemptions [in France works of art are exempt from the solidarity tax on wealth], as well as banks and funds who seek to invest large sums in a variety of different assets,” he says.
But the question remains as to why a gallery would use an intermediary exchange when it can directly sell works without difficulty. “This may sound Utopian but we’re hoping to inspire people to become collectors,” says Olivier Belot, the director of Yvon Lambert gallery. “We’ve opted to be involved only where the works are owned by the gallery, which is more respectful towards the artists. We’re not involving them in any risk.”
Naquin suggests the exchange will bring a new and much-needed type of collector out of the woodwork. “Galleries can test the system with very little risk,” he says. “By providing a considerably more stable public index for each work [compared with auctions], the exchange is also a much easier way for galleries to justify the price of their art.”
Patrick Bourne, the managing director of the Fine Art Society in London, remains sceptical, although he admitted that the investment potential of art can’t be ignored. “I think it’s a stinker. But, while we don’t like the idea of looking at art as an investment, as prices get higher people have to think about it,” he says. “But financial investment is only a part of it, there has to be some sort of emotional investment as well. We like to get works into proper collections for the right reasons.”
Yale Returns Machu Picchu Artifacts To Peru: Dec 16, 2010
After nearly 100 years, a collection of antiquities from the Inca site of Machu Picchu is going home. The artifacts have been at the center of a long and bitter custody battle between the government of Peru and Yale University.
Harris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress
Hiram Bingham III excavated thousands of artifacts from Machu Picchu during multiple expeditions to the Inca site in the 1910s. He is pictured above in 1917.
It started back in 1911, when Yale explorer Hiram Bingham III set up his base camp in Ollantaytambo, a town high in Peru's Andes mountains. From there, he set out to explore the ancient stone ruins of Machu Picchu. Bingham introduced the site to the world through his articles forNational Geographicmagazine. He returned twice and excavated thousands of artifacts: ceramics, tools, jewelry and human bones — allwiththe consent of the Peruvian government.
"Nearly a century ago, Peru set out to establish a new way of studying its artifacts and a new way of letting its artifacts move through the world," explains Christopher Heaney, author ofCradle of Gold, a book about the life of Hiram Bingham. Heaney says that as early as 1911, Peruvians were anxious to protect their cultural patrimony from looting. They passed a law forbidding artifacts from leaving the country.
"In 1912, when Bingham came back, Peru offered Bingham a resolution under which the artifacts could leave to be studied by Yale," Heaney explains. "It was a recognition of Yale's scientific commitment. But the artifacts would leave on just one condition: that they could be sent back whenever Peru asked."
Some artifacts were returned, but most remained at Yale's Peabody Museum. The university said the artifacts had been sent to New Haven to be studied permanently. Yale claimed title to the collection and insisted that under the laws of the day, finders of antiquities were allowed to keep them — despite written correspondence in which Bingham acknowledged an obligation to return the objects.
Peabody Museum, New Haven
A small aryballos — a pottery form generally used to carry oils or perfumes — is one of the artifacts Yale University is returning to Peru.
Peruvian demands escalated about eight years ago, and in 2008, Peru sued in U.S. federal court. Yale countered with a motion to dismiss the case, saying the country had lost its right to the materials by waiting too long to ask for them back.
Things really heated up in November, when Peru launched an aggressive media campaign. Peruvian President Alan Garcia led thousands of protesters through the streets of Lima demanding Yale send back the collection.
Garcia asked President Obama to help resolve the standoff. Peruvians even traveled to the Vatican and asked the pope to intercede. Finally, Yale's President Richard Levin stepped in and sent a delegation to Lima to reopen talks with the Garcia administration. Yale anthropology professor Richard Burger oversees the Machu Picchu collection and was on the negotiating team. He says reaching an agreement served everyone's interest.
"The presidency of Alan Garcia is coming to an end and I think he'd like to resolve this before he leaves office," Burger says. "And I also think the two sides realized that even though there are legal proceedings, that those proceedings probably won't satisfy either side no matter what ruling the judge gives."
Within days, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding, or MOU. Peruvian Foreign Minister Jose Garcia Belaunde says the leadership and direct intervention by Yale's president was crucial.
Cris Bouroncle/AFP/Getty Images
In November, Peruvians held a demonstration in Lima demanding Yale return the artifacts taken from Machu Picchu nearly a century earlier.
"It's the first time that we have contact with the president of the university," Belaunde says. "Before that, we have been negotiating with lawyers and officers of the university."
The MOU is governed by Peruvian law, not by the laws of Connecticut. It removes a provision that Yale had initially insisted on — giving the school the right to hold on to the artifacts for an another 99 years. Now, all of the objects will go to a university in the city of Cuzco, the former capital of the Incas. Ultimately, Peru will build a museum and research center where scholars from around the world can study the collection.
Connecticut Sen. Christopher Dodd helped mediate the conflict and says that the solution could serve as a model for future disputes. "Going back to the university in Cuzco, establishing a joint relationship, acknowledging Yale's treatment of these artifacts over the last 100 years: I think sets a precedent that will allow for other such collections to be able to be moved and to be preserved and to be celebrated in ways that people haven't thought of in the past."
But Yale's Burger cautions that this should not be used as a model for future antiquities disputes. He says the case is unique, because Machu Picchu is so closely tied to Peru's sense of national identity. It's also a major tourist destination.
Peabody Museum, New Haven
A bottle found at Machu Picchu is among the artifacts being returned. The objects will go to a university in the city of Cuzco.
"Machu Picchu really has become almost synonymous with Peru," Burger says. "So we don't want to see this as a general precedent, but certainly you can understand that if hundreds of thousands, almost a million people are visiting Machu Picchu a year — if our goal is to share the knowledge that we have and share the objects, this is much more effectively done in Cuzco than it is in New Haven."
The collection will be allowed to leave Peru for exhibitions and research, but only for two years at a time. Writer Heaney believes that idea harkens back to Peru's original vision for the cooperative study of its cultural patrimony.
"It's commonplace today to see rotating collections, but when Peru did this in 1912, I think it was fairly unprecedented. And what we're seeing today is just the completion of a very innovative way of treating artifacts as objects that could circulate on these scientific odysseys, educating people before coming back home."
The artifacts will return in several shipments over the next two years. Museum-quality pieces will be back in Peru in time for 2011's celebrations, commemorating the 100th anniversary of Hiram Bingham's first trip to Machu Picchu.
Smithsonian Censorship News and Protest: Dec 15, 2010
The New York Public Library - Wednesday, December 15, 2010 - 7:00 PM, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, South Court Auditorium : Conversation with Jonathan D. Katz and David C. Ward, curators of Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture, moderated by Jason Baumann, who coordinates LGBT collections for the New York Public Library
International Center for Photography - Thursday, December 16, 2010 - 7:00 PM, 1133 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street New York, NY 10036, RSVP required: ecardona@icp.org -free: Screening and discussion with: Nayland Blake, Joy Episalla, Jonathan D. Katz, Kristen Lubben, Amy Scholder, Marvin Taylor
P·P·O·W Gallery is screening the original full length version of this film at the gallery until December 22nd.
"Museums and universities across the US are being targeted by a suspected art forger who has tried to donate works, complete with auction house records, that the museums now believe to be fakes. In September, a man posing as a Jesuit priest, visited the Hilliard University Art Museum in Lafayette, Louisiana, and tried to donate a work that the museum says was a skillful forgery."
Pablo Picasso almost never stopped creating, leaving thousands of drawings, paintings and sculptures that lure crowds to museums and mansions worldwide. Now, a retired electrician says that 271 of the master's creations have been sitting for decades in his garage.
Succession Picasso via APA photo shows a painting of a hand by Pablo Picasso. A retired French electrician and his wife have come forward with 271 undocumented, never-before-seen works by Picasso estimated to be worth at least $79.35 million, an administrator of the artist's estate said Monday.
Picasso's heirs are claiming theft, the art world is savoring what appears to be an authentic find, and the workman, who installed burglar alarms for Picasso, is defending what he calls a gift from the most renowned artist of the 20th century
Picasso's son and other heirs say they were approached by electrician Pierre Le Guennec in September to authenticate the undocumented art from Picasso's signature Cubist period.
Instead, they filed a suit for illegal possession of the works — all but alleging theft by a man not known to be among the artist's friends. Police raided the electrician's French Riviera home last month, questioned him and his wife and confiscated the disputed artworks.
Le Guennec and his wife say Picasso's second wife gave them a trunk full of art that they kept virtually untouched until they decided to put their affairs in order for their children. The Picasso estate describes that account as ridiculous.
"When Picasso made just a little drawing on a metro ticket, he would keep it," said Jean-Jacques Neuer, a lawyer for Picasso's estate. "To think he could have given 271 works of art to somebody who isn't even known among his friends is of course absurd."
The pieces, which include lithographs, portraits, a watercolor and sketches, were created between 1900 and 1932, an intensely creative period for Picasso after he moved from Barcelona to Paris.
Among them are a richly colored hand study; a sketch of his first wife, Russian ballerina Olga Khokhlova, resting an elbow in a seated pose; and a collage of a pipe and bottle.
The collage and eight others in the stash are worth 40 million euros on their own, Picasso's estate says. All of the art is now held by the French agency charged with battling illegal traffic in cultural items.
Le Guennec, 71, claims to have worked at three of Picasso's properties in southern France: a Cannes villa, a chateau in Vauvenarges, and a farmhouse in Mougins, the town where Picasso died in 1973. The French daily Liberation, which broke the story Monday, said Le Guennec had installed a security alarm system for Picasso at the farmhouse.
"It's a big surprise both in terms of the numbers and the quality... (of works) appearing from one day to the next," said Anne Baldassari, president of the Picasso Museum in Paris. "We are moved, surprised, intrigued — firstly moved, to have found an uninventoried stash of Picasso works."
Guennec's wife Danielle told The Associated Press by phone from their home in the town of Mouans-Sartoux, just north of Antibes, that the couple decided to come forward with the works this year because they were getting on in years, and "didn't want to leave any headaches to our children" with their own estate. Her husband had undergone a cancer treatment operation in March, she said.
The couple didn't intend to sell the art, she said.
"This was a gift," she said. "We aren't thieves. We didn't do anything wrong."
The work didn't appear to be much to her untrained eye, she said: "But even if this was a little jot of the pencil, it did come from the master."
Pierre Le Guennec, wearing a plaid shirt in an interview with France-2 TV outside his modest home, said he was given the trunk by Picasso's second wife and most-painted muse, Jacqueline Roque.
"Madame gave them to me. And if she gave them to me, he had to be aware of it," said Le Guennec. Roque died in 1986.
Picasso's son Claude, quoted in Liberation, noted that his father was known for his generosity, but that he always dedicated, dated and signed his gifts, as he knew that some recipients might try to sell the works one day.
The estate administrators, who pored over the works for about three hours in September, considered that the works might be fakes. But they ruled that out because of the expertise, variety of techniques and the use of certain numbers in the works that no faker was likely to have known, Neuer said.
"My husband was well-regarded by the master," Danielle Le Guennec said, but noted that the couple was having "a little difficulty" with his son.
"He's stabbed us in the back, taken us to court and accused us of theft. He'll have to prove it," she said. "We're still happy to have our works... we'll see what happens next."
The total number of Picasso works around the world remains unknown, said Baldassari. About 70,000 works have been inventoried among his heirs, but that doesn't include works he sold off or are in museums, for example.
Picasso works are among the most coveted among thieves. In May, a Picasso lithograph was stolen from a collector's home in southeastern Marseille; days earlier, one of his paintings was taken from a Paris museum — one of the works swiped in a massive $123 million art heist.
That same month, "Nude, Green Leaves and Bust," a 1932 Picasso painting of his mistress, set a world record for any work of art at auction, selling for $106.5 million at Christie's New York.
The Art Loss Register, which tracks stolen, looted or missing art, now lists 702 stolen Picasso pieces, including paintings, lithographs, drawings and ceramics. He is the most-listed artist in its database of 214,000 art pieces.
PRESS RELEASE: David Wojnarowicz - Smithsonian, National Portrait Gallery - A Fire in My Belly: Dec 04, 2010
P·P·O·Wand The Estate of David Wojnarowicz disagree with the Smithsonian’s decision to withdraw the artist’s 1987 video piece “A Fire in My Belly” from the National Portrait Gallery’s exhibition entitled “Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture.” P·P·O·W has represented Wojnarowicz’s work since 1988 and maintained a close working relationship with the artist until his death in 1992. The gallery now represents his estate.
On behalf of the estate, the gallery would like to offer the artist’s words to illuminate his original intentions. In a 1989 interview Wojnarowicz spoke about the role of animals as symbolic imagery in his work, stating, “Animals allow us to view certain things that we wouldn’t allow ourselves to see in regard to human activity. In the Mexican photographs with the coins and the clock and the gun and the Christ figure and all that, I used the ants as a metaphor for society because the social structure of the ant world is parallel to ours.”
The call for the removal of “A Fire in My Belly” by Catholic League president William Donahue is based on his misinterpretation that this work was “hate speech pure and simple.” This statement insults the legacy of Wojnarowicz, who dedicated his life to activism and the arts community. David Wojnarowicz’s work is collected by international museums including the Museum of Modern Art, NY, The Whitney Museum, The Library of Congress, The New York Public Library, The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, The Reina Sofia in Madrid, Museum Ludwig in Cologne, the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, etc. Wojnarowicz is also an established writer; his most well known memoirs are Close to the Knives and Memories That Smell Like Gasoline, which are included on many university syllabi.
In 1992 the artist won a historic Supreme Court case, David Wojnarowicz v. American Family Association. The courts sided with Wojnarowicz after he filed suit against Donald Wildmon and the American Family Association, who copied, distorted and disseminated the artist’s images in a pamphlet to speak out against the NEA’s funding of exhibits that included art works of Wojnarowicz and other artists. We are deeply troubled that the remarks, which led to the removal of David’s work from Hide/Seek, so closely resemble those of the past. Wojnarowicz’s fight for freedom of artistic expression, once supported by the highest court, is now challenged again. In his absence, we know that his community, his supporters, and the many who believe in his work will carry his convictions forward.
Three versions of “A Fire in My Belly” will be posted on P·P·O·W’s YouTube channel for viewing and screening, http://www.youtube.com/user/PPOWGalleryChelsea?feature=mhum. This includes the original 13-minute version edited by Wojnarowicz, a 7-minute posthumously edited and audio re-mix featuring Diamanda Galas, and the 4-minute version shown at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, edited by Jonathan Katz. We invite anyone to download and to screen; please include this statement with any screening and inform P.P.O.W when the film is being shown so we may keep a record and list venues on our website and social media pages.
Smithsonian Censorship fuels debate!: Dec 02, 2010
Watch this interview with Republican Congressman Jack Kingston, who is in support of the Smithsonian censorsihp, to see one side of the debate. Pro-censorship arguments like Kingston's have fueled liberal groups to react. Read the article from the NPR blog (underneath the video) to find out more. Sign a petition protecting freedom of speech in art museums here.
The courtyard at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery.
People for the American Way is helping to keep alive the Smithsonian Institution art controversy, at least for one more day.
The liberal group criticized House Republican leaders for censorship by calling for the removal of a controversial video that showed ants crawling over a crucifix and the Smithsonian for caving under pressure.
The video was heatedly criticized by Bill Donohue who heads the Catholic League.
On Tuesday, House Speaker-in waiting Rep. John Boehner (OH) and House Majority Whip-to be Rep. Eric Cantor (VA) called for the Smithsonian to remove the exhibit and raised the threat of uncomfortable oversight hearings after they take control of the House in January.
The National Portrait Gallery exhibit called Hide/Seek included a video by artist David Wojnarowicz who died of AIDS in 1992. The video showed ants crawling on a crucifix and was said to be a commentary on the AIDS epidemic.
According to a story in The Hill, Cantor said the exhibit was meant as a Christmas provocation against Christians.
The #2 Republican in the House also took issue with the timing of the exhibit, which he labeled "an obvious attempt to offend Christians during the Christmas season."
In a statement; Michael Keegan, PFAW's president, said:
“There is absolutely no reason for our government to be in the business of censoring art, or cave to pressure from extreme Religious Right organizations just because it’s Christmas. That Bill Donohue and the Catholic League are fighting for censorship is unsurprising. That the GOP leadership is echoing their call is shameful. That the Smithsonian has given into their transparent political bullying is deeply disturbing.
“The United States, like other free nations, has a long history of supporting and embracing art by those of many different values and viewpoints. The Smithsonian museums host art that expresses strong religious devotion and art that expresses atheism and doubt. The museums house art from around the world, from every religion, and allow Americans to make their own decisions about what they like and what they don’t. These museums are an educational resource for the American people, not a political mouthpiece for the majority opinion.
“The new GOP leadership wants a government that stays out of people’s lives when it comes to health care and unemployment benefits, but they show no scruples about using government power to censor the free expression of those they disagree with. The American people must stand up to this blatant attempt to force politics into art and religion into politics.”
Fountain Art Fair: Nov 11, 2010
Founding galleries return along with DCKT Contemporary, Claire Oliver and logistical partner Hedley’s Inc.
November 10 – New York –– Fountain Miami, the installation-based exhibition of avant-garde galleries, announces the return of its founding galleries for the 5th year anniversary in Miami. Joining the 17 projects already involved are the fair’s founding participants: Christina Ray (formerly Glowlab), Front Room, Steven Gagnon, Leo Kesting (formerly Capla Kesting) and McCaig-Welles. In addition, Fountain is thrilled to mark this anniversary year with special projects presented by leading galleries DCKT Contemporary and Claire Oliver. Additional projects will be announced next week.
Presenting sponsor The Miami New Times joins forces at Fountain with logistical partner Hedley’s Inc, the international art shipper who will assist galleries in producing large-scale installations. New media partner Yelp and renowned Brooklyn-based tastemaker Brooklyn Brewery will provide refreshments during the VIP/Press Preview day.
Fountain Miami 2010, the 5th anniversary of the show launched during Art Basel 2006, features 25 projects by US-based and international galleries and artist collectives. Returning to its Wynwood warehouse space for the third year in a row, the fair runs December 2-5 and is set to receive record attendance. Fountain has become known as the go-to venue for nighttime live music and performance art during the fair week. This year, key events include the VIP Preview on Thursday, December 2nd, an Opening Reception on Friday, December 3rd and the Miami New Times hosted event on Saturday, December 4th with musical acts to be announced.
The new exhibitors join Bego Art Project, Causey Contemporary, Jeanine Taylor Folk Art, Cherie Dacko, Evo Love, Allison Berkoy, Greg Haberny, Philip Simmons, We-Are-Familia, The Murder Lounge, Thaddeus Kwiat Projects, Wet Heat Project, Alice Chilton Gallery, Tinca Art, Francesca Arcilesi Fine Art, Susan Radau and Lindsey Brooke Wilner, whose participation was announced last week.
Other sponsors include 90.5 WVUM FM, Juxtapoz and Gawker Artists as media sponsors and PKG Graphics, Downing Frames, Blu Energy Drink, Famosa Beer and Rums of Puerto Rico as sponsoring partners for Miami 2010.
The Fountain experience is enhanced this year with a completely redesigned website and extensive new media features at http://fountainexhibit.com . The site includes video and photo documentation of past events along with social media tools for real-time coverage. Follow @fountainartfair on Twitter for the latest news.
Americans for the Arts: Response to 2010 Election: Nov 04, 2010
Statement by Americans for the Arts on the 2010 Election
The Arts Are Part of the Economic Recovery Solution
WASHINGTON, DC — November 3, 2010 — Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert L. Lynch gave the following statement on the Election Day results:
“Frustration with the nation’s lack of economic recovery is clearly top of mind among voters and candidates. Likewise, nonprofit arts organizations have also felt the sting of the recession with state and local government arts funding dropping as much as 16 percent, and private charitable gifts to the arts declining $1.2 billion in just two years. Additionally, individual artists have been experiencing unemployment at twice the rate of other educated, professional workers.
As our newly-elected leaders at the federal, state, and local levels focus on creating jobs and growing the economy, it is imperative that they understand the profound role the arts play in spurring economic growth and job creation. The nation’s 100,000 nonprofit arts organizations are part of the small business sector, and the nation’s 2.2 million professional artists are among the millions of business entrepreneurs fueling the economy. It is also important that our newly-elected leaders appreciate the connection between arts education training and the development of creative and innovative workforce skills, which are essential to future workers to compete effectively in the 21st Century global economy.
For the past four years, the House of Representatives initiated several hearings to spotlight the role of the arts in both the economy and in workforce development, yielding more than $100 million in new public investments in the arts and culture. Americans for the Arts looks forward to working with the bipartisan Congressional Arts Caucus and Senate Cultural Caucus on Capitol Hill to continue educating freshman members on how the arts fuel our nation’s economy. We want to congratulate three of the four Caucus members who were up for re-election on their convincing win last night and look forward to working closely with them in the 112th Congress. They are Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Representative Todd Platts (R-PA), and Representative Louise Slaughter (D-NY). We also look forward to working with Representative Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Representative Mark Kirk (R-IL), both already champions of the arts in the House, as they move into their newly elected Senate seats.
At the state government level, several arts champions— based on their record in other public offices or platform statements—have been elected as Governor. They include Governors-elect Jerry Brown (D-CA), Dan Malloy (D-CT), Tom Corbett (R-PA), Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), Lincoln Chaffee (I-RI), Mark Dalton (D-MN), John Hickenlooper (D-CO) and Rick Snyder (R-MI).
Locally, there were 232 Mayoral elections in cities with a population of over 30,000. Among the many new promising arts champions, Providence, RI Mayor-Elect Angel Taveras and Louisville, KY Mayor-elect Greg Fischer identified the arts as a way to harness local talent and creative energy to power the economy.
Americans for the Arts will soon begin conducting the next installment of national research to document the size, impact, and trends of the nonprofit arts industry for its Arts and Economic Prosperity IV study. The previous study demonstrated that the nonprofit arts industry generates $166.2 billion of economic activity annually, which supports 5.7 million full-time equivalent jobs.”
Next Steps:
Americans for the Arts will be undertaking a number of comprehensive initiatives to welcome and educate new members of Congress, but we can’t do this without you! Starting today and in the next few months, we ask you to:
Send a letter of congratulations to each elected leader representing your community (federal, state, and local levels) and identify yourself or your organization as a resource on arts policy issues.
Ask all freshman members of Congress to begin thinking about joining the bipartisan Congressional Arts Caucus or Senate Cultural Caucus. We will be sending more information about this in the coming weeks.
Work with your state and local arts advocacy organizations to develop a unified message to your newly-elected state and local leaders.
Save the dates of April 4-5, 2011 to come to Washington, DC for National Arts Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill. We especially need grassroots advocates representing the districts and states of newly elected Congressional members.
Become an official member of Americans for the Arts Action Fund, it’s free and it helps you stay connected to all the latest political breaking news impacting the arts.
"Warhol Brillo Boxes downgraded to Copies": Nov 04, 2010
Authentication board says famous museum director “falsified” their history
By Clemens Bomsdorf and Melanie Gerlis | From issue 217, October 2010
Published online 21 Oct 10 (News)
A brillo box from the Moderna Museet
STOCKHOLM. More than 100 Brillo boxes, said to be works by Andy Warhol, have been declared “copies” by the Andy Warhol Art Authentication Board after a three-year investigation.
It centred on two series of boxes produced by the late Pontus Hultén (1924-2006), the founding director of the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art. Hultén claimed that Warhol authorised the production of the boxes for the seminal exhibition that Hultén curated in Stockholm in 1968. But in 2007, the Swedish newspaper Expressen discovered that no wooden boxes had been displayed in the show and that cardboard boxes from the Brillo factory had been used instead. It set out to research the date and manufacture of Hultén’s boxes, many of which had entered the market.
In 1994, the Belgian dealer Ronny van de Velde bought 40 boxes from Hultén for $240,000. Van de Velde told us in 2007 that he had certificates from Hultén confirming he was authorised by Warhol to extend the series. Between 2004 and 2006, Van de Velde secured stamps from the board confirming these were 1968 Brillo Soap Pads Box [Stockholm Type]. In 2004, the London dealer Brian Balfour of Archeus Fine Art bought 22 boxes from Hultén for around £640,000. Ten were sold through Christie’s shortly afterwards to a UK buyer for £475,650, who turned out to be the art dealer Anthony d’Offay. Balfour also had letters from Hultén and the Warhol authentication board.
In July, the board sent a report to Lars Nittve, director of the Moderna Museet, which holds six of the disputed boxes in its collection. It said it had “examined and re-examined” the “box sculptures”, Hultén’s personal papers and other museum archives, and were now downgrading the boxes to “copies”.
The board now says there are two sets of Hultén-produced boxes: a small number (about 10 to 15) made in 1968, straight after the show. The board refers to these as “Stockholm type boxes”. The rest, 105, were produced at Hultén’s request by carpenters for a 1990 exhibition in Russia. The board refers to these as “Malmö type boxes”.
According to the board, one differentiating factor between Warhol’s undisputed 1964 Stable Gallery boxes and Hultén’s, is a large “semi-circular blue field with the notation 1A400; 24/18; Pad Giant” on the upper corners (pictured). The board also states: “Neither the Stockholm type boxes nor the Malmö type boxes were made by Andy Warhol, to his specifications or under his supervision; and there is no known documentation that Warhol authorised their production.” The board now classes the Stockholm boxes as “exhibition-related copies” and the Malmö boxes as “exhibition copies”.
The board accepts that it can “neither verify or invalidate any verbal agreement” that may have existed between Warhol and Hultén, but it is damning on the latter’s version of events. Hultén’s boxes first came to the attention of the estate, it says, in December 1994. Hultén told them that the boxes were all made in 1968, “according to Andy Warhol’s instructions”, and that they had all been in the 1968 Moderna Museet exhibition. In doing so, the board says he “misrepresented these works and falsified their history”.
Brian Balfour told us he has been left in an uncertain position. “The board hasn’t revoked these certificates, but they’ve given a certain impression,” he said. “In any event, the [board] protect from the front end,” he added, explaining he had to sign a no-fault disclaimer before he received his authentication.
The board avoids using words such as “fake” or “inauthentic” in its report, and failed to respond to our requests for clarification. Nor would it say whether or not it will stamp any boxes presented to it as “denied”, or revoke existing letters of opinion.
Call for Artists: Multiple Listings: Nov 02, 2010
Mixing Bowl Exhibition Dates: January 8 - February 27, 2011 Deadline for Entry: November 8, 2010
Mixing Bowl is an exhibition that implores artists to think about the challenges, the struggles, the beauty and the richness of the diversity that makes our country so unique. Current affairs has the Immigration Policy in the spotlight for debate. This extremely sensitive and debatable topic will be open for interpretation and invites all artists nationally and internationally to respond to the theme. This is an all media exhibition.
Our jurors are Amy Cavanaugh Royce, Honfleur Gallery’s Director of Representation, and Briony Evans Hynson, the Honfleur Gallery’s Creative Director. Honfleur Gallery is based in Washington DC and is known for its socially-minded exhibitions and installations.
"Emerging Artists 2011" call for entries (Posted: 8/29/10) -- SlowArt Productions seeks artists for an exhibition, April 2-30, 2011 at the Limner Gallery in Hudson, NY. $1000 cash, $2200 publication. Open to all artists. $35 entry fee. Prospectus available online or artists can send a SASE to: SlowArt Productions, 123 Warren St., Hudson, NY 12534. Deadline: November 30, 2010. Questions? Contact Tim Slowinski at slowart@aol.com or 518-828-2343.
ELIGIBILITY AND RESTRICTIONS: The competition is open to all artists, national and international, working in all media. All forms of painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, graphics, digital and installation art, video, etc. are eligible. Entrants must be 18 years of age or older to apply. Wall mounted works must not be taller than 96" no wider than 120". Sculptural work must fit through a standard height, 36"wide entry door.
EXHIBITION AND AWARDS: Winning artists will be featured in a group exhibition at the Limner Gallery, April 1 - 30, 2011. The exhibition will also be displayed on the Limner Gallery web site. There will be a $1000 cash prize awarded to one artist. One artist will be awarded a two page display in Direct Art Volume #18, Fall 2011 issue. Two artists will be awarded a single page display. Direct Art is distributed to bookstores across the USA including Borders and Barnes and Noble. For more information on Direct Art view: http://www.slowart.com/about.htm
SF Spring Arts Festival (Posted: 10/27/10) -- Santa Fe College in Gainesville, FL announces a call to artists for its Spring Arts Festival, April 9 & 10, 2011 on Downtown Historic Northeast First Street.
The Santa Fe College Spring Arts Festival in downtown Gainesville, promises two days of fun, community and beauty, and the price is irresistible - 100 percent free! The festival draws hundreds of top-quality artists from more than 25 states in a juried show that includes sculpture, printmaking, painting, 2-D and 3-D mixed media, jewelry, photography, drawing, watercolor, wood, fiber, and glass.
More than 120,000 fans explore the work of outstanding artists who travel from as far away as California to show their wares at this longest running arts festival in North Central Florida.
$30,000 in awards and purchase awards. This is a juried art show with an open entry policy. Application fee: $20. Booth fee $275, no commission fees. Apply here or contact the Spring Arts office at 352-395-5355. Deadline: December 3, 2010. Questions? Contact Kathryn Lehman at kathryn.lehman@sfcollege.edu
September 22- New York - Expanding upon the success of Fountain Miami from 2009, Miami New Times will be working to bring a vast new audience to the already infamously raucous Fountain Art Fair this December. Fountain, the installation based exhibition of avante-garde galleries, celebrating its 5th anniversary in Miami, has grown to include over 22 interantional art projects and two successive nights of outdoor live art and musical performances. This year's event will run from December 2 - 5, the four day art fair is set to receive in excess of 6000 visitors.
Also announced is the extension of its application deadline. Mini-Booths are sold out and only a few full sized booths remain. The deadline has been extended to October 15th, applicants are urged to apply as soon as possible as space is extremely limited.
Fountain Art Fair has already accepted the majority of its exhibitors and only a few spaces are still available. Interested parties can apply online at http://www.fountainexhibit.com/invite/
Fountain Miami will be held in the same location as the past 3 years. 2505 North Miami Ave. is a spacious 11,000 sq ft warehouse adjacent to several other major art fairs. Booth sizes range from 300 - 700 sq feet with high ceilings.
Fountain Miami 2010
2505 N. Miami Ave at the corner of 25th St. Miami FL
Dec 2 - 5, 2010
Press and VIP Preview - Thursday Dec 2 from Noon to 6pm
Opening Night Reception - Friday Dec 3 from 7pm until Midnight
Wynwood Tour - Saturday Dec 4 from 7pm until Midnight fountianexhibit.com fountain@fountainexhibit.com
917-650-3760
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