Arts News from the Outback

Trucking art out of Buffalo
"The Albright-Knox Art Gallery released a list of 196 items that will be sold this spring at Sotheby's New York City auction house. In addition to antiquities, the auctions will include artworks from Africa, China, Southeast Asia, India and pre-Columbian North America, as well as 19 master paintings and European works of art from the 14th through 16th centuries. The works extend from the 13th century B.C. to the early 20th century. Highlights of the list were published by Sotheby's in November, and included the classical sculpture "Artemis and the Stag," valued at $5 million to $7 million, and a collection of Chinese porcelain."
(Thanks to By Colin Dabkowski, arts writer for the Buffalo News)

Buffalo sale exemplifies corporatization of art in America
"The message is, once again, that those entrusted with the sacred task of safeguarding our public patrimony have become as irresponsible as the money-grubbing executives who have given corporate America such a bad name. The works of art in the Albright-Knox Art Gallery don't belong to the directors or curators, who move in and out of communities as job opportunities present themselves. Nor are they the property of the trustees, who are meant to hold them in trust for the people of Buffalo, but who now show that they cannot be trusted.
(Thanks to Tom L. Freudenheim, who wrote this for the Wall Street Journal)

The link between culture, business and civic character
Here is an excellent example of cultural journalism that lays out for the reader why culture is important. Instead of just examining the quality of a museum exhibit, it examines what it means to a community. Lexington, Ky., will be the home of the World Games in 2010, an international horse competition and exhibition. Instead of just opening their doors and expecting people to come, culture writer Jamie Gumbrecht reports that museum administrators are being proactive in their pursuit of compelling exhibitions, economic impact and impacting how the world sees Lexington. This is the first part of a two-part series.
(Thanks to Jamie Gumbrecht, culture writer for the Lexington Herald-Leader)

All arts is local
As finalists for "American Idol" were selected, hometown newspapers began coverage of locals trying to became America's next celebrity. In San Antonio, columnist Jeanne Jackle writes about Haley Scarato's bid for the spotlight in the San Antonio Express-News. Here in Savannah, my colleague Amy Morris wrote a frontpage story for the Savannah Morning News on how Stephanie Edwards fought her way onto one of TV's most popular shows.