The National Gallery of Art's Pride of Place: Dutch Cityscapes of the Golden Age is almost over -- it ends May 3 -- and, unfortunately, I have not been able to get down to Washington to see it. My bad, as kids say -- much to the dismay of purists, including, on this particular point, me. But a brochure that landed on my desk the other day made me wish I were a kid again. For this Saturday and Sunday, the NGA has created a Family "Weekend in the Dutch Republic" that sounds terrific. Aside from the usual family-activity booklets … [Read more...]

If you like design -- or want to learn more about it -- you should pack your bags and head for Indianpolis. R. Craig Miller, design curator at the Indianapolis Art Museum, has created a wide-ranging show of European design since 1985 that's a marvel. It's his third design survey show, and he knocks it out of the park. That's a different metaphor than I used when I wrote about it in an article published in today's Wall Street Journal (where French seemed more appropriate). The Journal, by the way, has a terrific slide show of … [Read more...]

The economy is in shambles, but art and design dealers continue to put on a brave face. As after the ADAA Art Show in February, and the AIPAD photography show in March, the results from the just-ended International Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Fair at the Park Avenue Armory seem to be just fine, thank you. A press release from SOFA talks of "buoyant sales and steady crowds." Total attendance was 14,500, plus 2,600 on opening night -- or 17,100. Last year, the total was 16,100. By comparison, AIPAD had 8,000, all told, and … [Read more...]

It's widely known that American art, pre the AbEx era, is rarely seen or appreciated overseas. But now Saudia Arabians are having a look and getting a quick education in both American art and American history. I learned over the weekend that from Apr. 15 - 25, people in Jeddah will have an opportunity to view reproductions of about 40 classic American art works -- works like Whistler's Harmony in Blue and Gold, Cassatt's Boating Party (right), Stella's Brooklyn Bridge, Homer's Veteran in a New Field, and Eakins's John … [Read more...]

This month, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation* announced the awards of its very prestigious, much-coveted Guggenheim Fellowships. It gave the laurel to 180 people, including 20 in the "Fine Arts" -- aka visual arts -- category (plus more in photography and dance/performance art). I got to wondering, who are the winners? And what kind of work is being chosen for support? One image can never portray the work of an artist. But there is a limit to how much time you'll spend here, so here's a … [Read more...]

It seems that writing about deaccessioning can be as troubling as doing it. This time, it was James Panero's essay in Wednesday's Wall Street Journal that set tongues wagging and bloggers blogging. Panero, managing editor of The New Criterion, accused the Montclair Art Museum (right) of cleaning house with art sales to shore up its endowment and satisfy the banks. He quotes museum director Lora Urbanelli: "We took out tax exempt bonds at a certain time in our history. And when you do that -- we are diligently paying them off -- but … [Read more...]

The Wall Street Journal has an entertaining article this morning on the popularity of, and a worldwide movement to ban, a typeface. Yes, people apparently so dislike COMIC SANS that they want to outlaw it.   I love the idea that people care so much about a typeface. I, for one, am tired of Verdana and Arial. I can no longer write in Times Roman. I always switch to  Palatino Linotype or Book Antiqua.   And the idea of a movement to ban one tickles me, though I disagree with it. What's so bad about Comic Sans? To find out, … [Read more...]

While I was away, the White House did it again -- made a stealth arts appointment. Actor Kal Penn (right), who served on candidate Obama's arts-policy committee, is the new "associate director of public liaison" in the White House, focusing on Asian & Pacific communities and arts communities. The Washington Post had a gossip-column item on this earlier this month, crediting Entertainment Weekly, and yesterday I confirmed it with the White House press office. There's been no announcement, and spokesman Shin Inouye said he … [Read more...]

The Chicago Opera Theater is back with what it calls the "People's Opera," which I wrote about here a few weeks ago. For $1 a vote, the COT allows people to choose one of three operas that will be performed during, in this case, its spring 2011 season. This year, COT director Brian Dickie has proposed Mozart's Magic Flute, Richard Strauss's Capriccio, and Shostakovich's Moscow, Cheryomushki. Voting began yesterday and continues through 5 p.m. on June 12. Dickie, in a press release, said "I chose these three works because each … [Read more...]

I wrote yesterday about museum pricing strategies, and while catching up on what happened while I was away, I was pleased to discover some good business sense at the Smithsonian Institution. At three of its most popular museums, hours will be extended to 7:30 p.m. during tourist-heavy spring and summer months, in an effort by the new Secretary Wayne Clough to try to increase revenue. Most Smithsonian museums close at 5:30 p.m., but now the Museum of American History, the Museum of Natural History and the Air & … [Read more...]