Who are the greatest photographers of the 20th Century?   When you hear a question like that, you know that David W. Galenson, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago, is at it again. Galenson is the guy who takes a statistical approach to such questions. His new list, just published as a working paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research, provides the answer, based on research that parallels his previous work. In July 2008, he ranked the greatest architects of the 20th Century; in February 2007, … [Read more...]

This coming week, September but not yet Labor Day, could well be very low-key -- the last gasp of summer. If you have extra time, you could do far, far worse than to spend some of it listening to several podcasts recently made available by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.  That's the Smithsonian's non-profit recording label; it took it over from Folkways' founder Moses Asch, who for years after the label's start in 1948 -- I learned on the Introductory podcast -- produced a record a week. He … [Read more...]

The White House, it seems, is about to replace James H. Billington as Librarian of Congress. Billington (left), a distinguished scholar appointed by President Reagan in 1987, turned 80 in June. He'll mark his 22nd anniversary in the job on Sept. 14, and an announcement may come around that time. At least that's what some knowledgeable people in Washington suggest. The front-runner at the moment appears to be Carla D. Hayden, head of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore's public library, since 1993. Raised … [Read more...]

It all sounds so simple: The Cleveland Museum of Art has petitioned the court for permission to use money generated by four funds within its $558 million endowment that are currently restricted to art purchases to complete its expansion plans. The museum wants to take $75 million over ten years to finish construction of its $350 million building by 2013, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. It quoted the museum's lawyer, Stephen J. Knerly Jr., and other officials as "expecting no controversy" over the request. They … [Read more...]

If I can make it down to Wilmington in the next few months, I'll be stopping in at the Delaware Art Museum to see "Exposed! -- Revealing Sources in Contemporary Art." It's a home-grown exhibition that began on Aug. 15 and, as you may have guessed, explores the use of existing images, either in quotation or appropriation, in paintings, photographs and prints. Drawing on the museum's collection and loans from collectors, the exhibit juxtaposes 27 works alongside the works they borrowed from. Aside from poster-boy … [Read more...]

Darned if reading "And Now, An Exhibition From Our Sponsor," the article by Robin Pogrebin that ran in Sunday's New York Times (link), didn't put me in a bad mood. It described how many museums -- small ones in particular, with less wherewithal, like the new Millenium Gate Museum in Atlanta, at left -- were eager to show exhibitions drawn from the collection of Bank of America, packaged (ok, curated) by the bank, and sponsored by the bank. Since B of A began this practice -- a marketing tool -- in 2007, it has placed nearly two … [Read more...]

Last week, the National Endowment for the Humanities announced another round of grant awards, $29 million to 184 projects. They range widely in size -- from $1,000 to $1 million; subject -- from ancient civilizations to the whaling industry; and kind -- from teacher seminars to digital projects. They're worth having a look at, as I've said here before, because many projects are as much about the arts as they are about the humanities. Some (not the teacher education efforts) seem very promising for a wide audience. To name … [Read more...]

As I said several days ago, I've been away, in the Canadian Rockies, where I saw nothing in the cultural world I can comment on -- just the wonders of nature. But, ever the news junkie, I've been plowing through the week's newspapers -- which are saved for me -- and emails, and have discovered a few things. Here's one: Christie's has apparently decided against starting an art-investment fund and art-lending unit, according to an article by my friend Lindsay Pollock on Bloomberg. She writes: The move is another sign that the global … [Read more...]

ArtPrize, a contest for visual artists with a $250,000 first prize, came in for some criticism when it was announced last spring. Not from me -- I wrote here saying it was a worthy experiment, partly because it seemed destined to create a lot excitement about art. The public, not critics or curators, would vote to determine the winners. More important, to compete for the ArtPrize -- created by Rick DeVos, a scion of the family that founded Amway -- artists had to display their entry somewhere in downtown Grand Rapids. There … [Read more...]

NEA chairman Rocco Landesman's coming trip to Peoria, having insulted its theater scene in an interview with The New York Times, is Culture Grrl's story not mine. But Kathy Chitwood, executive director of the Eastlight Theatre in Peoria (whose current production is RENT -- pictured at left), just posted a comment on my commentary about Landesman's cocky, risky remarks that made me smile and exhibited exactly the right attitude. So I am sharing here, as well as in the comments on my Monday post. In response to Mr. Landesman's NY … [Read more...]