Comments for Real Clear Arts

Comment on Oh My, Look What The Corcoran Threw Away, And Other Problems by Chris Crosman

Chris Crosman — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:51:55 +0000

Did anyone check to see if Hammer’s contributions are honored with a new plaque or signage in the building? The cylindrical pedestal(?) is pretty clunky and there are certainly other ways to call attention to patrons in ways that are possibly more elegant or fitting. Admittedly, tossing it on the lawn rather than in a dumpster is puzzling.

Comment on Oh My, Look What The Corcoran Threw Away, And Other Problems by Jim VanKirk

Jim VanKirk — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 22:24:00 +0000

I believe this is called “Making it up as you go.” UMD and the Corcoran have an agreement to agree on something at some future date if they can find agreement somewhere
.

Comment on A Few Words About the Detroit Institute of Arts by Judith H. Dobrzynski

Judith H. Dobrzynski — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 16:39:44 +0000

Well, that’s what I said, isn’t it? Sign petitions. Use the system. Tell Detroit companies you own shares in. Etc.

Comment on A Few Words About the Detroit Institute of Arts by There IS a Change.org petition

There IS a Change.org petition — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 16:01:58 +0000

Here’s the link on Change.org. http://www.change.org/petitions/protect-detroit-institute-of-art-assets-from-city-s-bankruptcy-deal.

Here’s the link to the MoveOn.org petition against this sale, which already has over 8000 signatures. Seems like it is worth signing that as well, to get that to it goal of 10,000.

I agree that the politics needs to play out, but hey, citizens are the SOUL of politics, and our comments help determine how the politics unfolds. Our job is to make it impossible for politicians to hide when they do scurrilous things. So let’s keep working to make that happen.

Comment on Renaissance Sculpture, And Palazzo Strozzi, Get More Credit by richard staub

richard staub — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 00:54:14 +0000

So nice to find another fan of old master sculpture. I’m still in discovery mode – it gets so much less attention than painting – but still fascinated by it. One highlight for me was too many years back when the MMA had a show devoted to, I think, Verrocchio’s Christ and St. Thomas. Thanks for the piece about this show.

Comment on Why Tanzania And Portland, Maine Suddenly Mix by Judith H. Dobrzynski

Judith H. Dobrzynski — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 19:59:28 +0000

I agree. That’s why I wrote about it!

Comment on Why Tanzania And Portland, Maine Suddenly Mix by Michael Black

Michael Black — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 19:53:53 +0000

Over the last century, the art of western and southwest Africa has held the greatest cachet for collectors; the ethnological collections of major museums likewise reflect this preference. Rightly or wrongly, East African art is not considered as refined, and so there is less interest in devoting serious exhibitions to this region. An analogous situation exists with west European art: we see far more exhibitions of French art than, say, Polish.

The major museums often do not like to take risks, but curators at out-of-the-way, secondary museums are able to make their mark by bringing attention to neglected art. We should applaud the Portland Museum of Art for mounting the Tanzanian exhibition. It has more art historical value than the majority of candy-coated blockbuster shows that the survey museums draw crowds with.

Comment on A Few Words About the Detroit Institute of Arts by Judith H. Dobrzynski

Judith H. Dobrzynski — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 14:25:04 +0000

I remember that — I wrote the story announcing it for the New York Times in June 1998:
http://www.nytimes.com/1998/06/03/arts/sara-lee-is-donating-impressionist-art-to-20-us-museums.html

Comment on A Few Words About the Detroit Institute of Arts by Peter Carzasty

Peter Carzasty — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 14:10:11 +0000

While a SVP at The Kreisberg Group, I had the pleasure of working on a project that involved the DIA. THE DIA was a beneficiary of The Millennium Gift of Sara Lee Corporation a program initiated by then, CEO John Bryan to donate rather than sell most of its private art collection to museums where they had business interests.

Working closely with each museum we executed a series of programs leveraging the gift and advancing each museum’s objectives. The DIA used the platform to activate greater corporate giving. John Bryan, along with the mayor of Detroit, hosted a breakfast forum advocating supporting local arts and culture as a prudent business action. As a result, the DIA increased its corporate support. But that was in the late ‘90s. Perhaps that was one-time serge that wasn’t sustained over time. Perhaps those who contributed as a result of that event could be reminded to become a vocal part of the dialogue currently unfolding in Detroit.

Comment on Why Tanzania And Portland, Maine Suddenly Mix by Laura

Laura — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 14:15:07 +0000

First, while the state of Maine is predominantly white, the city of Portland has quite a diverse population in its boundaries. This is due to the fact that the city provides most of the social services for the state and a large number of immigrants from all over the world end up there.

Secondly, there is (or was when I visited three years ago) a storefront private museum of African Art as well as a thriving contemporary gallery scene in downtown Portland. The relationship between 20C & 21C art and African Art dates all the way back to the Cubists.

And lastly, many survey museums (museums representing an overview of all arts) have some pieces of African Art, i.e. The Brooklyn Museum of Art, The Metropolitan, Philadelphia Museum of Art, etc. That Portland is thinking of itself on a Larger scale and not just as the art of the local is welcoming. I enjoyed the Portland Museum when I visited, but felt it was self-centered. Now I will have to go back and take another look.