In case it wasn't "interesting" already, this just in from David Ng of the LA Times (who couldn't get departing Getty director Michael Brand to comment about his reasons for leaving):Brand, who turns 52 on Saturday, said he would continue to receive his salary until December, when his contract expires. He said he would also have access to the Getty-owned museum … [Read more...] about More on Michael Brand’s Resignation: Now It Gets Interesting
Archives for January 2010
Michael Brand’s Statement to Staff: Reading Between the Lines
The Getty Museum[My first post on Brand's resignation is here. The Getty's press release announcing his departure is now online.]The Getty Museum's PR people have just forwarded to me the statement from director Michael Brand to his staff, in which he expresses his great appreciation for their work and never once acknowledges the Getty Trust's president and former director of … [Read more...] about Michael Brand’s Statement to Staff: Reading Between the Lines
News Flash: Michael Brand Precipitously Steps Down from Getty Directorship, Effective End of This Month
Michael BrandThis is a shocker. The press release is not online at this writing. [UPDATE: It's now here.]Here are the highlights:GETTY MUSEUM DIRECTOR MICHAEL BRAND STEPS DOWNLOS ANGELES - James N. Wood, president and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust, announced today that Dr. Michael Brand has elected to step down as director of the J. Paul Getty Museum at the end of January. He … [Read more...] about News Flash: Michael Brand Precipitously Steps Down from Getty Directorship, Effective End of This Month
Department of Google Bloopers: I Am NOT Philippe de Montebello! UPDATED
Does this look like me? (my new Google persona)The Internet does weird things.If you now Google Lee Rosenbaum (without putting quotes around the name), you'll see five "Image Results for Lee Rosenbaum." They include three images of the real me, one of another who bears my name (and happens to be a veteran magazine publisher) and...Philippe de Montebello!Image results for Lee … [Read more...] about Department of Google Bloopers: I Am NOT Philippe de Montebello! UPDATED
Fin-ny in Philly: Barnes’ On-Site Prototype Puts on the Glitz
Site of the Barnes Foundation's future foundationAfter I attended the Philadelphia Art Commission's meeting where the plans for the new facility for the Barnes Foundation were approved, I headed over to the active construction site, just a few blocks away. On the video at the end of this post, in which I'll show you the construction action, I comment:It's not your mother's … [Read more...] about Fin-ny in Philly: Barnes’ On-Site Prototype Puts on the Glitz
Murakami Show (G-rated) at Versailles in September
I guess that the Palace of Versailles hasn't yet had its fill of controversy. Having mounted a 2008 show of Jeff Koons' works in the royal preserve, it's tapped Takashi Murakami for a retrospective exhibition, Sept. 12-Dec. 12. The plan (but not the dates) was announced last September.Agence France-Presse reports:Since controversy provoked by the Jeff Koons exhibition, the … [Read more...] about Murakami Show (G-rated) at Versailles in September
News Flash: Barnes Plans Get Philadelphia Art Commission’s Final Approval
An earlier rendering of the new Philadelphia facility for the Barnes Foundation, now slightly revised [More on the Philly Barnes, including my photos and video of on-site prototype, here.]The Art & Architecture Committee of the Philadelphia Art Commission met this morning and unanimously approved the plans submitted by the Barnes Foundation for its new Philadelphia … [Read more...] about News Flash: Barnes Plans Get Philadelphia Art Commission’s Final Approval
Responses to “Deaccession” Op-Ed Smackdown
Readers weigh in on whether museums' art sale proceeds should sometimes be used for purposes other than acquisitions. The question was analyzed in this CultureGrrl post, which took issue with Judith Dobrzynski's NY Times Op-Ed piece. Judy called for a slight relaxation of the strictures against selling art to pay bills or reduce debt. Dewey Blanton, head of media relations for … [Read more...] about Responses to “Deaccession” Op-Ed Smackdown
Forceful in Fort Lee: My Architecture-Driven Community Activism, Continued UPDATED
Developer Richard Tucker at a one of Fort Lee's public meetings where rival proposals for mixed-use construction projects were presentedMy "think global, act local" campaign continues, as I seek the selection of architect Bernardo Fort-Brescia, partnering with Tucker Development Corp., to design a high-profile mixed-use project at the base of the George Washington Bridge in … [Read more...] about Forceful in Fort Lee: My Architecture-Driven Community Activism, Continued UPDATED
“Deaccession” Op-Ed Smackdown: Mine and Judy’s, Four Years Apart
Where did our art go? (illustration by Sophia Martineck for my 2005 NY Times deaccession Op-Ed)Back in November 2005, I published a NY Times Op-Ed piece, For Sale: Our Permanent Collection, which ended this way:When museums cross too many lines [which I argued had already happened], the public's elected representatives must step in. Otherwise, it won't be long before … [Read more...] about “Deaccession” Op-Ed Smackdown: Mine and Judy’s, Four Years Apart