Archives for February 2013

Kim Sajet (pronounced, "Sayet"), president and CEO of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, has been named to the directorship the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery effective Apr. 1. She succeeds the rock-solid Martin Sullivan, who ably navigated his museum through the uproar caused by the removal of a David Wojnarovicz work from the landmark Hide/Seek exhibition. As … [Read more...] about Kim Sajet Named to Directorship of Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery

In the financial field, they call it "headline risk"---the negative influence that bad publicity can have on the future prospects of a hedge fund or other type of investment firm. In the event that the headline risk at the high-flying Gagosian Gallery might spook some represented artists, two expanding New York galleries are among those especially well positioned to … [Read more...] about Gagosian Commotion: Zwirner Poised for Artists Seeking New Gallery (with video and Q&A)

Prof. Richard Saunders, who in November invited me to speak to a general audience and (on the following day) to his museum studies class at Middlebury College, responds to Hispanic Society, Metropolitan Museum, Middlebury: One Institution’s Trash Is Another’s Treasure: I totally agree [with my "Trash/Treasure post]. As the director of a small "collections-poor" college museum, … [Read more...] about BlogBack: Middlebury’s Richard Saunders on Why Object-Rich Museums Should Share (not sell) the Wealth

When you're speaking to a general audience far from home, you sometimes tend to be less guarded and more candid in your observations than you might be on your own turf. I know this firsthand, from my own speaking engagements. It appears that James Cuno, president and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust, dusted off his provocative, anti-repatriation rhetoric when discussing source … [Read more...] about Antiquities Antics in Davos: Whatever Happened to “Kinder, Gentler” James Cuno?