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That gleaming cone in the center of the photo is a gold penis shield, Sinú culture, Columbia---part of the extraordinary "Gold" exhibition opening Saturday at the American Museum of Natural History. Consisting largely of a vast array of objects from AMNH's own collection, this is the show that tells you everything you wanted to know (and some things you didn't) about how that … [Read more...] about For the Man Who Has Everything…

If you've been following CultureGrrl very closely, you probably can guess: I'm going to a performance, and it's a birthday present from my son and daughter (who DO read CultureGrrl closely!). But do come back late tonight, after the little ones are tucked in, and you will be treated to an X-rated CultureGrrl exclusive. I feel confident in saying that this has never before been … [Read more...] about Where in the World is Lee Going Tonight?

Here's something more for you Metropolitan Museumologists (and I know you are legion, because my lead-off piece this week, Who Should Succeed Philippe at the Met?, was the most viewed post in CultureGrrl's illustrious history). Just posted online: the Met's fiscal 2006 annual report. For all you museum finance aficionados, here's the Report of the Chief Financial Officer and … [Read more...] about Just Posted: The Year That Was at the Met

In a victory so decisive that it could affect not only current profits but also future consignments, Christie's has won the latest evening-sale heavyweight championships in a knockout: With an auction total (with buyer's premium) for tonight's sale of postwar and contemporary art of $239.7 million, compared with Sotheby's total of $125.1 million the night before, and with … [Read more...] about Christie’s Trounces Sotheby’s; Mao Bests Marilyn

Having expressed my eager anticipation of the epic Battle of the Trolls at Sotheby's and Christie's dueling contemporary auctions, CultureGrrl is sad to report that Christie's version of Jeff Koons' "Cape Codder Troll" has beat a hasty retreat: My recent perusal of Christie's website revealed that Lot 71, estimated at $400,000-600,000 (compared to Sotheby's price last night of … [Read more...] about Who Stole My Troll?

Denying the NY Times's Nicolai Ouroussoff the highly critical last word ("a flop") on Richard Meier's Ara Pacis Museum in Rome, architecture critic Joseph Giovannini, in this month's Art in America, calls it: "at every level a major success....A century from now visitors won't be able to imagine Rome without it....This is a structure that confirms the past of Roman building … [Read more...] about Richard Meier Gets Some Respect

Kate Taylor, in yesterday's NY Sun, quotes CultureGrrl's praise of Christie's auctioneer Christopher Burge. Then she adds some admiration of her own: Burge is "charmingly down-to-earth," compared to Sotheby's Tobias Meyer, who has "knowledge of and passion for contemporary art" but "is cool and unflappable, to the point of being inexpressive." Back off, Kate. I saw the Brit … [Read more...] about Christopher Burge’s Burgeoning Fan Club

Carol Vogel, reporting on last night's contemporary art sale at Sotheby's, in today's NY Times: The auction total, $125.1 million, was...squarely in the middle of its estimate, $109 million to $148 million. CultureGrrl, in last night's post: Tobias Meyer...hammer[ed] down $110.65 million's worth of contemporary art last night (not including the buyer's premium). That total … [Read more...] about Oops! Carol Vogel Did It Again.

"We're thrilled with the result of this evening's sale," declared Sotheby's auctioneer Tobias Meyer after hammering down $110.65 million's worth of contemporary art last night (not including the buyer's premium). That total, slightly above the $109.3-million low end of the presale estimate, was Sotheby's second-highest take for a sale of contemporary art. Statistically, the … [Read more...] about Sotheby’s Evening Sale: Solid But Not Thrilling

Veteran museum man Tom Freudenheim, in a piece to be published in tomorrow's Wall Street Journal (but posted early on ArtsJournal), beats me to my planned rebuttal of Tyler Green's favorable take on the Albright-Knox Gallery's planned art disposals. And Tom does it far better than CultureGrrl ever could, especially because he calls upon the museum's influence on his own … [Read more...] about Albright-Knox Nixed

I don't know how Tyler feels about this, but I think it's great that ArtsJournal hosts two visual-arts polemicists who almost never take the same side on any question. In diversity there is controversy. Today Modern Art Notes says: It's always a pleasure to compliment an arts institution for doing something right, especially when it comes to the ever-thorny issue of … [Read more...] about Bloggers at Loggerheads—Part ???

Otto Dix, "The Dancer Anita Berber," 1925, Loan of the Landesbank Baden-Würtemberg in the Kunstmuseum Stuttgart, c. Artists Rights Society, New York/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn Health Warning: The contents of this exhibition may cause shock, vomiting, confusion, panic, euphoria, and anxiety. No, it's not the Young British Artists at the Brooklyn Museum. It's the old German ones from … [Read more...] about “Sensation!” German-Style

Work in Progress: The Met's Leon Levy and Shelby White Court With a floor inspired by the Pantheon in Rome and a new expansive skylight above, the Metropolitan Museum is nearing completion of its new galleries for Greek and Roman art. About one-third of the museum's collection was formerly on display; about one-half will be shown when the new galleries open in April, according … [Read more...] about New Digs for Met’s Greek and Roman Collection

It's the artworld's favorite parlor game: Who will (or who should) become the next director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in the event that Philippe de Montebello finally decides that he's narrated one too many audio guides? Philippe once told me that he wanted to stay on at least until the opening of the museum's new Greek and Roman galleries. A little later today, I'm … [Read more...] about Who Should Succeed Philippe at the Met?

I trust Anthony Tommasini completely, and apparently the Metropolitan Opera's new "Barber of Seville" was more than fine, once it got off TV and back on home turf. Mercifully for the Met, the NY Times ignored the lame performance on "Late Show with David Letterman." So, NYC Opera Fanatic, it seems we may have to give Peter Gelb a pass after all! … [Read more...] about The Met Reclaims the High Ground