Deborah Gribbon, Cleveland Museum of Art's interim directorIt's about time we followed up on the Cleveland Museum of Art's Bricks-and-Mortar Morass:Although it sought and in early October received court permission to do so, the CMA has not yet tapped any money intended for art purchases to help bankroll its major expansion project. The museum obtained the legal go-ahead to … [Read more...] about Cleveland Museum Hasn’t Tapped Acquisition Funds for Bricks and Mortar (yet)
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MeTube: John Leighton of National Galleries of Scotland on the £50-Million Titians
John Leighton, director general, National Galleries of ScotlandThe High Museum's exhibition program leans heavily towards crowd-pleasers---currently The Allure of the Automobile, to be followed in August by Dalí: The Late Work. Largely as a result of the revenue generated by such blockbusters, the Atlanta museum's earned income accounts for a bigger percentage of its operating … [Read more...] about MeTube: John Leighton of National Galleries of Scotland on the £50-Million Titians
The April Fools Solution: Getty Puts Existing BHA Database Online, No Updates
Breaking news: The Getty has just sent me its press release detailing what it yesterday called its "very good news" that it had "worked hard to make...possible," regarding the Bibliography of the History of Art (BHA), a premier art-history resource.The "solution" to the problem posed by its withdrawal of financial support for maintaining and updating the Bibliography of the … [Read more...] about The April Fools Solution: Getty Puts Existing BHA Database Online, No Updates
No “Trading Up”: Max Anderson on Dodo Deaccessioning
Max Anderson (above), director of the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA), is the rare art museum director who is willing to speak out forcefully against misguided practices of professional colleagues. His outspokenness in defense of core principles endears him to me and other journalists, but perhaps not to some fellow museum directors.His latest salvo appeared Monday on the … [Read more...] about No “Trading Up”: Max Anderson on Dodo Deaccessioning
Getty Announcement Today: Will BHA Art Research Database Be Saved? UPDATED
As CultureGrrl readers know, the Getty reported on its website that, due to financial constraints, it would discontinue paying for and maintaining the Bibliography of the History of Art (BHA), which in 2008 was renamed the International Bibliography of Art (IBA). The Getty's support for that premier art-history research database was to end Jan. 1 (later extended to today, Mar. … [Read more...] about Getty Announcement Today: Will BHA Art Research Database Be Saved? UPDATED
CultureGrrl in Swedish: Hear Me on Sveriges Radio UPDATED
I'm flushing the matzo out of my brain cells with strong coffee and have returned to posting, thanks to those of you who met the CultureGrrl Challenge (more on that below).So here's the moment you've all been waiting for---CultureGrrl in Swedish! As I mentioned last week (scroll to bottom), I was interviewed by Mårten Arndtzén, art critic/reporter for Sveriges Radio (Swedish … [Read more...] about CultureGrrl in Swedish: Hear Me on Sveriges Radio UPDATED
A Week With Matzo But Without CultureGrrl (unless…)
I have lashed myself to the mast and plugged my ears so that I cannot be tempted by the booting-up siren song of the computer this week. As I mentioned at the end of this post, I'm taking off today and tomorrow for the first two nights of Passover, and then intend to resist blogging for the rest of this holiday week, unless five readers let me know, by clicking my "Donate" … [Read more...] about A Week With Matzo But Without CultureGrrl (unless…)
Death of Two Connoisseurs: Kimbell’s Ted Pillsbury, Morgan’s and Frick’s Charles Ryskamp
Edmund Pillsbury, left; Charles Ryskamp, rightEdmund (Ted) Pillsbury and Charles Ryskamp, both of whom died late last week, were members of a dying breed---the museum director/connoisseur.Pillsbury, who from 1980-98 served as the Kimbell Art Museum's second leader, may have been the last of the buccaneering museum directors. Armed with a connoisseur's sharp eye and his … [Read more...] about Death of Two Connoisseurs: Kimbell’s Ted Pillsbury, Morgan’s and Frick’s Charles Ryskamp
Sejima and Nishizawa, Architects of the New Museum, Win the Pritzker Prize
Ryue Nishizawa and Kazuyo Sejima, 2010 Pritzker Prize winnersNew York's New Museum can now boast of having had its new facility designed by this year's winners of the prestigious Pritzker Prize for architecture. Ryue Nishizawa and Kazuyo Sejima of SANAA, the Tokyo-based architectural firm, won for their explorations "of continuous space, lightness, transparency, and materiality … [Read more...] about Sejima and Nishizawa, Architects of the New Museum, Win the Pritzker Prize
The End of Art History: Getty Abandons Preeminent Research Database
Are we about to see the end of visual arts scholarship as we know it? As reported on several art history-related websites (but not, as far as I've seen, in the mainstream media), one of the most lamentable results of the J. Paul Getty Trust's budgetary cutbacks is the Getty Research Institute's withdrawal of financial support for what it had previously called "one of the most … [Read more...] about The End of Art History: Getty Abandons Preeminent Research Database
Hear My KCRW Radio Commentary on Getty and MOCA Directorships
I'll have some more Getty-related news for you, probably later today. But for now, you can hear, below, my commentary for yesterday's "Which Way, L.A.?" program (scroll to bottom) on Southern California Public Radio, (KCRW) about the directorial controversies at the Getty Museum and LA MOCA. I was a little disconcerted when the program's host, Warren Olney, stated that Jeffrey … [Read more...] about Hear My KCRW Radio Commentary on Getty and MOCA Directorships
Coming Today: My “Which Way, L.A.?” Commentary on KCRW About Getty and MOCA Directorships
Warren OlneyA very late-breaking development: I'll be speaking on Which Way, L.A.?, Warren Olney's news interview show on KCRW (89.9 FM), Southern California Public Radio, later today. I'll be commenting on the Getty and LA MOCA directorship controversies. CultureGrrl readers already have some advance knowledge of what I'm going to say (which has already been taped).Warren, … [Read more...] about Coming Today: My “Which Way, L.A.?” Commentary on KCRW About Getty and MOCA Directorships
NEA’s First Webcast of Council Meeting Tomorrow; Cornell’s Game-of-the-Century Tonight!
What is this? A sports blog?Okay, the century is still young (and Cornell undoubtedly has a lot of great hockey games in its future). But my alma mater has captured the imagination of the whole country (except for certain parts of Kentucky) with its good-guy basketball team's glorious, improbable ascent to the NCAA's Sweet Sixteen. You can watch us continue our winning streak … [Read more...] about NEA’s First Webcast of Council Meeting Tomorrow; Cornell’s Game-of-the-Century Tonight!
Getty Museum’s Open Call for “Inspiring Leaders”: Director Application Now Online!
Images from the Getty Museum's two campuses: Los Angeles (left), Malibu (right)Want to apply for the vacant directorship of the J. Paul Getty Museum? Now you can!Two weeks ago, the online application (who needs a search firm?) for the director of the two-campus Los Angeles/Malibu museum was posted on the Getty's website. As CultureGrrl readers may remember, the position was … [Read more...] about Getty Museum’s Open Call for “Inspiring Leaders”: Director Application Now Online!
Nouvel on the Redesigned MoMA/Hines Tower: “More Like a Skyscraper”
Architect Jean Nouvel at press lunch for planned National Museum of Qatar, held yesterday at Museum of Modern Art Although I was preempted by the NY Time's Nicolai Ouroussoff from reporting on the plans for the National Museum of Qatar, I did elicit some new information from the architect, Jean Nouvel, about his project just next door to the Museum of Modern Art, where the … [Read more...] about Nouvel on the Redesigned MoMA/Hines Tower: “More Like a Skyscraper”