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Derek Gillman, president and executive director, Barnes FoundationThe design plans of architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien for the the Barnes Foundation's new Philadelphia facility, which were to have been announced in late 2008 (according to this report by the Philadelphia Inquirer's architecture critic, Inga Saffron) and were subsequently expected to be released last … [Read more...] about Barnes Design (Non)Update: “On Schedule” (Two Years Late); “On Budget” (Doubtful)

Richard Koch, former deputy director and general counsel of the Museum of Modern ArtThe tech gremlins delayed for a few days my receiving a photo from the family of Richard Koch (to whom I paid tribute here). But thanks to his family, here it is at last, along with additional biographical information:While serving as general counsel, director of administration, and secretary of … [Read more...] about More on the Late Richard Koch (with photo)

The National Endowment for the Arts yesterday announced some 631 grants, totaling $29,775,000, as part of the $50 million allotted to the agency from the federal economic stimulus package. These grants, established "to support the preservation of jobs that are threatened by declines in philanthropic and other support during the current economic downturn," are in addition to the … [Read more...] about National Endowment Recovery Grants Go to 63 Museums

Remember Claire's Knee? Above is Don's Hip (or something like it). The new joint was surgically inserted yesterday; now we can only hope it works! The anesthesia worked all too well; it made my husband nod off for most of the day, so he's yet to try out the new joint.While he spent most of the day spaced out, I spent much of it tuned in to New York's classical radio station, … [Read more...] about Why It’s Hip Not to Blog: The Latest in Medical Sculpture

Said Tayeb Jawad, Afghanistan's ambassador to the U.S., at Metropolitan Museum's press preview for his country's antiquitiesI recently wrote about the wrong kind of blockbuster---extravaganzas organized under commercial auspices that are big on evocative atmospherics, low on scholarly seriousness, and high on exploiting artifacts as cash cows.Now let's salute the right kind of … [Read more...] about Golden “Afghanistan” Now at the Met: A Blockbuster for Love, Not Money

[More on Koch, including his photo, here.}Talking to me when I'm in full investigative-reporter mode is a bit like going to the dentist---lots of abrasive drilling. Not much fun for the person sitting in the interviewee's chair.That's why I was so appreciative and admiring of Richard Koch, former deputy director of the Museum of Modern Art, who died last month. He was forever … [Read more...] about Richard Koch, MoMA’s Urbane Former Deputy Director, Dies UPDATED

Anthony Tommasini, NY Times' chief classical music critic, at the press conference for the new Alice Tully HallAt the time of the reopening of Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall, when I was sharply critical of Diller Scofidio + Renfro's makeover, I felt like the lone dissident. As architecture critic Ada Louise Huxtable said in her article in yesterday's Wall Street Journal … [Read more...] about Kozinn-Tommasini Smackdown: NY Times Critics Clash over Tully Hall Makeover

Timothy Rub, posing in front of the new Rafael Viñoly-designed wing of the Cleveland Museum, which he's about to leaveMaybe it was a good thing that I couldn't teleport myself to the Philadelphia Museum in time for Monday morning's press conference introducing its new director (for which an invitation stealthily arrived in my inbox in the dead of night).To hear Peter Dobrin of … [Read more...] about Timothy Rub: In Philly for Keeps?

Peter Dobrin, Philadelphia Inquirer's culture writerI was steamed when Robin Pogrebin's NY Times story broke the news embargo I'd agreed to (regarding the Brodsky Bill), and now Peter Dobrin of the Philadelphia Inquirer is steamed about a similar run-in with the same newspaper's Carol Vogel, regarding the announcement of Timothy Rub's appointment to the directorship of the … [Read more...] about Busting the Embargo-Busters: NY Times’ Sam Sifton Explains What Happened UPDATED

Bernard Tschumi, architect of the New Acropolis Museum just opened in Athens, responds to my criticism of new installation of the Greek-owned Parthenon marbles, chock-a-bloc with replicas of the British-owned slabs from the same frieze: One of the special aspects of the new Acropolis Museum is that it reconstitutes the original narrative continuity of the Parthenon frieze. For … [Read more...] about BlogBack: Bernard Tschumi on New Acropolis Museum’s Parthenon Marbles Display

Okay, I'll start you off with with one name: Everett Fahy, chairman of the department of European paintings, 22 years of service CultureGrrl has just obtained the complete list of the 96 Metropolitan Museum staffers who accepted the museum's recession-driven offer of voluntary retirement. (It's not 95, as reported in the Met's press release of June 22.) My list comes from … [Read more...] about Who’s Leaving the Metropolitan Museum? Official List of Retirees

Timothy Rub in the entrance hall of the Philadelphia Museum of Art Having only this weekend opened its new East Wing designed by Rafael Viñoly, the Cleveland Museum dropped a bombshell in my inbox at 9:25 p.m. today (Sunday): The Cleveland Museum of Art today announced the decision of its Director and Chief Executive Officer, Timothy Rub, to resign after three years of … [Read more...] about News Flash: Timothy Rub Quits Cleveland for Philly UPDATED

Last night I picked up the tangible evidence of my Front Page Award for "Best Blog" from the Newswomen's Club of New York. Here's the award: And here's what they said about me: The front page award for Best Blog goes to Lee Rosenbaum of CultureGrrl for her story, "Stealth Deaccessions by the National Academy" [here, here and here]. The judges noted that although it can … [Read more...] about Ceremony for My Best Blog Award: CultureGrrl’s “Great Impact” and “Flair”

Harold Holzer, Metropolitan Museum's senior vice president for external affairs Photo by Don Pollard While I give NY State Assemblyman Richard Brodsky high marks for his efforts to craft legislation regulating museum deaccessioning, he loses some points for being more abrasive than diplomatic in his attitude towards museums that are understandably unenthusiastic about being … [Read more...] about Deaccession Legislation Showdown: Brodsky Blasts Metropolitan Museum

Albrecht Dürer, "Hare," 1502This from today's Austrian Times: Heavy rain also came close to causing a catastrophe at Vienna's Albertina Museum. Water leaking into its storage area threatened serious damage to a number of priceless works by artists such as Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele and Michelangelo.The museum issued a statement saying: "Appropriate measures have been taken to … [Read more...] about Albertina Art Evacuation: Sustained Rains Leak into Storage