Lee Rosenbaum's cultural commentary

Fisk's Monday prayer vigil for Alice Walton's millionsIn a 31-page Memorandum and Order issued late yesterday afternoon, Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle handed a complete defeat to Tennessee Attorney General Robert Cooper, who had proposed a temporary arrangement to keep Fisk University's Stieglitz Collection full-time in Nashville, rather than half-time in … [Read more...] about AG Defeat: Judge Nixes Frist/Fisk, Smiles on Crystal Bridges

Abdi Farah, the artist formerly known as "Next"Oh no. It's ba-a-a-a-ck!Yesterday I was asked by e-mail if I'd "be up for posting some information" about the casting call for the next installment(s) of Bravo's The Next Great Artist, "perhaps even chatting with one of our casting executives (i.e. what they are looking for in applicants, what to expect from a casting call, … [Read more...] about Are You the Next “Next Great Artist”?

Fisk History Department Chair Reavis Mitchell says Stieglitz Collection is part of university's "educational mission"The Frist Center for the Visual Arts, officially breaking its silence, has agreed to participate in a Nashville-only proposal, championed by the State Attorney General's office, for the maintenance and display of Fisk University's Stieglitz Collection at the … [Read more...] about Fisk at Frist: AG Proposes “Temporary Arrrangement” for Stieglitz Collection

Saatchi Gallery, LondonThis is an "I told you so" post.When I skeptically inquired last July whether MOCA London---Charles Saatchi's announced gift to Great Britain of more than 200 artworks from his collection (as well as his Saatchi Gallery building}---would definitely happen, Rachel Duffield, the megacollector's spokesperson, replied: The gift has definitely been made.Maybe … [Read more...] about London MoCA Poker: Saatchi’s “Gift to the Nation” Folds UPDATED

I wanted to acknowledge publicly (as I have in private messages) how very grateful I've been for all your expressions of support during this difficult time for me. I'm still discombobulated by the loss of my father and the aftermath, but I've got another post in mind (although not yet in type) that I may manage to get up tomorrow, before the Jewish High Holidays put CultureGrrl … [Read more...] about “Body and Soul”: A Note of Thanks to My Readers

Derrick Cartwright, Seattle Art Museum's new director, inheritor of its expansion-related financial problemsThe story of the Seattle Art Museum's expansion-related financial shortfalls---largely the result of the collapse of Washington Mutual Bank (WaMu), its development partner in the mixed-use building project---keeps getting worse. On Aug. 30, the museum filed a 27-page … [Read more...] about WaMu Whammy: Seattle Museum May Tap One-Third of General Operating Endowment

There are various figures with artworld connections on Vanity Fair's annual list of the world's 100 most influential people (to be published in the October issue, but online now). Only two, however, were selected expressly for their visual art creds. This VIP roster is peopled by moguls and mega-celebrities. Influential visual artists, museum officials, scholars and critics … [Read more...] about Artworld Luminaries Make Vanity Fair’s “100 Most Influential”

Alexander Flasterstein at the piano, entertaining the WW II troops If you've been wondering where I've been for the last week, here's the reason for my absence: My father, 96, died peacefully on Friday at the apartment he shared with my mother. I'm their only child. Until now, the only writing I've done since last Wednesday was his eulogy. It was from Dad, a Harvard-trained … [Read more...] about “Body and Soul”: Music and Grieving

Michael Kimmelman: Tennis, anyone?Is the peripatetic Michael Kimmelman here in New York to review some art? No, he's actually here to cover tennis---the U.S. Open, to be exact. This is not a first: We've seen him cover that sport before.This time, the NY Times' chief art critic-in-absentia will be double-teaming Federer, Nadal and the women's first-seed, Caroline [Who's That?] … [Read more...] about Michael Kimmelman, NY Times’ Chief Art Critic, Returns to NYC!

Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs LyleIn its well-meaning Statement Regarding Stieglitz Collection at Fisk University, issued today, the Association of Art Museum Directors (like several journalistic commentators) has misconstrued last week's ruling by the Davidson County Chancery Court regarding the university's $30-million collection sharing deal with Alice Walton's … [Read more...] about Decision Confusion: AAMD’s Statement on Fisk/Stieglitz

Orange "A" marks the spot: The planned site for the Broad Collection Eli Broad's decision, announced yesterday, to build in Downtown LA a Diller Scofidio + Renfro-designed museum for his collection should be a cultural and a civic boon for the city: It will help to anchor a tripartite arts district---also including the Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall (the big white … [Read more...] about Eli’s Coming: A Win-Win for Broad and Downtown LA UPDATED

...Judith Dobrzynski in tomorrow's Wall Street Journal---No More "Cathedrals of Culture". It couldn't happen to a better reporter or publication: "Journalist X" (as I had dubbed my then unknown competitor) is my respected colleague at both the WSJ and Arts Journal (with her Real Clear Arts blog). I blame neither Judith nor the WSJ for accepting a first shot at the Association … [Read more...] about And Kaywin Feldman’s AAMD Exclusive Interview Goes to…

In a statement posted this evening on its website, Fisk University demonstrates a serious case of delusional wishful thinking in its characterization of today's court decision that nixed the $30-million Fisk/Crystal Bridges Museum collection-sharing plan as currently written. The court did say that if no alternate Nashville-based plan for the collection could be put forth … [Read more...] about Fisk’s Reaction to Court Decision: $30-Million Smokescreen

Tennessee Attorney General Robert Cooper[UPDATE: Fisk's reaction is here.]This just in from Tennessee Attorney General Robert Cooper, responding to today's decision in the Fisk/Crystal Bridges case: While the Court acknowledged that Fisk University is facing financial difficulties, the Court found no precedent that would allow an institution to sell a charitable gift to … [Read more...] about Fisk Decision: Reactions from Attorney General and Frist Center

Davidson County Chan­cel­lor Ellen Hobbs Lyle has just handed down her decision regarding the $30-million Fisk/Crystal Bridges collection-sharing deal.I've only just skimmed the decision (accessible at the top link), so you you can read along with me. But if you skip to P. 20, you'll see that the judge accepted the university's argument that "due to Fisk's unstable financial … [Read more...] about Fisk Decision: Judge Seeks Proposal to Keep Stieglitz Works in Nashville