Lee Rosenbaum's cultural commentary

Click me tomorrow for a provocative BlogBack on The Gross Clinic from an employee of the National Gallery in Washington. Also (what did I do to merit this?): the contents of a cryptic Christmas card from The Grand Repatriator himself, Italian Culture Minister Francesco Rutelli. (Pssst, Frankie...I'm Jewish!) … [Read more...] about Coming Tomorrow: Notes from CultureGrrl’s Mailbox

Let me now spoil your New Year's revels with my perverse countdown of the two 2006 artworld developments that I will continue to rue in the coming year: The first is growing international participation in the pernicious spread of museum rental shows---high-priced loan exhibitions that allow the lender, a major museum, to alleviate its money problems at the expense of sister … [Read more...] about Lamentable 2006 Artworld Developments—Part I: Rent-a-Show

Chéri Samba, "I Like Color," 2003, Courtesy of CAAC---The Pigozzi Collection, Geneva © Chéri Samba In 1996, back when the Guggenheim Museum SoHo, a ballyhooed home for multimedia art, was just opening, director Tom Krens and I shared a cab, talking about his dreams for that now defunct museum and also about his desire to mount a show of contemporary African art. The latter … [Read more...] about Tom Krens Gets His Wish: “100% Africa”

The fine arts component of the huge Renzo Piano-designed "Manhattanville" expansion to the north of Columbia University's current campus appears to have been significantly downsized from the initial concept. Piano had sketched in a large new facility for the School of the Arts: It is the structure with the curved-glass front on Page 11 at this link. That building, however, is … [Read more...] about More Tales from Columbia: Fine Arts Are Not So Fine in University Expansion

Glenn Lowry has said that when he leaves the directorship of the Museum of Modern Art (some time in 2030), he want to return to scholarship. Now the past and future Islamicist has agreed to teach a class next semester for Columbia University's M.A. Programs in Modern Art and Curatorial Studies, according to the fall newsletter of the department of art history and archeology. … [Read more...] about Tales from Columbia University: Is Glenn Lowry Transitioning?

The Neue Galerie has just come out with a 96-page book, "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer," in which authors Sophie Lillie and Georg Gaugusch "trace [the] story of 'Modern Mona Lisa'" (as described in the press release). The book's cost: $30. Will the proceeds help defray the painting's purchase? Now if only the Neue Galerie would also publish, as repeatedly promised, the Nazi-era … [Read more...] about Speaking of Klimt…

There are probably others, but here's a good example of the late wit and wisdom of curator/scholar Robert Rosenblum, quoted in a very interesting, detailed Klimt post mortem by Eileen Kinsella in January's ARTnews (not yet online): I myself love Klimt up to a point, but it's like going to a Viennese bakery. Talking to Rosenblum was like Viennese pastry: sinfully delicious. With … [Read more...] about Robert Rosenblum’s Last Quip; Klimt Story’s Last Retelling

There's a fascinating article by Philadelphia-based Julia Klein in today's Wall Street Journal that's a must-read for anyone desiring an inside view of the successful effort to keep Eakins' "The Gross Clinic" in Philadelphia. (The link is here for those of you with online WSJ subscriptions; otherwise, pick up a copy.) But do we really want "the creativity of this arrangement" … [Read more...] about Eakins Rescue: How the Deal Got Done

Yesterday's NY Times article, N.Y.U. Mines Personal Data to Gain Edge in Money Race (different title online), makes it sound as if New York University, by sifting through personal financial information on online databases (to identify potential big-money donors), is doing something that other charities aren't. Far from it. Ten years ago, when I was writing my "Visual Reality" … [Read more...] about Data Mining for Donors: Museums Do It Too

This came out on YouTube last summer. Who needs Ben Stiller? … [Read more...] about Night at the Museum, YouTube Style

On this Christmas day when you would all be giving your children the final installment of the Harry Potter series, if only you could, CultureGrrl will do her bit for world peace with a personal appeal to author J.K. Rowling: DON'T KILL HARRY!!! Rowling has previously stated that she "can completely understand" authors who kill off characters so that no one else could write a … [Read more...] about Harry Potter’s Demise Reconsidered?

Armando Reverón, "The Woman of the River," 1939, Museum of Modern Art, Fractional and promised gift of Patricia Phelps de Cisneros, in honor of John Elderfield © 2006 Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela At last: The new year will bring "the first U.S. retrospective of the celebrated Venezuelan artist Armando Reverón" (1889-1954) at the Museum of Modern Art. This 100-work show of … [Read more...] about Reverón (Belatedly) at MoMA

CultureGrrl is addicted to two things: Lindt's dark chocolate and blogging. With the loving support of family and friends who have gathered around during this holiday season, I'm attempting semi-withdrawal from blogging during this week, while so many of your are away. (However, I'm sure to suffer the occasional relapse.) I know there will be much rending of wrapping paper and … [Read more...] about Checked In to Bloggers’ Rehab

The fundraising campaign to keep "The Gross Clinic" in Philadelphia cannot be considered a roaring success, having fallen far short of its goal during the appointed time. And because of the way yesterday's announcement was handled, coming up with the rest of the money is likely to prove even harder, as Carol Vogel's piece in today's NY Times inadvertently … [Read more...] about More Thoughts on “Gross Clinic”

At a press conference this afternoon, Mayor John Street announced that an agreement of sale has been signed that will keep Thomas Eakins' "The Gross Clinic" in Philadelphia. Nevertheless, the fundraising is far from over: The deadline to come up with the $68 million for the seller, Thomas Jefferson University, has been extended from Dec. 26 to Jan. 31, and Wachovia Bank has … [Read more...] about Score One for Philly Philanthropy: “Gross Clinic” Stays