Lee Rosenbaum's cultural commentary

I've asked Sotheby's to explain a puzzling assertion that its spokesperson made to me and also to the NY Times' Robin Pogrebin at the end of tonight's sale of the late A. Alfred Taubman's old masters: "The success of tonight's sale," according to a Sotheby's email, "reduces our estimated auction guarantee shortfall by half, to approximately $3 million [from $6 million]." In … [Read more...] about Another Erratic Outing: My Live Tweets on the Taubman Old Masters Sale at Sotheby’s

Taubman totals updated here. It's official: Sotheby's assumption of the risk for the consignment of more than 500 works from the estate of its former chairman, A. Alfred Taubman was no coup. It was a flop. In a conference call with securities analysts this morning, Tad Smith, Sotheby's CEO, said his firm expects to lose "approximately 1%, or $6 million of the guaranteed … [Read more...] about Sotheby’s Eats Crow from the Taubman Sales: $6-Million Guarantee Loss & $6-Million in Expenses UPDATED

I would have hoped for more incisive questions from journalist/moderator C.J. Hughes for the inter-generational panel of major architects who shared tidbits last night in a conversation at the 92nd Street Y in New York. He should have elicited more interesting details about the projects (theirs in particular) "that now epitomize the city, the ever-evolving real estate market … [Read more...] about Meier, Ingels, Selldorf, Cook: My Live Tweets from Architects’ Panel on NYC’s Skyline

The Association of Art Museum Directors' midwinter meeting, Jan. 22-25 in LA, will feature "a series of presentations on digital practices, highlighting some of the ways AAMD museums are using technology to better carry out their missions," according to today's press release. Allow me to suggest some recommended reading to prepare for this discussion---The Brave New Museum … [Read more...] about Digging Digital: What AAMD Will Discuss at Midwinter Meeting (& what it should discuss)

Reacting to the latest rent in Bill Cosby's tattered reputation, National Museum of African Art has quietly revised the Message to Our Visitors regarding its exhibition of works from the comedian's African-American art collection. The latest text begins like this: Allegations that publicly surfaced when we opened this exhibition in November 2014, now combined with recent … [Read more...] about “Recent Criminal Charges”: Smithsonian Revises Cosby Show’s Text (again)

This is the third post in my series (here and here) of how thorny artworld issues that vexed us in 2015 could achieve satisfying resolution in the year ahead: Sotheby's nine-month CEO, Tad Smith, has been throwing tons of money at the problem of his firm's disappointing net income---the aggressive $515-million guarantee (without outside party backing) for the underperforming … [Read more...] about New Year’s “Resolutions,” Sotheby’s Edition: What Artworld Uncertainties Should Be Resolved in 2016?

This is the second in my series of how thorny artworld issues that vexed us in 2015 could achieve satisfying resolution in the year ahead: Parsing Pasternak Memo to Arnold Lehman: Be careful what you wish for! The last time I saw the veteran populist director before he retired from the Brooklyn Museum, he described his successor, Anne Pasternak, as “my reward for … [Read more...] about New Year’s “Resolutions,” Pasternak Edition: What Artworld Uncertainties Should Be Resolved in 2016?

Last year left the artworld on edge, with several dramatic, unresolved cliffhangers. Here's hoping that some of the thorny issues that vexed us in 2015 achieve satisfying resolution in the year ahead. In a series of posts, I intend to analyze a few of these tangled situations and suggest how they may be best resolved. For now, let's consider the sensationalistic saga that's … [Read more...] about New Year’s “Resolutions,” Cosby Edition: What Artworld Uncertainties Should Be Resolved in 2016?

2015 was, for me, a high point of my CultureGrrl "career"---the only year when my dogged blogging was generously compensated, thanks to the munificent Art Writers Grant from Creative Capital | Warhol Foundation. This windfall temporarily suspended my internal debate over whether it was time to move on to more sensible activities, like increased mainstream-media work and more … [Read more...] about The Year in CultureGrrl, 2015 Edition

Like the works of Archibald Motley, now featured at the Whitney Museum, the art of Puerto Rican painter Francisco Oller, subject of a concurrent retrospective at the Brooklyn Museum (to Jan. 3), inhabits two separate worlds. More than Motley, Oller often conflated those worlds on the same canvas. Impressionism and the Caribbean: Francisco Oller and His Transatlantic World is … [Read more...] about Puerto Rican/European: Francisco Oller’s Hybrid Paintings at the Brooklyn Museum

[Part II is here.] Notwithstanding the latest spike of interest in diversifying museums' displays and personnel, the problem of stimulating greater inclusiveness is nothing new: It has been a source of periodic discussion and sporadic action for decades. Now the Whitney Museum and Brooklyn Museum have taken steps to move the needle, by means of felicitously concurrent shows … [Read more...] about Motley & Oller (Part I): Whitney & Brooklyn Museums Embrace Black & Latino Cultural Forebears (with video)

If you think that the de-installation of the Museum of Modern Art's fourth-floor permanent collection  to make way for Picasso Sculpture was a one-off, think again. That floor's traditional survey of works from 1940 to 1980 is not coming back any time soon. That was one of the revelations at MoMA's press breakfast on Tuesday, where director Glenn Lowry and chief curator of … [Read more...] about Canon Fodder: Will MoMA’s New Generation of Curators Intercept Barr’s Torpedo? (with video)

In the latest Sotheby's shocker, the auction house has just announced that its chief financial officer, Patrick McClymont, is precipitously stepping down. He will resign, effective Dec. 31, to pursue the proverbial "other opportunities." Looks like it's going to be another costly severance. According to today's 8-K SEC filing: Upon his scheduled departure from the … [Read more...] about $3.75m Cash Severance: Patrick McClymont, Sotheby’s CFO, Steps Down Suddenly

In an amendment filed today to its Nov. 13 8-K filing with the SEC, financially challenged Sotheby's revealed that its planned staff buyouts will result in a net headcount reduction of about 80 staffers. Because of the $40-million cost of the buyouts, which will be charged to the 4th quarter of 2015, it will take a year and a half for the expected savings to compensate for the … [Read more...] about Sotheby’s to Cut Some 80 Positions; Charles Moffett, Its Former Executive VP, Dies

In his cautious comments yesterday during an hour-long appearance at the National Press Club, Washington, David Skorton, the Smithsonian Institution's new secretary, seemed to be guided by his expressed belief that "the first thing in nonprofit leadership is to do no harm...Basically, my first duty is to listen to the people on the ground." He "did no harm" by … [Read more...] about Skorton Meets the Press: Outreach, Public Input, “Trade Secrets” UPDATED