Lee Rosenbaum's cultural commentary

It's no secret that I haven't always seen eye-to-eye with the Washington Post's Philip Kennicott, the art-and-architecture critic who on Monday was named to receive the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for criticism. But reasonable critics can disagree, and it's good to see art criticism once again getting the spotlight. The Pulitzer had now gone to three art critics in the past five … [Read more...] about Score One for Art Criticism: Philip Kennicott’s Pulitzer Prize

The Boston Museum of Fine Arts this morning added the missing ingredient (which I had been hoping for) to last night's message regarding its role as refuge for traumatized Bostonians. This just in from the BMFA: In response to the tragic events at yesterday’s Boston Marathon, general admission to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), will be free to the public [emphasis … [Read more...] about Spiritual Sustenance After Marathon Massacre: Free Admission Today at Two Boston Museums

As we all struggle to comprehend the incomprehensible, here's how the Boston Museum of Fine Arts responded last evening to the Marathon Massacre: Our hearts go out to the runners, families, fans and first responders impacted by the tragic events at the Boston Marathon finish line today. The Museum will be open tomorrow (Tuesday, Apr. 16). We hope to be a place of comfort, … [Read more...] about Marathon Massacre: Boston Museum of Fine Arts As a “Place of Comfort, Refuge”

While in St. Louis for my speaking engagement at the Contemporary Art Museum, I also got a chance to explore the exterior of the soon-to-open David Chipperfield-designed, LEED gold-certified expansion of the St. Louis Art Museum, fully funded at a thrifty $160 million, including about $30 million for endowment. The new East Building, more than 200,000 square feet in size, will … [Read more...] about Chipper about Chipperfield: St. Louis Art Museum’s Soon-to-Open Expansion (with video) UPDATED

There was a lot of late-night handwringing (some of which you may have caught on my Twitter feed) bemoaning yesterday's announcement of the imminent demolition by the Museum of Modern Art of the 12-year-young former flagship facility of the American Folk Art Museum. I regard its failed interior as unworthy of saving, although its distinctive (if somewhat forbidding) sculptural … [Read more...] about Demolition Decision: American Folk Art Museum’s Former Building Gets MoMA-ized

In his just submitted proposed budget for 2014 (on P. 36), President Obama ignored the plea of nonprofits to preserve the current level of deductibility for charitable donations, sticking to his plan for a 28% limit on the combined financial benefit to taxpayers from charitable donations and mortgage deductions. The current limit is 39.6%. Here's an example to illustrate … [Read more...] about Obama’s 2014 Budget: 28% Limit on Charitable Deductions; Increases for Smithsonian, Arts Agencies UPDATED

I got this one right. The Metropolitan Museum this evening announced what director Tom Campbell called, with no hyperbole, "a truly transformational gift"---the pledge by megacollector Leonard Lauder of 78 works, including 33 by Picasso (including the painting shown above), 17 by Braque, 14 by Gris, and 14 by Léger. The gift will be accompanied by the establishment of a new … [Read more...] about Cubist Infusion: Leonard Lauder’s “Transformational Gift” to the Metropolitan Museum

In Wednesday's press release announcing its new strategic plan to forge a close connection with the University of Maryland (UMD), the financially foundering Corcoran Gallery and College of Art + Design described their proposed relationship as a "partnership." But reading between the lines of the institutions' Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) strongly suggests that far from a … [Read more...] about Corcoran’s Strategic Plan with University of Maryland: A “Partnership” or Takeover?

I had a good-sized, lively audience Friday evening for my St. Louis lecture at the Contemporary Art Museum (CAM) on the precarious state of museum finances. But I was working against tough competion: Bill and Chelsea Clinton (not Hillary) were in town, speaking at Washington University at the exact same time as my talk. Perhaps that's why not too many students showed up at … [Read more...] about The Spirit of St. Louis: Backtalk at My Museum-Finances Lecture UPDATED

I've been mostly off-blog this week (save for a flurry of news-related posts today), because I've been preparing for my lecture this Friday on museum finances---Monetizing Culture: Will Museums Fall Off the Fiscal Cliff? It's under the auspices of the Greater St. Louis Humanities Festival, whose somewhat mercenary theme this year is: "Money, Money: Need, Greed and Generosity." … [Read more...] about Meet Me in St. Louis: My Talk on Museum Finances for City’s Humanities Festival

The Corcoran Gallery and College of Art and Design today announced a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Maryland that "opens the way to further negotiation to achieve a partnership. The announcement states: Over the next several months discussions and research about the specifics of the partnership will proceed with guidance from a Strategic Framework for a … [Read more...] about Corcoran’s New Plan: Alliances with University of Maryland and National Gallery; Peggy Loar Takes Charge

Jean-Luc Martinez, 49, the Louvre's head of Greek, Etruscan and Roman art since 2007, has been named to succeed Henri Loyrette as director of the world's most visited museum, effective Apr. 15. The early word on la rue about the new director is enthusiastic. In a detailed analysis of the appointment (and of the other candidates who were in the running), Nathaniel Herzberg of … [Read more...] about Inside Candidate: Archaeologist/Curator Jean-Luc Martinez Named as Louvre’s New Director

It's probably a good thing that Colin Bailey wasn't present at the de Young Museum for yesterday's celebratory announcement of his selection to be the next director of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Had he been there, he would likely have winced at remarks by Diane "Dede" Wilsey, the museums' voluble president. During the question-and-answer part of the event, she … [Read more...] about Willful Wilsey: Colin Bailey’s First Problem as Director at Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (plus Bailey as mentor, with video)