Lee Rosenbaum's cultural commentary

Brandeis University's Rose Art Museum will reopen on Oct. 27 with three permanent collection shows celebrating its 50th anniversary. Emerging from a rocky period under the university's previous president, Jehuda Reinharz, when its future seemed in grave doubt, it now has the enthusiastic support of Brandeis' new president, Frederick Lawrence, and has undergone an extensive … [Read more...] about Renovated Rose Reopens at Brandeis: Loses Its Pool, Gains Brighter Future (plus update on Folk Art Museum’s progress)

George Bellows, "Men of the Docks," 1912It's no longer posted among the Bellows works listed on the Maier Museum's collections website (search on "Bellows"). So I can only assume that "Men of the Docks," the celebrated first work to enter the collection of Randolph College, Lynchburg, VA (purchased from the artist in 1920 for $2,500), has been formally deaccessioned, although … [Read more...] about Maier Massacre Revisited: National Gallery, Met, Royal Academy to Show Randolph College’s Expendable Bellows

The Elizabeth Taylor Diamond, 33.19 carats D color, gift from Richard Burton, to be auctioned at Christie's, New York, on Dec. 13Presale Estimate: $2,500,000-3,500,000This could be a case of "Great Minds Think Alike." Whether or not he was inspired by my piece (which he doesn't mention), the LA Times' Christopher Knight today posted a Critic's Notebook piece closely tracking … [Read more...] about Christie’s/LA MOCA: Christopher Knight Seconds My Criticism of Museum’s Liz Biz

Photo: Edward Quinn, courtesy of Christie's The best and the worst of LA MOCA will soon be on display---respectively, its recently opened Under the Big Black Sun exhibition (to Feb. 13) and the latest episode in that continuing soap opera---Jeffrey Takes Hollywood. The best of the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art is whatever its chief curator Paul Schimmel puts his … [Read more...] about Hocking Elizabeth Taylor’s Jewels: LA MOCA Promotes Christie’s Liz Biz

From the Metropolitan Museum's collection: Miuccia Prada, Ensemble, fall/winter 2007-8, Gift of PradaIn a previous post, I fretted that the Metropolitan Museum's outsized success with its theatrically over-the-top Alexander McQueen installation (which, like everyone else, I greatly admired) might "considerably up the ante for sound, animation and atmospherics" in future shows … [Read more...] about Dept. of Theatrics: Met Gives “McQueen” Treatment to Elsa Schiaparelli, Miuccia Prada

View from my hotel window: Philadelphia Free Library in foreground, In-construction Barnes Foundation (with white rectangular light box atop its roof) directly behind it, Philadelphia Museum of Art at end of the parkwayWhen I posted on Thursday about the latest court decision reaffirming the permission for the Barnes Foundation's move to Philadelphia, I didn't mention that, by … [Read more...] about MeTube: My Narrated Barnes Foundation Walking Tour

The Egyptian Museum, Cairo, in more peaceful timesThe embattled Egyptian Museum again finds itself at the epicenter of violent protests. Alastair Beach of the Independent today reports on yesterday's events:By around 7 p.m. central Cairo was boiling over with angry protesters as thousands of youths fought running battles with the police and gangs of regime loyalists. At the … [Read more...] about Egyptian Chaos: New Antiquities Head, New Violent Protests Near Egyptian Museum (plus D.C. protesters at Air and Space Museum)

In a nutshell, Judge Stanley Ott of Montgomery County Orphans' Court this morning reaffirmed his own previous decision to allow the Barnes Foundation (already far along in construction) to move to Philadelphia. He said that the persistent litigants who have been trying to halt the move lack standing to bring the case. In the kicker, Judge Ott also decreed that "some portion" of … [Read more...] about News Flash: Judge Reaffirms Previous Decision Allowing Barnes’ Move to Philly

Composer John Corigliano, mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe and conductor Alan Gilbert (left to right) taking their bows after the performance of "One Sweet Morning"Photo by Chris LeeI have fond memories of John Corigliano's ambitious opera, The Ghosts of Versailles.But the New York composer's earnest, labored attempt to rise to the occasion of a grand symphonic statement … [Read more...] about 9/11 Memorial Meme: John Corigliano’s Off-Key New York Philharmonic Commission

First Boston. Now Brooklyn.Russian artist Vasily Vereshchagin, described by Sotheby's as "unquestionably the most famous of all Russian painters during his lifetime [1842-1904]" (but relatively obscure during ours), has the dubious distinction of being a deaccession superstar this fall in what is fast becoming the Season of the Museum Disposals (benefiting the Clyfford Still … [Read more...] about Vereshchagin Chagrin: Russian Realist the New Deaccession Sensation

Seeing Red: Clyfford Still, "1949-A-No.1," 93 by 79 in., the highest-estimated work ($25-35 million) of the four being auctioned by Denver to fund Clyfford Still Museum's endowmentIn his rigorously argued, detailed essay, Fighting Still; Still Fighting, David Colosi, an interdisciplinary artist with a background in literary theory, has picked up my reporting and commentary on … [Read more...] about Still Chill: Colossal Colosi Documents Denver’s “Betrayal of Trust”

Michael Kimmelman's new Twitter logo photoFrom the refined cultural capitals of Europe to the gritty, unkempt South Bronx? Who would've thunk it?I'm a Bronxite, born and raised---grew up there (in what's now considered part of the South Bronx) and was schooled there (thanks, Bronx Science), until I left our fourth-floor walk-up apartment on the evocatively named Echo Place to … [Read more...] about The Bronx Says Thonx: Kimmelman Invades My Borough

The VIP Art Fair, which fizzled in its inaugural online outing last January, because its online platform was dysfunctional, is trying again: "VIP 2.0" will come to a computer near you on Feb. 3-8, with "major systems upgrades, adding substantial server and bandwidth resources," according to the announcement that just landed in my inbox. "Significant load testing makes us … [Read more...] about Confidence Killer: Broken Links for VIP Art Fair’s “Augmented Platform”

Clyfford's auction adventureIf the City of Denver and officials of its Clyfford Still Museum believe that the controversy over their decision to monetize four works from the estate of the artist's widow will quickly die down, Kyle MacMillan, the Denver Post's art critic, is out to prove them wrong. What's more, an online video (not mentioned by the Post) of a Denver City … [Read more...] about Clyfford Still Museum’s Sloppy Stewardship: Denver Post Article, City Council Video

Carmine Branagan, director of the National Academy, stands her ground in front of Asher B. Durand's "The Morning of Life," 1840. I wish the National Academy Museum a secure and productive future. And I'm delighted that it is finally back in business, having reopened in its Beaux Arts Huntington Mansion on Sept. 16. (I spoke very briefly Friday about its rebirth on WNYC's All … [Read more...] about Q&A with Carmine Branagan: National Academy Resurrected after Near-Death Experience, Director Unrepentant