Archives for April 2011

Yes to the Dress: Kate Middleton rules the runway Photo: British Monarchy Photostream, Flickr The anticipatory buzz surrounding the Metropolitan Museum's "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty," May 4-July 31, has just become supersonic, thanks to a certain high-profile client of the British fashion house (above). The Met's website for its Costume Institute's exhibition, at this … [Read more...] about Alexander McQueen, the Royal Wedding and the Met: Fashion House Reigns, Scholarship Abdicates

Michael Posner, assistant secretary, U.S. State DepartmentThe two-day Human Rights Dialogue between China and the U.S., attended by Michael Posner, the State Department's assistant secretary for democracy, human rights and labor, appears to have gotten nowhere, as reflected in Posner's statements today after the conclusion of the talks in Beijing.Kathleen McLaughlin of the … [Read more...] about Weiwei Watch: No Help for Ai at U.S.-China Talks in Beijing

Final panel at the Smithsonian's Flashpoints and Faultlines public forumLeft to right: Martin Sullivan, director, National Portrait Gallery; Lonnie Bunch, director, National Museum of African American History and Culture; Richard Kurin, the Smithsonian's under secretary for history, art and cultureA number of surprising did-they-really-say-that moments enlivened the afternoon … [Read more...] about Surprising Revelation at “Hide/Seek” Conference: Smithsonian’s Conservative Congressional Hero

Last night, at the commencement of the Smithsonian Institution's two-day "HIde/Seek" marathon, the scene at the Freer Gallery's Meyer Auditorium appeared (from the webcast) to be standing-room-only. Here's what it looked liked for the last of this morning's panels (which, to my mind, was the most interesting, because it covered some new ground):That's a pensive Martin Sullivan, … [Read more...] about Where’s Clough? Smithsonian Secretary a No-Show for Morning “Hide/Seek” Panels

Smithsonian Secretary G. Wayne CloughThe most dramatic moment of last night's kickoff panels for the otherwise tame, predictable "Hide/Seek"-related conference, hosted by the Smithsonian Institution, came at the very end of the evening: In a confrontation reminiscent of the famous Martin Sullivan moment at December's "Hide/Seek" discussion at the New York Public Library, a … [Read more...] about Clough Gets Testy at “Hide/Seek” Conference (Call Martin Sullivan!)

Anthony Caro in the Metropolitan Museum's Roof Garden yesterday at midday with "Midday," 1960 (sometimes shown in the Sculpture Garden of its owner, the Museum of Modern Art)While our thoughts are straying to British royalty, a member of England's art royalty, Sir Anthony Caro, today concluded an official visit to New York's artworld, during which he viewed several exhibitions, … [Read more...] about Anthony Caro in New York: Installation at the Met, Planned Park Avenue Project

I have lots of followers on Twitter---1,882 and counting. But the e-mailed notification I received about a new acolyte, arriving very soon after my recent Hillary Clinton/Ai Weiwei post, gave me pause: "Speak kindly, OR ELSE"??? Should I "follow Chinese Authorities"? This sounded like it could be a spoof---"Snooping in Your Business"---but I wasn't entirely sure. With some … [Read more...] about Dept. of Paranoia: Chinese Authorities Are Watching Me—“Speak Kindly Or Else!”

If you missed Morley Safer's friendly profile on tonight's "60 Minutes" of LA mega-philanthropist (and museum builder) Eli Broad, you can watch it now (below). LA Times art critic Christopher Knight puts in a couple of cameo appearances, asserting that people are "scared to death of the guy," because "he is the biggest game in town."Wait a minute! Did we just hear Eli tell … [Read more...] about “60 Minutes” Revelation: Billionaire Eli Broad’s Billion-Dollar LA Museum UPDATED

Deborah Voigt and Bryn Terfel in the Metropolitan Opera's new production of "Die Walküre"All photos and video courtesy of Metropolitan OperaIn some ways, the Metropolitan Opera's first performance Friday night of the new Robert Lepage production of Wagner's "Die Walküre," valiantly conducted by a pain-constrained James Levine, was exciting for the wrong reasons. Topping the … [Read more...] about The Met’s Glorious, Worrisome “Walküre”: Disabled Levine Prevails; Brünnhilde Flops (literally)

Where's Hillary?This is what we've all been fearing. RTHK [Radio Television Hong Kong] reports:The Human Rights in China Biweekly Journal [here, in Chinese] says artist and political activist Ai Weiwei has pleaded guilty to charges related to tax. An article, written by a reporter claiming to work for Xinhua [the Chinese news agency], says Ai had reluctantly admitted to the … [Read more...] about Weiwei Watch: Ai Reportedly “Confessed” After Torture; U.S. in Belated Human Rights Talks

Got an hour and 40 minutes? Then you can watch the video, below, of our entire panel discussion earlier this month at Rutgers University---Hide/Seek: Museums, Ethics and the Press---which may prove to have been more deeply informative, more freewheeling and certainly more relaxed than the Smithsonian's "Hide/Seek" marathon will be next week, when panels consisting largely of … [Read more...] about Martin Sullivan and Me: Our “Hide/Seek” Panel Discussion, Now Online

Philip Kennicott, Blake Gopnik's successor as Washington Post art criticNo sooner did I post my CultureGrrl Video capturing Blake Gopnik's lament on the state of art criticism---its growing focus on art issues and controversies, rather than just plain art---than the Washington Post, where Blake had served with distinction until recently, named Gopnik's successor as art … [Read more...] about Kennicott’s Ken: The Washington Post’s New/Old Art Critic Does Egypt

Ai WeiweiI'm all in favor of petitions and protests calling attention to China's deplorable detention of dissident artist Ai Weiwei. But international pressure by concerned citizens isn't going to win his release. As with jailed Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo, the Chinese government strongly decries foreign intervention on behalf of those who are officially regarded as … [Read more...] about Weiwei Watch: Rushdie’s Op-Ed, Germany’s Actions, Hacked Petition; Lawyer’s Release

Sebastian Smee, Pulitzer-winning Boston Globe art critic Yesterday was Pulitzer Prize Day, or, as it's known in my house, Passover (to riff on Bob Hope's famous quip regarding Oscars Award Night). Actually, I wasn't "passed over" this year, because I didn't apply (as I had for the previous two years). Wait a minute! Last night actually WAS Passover. In fact, I'm still in … [Read more...] about Pulitzers and Passover: Smee’s Glee, Gopnik’s Gripe

[NOTE: I have a call in to ADAA for a photo of Stephen Hahn. If anyone can e-mail me an image, I'll post it here.]I always have a soft spot for renowned experts who graciously shared their time and insights with me early in my career as an arts journalist. One such was the late Stephen Hahn, the distinguished Hungarian-born New York dealer of Impressionist and modern European … [Read more...] about Stephen Hahn, Creighton Gilbert: Remembering the Late Dealer, Scholar