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Philadelphia Museum Of Art’s Sleek New Gehry Makeover

Philip Kennicott: "The changes at the Philadelphia Museum are stunning". - Washington Post

“Banksy: Genius Or Vandal” Raises Ire Of Banksy Fans

The exhibition will take over a “secret” location in L.A. to be disclosed to ticket holders in July. - Los Angeles Times

The Art Of The Biden White House

The Obamas borrowed 142 pieces from the Smithsonian and the National Gallery of Art, the other recent occupants 12. The Bidens haven't started borrowing yet - but it will happen, and curators think they know what the couple will want. "Even as they embrace the Obamas’ modern and contemporary inclinations, the Bidens’ time as second family suggests their artistic...

A Deal With The Artist Near San Francisco Allows The Flintstone Home To Remain

Not sure there's any way to explain this except to just ... well: "In a dispute that pitted property rights against government rules and played out in international media, Florence Fang, a retired publisher, defended her colorful and bulbous house and its elaborate homage to The Flintstones family, featuring sculptures inspired by the 1960s cartoon along with aliens and...

Brussels Museum Backpedals A Bit From Plan Called Both Sexist And Nepotistic

The board of Kanal-Centre-Pompidou had decided to name a woman artistic director - and then added a male co-director. Nearly 800 European art dignitaries didn't buy it. "'Internationally renowned and appreciated, Kasia Redzisz has been selected by the jury for this job,' the open letter said. 'She is a competent and experienced woman and there is not the slightest...

Visiting Artist Who Was Handcuffed By Columbia Police At His Apartment Gets An Apology

Artist John Sims, who was asleep when officers entered his apartment, says, "I could have easily been shot and killed that night. ... Now what if I was armed legally and fired on the intruders not knowing if they were police? Would this ‘stand-your-ground’ law apply to me? ... And more importantly, why are Black people consistently profiled to...

France’s New Privately Funded Arts Complex

Arles is famous for Van Gogh and for its Roman ruins. Now there's a new show in town: Luma. "The center doesn’t fit neatly into given ideas about museums, art collections or cultural hubs. ... Luma doesn’t have a predictable program of exhibitions, artist residencies or performance pieces." But it does have a Frank Gehry building, and a lot...

The French Impressionists Had No Idea They Were Painting Masterpieces-To-Be

Of course they didn't, even if some of them believed their work deserved that rating. "It’s easy to forget that for most of them at the time, their work was a risk – to create art in the way they felt was right, they needed to make personal and financial sacrifices." - The Guardian (UK)

William Randolph Hearst Bought A Medieval Spanish Monastery And Shipped It To California

But then the 1175 monastery of Santa María de Óvila wasted away some time in crates on a San Francisco pier. - El Pais (Spain)

Alone In Rome, Before The Tourists Return

Italy was the first to lock down, and one of the hardest lockdowns. "Now most of Italy is in a 'white zone,' and museums can operate at their full summer schedule. Still, on a Saturday, I counted four other visitors to the most anticipated show of the year in Rome: 'The Torlonia Marbles: Collecting Masterpieces,' at the Capitoline, showcasing...

Jersey City Residents Question Pompidou Plans To Build Jersey Outpost

“Everyone agrees that the Pompidou is an extraordinary asset for Jersey City. But we just raised a levy on homeowners because we didn’t have the money for school funding. How can we then bring more financial debt to the table for a museum?” - Hyperbeast

Pompidou Centre Plucks Head Of Picasso Museum As Its Next Leader

Laurent Le Bon, 52, faces a challenging term. The Paris museum is scheduled to close from 2023 to 2027 for renovations to deal with its antiquated heating and cooling system, escalators that frequently break down and asbestos in the structure that needs to be removed. - The New York Times

Construction Of Mexico’s Maya Train Is Turning Up All Sorts Of Antiquities. Are They In Danger?

The 932-mile railroad project, connecting cities, historical sites, and beach resorts in the Yucatan Peninsula, has turned up more than 13,000 Mayan artifacts so far, and it's still early in the building process. The central government says it has hired 80 archaeologists and is spending millions to identify and preserve whatever historical material is discovered, but "the Mayan community...

Egyptian Farmer Discovers 2,600-Year-Old Monument To Pharaoh

The carved sandstone stele, measuring roughly 8½ feet long by 3½ wide, holds 15 lines of hieroglyphs topped by a winged sun disc and a cartouche representing the name of the pharaoh Apries, who reigned from 589 to 570 B.C. - Smithsonian Magazine

Banksy Decides To Own — Files For Trademarks On His Work

The trademarks apply to the use of the images on a huge range of goods including posters, handbags, umbrellas, bedsheets, clothing, rugs and many more. - The Age (Melbourne)

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