Archives for September 2008

Philippe's "private" delectation: Metropolitan Museum's full-page NY Times adI did two double takes while perusing yesterday's The New Season section of the NY Times: One was caused by the full-page ad (above) taken out by the Metropolitan Museum to honor Philippe de Montebello and to trumpet the upcoming exhibition of works acquired under his watch.Do we really want to plant … [Read more...] about Don’t Drop That Duccio! Shocks of “The New Season”

Edward Hicks, "The Peaceable Kingdom with the Leopard of Serenity," 1846-48, from Ralph Esmerian's collection Photo: Sotheby's The Wall Street Journal's new lifestyles magazine, WSJ, which debuted Saturday, had already gone to press when news broke that the record auction price for American folk art---$9.67 million for an 1846-48 version (above) of Edward Hicks' "The … [Read more...] about WSJ Magazine’s Hicks Hiccup: Piece Features an Auction “Record” That Wasn’t UPDATED

In case you'd like to hear some of the outtakes from my brief remarks aired Thursday on WNYC about Ann Temkin's promotion at the Museum of Modern Art (and also my unaired comments about Richard Armstrong's expected appointment as next director of the Guggenheim), the radio station has posted two audio segments from my commentary on its culture blog, here. … [Read more...] about More of My WNYC Commentary on Museum Musical Chairs

Oops, he did it again.In May I reported that Francesco Rutelli's penchant for repatriation through the press, rather than through quiet diplomacy, had survived his terminated tenure as Italy's culture minister: He had, at that time, told the credulous Associated Press that Italy had reached a verbal agreement with the Cleveland Museum for the return of objects, which the … [Read more...] about Rutelli in LA: “The Great Repatriator” or “The Great Prevaricator”?

Okay, enough with health care, the housing crisis, the economy and Iraq. Let's focus on what really matters:I've already posted about Barack Obama's arts policy, and in the interests of equal time, I've been scouring the web, trying during this Republican National Convention week to find John McCain's cultural stance. On this, the celebrated POW appears to be MIA.I couldn't … [Read more...] about Desperately Seeking John McCain’s Arts Policy

Is this any way to treat the Wall Street Journal?Above is an ad for WSJ, the new "lifestyle magazine" being rolled out with this Saturday's edition of the newspaper for which I write frequently. Included will be an article on "the folk art revival." Didn't that happen with the Garbisch sale of 1974?Although you can't tell from the above picture, Obama figures twice in the … [Read more...] about New Wall Street Journal Magazine: Art and Fashion Included UPDATED

Ann TemkinYesterday's chosen sound bite on WNYC focused on my mild misgivings about Ann Temkin's appointment at the Museum of Modern Art. So I feel it's worth reiterating what I posted on this blog, before I spoke on the radio: I think she's a solid choice, with a creditable track record of acquisitions and exhibitions. What's more, I think there's a good chance that she'll … [Read more...] about More on New York’s Musical Museum Chairs: Temkin and Armstrong

Some time after 4 p.m. today, you can hear my brief comments on on WNYC's "All Things Considered" about the news of Ann Temkin's and Richard Armstrong's appointments at the Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim Museum, respectively. Before the taping, I contacted the Guggenheim for an update on the status of Armstrong's expected designation as director of both the … [Read more...] about My NY Public Radio Commentary on the MoMA/Guggenheim Appointments UPDATED

The Krensmobile, parked outside the Guggenheim's staff entranceWhat's the single laudatory word most often used to describe Tom Krens, whose successor as director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation is expected to be Richard Armstrong, the director of Pittsburgh's Carnegie Museum of Art?VISIONARY.Wait a minute! That's the same word used to describe Armstrong in the first … [Read more...] about Guggenheim Candidate Richard Armstrong and the “V” Word

Richard ArmstrongKate Taylor gets her scoops the old-fashioned way---by working her sources. In a story posted late today, she fingers Richard Armstrong, director of the Carnegie Museum, Pittsburgh, as the person whom the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation is expected to name as its next director, succeeding Tom Krens. Taylor reports: Through a spokeswoman at the Carnegie … [Read more...] about NY Sun’s Guggenheim Director Scoop—Is It Richard Armstrong? UPDATED

Get-It-First VogelThat does it. I've really had it with selective disclosure of important breaking news by cultural institutions. (So has distinguished architecture critic Martin Filler, who previously vented his frustration on CultureGrrl, here.) I've known major mainstream-media cultural journalists who have boycotted important stories that were spoonfed to the NY Times first … [Read more...] about MoMA Announces Elderfield’s Replacement…but only to the NY Times

Francesco RutelliThe Great Repatriator strides across our land once again. But fear not, art-lings: He comes in peace.Having spent last week at the Democratic National Convention, deposed Italian Culture Minister Francesco Rutelli, now a member of Italy's Senate and Rome's City Council, tomorrow reengages with his old antagonist, the J. Paul Getty Museum, viewing both its … [Read more...] about Rutelli Visits the Getty to Make Nice

Those of you who read the online version of my piece, Krasner at Her Unknown Best, published on the "Leisure & Arts" page of today's Wall Street Journal, must be scratching your heads at this garish cartoon image that accompanied the piece on the web:Lee Krasner, "Shellflower," 1947, private collection, New YorkThen again, if you saw the image in the hard copy, on Page D7, … [Read more...] about Little Krasner Images: An Irreverent Photo Essay

CultureSpouse Rocks! (at I.M. Pei's Hall of Fame and Museum)How I spent my Labor Day Weekend: ---Dancing the night away at the Cleveland wedding of my husband's cousin (having first visited three museums and viewed an air show).---Fielding vibrate-only phone calls during that celebration from: my son Paul, who announced his engagement to the fabulous Lisa; my excited daughter … [Read more...] about Labor [Day] of Love: Family Wedding, Future Daughter-in-Law, WSJ Krasner Review UPDATED