Archives for September 2011

Shattered Legacy: The Barnes Foundation's fragmented new logo, unveiled on its new websiteAt a press conference yesterday, the Barnes Foundation announced that it would open its new Philadelphia facility to the public on May 19. It has also launched a new website. Advance reservations to visit the museum will be accepted beginning Mar. 1. Members can reserve beginning Feb. 1 … [Read more...] about Barnes Foundation Sets Opening Date in Philadelphia

Rear view of Cornell University's I.M. Pei-designed Johnson Museum of Art, with its new, mostly underground addition (still in construction), at left Photo by Lee Rosenbaum When I told you yesterday about the new addition to Cornell University's Johnson Museum of Art (designed by the I.M. Pei firm and opening Oct. 15), I didn't mention that it's been without a permanent … [Read more...] about A Bent for Rentals? Stephanie Wiles, New Director of Cornell’s Johnson Museum

Cornell University's new Milstein Hall for architecture studies, designed by Rem Koolhaas All photos (unless otherwise noted) by Lee Rosenbaum It's not entirely finished yet and it's been under the radar in terms of press coverage. But Rem Koolhaas' new Milstein Hall, tucked behind the Arts Quad at Cornell University, has opened for the new school year, providing much … [Read more...] about First Look: Rem Koolhaas’ Architecture for Architects at Cornell University (with video)

I wouldn't have expected this of the New Yorker.There's been a lot of talk about how to properly commemorate the tenth anniversary of 9/11, without improperly exploiting it commercially. To my mind, this promotion from the New Yorker, usually an arbiter of good taste, crossed the line into skin-crawl territory: At least they're designating a token 10% of net proceeds from this … [Read more...] about Dept. of Crass 9/11 Promotions: New Yorker Magazine’s Commercial Exploitation

The new art season is not quite upon us, but the new academic season is. I was incommunicado yesterday while making my way through the flooded Mohawk Valley (and avoiding my usual route through the Susquehanna Valley, where roads were washed out) to get to my alma mater, Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. I'll be seeing some of the starchitects' additions to the campus, while my … [Read more...] about Back-to-School: Art History Department Rankings, Harvard Arts Detractors (plus my flood-challenged Cornell trip)

Rendering (by Squared Design Lab) of National September 11 Memorial and Visitor Center With Sunday marking the tenth anniverary of the horrific events of Sept. 11, 2001, the news media are already barraging us with images more viscerally powerful than any work of art---the sights of the impact, the implosions and the immediate aftermath. For those of us who were uncomfortably … [Read more...] about The 9/11 Decade: The Images, the Memorial, the Architecture UPDATED

New back injury: Metropolitan Opera Music Director James LevineCORRECTION: In a previous version of this post, I said that Levine had been stripped of his principal conductorship. Although he was for many years the Met's de facto principal conductor, Levine did not possess that official title, the Met has informed me. I had assumed (as did others) that since Fabio Luisi had … [Read more...] about James Levine’s (new) Fall: Met’s Music Director Withdraws from 2011 Performances CORRECTED

Jan Brennan, Arts & Venues Denver's Director of Cultural Programs: Contract-awarding process was "fair and appropriate."  In taking the highly unusual step of publicly taking Denver to task (scroll down) for choosing Sotheby's as its agent for the sale of four Clyfford Still paintings (to benefit his eponymous museum), Christie's may have created potential … [Read more...] about Still Chill: More on Christie’s Protest Against Sotheby’s Deal with Denver