Lee Rosenbaum's cultural commentary

Activist investors who have roiled Sotheby's management and negatively impacted its bottom line may be gratified by the auction firm's announcement today that it will increase a previously authorized $125-million stock repurchase program by another $125 million, with the funds coming from the company's current cash balances. But investors can't be happy with the plummeting … [Read more...] about Sotheby’s Stock Price Plummets as CEO Tad Smith Reports “Rather Bumpy Quarter”

With frontrunner Donald Trump's having staked out prime real estate at the table for the first Republican debate tomorrow, it's time for me to dust off a 41-year-old story of my personal encounter with The Donald, then known as "Young Donald." While working on a 1974 NY Times article in the Sunday Real Estate Section on the shifting rent patterns in New York City, I … [Read more...] about My Donald Trump and Yours: A Rueful Reminiscence UPDATED

The Guggenheim appears to have lost all patience with the Gulf Labor Coalition, the watchdog group of artists and others concerned with the welfare of migrant workers who are building museums on Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Island. Instead, the Guggenheim should lose patience with the slow and still inadequate progress that's been made in implementing essential labor reform. In its … [Read more...] about Who’s “Unfair”? Guggenheim & Gulf Labor Coalition Exchange Barbs Over Delayed Abu Dhabi Project UPDATED

In its recently announced merger plans with Brant Publications' three art magazines---Art in America, The Magazine Antiques and Modern Magazine---ARTnews, sold in April 2014 by its long-time editor and publisher, Milton Esterow, will likely be altered beyond recognition. Ceasing monthly publication, it would be reduced to an unspecified number of "theme issues," along the lines … [Read more...] about Peter Brant’s Brands: Whither ARTnews and Art in America?

The High Museum today named Randall Suffolk to become its new director, succeeding the Atlanta museum's 15-year head, Michael Shapiro, who leaves on July 31. Suffolk, director of the Philbrook Museum, Tulsa, since 2007, will assume his High position Nov. 2. Philip Verre, the High's COO of and previously director of the Hudson River Museum, Yonkers, will be the High's … [Read more...] about Philbrook Museum Director Randall Suffolk Gets High (Museum, that is)

I’m always taken aback when a distinguished, long-time art professional crosses over from the sanctum of the nonprofit museum world to the commercial side of the artworld---auction houses and galleries. It’s about to happen again, with Phillips auction house’s announcement that Arnold Lehman, director of the Brooklyn Museum, will soon become senior advisor to Edward Dolman, the … [Read more...] about Et Tu, Arnold? Lehman, Brooklyn Museum’s Director, Joins Museum-to-Market Defectors UPDATED THRICE

Always defying norms of museum propriety, Arnold Lehman has outdone himself in outrageousness with one of the final exhibitions opening under his transformative 18-year directorship at the Brooklyn Museum (ending on Aug. 31). I'm not talking about Sneaker Culture (although it's more a popular than scholarly success), but the astounding display that opened on the same floor … [Read more...] about FAILE Fail: Brooklyn Museum as Gaming Arcade (with video)

The Smithsonian's new head, David Skorton, last week endorsed the continuation of the Cosby Show at the National Museum of African Art, notwithstanding the flood of unfunny allegations regarding comedian Bill Cosby's personal character. The day before the latest sordid story appeared in the NY Times, Linda St. Thomas, the Smithsonian's chief spokesperson, responded to my … [Read more...] about Tawdry Cosby (Continued): Smithsonian Secretary Skorton Supports the Controversial Show’s Run

Should the Smithsonian’s new Secretary, former Cornell University President David Skorton, who has barely had time to sit down at his desk (let alone make new policy), cancel or drastically modify the National Museum of African Art's embarrassing situation comedy, The Cosby Show? To inform your consideration of this question, here's the latest family-friendly episode in … [Read more...] about The Smithsonian’s Cosby Debacle: Take Down that Exhibition, Dr. Skorton?

Notwithstanding the latest tawdry Cosby revelations, let's elude the quaalude story and keep our eyes on the latest museum-related disclosures: Brett Zongker of Associated Press reports that Bill and Camille Cosby funded the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art's current 50th anniversary exhibition, Conversations: African and African American Artworks in Dialogue to … [Read more...] about Pay-to-Play: Cosbys Bankrolled Their Show at Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art CORRECTED

Yesterday, I brought you Arnold Lehman's fancy footwear, in my post about our conversation at the press preview for the Brooklyn Museum's Sneaker Culture show (July 10-Oct. 4). One thing that we can say about Arnold is that, right to the end, he hasn't backed down from his controversial commitment to street culture and populist sensibilities. Organized by the American … [Read more...] about “It’s a Guy Thing”: My Live Tweets on the Brooklyn Museum’s “Sneaker Culture” Salon

While attending today's Sneaker Culture press preview, I took the opportunity to ask director Arnold Lehman about his plans after leaving the Brooklyn Museum. (He is due to retire on Aug. 31.) But first things first, Arnold: Who are you wearing? Let's take a closer look: Lehman told me his feet were clad in Yohji Yamamoto and that he had owned these for a … [Read more...] about Arnold Lehman on Life After the Brooklyn Museum and the Museum’s Life after Arnold

With its announcement last week of the sale of one of its most beloved works---Winslow Homer's "Milking Time"---as well as Andrew Wyeth's "Arthur Cleveland," the Delaware Art Museum claimed to have closed one of its "most difficult chapters." Not so fast. Details about the amount of the money received by the museum from its four deplorable deaccessions, as reported … [Read more...] about “Milking Time” Milked: Delaware Museum’s Failed Deaccession Gambit

My idea of extreme sports is playing two sets of tennis or descending a Carsten Höller slide. So I haven't quite envisioned myself using the product that Dr. CultureDaughter has been obsessively working on---GoPro video cameras, those very popular, rugged, waterproof contraptions that are designed to capture thrill seekers' adventures on land, sea and mid-air. But now, with … [Read more...] about CultureDaughter Commercial: Acoustic Engineer’s GoPro “Session” Obsession

With its new exhibition, Provocations: The Architecture and Design of Heatherwick Studio (to Jan. 3), the Cooper Hewitt has hit its stride after what struck me as a shaky debut. Organized by the Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas, this traveling show owes its existence to the long-haul perseverance of the Nasher's director, Jeremy Strick, and the Cooper Hewitt's deputy director, … [Read more...] about Crank It Up: Thomas Heatherwick’s Contrarian Contrivances at the Cooper Hewitt (with video)