“[Former Bayeux Museum director] Isabelle Attard said moving such a ‘fragile, near-1,000-year-old roll of wool and linen’ even a few metres was risky, never mind transporting it overseas.” The curator directly responsible for the tapestry said that when he first heard news of the plan to loan the piece to Britain, he thought it was a hoax.
Author: Matthew Westphal
French Arts Leaders Demand Abandonment Of Jeff Koons Memorial To Paris Terrorist Victims
“In [an open] letter, the signees say that the work is symbolically inappropriate to its subject matter, that it will obstruct views of the Eiffel Tower, that erecting it would be financially irresponsible, that the pavement below couldn’t possibly support the 30-ton work, and that no open call was made for artists to submit plans for the monument.”
Hugh Masekela, ‘Father Of South African Jazz’ And Anti-Apartheid Champion, Dead At 78
“[He] came to the forefront of his country’s music scene in the 1950s, when he became a pioneer of South African jazz as a member of the Jazz Epistles, a bebop sextet that included the pianist Abdullah Ibrahim and other future stars. After a move to the United States in 1960, he won international acclaim and carried the mantle of his country’s freedom struggle.”
One Of Hong Kong Booksellers Kidnapped By Chinese Police Abducted Again, ‘Snatched’ From Swedish Escorts
“Hong Kong-based publisher Gui Minhai, one of the Causeway Bay booksellers whose disappearance two years ago caused an international storm, was snatched again by mainland Chinese authorities from a train heading for Beijing over the weekend, his daughter reported on Monday.”
Neil Diamond, Suffering From Parkinson’s Disease, Will End His Touring
The 77-year-old singer “made the announcement while in the midst of his ’50-Year Anniversary World Tour.’ In March, Diamond was set to visit New Zealand and Australia on the third leg of the tour. … He is one of the world’s most popular recording artists, having sold more than 130 million records.”
Naomi Parker Fraley, 96, Real-Life Model For Rosie The Riveter
“Over the years, a welter of American women have been identified as the model for Rosie, the war worker of 1940s popular culture who became a feminist touchstone in the late 20th century. Mrs. Fraley … staked the most legitimate claim of all. But because her claim was eclipsed by another woman’s, she went unrecognized for more than 70 years.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 01.22.18
CultureGrrl Confidential: Leaks from La Salle President’s Student Forum on Art Sales
In explaining why the 46 artworks deaccessioned by La Salle University were spirited away from its museum by Christie’s during intersession (while the Philadelphia campus was mostly devoid of students and faculty), … read more
AJBlog: CultureGrrl Published 2018-01-22
Spotify, David Lowery, and the Future of Artists’ Rights
The conquest of the music industry by a small number of technology companies has continued on schedule, but there has been some resistance by musicians and their advocates. One of the most stalwart … read more
AJBlog: CultureCrash Published 2018-01-22
Monday Recommendation: Django, A Motion Picture
Director Étienne Comar’s Django portrays guitarist Django Reinhardt’s life during two years when it seemed that Europe might fall to Germany. His account emphasizes the greatness of Reinhardt’s music and the … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2018-01-22
What Made Leonard Bernstein’s Young People’s Concerts Such A Hit?
“On January 18, 1958, the first Leonard Bernstein ‘Young People’s Concert’ was broadcast live on television. Through the 1960s, the programs took off and were seen in 40 countries, alongside American exports The Flintstones and Bonanza. WNYC’s Sara Fishko considers Bernstein’s TV-friendly presence, in this episode of Fishko Files.” (audio)
When Man Ray Hitched A Ride To L.A. And Stayed
“Many within Hollywood, like Albert Lewin, director of The Moon and Sixpence, were keen to work with the famed surrealist, yet these offers of collaboration rarely came to much. ‘Man Ray was very firm,’ [curator Max] Teicher says. ‘If he was going to do a film, he was going to do everything: the lighting, the set design, everything. They [Hollywood insiders] looked at him like he was crazy, because that’s not how Hollywood worked.”
Frank Lloyd Wright Building Bulldozed In Montana
“The owner of a historic Frank Lloyd Wright building in Whitefish, Montana razed the structure last week, immediately after last-minute negotiations with preservationists attempting to buy it fell through. Designed in 1958 – one year before Wright’s death – as a medical clinic, the 5,000-square-foot building is the first Wright-designed one to be demolished in over 40 years.”