Thirteen years after a different court turned down the heirs’ claims, the judge in this case “rejected the idea that Mr. Grunbaum had voluntarily transferred the artworks during his lifetime to an heir. ‘A signature at gunpoint cannot lead to a valid conveyance,’ he wrote.”
Category: visual
Restoring A Landmark In Los Angeles (And Heading Toward A Museum’s Future)
The details of the Academy of Motion Pictures’ restoration of the old May Company building, now the Saban building, are pretty cool: “Taking apart the steel windows uncovered a bit of architectural archeology. The original depression-era workers dumped plaster, wood, and construction debris inside the walls, and the windows were made watertight with sisal rope, a technique Fidler recognized from ships and buildings of the 18th century.”
After Protests, The Brooklyn Museum Defends Its Hiring Of A White Curator Of African Art
Who can afford to be an art historian, or a curator? “The Brooklyn Museum job was advertised as a part-time position for a limited period. ‘It goes without saying that for many, this kind of employment is not practical.'”
High Special Exhibition Fees Spark Debate About UK Museum Policies
General admission to the main sites of all the UK’s national museums has been free since 2001, and has helped make Britain’s museums and galleries some of the most visited in the world. But it means they rely on government funding or special exhibitions to survive. Critics say this has created a two-tier system, whereby only tourists and higher spenders can afford the special exhibitions.
How Selfie-Driven Museums Are Driven By Their Business Model
The design of selfie-driven “museums” seems to align with other experiential selfie spots like Color Factory, 29Rooms, and Dream Room. They revolve a highly successful business model: sell tickets for $35 to people itching to Instagram themselves, then immerse them in hyperpigmented landscapes funded by corporate sponsors.
Dutch Old Master Painting Discovered In Iowa Storage Closet
Apollo and Venus, painted between 1595 and 1600 by Otto van Veen (a teacher of Rubens), had been donated (with other works) to the Des Moines Women’s Club, which used the pieces as the nucleus of an art gallery. And why did this one end up in the closet? Well, it may have been a bit too risqué for these Iowa matrons.
Berkshire Museum’s Sale Of Art Approved By Mass. Supreme Court
“Under the terms of the deal, the museum can sell all 40 works – but with one major caveat. Once the proceeds from the sale reach $55 million, it cannot sell any more art. Furthermore, Norman Rockwell’s celebrated Shuffleton’s Barbershop – perhaps the best-known work the Berkshire sought to sell – will be sold to an as-yet-unidentified nonprofit American museum.”
World’s Tallest Statue Is Going Up In India
The “Statue of Unity”, a 600-foot-tall figure of Sardar Vallabhbai Patel (an anti-colonial leader who became independent India’s first deputy prime minister), is going up on a small island in the Naramada River in the state of Gujarat. The $460 million structure will be twice the height of the Statue of Liberty.
Even After 326 Years, No One Is Sure What To Make Of Velázquez’s ‘Las Meninas’
“An enigmatic group portrait of sorts, Las Meninas is populated by an odd cast of characters, including a princess, a nun, a dwarf, and the Baroque artist himself. A stark divergence from traditional royal portraiture, many have likened the painting to a snapshot, in the sense that it packs in a wealth of action. At the same time, close examination reveals that it doesn’t seem to follow the rules of perspective. Without clear evidence of the artist’s intentions or the wishes of his patron, viewers and historians alike are mostly left with theories and unanswerable questions. … Below, we break down what we do (and don’t) know about this inscrutable Spanish masterpiece.”
Frick Collection Reveals Its Fourth Expansion Plan, Hoping This One Will Actually Get Built
“The irony is not lost on Ian Wardropper, the director of the Frick Collection: The very gated garden that upended the museum’s previous attempt to renovate its 1914 Gilded Age mansion is now the centerpiece of its revised design. … The new plan, by the architect Annabelle Selldorf, has situated several new elements precisely so that each provides a tranquil view of the garden.”