THE VELVET HAMMER

“From the earliest days after the revolution of 1910, Mexican governments have showered intellectuals and artists with privileges, including grants, prizes, artistic commissions, jobs in government, publishing contracts, fellowships for study abroad, and diplomatic postings. Intellectuals have wielded disproportionate influence in politics and society by becoming in-house ideologues to various Mexican presidents, or by speaking for groups that lacked a voice in politics, such as indigenous people. In return, they have been expected to act as cheerleaders for the regime, lending their prestige and legitimacy to it, and collaborating in the ‘building of the nation.’ ” – Chronicle of Higher Education

PLANETARY ADVENTURE

After six years of work, the Hayden Planetarium at New York’s Museum of Natural History is set to open its ambitious addition. “Designed by James Stewart Polshek and Todd H. Schliemann, the $210 million space is glass enclosed and luminous, a bright contrast to the heavy neo-classicism of the rest of the museum. – Newsweek

GOING WARHOL

What’s happened to David Hockney? In the past decade “he has refused to simplify his signature style, choosing instead to interrogate the rules of representation and reproduction. He’s done photomontage art and fax art, and has written books on what it means to see. He has, in other words, gone Warhol, a wise PR move for an artist always erroneously (yet profitably) associated with Pop, but a disaster for one of the few living painters who can command respect for his traditional skills.” – Feed

YOUR GUGGENHEIM HERE

Residents of the town of Greater Geelong in Australia describe their region as “Tuscany with beaches.” Geelong has mounted a campaign to persuade the Guggenheim Museum to build a branch there. The building would cost $300 million and the town would invite Frank Gehry to design it.  “We just became sick of feeling sorry for ourselves,” explains the Chamber of Commerce president, Peter Landers. “We have a good product here.” – The Age (Melbourne)

MARBLE MAZE

Records of negotiations between the British Museum and the Greek Government over return of the Elgin Marbles have recently been declassified. In 1994 the Greek government seems to have been willing to end the dispute over the Elgin Marbles by accepting only a small number of those at the British Museum. The Art Newspaper

PORTRAIT GALLERY DIRECTOR RESIGNS

National Portrait Gallery Director Alan Fern, who recently lost a bitter public battle over how much space his museum would have in the building it shares, will retire. The gallery is part of the Smithsonian, and uses art to tell the history of people and events. Under Fern’s direction, the gallery’s collection doubled to more than 18,000 pieces and began including popular cultural and sports figures. Last year it had 432,000 visitors. – Washington Post